ENGLISH LESSON PLAN

THE DOG NAMED DUKE

BY: WILLIAM D. ELLIS

INTRODUCTION

William D. Ellis is one of the famous American novelists. Born in Concord, Massachusetts, he started
writing quite early. His writing talent was recognized by an elementary-school teacher who encouraged
him to be a writer. He began to study the history of Ohio which provided him material enough for his
three related novels Bounty Lands, Jonathan Blair: Bounty Lands Lawyer, and The Brooks Legend. He was
nominated for the covetous Pulitzer Prize.

'A Dog Named Duke' is a story that dramatizes a struggle for survival. Its hero is the dog Duke, a
Doberman. Duke helped his paralysed master, Charles Hooper, to stand on his feet and enabled him to
resume his duties at his office and gain promotions. He taught a human being to accept the challenge
and the changed mode of life. The dog died in an accident. Hooper's appointment as Assistant National
Sales Manager was a tribute to Duke who was a beacon of light in his dark days.

STORY

A Favoured Young Man

In 1953, Hooper seemed to be a favoured and successful young man. He was six-foot-one inch and
always wore a broad smile over his face. He was of highly competitive nature. He had played in the
university football team. He was a hard-charging zonal sales manager for a chemical company. He had
got everything one could wish for. His wife Marcy had accepted his favoured dog Duke after her initial
dislike.

Hooper Injured in an Accident

On a fateful evening Hooper met with a very serious accident. A car came in front of him all of a sudden,
completely paralysing his left side. He remained in the hospital for a month in a critical stage. He was
allowed a year off from his office job. Marcy had sent Duke to a kennel. The treatment continued but
Chuck showed little signs of progress. He was sent home in March. He had been reduced to a paralysed
cripple. It was a period of total shock and helplessness. Marcy started going to work, Duke was in the
kennel. Chuck was lost in his wandering thoughts. Finally, Duke was brought home. The dog was so
happy on seeing Chuck that he at once jumped on him. His 23-kilo body was too heavy for Chuck to keep
his balance. The dog realized at once that he was not well. So he never jumped on Chuck again.

Duke's Devotion to his Master

Duke continued sitting beside his master's bed all the time. But even his presence failed to enthuse
Chuck. One evening Chuck's good hand took hold of the dog's leash. The dog at once took a U-shaped
turn. Marcy helped Chuck to stand on his feet. Duke pranced forcing Chuck to move his right leg out in
front, dragging the left foot forward. It was Chuck's first step after the accident. Duke made three moves,
making Chuck sway forward thrice. Chuck sank down into his wheelchair, exhausted.
Helped his Master in Everyway

Duke seemed to have taken it upon himself to help his master move to life. Every day both of them
indulged in a seemingly unsuccessful struggle for a walk, however short it might be. In two weeks they
were able to reach the front porch. A course of physiotherapy with weights, pulleys and whirlpool baths
also started. Hooper and Duke made it to an intersection on June 1.

Chuck Hooper's Recovery

On January 4, Hooper walked the 200 metres from the clinic to the local branch of his company, without
Duke. The staff was amazed to see him. His offer of spending an hour a day in the office was accepted,
but his superiors at the company's headquarters were in a dilemma. He did what they never expected.
After March 1, with Duke pulling him faster and faster, he started full day's work in his office. After
thirteen months of full days' work, he was promoted to regional manager for four states. He along with
Marcy and Duke shifted to a new house in March 1956.

Death of Duke

On October 12, the Hoopers had a party. Suddenly they heard the screech of brakes outside. Duke was
brought in, seriously wounded, struggling for life. Marcy herself carried the dog to the animal hospital.
His injuries were very serious, so he could not survive.

Chuck continued walking to his office alone day after day. People wondered how long he would keep it
up. One fine day Chuck received an order from the headquarters of his company: he had been promoted
to Assistant National Sales Manager. It was a special tribute to Duke.

THEME

The story underlines the idea that one can overcome any obstacle in life, if one is resolute. One should
never give in. The struggle for survival defines our humanity. In the story Hooper accepts the challenge
of life and triumphs over his physical handicap. In his struggle for survival, the role of his dog Duke is
immense. Duke proves to be a beacon of light in his dark days. He assumes the responsibility of leading
him back to his office desk. He rekindles hope and makes him achieve success after success. One is not
sure if he really knew what he was doing for his master.

