Category: English Summary

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Call of the Wild Chapter 4 Summary

The next morning, Francois discovers Spitz missing and Buck covered with wounds. As the dogs are about to be harnessed, Buck trots up to spot that Spitz occupied. Francois brings Sol-leks to the position of leader instead. Buck is furious and springs upon him. He will not let Francois harness the team. But Francois drags Buck away by the scruff of the neck. Sol-leks does not mind giving up the position, but Francois comes back with the club. Buck retreats but then refuses to take his old position. Francois realizes, that he thinks that he has earned the lead position and will be satisfied with nothing less. Buck trots to the lead position and is harnessed in.

Buck forces Pike to carry his share of the load, and he soundly punishes Joe for his bad behaviour. After receiving their orders, Francois and Perrault leave the team in the care of officials, a “Scotch half-breed,” and pass out of Buck’s life for good. The dogs are tired when they reach Dawson, but they are allowed little rest and are soon on their way out with another load. They are treated well, attended to even before the men.

Dave, one of the dogs, becomes terribly ill, but refuses to stop pulling behind the sled. The driver puts sole in his place, meaning to allow him to run easily behind the sled. Dave cannot stand to see another dog doing his work. He runs into the soft snow beside Sol-leks, trying to resume his usual place, is yelping and again attempts to resume his place. Finally, the driver decides it is kinder to allow Dave to pull, for he will die either way. During his final pull, he often falls and is caught in the traces of the sled. The next morning, Dave is too weak to rise. The team is driven ahead some ways, but they cannot ignore the gunshot that rings out. Buck and everyone else know what the shot means.

Call of the Wild Chapter 4 Summary Word Meaning

• Coveted – Greatly desired
• Obdurate – Stubbornly persistent in wrong doing
• Displace – Cause to move
• Comply – Act in accordance with someone’s rules
• Celerity – A rate that is rapid
• Deluge – A heavy rain
• Aspire – Having an ambitious plan
• Monotonous – Sounded
• Bough – Larger branches of a tree
• Potent – Authority
• Resiliency – Ability of a material to return to its original shape
• Prod – Push against gently
• Flounder – Walk with great difficulty
• Remnant – A small part remaining

Call of the Wild Chapter 4 Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
State in your own words the departure of Francois and Perrault from Buck’s life.
Answer:
Francois and Perrault’s departure from Buck’s life signals the end of one phase in Buck’s relationship with man. They have been wise and just masters to Buck. Francois weeps over Buck this shows the level of deep respect and care he has towards him.

Question 2.
What did Buck learn in Chapter 4 as stated by “Jack London”?
Answer:
Through the team’s record run, Buck demonstrates his mastery of his work. He has learnt how to work, now to and how to lead a pack. He is not only fit to lead the team, but he is more than fit to survive and thrive in the wild.

Question 3.
What happened to Dave in Chapter 4 ?
Answer:
Dave was a supporting character. He was an experienced sled dog whose work meant a lot to him and preferred to be left alone. The Scotsman removes Dave from the traces putting Sor-leks in his place. Dave was sick, but refused to leave his place at the sled. He insists on dying while pulling the sled. Finally he dies by a bullet, in order to end his suffering.

Question 4.
Why did Perrault and Francois exit from Buck’s life ?
Answer:
In Skaguay, Francois and Perrault become minor celebrities for the record timing of their run. They celebrate for a week’s time, but official order from the government forced them to depart from the town, thereby, leaving Buck and his man behind. Francois weeps over Buck as he and Perrault exit Buck’s life “for good”.

Question 5.
State in your own words, Buck’s dream of a primitive man.
Answer:
Buck’s dream of a primitive man shows that his memory is receding into a primeval past, but also that he is looking for something more in a human master, an equality and co-operation, that is impossible when he works for humans. Buck begins to have visions of a “hairy”, “short legged” cave man, clad in animal skins, squatting by the fire.

Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
It was a record run. Each day for fourteen days Perrault and Francois threw chests up and down the main street of Skagnay and mere deluged with invitations to drink, while the team was the constant centre of a worshipful crowd of dog-busters and mushers.
(i) What did Buck see in the fire?
(ii) Why Buck did not want to go back in his old harness?
(iii) Describe the attack faced by Buck in the above chapter?
(iv) What did Buck see in his dreams ?
(v) What happened in the fight between Buck and Spitz?
Answer:
(i) Buck loved to lie near the fire. Sometimes he thought of Judge Miller’s big house. He often remembered the man in the red sweater, the death of Curly, and the fight with Spitz. He also dreamt of a short and hair like man running through the woods.

(ii) Buck did not want to go back into his old harness, because he wanted to be in front of the pack. He wanted to be the leader. In fact, he possessed leadership qualities.
He was better than most, superior attributes. He received the compliment that he was worth $ 1000.

