Prasanna

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On The Face of It Summary in English by Susan Hill

On The Face of It by Susan Hill About the Author

Susan Hill (born on 5 February 1942-) is an English author of fiction and non-fiction works. Her novels include The Woman in Black, The Mist in the Mirror and I’m the King of the Castle. She received the Somerset Maugham Award in 1971 for her novel I’m the King of the Castle. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours for her services to literature. She is known to explore the inner fears and loneliness. Her works reflect honest suffering and optimism.

Author Name	Susan Hill
Born	5 February 1942 (age 78 years), Scarborough, United Kingdom
Education	King’s College London, Barr’s Hill School & Community College, Scarborough Convent School
Awards	Somerset Maugham Award, Nestle Smarties Book Prize for 6 to 8 years, John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, Costa Novel Award
Movies	The Woman in Black, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, Je Suis le seigneur du chateau

On The Face of It Introduction to the Chapter

The play is about the friendship between an old man and a young boy who is withdrawn and defiant. Both of them had some physical impairment, but the outlook of each of them towards life in general and people in particular was very different. The old man had a positive outlook towards life, whereas the young boy with the scarred face had become withdrawn and pessimistic.

On The Face of It Theme

The play, “On the Face of It” brings out the idea that the people who have any handicap/ physical impairment of some kind, generally suffer from a sense of loneliness and mental pain. It also talks about how appearances are deceptive and most often, we go on dealing with impressions and prejudices about others without caring to know about them actually.

On The Face of It Summary in English

The play entitled, “On the Face of It” written by Susan Hill deals with the issue of the disabled people. It does not deal with actual pain or inconvenience due to a physical impairment which distresses a disabled person. It rather deals with the behaviour of the people all around him. People discard the disabled person as a useless limb and refuse to accept him as a part and parcel of society. It makes him feel alienated from the human society and he wants to live in seclusion.

The play has two disabled persons, Derry, a young lad of fourteen who bears a burnt face, and Mr Lamb, an old man with a tin leg. Derry is quite withdrawn and defiant. He, by chance meets Mr Lamb in his garden. The old man devises ways and means to overcome his feelings

of isolation and disappointment. He even helps the boy to come out of his seclusion and infuses in him the courage and determination to live on successfully in this world without bothering about what others say or feel about him.

On The Face of It Main Characters in the Chapter

Derry

Withdrawn and defiant; bitter towards the world; lonely and pessimistic; cares too much about his disability and hates it when people stare or pity him.

Mr Lamb

Optimistic; lonely but happy; does not care too much about his disability and has learnt to accept it.

On The Face of It Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How does Mr Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?
Answer:
Mr Lamb collects crab apples and makes jelly out of them, when it is cooler. He leaves his gates open to welcome whoever wishes to come into the garden.

Question 2.
Why does Derry tell Mr Lamb that he is afraid of seeing himself in the mirror in the story, ‘On the Face of It’?
Answer:
Derry’s face had become scarred due to acid burns. This terrified him and brought in bad memories of the incident. In order to avoid them, he avoided seeing himself in the mirror.

Question 3.
Mr Lamb’s advice to Derry was the product of his goodness of heart or to befriend him to overcome his loneliness. Give reason.
Answer:
Mr Lamb genuinely liked Derry and wanted him to overcome his inhibitions towards life. He did not want the boy to suffer and have a poor self-esteem because he had a burnt face. He gave his example only for him to understand what can be done to overcome loneliness and to make him understand that a disability should not stop one from enjoying life.

Question 4.
People are insensitive to those who have disabilities. Give instances from the story, ‘On the Face of It’.
Answer:
People generally pity the handicapped or react with disgust when they see them. For instance, people would stare at the burnt face of Derry and comment on it. He even heard two women commenting, looking at his face that only a mother could love a person with such a face. Even his own family was worried about his future. Similarly, Mr Lamb was also stared at by people, and children even called him Lamey-Lamb.

Question 5.
How does Mr Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry?
Answer:
Mr Lamb gave confidence and courage to Derry. He suggested that Derry should get over his physical impairment instead of brooding over his burnt face. He told Derry that he still has two hands, legs, eyes, a tongue and a brain, and if he puts them to right use by setting his mind to it, he can get on better than all the rest.

Question 6.
What did Derry’s mother think of Mr Lamb?
Answer:
Derry’s mother did not have a good impression of Mr Lamb. She thought he was not a good man. She did not want Derry to associate with him in any way.

Question 7.
What consolation did people give when they saw his acid burnt face?
Answer:
Derry’s face was burnt by acid on one side. When people looked at his face, they drew back in horror. They pretended to show sympathy as if he was an object.

Question 8.
Mr Lamb told Derry the story of a man who hid himself in his room. Why did the man do so and with what result?
Answer:
The man was afraid of everything. He felt that he would die if he went out and so he hid himself in a room. In the end, a picture fell off the wall on his head and killed him.

Question 9.
Why does Mr Lamb leave his gate always open?
Answer:
Mr Lamb leaves his gate always open to welcome children. He did not have his own children. He has an apple orchard. He offered them apples and its jelly.

Question 10.
What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Lamb?
Answer:
Unlike the other people, who were horrified on looking at Derry, Mr Lamb did not show any dislike or horror at the way Derry looked. This surprised him. He also found it strange that even though the man himself was handicapped, he lived happily. He had a zest for life and encouraged him in ways no one had. He made him aware of his strengths and the importance of not pitying oneself.

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Lost Spring Summary in English by Anees Jung

Lost Spring by Anees Jung About the Author

Anees Jung (born 1944-) is an Indian woman writer, journalist and columnist for major newspapers in India and abroad. She was born at Hyderabad and received education in Hyderabad and in the United States. Her parents were renowned poets. She has written several books such as Unveiling India, Night of the New Moon, Seven Sisters and Breaking the Silence.

Author Name	Anees Jung
Born	1944 (age 76 years), Rourkela
Education	Osmania University, University of Michigan
Occupation	Writer, journalist, columnist
Nationality	Indian

Lost Spring Introduction to the Chapter

‘The Last Lesson’ is set in the days of the Franco-Prussian War, led by Bismarck. Prussia defeated France and the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine passed into Prussian hands.

The two protagonists of the story, M. Hamel and Franz are from Alsace. M. Hamel is a French teacher and Franz is one of his students. The story revolves around how the war plays a pivotal role in their lives.

Lost Spring Theme

The chapter, ‘The Last Lesson’ covers the themes of patriotism, freedom of language and love for one’s mother tongue. The story stresses on the importance of education and the necessity to respect and learn one’s own language. It also reflects to the unfair practice of linguistic chauvinism – refers to an unreasonable pride in one’s own language while disregarding other languages and considering it to be inferior.

Lost Spring Summary in English

Franz was a student in Mr Hamel’s class at a school in Alsace. The country was now controlled by the Prussians. One day, a notice came from Berlin informing that French would no longer be used in classrooms. All classes would now be taught in German. Mr Hamel told his class that this was his last day of teaching. Everyone was surprised and sad.

Mr Hamel told the students that they had to study hard and keep their French language alive. He said that if a country kept its language, only then it could never be enslaved by another country. Franz felt bad that he had not studied harder. After that, Mr Hamel had his final lessons in the class. All the students studied very diligently. They suddenly understood how important learning was. As the class came to an end, Mr Hamel looked very sad. Before he dismissed the class, he wrote on the blackboard in very large letters, “Vive La Francel” Long live France!

Lost Spring Main Characters in the Chapter

Mr Hamel
A sincere French teacher

• Knew his subject well.

Is passionate about the French language

• Considers French the clearest, the most beautiful and the most logical language in the world.
• Feels that language is the key to a person’s sense of freedom.
• Advises villagers to hold on to French, despite the ban on using the language.

Is proud of being French

• Upset and distressed by the occupation of Alsace by the Germans.
• Attached to his town, school and people.

Is a hard task master

• Particular about discipline.
• Emphasises proper, learning of the subjects.
• The students are scared of him.

An honest and sensitive man

• Shattered by the news of the occupation of Alsace.
• At the arrival of Prussian soldiers, becomes overwhelmed with emotions and his voice chokes.

Blames himself for being selfish at times

• Blames himself for not being sincere and taking holiday or going for fishing.
• Also for making his students run errands for him during class time.

Characteristics of M. Hamel: Emotional, hardworking, patriotic, loyal, honest and sensitive.

Franz

Sensitive and innocent

• Blames himself for ignoring his lessons.
• Worries about the German takeover.

Loves nature

• Enjoys sunshine, bird watching, chasing butterflies.

Is conscious of his student duties

• Wishes that he had prepared for the class.
• Doesn’t like being scolded in the class.

Observant

• Notices every little detail on his way to school.
• Quick to observe the changes in his surroundings.
• Observes M. Hamel’s efforts to control his emotions.

Characteristics of Franz: Observant, sensitive, nature-lover, sincere and empathetic.

Lost Spring Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school.

a. What did Franz think for a moment?
Answer:
Franz thought to run away and spend his day out.

b. Why did he think so?
Answer:
He thought so because he was very late to the school, and he did not prepare anything for the test. So, he was afraid of M. Hamel’s scolding.

c. What were the Prussian soldiers doing?
Answer:
The Prussian soldiers were drilling in the open field back of the sawmill.

d. What were more tempting than the rule for participles?
Answer:
The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods, the Prussian soldiers were drilling, and the warm and bright day were more tempting than the rule for participles.

2. Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Watcher, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”

a. Who is ‘I’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘I’ is Franz.

b. Why was ‘I’ in a hurry?
Answer:
Franz was in a hurry because he was getting late to school.

c. Who was reading the bulletin?
Answer:
The blacksmith with his apprentice was reading the bulletin.

Question d.
Why did the blacksmith call after him?
Answer:
The blacksmith was making fun of him because he was getting late to school. He commented in a sarcastic way to not go too fast as he has plenty of time to reach the school.

3. While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, and, in the same grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, said, “My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.”

a. Who is ‘I’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘I’ is Franz.

b. What was ‘I’ wondering?
Answer:
Franz has been wondering about the presence of village people, sitting quietly on the back benches which used to be always empty.

c. How was the tone of M. Hamel?
Answer:
M. Hamel’s tone was grave and gentle.

d. Why did M. Hamel want everyone to be attentive?
Answer:
M. Hamel wanted everyone to be attentive because this was the last lesson he would give to the class.

4. Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on is fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

a. Who is referred as ‘poor man’ here?
Answer:
Here, the ‘poor man’ refers to M. Hamel.

b. Why had he put on fine Sunday clothes?
Answer:
He had put on fine Sunday clothes in honour of the last lesson.

c. Why were the village people sitting at the back of the room?
Answer:
The village people were feeling sorry for not attending school during their time. This was their way to thank the master for his service.

d. For how many years did M. Hamel teach French in the school?
Answer:
He taught French for forty years.

5. Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little school room. Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him, just like that.

a. What was the speaker doing?
Answer:
The speaker was doing his lesson in writing.

b. What does M. Hamel’s motionless posture reflect?
Answer:
M. Hamel’s motionless posture reflects his feeling of nostalgia.

c. What was he doing while sitting motionless in his chair?
Answer:
He was gazing at everything that was present in the room.

d. What had been same for the past forty years?
Answer:
For the past forty years, the garden outside the window and the class in front of him had been the same.

6. How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave the country next day.

a. Who are ‘they’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘they’ are M. Hamel and his sister.

b. Why is M. Hamel’s heart broken?
Answer:
M. Hamel’s heart has been broken because he has to leave the country the next day.

c. Why do they have to leave the country?
Answer:
They have to leave the country because the Prussian soldiers had announced that in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine, German would be taught instead of French.

d. Who is packing the trunks?
Answer:
M. Hamel’s sister is packing the trunks.

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A Shady Plot Summary in English by Elsie Brown

A Shady Plot Summary in English

‘A Shady Plot’ is a story within a story. The narrator is an author of short stories about ghosts. In this story he reveals how he gets the plot for his latest ghost story.

The narrator had been told by the editor of the magazine that frequently published his stories to write a ghost story as his ghost stories were well-liked by the readers. As he sat thinking of an idea for a plot, the narrator was confronted by a ghost. She slowly materialised in a dark comer of the room like a moving picture cartoons being put together.

First an arm came out, then a bit of sleeve of a stiff white shirtwaist, then a leg and a plaid skirt, until at last, there she was, complete. The ghost was angry at being called to help. In fact, she informed the narrator that it was she who had been supplying him with plots for his ghost stories. She claimed she had been a writer in her other life. Now she, and some other ghosts who had been writers earlier, had organised ‘The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau’. They put ideas into the mind of a writer without ideas and with a mind soft enough to accept impressions. Though initially they had done this willingly, but lately they had been called out too often and so they wanted to put an end to the practice. The ghost wanted the narrator to get all his friends and acquaintances to stop using the Ouija board.

Just then the narrator’s wife, Lavinia, came in. Much to his dismay, she informed the narrator that she had bought an Ouija board. Nothing the narrator said dissuaded her from using it.

The next evening, when the narrator returned, their maid Gladolia met him in the hall. She informed him that his wife had organised an Ouija board party that evening. By the time he changed into his second best suit and a fresh shirt and collar, the guests had arrived. They were mostly elderly people belonging to Lavinia’s Book Club. They were sitting in couples and between each couple was an Ouija board! He looked around for the ghost but could not see her. His wife told him to partner with Laura Hinkle.

When the Ouija board began to move, the narrator at first thought that Laura Hinkle was cheating with that board. But then the board spelt out aloud the word ‘T-r-a-i-t-o-r’. It also told Laura Hinkle to ask the narrator what it meant. The spirit identified herself as Helen. Other couples with Ouija boards also claimed they had received communications from Helen for the narrator. The narrator’s wife looked at him suspiciously. The writer left the room. Angry and suspicious, Lavinia slept in the guest room that night. The next morning she threatened she would be going back to her grandmother and that her lawyer would communicate with the narrator.

John sat in the study, upset with the turn of events. The ghost of Helen arrived again. She said she had been sent to ask when his wife was going to get rid of that Ouija board. At that moment Gladolia called to say she was quitting her job. Lavinia came in then wearing the brown hat and coat she usually travelled in, carrying a suitcase which she set down on the floor.

Since Helen was there in the room, the narrator tried to get her to leave. Just then the door opened and Gladolia announced she was leaving because she would not stay in a place where there were Ouija boards. Lavinia told her to bum the Ouija board. She then suspiciously asked him who was hiding in the room. Helen spoke to Lavinia. She introduced herself as Helen of Troy, New York. And saying so, she left, waving a hand in farewell. Lavinia forgave her husband who declared he had the best plot for a ghost story.

A Shady Plot Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Based on your reading of the story above, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.

a. The narrator earns his living by …………………
(i) writing ghost stories
(ii) working as a reader for a magazine
(iii) working as a stenographer
(iv) working as an accountant in a lumber company
Answer:
(i) Writing ghost stories.

b. The writer was overconfident about his ability to write ghost stories because …………………
(i) whenever magazines wanted a ghost story, they got in touch with him
(ii) he was always able to write a ghost story whenever he had to write one
(iii) the readers appreciated his ghost stories
(iv) he knew the ghost lady would help him write a good ghost story
Answer:
(iii) the readers appreciated his ghost stories

c. The sight of the ghost materialising in his room filled the narrator with …………………
(i) fear
(ii) excitement
(iii) joy
(iv) anticipation
Answer:
(i) fear

d. The ghost wanted John to …………………
(i) stop his wife from using the Ouija board
(ii) stop using the Ouija board himself
(iii) stop his guests from using the Ouija board
(iv) stop people from using the Ouija board
Answer:
(iii) stop his guests from using the Ouija board

e. John wants the ghost to disappear before his wife enters the room and waves his arms at the ghost with something of the motion of a beginner when learning to swim. His movement shows his …………………
(i) fear
(ii) amusement
(iii) desperation
(iv) anxiety
Answer:
(iii) desperation

f. When the narrator says his wife is never so pretty as when she’s doing something she knows he disapproves of his tone is …………………
(i) amused
(ii) ironic
(iii) angry
(iv) irritated
Answer:
(ii) ironic

g. The ghost says “It’s all your fault. ‘It’here refers to …………….
(i) the narrator’s wife’s anger
(ii) the ghost’s anger
(iii) the narrator’s wife leaving him
(iv) the ghost materialising in sections.
Answer:
(iv) the ghost materialising in sections.

h. Gladolia wishes to leave the narrator’s house as …………………
(i) she does not like the Ouija boards .
(ii) she is afraid of the ghost
(iii) she is afraid of magic and hoodoo
(iv) she likes Ouija boards and hoodoo
Answer:
(iii) she is afraid of magic and hoodoo

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

a. What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why?
Answer:
Jenkins wants the narrator to write a ghost story because readers want to read his ghost stories, and his ghosts are well-defined characters like living beings.

b. Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story.
Answer:
The narrator did not particularly like to write ghost stories. He does feel that the editor is exploiting him as he says, ‘Well, I was in no position to contradict Jenkins, for, as yet, his magazine had been the only one to print my stuff.’

c. What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau?

d. Why had Helen, the ghost been helping the narrator write ghost stories? Why was she going on strike? What condition did she place for providing continued help?
Answer:
Helen had been a writer before she died. So she and other writers who were ghosts now, had formed ‘The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau’. They scouted around until they found a writer without ideas and with a mind soft enough to accept impressions. The case was brought to the attention of the main office, and one of the ghosts was assigned to it. Helen had been assigned to the narrator. She had come to tell him that they were going on strike.

e. How does the ghost undermine the narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories?

f. Why does John want the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene? What impression of his wife’s character do you form from his words?
Answer:
John says that his wife is very sensitive. The sight of the ghost in her house may drive her to hysterics. Also she may not like the presence of a woman in the house, even if the woman was a ghost. Lavinia leaves the impression of a self-centred and flighty woman, given to jealousy and hysteria.

g. Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party?
Answer:
The narrator’s wife had told him to partner Laura Hinkle as her partner, Mrs William Augustus Wainright had not come. When the narrator approached, Laura looked at him with a flirtatious smile that implied danger for him as she was untrustworthy.

h. What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator’s house? What is their reaction to the message?
Answer:
The ghost called John a traitor and asked the Ouija board users to ask him why she was calling him that. The people using the Ouija boards all reported that they had received a similar message and began talking about it.

i. Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do?
Answer:
The narrator’s wife was angry because she felt her husband had been trying to flirt with Laura Hinkle who had partnered him at the Ouija board. She decides to go to her grandmother’s house and communicate with him through a lawyer. The narrator is upset and is angry with the ghost, Helen.

j. Why does John wish he were dead?
Answer:
John wished he were dead so that he didn’t have to face Lavinia’s reactions to the incidents that happened at the Ouija board party.

k. John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. Justify.
Answer:
John felt that his wife was so sensitive that she could not bear to have a mouse say ‘boo’ to her. Seeing a ghost in her own living-room would drive her to hysterics. His fears were unfounded as she smiled at the ghost, relieved she was not Helen of Troy.