READ TO UNDERSTAND

Passage: In 1953, Hooper was a favoured young man. A big genuine grin civilised his highly competitive
nature. Standing six-foot-one, he’d played on the university football team. He was already a hard-
charging Zone Sales Manager for a chemical company. Everything was going for him.

Vocabulary:

favoured: someone or something who is preferred or recommended by the majority

genuine: sincere, truthful

grin: smile while showing some teeth

civilised: polite and well-mannered

hard-charging: ambitious and determined

Paraphrasing – It was the year 1953, when a young man named Hooper was someone who was
recommended by the majority of the people. He had a big sincere grin on his face, which made him look
polite and well-mannered. This hid his highly competitive nature. His height was six feet and one inch.
He played in the football team of his university. Hooper was a very ambitious and determined Zone Sales
Manager for a chemical company, an achievement at a young age. All of this made his future bright and
everyone believed that he would definitely be a highly successful person in future because he had
everything a man could aspire for.

Passage: Then, when he was driving home one autumn twilight, a car sped out in front of him without
warning. Hooper was taken to the hospital with a subdural haemorrhage in the motor section of the
brain, completely paralysing his left side.

Vocabulary:

twilight: the period of the evening when twilight is visible, between daylight and darkness, dusk, sunset

subdural haemorrhage: a serious condition where blood collects between the skull and the surface of
the brain caused by a head injury

haemorrhage: heavy bleeding

motor: something which causes or controls movement

paralysing: causing a person or part of the body to become partly or wholly incapable of movement

Paraphrasing – One day, Hooper was driving home. It was the autumn season and it was the sunset time
of the day. Suddenly, a car came in front of him, at a fast speed, without warning. It resulted in a car
accident. Hooper was taken to the hospital with a big head injury. He had a serious condition where
blood had collected between the skull and the surface of the brain. He had heavy bleeding. The head
injury was on a particular part of the brain, the motor section. The motor section of the brain controls
the movement of the entire body. As a result of the head injury, his left side was completely paralysed,
meaning that he could not move or could not control the movement of the left side of his body.

Passage: One of Chuck’s district managers drove Marcy to the hospital. Her husband couldn’t talk; he
could only breathe and see, and his vision was double. Marcy phoned a neighbour, asking him to put
Duke in a kennel.

Hooper remained on the critical list for a month. After the fifth week some men from his company came
to the hospital and told Hooper to take a year off. They would create a desk job for him at the
headquarters.

Vocabulary : kennel: a small shelter for dogs

Paraphrasing – Marcy is Chuck Hooper’s wife. Chuck had many district managers in the company he was
working in. One of those managers took Marcy in a car and drove to the hospital where her husband had
been taken. She learned that her husband could not talk. He could only breathe and see everything and
everyone around him. His vision was not clear and everything he was seeing was doubled. She then
phoned her neighbour, asking him to take Duke the pet dog out from the house and put him in another
shelter because no one was there to look after him.

Hooper was in a dangerous state for a month. After five weeks of the accident, some people from his
office visited him and asked him to take a year’s leave from work. They added that the company would
create a sitting job for him at the company’s main office.

Passage: About six weeks after the accident, the hospital put him in a wheelchair. Every day there was
someone working his paralysed arm and leg followed by baths, exercise and a wheeled walker. However,
Chuck didn’t make much headway.

In March, they let him out of the hospital. After the excitement of homecoming wore off, Chuck hit a
new low. At the hospital there had been other injured people, but now, each morning when Marcy
quietly went to work, it was like a gate slamming down. Duke was still in the kennel, and Chuck was
alone with his thoughts.

Vocabulary :

make headway: make progress

homecoming: an instance of returning home

Paraphrasing – Hooper remained in the hospital for six weeks. After six weeks, he was put in a
wheelchair. There was a person with Hooper who would help him bathe, exercise and control the
wheelchair. However, he did not make much progress and it seemed as if his paralysis would take forever
to be cured. Then, in the month of March, he was brought back home. Hooper was filled with the
excitement of coming back home. But soon after the excitement had gradually died down, he again
became sad and depressed. He felt lonely. In the hospital, there were other people or patients with
whom he could talk. But at home, Marcy would quietly go to work and Duke was still in the kennel, and
so he would be left all alone. Everytime Marcy went to work, he felt like there was a gate shutting down
on him because he couldn’t go out, and he didn’t have anyone to talk to.