(iii) After a long trip of 14 days, the sled-dogs including Buck, were very exhausted. Some four or five scores of starving huskies attacked the camp. The dog team found shelter from their attackers in the forest.

(iv) When Buck crouched, blinking dreamily, instead of the cook he saw a different man there. The man uttered strange sounds and seemed too afraid of the darkness into which he gazed.

(v) After the attack of starving huskies in the woods, Buck was attacked by Spitz. Spitz was winning until Buck broke Spitz’s front legs. He ended up breaking both of them. When Spitz went down, the dogs from the villages, sled team finished him. Buck won finally.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It was a hard trip, with the mail behind them, and the heavy work wore them down. They were short of weight inpoor condition when they made Dawson and should have had a ten days’ or a week’s rest at least. But in two days time they dropped down the Yukon bank from the Barracks, loaded with letters for the outside. The dogs were tired, the drivers grumbling, and to matters worse, it snowed every day.
(i) What was the amount of food that was given to the sled dogs?
(ii) How does Buck perform when he succeeds Spitz as lead dog?
(iii) What condition were the dogs in when they arrived at Skagway from Dawson?
(iv) What happened to Dave in ‘the Call of the Wild’?
(v) What did Buck do in the end ?
Answer:
(i) The incompetent humans did not know that they had too many dogs. Sometimes they overfed them and at times they underfed them. Charles and Hal had no idea what they were doing. To them it made sense to have as many dogs they could get.

(ii) In chapter 4 of the novel, ‘the Call of the Wild’, written by Jack London, Buck performs exceedingly well when he succeeds former lead dog, Spitz. At first, the drivers wanted to use another lead dog, but Buck refuses to allow it and finally succeeds.

(iii) The condition of the dogs was miserable, as the dogs and their drivers arrived at Skagway after a thirty day trek from Dawson. They were exhausted and down in weight, because they had not had a proper rest as well as proper food.

(iv) Dave was very weak and fell repeatedly in the traces, when they reached Cassiar. Since he was to die anyway, he wanted to die content in the traces. He howled mournfully and took his last breath.

(v) Buck made no effort. The last whip bit into him again and again, but he neither whined nor struggled. Buck had made up his mind nor to get up. Hal exchanged the whip for the club, and then suddenly without warning, John Thornton sprang upon him.

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Call of the Wild Chapter 3 Summary

At the beginning of Chapter 3, Buck is tough but quiet and does not start fights. One night, Buck settles down under the shelter of a rock, but when he goes to get his food, he finds the space occupied by Spitz. To everyone’s surprise, Buck becomes furious and he fights Spitz. Just then, they hear Perrault shouting and see almost 80-100 starving huskies charging into the camp.

Perrault and Francois fight them off with clubs, and some of Buck’s teammates get hurt. Buck is attacked by three huskies at once, and his head and shoulder are slashed; Spitz continues to nip at him. Some of the dogs fall through the ice but get pulled out.

Dolly, one of the dogs, goes mad one morning and begins chasing Buck. Francois kills the mad dog with an axe, and Buck is left exhausted from running. Spitz jumps at Buck. Francois punishes Spitz, but from then on, Spitz and Buck are at war. Francois and Perrault realize it, with Francois betting on Buck and Perrault on Spitz. It happens one day when a rabbit runs by the camp.

The whole team of dogs and fifty other dogs from a nearby camp start chasing the rabbit, with Buck in the lead. Spitz finds a shortcut and kills the rabbit, and Buck attacks Spitz. The other dogs wait to see who falls first. Spitz was an experienced and smart fighter, but Buck uses imagination, instinct, and his head. In the end Buck kills Spitz.

Call of the Wild Chapter 3 Summary Word Meanings

• Poise – Hold
• Prone – Having a tendency
• Shun – Avoid
• Bleak – Unpleasantly cold
• Grope – Feel about uncertainly
• Pandemonium – A state of extreme confusion and disorder
• Skulk – Lurk, hide
• Famished – Extremely hungry
• Warily – In a manner marked by keen caution
• Contemplation – A calm, lengthy, intent consideration
• Dubiously – In a doubtful manner
• Exertion – Hard work
• Sullen – Showing a brooding ill humor
• Eerise – Suggestive of the supernatural mysterious

Call of the Wild Chapter 3 Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is the theme of chapter 3, “The Dominant Primordial Beast”?
Answer:
Buck, after killing Spitz, has become the lead dog of the team. He excels in this position, as he is both, skilled in maneuvering the sled and an able leader. The team has a new mission which is, to deliver the mail to the gold prospectors. The unhappy part, in the chapter is the death of Dave. So it is very clear, that “The Dominant Beast” is Buck.