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The Last Lesson Summary in English by Alphonse Daudet

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet About the Author

Alphonse Daudet (13 May 1840 – 16 December 1897) was a French short story writer and novelist. He is remembered chiefly as the author of sentimental tales of provincial life in the south of France. All his life he recorded his observations of other people in little notebooks, which he used as a reservoir of inspiration.

Daudet represents a synthesis of conflicting elements and his actual experience of life, at every social level and in the course of travels, helped to develop his natural gifts. His major works include ‘Tastain’, ‘Le Petit Chose’, ‘In the land of Pain’ and ‘The Last Lesson’.

Author Name	Alphonse Daudet
Born	13 May 1840, Nimes, France
Died	16 December 1897, Paris, France
Movies	Letters from My Windmill, L’Arlésienne
Nationality	French

The Last Lesson Introduction to the Chapter

The story, ‘Lost Spring’.written by Anees Jung revolves around the pitiable condition of poor children who are forced to live in slums and work hard in very dirty conditions. The story is divided into two parts. The first part tells the writer’s impressions about the life of poor ragpickers, who have migrated from Bangladesh but are now settled in the Seemapuri area of Delhi. The second part narrates the miserable life of the bangle-makers in the town of Firozabad. The story talks about the miserable life of the two children whose spring/childhood is lost in misery and poverty.

The Last Lesson Theme

The chapter, ‘Lost Spring’ is divided into two parts, and both the parts depict the plight of street children, who are forced into labour in their early childhood. The theme of the chapter is poverty, and how the poor children are condemned to a life of exploitation, which results in the loss of childhood, innocence, education and play.

The Last Lesson Summary in English

‘Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’

The author watches a ragpicker named Saheb who scrounges the garbage heaps for some coins and other things to sustain his living. Saheb and his family were Bangladeshi migrants. He is unable to study due to lack of schools in his neighbourhood.

There were a number of ragpickers like Saheb and all of them were barefoot. It was more of a tradition for ragpickers to remain barefoot. They used it as an excuse to conceal their poverty. They have no means to wear paper shoes, though they yearn to possess a pair.

Seemapuri in Delhi is a haven for ragpickers. The author feels that for children, garbage is a mysterious gift, whereas for the elders it is just a means of survival.

The author then comments on the discrepancy between Saheb’s desire and the reality. He yearns to be comfortably off, enjoy pleasures of childhood, play tennis and wear shoes. Later, Saheb starts working at a tea stall. He is paid 800 rupees and all the meals. But now, he is no longer a free bird and a master of his own self.

‘I want to drive a car’

In the second part, the author met a boy called Mukesh. Mukesh stays in Firozabad and belongs to a family of bangle-makers. Most of the families in Firozabad are engaged in making bangles. About 20,000 children work in the glass furnaces of Firozabad. They have to work in very unhealthy conditions. Mukesh takes the author to his dilapidated house, located in stinking lanes. Though Mukesh’s father works hard, he has been unable to change the deplorable condition of his family. Mukesh’s grandmother regards it as their destiny.

She says that they were born in the caste of bangle-makers and have seen nothing but bangles in their life. The author feels that the life of bangle-makers is a vicious cycle of pain and misery, of which there is no end.

The author sees a girl named Savita in another hutment. She says that she has not enjoyed even one full meal all her life. The author says that the cry of poverty rings in every home in Firozabad. These poor people are exploited by sahukars, policemen, middlemen, bureaucrats and politicians. The author feels happy that Mukesh had decided to go to a garage and learn the job of a motor mechanic. Dreaming of flying airplanes seems too distant and too big a dream for him. At least, being a mechanic will help him to be a master of his own. He would be able to remain independent unlike Saheb.

The Last Lesson Main Characters in the Chapter

Saheb

• Saheb-e-Alam is a young boy from Seemapuri (Delhi-UP Border).
• He is a ragpicker.
• His parents came from Bangladesh during a famine there. In Seemapuri, they became ragpickers.
• Saheb and many other children like him in Seemapuri, help their parents earn for a living.
• These children do not wear chappals or shoes. Their parents do not encourage them to be hygienic.
• Saheb loves to attend school, watch tennis, wear shoes and do better work and earn more money.
• Suddenly, one day Saheb chose another job—he abandoned ragpicking and started working for a tea stall owner.
• He was paid ₹ 800 and all his meals were provided. Though he lost his freedom, he gained a better salary and security.

Mukesh

• Mukesh is from Firozabad (UP, near Agra).
• Everyone in Firozabad is a bangle-maker. People here believe that they have been asked to make bangles for the entire nation.
• They believe that bangles are associated with marriage (suhag), so bangle-making is a divine work.
• The elders do not allow their children to look for any work other than bangle-making.
• On the other hand, these blessed bangle-makers are not happy in their lives. They starve. They become blind due to exposure to welding flames.
• They want to do more profitable and less hazardous work, but they are discouraged from all sides.
• The police do not allow them to organise their own trade unions. If Firozabad boys dare to do anything, they are beaten and dragged to prisons.
• Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic. Fie is determined and focussed.

The Last Lesson Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.

a. Who is ‘his’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘his’ is Saheb.

b. What does his mother tell him?
Answer:
His mother tells him that there were many storms that swept away their fields and homes.

c. Where did he live?
Answer:
He lived amidst the green fields of Dhaka.

d. What is ‘gold’ referred to here?
Answer:
Here, ‘gold’ is referred to the rags.

2. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art.

a. Who are ‘they’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘they’ are the children who are rag-pickers.

b. What do they do when they find food?
Answer:
When they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes.

c. What does survival mean in Seemapuri?
Answer:
In Seemapuri, survival means rag-picking.

d. What has acquired the proportions of fine art?
Answer:
Rag-picking has acquired the proportions of fine art, through the years.

3. Saheb, too, is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused to wear them because of a hole in one of them, does not bother him.

a. What is Saheh wearing?
Answer:
Saheb is wearing tennis shoes.

b. Why are the shoes looking strange?
Answer:
The shoes are looking strange because he has worn it over his discoloured shirt and shorts.

c. Why were the shoes discarded?
Answer:
The shoes were discarded because it had a hole in one of them.

d. Why is Saheb not bothered about the hole in one of the shoes?
Answer:
He is not bothered because he had been walking barefoot, so even shoes with a hole was a dream come true.

4. “I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems.

a. Who is ‘I’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘I’ is Mukesh.

b. Why does he want to drive a car?
Answer:
He wants to drive a car because he wants to be a motor mechanic.

c. What is Firozabad famous for?
Answer:
Firozabad is famous for its bangles.

d. Why is Firozabad the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry?
Answer:
firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry because families have spent generations working around the furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land.

5. Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt. We walk down stinking lanes choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of humans and animals coexisting in a primeval state. He stops at the door of one such house, bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot, and pushes it open.

a. Whom does Mukesh volunteer?
Answer:
Mukesh volunteers author to take him home.

b. Where are they walking?
Answer:
They are walking down the stinking lanes which are choked with garbage.

c. Describe the condition of homes.
Answer:
The homes have crumbling walls, wobbly doors, no windows and are crowded with families of humans and animals.

d. Where does Mukesh stop?
Answer:
Mukesh stops at his own house and bangs a wobbly iron door with his foot and pushes it open.

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Should Wizard Hit Mommy Summary in English by John Updike

Should Wizard Hit Mommy by John Updike About the Author

John Hoyer Updike (18 March 1932 – 27 January 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short story writer and art and literary critic. His most famous work is his ‘Rabbit Series’. His fiction is focused on the concerns, passions and sufferings of the average American.

He is considered as one of the greatest American writers of his time. Updike had a style which is rich and unusual and sometimes arcane vocabulary is conveyed through the eyes of “a wry intelligent authorial voice”. He described the physical world in a realist tradition.

Author Name	John Updike
Born	18 March 1932, Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
Died	27 January 2009, Danvers, Massachusetts, United States
Children	Elizabeth Updike Cobblah, Miranda Margaret Updike
Awards	National Book Award for Fiction, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Nationality	‎American

Should Wizard Hit Mommy Introduction to the Chapter

This story deals with a child’s view of the world and the difficult moral questions she raises during f the story session with her father. Jack (Joanne’s father) had become accustomed to, or putting it J more precisely, obligated to telling stories out of his head to his daughter Joanne during the evenings and Saturday afternoons! This tradition itself was now two years old and Joanne had been two when it started.

These stories were almost the same except for some slight variations. It started with a creature usually named Roger (Roger fish, Roger squirrel, Roger chipmunk), who had some problem and went with it to the wise owl. The owl directed him to go to the wizard, who would solve his problem i in exchange for a few pennies more than the creature had and in the same breath would direct the f creature to go to a place where he could find it. Then, the Roger creature would be happy and would l return home just in time to hear the train whistle that brought his daddy home from Boston.

Should Wizard Hit Mommy Theme

The main theme of this story is the relation of children with their parents. Children’s fantasies and the messages of stories they bring with them affect children and sometimes, make them critical.

Should Wizard Hit Mommy Summary in English

The story, “Should Wizard Hit Mommy?” written by John Updike, revolves around the conflicting views of a child and a parent on the child’s future. Parents express their own expectations. They desire that their children should grow up as per their expectations. However, children have their own ambitions and aspirations.

