STD 12- REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR LITERATURE CHAPTERS (TERM 2)

BOOK NAME: FLAMINGO

Indigo (Louis Fischer)

Question 1.
Why did Gandhiji agree to the planters’ offer of a 25 percent refund to the farmers?
(Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but
they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the
amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the
planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their
settlement.

Question 2.
How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers at Champaran? (All India 2009)
Answer:
Gandhiji chided the lawyers for over-charging the poor peasants. When the peasants
were so poor and crushed, it was inhuman to charge heavy fees from them.
Gandhiji’s selfless service and devotion to the cause of the peasants put the lawyers
to shame.

Question 3.
How did Gandhiji help the peasants of Champaran? (All India 2009)
Answer:
At Champaran, the British landlords forced all the tenants to plant 15 per cent of
their holding with indigo and then surrender the entire harvest as rent. This increased
the misery of the poor tenants. But when synthetic indigo was developed and indigo
plantation was no longer profitable, the landlords obtained fresh agreements from
sharecroppers to pay them compensation for releasing them from the 15%
arrangement. Gandhiji came in at this time and through non-violent civil
disobedience he forced the landlords to refund 25 per cent of the compensation
money to the peasants.

Question 4.
Why did the servants think Gandhiji to be another peasant? (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
In Patna, Rajkumar Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of Rajendra Prasad who was a
lawyer. The servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant of Champaran who often came
to Rajendra Prasad’s house and pestered him to take up the cause of the indigo
sharecroppers of Champaran. Since a simple-clad Gandhiji accompanied Shukla the
servants mistook him to be another peasant.
Question 5.
Why did Gandhiji agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to the farmers?
(Comptt. All India 2011 )
Answer:
Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but
they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the
amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the
planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their
settlement.

Question 6.
How were Shukla and Gandhiji received in Rajendra Prasad’s house? (Delhi 2012)
Answer:
In Patna Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of a lawyer, Rajendra Prasad. He was out
of town but his servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant who pestered Rajendra
Prasad (their master) to help the indigo sharecroppers. So he was allowed to stay
there with his companion. But Gandhiji was not permitted to draw water from the
well lest he be an untouchable and some drops of water from his bucket pollute the
entire source.

Question 7.
What made Gandhiji demand 50% refund from the British landlords? (Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
Gandhiji demanded 50% refund from the British landlords in the form of repayment
of money which the landlords had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the poor
sharecroppers.

Question 8.
Why did Gandhiji accept 25 percent compensation? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer:
Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but
they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the
amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the
planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their
settlement.

Question 9.
While at Champaran how did Gandhiji keep a long distance watch on his ashram?
(Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer:
During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhiji kept a long distance watch on his
Ashram. He sent regular instructions by mail and asked for financial accounts. He
even wrote to the residents that it was time to fill in the old latrine trenches and dig
new ones.
Question 10.
“The battle of Champaran is won.” When and why did Gandhiji exclaim this? (Comptt.
AI 2012)
Answer:
When several prominent lawyers told Gandhiji that they were ready to follow him to
jail, Gandhiji exclaimed, “The battle of Champaran is toon”. Gandhiji made this
statement because he had been able to shake the lawyers out of their stupor and
they were ready to support Gandhiji.

Question 11.
Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Cham-paran case to the court was useless?
(Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Gandhiji felt taking the Champaran case to the court was useless as taking such
cases to the courts did little good. Where the peasants are so crushed and fear-
stricken, law courts prove useless. The real relief for these peasants was to be free
from fear.

Question 12.
What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji? (Comptt. All
India 2014)
Answer:
The Lieutenant Governor was forced to drop the case against Gandhiji because the
lawyers had told Gandhiji that they would follow him into jail. So the Lieutenant
Governor wrote to the Magistrate ordering him to drop the case against Gandhiji.

Question 13.
How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come
to help them? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer:
As the news of Gandhiji’s advent and the nature of his mission spread, the peasants
began arriving on foot and by conveyance to get a glimpse of their champion. The
lawyers, who had represented the peasant groups in court, also came to brief
Gandhiji.

Question 14.
Why did Gandhiji agree to 25% compensation? (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer:
Refer to Question 20, Page 185

Question 15.
How did Rajkumar Shukla establish that he was resolute? (All India 2015)
Answer:
Rajkumar Shukla wanted Gandhiji to visit Champaran to take up the cause of the
poor sharecroppers who were being exploited by the English landlords but Gandhiji
said he had appointments in various parts of India. Shukla started following Gandhiji
everywhere the latter went and for weeks he never left Gandhiji’s side thus
establishing his resoluteness.

Question 16.
How was Gandhi treated at Rajendra Prasad’s house? (All India 2015)
Answer:
In Patna Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of a lawyer, Rajendra Prasad. He was out
of town but his servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant who pestered Rajendra
Prasad (their master) to help the indigo sharecroppers. So he was allowed to stay
there with his companion. But Gandhiji was not permitted to draw water from the
well lest he be an untouchable and some drops of water from his bucket pollute the
entire source.

Question 17.
What were the terms of the indigo contract between the British landlords and the
Indian peasants? (All India 2015)
Answer:
The arable land in the Champaran district was divided into estates which were
owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was
indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant 15 per cent of their holdings with
indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.

Question 18.
Why is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
Answer:
Shukla wanted Gandhiji to visit Champaran to take up the cause of the
sharecroppers but Gandhiji said he had appointments in Cawnpore and other parts
of India. Shukla did not leave Gandhiji’s side for weeks begging him to fix a date for
Champaran. Gandhiji was impressed by his determination and resoluteness and
Shukla finally managed to convince Gandhiji to accompany him to Champaran.

Question 19.
Why was Gandhiji opposed to C.F. Andrews helping him in Champaran? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
Though Gandhiji’s lawyer friends thought it would be a good idea for C.F.Andrews to
stay in Champaran and help them, Gandhiji vehemently opposed it. He said that if
they had an Englishman on their side it would show the weakness of their heart.
They should not attempt to seek a prop in Andrews just because he happened to be
an Englishman. Gandhiji wanted Indians to be self-reliant.

Question 20.
Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of mere 25 percent? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but
they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the
amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the
planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their
settlement.

Question 21.
Why was Gandhiji unhappy with the lawyers in Muzzafarpur? Why was he against
taking cases to the law courts? (Comptt. All India)
Answer:
Gandhiji was unhappy with the lawyers in Muzzafarpur as they were collecting a
huge fee from the peasants. He was against taking the case to the law courts as he
knew the fear stricken peasants would be further crushed and exploited in the court.
Gandhiji wanted to free the farmers from the fear of Britishers.

Indigo Important Questions Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)

Question 22.
Describe the difficulties faced by Gandhi at Champaran. (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system
there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by
Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were
sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the
British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh
agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign
and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran
with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the
commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did
not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran,
Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could
persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

Question 23.
How was a solution to the problem of indigo sharecroppers of Champaran
found?(Comptt. Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The entire harvest of indigo, the chief commercial crop produced by the peasants in
the 15 per cent of their land had to be paid as rent to the British landlords. After
Germany developed synthetic indigo, it brought a steep fall in indigo prices. Now the
landlords very cleverly wished to give up this arrangement and get compensation for
releasing the farmers land. Gandhiji at this time appeared in Champaran and fought
a year long battle to get the poor peasants justice. Gandhiji decided to accept a
settlement of 25 per cent of the compensation money to break the deadlock
between the landlords and their tenants. The moral victory of the farmers to make
the landlords own-up their dishonesty and surrender their money and prestige
mattered more to Gandhiji. So he was successful in defeating the nefarious designs
of the British landlords and also made the farmers courageous and conscious of
their rights.
Question 24.
Why and how did Raj Kumar Shukla persu-ade Gandhiji to visit Champaran? (Comptt.
AI 2010)
Answer:
Raj Kumar Shukla was an illiterate and oppressed indigo farmer from Champaran
who came to invite Gandhiji to visit his district where injustice and oppression was
rampant. He wished Gandhiji to accompany him to Champaran and sort out the
problems of the miserable peasants. Gandhiji mentioned about his prior
engagements to Shukla but he did not give up and followed Gandhiji everywhere. He
kept urging Gandhiji to visit Champaran. Finally his persistent and patience bore
fruits and Gandhiji agreed to accompany him to Champaran immediately after his
Calcutta visit. Gandhiji’s truthfulness, sincerity of purpose and undeterred efforts
spelled the triumph of the campaign against the unjust British rulers. What began as
an attempt to fight for justice against the hapless peasants later turned out to be a
clear proclamation that the Indians would not submit to British tyranny meekly.

Question 25.
How was the Champaran incident a turning point in Gandhiji’s life? (Comptt. All India
2010)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system
there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by
Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were
sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the
British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh
agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign
and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran
with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the
commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did
not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran,
Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could
persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

The Champaran episode turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the
Britishes could not order him about in his own country. It established the
effectiveness of non¬cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran
episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Even after winning the
peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed in Champaran for the
cultural and social upliftment of the poor and the backward of the villages of
Champaran.

Question 26.
Why do you think Gandhiji considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point
in his life? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system
there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by
Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were
sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the
British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh
agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign
and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran
with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the
commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did
not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran,
Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could
persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

The Champaran episode turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the
Britishes could not order him about in his own country. It established the
effectiveness of non¬cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran
episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Even after winning the
peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed in Champaran for the
cultural and social upliftment of the poor and the backward of the villages of
Champaran.

Question 27.
How did Gandhiji use satyagraha and non-violence at Champaran to achieve his
goal? (2011)
Answer:
Gandhiji reached Champaran with a goal to alleviate the peasants’ sufferings at the
hands of the British landlords. He met the Secretary of the Landlords’ Association
and the Commissioner who told him to leave Champaran. They signed the order but
also wrote that Gandhiji would disobey it and sent a full report to the Viceroy. This
was followed by spontaneous demonstrations by thousands of peasants around the
court house. The lawyers too resolved to follow Gandhiji to jail forcing the case
against him to be dropped. This was the first victory of Civil Disobedience. Then an
official enquiry into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation was instituted and the
landlords agreed to refund the peasants. The sharecropper accepted the 25 per cent
refund. The landlords surrendered a part of the money with a part of their prestige.
So Gandhiji achieved his objective in removing the fear of the poor peasants and
getting justice for them through ‘satyagraha’ and ‘non-violence’.

Question 28.
Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo
sharecroppers of Champaran. (All India 2012)
Answer:
Gandhiji took up the cause of the indigo sharecroppers at Champaran. He fought
against the injustice of the cruel British landlords who extorted money from the poor
sharecroppers. Gandhiji collected all the facts and met the Commissioner. He tried
to threaten Gandhiji and advised him to leave from there. But Gandhiji was
undeterred. He decided to launch a peaceful ‘satyagraha’ and non-violent movement.
This led to spontaneous demonstra¬tions in Motihari. Thousands of peasants
challenged the Britishers and the government was baffled. Despite earlier
hesitations the prominent lawyers declared their uncondi¬tional support to Gandhiji.
Finally Gandhiji’s peaceful and non-violent civil disobedience bore the desired
results. The indigo share¬croppers at Champaran secured justice and the landlords
agreed to refund 25 per cent of the compensation money.

Question 29.
The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. Elucidate. (All India
2012)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system
there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by
Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were
sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the
British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh
agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign
and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran
with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the
commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did
not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran,
Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could
persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

The Champaran episode turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the
Britishes could not order him about in his own country. It established the
effectiveness of non¬cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran
episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Even after winning the
peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed in Champaran for the
cultural and social upliftment of the poor and the backward of the villages of
Champaran.

Question 30.
Why did Rajkumar Shukla invite Gandhiji to Champaran? How did Gandhiji solve the
problem of the indigo farmers? (All India 2012)
Answer:
Rajkmar Shukla who was an illiterate and oppressed indigo farmer from Champaran
invited Gandhiji to visit his district so that he could alleviate the problems faced by
the miserable peasants at the hands of the British landlords. He kept urging Gandhiji
to visit Champaran. Gandhiji’s truthfulness, sincerity of purpose and undeterred
efforts enabled him to solve the problem of the indigo farmers. He began by trying to
get the facts. The British landlords as well as Commissioner of Tirhut were non-
cooperative. Lawyers from Muzaffarpur briefed him about court cases of these
peasants. Gandhiji and the lawyers collected depositions by about ten thousand
peasants. Notes were made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The
whole area throbbed with the activities of the investigators and forceful protests of
landlords. The Lieutenant Governor summoned Gandhiji. After four protracted
interviews an official commission of inquiry was appointed to look into the indigo
sharecroppers’ situation. Gandhiji was the sole representative of the peasants. The
official inquiry assembled huge quantity of evidence against the big planters. After
negotiation a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers was agreed on. This
was a moral victory of the peasants. They recognised their rights and learned
courage.

Question 31.
Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. The poor indigo farmers were exploited by
the British landlords to which Gandhiji objected. Even after our independence we find
exploitation of unorganized labour. What values do we learn from Gandhiji campaign
to counter the present day problems of exploitation?(Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Gandhiji’s campaign in Champaran is relevant even in the present day to counter the
problems of exploitation. What we must keep in mind is to teach the downtrodden to
be courageous. Unless the labour class overcomes the fear within them, they will
never be able to fight for their rights. Therefore, priority has to be given to
empowering and making the labour class bold and fearless and to give them the
courage to oppose injustice and exploitation. Another thing we must remember is to
focus not on the problems of the labour class but on the solution of their problems.
We must possess a humanitarian approach and should be ready to brave hardships
with non-violence, patience and perseverance. Only then can we overcome the
present-day problems of exploitation.

Question 32.
Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers? How did
it influence the peasant-landlord relationship in Champaran? (All India 2013)
Answer:
Gandhiji had demanded the indigo planters for a 50 per cent refund to the farmers
but they offered only 25 per cent. But Gandhiji agreed to their offer because for him
the amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that
the planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. It was a moral victory
for the farmers. Gandhiji’s main aim was to break the deadlock between the
landlords and their tenants and to enable the peasants to recognise their legal rights.
Within a few years the British planters abandoned their estates, which reverted to the
peasants and finally indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Question 33.
Attempt the following in about 100 words:
Our scriptures tell us that determination and perseverance are cardinal virtues of a
good human being. Raj Kumar Shukla succeeded in taking Gandhiji to Champaran
with the help of these two.
How can young students today use these two qualities to make successful careers
for themselves? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Determination is your decision to do something against all odds. Perseverance is to
keep doing something for the time needed to achieve your goal no matter how long
or difficult the path is. No wonder these two qualities should be the ‘mantra’ for
young students to make a successful career for themselves. If there is one quality,
one personal trait that is most correlated with success it is the trait of per¬sistence—
the ability to endure till the end. With a little more perseverance what once seemed a
hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. Determination and perseverance give
us hope that the righteous suffer no other failure except that of giving up and no
longer trying.

Question 34.
Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle
for Independence? (All India 2014)
Answer:
The Champaran episode was a landmark in the Gandhian style of fighting against
the British. It was a long-drawn out but peaceful agitation. It was also a turning point
in Gandhiji’s life. During this struggle Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the
Britishers. It did not begin as an act of defiance but it grew out of an . attempt to
make the sufferings of the poor peasants less severe. It was the triumph of the first
civil disobedience movement. The Champaran episode taught the farmers to be
courageous and made them aware of their rights. It was a spontaneous
demonstration around the courtroom and the beginning of the peasant liberation
from the fear of Britishers. In the Champaran episode, self-reliance and freedom
struggle went hand in hand.