Question 2.
How did the huskies attack destroy Francois and Perrault’s supplies ?
Answer:
After the huskies finally left, Francois and Perrault assessed the damage. All the team dogs are badly wounded, and their food supply is gone. The huskies attack magnifies the wild beast stirring within Buck. The supplies are depleted and the dogs are ridded with bites. Francois worries about the ration of the dogs and even their security.

Question 3.
What device does Perrault use to prevent himself from falling in the ice ?
Answer:
Perrault was in a hurry, and he prided himself on his knowledge of ice, which was indispensable, for the fall of ice was very thin. Perrault broke through the ice more than a dozen times, but he was successful in nosing the way. Perrault was saved by the long pole he carried.

Question 4.
How is the first dog on the team to go mad, killed ?
Answer:
The first dog on the team i.e., Dolly, who had never been conspicuous for anything, suddenly went mad. She had completely gone crazy; she sent every dog bristling with fear, then sprang straight on Buck. Buck doubled back hoping that Francois would save him. As Buck shot passed, the axe crashed down upon mad Dolly’s head.

Question 5.
Who attacks Buck after he has had an exhausting chase from the mad dog ? Describe the attack.
Answer:
Spitz attacks Buck, when Buck staggered towards the sledge, exhausted. Spitz sprang upon Buck, and sank his teeth into him, ripping and tearing his flesh. Buck gave the worst lashing ever given to any of the team. Francois was worried that one day Spitz would kill Buck. But Perrault said that Buck is like two devils, one day he will just chew up Spitz.

Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Buck got a frothing adversary by the throat, and was sprayed with blood when his teeth sank through the jugular. The warm taste of it in his mouth goaded him to greater fierceness. He flung himself upon another, and at the same time felt teeth sink into his own throat.
(i) Give the reference of the above passage.
(ii) How did Buck and Pike started the revolt against Spitz’s authority?
(iii) How did the final fight between Buck and Spitz start?
(iv) What went wrong with Dolly?
(v) How did Buck convince the dog drivers to make him the leader after Spitz?
Answer:
(i) The above passage has been taken from chapter-3 ‘The Dominant Primordial Beast’ of the Novel “The Call of the Wild”, written by Jack London. In this chapter, we learn about different dogs-Buck, Pike and Spitz and above all we learn about the dominating characteristics of Buck.

(ii) When Spitz flew to punish Pike, who pretended to be ill, Buck flew with equal rage to defend Pike. Now Pike also joined Buck and Spitz hurled backwards.
In this way, Pike and Buck started the revolt against Spitz.

(iii) When Spitz leapt in front of the rabbit, whereas Buck was also chasing the rabbit, Buck attacked Spitz, but, missed it. Spitz slashed Buck at the shoulder. They snarled at each other. Buck knew the right time would lead to death.

(iv) Dolly, who had never been conspicious for anything, suddenly went mad. She sent every dog bristling with fear, then sprang straight for Buck. She had gone completely crazy.

(v) Buck trotted up to the place of Spitz as a leader. But Francois brought Sol-leks to the position. Buck replaced Sol-leks, when Francois turned his back. Buck openly revolted. Leadership was his right, and he would not be content with less. In this way Buck convinced the dog-drivers to make him the leader after Spitz was killed.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
She announced her condition by a long, heart breaking wolf howl that sent every dog bristling with fear, then sprang straight for Buck. He had never seen a dog go mad, nor did he have any reason to fear madness, yet he knew that near
Answer:
(i) In the above extract, which has been taken from Chapter 3 – ‘The Dominant Primordial Beast’ of the novel, “The Call of the Wild”, written by Jack London. She is Dolly, a female dog who gets mad.

(ii) When Dolly turns mad due to rabies, her action as described by the author, starts to run straight towards Buck to attack him, but Francois started running and took the axe down on 0011)/s head, thus defending Buck.’

(iii) Every time when one of the men or dogs fell through the ice, it was not very easy to force them out. The easiest way was to build a fire, so that the creature could be forced out and it also helped it to get dry by running around the fire.

(iv) Buck’s feet had become soft in ice and the poor creature had a tough time. It was very difficult for him to walk. Francois cut his mocasins into 4, so Buck could never use them.

(v) Every night- at nine, at twelve, at three, the dogs sang a song, a weird and eerie chant, which Buck was delighted to join. It was an old song, a sad one which carried the pain of many generations.

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Call of the Wild Chapter 2 Summary

On Buck’s first day on the Dyea beach, he understands that he has been taken from civilization into a wild, primitive place. Buck’s travelling companion, named Curly, is killed simply for trying to make friendly advances towards a husky dog only half her size. The rest of the dogs in the camp attack and kill Curly when she does not rise. Buck realizes that to survive in this world, he should never go down in a fight. Buck hates Spitz as the latter is a dominating dog.