Jack used to tell his little daughter Jo bedtime stories. When she grew a little older, she began to ask a number of questions. For some time, Jack was not able to invent new stories. Thus, the basic story was the same but its hero changed. The hero, a small animal known as Roger meets an owl with its problem. The owl directs Roger to the wizard. The wizard solved the problem with his magic wand. Roger felt good. He played along with animals of the woodland. But when his father used to come back, he went back home to eat supper with him. Jo feels happy with this ending.

Later, her father told the story of a little animal called Roger Skunk. Just like other heroes of his stories, even Skunk has a problem. He used to smell awfully bad. The wizard made him smell like roses, and little animals liked him and played with him. Jo was again happy. However, Skunk’s mother wanted Skunk to get back his original smell. She took him back to the wizard. The wizard again made Skunk smell as awful as ever. Skunk’s mother was happy. However, Jo was not happy. She desired that the wizard should hit the stupid mother. However, Jack defended the mother’s action.

Should Wizard Hit Mommy Main Characters in the Chapter

Jack

He is the protagonist of the story. He is a married man. His wife, Clare is pregnant and they have a four-year-old daughter, Jo and a two-year-old son, Bobby.

Jo

She is Jack and Clare’s four-year-old daughter. She is a growing girl. As she is growing, she has begun to contradict things.

Roger Skunk

Roger Skunk is the protagonist of the story that Jack narrates to Jo. He is bullied for his foul Skunk smell. He wants nothing more than to play with the other animals.

Should Wizard Hit Mommy Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why did Roger Skunk go in search of the wizard?
OR
Why did Roger Skunk go to the wizard?
Answer:
Roger Skunk had no friends to play with, since he smelled very bad. Everybody made fun of him. This upset him. He went to the owl to ask for help, who directed him to the wizard.

Question 2.
How did the Skunk’s mother get Roger Skunk’s old smell back?
Answer:
Roger Skunk’s mother went to the wizard and hit him on his head and asked him to give back Roger Skunk’s smell. The wizard obliged and gave the baby skunk’s smell back.

Question 3.
What help did Roger Skunk get from the wizard?
Answer:
The wizard helped Roger Skunk by casting a spell on him, which made him smell like roses. This helped Roger Skunk get friends to play with and made him happy.

Question 4.
Why did Jo disapprove of Jack’s ending of the story of Roger Skunk? How did she want it to end?
Answer:
In Jack’s story, the protagonist, Roger Skunk, is shown as an obedient child. He meekly goes with his mother to get his previous smell back. This was against his wishes and he would have rather wished the smell of roses, since it would have enabled him to have friends to play with. Jo is a child and from a child’s perspective, playing with friends is very important. Therefore, she wanted it to end it with Roger Skunk smelling like roses and being able to play with his friends. She also wanted the wizard to hit the mother.

Question 5.
What impression do you form of Jack as a father in the story, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
Answer:
Jack is portrayed as a loving father, who loves telling stories to his four-year-old daughter, Jo. He brings in the dramatic element in his otherwise lame and boring story by using a lot of gestures and dramatic voices. This thrills his daughter, which eventually thrills him. Everything is fine till one day his daughter starts questioning his stories. She views each statement that her father makes with a critical eye and has a lot of questions. Instead of pacifying her by answering her questions, Jack tried to enforce his views on her. Therefore, we can say that Jack is loving and responsible but slightly an immature father.

Question 6.
Why did Jo think Roger Skunk was better off with the new smell?
Answer:
Jo thought about Roger Skunk and his wish to smell better in order to play with his friends from a child’s perspective. For her, it was important that wishes are fulfilled, and a wish of being able to play was foremost.

Question 7.
Why was Roger Skunk’s mummy angry with him? What did she finally tell him?
Answer:
Roger Skunk’s mother was angry with him since he no longer smelled the way all skunks smelled. Though the other animals felt it to be a stink, for her it was an identity. Finally, she asked Roger Skunk to go along with her to the wizard to revoke the spell.

Question 8.
How did Roger Skunk pay the wizard?
Answer:
Roger Skunk only had four shillings to pay the wizard. The wizard wanted seven shillings. On seeing Roger Skunk’s sad face, the wizard takes pity on him and directs him for the remaining three shillings. Roger Skunk goes in search of them and eventually pays the wizard the money.

Question 9.
What did Jo want Roger Skunk’s mother to be punished for?
Answer:
Jo believed that the mother was insensitive, cruel and unfair. Roger Skunk’s mother didn’t let him retain the smell of roses which he had got from the wizard. It would have helped him make friends.

Question 10.
Which do you think is a better ending of Roger Skunk’s story, Jo’s or her father’s? Why?
Answer:
A better ending of Roger Skunk’s story would have been Jo’s—for Roger Skunk to smell like roses forever. The mother need not have interfered in the matter. Roger Skunk would have, over a period of time, understood himself whether it was right or wrong. I believe that Jo’s idea of the wizard hitting the mother is wrong, just like it was wrong on the part of the mother to hit the wizard.

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The Dear Departed Summary in English by Stanley Houghton

The Dear Departed Summary in English

In the play The Dear Departed, Stanley Houghton satirises the degradation of moral values in the British middle-class.

In trying to grab the things belonging to grandfather, the children completely disregard modesty, decency and filial obligation. The materialistic attitudes of Mrs Slater and Mrs Jordan come in for bitter criticism. This story is about a middle-class family in a provincial town. Grandfather Abel Merryweather is presumed to be dead and his daughters Amelia Slater and Elizabeth Jordan try to grab his belongings.

The curtain opens to reveal that Abel Merryweather, father of Mrs Amelia Slater and Mrs Elizabeth Jordan has apparently passed away. Abel Merryweather has been staying with Mrs Slater for the past three years. Mrs Slater has informed her sister about his demise. We learn that the two sisters are estranged. However, she is expected shortly due to the father’s demise. We also learn that Abel Merryweather is a drunkard, who spends a fair amount of time at the nearby pub, Ring- o’-Bells, run by a widow, Mrs John Shorrocks. That day, too, he had returned drunk from the pub and fallen into bed in a daze. A while later when Amelia took some dinner up for him, she found he had ‘gone’.

The Slaters, Amelia, her husband Henry and daughter Victoria, are making arrangements for the arrival of the Jordans. They dress partly in mourning as they do not have mourning clothes and will acquire them soon. Before the Jordans arrive, Mrs Slater takes hold of her father’s new slippers, his new bureau and clock.

Mrs Jordan arrives with her husband, Ben. Both are dressed in new mourning clothes. Ironically, while both the families make a show of grief, the two sisters are more interested in their inheritance. Elizabeth wants to make a list of her father’s belongings. She wants his gold watch and she claims her father had promised it to her son, Jimmy. They then begin quarrelling over their father’s belongings. They are worried about the payment of their father’s insurance premium. When Victoria tells them Abel Merry weather had not paid the premium, the two ladies, Amelia and Elizabeth, express their anger at their father’s irresponsibility.

And then Abel Merry weather, who had had a little too much to drink and was in a drunken stupor, comes round. The family is surprised to see him. He, in turn, is surprised to see them in mourning. They try to hide the fact by saying that Ben has lost his elder brother. But the truth soon comes out and Abel is upset by his daughters’ shameful behaviour. He announces he is going to make a new will leaving all that he has to the person he is staying with at the time of his death. Each sister tries to convince him to live with her. A quarrel ensues where the two reveal secrets about each other. Their earlier fights have been over keeping the old man as neither had wanted him with her.

Disgusted with their behaviour, Abel announces that he is getting married to Mrs John Shorrocks, the owner of the Ring- o’-Bells and moving in with her as she wouldn’t find looking after him a burden. So saying, he leaves the house. The daughters who had their eyes on the inheritance are taught a lesson in filial duty.

The Dear Departed Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Given below are the main incidents in the play. They are in a jumbled order. Arrange them in the sequence in which they occur in the play.
(3) Mrs Slater discovers that grandfather is ‘dead’.
(2) Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
(6) Henry wears the new slippers of grandfather’s.
(4) The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
(11) The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather’s ‘demise’ from the Slaters.
(10) They discuss the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
(1) Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
(5) The family sits down to have tea.
(9) Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
(7) Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in a hurry to divide his things between them.
(8) Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

1. How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
Answer:
Mrs Slater is dressed in black, but is not in complete mourning. She has got her husband to wear a black tailcoat, grey trousers, a black tie and a bowler hat. Victoria, her daughter, is wearing a white frock with a black sash. She feels she will outshine the Jordans as Ben and Elizabeth will not have thought about mourning yet, so they will outshine them there.

2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather’s room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Answer:
Mrs Slater has always wanted to have the bureau after grandfather died. She feels she can easily take it before her sister arrives as it has been bought recently and her sister doesn’t know of it. She says if she leaves it in grandfather’s room, her sister will drive a hard bargain over that. Henry feels it is not sensitive or becoming to do that.

3. What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters ’ attitude towards each other?
Answer:
The Jordans come late because they bought new mourning clothes and dressed up in them before reaching the Slaters’ residence. This shows that both the sisters were trying to get the better of each other all the time.

4. What does Mrs. Jordan describe as ‘a fatal mistake ’? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater’s defense?
Answer:
Mrs Jordan calls not calling in a doctor to see grandfather ‘a fatal mistake’ as a doctor may have saved Abel Merryweather’s life. Presuming Abel Merryweather was dead and not getting a doctor turns out to be a mistake as he turned out to be alive. He realized his daughters were selfish and money-grubbing and he decides to change his will.