Question 35.
Gandhiji’s was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living human beings.
Why did Gandhiji continue his stay in Champaran even after indigo sharecropping
disappeared? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Gandhiji never contented himself with large political and economic solutions. He
saw the cultural and social backwardness in the villages of Champaran and wanted
to do something about it immediately. So he continued his stay in Champaran even
after indigo sharecropping disappeared. He appealed to two young men, who were
teachers and their wives to engage volunteers for improving conditions of health and
hygiene. Since the health conditions were miserable in Champaran, Gandhiji got a
doctor to volunteer his services for six months. He noticed the filthy state of
women’s clothes and asked his wife, Kasturba to talk to them about it. During his
long stay in Champaran Gandhiji also kept a long distance watch on the ashram. In
everything Gandhiji did, he tried to mould a new free India that could stand on its
own feet.

Question 36.
Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his Champaran
campaign? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
According to Louis Fischer, the Champaran campaign began as an attempt to fight
against the injustice towards the helpless peasants to alleviate their sufferings. It
later turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the Britishers could not
order him about in his own country. Gandhiji took up the cause of the indigo
sharecroppers at Champaran. He fought against the injustice of the cruel British
landlords who extorted money from the poor sharecroppers. Gandhiji collected all
the facts and met the Commissioner. He tried to threaten Gandhiji and advised him
to leave from there. But Gandhiji was undeterred. He decided to launch a peaceful
‘satyagraha’ and non-violent movement. This led to spontaneous demonstrations in
Motihari. Thousands of peasants challenged the Britishers and the government was
baffled. Despite earlier hesitations the prominent lawyers declared their
unconditional support to Gandhiji. Finally Gandhiji’s peaceful and non-violent civil
disobedience bore the desired results. The indigo sharecroppers at Champaran
secured justice and the landlords agreed to refund 25 percent of the compensation
money.

Question 37.
What did Gandhiji do to remove the cultural and social backwardness in the
Champaran villages? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
Answer:
Gandhiji never contented himself with large political and economic solutions. He
saw the cultural and social backwardness in the villages of Champaran and wanted
to do something about it immediately. So he continued his stay in Champaran even
after indigo sharecropping disappeared. He appealed to two young men, who were
teachers and their wives to engage volunteers for improving conditions of health and
hygiene. Since the health conditions were miserable in Champaran, Gandhiji got a
doctor to volunteer his services for six months. He noticed the filthy state of
women’s clothes and asked his wife, Kasturba to talk to them about it. During his
long stay in Champaran Gandhiji also kept a long distance watch on the ashram. In
everything Gandhiji did, he tried to mould a new free India that could stand on its
own feet.

Also add: Gandhiji was different from other politicians. His politics was concerned
with the day to day problems of the people. His aim was to mould the Indians who
could stand on their own feet and make India free. The purpose of
Gandhiji’s visit to Champaran was to bring justice to the sharecroppers. But after
that was achieved he stayed on to alleviate the sufferings of the people in
Champaran. He started schools and clinics. His friends, wife and sons volunteered
to help him. Gandhiji stayed nearly for a year in Champaran.

Question 38.
How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhi’s life? How does this
show Gandhi’s love and concern for the com¬mon people of India? (Comptt. All India
2015)
Answer:
The Champaran episode began as an attempt to fight against the injustice towards
the hapless peasants to alleviate their sufferings. It later turned out to be Gandhiji’s
loud pronounce-ment that the Britishers could not order him about in his own
country. It established the effectiveness of non-cooperation as a means of fighting
for justice. Gandhiji did not get intimidated either by the British officials or by their
offers. The Champaran episode was not an outcome of defiance of authorities but it
was a result of sincere efforts to relieve the suffering of the masses. It revealed
Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. After winning the peasants’ battle against
the English landlords Gandhiji stayed on in Champaran for the cultural and social
upliftment of the poor and backward villages of Champaran.

Question 39.
Gandhiji had great love for the poor. What did he do for the indigo farmers of
Champaran? (2016)
Answer:
The indigo sharecroppers in Champaran were being exploited by the British
landlords. Gandhiji was called for help to alleviate their sufferings. At first he
removed the peasants’ fear and united them. He then changed the professional
mindset of the lawyers. He also made the landlords agree to return 25 per cent of the
compensation. The landlords finally left Champaran. Then Gandhiji started his
second mission of solving the problem of the cultural and social backwardness in
Champaran. He spread awareness regarding sanitation, health and education. Since
the health conditions were miserable, he got a doctor to volunteer his services for six
months. After winning the peasants’ battle Gandhiji started working for the cultural
and social upliftment of the poor and backward villagers.

Question 40.
Gandhiji, Father of our nation, is a great leader whose values have been admired by
one and all. Describe at least three characteristics of Gandhiji you get to know from
‘Indigo’, which you wish to adopt into your own life quoting suitable instances from
the story. (Comptt. Delhi 2017)
Answer:
There is no denying the fact that Gandhiji’s values and ideologies have been admired
by one and all. In the lesson ‘Indigo’ we get a glimpse of his certain traits that we
should adopt in our own life. When Gandhiji reached Champaran, his main aim was
to solve the problem of the sharecroppers and he worked towards that cause
relentlessly. This quality enabled him to overcome all obstacles. Despite his
unassuming and simple personality Gandhiji did not get intimidated by the British.
He dared to face each situation fearlessly and nothing could deter him from his path.
After having resolved the issue of compensation of the sharecroppers he focussed
his attention on the social and cultural problems of the people of Champaran. Here
too he displayed an extreme sense of sincerity towards this mammoth task. If we
adopt these characteristics of Gandhiji in our life we too are bound to achieve
success in our endeavours.

Question 41.
Leadership is all about a strong concern for others. What light does Champaran
episode throw on Gandhiji’s leadership? (Comptt. All India 2017)
Answer:
There is no doubt about the fact that a good leader is one who has a strong concern
for others. Not only does he have a mass appeal but he even rises from the masses.
He is a man of principles and his life is an open book. Gandhiji’s sincere efforts to
get justice for the Champaran sharecroppers and his conscientious endeavours to
uplift the people there are proof enough of the true leadership qualities that he
possessed. His primary concern was the welfare of the common man because
Gandhiji never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. Seeing
the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran village he wanted to do
something about it immediately. His politics was always intertwined with the
practical day-to-day problems of the millions and through his selfless actions he
displayed what true leadership was all about.

Poets and Pancakes

Question 1.
Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to us as unexplained mystery? (2002 Delhi)
Answer:
The visit of the Englishman raised many queries and doubts in the minds of those
who were working in Gemini Studios. The Englishman’s name was unfamiliar and his
credentials too were unconfirmed. No one could understand his speech so everyone
wondered why he had come to a film studio that made Tamil films for simple people
who had no interest in English poetry.

Question 2.
Who was the English visitor to the studios and what was the purpose of his visit?
(2004 Delhi; 2011 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
The Englishman who visited the studios was Stephen Spender. He was an English
poet and the editor of a British periodical, ‘The Encounter’. He visited the studio to
deliver a speech at the invitation of Mr. Vasan who was the boss of Gemini Studios.
He was unable to establish a rapport with his dazed audience. No one really
understood the purpose of his visit. Even his identity was discovered by Asokamitran
years later, that too by sheer chance.

Question 3.
What was MRA and why it was welcomed at the Gemini Studios? (2005 Delhi)
Answer:
The MRA, the Moral Rearmament Army, was a kind of counter movement to
international communism. They were welcomed at the Gemini Studios due to their
political affiliations. The big boss of the studio, Mr. Vasan literally played into their
hands. Also, people at the Gemini Studios were averse to communism. So the Moral
Rearmament Army could not have found a better host in India than the Gemini
Studios, who welcomed them warmly.

Question 4.
How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the
audience at Gemini Studios? (2006 Delhi)
Answer:
The English poet’s address was a complete misfit in the midst of the Tamil knowing
audience at Gemini Studios. His speech was incongruous and his accent so
indistinct that no one actually understood a word of what he said. He was talking
about the thrills and travails of an English poet to a dazed audience. Finally, neither
the Englishman himself nor his audience understood why they were going through
the entire ordeal.

Question 5.
Why did everybody in the studio think of giving the author some work to do? (2008
Delhi)
Answer:
The author’s job was to cut out newspaper clippings on a wide variety of subjects
and store them in files. Most people saw him doing this and considered it as useless
work as they felt he was doing next to nothing. So everyone in the studio thought of
giving the author some work to do.

Question 6.
Why did the ‘boy’ in the makeup department come to the author? Why was the author
praying for crowd shooting all the time? (2008 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The ‘boy’ in the makeup department thought that he had a great literary talent and he
wanted to enlighten the author how this talent was being allowed to go waste and
that the department was fit for barbers and perverts. The author was very eager to
avoid his epical narrations so he prayed for crowd-shooting all the time to keep the
‘boy’ busy.

Question 7.
Who was Subbu’s enemy? Why? (2008 Delhi)
Answer:
Subbu’s enemy was the ‘boy’ at the make-up department. All his anger and
frustration were directed against him. The boy was convinced that Subbu was the
cause of his woes and miseries. This ‘boy’ was jealous of Subbu’s rising stars, his
success and his intimacy with the boss.

Question 8.
What were the positive qualities of Subbu that the writer admired? (2009 Delhi; 2011
Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The writer admired Subbu as he was a multi¬faceted genius and gave a new
direction and . definition to Gemini Studios. Subbu knew the technicalities and
details of film-making and was a good actor and writer. He was civil, friendly and
completely devoted to his boss, Mr. Vasan.

Question 9.
Account for Subbu’s importance in Gemini Studios. (2009 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Subbu was a multi-faceted genius. He was a poet, a writer and a great actor. He gave
a new meaning and direction not only to Gemini Studios but also to the art of film-
making by using all his energy and creativity to the company’s advantage. Moreover,
because of his noble and charitable nature he was loved by almost everyone.

Question 10.
Why was Subbu considered number two at Gemini Studios? (2009 Outside Delhi;
2012 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
Subbu was a go-getter and made a position for himself in the studios by pushing his
way to the forefront with flattery. Mr. Vasan was the boss at Gemini Studios and
Subbu, his right-hand man, became the number two at Gemini Studios. Subbu used
his entire creativity to his boss’s advantage. He was a multi-faceted genius and if a
producer was not satisfied Subbu would come up with fourteen alternatives. With
Subbu around, film-making became a sheer pleasure. Moreover Subbu gave
direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years.

Question 11.
How did the people of Madras and those at Gemini Studios respond to the plays
staged by the Moral Re-Armament Army? (2010 Outside Delhi )
Answer:
The Moral Re-Armament Army presented two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The
Forgotten Factor’ in a very professional manner. The people at Gemini Studios saw
the plays over and over again. Though the message was plain, the costumes and
sets were first rate. These plays ran several shows in Madras and left a great impact
on the studios and on Madras in general. For some years almost all Tamil plays
imitated the scenes of sunrise and sunset of ‘Jotham Valley’.

Question 12.
Why was the Moral Re-armament Army welcomed at the Gemini Studios? (2010
Outside Delhi; 2011 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The Moral Re-armament Army was a kind of counter movement to International
Communism. The big boss of Gemini Studios, Mr. Vasan literally played into their
hands. People at the Gemini Studios had an aversion to communism. So the Moral
Re-armament Army could not have found a better host in India than the Gemini
Studios who welcomed them warmly.

Question 13.
Give one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged
by MRA. (2010 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The MRA staged two plays ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’. These were
presented in the most professional manner. The six hundred strong Gemini family
saw these plays numerous times because of their fabulous sets and costumes. For
years the Gemini Studios copied the sets and costumes in the manner of ‘Jotham
Valley’. Also for some years almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and
sunset in the manner of ‘Jotham Valley’.
Question 14.
Which example of national integration in Gemini Studios is given in ‘Poets and
Pancakes’? (2010 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
The make-up department of the Gemini Studios gave a rare example of national
integration. The department was first headed by a Bengali who was succeeded by a
Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Kannadiga from Dharwar, an Andhra, a Madras
Indian Christian and an Anglo-Burmese. Then there were the usual local Tamils. All
this gave ample proof of national integration.

Question 15.
Why did Asokamirtan pray for crowd¬shooting all the time? (2010 Comptt. Outside
Delhi)
Answer:
Asokamirtan was wrongly believed to have nothing to do so the office-boy often
came to his cubicle to give an outlet to his frustrations and stress the fact that a
great talent was being wasted. The author was bored with the office boy’s never-
ending babble and prayed for crowd-shooting all the time so that the boy remained
busy and did not pester him.

Question 16.
Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at Gemini studios? (2011 Delhi; 2012
Delhi)
Answer:
The author’s job was to sit at his desk and tear up newspapers all day. He used to
cut newspaper clippings on a wide variety of subjects and stored them in files. His
job was not directly related to film making at the studio. So he appeared to be doing
nothing at Gemini Studios.

Question 17.
How did the author discover who the English visitor to the Studios was? (2012 Delhi)
Or
How did Asokamitran come to know that the English visitor to the Gemini Studios
was Stephen Spender? (2012 Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Years later, when Asokamitran was out of Gemini Studios he bought a pile of brand
new books at a reduced price from a footpath in front of Madras Mount Road Post
Office. In a book ‘The God That Failed’ six eminent writers had described their
journeys into communism. It was in this book that he came across the name of
Stephen Spender and finally discovered the identity of the English visitor to the
Studios.

Question 18.
What made the lawyer lose his job? What does the writer find so funny about the
situation? (2012 Delhi; 2013 Delhi)
Answer:
The lawyer was the legal adviser of an assembly of writers of the Gemini Studio’s
Story Department. One day, the Boss terminated the services of the poets and
writers as he found their contribution to the Studio negligible. With the closure of the
Story Department the lawyer too lost his job. The writer found this situation funny
because the lawyer lost his job as the poets and writers were told to go.

Question 19.
Why was the office boy disappointed with his job in the Gemini Studios? (2012
Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The office boy had come to work in the Gemini Studios in the hope of becoming a
star or a renowned screen writer, director or lyricist. But he felt disappointed because
in spite of having crossed the age of forty he had not been able to fulfil any of his
dreams.

Question 20.
Kothamangalam Subbu was treated with regard in the Gemini Studios. Why? (2012
Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Kothamangalam Subbu was treated with regard at Gemini Studios. He held the No. 2
position there. His sense of loyalty made him turn his entire creativity to his Boss’
advantage. Moreover, he had the ability to inspire when commanded and he made
the art of film¬making appear very easy. He was a most charitable and improvident
man.

Question 21.
Why is the Englishman’s visit to the Gemini Studios referred to as an unexplained
mystery? (2012 Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The Englishman addressed a dazed and silent audience at Gemini Studios. No one
knew who he was and what he was talking about. His accent also defeated any
attempt to understand what he was saying. The Englishman himself looked equally
baffled due to the incongruity of his talk. So his visit is referred to as an unexplained
mystery.

Question 22.
Why did Asokamitran pray for crowd¬shooting all the time?
Answer:
Asokamitran was wrongly believed to have nothing to do so the office-boy often
came to his cubicle to give an outlet to his frustrations and stress the fact that a
great talent was being wasted. The author was bored with the office boy’s never-
ending babble and prayed for crowd-shooting all the time so that the boy remained
busy and did not pester him.