Passage: Finally, they decided to bring Duke home. Chuck said he wanted to be standing when Duke
came in, so they stood him up. Duke’s nails were long from four months’ confinement, and when he
spied Chuck he stood quivering like 5000 volts; then he let out a bellow, spun his long-nailed wheels, and
launched himself across three metres of air. He was a 23-kilo missile of joy. He hit Chuck above the belt,
causing him to fight to keep his balance.

Vocabulary :

confinement: the state of being captivated in a small place

quiver: tremble or shake with a slight rapid motion

bellow: deep loud roar

Paraphrasing – Then they decided that it was time to bring Duke back home. Chuck expressed his wish
that he wanted to be in the standing position when his pet dog finally returned home. He did not wish
Duke to see him in a wheelchair. So, the people helped him stand up. On the other hand, Duke’s nails
had grown during the time when he was in the shelter, and had turned into long claws. When he saw
Chuck, he trembled so much that it seemed like someone was giving him a strong electric shock of 5000
volts. He gave a deep loud roar. His long-nailed hands are referred to as wheels which started spinning as
he ran towards his owner. He jumped upon Hooper by launching himself across three metres of air.
Chuck Hooper felt like Duke was a missile of joy, who weighed 23 kilograms. Duke hit Chuck at the end of
his torso which is above his belt or waist. This put a lot of pressure on his body and he struggled not to
loose his balance. He tried his best to not fall from the weight and pressure of the dog hitting him.

Passage: Those who saw it said the dog knew instantly. He never jumped on Chuck again. From that
moment, he took up a post beside his master’s bed round the clock.

But even Duke’s presence didn’t reach Chuck. The once-iron muscles slacked on the rangy frame.
Secretly, Marcy cried as she watched the big man’s grin fade away. Severe face lines set in like cement as
Chuck stared at the ceiling for hours, then out of the window, then at Duke.

Vocabulary:

post: assigned position

slack: not held tightly in the proper position, saggy

rangy: tall and slim with long, slender limbs

frame: figure

Paraphrasing – There were many people at Chuck Hooper’s house when they saw the reunion of the dog
and his owner. They told the others that when the dog hit Chuck above the waist, the dog knew
immediately that his master was not okay. He could understand that he was not supposed to jump at
him. He never jumped on Chuck from the day onwards. After that realisation, he assigned himself as the
bodyguard or protector of Chuck Hooper and positioned himself beside his master’s bed. Throughout
the day, he would stand there only. However, this reduced the cheerful, happy nature of the dog, and
soon, Chuck started feeling lonely again even though Duke was right beside him all the time. Gradually,
this loneliness started to affect his physical appearance. Marcy cried secretly as she saw the young man’s
big grin fade away. He got severe face lines which appeared as if they would never soften, like cement.
He kept on staring at the ceiling, then the window, and then the dog. This would go on for hours and
hours.

Passage: When two fellows stare at each other day in, day out, and one can’t move and the other can’t
talk, boredom sets in. Duke finally couldn’t take it. From a motionless coil on the floor he’d spring to his
feet, quivering with impatience.

“Ya-ruff”
“Lie down. Duke!”

Paraphrasing – The two fellows here are Chuck Hooper and Duke. They could only stare at each other all
day. They could not play because Hooper was paralysed and could not move, and they could not talk
because Duke, who was a dog, could not talk. This resulted in boredom, which Duke could not bear
anymore. One day, Duke who was lying like a coil which did not move, jumped up as if he had springs
attached to his feet, and he was shaking with fast motions. He was trembling because he was impatient
and he wanted to interact with his master. He barked at Hooper and Hooper told him to lie down.

Passage: Duke stalked to the bed, poked his pointed nose under Chuck’s elbow and lifted. He nudged
and needled and snorted.

“Go run around the house, Duke.”

But Duke wouldn’t. He’d lie down with a reproachful eye on Hooper. An hour later he would come over
to the bed again and yap and poke. He wouldn’t leave but just sit there.

Vocabulary :

stalk: stride somewhere in a proud, stiff, or angry manner

poke: thrust (something, such as one’s head) in a particular direction

nudge: to poke and prod (someone) gently with one’s elbow in order to attract attention

needle: to annoy someone

snort: make a sudden explosive sound through one’s nose to express indignation

reproachful: expressing disapproval or disappointment

yap: give a sharp, shrill bark

Paraphrasing – Duke then walked to Chuck’s bed and he was angry at him. He pushed his pointed nose
under Chuck’s elbow and then lifted his head in an attempt to lift Chuck’s elbow. He poked Chuck in
order to get his attention. He tried to annoy Chuck so that he would get irritated and finally stand up to
stop the dog from annoying him. He made sudden explosive sounds through his nose, which indicated
his indignation towards Chuck. Chuck told him to go around the house. However, Duke did not listen to
him. Instead, he lied down while giving Hooper a look which showed his disappointment at Hooper. After
doing that for an hour, he got up, went to the bed, and started poking and barking in a sharp and shrill
manner.