5. Ben appreciates grandfather saying ‘its ’ a good thing he did’. Later he calls him a ‘drunken old beggar’. Why does he change his opinion about grandfather?
Answer:
Ben praises Abel Merryweather when he thinks that the old man has paid his insurance premium that morning and they will inherit his insurance money. But when Victoria Slater tells them that grandfather had not gone to pay the insurance premium that morning but had gone with his friend to the Ring-o’-Bells for drinks, Ben is angry and calls him a drunken old beggar as the insurance policy may have lapsed and there may be no money for them.

6. What change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
Answer:
Abel Merryweather said that he will change his will to say that his money and his bits of things would go to whomever he was living with when he died. His daughters at once began to fight as each wanted to keep him with . her, while earlier they had fought over not wanting to keep him.

7. What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next?
Answer:
On Monday next grandfather planned to do three things. He planned to go to the lawyer’s and alter his will leaving all he had to the person he was staying with, at the time of his death. He also planned to go to the insurance office and pay his premium. The third thing was to go to St. Philip’s Church and get married to Mrs John Shorrocks.

Question 3.
Answer the following in detail:

1. Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
Answer:
The title ‘The Dear Departed’ refers to the death of a person who is loved but Abel Merryweather is neither dearly loved nor departed. The daughters do not mourn his death. They wanted to grab whatever they can (bureau, clock, gold watch, insurance premium), after his death. He is not dead but merely drunk.

2. How does the spat between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth?
Answer:
He hears about the spat between his daughters when he gets up. Elizabeth shows him the bureau and the clock grabbed by Amelia. Amelia talks about the gold watch supposedly promised to Jimmy. He realises the truth behind the fight. He knows that Amelia wanted to get rid of him two years ago and Elizabeth didn’t want him either.

3. Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from they play.
Answer:
She is greedy and wants to take some of grandfather’s things she likes before her sister arrives. She is straight talking, while Henry tells Victoria that grandfather had promised the bureau to them, she just tells Victoria to be quiet and not tell her aunt. She is rude and impolite to her sister and lacks feelings. She hurts grandfather by telling him that Elizabeth did not wish to keep him. Henry is sensitive and does not wish to take the slippers or the bureau. He has a weaker character and allows himself to be dominated by Amelia. He is evasive and hides from the ugly truth. He tells Victoria that grandfather had promised them the bureau.

Question 4.
Bring out the traits in Mrs. Slater’s personality quoting evidence from the play.
Answer:

Trait	Evidence from the play
greedy	‘We could put that shabby old chest of drawers upstairs where the bureau is now. Elizabeth could have that and welcome. I’ve always wanted to get rid of it.’
Overpowering/ dominating	‘Pringle attended him when he was alive and Pringle shall attend him when he’s dead. That’s professional etiquette.’
Blunt/ straight talking	‘You want a whole poem. That’ll cost a good lot.’
impolite	‘Promised to your Jimmy! I never heard of that.’
Insensitive	‘After all I’ve done for him, having to put up with him in the house these three years. It’s nothing short of swindling.’

Question 5.
Answer the following with reference to the context.

1. “Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizabeth comes?”

(a) What does‘it’refer to here?
Answer:
It refers to the bureau belonging to Abel Merryweather

b. How does Vicky conclude that her parents are‘pinching it’?
Answer:
Vicky concludes her parents are pinching it because it belongs to grandfather and they are taking it without permission after his death.

c. Mention the two reasons that Mrs. Slater gives for her action.
Answer:
Mrs. Slater says that she has always wanted it and if her sister Elizabeth were to see it, she would drive a hard bargain over it.

d. What does it reveal about the difference between the attitude of the elders and that of Vicky?
Answer:
The elders are out for what they can get while Victoria has more of a sense of what is right.

2. “I don’t call that delicate, stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste. ”

a. Who makes this comment?
Answer:
Mrs Jordan makes this comment.

b. What prompts the speaker to say this?
Answer:
The speaker is prompted to say this when she sees Henry Slater wearing Abel Merryweather’s slippers.

c. Bring out the significance of this statement.
Answer:
The Slaters and Jordans have started dividing Abel Merryweather’s things amongst themselves as soon as they presume him to be dead. Herein lies the irony as both of the daughters are acting in the same greedy manner.

3. “Now, Amelia, you mustn ’t give way. We’ve all got to die some time or other. It might have been worse. ”

a. Who is the speaker of these lines?
Answer:
The speaker of these lines is Ben Jordan.

b. What prompts the speaker to say these words?
Answer:
Amelia is giving way to her grief at Abel Merryweather’s death. This prompts Ben to say these words.

c. What does he mean when he says ‘It might have been worse ’?
Answer:
Ben means that it could have been one of them who had died instead of Abel Merryweather.

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The Letter Summary in English by Dhumaketu

The Letter Summary in English

Every day for the past five years, Coachman Ali walked slowly through the town. Now and then he drew his tom clothes tighter to shield his body from the cold and biting wind. At the post office, the old man went in quietly and squatted on the veranda.

Inside, the clerks separated the letters. Name after name rang out from within as the clerk read out the English addresses in the letters and flung them to the waiting postmen while the old man waited patiently outside. In the middle of this action, a jesting voice from inside called out Coachman Ali’s name.

The old man got up, raised his eyes to heaven in gratitude and stepping forward put his hands to the door. He called out eagerly to the clerk who had called out his name to enquire if there was a letter for him.

The clerk turned to the postmaster and said that Ali was a mad man who worried the post office employees by calling every day for letters that never came. Disappointed, the old man went back slowly to the bench on which he had been accustomed to.sit for five long years.

Ali had been a clever shikari but now, in his old age, he had given up hunting. His only child, Miriam had got married and gone off with her husband, a soldier, to his regiment in the Punjab, and for the last five years Ali had received no news of his daughter.

As a result of the parting, Ali had come to understand the meaning of love and separation and had therefore given up hunting. The post office had become his place of pilgrimage. He always sat in a particular seat in a particular comer of the building. People got to know his habit and they laughed at him. The postmen made fun of him. Even though there was no letter for him they would call out his name for the fun of seeing him jump up and come to the door. But with unlimited faith and,patience, he came every day, and went away empty-handed.

For several days Ali did not come to the post-office. Though no one had enough sympathy or understanding, they were all curious to know why Ali had not come. Finally, one day Ali came, breathing with difficulty, looking as if he were at death’s door. He asked for his Miriam’s letter and was rudely rebuked by the postmaster.

Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office, his eyes full of tears. He heard one of the clerks coming up behind him, and turned to him. He gave the clerk five golden guineas and told him to forward Miriam’s letter to him to his grave. That was the last anyone saw of Ali and no one bothered to check on him.

Then the postmaster’s daughter fell ill in another town and he sat anxiously waiting for news of her.

The post was brought in, and the letters piled on the table. Looking anxiously through the mail, he spotted a letter addressed to Ali. He picked up the letter thinking he’d give it to Ali himself when he came, for now the postmaster understood Ali’s heart and his very soul. After spending one night anxiously waiting for news of his daughter, his heart was full of sympathy for the poor old man who had spent his nights in the same suspense for the last five years.

At five, he heard Ali at the door and called him in. He handed the letter to the old man, bent double with age, who was standing outside.

One of his clerks, Lakshmi Das, the one to whom Ali had given the money, came to check who the postmaster was talking to. On learning that the postmaster was talking to Ali, he exclaimed that Ali had died three months ago.

The postmaster was bewildered. Miriam’s letter was still lying near the door, Ali’s image was still before his eyes. He listened to Lakshmi Das’s recital of the last interview, but he could still not doubt the reality of the knock on the door and the tears in Ali’s eyes.

That evening Lakshmi Das and the postmaster walked with slow steps to Ali’s grave and laid the letter on it.

The Letter Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Answer the following questions by ticking the correct options:

a. Ali’s walking to the Post Office daily even in biting cold weather shows his
(i) courage.
(ii) optimism.
(iii) foolishness.
(iv) strength of will.
Answer:
(ii) optimism.

b. The Post Office is referred to as Ali’s “place of pilgrimage ” as he
(i) visited it daily.
(ii) came there to pray for a letter from his daughter.
(iii) went there with faith and hope.
(iv) believed God would bless him if he went there.
Answer:
(iii) went there with faith and hope.

c. The Post Master’s rudeness to Ali reveals his
(i) lack of empathy.
(ii) preoccupation with his work.
(iii) preconceived notions.
(iv) sensitivity.
Answer:
(i) lack of empathy.

d. Ali did not come to the Post Office for several days as
(i) he had given up hope.
(ii) he was upset by the Post Master’s rebuke.
(iii) he was unwell and not able to walk to the Post Office.
(iv) he was busy hunting.
Answer:
(iii) he was unwell and not able to walk to the Post Office.

e. “Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait. ’’ The Post Master was waiting for ‘
(i) a letter from Miriam.
(ii) a letter from his own daughter.
(iii) a letter from Ali.
(iv) Ali to deliver Miriam’s letter to him.
Answer:
(ii) a letter from his own daughter

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

a. Who was Ali? Where did he go daily?
Answer:
Ali was an old man who had once been a famous shikari. His only daughter Miriam had married a soldier and had gone away with her husband to his regiment in the Punjab.