2. Answer each of the following questions in about 125-150 words.

Question 23.
Kothamangalam Subbu was a ‘many-sided genius’. Elaborate. (2000 Delhi)
Or
Why is Subbu described as a many-sided genius? Give a reasoned answer. (2013
Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Answer:
It is through the character of Kothamangalam Subbu, that the author depicts a
caricature of the so-called ‘go-getters’ who are not really talented but manage to
create an aura of talent around themselves. Though officially on the rolls of the Story
Department at Gemini Studios, he was always with the boss. Subbu directs all his
energies and creativity to his boss’ advantage. He delves into the various spheres of
film-making successfully giving the impression of being a brilliant story-writer, a
talented actor and a man who is always ready with many solutions for any problem.
He makes the art of film-making appear rather easy for his boss. Thus Subbu with
his scheming nature takes advantage of his boss’ gullibility and passes off himself
as a multi-sided genius with multi-faceted abilities.

Question 24.
Asokamitran has used humour and satire effectively in ‘Poets and Pancakes’.
Discuss. (2001 Delhi)
Or
How does humour and satire enliven the account of the events and personalities at
Gemini Studios as portrayed by Asokamitran in ‘Poets and Pancakes’? (2013 Outside
Delhi)
Answer:
In the chapter, ‘Poets and Pancakes’, Asokamitran uses a lot of subtle humour and
satire to highlight human foibles. Petty professional differences and inconsequential
differences not only keep our minds occupied but also bring out a subtle humour
that is spontaneous without being superfluous. The characterisation of the office
boy, Subbu and the legal advisor, have subtle touches of humour. Asokamitran’s
chatty style changes from one thought to the other rather quickly. For example, he
makes fun of the makeup applied to artists which can change any decent looking
person into a hideous crimson hued monster. Such references invoke laughter. The
purpose of the visits of the Moral Rearmament Army and the English poet also
baffles everyone. Satire is also directed towards people who are against
communism and can go to any length to oppose it. The writer’s tone of ridicule is
devoid of the slightest trace of mockery, which is most commendable.

Question 25.
Subbu was ‘tailor-made for films’. How did he use his genius in various activities in
the Gemini Studios? (2008 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The author portrays Subbu as a man of versatile abilities who could delve into
various aspects of film-making successfully. Subbu had mastered all the arts related
to film-making ranging from story-writing to poetry and characterisation. He was in
fact ‘tailor-made’ for film-making. Film-making seemed rather easy with an expert
like Subbu walking around as he understood all the trivialities and technicalities of
film-making. Subbu was the one who gave ‘a new direction and definition’ to the
Gemini Studios during its golden years. Subbu directed his entire energies and
creativity to his boss, Mr. Vasan’s advantage. If his boss was dissatisfied with one
scene Subbu would offer him many alternatives. He understood all the
complications of film-making and could showcase his talent in every artistic arena.

Question 26.
Why and how was the Moral Re-Armament Army welcomed at the Gemini Studios?
(2008 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament Army comprising of a group of two hundred
people belonging to twenty nationalities visited Madras in 1952. The MRA was seen
to be a counter movement to international communism and people at the Gemini
Studios did not think highly of communism and communists. But Mr. Vasan, the
boss at Gemini Studios was fascinated by the MRA, so they could not have found a
‘warmer’ host than Gemini Studios in India. The MRA presented two plays ‘Jotham
Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in the most professional manner. Six hundred
people of the Gemini Studios saw the plays many times. These plays conveyed
simple messages but their sets and costumes were ‘first rate’. They impressed both
the Tamil drama community and the Gemini Studios. The sunrise and sunset scenes
of ‘Jotham Valley’ continued to be copied for years to come.

Question 27.
‘Subbu was a troubleshooter.’ Do you agree with this statement? Give an account of
Subbu’s qualities of head and heart. (2012 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Subbu was a perfectly selfish go-getter whose obsequiousness brought him close to
his boss and shot him to number two position at Gemini Studios. He was a very
conniving person who took advantage of his boss’ gullibility and portrayed himself
as a rather competent and able person. Though he was undeserving and lacked
talent, he always remained cheerful and did not let anything dampen his spirits. He
always had something good to say about everyone. Film-making appeared easy with
an expert like Subbu around. He used all his energy and creativity to his boss’
advantage. Subbu was also a great poet and an amazing actor. He wrote truly
original poems for the masses and as an actor he played secondary roles better than
the main actors. His sycophancy to his boss earned him enemies. Also he angered
many such people who considered themselves much more talented and deserving
than him.

Question 28.
What political significance does Gemini Studios’ invitation to Moral Re-Armament
army and Stephen Spender show? (2012 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The Moral Re-Armament army was a kind of counter movement to Communism and
the people at the Gemini Studios had a natural aversion towards Communists and
Communism. They considered that the aim of Communists was to spread unrest
and violence. So by being a ‘warm host’ to the Moral Re¬Armament army the people
at the Gemini Studios actually displayed a counter movement to the ideas of
Communism. By inviting Stephen Spender, once again the purpose of the Gemini
Studios was to highlight how a renowned English poet, who was once attracted to
Communism, was later completely disillusioned by it. This further strengthened their
aversion to Communism and they were able to publicly display this aversion.

THE INTERVIEW

Question 1.
Why did Umberto Eco prefer himself to be called an academician than a novelist?
(2000 Delhi)
Answer:
Despite achieving fame as a novelist, Eco preferred to associate himself with the
academic community because his non-fictional work occupied him for the first fifty
years of his life. He wrote his first novel at the age of around fifty. He identified
himself more with the academic community and resorts to writing fiction only when
he’was not pursuing some scholarly work.

Question 2.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed? (2003 Delhi)
Or
What are the views of writers like V.S. Naipaul and Lewis Carroll on interviews?
(2005 Delhi)
Answer:
Celebrities like V.S. Naipaul, Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and H.G. Wells have
expressed their strong despise for interviews. They consider interviews immoral -‘an
assault’ because they feel interviews leave a rather disparaging effect on their
personalities and are an encroachment on their privacy.

Question 3.
What was unique and distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style? (2004 Delhi)
Or
What do you learn about Umberto Eco’s distinctive style in his doctoral dissertation?
(2013 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Umberto Eco’s academic writing style is personal, informal and playful. He fills his
research stories with all the trials and errors so that even his research work has the
uniqueness . of creative writing and reading. It is not only informative but also
interesting.

Question 4.
State the reason for the huge success of the novel, “The Name of the Rose”. (2008
Delhi)
Answer:
There is no one reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose’.
Umberto Eco himself calls its success a mystery. It is possible that this detective
story that delved into metaphysics, theology and medieval history, interested the
readers because the time in which it was written was most appropriate, neither a
decade earlier nor a decade later.

Question 5.
“The Name of the Rose” deals with medieval history. Was it responsible for the
novel’s success? (2008 Delhi)
Answer:
The success of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ did not depend on merely one
factor. Many other novels dealt with medieval history but did not achieve much
success. Its success is more attributed to the timing of its publication, its narrative
style and detective yarn and also the fact that it delves into metaphysics and
theology along with medieval history.

Question 6.
What did the publisher think of ‘The Name of the Rose’? (2008 Delhi; 2012 Delhi)
Answer:
The American publisher of ‘The Name of the Rose’ loved and liked the novel but did
not expect to sell more than 3,000 copies. No one goes to a cathedral or studies
Latin in America so it was really difficult to sell such a novel there. But the publisher
was proved wrong as two to three million copies of the novel were sold in America.

Question 7.
What drawbacks of interviews have been pointed out by Lewis Carrol? (2010 Delhi)
Answer:
Lewis Carrol considers interviews as an ‘unwarranted intrusion’ that is immoral and
an offence against his person. He shunned interviews for fear of being projected as
larger than life. His vehement refusal for interviews
enabled him to keep his fans as well as interviews at an arm’s length.

Question 8.
Why do most celebrity writers hate to be interviewed? (2010 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
Most of the celebrity writers shun interviews as they feel that interviews leave a
disparaging effect on their personalities. They consider them as an encroachment
on their privacy. Writers like V.S. Naipaul feel they are being wounded by interviews
and thus losing a part of themselves.

Question 9.
How did Lewis Carroll react to the interviews? (2012 Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Or
What was Lewis Carroll’s attitude towards being interviewed? (2010 Comptt. Outside
Delhi)
Answer:
Lewis Carrol shunned interviews for the fear of being projected as larger than life. He
vehemently refused to give interviews and kept his fans, acquaintances and
interviewers at an arm’s length. This give him a great sense of satisfaction.

2. Answer each of the following questions in about 125-150 words.

Question 10.
What made the American publisher think that the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ won’t
sell in America? What actually happened? What was the secret of its success? (2013
Delhi)
Or
What is the reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose”
according to Umberto Eco? (2002 Delhi)
Answer:
The American publisher believed that people like trash whereas ‘The Name of the
Rose’ delved into metaphysics, theology and medieval history and people do not like
these difficult reading experiences. Through his novel, which sold between 10 to 15
million copies, Umberto Eco reached only a small percentage of readers. But,
according to him, it is those kind of readers who do not want easy experiences, or at
least, do not always want this. Umberto Eco cannot categorically state the reason for
the huge success of the novel, ‘The Name of the Rose’. He himself refers to its
success as a mystery. He feels this detective story that delved into metaphysics,
theology and medieval history interested the readers as it was written at the most
appropriate time. Had it been written a decade earlier or later, it would not have been
so successful. The way the book stormed the literary world, once it was out,
surprised everyone. Even though it contained somewhat heavy reading, the book
attracted a mass audience and Eco became famous as a novelist, rather than an
academic scholar the world over.

Question 11.
What do you think about Umberto Eco? Does he like being interviewed? Give reasons
in support of your answer from the text ‘The Interview’. (2006 Delhi)
Answer:
Unlike various other celebrities who express a strong dislike for interviews and
consider it an encroachment upon their privacy, Umberto Eco seems to kind of enjoy
giving interviews considering the spirited manner in which he answers the questions
put forth to him by the interviewer, Mukund Padmanabhan. Eco readily and truthfully
answers all the questions in the most humble and sincere manner, delving into
details, thus revealing the fact that he actually does not mind sharing his
experiences with others. At no point does he display any kind of haste to wind up the
interview. In fact, he explicitly answers all the questions that Padmanabhan asks him
giving the interviewer a feeling of warmth and being welcome.

Question 12.
Why did Umberto Eco start writing novels and when? What does Eco say about the
huge success of his novel, ‘The Name of the Rose’ in spite of it being a difficult and
very serious novel? (2008 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Umberto Eco was essentially an academician who pursued his scholarly pursuits
through academic writings. He wrote about forty non¬fictions and as he himself
says, ‘he became a novelist by accident’. That was the reason he started writing
novels at the age of almost fifty. Eco considers himself ‘a university professor who
writes novels (only) on Sundays’. He is not even very sure about any one single
reason for the huge success of his novel ‘The Name of the Rose’. He feels perhaps
the timing of the novel’s publication was the most important factor of its success.
The fact that at one level it appears to be a detective yarn but also delves into
metaphysics, theology and medieval history also adds to its appeal. Though the
novel is quite a heavy reading experience, it attracted a mass audience and made
Eco popular more as a novelist rather than an academic scholar.

Question 13.
What impression do you form about Umberto Eco as a scholar and writer on the
basis of ‘The Interview’? (2010 Outside Delhi)
Or
What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style? (2011 Delhi)
Answer:
Umberto Eco’s style is narrative, written in the manner of a story. This is in contrast
to a regular academic style which is invariably depersonalised, dry and boring. His
scholarly work has a certain playful and personal quality to it. He pursued his
philosophical interests through his academic work and novels. He also wrote books
for children on non-violence and peace.

Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna, in Italy, is an authority on

Semeiotics, the study of signs. He is also a well known novelist. His scholarly works
include academic texts, essays, childrens’ books and newspaper articles. He pursues
his philosophical interests through his academic writings and novels. In spite of
having reached the zeniths of intellectuality, Eco is a humble and modest scholar. He
brushes aside compliments and never boasts about his achievements. He is keen to
share his experiences with others and shares the secret of accomplishing so much
work by revealing the facts that he makes use of time- gaps between different pieces
of work. Eco follows an informal and playful style of writing with a narrative aspect.
Even his research work has a quality of creative writing and makes informative as
well as interesting reading.

Question 14.
Eco’s academic work has certain playful and personal quality about it. Comment.
(2013 Comptt. Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Eco presents his arguments very logically and with a subtle wit and playfulness to it.
He himself says that he started writing novels by accident. He essentially considers
himself a university professor who wrote novels on Sunday. This non-fictional writing
is a marked departive from the regular depersonalised style which is often dry and
boring. Even his research work has the quality of creative writing and makes not only
information but also interesting reading. In his doctoral dissertation, Eco tells the
story of his research including his trials and errors. His: essays too always have a
narrative aspect.

Question 15.
Umberto Eco is an academic as well as a famous novelist. Comment. (2013 Comptt.
Delhi)
Answer:
Despite getting famous as a novelist, Umberto Eco always associated himself with
the academic community. He has written only five novels as compared to the forty
scholarly works of non-fiction. He considers himself as a university professor who
writes novels on Sundays. When he presented his first Doctoral dissertation in Italy,
one of the professors was impressed by the way he told the story of his research,
including his trials and errors. His essays always have a narrative aspect. He started
writing novels quite late, at the age of 50, by accident to satisfy his taste for
narration.

Question 16.
Why do some celebrity writers not like being interviewed?
Answer:
Some celebrities see themselves as victims, and despise the interview as an
unwarranted intrusion into their lives. They feel that it somehow diminishes them,
just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that ‘if one takes a photographic
portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person’s soul’. V.S. Naipaul feels that
‘some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves’. Lewis
Carroll says that he has ‘just a horror for the interviewer’ and he never consented to
be interviewed. Rudyard Kipling expressed an even more condemnatory attitude
towards the interviewer. His wife reports her husband as saying that he considered
an interview as a crime and immoral and thus it merits punishment.

GOING PLACES

Question 1.
“Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing.” Why did Sophie say so?
(Delhi 2010)
Answer:
Sophie had cooked up the story of her meeting with Danny Casey to impress Geoff
who was a great fan of the football prodigy. She knew this news would be of great
interest to her brother. She had also thought her brother would keep her secret. She
did not want Jansie, who was ‘nosey’, to know about this. So when Geoff told Jansie,
Sophie cursed him because she knew Jansie would spread her story in the entire
neighbourhood.

Question 2.
Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? (All India 2010)
Answer:
For Sophie, her brother Geoff was the only person who listened to her fantasies and
long cherished dreams. She only trusted Geoff to keep all her secrets to himself.

Question 3.
Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny? (All India 2010)
Answer:
Jansie told Sophie that Geoff had given her the news of her (Sophie’s) meeting with
Danny Casey. Sophie cursed Geoff for telling Jansie this because it was meant to be
something special between Geoff and her. ‘It wasn’t the jansie kind of thing at all’.
Jansie was ‘nosey’ and now the whole neighbourhood would come to know her
story.

Question 4.
What did Sophie tell Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey? (All India 2010)
Answer:
Sophie told Geoff that she had met Danny Casey, the wonder footballer. As she was
looking at the clothes in a shop’s window Casey came and stood beside her. Geoff
did not believe her. Sophie then went on to tell him that Casey had green and gentle
eyes and he was not very tall.

Question 5.
Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey
because she knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie
was like telling the whole town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family
and she did not want this story to spread in the town.

Question 6.
Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie? How do you know? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
No, Geoff did not keep his promise to Sophie. He told Sophie’s secret to Jansie’s
brother Frank who in turn told Jansie about it. We know this because Jansie
questions Sophie about her meeting with footballer, Danny Casey and Sophie is
startled that Jansie knows about this meeting.