Passage: One evening Chuck’s good hand idly hooked the leash onto Duke’s collar to hold him still. It was
like lighting a fuse: Duke shimmied himself U-shaped in anticipation. Even Hooper can’t explain his next
move. He asked Marcy to help him to his feet. Duke pranced, Chuck fought for balance. With his good
hand, he placed the leash in his left and folded the paralysed fingers over it, holding them there. Then he
leaned forward. With Marcy supporting him by the elbow, he moved his right leg out in front.
Straightening his right leg caused the left foot to drag forward, alongside the right. It could be called a
step.

Vocabulary :

idly: in an aimless or lazy way

hook: attach or fasten with a hook or hooks

shimmy: shake or vibrate abnormally

anticipation: expectation, hope

prance: move with high springy steps

Paraphrasing – One evening, Chuck’s hand, which was not paralysed, attached the hook of the leash to
the dog’s collar so that Duke would remain still. It was like he had ignited a fuse because Duke reacted
energetically. Duke vibrated in a strange way and he made turned into U-shape in the hope that his
master would finally get up. Even Hooper could not understand his next move and why he did it. He
asked his wife Marcy to help him get up. Duke moved with a spring in his feet, while Chuck struggled to
balance. With the hand which was not paralysed, he put the leash in his left or paralysed hand, and
folded his paralysed fingers over it. Then he leaned forward. Marcy was supporting him by holding him
by his elbow. Due to the support Marcy was providing him, he was able to move his right leg out in the
front. When he straightened his right leg, the left or the paralysed leg automatically dragged or moved
forward. He was able to put his left leg alongside his right leg. This meant that he had just taken a step
forward.

Passage: Duke felt the sudden slack in the leash and pulled it taut. Chuck swayed forward again, broke
the fall with his good right leg, then straightened. Thrice he did that, then collapsed into the wheelchair,
exhausted.

Next day, the big dog started early; he charged around to Hooper’s good side, jabbed his nose under the
elbow and snapped his head up. The big man’s good arm reached for the leash. With Hooper standing,
the dog walked to the end of the leash and tugged steadily. Four so-called steps they took that day.

Vocabulary :

slack: the part of a rope or line which is not held taut; the loose or unused part

taut: tight, firm

sway: swing, move from side-to-side

collapsed into: to fall abruptly and completely

jab: poke sharply

snap: to move or carry out an action with brisk or rapid movement

tug: pull
steadily: in a controlled manner

Paraphrasing – When Chuck completed one step, Duke felt like the rope was being loosely held. He
wanted his master to walk further and so he pulled the leash so that it was being stretched and
tightened. This caused Chuck to swing forward. He was able to break his fall with his right, working leg
and then he straightened up. He did that three times in one day, which was a great achievement for
someone who could not move at all. However, he became very tired due to this exercise, and he fell
abruptly and completely into the wheelchair (it was abrupt or sudden because his body suddenly
refused to stand up anymore). Next day, Duke woke up early in the morning because he was excited to
do the previous day’s exercise again. He went to Hooper’s side which was not paralysed in full speed. He
sharply poked his nose under the elbow of the working arm. Duke woke him up with brisk movement.
After Chuck woke up, his working arm reached for the leash and he stood up. When the dog felt that
Hooper was standing, he walked to the end of the leash and pulled in a controlled manner, meaning that
he was not pulling too slow or pulling too fast. Chuck was able to take four steps that day.

Passage: Leaning back against the pull, Hooper learned to keep his balance without Marcy at his elbow.
Wednesday, he and Duke took five steps; Thursday, six steps; Friday, failure- two steps followed by
exhaustion. But in two weeks they reached the front porch.

Vocabulary : front porch: entrance hall

Paraphrasing – Hooper soon learned to maintain his balance without Marcy holding his elbow for extra
support. He did this by leaning back against the pull of the leash. This indicated that he was slowly
becoming more and more independent. On Wednesday, he walked five steps and on Thursday, he
walked six steps. On Friday, he failed as he could not walk more than two steps and he got tired very
easily. However, in two weeks, he progressed so much that he and Duke reached the entrance hall of the
house.