Since the last five years Ali had no news of this daughter. He went every day to the post office to wait for a letter from her.

b. “Ali displays qualities of love and patience ”. Give evidence from the story to support the statement.
Answer:
The story ‘The Letter’ is built around Ali’s love for his daughter. Ali misses her deeply after she moves to Punjab with her husband. Though he was a great huntsman, he gives up hunting as he understood the pain of parting now. He went to the post office daily for five years in wait for a letter from his daughter. Every day he waited patiently for his Miriam’s letter despite jokes and rebukes from the post office employees.

c. How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?
Answer:
The post office is referred to as Ali’s place of pilgrimage. Ali always occupied a particular seat in a particular comer of the building every day. The postmen began to tease him. Even though there was no letter for him they would call out his name for the fun of seeing him jump up and come to the door.

d. Why did Ali give up hunting?
Answer:
Once Miriam went away with her husband, Ali understood the meaning of love and separation. He gave up hunting partridges as he could no longer enjoy the sportsman’s pleasure and laughter at the bewildered terror of the young partridges whose parents he had killed.

e. What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story ‘The Letter ’?
Answer:
At first the Postmaster is haughty and arrogant. He dismisses poor Ali as being mad.

One day when Ali inquires after his letter of him, the Postmaster very rudely rebukes him and tells him that the post office employees would not eat his letter. Being unimaginative, he is not able to understand another person’s pain till he suffers himself. But the Postmaster is ready to admit his mistake. As soon as he sees Ali’s daughter’s letter, he picks it up and decides to hand it over to Ali personally. He even accompanies Lakshmi Das to Ali’s grave to place the letter there, displaying his underlying compassionate nature.

f. The postmaster says to Ali, “What a pest you are, brother! ” Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
No, Ali is not a pest. Though Ali goes daily to the post office, he waits patiently without disturbing or bothering anyone. Hope lures him to the door whenever the post office employees jokingly call out his name. When he realises they had been joking, he never rebukes them.

g. “Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still hadfaith. ” Why were Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?
Answer:
Ali’s eyes were filled with tears of helplessness as he had yet again received no letter from his daughter,

Miriam. The long wait, his approaching end, and the Postmaster’s sharp rebuke made tears of helplessness well up in his eyes. He had no energy left in him to come to the post office again, but he still had faith that Miriam would write, so he gave the clerk Lakshmi Das five gold golden guineas and told him to forward Miriam’s letter to him to his grave.

h. “Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait. ” Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?
Answer:
The Postmaster is tortured by doubt and remorse. He now realises a father’s anxiety and worry. As his daughter is sick and he is awaiting news of her, he understands Ali’s anxiety. He realises he has been rude to Ali and is filled with regret at his behaviour. He sits down to wait for a letter from his daughter who is sick.

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Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Summary in English by Saki

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Summary in English

The story ‘Mrs Packletide’s Tiger’, written by Saki (H. H. Munro) makes fun of the Victorian-Edwardian fascination with wild-game hunting, as well as the urge of the people of this time to show off and prove themselves to be better than their so called ‘friends’. In this case, Mrs Packletide has a deep desire to be one up on her friend Loona Bimberton. Mrs Bimberton had earned a lot of media attention for having travelled in the newly invented mode of transport— ‘the airplane’ piloted by an Algerian aviator.

Mrs Packletide, her greatest rival, is now determined to outdo her feat and decides to shoot a tiger which was the only way in which she could counter all the publicity achieved by Loona Bimberton.

Fortunately, she has enough money to accomplish almost anything she wishes, and she offers a reward of a thousand rupees to anyone, or any group, that can assist her in reaching her goal. A nearby village takes up the challenge. They are fortunate to have an old tiger who had taken to preying on their domesticated animals, and are as eager to get rid of him as Mrs Packletide is keen to shoot him.

So the villagers construct a platform in a leafy tree for Mrs Packletide and strategically tether a goat ‘with a particularly persistent bleat’ underneath it. Armed with a rifle, Mrs Packletide, accompanied by her paid companion Louisa, waits through the night for the tiger to appear. At last the tiger is seen making his way into the clearing. Instead of attacking the terrified goat, the tiger lies down.

‘I believe it’s ill,’ Louisa says, but the tiger rises again and heads for the goat. Mrs Packletide fires and the tiger falls.

When the smoke clears, however, it is apparent that Mrs Packletide had shot the goat while the tiger had died of a heart attack. The villagers will not give away Mrs Packletide’s secret, for they are richer by a thousand rupees and Mrs Packletide presumes that she can trust Louisa who in any case is her paid companion and owes her some loyalty.

But Louisa, who has been feeling underpaid and underappreciated for some time, informs Mrs Packletide that she would require a little extra money to ensure that the true story of the tiger hunt is not leaked out, specifically to Loona Bimberton. She adds that the money would help her to buy a small cottage near Dorking.

Hence, people are very surprised when Louisa, a humble paid companion, suddenly becomes a homeowner; but they are even more surprised when Mrs Packletide gives up her newfound hobby, big-game hunting. ‘The initial expenses are so heavy,’ she tells those who ask the reason.

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Answer the following questions in your own words:

a. Why did Mrs. Packletide wish to kill a tiger?
Answer:
Mrs Packletide wished to do so because it was the only way she could think of getting more publicity than her social rival Loona Bimberton who had received a lot of media attention for her feat of having travelled in an airplane for eleven miles.

b. What made her decide to give a party in Loona Bimberton’s honour? What did she intend to give Loona on her birthday?
Answer:
Once she had managed to kill the tiger she wanted to give the party to show off her success to Loona Bimberton and enjoy watching her bum with jealousy. Mrs Packletide planned to give her a brooch made out of the tiger claw.

c. How was the tiger shooting arranged? What kind of a tiger was chosen for the purpose?
Answer:
Mrs Packletide leamt of a village which had an old tiger in the neighbourhood and she promised to pay the villagers a thousand mpees if they helped her to hunt it down. An old tiger on the verge of death was chosen because it presented very little risk to Mrs Packletide while hunting.

d. In what way did the villagers help Mrs. Packletide shoot the tiger?
Answer:
First of all the villagers left their pet animals around so that the tiger did not stray from the village in search of food. Secondly, they took care not to disturb the tiger when it was resting. Thirdly, they helped set up a hunting platform for Mrs Packletide. Finally, they tied up a goat with a loud bleat to attract the tiger.

e. Who was Miss Mebbin? Was she really devoted to Mrs. Packletide? How did she behave during the tiger shooting?
Answer:
Miss Mebbin was Mrs Packletide’s paid companion. No, she was not sincere towards Mrs Packletide because she threatened to disclose the hue facts of the hunt if she were not paid the money that would enable her to buy a cottage for herself.

f. What comment did Miss Mebbin make after Mrs Packletide hadfired the shot?
Answer:
Miss Mebbin commented that the shot had killed the goat while the tiger had died of a heart attack.

g. Why did Miss Mebbin make this comment? How did Mrs Packletide react to this comment?
Answer:
Mrs Packletide was annoyed at her for pointing out the hue circumstances of the hunt to her but she was not too concerned because she never imagined that she would use this piece of information against her.

h. How did the villagers react to the tiger’s death?
Answer:
The villagers decide not to disclose the secret that the tiger died of a heart attack because they are richer by a thousand rupees and the tiger won’t prey on their animals anymore.

i. How did Miss Mebbin manage to get her week-end cottage? Why did she plant so many tiger lilies in her garden?
Answer:
Miss Mebbin threatened to reveal the true facts about the hunt to Loona Bimberton unless Mrs Packletide paid her the required amount to buy herself a cottage. Mrs Packletide had no choice but to give in to her threat. Therefore, she was able to buy her weekend cottage. The flowers were planted to honour the tiger which had indirectly been responsible for her being able to afford a cottage of her own.

j. “The incidental expenses are so heavy, ” she confides to inquiring friends. Who is the speaker? What is she referring to here?
Answer:
The speaker is Mrs Packletide and she is referring to the expenses incurred for the tiger hunt.

Question 2.
Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the character of the people listed in the table given below. There are some words given to help you. You may add words of your own. One has been done as an example:
Answer:
vain jealous competitive shrewd manipulative stingy materialistic spiteful

Character	Extract from the story	What this tells us about the character
Mrs. Packletide	(i) The compelling motive for her sudden Competitive deviation towards the footsteps of Nimrod was the fact that Loona Bimberton had recently been carried eleven miles in an aeroplane by an Algerian aviator, and talked of nothing else; only a personally procured tiger-skin and a heavy harvest of Press photographs could successfully counter that sort of thing.	Competitive
‘	(ii) Mrs. Packletide had offered a thousand rupees for the opportunity of shooting a tiger without over-much risk or exertion,	Vain
	(iii) Mrs. Packletide faced the cameras with a light heart, and her pictured fame reached from the pages of the Texas Weekly Snapshot to the illustrated Monday supplement of the Novoe Vremya.	manipulative
Louisa Mebbin	(i) “If it’s an old tiger I think you ought to get it cheaper. A thousand rupees is a lot of money.”	Stingy
	(ii) Louisa Mebbin adopted a protective elder-sister attitude towards money in general, irrespective of nationality or denomination	Miserly
	(iii) “How amused every one would be if they knew what really happened,” said Louisa Mebbin a few days after the ball.	Manipulative
	(iv) Louisa Mebbin’s pretty week-end cottage, christened by her “Les Fauves,” and gay in summer-time with its garden borders of tiger- lilies, is the wonder and admiration of her friends	materialistic
Loona Bimberton	(i) As for Loona Bimberton, she refused to look at an illustrated paper for weeks, and her letter of thanks for the gift of a tiger- claw brooch was a model of repressed emotions	Jealous
	(ii) there are limits beyond which repressed emotions become dangerous.	spiteful

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The Enemy Summary in English by Pearl S. Buck

The Enemy by Pearl S. Buck About the Author

Pearl S. Buck (26 June 1892 – 6 March 1973) was an American writer and novelist. She is also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu. In 1932, she won Pulitzer Prize for her novel ‘The Good Earth’. She was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature (1938) for her rich and truly epic description of peasants’ life in China and for her biographical masterpieces. She was a prominent advocate of the rights of women and the minority groups.