Question 7.
How did Sophie’s father react when Geoff told him about her meeting with Danny
Casey? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
When Geoff told their father about Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey he did not
believe it and suspected it was one of Sophie’s wild stories. He was filled with
disdain and did not want to encourage her in any way. So he warned her to keep
herself out of any kind of trouble.
Question 8.
What thoughts came to Sophie’s mind as she sat by the canal? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Sophie considers the spot along the canal the best place for a date, as it is away
from the rush of the city. As she sits by the canal she is lost in the world of her
dreams. She imagines Casey coming along the river and her own excitement
thereafter.

Question 9.
Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person? (All
India 2011)
Answer:
The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she had
gone to see the football match with her family. Sitting among the spectators, she
saw Danny Casey from a distance.

Question 10.
Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from enter¬taining thoughts about the sports-
star, Danny Casey? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Jansie is a practical girl who lives in the real world. She knows that Danny Casey, a
sports- star is far beyond Sophie’s dreams and imagination. So she discourages
Sophie from entertaining any kind of wild thoughts about him.

Question 11.
Did Geoff keep his promise? How do you know? (Comptt. Delhi 2011)
Answer:
No, Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Frank about Sophie’s meeting with
Danny Casey though he had promised her he would not disclose it. Even Jansie
came to know about it. Sophie was happy to know that Geoff had at least not
revealed the date of her meeting with Casey.

Question 12.
Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know any¬thing about her meeting with Danny
Casey?(All India 2012)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey
because she knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie
was like telling the whole town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family
and she did not want this story to spread in the town.

Question 13.
What do you think of Sophie’s dream about her career? (Comptt. Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Sophie’s dreams of her future life are far removed from her reality. She dreams of
owning a boutique, of becoming an actress but the fact was that she was earmarked
for the biscuit factory. Sophie drifts into a world of fantasy and wants to live her
dreams by stepping out of her middle-class status.

Question 14.
Though Sophie and Jansie were good friends, how were they basically different from
each other? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer:
Although Sophie and Jansie were good friends they were completely different from
each other.
Sophie lived in a world of dreams and fantasy, a world which was far removed from
reality. Jansie, on the other hand, was a sensible and realistic girl who was grounded
to her reality.

Question 15.
Why did Sophie want to keep her story with Danny a secret from Jansie? (Comptt. All
India 2012)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey
because she knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie
was like telling the whole town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family
and she did not want this story to spread in the town.

Question 16.
Why did Sophie like her brother, Geoff more than any other person? (Delhi 2013)
Answer:
For Sophie, her brother Geoff was the only person who listened to her fantasies and
long cherished dreams. She only trusted Geoff to keep all her secrets to himself.

Question 17.
Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence? (All India 2013)
Answer:
Sophie’s brother’s hallmark is his silence. Sophie feels “words have to be prized out
of him like stone out of the ground.” She is jealous of his silence and is very keen to
enter the recesses of his mind. There is so much about her brother that Sophie only
suspects because she has never really known anything about him.

Question 18.
Did Geoff keep up his promise? How do you know? (All India 2013)
Answer:
No, Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Frank about Sophie’s meeting with
Danny Casey though he had promised her he would not disclose it. Even Jansie
came to know about it. Sophie was happy to know that Geoff had at least not
revealed the date of her meeting with Casey.

Question 19.
What is unrealistic about Sophie’s dreams of her future life? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Sophie’s dreams of her future life are far removed from her reality. She dreams of
owning a boutique, of becoming an actress but the fact was that she was earmarked
for the biscuit factory. Sophie drifts into a world of fantasy and wants to live her
dreams by stepping out of her middle-class status.

Question 20.
Why does Jansie discourage Sophie from living in a world of fantasy? (Comptt. Delhi
2013)
Answer:
Jansie was a realistic and practical girl who knew both she and Sophie were
earmarked for the biscuit factory. So she discouraged Sophie from living in a world
of fantasy. Whenever Sophie expressed her wishes aloud Jansie became
melancholic and told Sophie to behave sensibly.

Question 21.
Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know about her story with Danny? (Comptt. Delhi
2013)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey
because she knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie
was like telling the whole town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family
and she did not want this story to spread in the town.

Question 22.
How do we know that Sophie’s family lived in poor circumstances? (Comptt. All India
2013)
Answer:
We know that Sophie’s family lived in poor circumstances as her father worked hard
as a manual labourer. Her mother’s back had become crooked due to the burden of
household work. Their house was rather small, easily suffocated with steam from
the stove.

Question 23.
Why did Sophie want to be admitted into Geoff’s affections? (Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
Geoff was an apprentice mechanic who traveled to the far side of the city every day.
Sophie wished she could be admitted into Geoff’s affections so that someday he
might take her with him to meet those exotic and interesting people whom he never
spoke about.

Question 24.
Whom did Sophie like more than anyone else in the story? Why? (Comptt. All India
2013)
Answer:
Sophie liked her brother Geoff more than anyone else. She was most fascinated by
his evasiveness and wanted to travel with him to his enigmatic world. Her brother’s
lost and inquisitive eyes captivated her and his silence intrigued her.

Question 25.
Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Sophie longed for her brother’s affection because she trusted him more than any
other member of her family. He symbolised freedom and she wanted to be a part of
his exotic and adventurous world. He was the only one to whom she could look for
approval as her father was critical and disapproving and she hero- worshipped him.

Question 26.
How are Jansie and Sophie different from each other? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Although Jansie and Sophie are classmates and friends, their approach to life is
completely different from each other. While Jansie is practical and grounded to
reality, Sophie lives in a make-believe world of her own, which she ‘invents’ in her
imagination.

Question 27.
Why is Sophie attracted to Danny Casey? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Danny Casey is an Irish football prodigy and Sophie is attracted to him because like
most youngsters she idolizes and hero-worships him. So she envisions her meetings
with the football star and also gives vivid details of their meetings.

Question 28.
What was Sophie’s ambition in life? How did she hope to achieve that? (Delhi 2017)
Answer:
Sophie’s ambition in life was either to have her own boutique and be a fashion
designer or to be an actress. She wanted to do something a bit sophisticated. She
hoped to achieve her ambition by being a manager at a boutique to start with and
then save enough money to have her own boutique.

Question 29.
Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from hav-ing dreams? (All India 2017)
Answer:
Jansie was a realistic and practical girl who knew both she and Sophie were
earmarked for the biscuit factory. So she discouraged Sophie from living in a world
of fantasy. Whenever Sophie expressed her wishes aloud Jansie became
melancholic and told Sophie to behave sensibly.

Going Places Important Questions Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)
Question 30.
Contrast Sophie’s real world with her fantasies. (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her
parents and elder brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is
living. Her dreams are far beyond her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique,
entertains the idea of being an actress and also aspires to be a fashion designer. Her
dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead her to hero-worship the wonder-
footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination. Though
she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny Casey coming
to her. The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away
from her real world.

Question 31.
Describe the character of Sophie’s father and the role played by him. (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Sophie’s father is a happy-go-lucky and carefree man. He does not appear to be
either soft or even sophisticated. He is a heavy breathing man. He usually sits in his
vest at the table. Sophie, it appears, fears him. He does not believe in his daughter’s
‘wild stories’ and so he ignores her completely and prefers to go and watch television
than listen to her. Even when his son Geoff tells him that Sophie had met the Irish
prodigy Danny Casey, he completely ignores this news. He is extremely interested in
football and, like all his children, he also adores Danny Casey. He is a middle-class
man who goes to the pub on his bicycle to celebrate his team’s victory and the fact
that Casey had scored a second goal. He is a rather dominating person and a typical
representation of the lower middle-class family of that time.

Question 32.
Jansie is just as old as Sophie but she is very different from her. Bring out the
contrast bet¬ween the two friends citing relevant instances from the story, “Going
Places”. (All India 2009)
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower
middle- class families. But that is where their similarity ends. There is a striking
contrast between their characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is practical.
Sophie lives in a world of dreams and does not want to come out of this fairyland.
She is an incurable escapist and dreams of having a boutique, becoming an actress
or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded. Jansie has her
feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both ‘earmarked for the biscuit
factory’. She knows big things require big money and experience which they lack
desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams.
Sophie and Jansie’s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams
only with one person, her brother Geoff, Jansie on the other hand is nosey. She takes
an interest in learning new things about others and can spread stories in the whole
neighbourhood.
Question 33.
Contrast Sophie’s real world with her fantasies. (Comptt. All India 2011)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her
parents and elder brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is
living. Her dreams are far beyond her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique,
entertains the idea of being an actress and also aspires to be a fashion designer. Her
dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead her to hero-worship the wonder-
footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination. Though
she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny Casey coming
to her. The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away
from her real world.

Question 34.
Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie high¬lighting their temperament and
aspirations. (Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower
middle- class families. But that is where their similarity ends. There is a striking
contrast between their characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is practical.
Sophie lives in a world of dreams and does not want to come out of this fairyland.
She is an incurable escapist and dreams of having a boutique, becoming an actress
or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded. Jansie has her
feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both ‘earmarked for the biscuit
factory’. She knows big things require big money and experience which they lack
desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams.
Sophie and Jansie’s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams
only with one person, her brother Geoff, Jansie on the other hand is nosey. She takes
an interest in learning new things about others and can spread stories in the whole
neighbourhood.

Question 35.
Attempt a character sketch of Sophie as a woman who lives in her dreams. (Delhi
2012)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her
parents and elder brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is
living. Her dreams are far beyond her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique,
entertains the idea of being an actress and also aspires to be a fashion designer. Her
dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead her to hero-worship the wonder-
footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination. Though
she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny coming to her.
The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away from
her real world.

Question 36.
Why did Sophie enjoy living in a world of dreams? Describe some of her dreams. (All
India 2012)
Answer:
Sophie, like most girls of her age, enjoyed living in her world of dreams which
provided to her the refuge she needed from her middle – class reality. Through her
dream world she visualised for herself a life that she would like to lead. Her
imagination drew into her life all the things she desired and people she idolised but
could never make a part of her real life. Sophie dreams of having her own boutique
after she leaves school, a boutique which will be the most amazing in the city.
Becoming an actress or a fashion designer is also her dream. She was conscious of
a vast world which waited for her and she was very sure that she would adjust easily
in that world. In her dream world, Sophie dreams of meeting the sensational
footballer Danny Casey. She even fixes a date with him and actually travels to that
place and waits for him to come. In her world of fantasy, Sophie moves rapidly from
one dream to another through the leaps of her mind.

Question 37.
Has Sophie met Danny Casey? What details of her meeting with Danny Casey did she
narrate to her brother? (Delhi 2014)
Answer:
No, Sophie had never met Danny Casey. Her story is merely a part of her fantasy. Her
fertile mind made up the story of her encounter with him. She told her brother that
she had met Danny Casey in the arcade. When she was looking at the clothes in
Royce’s window someone came and stood beside her and she looked around and
saw Danny. She also told Geoff that Danny Casey has gentle, green eyes and he is
not as tall as one would think him to be. She also asked Danny for his autograph but
could not get it as none of them had a paper or pen with them. Sophie’s dream world
makes her travel into those aspects of life which she may never be able to achieve in
reality.

Question 38.
What were Sophie’s plans for her future? Why would you call her dreams unrealistic?
(Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Sophie had rather unrealistic plans for her future. She wanted to own a boutique and
have the most amazing shop in the city. She also dreamed of being an actress or a
fashion designer. Considering her meagre resources and family’s position, her
dreams are quite unrealistic, in fact they are in sharp contrast to her reality. Her
father works hard for a living and so she is never likely to be a part of the
sophisticated world. Her mother bears the back-breaking burden of household
chores. I Ier brother works as an apprentice mechanic. Considering her
circumstances she would actually have to work in the biscuit factory. So her dreams
would just remain dreams and never become a reality.

Question 39.
Sophie lives in a world full of dreams which she does not know she cannot realise.
Comment. (All India 2015)
Answer:
Sophie, like most girls of her age, loves to fantasize and live in a world full of dreams
which is far away from reality. She envisions a life for herself which she would like to
lead not knowing that she might never be able to realise her dreams. She dreams of
owning a boutique which again she might never be able to fulfil. The best part of her
fantasy is that she is unaware of the fact that her dreams may never materialise.
Though her friend Jansie tries her best to keep her grounded, Sophie is undeterred.
Sophie’s dream world makes her traverse into those spheres of life which she may
never be able to achieve in reality and this does not cause her any anxiety. She
blissfully ignores the fact that she comes from a lower middle class family and
continues to dream on.

Question 40.
How different is Jansie from Sophie?(All India 2015)
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower
middle- class families. But that is where their similarity ends. There is a striking
contrast between their characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is practical.
Sophie lives in a world of dreams and does not want to come out of this fairyland.
She is an incurable escapist and dreams of having a boutique, becoming an actress
or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded. Jansie has her
feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both ‘earmarked for the biscuit
factory’. She knows big things require big money and experience which they lack
desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams.
Sophie and Jansie’s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams
only with one person, her brother Geoff, Jansie on the other hand is nosey. She takes
an interest in learning new things about others and can spread stories in the whole
neighbourhood.

Question 41.
It is not unusual for a lower middle class girl to dream big. How unrealistic were
Sophie’s dreams? (All India 2015)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her
parents and elder brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is
living. Her dreams are far beyond her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique,
entertains the idea of being an actress and also aspires to be a fashion designer. Her
dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead – her to hero-worship the wonder-
footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination. Though
she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny Casey coming
to her. The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away
from her real world.
Her friend Jansie continued to ground her to reality by stating that they were
earmarked for the biscuit factory. Her father also stated that if she ever had enough
money she would first buy them a decent house to live in. Sophie’s little brother
Derek too feels that his sister thinks money grows on trees.
Question 42.
Every teenager must dream big. Yet the dream should also be rooted to the ground.
Write a character sketch of Sophie in the light of this remark. (Comptt. All India
2015)
Answer:
Every teenager must dream big. Yet the dream should also be rooted to the ground.
This statement is so true for Sophie whose dreams are larger than life and far
supercede her real life. Sophie had rather unrealistic plans for her future. She wanted
to own a boutique and have the most amazing shop in the city. She also dreamed of
being an actress or a fashion designer. Considering her meagre resources and
family’s position, her dreams are quite unrealistic, in fact they are in sharp contrast
to her reality. Her father works hard for a living and is never likely to be a part of the
sophisticated world. Her mother bears the back-breaking burden of household
chores. Her brother works as an apprentice mechanic. Considering her
circumstances she would actually have to work in the biscuit factory. So her dreams
would just remain dreams and never become a reality.

Question 43.
Teachers always advise their students to dream big. Yet, the same teachers in your
classrooms find fault with Sophie when she dreams. What is wrong with Sophie’s
dreams? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
There is nothing wrong with having big dreams. Infact it is an advice given to us by
our teachers. But then our dreams must not be in j complete contrast to our reality.
This is the fault with Sophie’s dreams. Her dreams are not ! only over-ambitious but
also most impractical. She is an incurable escapist and lives in the world of her
dreams. She drifts into the world of her fantasy and wants to make her dreams her
reality. Dreaming the unachievable can have a negative impact on one’s personality.
It can lead to depression. Sophie blissfully ignores the fact that she comes from a
lower middle class family and is ear-marked for the biscuit factory. She dreams of
owning a boutique, becoming a fashion designer or an actress, dreams which she
may never be able to fulfill. Sophie not only dreams big but concocts stories about
her imaginary meeting with the Irish prodigy, Danny Casey. She envisions her
meeting with the football star and also gives vivid details of the meeting. Such
unrealistic dreams need to be discouraged.