Passage: By mid-April neighbours saw a daily struggle in front of Marcy’s house. Out on the sidewalk
they saw the dog pull his leash taut then stand and wait. The man would drag himself abreast of the dog,
then the dog would surge out to the end of the leash and wait again. The pair set daily goals; Monday,
the sixth fence post, Tuesday, the seventh fence post, Wednesday ……

Vocabulary :

abreast: side by side and facing the same way

surge out: to burst forward

Paraphrasing – It was the middle of the month of April. Chuck had made so much progress that he could
now be seen walking in front of the house. The neighbours saw him try everyday. They saw the dog pull
the leash and then wait for the man to take another step. Chuck walked side by side with the dog. When
another step was taken, the dog would burst out in the forward direction and wait again for his master
to take more steps. They set daily goals for themselves. On Monday, their goal was to reach the sixth
pole on the fence. On Tuesday the seventh pole and so on.
Passage: When Marcy saw what Duke could do for her husband, she told the doctor, who prescribed a
course of physiotherapy with weights, pulleys and whirlpool baths and above all walking every day with
Duke, on a limited, gradual scale.

By now neighbours on their street were watching the pattern of progress. On June 1, news spread that
Hooper and Duke had made it to an intersection quite far away.

Vocabulary:

prescribe: advise and authorise the use of a medicine or treatment for someone, especially in writing

physiotherapy: the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat
treatment, and exercise rather than by drugs or surgery

whirlpool bath: a heated pool in which hot aerated water is continuously circulated

gradual: slowly increasing

Paraphrasing – Marcy saw how Duke was helping her husband and she told the doctor about it. The
doctor then wrote a course of a particular treatment which included only exercise with weights, pulleys
and baths in a heated pool of hot aerated water instead of drugs and surgeries. He also included walking
everyday with Duke. However, he set a limit for each and every treatment, because fast treatment would
only result in tiredness.

Passage: Soon, Duke began campaigning for two trips a day, and they lengthened the targets, one
driveway at a time. Duke no longer waited at each step.

On January 4, Hooper made his big move. Without Duke, he walked the 200 metres from the clinic to the
local branch office of his company. This had been one of the district offices under his jurisdiction as zone
manager. The staff was amazed by the visit. But to Gordon Doule, the Manager, Chuck said, “Gordon, this
isn’t just a visit. Bring me up to date on what’s happened, will you-so I can get to work?” Doule gaped,
“It’ll just be an hour a day for a while,” Hooper continued. “I’ll use that empty desk in the warehouse.
And I’ll need a dictating machine.”

Vocabulary :

campaign: work in an organised and active way towards a particular goal

driveway: a short road leading from a public road to a house or other building

jurisdiction: the official power to make legal decisions and judgements.

gape: stare in shock

warehouse: a large building where raw materials or manufactured goods may be stored prior to their
distribution for sale.

dictating machine: a machine used especially for the recording of human speech for transcription
Paraphrasing – They then started to work in an organised and active way towards their goal. They took
two trips a day with longer targets and one driveway at a time. Duke now did not wait at each step. On
4th of January, Hooper made a big move. He walked 200 metres from the clinic to the local branch office
of the company where he used to work, without Duke. The local branch office had once been one of the
district offices under his power when he was the zone manager. The staff i.e. the rest of the people
working there were amazed by his visit. He told the manager of the office, whose name was Gordon
Doule, that he was not just visiting. He wanted him to tell him what all had happened till date so that he
could get back to work. Doule stared at him in shock because visiting was just one thing but willing to get
back to work so soon was truly amazing. Chuck also said that he would be working for an hour a day for
the time being. He would use the empty desk which was kept in another large building, used for storage.
He also said that he need a machine which could record his speech as he could not type for now.

Passage: Back in the company’s headquarters, Chuck’s move presented problems — tough ones. When a
man fights that hard for a comeback, who wants to tell him he can’t handle his old job? On the other
hand, what can you do with a salesman who can’t move around, and can work only an hour a day? They
didn’t know that Hooper had already set his next objective: March 1, a full day’s work.