Author Name	Pearl S. Buck
Born	26 June 1892, Hillsboro, West Virginia, United States
Died	6 March 1973, Danby, Vermont, United States
Movies	The Good Earth, Pavilion of Women, Dragon Seed, Satan Never Sleeps, China Sky, China: The Roots of Madness, Guide
Awards	Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize in Literature
Nationality	‎American

The Enemy Introduction to the Chapter

“The Enemy”, written by Pearl S. Buck is a heart-rending portrayal of the conflict between a man’s heart and mind. It tells us about how people can help enemies on human grounds. To hate our enemy is natural and justifiable, especially during wartime. This story beautifully depicts how a human being rises above : his prejudices to help a wounded enemy.

The Enemy Theme

In the chapter ‘The Enemy , the author stresses on the fact that humanity requires one to overcome prejudices and hatred especially against one’s enemies. Through this chapter, the author conveys the message that t nanism transcends all man-made prejudices and barriers.

The Enemy Summary in English

Dr Sadao and his wife, Hana stood outside their house. A man suddenly appears out of the ocean. They ran towards him. To their shock, he was an American prisoner of war, who was badly wounded and had become unconscious. Sadao is torn between his duty as a doctor and his loyalty towards Japan. As citizens having a sense of national loyalty, they felt it their duty to put the man back into the sea.

However, soon they rose above narrow prejudices and brought the man into their house. Even though they faced open defiance from their domestic staff, they looked after the man. They realised the risk inherent in harbouring an enemy. But Dr Sadao knew that he would not be arrested and condemned by the ruthless General as he himself might need his services any time for an operation. Sadao informed the ailing general about the enemy in his house. The latter plans to get rid of the American, and promises to send people to do the needful. However, the General forgot to do so. After a while, as the American got better, Sadao made arrangements for him to go to an island nearby, from where he could try to get off enemy boundaries.

The Enemy Main Characters in the Chapter

Dr Sadao

A Japanese doctor trained by Americans. Dedicated surgeon and doctor; kind; prejudiced against the white man.

Hana

She is the wife of Dr Sadao. They met in America, became friends and got married in Japan. Balanced woman; stands with her husband; responsible; dignified and graceful.

Tom

He is an American prisoner of war. Strong will-power.

General Takima

He is a famed Japanese war hero. He is selfish and careless.

Yumi

The servant who looked after Dr Sadao and Hana’s children. Loves children, loyal to the country, prejudiced against white men.

Domestic servants

Loyal to the country and prejudiced against white men.

The Enemy Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why didn’t Sadao want to know anything about the white man?
Answer:
He didn’t want to know any details about the white man because he didn’t want to become emotionally involved with him. The less he knew about the white man, the better it would have been for both, him and the white man.

Question 2.
How is Hana’s perspective about the white man different from Yumi’s perspective?
Answer:
Hana sees the white man as a person who is in need of help and not as a nameless enemy who should be killed, as per Yumi. This point is central to the story because it talks about how all people are similar and that they should all be treated in a humane and respectful way.

Question 3.
The theme of racism is reflected in the story. Give examples.
Answer:
The theme of racism is reflected in the story in several ways:
Because of the stress of Sadao’s father on ‘purity of race’ and traditionalism, Sadao didn’t start a relationship with Hana until he was sure that she “had been pure in her race”.

Yumi refused to touch the American or wash him before the operation. Moreover, when he left, she “cleaned the guest room thoroughly … to get the white man’s smell out of it.” Sadao has strong feelings against white people. Both Sadao and Hana felt that Americans were racists.

Question 4.
What did Dr Sadao do to help Tom escape to freedom?
Answer:
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.

Question 5.
Why did Dr Sadao help in the escape of the American soldier? Was it an act of treachery? Can you justify his action?
Answer:
Dr Sadao had given the information about the wounded American to the General. In turn, the General had promised to send assassins to kill him and get rid of the body. Sadao did wait for the General’s people to arrive. In the back of his mind, he knew he was a doctor whose job was to save people. Therefore, when the authority failed, Sadao decided to help the American escape. It cannot be called an act of treachery because he had been an absolute doctor and a citizen, and more importantly, a good human being. He did not want the person, he had served, to be killed.

Question 6.
Why did the messenger come to Dr Sadao? What did Hana think about it?
Answer:
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.

Question 7.
In what context does Hana remember General Takima? What does she infer?
Answer:
While applying medicine to the young soldier, as Sadao operated on him, Hana wondered if the stories of torture of POWs were true. She then remembered how General Takima ruthlessly beat his wife. Hana deduced that if General Takima could be so cruel to his wife, he could as well be extremely cruel to a prisoner. The deep red scars on the white man’s neck, confirmed her apprehension.

Question 8.
How did Dr Sadao ensure that the American soldier left his house but he himself remained safe and secure?
Answer:
Dr Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. After treating the American war prisoner, he informed the General as a true Japanese about the soldier. But as a doctor, he saved his life by providing him right treatment and helped him escape in the darkness of the night.

Question 9.
Why did Hana wash the wounded soldier herself?
Answer:
Hana, wife of Dr Sadao, washed the wounds of the American prisoner of war herself because the domestic servants refused to do it as he was from an enemy country. They all left the doctor’s house.

Question 10.
How does the writer indicate that Dr Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man?
Answer:
Dr Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man. He believed that the islands in the distance were the stepping stones to Japan’s future. He was a quiet man. He never joked or played with his son. His father was stern but cared a lot for his future. He believed in traditional and arranged marriages. He was proud of his nation and never used foreign goods. Everything in his room was made in Japan. He did not sit on a chair or sleep on a bed and rather slept on a mat.

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The Man Who Knew Too Much Summary in English by Alenxander Baron

The Man Who Knew Too Much Summary in English

The Man Who Knew Too Much is a humorous story set in an army training camp. It highlights the attitude of one of the trainees at the camp, Private Quelch, who has a habit of showing off his knowledge in an attempt to outshine the other trainees in his batch. Private Quelch focuses all his energies into becoming an army officer and winning the coveted ‘stripe’. In his attempt to impress his seniors he reads up the training manual, often sitting up late at night to do so. He, however, becomes unpopular with his batch mates because of his habit of lecturing them on any topic related to their training, right from the use of guns to the different ways of cleaning them. Things come to a head when he meets Corporal Turnbull, a tough war veteran, who has to lecture them on grenades. But as usual, before Corporal Turnbull can start, Private Quelch starts off with his knowledge of grenades, irritating the Corporal, who then asks him to take over the class.

A delighted Quelch delivers his lecture at length, blissfully unaware of the rising irritation of the Corporal. Finally he has to pay for his over enthusiasm by being sent to the cookhouse as punishment, much to the amusement and relief of his batch mates. However, even in the cookhouse Quelch cannot keep himself from lecturing the poor unsuspecting cooks on the correct method of peeling potatoes.

The Man Who Knew Too Much Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
The ‘Professor’ knew too much. How did he prove himself? Fill up the space with suitable examples from the story, using the given clues:

a. about muzzle velocity:
Answer:
‘A voice interrupted. ‘Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second.’ It was the Professor.’

b. after a thirty mile walk:
Answer:
‘…but infuriated us all with his horrible heartiness. ‘What about a song, chaps?’ is not greeted politely at the end of thirty miles.’

c. his salute on payday:
Answer:
‘His salute at the pay table was a model to behold.’

d. the loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane:
Answer:
‘Without even a glance upward the Professor announced, “That, of course, is a North American Harvard Trainer. It can be unmistakably identified by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.’”

e. about hand grenades:
Answer:
‘The Professor was speaking again. “Shouldn’t you have started off with the five characteristics of the grenade? Our instructor at the other camp always used to, you know.’”

f. during cook house duties:
Answer:
‘…and from within came the monotonous beat of a familiar voice. “Really. I must protest against this abominably unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes. I need to only draw your attention to the sheer waste of vitamin values ’”

Question 2.
Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct options.

a. Private Quelch was nick-named ‘Professor’:
(i) his appearance.
(ii) his knowledge.
(iii) his habit of reading.
(iv) his habit of sermonising
Answer:
Because of his habit of sermonizing.

b. One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it because:
(i) he was a strong and sturdy man.
(ii) he was oblivious to his suroundings.
(iii) he was a brave corporal.
(iv) he was used to it.
Answer:
He was a strong and sturdy man.

c. The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as:
(i) they had to catch a train
(ii) they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge
(iii) they felt they would have to lend a helping hand.
(iv) they did not want to meet the cooks.
Answer:
They did not want to meet the cooks.