Question 44.
Every teenager has a hero/heroine to admire. So many times they become role
models for them. What is wrong if Sophie fantasizes about Danny Casey and is
ambitious in life? (All India 2016)
Answer:
Dreams and fantasies are an integral part of every teenager’s life. Their dreams
motivate them to achieve their goals. Every teenager has an idol to admire and these
idols become role models for them. Same is the case with Sophie who idolizes
Danny Casey. The only thing wrong with Sophie’s fantasy is that she nurtures
unrealistic dreams which are in sharp contrast to her reality. Her ambitions too are
way beyond the confines of her lower middle class status. Sophie has never met
Danny Casey but she envisions her meeting with the football star and even invents
vivid details of this meeting. Her over-imaginative mind concocts stories and she
starts living in her make-believe world. Through her dreams Sophie escapes from the
harsh realities of life and such people find it difficult to cope with reality.

Question 45.
Describe the fantasies Sophie had about Danny Casey. (Comptt. All India 2016)
Answer:
Sophie had never met Danny Casey. Her story is merely a part of her fantasy. Her
fertile mind made up the story of her encounter with him. She told her brother that
she had met Danny Casey in the arcade. When she was looking at the clothes in
Royce’s window someone came and stood beside her and she looked around and
saw Danny. She also told Geoff that Danny Casey has gentle, green eyes and he is
not as tall as one would think him to be. She also asked Danny for his autograph but
could not get it as none of them had a paper or pen with them. Sophie’s dream world
makes her travel into those aspects of life which she may never be able to achieve in
reality. Sophie imagines Danny Casey coming to her, her own excitement and
subsequent disappointment.

Question 46.
Geoff and Sophie are different from each other, though they belong to the same
family. Comment with examples from the text. (Comptt. All India 2016)
Answer:
Though Geoff and Sophie belong to the same family they are very different from
each other. Geoff, Sophie’s elder brother is an apprentice mechanic who travelled to
work to the far side of the city everyday. He lived in reality and spoke little. In fact
Sophie felt that words had to be prized out of him like stone out of the ground. He
had a life of his own and though he listened to Sophie’s fantasies, he did not believe
her. Sophie, on the other hand, lived in a dream world. She dreams of having a
boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. She is a day-dreamer and an
incurable escapist. She imagines meeting the football prodigy Danny Casey. Geoff is
the most important member of her family for Sophie who wishes to be admitted into
her brother’s affections so that some day he might take her with him to meet the
exotic and interesting people whom he never spoke about.

A ROADSIDE STAND

Question 1.
Why do the people who run the roadside stand wait for the squeal of brakes so
eagerly? (2003 Delhi)
Answer:
The “squealing of brakes” means that a car has stopped at their roadside stand. It
raises their hopes that the city-folk have stopped there to buy something from their
roadside stand and some city money will come into their hands.
Question 2.
Explain: “soothe them out of them wits” with reference to the poem The Roadside
Stand’. (2005 Delhi)
Answer:
The powerful men approach the country folk with false promises of providing them
with better living conditions and a better life. These innocent and simple rustics
repose blind faith in their false claims and feel soothed and satisfied. They fail to see
through their crookedness and selfishness.

Question 3.
Why does Robert Frost sympathise with the rural poor? (2009 Delhi; 2011 Comptt.
Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Robert Frost feels an unbearable agony at the plight of the rural poor who are
ignored and neglected by the rich politicians. The Government and the party in power
are indifferent to their welfare. They fool them by making false promises and then
fully exploit them to suit their own selfish interests.

Question 4.
What was the plea of the folk who had put up the roadside stand? (2008 Delhi; 2011
Delhi; 2013 Delhi)
Answer:
The folk who had put up the roadside stand pleaded to the city dwellers to stop and
buy their wares so as to enable them to earn some extra money for a decent living.
They wanted that the rich people who passed from there in their cars should stop
there and buy some goods from them. The money that these folks would earn from
the rich people would help them to lead a better life.

Question 5.
What is the ‘childish longing’ of the folk who had put up the roadside stand? Why is it
‘in vain’? (2011 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
The ‘childish longing’, the poet refers to, is the dreams and desires of the rural folk
who have a child-like longing for a better life that they hope to live with the help from
the city dwellers. Their longing is in vain because the city folk are not willing to help
them and so their ‘childish longings’ are not likely to be fulfilled.

Question 6.
Why didn’t the ‘polished traffic’ stop at the roadside stand? (2012 Delhi)
Answer:
The ‘polished traffic’ conveniently overlook the roadside stand and do not stop there
as their mind is focussed only on their destination. Moreover, they were critical of the
poor decor of the stand, its artless interior and paint.

Question 7.
What news in the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’ is making its round in the village? (2013
Outside Delhi)
Answer:
The news making its round is about the resettlement of the poor, rural people who
will be resettled in the villages, next to the theatre and the store. They would be close
to the cities and will not have to worry about themselves any more.

Question 8.
Why do people at the roadside stand ask for city money? (2013 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
The rural people running the roadside stand are poor and deprived, unlike the people
of the city. They thus ask for city money so that they too can lead a life of happiness
and prosperity. This much-needed city money can give them the life that had been
promised to them by the party in power.

Question 9.
What does Frost himself feel about the roadside stand? (2011 Comptt. Outside
Delhi)
Answer:
The poet is distressed to see the interminable wait on the part of the shed owners
for their prospective buyers. He is agonised at the ‘childish longing in vain’ of the
people who have put up the roadside stand.

2. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Question 10.
The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow
supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.

1. Where was the new shed put up? What was its purpose?
2. Why does the poet use the word ‘pathetic’?
3. Explain: ‘too pathetically pled’
4. Who are referred to as ‘the flower of cities’? (2009 Outside Delhi; 2010
Comptt. Delhi; 2012 Comptt. Delhi)

Answer:
1. A little house at one side of the road was extended and a shed was added to it to
put up a road stand. It was set up to attract passersby to buy things from them so
that they could earn some money.
2. By using the word ‘pathetic’ the poet emphasizes on the fact that the condition of
the shed was most humble and that it presented a rather pitiable sight.
3. It was as if by putting up the shed the owner was desperately pleading to the rich
city folks to stop by at his roadside stand and buy things from there so that they
could earn some extra money.
4. ‘The flower of the cities’ here refers to the rich and wealthy city-dwellers who can
afford the best things.

Question 11.
The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned
wrong
Offered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,

1. What does the poet mean by ‘with a mind ahead?

2. What are N and S signs?
3. Why have these sings turned wrong? (2010 Comptt. Outside Delhi)

Answer:
1. The phrase ‘with a mind ahead’ suggests that the people who pass the roadside
stand in their polished cars conveniently overlook the roadside stand as their mind is
focussed only on their destination.
2. The N and S signs stand for the North and the South direction.

3. These signs have turned wrong because they have been painted in the wrong way and so
these signboards are wrongly presented.
Question 12.
Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene,
You have the money, but if you want to be mean,
Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along.
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid

1. What attraction does the place offer?

2. What should one do if one wants to be mean?
3. What does the poet not complain about?
4. What do you think is the real worry of the poet? (2010 Outside Delhi)

Answer:
1. The place offers a scenic view of the beautiful mountains.
2. If one wants to be mean he can keep his money and move on ahead.
3. The poet does not complain about the landscape which has been spoilt because
of the artless painting done on the building.
4. The poet’s real worry is the unexpressed sorrow of the people who have put up the
roadside stand.
Question 13.
It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves
anymore,
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
(2000; 2007, Delhi)

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. Explain why merciful have been called ‘greedy good-doers’ and
‘beneficent beasts of prey’?
3. Why won’t these poor people have to think for themselves any more?

Answer:
1. The poem is ‘A Roadside Stand’ by Robert Frost.
2. The merciful are the crooked politicians, greedy people pretending to be good,
who only pose as beneficiaries. These powerful men are actually beasts of prey in
the guise of beneficiaries who ruthlessly exploit the common people.
3. These poor people are now in the hands of the so-called ‘merciful beneficiaries’,
who will actually do them more harm than any good, so they will not have to think
about themselves any more.

Question 14.
Sometimes 1 feel myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass.

1. What cannot be borne by the poet and why?

2. What is the ‘childish longing7?
3. Why the longing has been termed as ‘vain’?
4. Why do the people driving in the cars stop sometimes? (2004 Delhi;
2011 Outside Delhi)

Answer:
1. The poet cannot bear the thought of how these country folks are lured with false
promises which are never going to be fulfilled because he feels genuinely sad about
so much deprivation to these innocent people.
2. Like children, these country folk have many unfulfilled wishes and desires. So they
keep their windows open expecting some prospective customers to turn up so that
some good fortune can fall into their share.
3. The longing has been termed as ‘vain’ because it will never be fulfilled.
4. The people driving in the car stop sometimes either to just enquire about the way
to their destination or to ask for a gallon of gas if they ran short of it.
Question 15.
Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,

1. Why is the longing called childish?

2. Where is the window?
3. Why does sadness lurk there? (2012 Comptt. Outside Delhi)

Answer:
1. Like children, these rural folk nurture many unfulfilled dreams and desires which
might never be satisfied. They crave in vain like children waiting for their wishes to
be fulfilled.
2. The window is a part of their roadside stand where they wait expectantly.
3. Sadness lurks there because no car halts there to buy anything from their roadside
stand and the rural folk are unable to earn some extra money.

Question 16.
The sadness that lurks near the open window there, That waits all day in almost
open prayer For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car, Of all the
thousand selfish cars that pass,
Just one to inquire a farmer’s prices are.

1. Which open window is referred to? Why does sadness lurk there?
2. What does the farmer pray for?
3. Is the farmer’s prayer ever granted? How do you know? (2012 Outside
Delhi)

Answer:
1. The open window is that of the roadside stand where they wait expectantly for a
car to stop by. Sadness lurks there because no city dweller halts there and thus the
hopes of the country folk are belied as no customer stops there.
2. The farmer prays that the city folks apply the brakes of the car and halt at their
roadside stand to buy something from there.
3. The farmers’ prayers are not granted. The poet tells us that even if city folk do
stop at the roadside stand it is only to enquire about the prices of the goods.

AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS

Question 1.
Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer. (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
The poet describes Aunt Jennifer’s tigers as ‘bright topaz denizens’ of the forest.
They are fearless and ferocious in sharp contrast to their creator, Aunt Jennifer’s
nervousness and timidity. Gallant and confident, they are sure of their purpose and
move ahead undeterred by any kind of hindrance or obstruction.

Question 2.
Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel? (All India 2009)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because of the nature of the
tigers. They symbolise strength and splendour which was in sharp contrast to her
own meek nature. The massive weight of the wedding band that sits heavily on her
finger symbolises the ordeals and hardships of her married life so she creates tigers
as they are a striking contrast to the frail, meek old lady who created them.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi 2010)
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

1. How are aunt Jennifer’s tigers described?

2. Why are they described as denizens of a world of green?
3. Why are they not afraid of the men?

Answer:
1. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are described as powerful, strong and fearless.
2. The tigers are inhabitants of the dense green forests so they are described as
dwellers of a world of green.
3. Their courage and fearlessness gives them a confidence due to which they are not
afraid of men.

Question 4.
What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead? (All India 2010)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will survive even after she is dead. She has created the tigers
in a panel out of wool. These objects of art are immortal. They will continue
prancing, proudly and fearlessly. To express her desire for freedom she had created
the chivalrous tigers who will survive long after her death but her own longing for
freedom will remain unfulfilled.

Question 5.
How has Aunt Jennifer created her tigers? What traits of tigers do they reveal? (All
India 2010)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer has created shining topaz yellow- coloured tigers who are denizens of
a dense, green forest. They are fierce, unafraid and fearless and pace in ‘sleek’ and
‘chivalric’ certainty.
Question 6.
Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands fluttering through her wool? (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is a victim of gender oppression at the hands of her husband. She lives
a life of total domination and constant fear. So she feels nervous and terrified that
the hands shake and flutter through her wool as she sits down to knit.

Question 7.
Describe the contrast between Aunt Jennifer ‘ and her creation, the tigers. (Comptt.
All India 2010)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer is totally victimised and suffers from oppression by her male
counterpart. So she creates an alternate world of freedom in her art. The tigers she
creates go on prancing menacingly, exhibiting their pride and fearlessness of any
social group or gender conflicts.

Question 8.
How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tigers’ attitude?
(Delhi 2011)
Answer:
‘Denizens’ means that the tigers inhabit a green world. They live in the forests where
they are free from constraints. ‘Chivalric’ means they are brave and fearless
creatures. This helps us to understand that bravery and fearlessness are the basic
nature of the tigers.

Question 9.
Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own
character? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers possessed all the qualities that Aunt Jennifer did not have. The
tigers were free, fearless, confident and proud whereas Aunt Jennifer was meek,
submissive and without any identity. She was a rather indecisive woman unlike the
confident tigers she had created.

Question 10.
What do the symbols, ‘tigers’, ‘fingers’ and ‘ring’ stand for in the poem, ‘Aunt
Jennifer’s Tigers’? (Comptt. Delhi 2011)
Answer:
The ‘tigers’ are symbols of bravery and courage and also of Aunt Jennifer’s desire for
freedom. The ‘fingers’ are symbolic of the nervousness and fear experienced by Aunt
Jennifer and the ‘ring’ symbolises a binding marriage that is full of oppression and
curtails one’s freedom.

Question 11.
Describe the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer. (Comptt. All India 2011)
Answer:
The poet describes Aunt Jennifer’s tigers as ‘bright topaz denizens’ of the forest.
They are fearless and ferocious in sharp contrast to their creator, Aunt Jennifer’s
nervousness and timidity. Gallant and confident, they are sure of their purpose and
move ahead undeterred by any kind of hindrance or obstruction.

Question 12.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Comptt. All
India 2012)
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

1. Who are ‘They’? Where are ‘They’?

2. Why are They’ not afraid of men?

Answer:
1. ‘They’ refers to the tigers that Aunt Jennifer has knitted on the panel. They are
prancing jerkily in the forest (across a screen).
2. The tigers are not afraid of men because they are gallant and fearless creatures
who are undeterred by any obstacles or hindrances and thus are not afraid of the
men.

Question 13.
Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the panel? (Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because of the nature of the
tigers. They symbolise strength and splendour which was in sharp contrast to her
own meek nature. The massive weight of the wedding band that sits heavily on her
finger symbolises the ordeals and hardships of her married life so she creates tigers
as they are a striking contrast to the frail, meek old lady who created them.

Question 14.
How do the words, “denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of Aunt
Jennifer’s tigers? (All India 2012)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because of the nature of the
tigers. They symbolise strength and splendour which was sharp contrast to her own
meek nature. The massive weight of the wedding band that sits heavily on her finger
symbolises the ordeals and hardships of her married life so she creates tigers as
they are a striking contrast to the frail, meek old lady who created them.

Question 15.
What kind of married life did Aunt Jennifer lead? (Comptt. Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s wedding band lies heavily on her hand. It reminds her of her unhappy
married life. It is symbolic of male authority and power of her husband who had
suppressed her and made her a nervous wreck. He had dominated over her for so
long that she had lost her identity.

Question 16.
What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead? (Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will survive even after she is dead. She has created the tigers
in a panel out of wool. These objects of art are immortal. They will continue
prancing, proudly and fearlessly. To express her desire for freedom she had created
the chivalrous tigers who will survive long after her death but her own longing for
freedom will remain unfulfilled.

Question 17.
What lies heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How is it associated with her husband?
(All India 2013)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s wedding band lies heavily on her hand. It reminds her of her unhappy
married life. It is symbolic of male authority and power of her husband who had
suppressed her and made her a nervous wreck. He had dominated over her for so
long that she had lost her identity.