Vocabulary :

comeback: a return by a well-known person, especially an entertainer or sports player, to the activity in
which they have formerly been successful.

objective: aim

Paraphrasing – When Chuck got back to work, he faced some new problems. These problems were
mentally challenging. While Chuck was fighting hard for a return, some people felt like he would fail to
do so because according to them, his paralysed self could not handle the job. Some people also felt like
Chuck would be a burden because he could not move around and could work for only one hour a day.
However, people were unaware of Hooper’s determination. He had already set a new aim for himself –
to do a full day’s work on 1st of March.

Passage: Chuck hit the target, and after March 1, there was no time for the physiotherapy programme;
he turned completely to Duke, who pulled him along the street faster and faster, increasing his stability
and endurance. Sometimes, walking after dark, Hooper would trip and fall. Duke would stand still as a
post while his master struggled to get up. It was as though the dog knew that his job was to get Chuck
back on his feet.

Vocabulary : endurance: the ability to endure harsh conditions

Paraphrasing – Chuck was able to complete the task and after March 1, he stopped doing his
physiotherapy and became dependent on Duke, who pulled him down the street with steadily increasing
speed. This built up Chuck’s stability and strength. Sometimes, when they would walk when it was dark,
Hooper would be unable to see where he was going and he would get stuck and fall. That time, Duke
would stand as still as a post while Chuck would struggle to get back up to his feet. The dog’s behaviour
made it look like he knew that it was his job to get Chuck back on his feet.
Passage: Thirteen months from the moment he worked full days. Chuck Hooper was promoted to
regional manager covering more than four states.

Chuck, Marcy and Duke moved house in March 1956. The people in the new suburb where the Hoopers
bought a house didn’t know the story of Chuck and Duke. All they knew was that their new neighbour
walked like a struggling mechanical giant and that he was always pulled by a rampageous dog that acted
as if he owned the man.

Vocabulary:

promote: to raise someone to a higher rank

suburb: an outlying district of a city, especially a residential one

giant: a living being who is humongous as compared to the other living beings

rampageous: someone who is uncontrollably violent

Paraphrasing – After thirteen months, he was raised to a higher rank. He was now a regional manager of
more than four states. It was the month of March of the year 1956 when Chuck, Marcy and Duke moved
to a new house. They moved to an outlying district of the city, where people did not know the story of
Chuck’s accident and how Duke had helped Chuck. They knew only a few things based on their
observations – Chuck struggled to walk which made him look like a big and tall robot and Chuck was
pulled by Duke in such a violent way that it seemed as if the dog owned the man.

Passage: On the evening of October 12, 1957, the Hoopers had guests. Suddenly over the babble of
voices, Chuck heard the screech of brakes outside. Instinctively, he looked for Duke.

They carried the big dog into the house. Marcy took one look at Duke’s breathing, at his brown eyes with
the stubbornness gone. “Phone the vet,” she said. “Tell him, I’m bringing Duke.” Several people jumped
to lift the dog. “No, please,” she said. And she picked up the big Duke, carried him gently to the car and
drove him to the animal hospital.

Vocabulary :

babble: talk rapidly and continuously in such a way that someone else cannot understand what the
person or people are talking about

screech: make a loud, harsh, squealing noise

instinctively: without conscious thought; by natural instinct

stubbornness: the ability to be stubborn or iron-willed

veterinarian: the doctor who treats animals.

Paraphrasing – Another year had passed. It was 1957 and the date was October 12. The Hoopers i.e.
Chuck and Marcy were having guests at their home. The people were talking so fast and continuously
that an outsider would have been unable to understand what they were talking about. Suddenly, Chuck
heard the loud and harsh squealing noise of brakes over the noise of the talking of the guests. He
remembered that Duke was outside. Without thinking much, he started looking for Duke. He found it on
the road. He was carried into the house. Marcy took one look at Duke’s breathing and saw that the look
which made the dog look stubborn had gone. She asked the people to call the veterinarian, the doctor
who treats animals. She also asked the people to tell the doctor that she was bringing Duke to the clinic.
Several people were about to lift the dog when Marcy told them not to do so. She picked Duke herself,
carried him gently to the car and drove to the animal hospital.

Passage: Duke was drugged and he made it until 11o’clock the next morning, but his injuries were too
severe.

People who knew the distance Chuck and Duke had come together, one fence post at a time, now
watched the big man walk alone day after day. They wondered: how long will he keep it up? How far will
he go today? Can he do it alone?

