Chapter # 03 THE DAY THE DAM BROKE

Sardonic ‫طنزیہ‬ Grim ‫سنگین‬

Endured ‫برداشت‬ Pleased ‫پرسکون‬

Turmoil ‫ ہنگامہ آرائی‬Puffed ‫پھوال ہوا‬

Alter ‫ تبدیل کرنا‬Wheedling ‫وہیل‬

Native ‫مقامی‬ Portly

Perilous ‫ خطرناک‬Trot

Ennobled ‫قاب ِل تعریف‬ Mumble ‫بڑبڑانا‬

Demoralized ‫ حوصلہ شکنی‬Abruptly ‫اچانک‬

Magnificant ‫ شاندار‬Harness ‫استعمال‬

Profound ‫ گہرا‬Trickles ‫چالیں‬

Misconception ‫ غلط فہمی‬Cripples ‫اپاہج‬

Cavalry ‫ رسالہ‬Veterans ‫سابق فوجی‬

Menace ‫ خطرہ‬Seething ‫بیٹھنا۔‬

Brandishing Exhorted ‫برآمد‬

Sabre Surging ‫سرجری۔‬

Stun ‫ حیرت زدہ‬Billows

Impeded ‫ رکاوٹ‬Porch ‫پورچ‬

Inert ‫ جڑنا‬Infantry ‫پیادہ‬

Passion ‫ جذبہ‬Bowling ‫کٹورا‬

Avenue ‫ گلی‬Gasped ‫ہانپ گیا‬

 Engulfed ‫ مشغول۔‬Rout ‫روٹ‬

Grostesque ‫ عجیب و غریب‬Robtail & Ragtag ‫روبیل۔‬

Assuage ‫ جاری‬Dispelled ‫منتشر‬

Desperation ‫ مایوسی‬Restored ‫بحال‬

Staid ‫ کھڑا ہوا‬Stampeders ‫ڈاک ٹکٹ۔‬

Clarion ‫ کلیریون۔‬Tramping ‫روندنا۔‬

Aisle ‫ گلیارے‬Desperado’s bluff ‫ڈیسپیراڈو کی خرابی‬

Sprawling ‫ پھیال ہوا‬Swirled ‫گھوم گیا۔‬

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Qno:01:How accurate is the tittle of “Thurber’s essay” ?

 Ans: The writer has mentioned an incident on the basis of that event he chastised the mob psychology and
collective behaviour of the people of Ohio city. The title of Thurber’s essay is quite accurate which
describes interesting incident enriched with humors and suspense.

Qno:02: What can we gather about grand father’s age physique and mental condition ?
Ans: From the description given in the essay exact age of grand father hasn’t been mentioned. However
we can gather that he is an old but strong and steady person. He was more than six feet tall and weighted
about hundred & seventy pounds. He wasn’t mentally sound,always haunted by imaginary fears.

Qno:03: How does the panic appears to have started?

Ans: The main cause of panic was not known. The author is not certain how the panic started. A man
started running when the city business was in full swing. A man started to run feeling, he was late for an
appointment with his wife. What ever it was, he ran towards the east. Somebody else perhaps a news boy
began to run. He was followed by fat gentleman. The fear of broken dam was put into words by an old
lady or a small boy no body knows who but with in ten minutes every body on light street was running.
Qno:04: How did Thurber’s mother cope with situation?
Ans: Thurber’s mother being a sensible lady and a caring mother behaved sensibly and didn’t panic. Most of the people
were in so panic that they didn’t even turned out fire but Thurber’s mother unlike all, turned out all the fire & took a
dozen egg & two loaves of bread to meet the hunger. She also planned to take refuge on the roof top of Memorial Hall,
not far from her house but she was dragged along with the crowd towards the east.

Qno:05: What caused the lieutenant Colonel of infantry to lead the fleeing company of three hundred persons? Ans:
JamesThurber makes a mockery of army officers& their lacking of decision making in case of emergency. A drowsy
lieutenant Colonel when heard the cries of a child ‘go east’ he started running without even knowing the actual cause.
When other people saw Colonel running like that they took it seriously & began to run along with Colonel. In this way he
was soon leading fleeing company of three hundred person.

Qno:06: How long did the panic last & how was order restored?
Ans: The panic lasted for only two hours when militiamen riding in motor lorries & announcing over megaphones that the
dam has not broken & there is no reason for panic.

Qno:07: How did the panic started in the cinema on high streets?
Ans: An elderly man sitting next to aunt Taylor got up to find out what the noise was. A woman, without knowing the
actual cause started shouting ‘fire’ as her inner fear of being burn up in theatre always haunted her. This started panic
inside the cinema & every body rushed out of theatre & started running with the mob.
Qno:08: Why did Dr.Mallory think that the flood waters was about to engulf him?
Ans: Dr.Mallory mistook the noise of the skates as that of a rushing water. He started running fast to save his life but the
fell down. He kept on lying flat on his face because he was quiet sure that flood water has reached him closely & is about
to engulf him till situation became clear.

Qno:09: How did Thurber obtain the description of the events in the cinema & the experience of Dr.Mallory?
Ans: Thurber got all this information from his aunt who was in the cinema & met Dr.Mallory on the way during the mess.

Qno:10: Why did the citizen of Columbus not care to talk about the events of 12 March 1913 ?
Ans: The citizen of Columbus didn’t care to talk about these events b\c they feel embarrassed of their foolish behavior &
blind following.

Qno:11: Explain “We all were safe as kitten under a coke stove” referring to the essay?
Ans: Literally it is suggested that gap under a cook stove is a safe place for literally to prevent them from dogs etc.
In a case of the 1913 rumor of a flood the people were safe because dam was secure. So this idiom can rightly
depict the meaning according to situation.

Qno:12: Explain “ Thurber’s Sardonic but affectionate view in ‘ The Day The Dam Broken’ “ ?
Ans: ‘The Day The Dam Broken’ is extremely amusing and humorous essay,satiring the behaviour of the people and mob
psychology. A person in panic is unable to rationalize it and starts following blindly irrespective of fact how versed and
experienced they are.