Question 18.
Why has Aunt Jennifer made ‘prancing, proud and unafraid’ tigers? (Comptt. Delhi
2013)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because of the nature of the
tigers. They symbolise strength and splendour which was sharp contrast to her own
meek nature. The massive weight of the wedding band that sits heavily on her finger
symbolises the ordeals and hardships of her married life so she creates tigers as
they are a striking contrast to the frail, meek old lady who created them.

Question 19.
What is the meaning of the phrase, ‘massive weight of uncle’s wedding band’?
(Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s wedding band lies heavily on her fingers as she has been a victim of
gender oppression at the hands of her husband. She has been so physically and
mentally trapped for so many years that she lives in a perpetual state of mental fear
which she has never been able to overcome.

Question 20.
What are the difficulties that aunt Jennifer faced in her life? (Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer faced great hardships in her married life. She led a terrifying and
oppressed life wherein she had never been free but a helpless victim of male
chauvinism. Dominated and terrorised by her husband, Aunt Jennifer struggled for
an existence within the deep conflicts of slavery.

Question 21.
How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers possessed all the qualities that Aunt Jennifer did not have. The
tigers were free, fearless, confident and proud whereas Aunt Jennifer was meek,
submissive and without any identity. She was a rather indecisive woman unlike the
confident tigers she had created.

Question 22.
How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitter-ness and anger against male dominance?
(Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
To express her bitterness and anger against male dominance, Aunt Jennifer chooses
to embroider tigers on the panel. The nature of tigers symbolizes strength,
fearlessness and splendour which is in sharp contrast to her own meek nature
because of which she has suffered endlessly.

Question 23.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Comptt. Delhi
2015)
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

1. Why are the tigers called ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers’?

2. What does the phrase,’ a world of green’ mean?
3. How are the tigers different from their creator?
4. Why are the tigers not afraid of the men beneath the trees?

Answer:
1. The tigers are called ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers’ because they are her creation. She has
knitted (embroidered) the tigers on a screen.
2. The phrase ‘a world of green’ means ‘the green forest to which the tigers belong.’
3. The tigers are brave, chivalric, confident and strong unlike their creator who is
weak, timid, frightened and meek.
4. The tigers are brave and fearless by nature. They are ferocious wild beasts so they
are not afraid of the men beneath the trees.

Question 24.
What is suggested by the phrase, ‘massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’? (Delhi
2015)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s wedding band lies heavily on her fingers as she has been a victim of
gender oppression at the hands of her husband. She has been so physically and
mentally trapped for so many years that she lives in a perpetual state of mental fear
which she has never been able to overcome.

Question 25.
Why does Aunt Jennifer create animals that are so different from her own character?
(Delhi 2015)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers possessed all the qualities that Aunt Jennifer did not have. The
tigers were free, fearless, confident and proud whereas Aunt Jennifer was meek,
submissive and without any identity. She was a rather indecisive woman unlike the
confident tigers she had created.

Question 26.
Aunt Jennifer’s efforts to get rid of her fear proved to be futile. Comment. (Delhi
2016)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer has been a victim of oppression by the overbearing dominance of her
husband. Completely terrorised by her husband she struggled for an existence and
was so victimised that even after her death she will not be able to liberate her mind
and spirit from the fear of male-dominance.

Question 27.
What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s
Tigers’? (All India 2016)
Answer:
Aunt Jennifer faced great hardships in her married life. She led a terrifying and
oppressed life wherein she had never been free but a helpless victim of male
chauvinism. Dominated and terrorised by her husband, Aunt Jennifer struggled for
an existence within the deep conflicts of slavery.

Question 28.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Comptt. Delhi
2016)
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. What was the aunt’s ordeal?
3. Why did she ‘make’ tigers?
4. How were the tigers different from her?
Answer:
1. The poem is ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich.
2. The aunt’s ordeal was that she was dominated by her husband and was denied
freedom.
3. Aunt Jennifer made tigers to give expression to her desire for freedom.
4. Aunt Jennifer was meek and submissive whereas the tigers she embroidered were
strong and courageous.

Question 29.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :(Comptt. All
India 2016)
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. What is Aunt Jennifer doing with the wool?
3. Why are her fingers fluttering?
4. What does ‘wedding band’ mean?

Answer:
1. The poem is ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich.
2. Aunt Jennifer is embroidering tigers on a canvas with wool.
3. She has been tormented and dominated by her husband all her life, so her fingers
are fluttering due to nervousness.
4. ‘Wedding band’ means a wedding ring.

Question 30.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Delhi 2017)
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

1. Why are the tigers called Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?

2. How are they described here?
3. How are they different from Aunt Jennifer?
4. What does the word ‘chivalric’ mean?

Answer:
1. The tigers are called Aunt Jennifer’s tigers because they have been created by her,
she has embroidered a panel of prancing tigers.
2. They are described here as yellowish brown (topaz) coloured inhabitants of the
jungle. They are fearless, ferocious and brave creatures.
3. Aunt Jennifer is a timid and terrified old woman whose nature is in stark contrast
to the fearless and chivalrous tigers she has created.
4. The word ‘chivalric’ means ‘brave’/ respectful towards women.

Question 31.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (All India 2017 )
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

1. What is Aunt Jennifer doing with her wool?

2. Why does she find it difficult to pull her ivory needle?
3. What does ‘wedding band’ stand for ?
4. Describe the irony in the third line.

Answer:
1. Aunt Jennifer is embroidering the tigers on a panel with her wool.
2. Suppressed under male domination, Aunt Jennifer has become a nervous wreck.
As a result, her fingers flutter and she finds it difficult to pull her ivory needle.
3. ‘Wedding band’ is a symbol of male authority and power. The band symbolizes her
unhappy marriage, her husband and the patriarchal society that limits the freedom of
women.
4. Even though Aunt Jennifer wears the wedding band, it is ironical that the poet
describes it as belonging to uncle.

Question 32.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Comptt. Delhi
2017)
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her
wool.
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

1. What is Aunt Jennifer’s mood?

2. Why are her fingers fluttering?
3. What is Uncle’s wedding band?
4. Why is it heavy?

Answer:
1. Aunt Jennifer is in a state of anxiety and nervousness.
2. Aunt Jennifer’s fingers are fluttering as she is nervous because of her husband.
3. Uncle’s wedding band is the wedding ring that Aunt Jennifer wears in one of her
fingers.
4. It is metaphorically heavy because it is a symbol of her subjugation and
oppression by her husband.
Question 33.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (Comptt. All
India 2017)
‘Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.’

1. Who are ‘bright topaz denizens’?

2. Where do you find them?
3. Why are ‘they’ not afraid of the men?
4. What does the word ‘sleek’ mean?

Answer:
1. The tigers embroidered on the panel by Aunt Jennifer are referred to as ‘bright
topaz denizens’.
2. They are found in the jungle, the world of green on a screen.
3. They are fearless and bold creatures so they are not afraid of the men.
4. The word ‘sleek’ means ‘elegant’ or ‘glossy’.

BOOK NAME: VISTAS

THE ENEMY
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?

Dr Sadao was a famous Japanese surgeon and a scientist. He was perfecting a discovery which

would render wounds entirely clean. His house was located next to a narrow beach. The beach

was outlined with bent pines. A little uninhabited island also existed near his house. In storm, it

had been submerged. A mile or two on either side of the house was a fishing village, but near

his house, there existed only the bare and lonely coast, dangerous with rocks. The water

beyond the beach was spiked with rocks.

2. What did Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?

Dr Sadao operated the wounded man. The operation was successful. Dr Sadao knew that the

wounded man would now be out of danger. So he and his wife decided to give him to the police

as a prisoner of war. However, the man was very weak. Thus, they decided to keep him till he

recovered, so that later they could decide, what to do with him.

3. What did Dr Sadao do to help Tom escape to freedom?

Dr Sadao knew that the wounded American sailor, Tom could be arrested any time. So he

decided to help him in escaping. He decided to give his private boat with food and clothes in it.

He could row it to a little island not far from the coast. Nobody lived there. In this way, he could

escape to freedom.

4. Why did the messenger come to Dr Sadao? What did Hana think about it? [CBSE (AI) 2010]

Dr Sadao had been summoned to the palace to treat the ailing General. This relieved Hana,

since she expected it to be a punishment for helping and providing refuge to an enemy. As the

General was ill, he could require an operation any moment. Hana got very anxious to think

about the consequences her family might have to face for harbouring an enemy soldier. When

an official in uniform knocked her door, she thought that he might have come to apprehend her

husband.

5. Why did Hana wash the wounded soldier herself? [CBSE Delhi 2011, 2012]

Hana helped the wounded man and washed him herself. The wounded American was in a very

bad state and needed to be washed before being operated on. Hana did not want Dr Sadao to

clean the dirty and unconscious prisoner, and so asked their servant, Yumi, to do so. However,

Yumi defied her master’s order and did not help. She thought she would be punished by law for

being a traitor to her country. As a result, Hana had no other option but to wash him herself.

6. Why did the General overlook the matter of the enemy soldier?

The General had an attack and according to Dr. Sadao he could not survive the second attack.

So if Dr. Sadao was arrested, no other doctor was capable of performing the operation. So for

furthering his selfish needs he overlooked the matter and promises to send his assassins. But he

was so self-absorbed, he forgot about it.

7. How was the plan of the prisoner’s escape executed in the story?

The prisoner was successful in his escape only because of the right guidance and help from Dr.

Sadao. He provided him his boat, gave his food, made him wear Japanese cloths and also

helped him in comfortable sail to a nearby island.

8. Why did the servants leave Dr. Sadao’s house?

They were not in favour of keeping the American prisoner hidden in the house. They also did

not want Dr. Sadao to save his life as he was the enemy. Also, if the police come to know of it,

all their lives would be in danger. So they left the house.

9. Who was the white man whom Dr. Sadao and Hana found?
The white man was an American soldier as evident from his clothes. They guess that he was

a prisoner of war from his cap that said ‘Navy Seals’

10. Who was Sadao’s wife? Where had he met her? Why did he wait to fall in love with her?

Ans. Hana was Sadao’s wife. He had met her by chance at an American professor’s house.

Professor Harley and his wife had been kind people. They held a party at their home for their

few foreign students. Hana was a new student. He waited to fall in love with her until he was

sure she was Japanese. It was because his father would never have received her unless she had

been pure in her race.

11. What dilemma did Sadao face about the young white man?

Ans. The white man was wounded. He needed immediate medical care. Dr Sadao could do so.

But if they sheltered a white man in their house, they would be arrested. On the other hand, if

they turned him over as a prisoner, he would certainly die. Dr Sadao was in a fix. It was difficult

for him to come to any decision.

12. What was the attitude of Sadao and Hana towards the white man?

Ans. They stared upon the inert figure of the white man with a curious repulsion. Both talked of

putting him back into the sea, but neither of them was able to do so alone. They hesitated.

Sadao said that being American, the man was his enemy. He would have handed him over to

the police if he had not been wounded. But since he was wounded... He left the sentence

incomplete, implying that he couldn’t do so.

13. What solution did Hana offer to resolve Sadao’s predicament?

Ans. Hana found that neither of them could throw the white man back into the sea. There was

only one thing to do. They must carry the man into their house. They must tell the servants that

they intended to hand him over to the police. She reminded her husband of his position and

children. It would endanger all of them if they did not give that man over as a prisoner of war.

14. How did the servants react when their master told them about the wounded white man?

Ans. The servants were frightened and puzzled. The old gardener told Hana that the master

ought not to heal the wound of that white man. He said that the white man ought to die. First

he was shot. Then the sea caught him and wounded him with her rocks. If the master healed

what the gun and the sea had done, they would take revenge on them.

15. Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself ?

Ans. Hana told Yumi to fetch hot water and bring it to the room where the white man was.

Yumi put down the wooden bucket, but refused to wash the dirty white man. Hana cried at her

severely. She told her to do what her master commanded her to do. The fierce look of

resistance upon Yumfe dull face made Hana afraid. Under these circumstances, Hana had no

option but to wash the white man herself.

16. How did Harm look after the white man? How did he react?

Ans. Hana had to serve him herself, for none of the servants would enter the room. She did not

like him and yet she was moved to comfort him. She found the man quite weak and terrified.

She knelt and fed him gently from the porcelain spoon. He ate unwillingly but still he ate.

17. How did Hana react when she saw a messenger at the door in official uniform?

Ans. Hana was working hard on unaccustomed labour. When she saw the uniformed

messenger, her hands went weak and she could not draw her breath. She feared that the

servants must have told everything already. She thought that they had come to arrest Dr Sadao.

18. Why, do you think, had the messenger come to Dr Sadao’s house? How did Hana react to

the message and what did the messenger take exception to?

Ans. The messenger had arrived there to ask Dr Sadao to come to the palace as the old General

was in pain again. In her anxiety for her husband’s safety, Hana asked if that was all. The

messenger took exception to the word ‘all’ and enquired if that was not enough. Hana

apologised for the error.

19. What plan did the old General suggest for getting rid of the ‘man’?

Ans. He thought that it would be best if the white man could be quietly killed—not by the

doctor, but by someone who did not know him. He offered to send two of his private assassins

any night to his home. These capable assassins would make no noise. They knew the trick of

inward bleeding. They could even remove the body. Dr Sadao had to leave the outer partition

of the room open and this made restless.

20. What plan did Dr Sadao devise to get rid of the man?

Ans. Dr Sadao devised the plan of letting the man escape to the nearest uninhabited island. He

told the man everything. He put his boat on the shore with food and extra clothing. He advised

the man to row to the little island not far from the coast. He could live there till he saw a

Korean fishing boat pass by.

21. How was the plan of the prisoner’s escape executed?

Ans. Dr Sadao had put food and bottled water in his stout boat. He also put two quilts. After

supper, he cheked the American again. He gave him his flashlight and told him to signal two

flashes if he needed more food. One signal would mean he was OK He had to signal at sunset

and not in the darkness. The man was dressed in Japanese clothes and his blond head was

covered with a black cloth.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Why did Sadao Hoki go to America? What do you learn about his experiences there?

Ans. Sadao’s education was his father’s chief concern. So he had been sent at twenty-two to

America to leam all that could be learnt of surgery and medicine. He studied there for eight

years and returned to Japan at thirty. Before his father died, Sadao had become famous not

only as a surgeon, but also as a scientist.

He had had great difficulty in finding a place to live in America because he was a Japanese. The

Americans were full of prejudice and it had been bitter to live in it, knowing himself to be

superior to them. An ignorant and dirty old woman at last consented to house him in her

miserable home. He found her repulsive to him even in her kindness.

One of his American professors and his wife were kind people. They were anxious to do

something for their few foreign students. But their rooms were quite small, the food was very

bad, the professor was a dull person and his wife was a silly talkative woman.

2. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the

circumstances?

Suggested Answer / Value Points

It is the best possible option-general had promised him that he would get the soldier quietly

killed through his private assassins-but he forgot to get rid of- Dr. Sadao could do nothing-he

wanted to get rid of the wounded soldier-as the servants had left the house-and news could be

spread-so he devised his own plan to get the soldier off to the nearby island-managed his boat

for the soldier and instructed him. The white soldier took leave of him and followed his

instruction and managed to escape safely. Thus all this proves that that was the only way out

for Dr. Sadao to the problem.