Vocabulary :

drugged: to be given medicine or drugs

severe: fatal

Paraphrasing – At the animal hospital, the doctor injected some drugs into the dog which gave him the
power to live till 11 o’clock the next morning. However, his injuries were so deep and fatal that he could
not survive anymore. People who knew the story of Chuck and Duke and how they walked together one
fence post at a time now watched Chuck walk alone. They wondered many things – how long would he
be able to live without Duke, how far would he go, and if he could do it alone.

Passage: A few weeks ago, worded as if in special tribute to Duke, an order came through from the
chemical company’s headquarters: “………. Therefore, to advance our objectives step by step, Charles
Hooper is appointed the Assistant National Sales Manager.”

Vocabulary : tribute: an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration

Paraphrasing – A few weeks later, an order came from the main headquarters of the company. The order
was like an act intended to show gratitude and respect to Duke. The order stated that Chuck or Charles
Hooper was to become the Assistant National Sales Manager. He had been promoted and he felt that
this was a note of thanks to Duke for his effort towards Chuck.

Extracts for comprehension

1. The once-iron muscles slacked on the rangy frame. Secretly, Marcy cried as she watched the big man's
grin fade away. Severe face lines set in like cement, as Chuck stared at the ceiling for hours, then out of
the window, then at Duke.
(i) Identify 'the big man' in the current extract.

(ii) Why did the big man's grin fade away?

(iii) Explain 'Severe face, lines set in like cement as Chuck stared at the ceiling'.

Ans: (i) 'The big man' refers to the paralyzed Chuck Hooper.

(ii) The big man's grin faded away because he had met with an accident and got subdural haemorrhage,
paralyzing his left side completely.

(iii) Just as the lines in cement are clearly visible, similarly empty face expressions could be seen on
Chuck's face clearly as he watched at the ceiling silently.

2. The pair set daily goals, Monday, the 6th fence post, Tuesday, the 7th fence post, Wednesday......

(i) Identify the pair.

(ii) What was their daily goal?

(iii) Why did they need to set daily goals?

Ans: (i) The pair refers to Hooper and Duke.

(ii) Their daily goal was to cover more and more distance.

(iii) They needed to set daily goals because Hooper had realized that he could start walking normally.

3. When a man fights that hard for a comeback, who wants to tell him he can't handle his old job? On
the other hand, what can you do with a salesman who can't move around and can work only an hour a
day?

(i) Describe the context of the current extract.

(ii) What is the problem of the authorities?

(iii) Are they right or wrong? How?

Ans: (i) Hooper has asked the authorities to let him work, thus posing problems for them.

(ii) They can't ask Hooper not to work nor can they retain a salesman, who can't move around and is
capable of working only an hour a day.

(iii) They are wrong. They should let him work as he wants. There is no harm in doing it.

4. One of Chuck's district managers drove Marcy to the hospital. Her husband couldn't talk; he could only
breathe and see and his vision was double. Marcy phoned a neighbour, asking him to put Duke in a
kennel.
(i) Who was Marcy?

(ii) Why was Chuck's condition deteriorating?

(iii) Why do you think Marcy wanted to put Duke in a kennel?

Ans: (i) She was the wife of Chuck Hooper.

(ii) He had met with an accident and got a subdural haemorrhage, paralyzing his left side completely.

(iii) She wanted so as she knew that she would be away for several days to look after Chuck in the
hospital and consequently there would be no one to look after the pet.

5. Finally, they decided to bring Duke home. Chuck said he wanted to be standing when Duke came in, so
they stood him up. Duke's at follow. nails were long from four months confinement and when he spied
Chuck he stood quivering like 5000 volts, then he let out a bellow, spun his long-nailed wheels and
launched himself across three metres of air.

(i) Where had Duke been earlier?

(ii) What does the extract reflect about the dog's attitude towards Hooper?

(iii) Which literary device has been used in the above lines?

Ans: (i) Duke had been sent to a kennel by Marcy.

(ii) He was overjoyed and excited when he saw Hooper.

(iii) The author has used Simile: quivering like 5000 volts in the above lines.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. How did Duke react, when he saw Hooper after his discharge from the hospital?

Ans: Duke was ecstatic when he saw his master. Then he yelled, twisted his long nails and took a three
meter jump, finally hitting Chuck. But Duke saw his master fight for maintaining his balance. He realized
his helplessness and never jumped on him in future.

2. Describe subsequent developments which took place in the hospital after he met with an accident. or
How did Chuck Hooper get confined to his bed?

