A Shipwrecked Sailor

Questions and Answers

1.What happened to the narrator?

Ans: The narrator was in the middle of the ocean after a shipwreck. The ship plunged into an
abyss and disappeared

2. What appeared reassuring to the narrator?

Ans: Other sailors were also having the same predicament as the narrator. It was reassuring to
him.

3. ‘I made it on the third try.’ What did the narrator do on the third try?

Ans: The narrator made an attempt to grab the rigging and jump aboard.

4. ‘Then I saw three of my mates near the raft’. Who were the three shipmates Velasco saw?

Ans: Castillo, Caraballo and Luis Rengifo were the three shipmates whom Velasco saw.

5. Could Velasco save Ramon Herrera? Why?

Ans: No. The life raft was almost two meters away and it was very heavy in that lurching sea
and he had to row against the wind. So, he was unable to reach Herrera.

6. What were Eduardo Castillo and Julio Amador Caraballo doing?

Ans: Caraballo, with Castillo clinging to his neck was struggling hard to swim towards the
raft.

7. What kind of a man was Luis Rengifo?

Ans: He was a bold and confident person who was not ready to give up till the end.

8. What happened to Caraballo and Castillo?

Ans: Caraballo had vanished with Castillo hanging on to his neck.

9. What was the absurd thing done by the narrator?

Ans: Knowing that he couldn’t move for-ward, the narrator put the oar in the water as though
trying to prevent the raft from moving trying to anchor it in place.
10. How did Amador and Castillo vanish?

Ans: Amador Caraballo and Castillo had almost reached the raft when a huge wave struck.
Later, the narrator understood that they had vanished with the waves.

11. ‘I made a last try.’ What was the ‘last try’ made by Velasco? Was he successful in it?

Ans: Velasco tried to row towards Rengifo to rescue him. However, he was not successful.
He sank forever less than two meters from the oar.

12. ‘I kept searching the water, hoping that someone would surface soon.’ Did anyone come
to the surface? Why?

Ans: No, all the other shipmates were drowned.

13. Pick out the image that describes the sun.

Ans: The sun was hot and metallic.

14. ‘…but, I tried to resign myself to it.’ What did Velasco resign himself to?

Ans: The narrator resigned himself to the fact that he was alone at sea and had no food and
water.

15. Why did Velasco splash water over his head?

Ans: The Velasco splashed water on his head as he had lost his cap and the sun was burning
his head and skin.

16. ‘…but when I did, I was startled.’ Why was Velasco startled?

Ans: Velasco was startled because he saw a half-moon shaped wound on the lower part of his
knee.

17. What were the items in the list of belongings of Velasco?

Ans: A gold ring, a watch, a chain with a medal of the Virgin of Carmen, keys to his locker,
three business cards, etc were the items in the list of his belongings.