3. What will Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?

Ans. Dr Sadao and his wife, Hana, had told the servants that they only wanted to bring the man
to his senses so that they could turn him over as a prisoner. They knew that the best possible

course under the circumstances was to put him back into the sea. However, Dr Sadao was

against handing over a wounded man to the police. He dedded to carry him into his house. He

operated upon him and extracted the bullet from his body. He kept the white man in his house.

He and his wife looked after him and fed him till he was strong enough to walk on his legs. .

4. What will Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?

Ans.Dr Sadao had told the old General that he had operated upon a white man. The General

promised to send his private assassins to kill the man silently and secretly at night and remove

his body. Dr Sadao left the outer partition of white man’s room open. He waited anxiously for

three nights. The servants had left their house. His wife Hana had to cook, clean the house and

serve the wounded man. She was unaccustomed to this labour. She was anxious that they

should get rid of the man.

Dr Sadao told Tom, the white man, that he was quite well then. He offered to put his boat on

the shore that night. It would have food and extra clothing in it. Tom might be able to row to

the little island which was not far from the coast. It had not been fortified. The .water was quite

deep. Nobody lived there, as it was submerged in storm. Since it was not the season of storm,

he could live there till he saw a Korean fishing boat pass by. He gave the man his flashlight. He

was to signal twice with his flashlight at sunset in case his food ran out. In case, he was still

there and all right, he was to signal only once.

Dr Sadao gave the man Japanese clothes and covered his blond head with a black doth. In

short, Dr Sadao helped the man to escape from Japan. At the same time he also got rid of the

man.

5. Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made

Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?

Ans. Dr Sadao and his wife, Hana, together lifted the wounded man and carried him to an

empty bedroom in their house. The man was very dirty. Sadao suggested that he had better be

washed. He offered to do so if she would fetch water. Hana was against it. She suggested that

the maid, Yumi, could wash the man. They would have to tell the servants. Dr Sadao examined

the man again and remarked that the man would die unless he was operated upon at once. He

left the room to bring his surgical instruments.

The servants did not approve of their master’s decision to heal the wound of a white man. Even
Yumi refused to wash the white man. There was so fierce a look of resistance upon Yumi’s

round dull face that Hana felt unreasonably afraid. Then she said with dignity that they only

wanted to bring him to his senses so that they would turn him over as a prisoner. However,

Yumi refused to have anything to do with him. Hana asked Yumi gently to return to her work.

The open defiance from the domestic staff hurt Hana’s feelings. She had told the servants to do

what their master commanded them. She was convinced of her own superiority. She now

became sympathetic to her husband and helped him in his efforts to heal the wounded man.

Though the sight of the white man was repulsive to her, she washed his face and his upper

body. She prepared herself to give him the anaesthetic according to her husband’s instructions.

She had never seen an operation. She choked and her face turned pale like sulphur. She felt like

vomiting and left for a while. She returned after retching and administered anaesthetic to the

man. Thus she co-operated with her husband fully to save the wounded man.there and this

situation was full of risk for himself as well as for the doctor and his family. Thus it is quite clear

that the reluctance of the soldier was caused by the single motive of self-preservation. He knew

from the treatment he had received from the couple that they would save him.

6. What will Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?

With the injured American’s health gradually improving, Dr Sadao and Hana were in a fix as to

what should be done with him. However, finally Dr Sadao will succeed to get rid of him. Their

loyal servants had left them. Keeping him in their house could pose a threat to their lives as

well. As Hana’s impatience and distress grew, Dr Sadao revealed the matter to the General who

decided to send assassins to kill the young American in his sleep. Keen on getting rid of the

escaped war-prisoner, Dr Sadao agreed. However, the matter could not be resolved because

the assassins never came. Dr Sadao then planned another way to get rid of him which was

overpowered with sympathy and a distant gratitude towards the people he had been linked to

in America. He decided to save his patient one more time. He secretly sent him to an isolated

island with food, bottled water, clothes, blanket and his own flashlight on a boat from where he

boarded a Korean ship to freedom and safety.

7. Why did Sadao Hoki go to America? What do you learn about his experiences there?

Ans. Sadao’s education was his father’s chief concern. So he had been sent at twenty-two to
America to leam all that could be learnt of surgery and medicine. He studied there for eight

years and returned to Japan at thirty. Before his father died, Sadao had become famous not

only as a surgeon, but also as a scientist.

He had had great difficulty in finding a place to live in America because he was a Japanese. The

Americans were full of prejudice and it had been bitter to live in it, knowing himself to be

superior to them. An ignorant and dirty old woman at last consented to house him in her

miserable home. He found her repulsive to him even in her kindness.

One of his American professors and his wife were kind people. They were anxious to do

something for their few foreign students. But their rooms were quite small, the food was very

bad, the professor was a dull person and his wife was a silly talkative woman.

8. What was the dilemma that Sadao faced when he saw a wounded, young white man

washed to his doorstep? What solution did his wife, Hana, offer to resolve his (Sadao’s)

predicament?

Ans. The young white man was bleeding. He had a bullet wound on his lower back. He needed

immediate medical attention. Dr Sadao, an eminent surgeon, could do so. But if they sheltered

a white man in their house, they would be arrested. On the other hand, if they tinned him over

as a prisoner, he would certainly die. Neither of them could put him back into the sea and get

rid of him. They were true humanist. So, they hesitated.

Sadao declared that being an American, the man was his enemy. He would have handed him

over to the police if he had been hale and hearty. But since he was wounded... He left the

sentence unfinished implying that he could not do so as he had been trained not to let a man

die if he could help him.

Hana suggested that they must carry the man inside the house. They must tell the ser¬vants

that they intended to hand him over to the police. She reminded her husband of his position

and the children. It would endanger all of them if they did not hand that man over as a prisoner

of war. His doubts were removed and they decided to carry the man into their house.

9. How did the servants initially react to the presence of a white man in their masters house?

Ans.When Dr Sadao told the cook and the gardener about the wounded young white man, they

had brought inside the house, the two servants were frightened and puzzled. The *

superstitious old gardener looked so annoyed that he pulled the few hairs on his upper lip.
He bluntly told Hana that the master ought not to heal the wound of that white man. He said

that the white man ought to die. First he was shot. Then the sea caught him and wounded him

with her rocks. If the master healed what the gun and the sea had done, they would take

revenge on them.

Even the maid, Yumi, refused to wash the man though Hana cried at her severely and told her

to do what the master had commanded her to do. The servants seemed to be in a defiant

mood. The fierce look of resistance upon Yumi’s dull face frightened Hana. She thought that the

servants might report something that was not as it happened. She main¬tained her dignity and

told the maid that they wanted to bring him to his senses so that they could turn him over as a

prisoner. Even this explanation failed to convince Yumi and she refused to do anything for the

white man.

Since the white man was not handed over to the police, even after a week, all the servants left

on the seventh day after that.

10. Under what circumstances did Dr Sadao let the wounded white man escape? Was it lack

of national loyalty, professional ego and sentimentality, human consideration or just an

attempt to save his skin?

Ans. Hr Sadao had no love for the repulsive Americans and he considered them his enemies.

Unfortunately, the sea-waves pushed a wounded white man to his doorstep. He knew that the

best possible thing was to throw him back into the sea. He could not handover a wounded

‘enemy’ to police because he would certainly die. Being a doctor, he could save him and not kill

him. His efforts to get him removed with the help of the old General’s private assassins did not

bear fruit.

He was under a severe strain. His domestic servants had left him. His wife had to do

unaccustomed labour and run the household. Moreover, his wife was anxious about his safety.

They might be arrested for harbouring an enemy prisoner of war and condemned as traitors.

Dr Sadao let the man escape in the larger interest of professional ethics and human

consideration. He rose above narrow national loyalty and sentimentality. He did not think of

himself as the General had already assured him that no harm would be caused to him. The

matter remained unreported and closed from public eyes and ears. The servants returned after

the white man had “left”. Everything became normal again.

11. What was the General’s plan to get rid of the American prisoner ? Was it executed ? What

traits of the General’s character are highlighted in the lesson ‘The Enemy’? [All India 2014]

Ans. The General made a plan to get rid of the American prisoner by sending his personal

assassins to kill the prisoner. He also wanted to remove the body of American prisoner from

Sadao’s house. But, unfortunately he could not succeed in his attempt. The plan was i not

executed. The General could not send the assassins.

The General had an unusual sense of humour as well as frankness and ability to admit his

mistake. Dr. Sadao keeps on waiting for three nights for the assassins who fail to turn up. He

loses his rest and sleep. Finally he lets the white man escape. When Dr. Sadao tells the General

that the man has escaped, the General admits that he forgot his promise. It was carelessness of

him but not the lack of patriotism. It is his self-absorption and instinct of preserving himself that

saves Dr. Sadao and his family being arrested.

On the face of It (Susan Hill)

1. Who is Derry? 2 marks

Ans. Derry is a fourteen years old boy. One side of his face is burnt due to spilling of acid.

He avoids people. He thinks people talk about him, feel pity for him, some are scarred of

him.

2. Who is Mr. Lamb? 2 marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb is an old man. One of his legs was blown off in war. So, He has a tin leg. He

lives all alone in his house. He has a garden where he remains busy the whole day. People

have spread many stories about him.

3. What physical impairment is Mr. Lamb suffering from? 2 marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb is retired from the army. In a war, he lost one of his legs. In its place, there

is a tin leg now. Because of it, kids call him ‘ Lamey Lamb’. But it doesn’t trouble him.

4. Why does Derry come to Mr.Lamb’s garden? 2 marks

Ans. Derry has a burnt face. So, he avoids people and wants to stay alone. In order to find

a secluded place, he jumps a wall to enter Mr. Lamb’s garden. He thinks the garden is
empty.

5. What surprised Derry when he entered the garden? 2 marks

Ans. Derry thought that the garden he entered was empty. When Mr. Lamb spoke to him,

he became surprised. Mr. lamb was friendly in approach. He only told Derry to mind the

crab apples.

6. How does Mr. Lamb react when Derry enters his garden? 2marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb welcomes him. He only asks him to mind the crab apples, otherwise he may

slip. When Derry wants to run away from there, Mr. Lamb says that he doesn’t have to go.

Everyone is welcomed to his garden.

7. Why is Mr. Lamb sitting in the garden outside his house? 2marks

Ans. Mr. lamb is an old man who lives all alone in his house. He likes anything and

everything. He remains busy in his garden. His garden gate is always open for everyone.

8. How does Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool? 2 marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb takes a ladder and a stick and pulls down the crab apples to make jelly.

9. Why did Mr. Lamb help Derry? 2 marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb himself was physically impaired. So, He could understand the difficulties of

Derry.He was an optimist who was also kind hearted. He wanted to change Derry’s

perspective of life.

10. What kind of a garden does Mr. Lamb have? 2 marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb has a garden where he plants flower plants and weeds alike. He has

beehives in the garden. He has an orchard full of fruit trees.He likes his garden because

he remains busy there and children come there to play.

11. What is Derry’s attitude towards Mr. Lamb? 2 marks

Ans. Initially, considering Mr. Lamb to be like other people, Derry wants to go from the

garden. But hearing Mr. Lamb and his inspiring words, Derry is influenced.He starts

respecting and liking Mr. Lamb. He feels that unlike other people, this man does not pity

him and welcomes him in his garden. Mr. Lamb helps Derry love his life in spite of the

odds in his life.

12. How does Mr. Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry? 2M

Ans. Mr. Lamb tells Derry that like others, he has two eyes, two ears, two legs, two arms,

the brain and the tongue. He can achieve whatever he likes, like all the rest. He can even
get better than the rest.

13. Why does Derry’s mother not want him to go back to visit Mr. Lamb? 2 marks

Ans. Derry’s mother has heard many things about Mr. Lamb. She thinks that he is not a

good person. So, she asks Derry not to go back to visit Mr. Lamb.

14. What happens at the end? 2 marks

Ans. While picking apples with the help of a stick, suddenly the ladder falls back and Mr. Lamb dies

falling on the ground. Derry comes and finds him dead. He weeps.

15. Will Derry go back to his old loneliness again? 2 marks

Ans. The short meeting of Derry with Mr. Lamb boosted self confidence in Derry. He

realized that life is beautiful; whatever God has created is beautiful. His whole

perspective of life changed. So, definitely, Derry will not go back to his old loneliness

again.

16. What benefits did Derry reap from his association with Mr. Lamb? 5 Marks

Ans. Derek(Derry), the fourteen years old boy was conscious of his ugly face and so he

wanted to remain alone. He felt that people either ridiculed or pitied him. So, he

developed a negative attitude towards life. But his brief association with Mr. Lamb

inspired him to live life as it came. Mr. Lamb said that he had two ears, two eyes, two

arms, two legs, a tongue and a brain like all the rest and if he chose, he could do better

than all the rest.

17. Both Derry and Mr. Lamb suffer from handicaps, yet their attitude to life is totally different.

Discuss. 5 marks

Ans. Mr. Lamb and Derry both are handicapped. Mr. Lamb has a tin leg and Derry has a

deformed face due to spilling of acid. But they differ in their attitude to life. Derry does

not like people’s reactions and so withdraws and keeps himself isolated. On the other

hand, Mr. Lamb is not much affected by his handicap. He enjoys reading and gardening.

He accepts everything as it comes. Though both Derry and Mr. Lamb are in contrast to

each other, Mr. Lamb inspires Derry and changes his attitude towards life.

Q. Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment, but much more painful for them is the
feeling of loneliness. Comment. OR The lesson, ‘On the Face of It’, is an apt depiction of the
loneliness and sense of alienation experienced by people on account of a disability. Explain.
Ans. Mr. Lamb and Derry have different sorts of physical disability. While Mr. Lamb has a tin leg, one
side of Derry’s face was burnt by acid and now is scarred. Both Derry and Mr. Lamb are victims of
physical impairment, but much more painful for them is the feeling of loneliness. Both suffer
alienation from the society. Derry feels that he is feared rather than accepted by the society because
of his scarred face. Mr. Lamb also has to face name calling-‘Lamey-Lamb’ although it does not bother
him much. Loneliness has caused constant pain for both Derry and Mr. Lamb. They both crave for
friends, but neither of them have it. However, while his isolation makes Derry a bitter person, Mr.
Lamb has a positive outlook and believes that being a handicap is not a drawback. Both expect that
the society would neither treat them differently, as freaks, nor with pity. They want to be treated
with empathy as equals.

Q. What is the bond that unites the two- the old Mr. Lamb and Derry, the small boy? How does
the old man inspire the small boy?

Ans. Mr. Lamb turned Derry into a confident boy from a complex one. Both were physically
handicapped but with different perspectives towards life. In the beginning Derry was a defiant and
withdrawn boy who hated meeting people. Their stares, jibes and pity made him frustrated. He
suffered a lot due to his burnt face and had a pessimistic approach to life. Mr. Lamb transformed his
vision of life and suggested to live it on his own terms. Mr. Lamb discussed his own situation with
Derry to make him understand that he should be open-minded. He told him that God has made all
the things and one should not keep oneself in a room forever. He also kept his garden gate open and
welcomed all. Moreover, Derry could open up the layers of his heart and complexes in front of Mr.
Lamb, which unburdened his heart. He got a new ray of hope in his life. He also taught Derry to use
whatever God had given to him. The lesson of Mr. Lamb could not be ignored by Derry. He was
disheartened to find about his death. To meet Mr. Lamb, defying his mother and his return to
Lamb’s garden shows his appreciation for living life as shown by Lamb. He learnt the lesson of
optimism.