Ans: After the accident, Hooper remained critical for a month. After the fifth week some of his
colleagues approached him and asked him to take a year off. They wanted to create a desk job for him."
For about 6 weeks, Hooper was confined to a wheelchair.

3. In 1953, Hooper was a famous young man. Explain. or What made Hooper a favoured man in the year
1953? or In what sense was Hooper a favoured young man? Discuss.

Ans: He was a tall, handsome, Zone Sales Manager for a chemical company. He was having a normal life.
He was always wearing a big, genuine smile on his face. He possessed a competitive nature. He had
played in the university football team. Life was going smoothly for him. He had everything he aspired for
in his life.

4. What happened to Hooper? or What was the incident that left Hooper with subdural haemorrhage?

Ans: One day, when he was driving home, one autumn twilight, he met with an accident. He was taken
to the hospital. He had got a subdural haemorrhage in the motor section of the brain, completely
paralyzing his left side. He was confined to a wheelchair for a long time.

5. Describe subsequent developments which took place in the hospital after he met with an accident. or
How did Chuck Hooper get confined to his bed?

Ans: After the accident, Hooper remained critical for a month. After the fifth week some of his
colleagues approached him and asked him to take a year off. They wanted to create a desk job for him. "
For about 6 weeks, Hooper was confined to a wheelchair.

6. How did Duke react, when he saw Hooper after his discharge from the hospital?

Ans: Duke was ecstatic when he saw his master. Then he yelled, twisted his long nails and took a three
meter jump, finally hitting Chuck. But Duke saw his master fight for maintaining his balance. He realized
his helplessness and never jumped on him in future.

7. Differentiate between Marcy's attitude towards Duke before and after the accident. or Why did
Marcy's attitude towards Duke change? How did she react after Duke met with a fatal accident?

Ans: Initially, she did not like him as she wanted to have a Pomeranian. Due to her dislike, Hooper was
hesitant to bring Duke home. But when Hooper began to recover due to Duke's miraculous help and
support, she developed a liking for him. She had grown so fond of him that at the time of his accident,
she did not let anyone touch him. and carried him to the car herself.

8. Who is the real protagonist of the story and why?

Ans: The real protagonist of the story is Duke. He was not only loyal but also deeply attached to his
master. He was very intelligent. His love did wonders that science could not do. After his death, the story
seems to have a vacuum but Hooper's promotion reminds us of Duke's loyal service to his master.

9. What special qualities made Duke an extraordinary dog? or Duke was an extraordinary dog. What
special qualities did he exhibit to justify this? Discuss.

Ans: He was an intelligent and extraordinary dog. He jumped on Hooper, when he returned, but when he
saw his master fight for balance, he realized his pain and helplessness, and never repeated this act. He
knew his job, which was to help his master to recover soon. It was due to his help that Hooper could
recover.

10. Describe Hooper's state after he met with an accident. or Why was Hooper depressed at home after
being released from the hospital?

Ans: Hooper's life had come to a standstill. A tall handsome manager, wearing a broad smile on his face,
was reduced to a statue of sadness. His smile had faded away. Life at home was depressing as his wife
went to work. He used to stare at the ceiling, with an empty and sad appearance.
Long Answer Questions

1. Give a character sketch of Chuck Hooper in your own words citing examples from the lesson "A Dog
Named Duke".

Ans: Charles Hooper, a tall and handsome sales manager for a chemical company, was a man of
remarkable courage. He met with an accident and got a subdural haemorrhage, paralyzing his left side
completely. But he mustered courage to adapt himself to the new, unavoidable situation. He
demonstrated great per- severance while he was struggling for survival with the help of his dog, Duke.
The road to recovery was a long and painful process - but Hooper never lost hope. It was his courage and
belief that helped him recover from his misery. The faith and endurance that he shows is truly
commendable.

2. "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Elucidate this quote with reference to the current story, explaining the value of love, which provides
strength and courage?

Ans: It is certainly true that if someone loves you deeply, you achieve strength and if you love someone,
you get courage. Love is very powerful. Love knows no species, boundaries or language, yet it does
wonders. In the current story, the dog is an epitome of love. He loves his master immensely. The sight of
Chuck Hooper excites the dog to such an extent that we find him quivering. He remains sitting beside
Hooper. He cannot talk to him nor can he take his silence and misery. The dog manages to enable him to
take steps towards recovery. Finally, he recovers and resumes his work. But the dog passes away, leaving
alone Hooper forever. Had he not been there, Hooper's recovery was impossible.