The Basic & Higher English Institute

The Eyes Have It (ICSE 8)

Answer the following questions:

What instructions was the girl given? At which station did she board the train?

Ans. The girl was instructed by her mother in detail such as where to keep her belongings, when not to
lean out of train’s windows and how to avoid speaking to the strangers.

She boarded the train at Rohana.

What explanation does the narrator give for not being able to see the girl? Yet how did he know what
footwear she was wearing?

The narrator explained that at that time he was totally blind and his eyes were only sensitive to light and
darkness. So he could not how the girl looked like. Yet he knew that she was wearing slippers out of its
slapping sound against her heels. Here he applied his auditory sense to understand the style of her shoes.

How does the narrator describe October as the best time to visit Mussoorie in spite of this vision
impairment?

The narrator in spite of this vision impairment can describe October as the best time to visit Mussoorie by
his prior memory when he was not completely blind. Apart from that, it may also be his other senses that
helped him more intensely to experience the time. His tactile sense tells him about the ‘daliah covered
hills’ while his sensation to dazzling light clarifies him about the ‘delicious sun’. Similarly his sharp
sensation to warmth tells him about the flames from logfire and brandy in taste brings a touch of
perfection to his enjoyment.

Briefly bring out the flow of conversation the narrator maintains to know more about the girl.

Right from the beginning the readers are well aware of the narrator’s sensitive attitude towards his fellow
passenger. Although he is completely blind at the time and cannot describe the girl’s look, his auditory
sense was strong enough to know about her slippers. Going by his extrovert nature he starts the
conversation by asking whether she would accompany him till the end, Dehra. At this the girl answered
smartly that she would get off at Saharanpur and her aunt was supposed to pick her up. The narrator,
already fused in a light feeling of infatuation told her that it would be better not to get too closer with her
and wittily added that middle aged women like aunts might be very suspicious at the closeness of a boy
and a girl. Then he asked her some non questions like about the outside and the girl too extended the
dialogue. Interestingly both of them were cautious not to reveal their blindness. Finally their chitchat
culminates in his daring remark about her interesting face at which she laughs. Then she flatters him as ‘a
gallant young man’. This remark perhaps hits at his pretension and he controls his laughter; instead he
reminds her then about her imminent departure because Saharanpur came nearly.

What question does the narrator ask the fellow passenger about the girl? What has he already imagined
about her?
The narrator asks the fellow passenger whether the girl had long hair or short.

He has already imagined that the girl is well sighted and very interesting with a pretty face. She perhaps
has kept her long hair loose over her shoulder or the style may also be short. Even he could sniff the
perfume of her hair because he desired her hair to be long and loose. But what he could never imagine
was her completely blind eyes.

What does the new fellow passenger say that surprises the narrator? What is your reaction to this piece of
information?

The new fellow passenger says that the girl is completely blind in eyes. It surprises the narrator.

As a reader I am also stupefied with kind of gaped mouth gesture. It’s too interesting how the girl till the
end successfully hides her blindness to the man. It is not only the narrator who pretends and beguiles the
girl rather she also pays him back with the same coin with a better dexterity.