Q. How did Mr. Lamb try to give courage and confidence to Derry?

Ans. When Mr. Lamb found Derry in his garden, he did not make him go away. Instead, Mr. Lamb
welcomed Derry in a cheerful way accepting him as he was. Although Derry behaved rudely with
him, he remained calm and cordial as if Derry’s bad temper and defiance did not bother him at all.
Derry was always angry and bitter because one side of his face was burnt. His face seemed to scare
everybody. He withdrew himself from the society because of which he lacked courage and self
confidence. Mr. Lamb’s behaviour towards Derry was completely different from others. He told
Derry that it’s important to see how one is inside than how one looks on the outside. He inspired
Derry with love for life and told him one cannot go through life being scared and alienated. Mr.
Lamb asked Derry to enjoy simple joys of everyday living with people around and nature, ignoring
the unpleasant. He initiated courage and confidence in Derry by telling him not to brood over
limitations but count his blessings.

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD

Short Answer Type Questions (2 Marks)

Question 1.
When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her
community? (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Bama was in the third standard and she used to walk from her school to her home. One day
she saw an elderly man carrying a small packet that contained some eatables. He held the
packet by its strings without touching it and extended it to the landlord who opened it and
began to eat. She thought it was something funny but Annan, her elder brother, told her that
the man was not being funny and he was in fact from a low caste because of which he
couldn’t touch the food packet.

Question 2.
How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair? (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa disappeared unnoticed and entered a large room with three beds. She crawled
under the beds and cuddled herself in a dark comer. She could not hide there for long and
was soon dragged out. She resisted by kicking and scratching wildly but then she was tied
fast in a chair and her long and heavy hair was shingled.

Question 3.
Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother, on which street he lived? What was
the significance? (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The landlord’s man asked Bama’s brother on which street he lived in order to find out
his caste. During those times, when untouchability was prevalent, each caste lived in
a particular street and by enquiring about the street where one lived, helped to
determine his caste.

Question 4.
Why was Zitkala-Sa terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short?
(All India 2010)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa hid herself because she had got to know that the authorities wanted to cut
her long hair. In her community hair of mourners, prisoners of war and cowards were
cut and therefore she made a vain attempt to prevent her hair from being shingled by
hiding herself.

Question 5.
What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa felt rather anguished and indignant when her long hair was cut. She lost
her spirit and felt as helpless as a puppet. She got the feeling of being an animal
driven by a herder and desperately looked for some comfort. With her hair being
shingled like a coward’s, she moaned in anguish. She also felt she had lost her
distinct cultural recognition and identity.

Question 6.
What advice did Annan offer Bama? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Annan loves his sister Bama dearly and acts as her true guide and philosopher. He
told her that being Dalits they would never be given any dignity or respect. He
advised her to study and make progress to throw away these indignities. He advises
to his sister about the indigenous method of outdoing the upper class by winning
laurels in their examinations and thus earning their admiration.

Question 7.
“I felt like sinking to the floor,” says Zitakala-Sa. When did she feel so and why? (All
India 2011)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa felt like sinking to the floor when the blanket she had donned over her
immodest- looking dress was stripped from her shoulders. She felt uncomfortable in
her tight-fitting clothes and because she was ill at ease.

Question 8.
What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did she react to it? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Judewin, who knew a few words of English, told Zitkala-Sa that she had overheard
the pale¬faced woman saying that Zitkala-Sa’s long hair would be cut. Judewin
advises her to submit and resign to her fate but Zitkala-Sa disagrees with her and
decides to resist and stand-up against it.

Question 9.
How long would it take Bama to walk home from her school and why? (Comptt. Delhi
2011)
Answer:
It took Bama half an hour to one hour to walk home from her school, although it was
possible to cover the distance in ten minutes. This was because on the way many
attractions slowed her down. These included fun, games, entertaining novelties and
oddities in the streets, the shops and the bazaar.

Question 10.
When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people
of her community? (Comptt. All India 2011)
Answer:
Bama was in the third standard and she used to walk from her school to her home.
One day she saw an elderly man carrying a small packet that contained some
eatables. He held the packet by its strings without touching it and extended it to the
landlord who opened it and began to eat. She thought it was something funny but
Annan, her elder brother, told her that the man was not being funny and he was in
fact from a low caste because of which he couldn’t touch the food packet.

Question 11.
How could Bama rise above indignities? (Comptt. Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Bama’s brother advised her to concentrate on her studies and outshine everybody in
the examinations in order to rise above indignities. So Bama followed her brother’s
advice religiously and earned the respect of members of the higher class by standing
first in her class.

Question 12.
What made Bama return home invariably late from school? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer:
Bama took thirty minutes to an hour to reach home as she would watch all the fun
and games that were taking place on the road. She would also stop and look at the
shops and the bazaars and even see the performance of the snake charmers and the
monkeys.

Question 13.
What were the articles in the stalls and shops that fascinated Bama on her way back
from school? (All India 2013)
Answer:
On her way back from school Bama would be extremely fascinated by various
articles available in the stalls and shops. These included the dried fish stall, the stall
selling fried snacks, the stall of the hunter gypsy selling needles, clay beads and
instruments for cleaning ears. Everyday she would see people selling payasam,
halwa, boiled tamarind seeds, iced lollies, etc.

Question 14.
What sort of shows or entertainment attracted Bama? (All India 2013)
Answer:
Bama was attracted by the shows that people from various political parties would
put up on a stage. These included a street play, or a puppet show, or a “no magic, no
miracle” stunt performance. All these happened from time to time.

Question 15.
Which activities of the people would Bama watch keenly in the bazaar? (All India
2013)
Answer:
Bama watched the way each waiter would cool the coffee in the coffee clubs in the
bazaar. She would watch the way some people sat in front of the shops chopping up
onion, their eyes turned elsewhere so that they would not smart. At times she would
watch people from various political parties put up a street play or a puppet show.

Question 16.
Which words of her brother made a deep impression on Bama? (Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Bama’s brother told her that because they were born into a lower community, they
were never given any honour, dignity or respect. But if they studied and made
progress they could get rid of these indignities. His words made a deep impression
on Bama.
Question 17.
Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa was in tears on the first day in the land of apples because she was in a
new environment. She received a cultural shock because of the unknown language.
The strict regime of eating by formula, squeaking shoes and the news about cutting
her hair were also unknown to her.

Question 18.
What is common between Zitkala-Sa and Bama? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa and Bama have a lot in common as far as their suffering is concerned.
They both belonged to marginalised communities. Zitkala-Sa was a victim of cultural
invasion where her own cultural identity was being threatened and Bama was a
victim of untouchability that is a form of struggle for class.

Question 19.
Why did Zitkala-Sa resist the shingling of her hair? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa hid herself because she had got to know that the authorities wanted to cut
her long hair. In her community hair of mourners, prisoners of war and cowards were
cut and therefore she made a vain attempt to prevent her hair from being shingled by
hiding herself.

Question 20.
Why did Bama reach home late after school? (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer:
It took Bama half an hour to one hour to walk home from her school, although it was
possible to cover the distance in ten minutes. This was because on the way many
attractions slowed her down. These included fun games, entertaining novelties and
oddities in the streets, the shops and the bazaar.

Question 21.
At the dining table why did Zitkala-Sa begin to cry when others started eating? (All
India 2016 )
Answer:
As Zitkala-sa glanced at the long chain of tables, she caught the eyes of a pale face
woman upon her. She wondered why she was being so keenly watched by the
strange woman. She was not used to eating by formula. When the third bell tapped
and the others started eating, she felt out of place and began crying instead.

Question 22.
How did Zitkala-Sa’s first day in the land of apples begin? (All India 2016 )
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa’s first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one. The snow covered
the ground and the trees were bare. A large bell rang for breakfast, its loud metallic
sound crashing into their sensitive ears. The annoying clatter of shoes and the
constant clash of harsh noises gave her no peace.

Question 23.
According to Zitkala-Sa what does ‘eating by formula’ mean? (All India 2016 )
Answer:
According to Zitkala-Sa ‘eating by formula’ meant following an eating-decorum in the
dining room. At the sound of the first bell the pupils drew a chair from under the
table. All were seated when the second bell was sounded and when the third bell
was tapped everyone started eating with forks and knives.

Question 24.
Why did Zitkala-Sa hide herself? (Comptt. Delhi 2016 )
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa hid herself because she had got to know that the authorities wanted to cut
her long hair. In her community hair of mourners, prisoners of war and cowards were
cut and therefore she made a vain attempt to prevent her hair from being shingled by
hiding herself.

Question 25.
Why was Bama always late while returning from school? (Comptt. Delhi 2016 )
Answer:
It took Bama half an hour to one hour to walk home from her school, although it was
possible to cover the distance in ten minutes. This was because on the way many
attractions slowed her down. These included fun games, entertaining novelties and
oddities in the streets, the shops and the bazaar.

Question 26.
What did Bama’s brother want her to do? Why? (Comptt. All India 2017)
Answer:
Annan loves his sister Bama dearly and acts as her true guide and philosopher. He
told her that being Dalits they would never be given any dignity or respect. He
advised her to study and make progress to throw away these indignities. He advises
his sister about the indigenous method of outdoing the upper class by winning
laurels in their examinations and thus earning their admiration.

Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks)

Question 27.
What kind of discrimination did Bama and Zitkala experience? How did they respond
to their respective situations? (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Bama and Zitkala belonged to marginalised communities. Zitkala was an American
Indian woman who was ill-treated by the whites who adopted force and oppression
to compel the natives to shed their age old customs and traditions. The worst
indignity she suffered was the cutting of her long hair. Her long and beautiful hair
were cut after she was dragged out. She cried and resisted by kicking and scratching
wildly as she was tied fast in a chair but still she did not submit. No one came to help
her or to console her. Bama, who belonged to a Dalit community was a victim of the
caste system. She was upset by the inhuman attitude of the people belonging to the
‘higher’ caste towards the ‘lower’ caste. She had experienced the evils of
untouchability when she was studying in the third standard.

Both these women fought and struggled against exploitation and oppression. Zitkala
does not submit but struggles when her hair is being shingled. She fights till she is
overpowered. Bama fights against the evils of untouchability in her own way. She
works hard and stands first in her class. People then come to her of their own
accord.

Question 28.
What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala though they belong to
different cultures? (All India 2009)
Answer:
Bama and Zitkala belonged to marginalised communities. Zitkala was an American
Indian woman who was ill-treated by the whites who adopted force and oppression
to compel the natives to shed their age old customs and traditions. The worst
indignity she suffered was the cutting of her long hair. Her long and beautiful hair
were cut after she was dragged out. She cried and resisted by kicking and scratching
wildly as she was tied fast in a chair but still she did not submit. No one came to help
her or to console her. Bama, who belonged to a Dalit community was a victim of the
caste system. She was upset by the inhuman attitude of the people belonging to the
‘higher’ caste towards the ‘lower’ caste. She had experienced the evils of
untouchability when she was studying in the third standard.

Both these women fought and struggled against exploitation and oppression. Zitkala
does not submit but struggles when her hair is being shingled. She fights till she is
overpowered. Bama fights against the evils of untouchability in her own way. She
works hard and stands first in her class. People then come to her of their own
accord. The similarity between their lives is the struggle and fight against racial and
social discrimination. They did not accept this exploitation and injustice meekly but
fought against it.

Question 29.
Describe how Zitkala-Sa tried in vain to save her hair from being cut. Why did she
want to save her hair? (All India 2009)
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa’s friend Judewin warned her that her hair was going to be cut. Judewin
knew a few English words and had overheard the ‘paleface woman’ talking about
cutting the native Indian girl’s long hair. This news shocked Zitkala. Her friend told
her to accept her fate but she was not ready to submit and decided to fight against
this oppression. She disappeared unnoticed and went into a room where she
crawled and hid under a bed, cuddling herself in a dark comer. But she was caught
and dragged out. She then resisted by kicking and scratching wildly as she was
carried down and tied fast to a chair. As they gnawed at her long hair, she kept
shaking her head. No one came to her aid. Zitkala was desperate to save her hair
because among her people short hair was kept by mourners and shingled hair was a
sign of cowardice. So she did not want her long hair to be cut.

Question 30.
What activities did Bama witness on her way back home from school? (Comptt. All
India 2014)
Answer:
On her way back home from school Bama would take thirty minutes to cover a ten
minute distance. This was because she would witness various activities on her way
back home. The performing monkey, the snake charmer, the cyclist who had not got
off his bike for three days. She also watched the Pongal offerings being cooked in
front of the Maariyaata temple. At times people from various political parties would
arrive, put up a stage and harangue the public through their mikes. She would watch
a street play, or a puppet show or a magic stunt performance. All these would
happen from time to time. But almost certainly there would be some entertainment
or other going on, that would delay Bama.

Question 31.
How did the scene she saw in the market place change Bama’s life? (Comptt. Delhi
2015)
Answer:
Bama usually reaches home late from school. She walks along leisurely watching
and enjoying the sights on her way home. One day on her way back, she saw the
harvest being threshed. The landlord stood watching the work being done. It was
then that Bama saw one of the elders coming down the street holding a packet by a
string. The packet contained vadais for the landlord. At first Bama thought that the
elder man was being funny. But later her brother told her that the elder man was of a
low caste so he was not allowed to touch the vadais brought for the landlord. This
scene infuriated Bama and brought about a ‘ change in her life wherein she decided
to study well, make a position for herself in life and rebel against caste inequalities.

Question 32.
What were Zitkala-Sa’s experiences on her first day in the land of apples? (Comptt.
All India 2015)
Answer:
The first day in the land of apples was bitterly cold and as the bell rang for breakfast,
there was an annoying clatter of shoes which gave Zitkala-Sa no peace. Though her
spirit tore itself in struggling for its freedom, it was of no use. Zitkala-Sa was placed
in a line with the Indian girls and marched into the dining room. All the girls were
rather immodestly dressed in tightly fitting clothes. As Zitkala-Sa sat down she
observed that she was being keenly watched by a strange palefaced woman. Later
her friend Judewin gave her a terrible warning that this palefaced woman was talking
about cutting their long, heavy hair. Zitkala-Sa crept into a room and crawled under a
bed and huddled herself in the dark corner. But women and girls entered the room
and dragged her out. She resisted by kicking and scratching wildly. Inspite of her
resistance she was carried downstairs, tied fast in a chair and her long hair was
shingled.

Question 33.
Untouchability is not only a crime, it is inhuman too. Why and how did Bama decide
to fight against it? (Delhi 2017)
Answer:
There is no denying the fact that untouchability is not only a crime but it is also
inhuman. Bama, who belonged to a marginalised community was a victim of the
caste system. As a little girl, studying in the third class, she had seen, felt and been
humiliated by its effect. So the spark of hostility towards this social evil had been
ignited in her heart from a very early age. Upset over the inhuman attitude of the
people of the so-called higher caste towards the lower caste, she decided to fight
against this evil in her own way. Bama’s brother advised her to study and make
progress to throw away indig¬nities. She took the advice of her elder brother
seriously, studied diligently and stood first in her class thereby compelling people to
respect and befriend her.

Question 34.
In India, the so-called lower castes have been treated cruelly for a long time. Who
advised Bama to fight against this prejudice, when and how? (All India 2017)
Answer:
There is no denying the fact that untouchability is not only a crime but it is also
inhuman. Bama, who belonged to a marginalised community was a victim of the
caste system. As a little girl, studying in the third class, she had seen, felt and been
humiliated by its effect. So the spark of hostility towards this social evil had been
ignited in her heart from a very early age. Upset over the inhuman attitude of the
people of the so-called higher caste towards the lower caste, she decided to fight
against this evil in her own way. Bama’s brother advised her to study and make
progress to throw away indignities. She took the advice of her elder brother
seriously, studied diligently and stood first in her class thereby compelling people to
respect and befriend her.