Question 3.
Answer the following questions briefly.

a. What is a ‘nickname ’? Can you suggest another one for Private Quelch ?
Answer:
A nickname is a short name that is given to a person to highlight his/her quirks. Another nickname for ‘the Professor’ can be ‘the Pastor’.

b. Private Quelch looked like a “Professor” when the author first met him at the training depot Why?
Answer:
Private Quelch looked like a professor with his lanky, stooping body, and hom rimmed spectacles. Moreover, he had the most annoying habit of sermonizing on any topic under the sun.

c. What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggest about him?
Answer:
It suggests that he had spent most of his time out of doors and was very experienced.

d. How was Private Quelch’s knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant’s classes went on?
Answer:
When Quelch interrupted the Sergeant’s class with added information about the speed of the bullet of a rifle, the Sergeant was not amused and as soon as his lecture got over he asked Quelch some pointed questions on the subject, hoping to catch him on the wrong foot, but the Professor’s knowledge on the subject was so thorough that it only enhanced his reputation.

e. What did the Professor mean by ‘intelligent reading’?
Answer:
According to the Professor, it meant reading up beforehand all that one could, about the subject at hand. For example, he had thoroughly read the training manual beforehand and was therefore able to answer all the questions being asked about the rifle.

f. What were the Professor’s ambitions in the army?
Answer:
The Professor wanted to become an army officer and win a ‘stripe’.

g. Did Private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make out?
Answer:
Yes, Private. Quelch was deeply focused on his goals. He borrowed training manuals and stayed up all night to read them. He badgered his instructors with questions. He drilled enthusiastically, saluted and marched smartly in a bid to impress his instructors and seniors.

h. Describe Corporal Turnbull.
Answer:
Corporal Turnbull had the reputation of being a tough man—physically, mentally, and emotionally. He was a great soldier and was known to have returned from the battle field with all his equipment correctly accounted for. He was not a man to be trifled with. He accurately judged the character of the Professor and sent him to the cook house to curb his habit of showing off.

i. How did Private Quelch manage to anger the Corporal?
Answer:
Private Quelch managed to anger the Corporal by interrupting his lecture on grenades with his own input on the subject.

j. Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties?
Answer:
No, Private Quelch did not learn a lesson because it is mentioned that the narrator heard him lecturing the cooks on the best way of peeling potatoes.

Question 4.
“At first, Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers.” Support this observation with suitable examples from the story in about 80-100 words.
Answer:
It is true that at first the narrator and the others at the training camp were in awe of the amount of knowledge Quelch had about everything under the sun and that is why they had nicknamed him “Professor”. Therefore, the narrator says that when he was able to answer all the questions the Sergeant asked him about rifles accurately it “enhanced” his glory in the eyes of his colleagues.

At another place the narrator mentions, “He had brains. He was sure to get a commission before long.” Again, commenting on his hard working nature he writes, “He worked hard. We had to give him credit for that”, and again, “He was not only miraculously tireless but infuriated us all with his heartiness.” And finally he writes, “At first we had certain respect for him but soon we lived in terror of his approach.”

Question 5.
Private Quelch knew “too much”. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues.
Answer:
Though everyone agreed that Quelch knew too much, he soon lost all their respect because of his habit of correcting his colleagues publicly whenever they made a mistake. If anyone shone at his work, he made sure to outshine them. He was always trying to patronise them and show off his knowledge to them. After a while they just couldn’t take his condescending ways any longer and steered clear of him.

Question 6.
You are the “Professor”. Write a diary entry after your first day at the cookhouse, describing the events that led to this assignment, also express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 175 words.
Answer:
21 January 20xx

Today was my first day at the cook house! It wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be! But I was appalled to see how little the cooks know about cooking. Today I had to lecture them on the correct way of peeling potatoes. They have been peeling them so thickly that a lot of the vitamins are getting lost! By the time I complete my term here I will have taught them a thing or two.

After all, I was chosen by Corporal Turnbull for this task. I think he was greatly impressed by my knowledge of grenades. He let me give the whole lecture by myself. Even the Sergeant had been impressed by my knowledge of rifles. I have no doubt they think I am the best trainee in the camp! I know that I march the best and my hut is the cleanest. I simply love reading the training manual. I know the others call me “Professor” behind my back because of all my knowledge. I feel so good. I am eagerly waiting for my stripe. Only then will I fulfil my dream of becoming an army officer. I wonder whether I will get the Best Trainee Award.

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Snake Summary in English by D.H. Lawrence

Snake Summary in English

The poem describes the encounter of the poet with a snake that came into his domain looking for water. On a hot day, a snake went to the poet’s water trough to quench its thirst. The poet who was also the owner of the water trough came for the same purpose in his pyjamas to avoid the heat. On seeing the snake, he feels obliged to stand and wait for the snake because it was there before it.

The yellow-brown snake, who originated from a fissure in the earth wall, slithered slowly to the edge of the stone trough. The snake rested its throat upon the stone bottom and started drinking softly.

The poet while watching the snake observed its mode of drinking and described it as that of cattle. This the snake did without noticing that anyone was watching him.

The poet recollected the voice of his education and realised that he must kill the snake, as golden snakes like this one were supposed to be poisonous. He ignored this instinct to kill the snake, feeling honoured that the snake had sought his hospitality.

The snake having drunk enough to satisfy his thirst turned around slowly and moved with its long curved body towards the direction of its origin. The snake moved in slowly into the hole without any fear. Suddenly, the poet looked around and put down his pitcher, picked up a stick and threw it at the snake. The snake hearing the clatter hastily moved in its remaining body back into the black hole.

At the disappearance of the snake, the poet regretted his action immediately and blamed himself for acting the way he did. He placed the blame on the voice of his education. He feared that he would have to pay for his negative action like the sailor that killed the albatross. The poet now wished the snake could come back, for him to crown it like a king, but believed it would never do so. The poet concluded by feeling that he has to make amends.

Snake Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Based on your reading of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options:

1. ‘he lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do ’ – The poet wants to convey that the snake
(a) is domesticated
(b) is innocent
(c) is as harmless as cattle
(d) drinks water just like cattle
Answer:
(d) drinks water just like cattle

2. ‘Sicilian July ’, ‘Etna smoking ’ and ‘burning bowels of the earth ’ are images that convey that
(a) there are snakes in volcanic areas
(b) the poet lived in a hot area
(c) it was a really hot day when the snake came
(d) Sicilian snakes are dangerous
Answer:
(c) it was a really hot day when the snake came

3. ‘A sort of horror, a sort of protest overcame me ’ – The poet is filled with protest because
(a) he doesn’t want to let the snake remain alive
(b) he fears the snake
(c) he doesn’t want the snake to recede into darkness
(d) he wants to kill it so that it doesn’t return
Answer:
(c) he doesn’t want the snake to recede into darkness

4. In the line ‘And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered farther ’ the phrase snake easing ’ his shoulders means
(a) loosening its shoulders
(b) slipping in with majestic grace
(c) moving slowly
(d) moving fast
Answer:
(b) slipping in with majestic grace

5. ‘He seemed to me like a king in exile… ’ The poet refers to the snake as such to emphasize that the snake
(a) is like a king enduring banishment
(b) Is like a king due to be crowned
(c) Is a majestic king who came for a while on earth
(d) is a majestic creature forced to go into exile by man
Answer:
(a) is like a king enduring banishment

6. ‘I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act ’ -The poet is referring to
(a) the snake going into the dreadful hole
(b) the accursed modem education
(c) the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake
(d) the act of killing the snake
Answer:
(c) the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly:

a. Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses ‘someone’ instead of ‘something ’for the snake.)
Answer:
The poet respected the snake and felt it to be an honoured guest and did not want to disturb it.

b. In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description?
Answer:
The snake appears to be a beautiful creature, majestic and with a grace of its own, based on the descriptions.

c. How does the poet describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake?
Answer:
The poet describes the day as being a very hot day in July in Sicily, with Mount Etna smoking in the background.

d. What does the poet want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the ‘burning bowels of the earth ’?
Answer:
The poet means that even within the earth it was as hot as it was outside.

e. Do you think the snake was conscious of the poet’s presence? How do you know?
Answer:
The snake does not appear to acknowledge the poet’s presence as it was lazy and unhurried in its movements, with no fear of being harmed.

f. How do we know that the snake’s thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey this.
Answer:
‘He drank enough’
‘And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,’
‘And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,’
‘Seeming to lick his lips’

g. The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake?
Answer:
The poet instinctively admires the majesty and beauty of the snake and does not want to disturb’d, but then his education and social awareness makes him regard it as a dangerous being which must be killed.

h. The poet is fdled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the ‘horrid black ’, ‘dreadful ’ hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake.
Answer:
The poet does not want such a wonderful creature to go back into the dark earth and hide away, even though the snake was moving into the hole very slowly, yet he throws the stick and as a result the snake hurries into the hole.

i. The poet seems to be full of admiration and respect for the snake. He almost regards him like a majestic God. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem that reflect these emotions.
Answer:
‘But even so, honoured still more’
‘That he should seek my hospitality’
‘And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,’
‘And slowly turned his head’
‘For he seemed to me again like a king,’
‘Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld’
‘And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords’

j. What is the difference between the snake’s movement at the beginning of the poem and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood? You may use relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference.
Answer:
In the beginning, the snake is moving slowly, the body is ‘slack’; he ‘trailed’ his body along. When he had drunk the water, he moved as if ‘thrice a dream’. This dreamy state was shattered by the poet who threw a log at the snake, making it move forward ‘in undignified haste’, and making it writhe Tike lightning’, swiftly entering the hole in the ground.

k. The poet experiences feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake. Pick out expressions that suggest this. Why does he feel like this?
Answer:
‘And immediately I regretted it.’
‘I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act’
‘I despised myself
The poet feels like this because he threw the stick and scared the snake away even though it had done nothing.

l. You have already read Coleridge’s poem The Ancient Mariner in which an albatross is killed by the mariner. Why does the poet make an allusion to the albatross?
Answer:
The poet alludes to it because like the Mariner who killed the albatross needlessly, here the poet scared away the snake needlessly. Also, he is scared that he might have to face similar troubles to pay for the sin of trying to harm the creature, like the Mariner.

m. ‘I have something to expiate ’—Explain.
Answer:
This means that the poet felt that he had committed a sin and needed to pay for it. He wanted to make amends for his thoughtless, petty act.