Francois ties Buck into a harness and sets him to work. Buck has seen horses performing such labour before. He tries his best, responding to Francois’s whip and the nips of Dave. Buck learns quickly and makes good progress. ‘ He learns to stop at “ho” and to move at “mush,” and how to turn and move downhill.

Two more dogs, Billie and Joe, are added to the team. They are both huskies and are brothers. Billie is excessively good-natured, while Joe is sour. Soon another husky, Sol-leks, arrives. He is an old husky with one eye, and he does not like to be approached from his blind side. Buck accidently approaches him from that side once and gets his shoulder slashed. He learns quickly not to repeat the mistake.

That night, Buck had trouble finding a place to sleep. After wandering around the camp, he comes across Billie buried in the snow and proceeds to make his own hole and fall asleep instantly. When he awakes, he forces his way out of the snow. Perrault and Francois are very glad to have Buck. Every night in the camp, Buck is exhausted. He is bigger than the other dogs, and though he receives a larger ration, he never feels satisfied.

He imitates Pike, a new dog, by stealing a whole chunk of bacon and another weaker dog is punished in his place. Buck is placed between Dave and Solleks to receive instruction from them. He also learns to steal; his old morals, learned in Judge Miller’s sunny home, gradually slip away. Old urges and instincts, which belonged to his wild ancestors, begin to assert themselves.

Call of the Wild Chapter 2 Summary Word Meaning

• Peril – A state of danger involving risk
• Imperative – Requiring attention or action
•  Vicarious – Experienced at secondhand
• Intent – An anticipated outcome that guides your planned actions
• Antagonist – Someone who offers opposition
• Reproof – An act or expression of criticism and censure
• Introspective – Given to examining own sensory and perceptual experiences.
• Perpetual – Continuing forever or indefinitely
• Malignant – Dangerous to health
• Appeasement – The act of acceding to demands
• Writhe: Move in a twisting or contorted motion
• Belligerent – Characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
• Forego – Do without or cease to hold or adhere to
• Gaunt – Very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
• Indiscretion – The trait of being injudicious
• Consternation – Sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
• Forlorn – Marked by or showing hopelessness
• Arduous – Characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion

Call of the Wild Chapter 2 Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What are the “laws of club and fang” Buck learns in chapter 2? How are these laws different from what Buck was used to?
Answer:
The man in the red sweater taught him the laws of clubs and fang. When several clubs were broken over Buck to get him obey, this was the law of club. The law of fang that Buck learnt was as he approached a sled dog from it’s blind side and was bitten. Buck was used to having a domesticated life; he gets as much food he wants. Now he gets raw fish, he’s alone and he is wUd.

Question 2.
What lesson does Buck learn about surviving in cold winter nights?
Answer:
In chapter 2, Buck experiences his first night in the harsh winter environment of the Canadian wilderness. Buck initially attempts to sleep on top of the snow but cannot withstand the coldwind. He digs a hole under the snow and curls up into a ball. Thus, Buck learnt and developed important survival skills.

Question 3.
What were the changes that came about in Buck over the course of the journey?
Answer:
Buck gradually becomes reconnected with his true identity over the course of the journey. Buck has lost over thirty five pounds. More often it had to do with luck; a major environmental change. Although his early life on the ranch was blissfully happy and carefree.

Question 4.
If you were Buck, which of the other sled dogs would you choose to be your teacher and why?
Answer:
If I was Buck, I would go for the current Alpha dog, Spitz, to be my teacher. That was really the only dog position that Buck wants. Moreover, Spitz was more ruthless than Francois. He has to be in the dog world. Unlike Francois, Spitz is not fair but like Francois, he is experienced and knows the ropes of the wild.

Question 5.
How are Spitz and Curly different from each other?
Answer:
Spitz is an experienced and clever Husky. Spitz is the original lead dog of Buck’s dogsled team. He fears and hates Buck, whom he sees as a rival. He is eventually killed by Buck in a fight for leadership. Curly is a sweet new found land dog, one of Buck’s first companions, after he has been kidnapped. She is unexpectedly killed for trying to make friendly advances towards another dog.

Extract Based Questions

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Spitz was the leader, likewise experienced, and while he could not always get at Buck, he growled sharp reproof now and again, or cunningly threw his weight in the traces to jerk Buck into the way he should go.
(i) How did Curly die?
(ii) What does the death of Curly teach Buck in ‘The Call of the Wild’?
(iii) Why does Buck hate Spitz? Who teaches Buck how to pull a sled?
(iv) Was there any warning of the attack?
(v) What were the positions of Buck, Dave and Spitz in the harness?
Answer:
(i) Curly is killed simply for trying to pet a husky dog. The dog was vicious and began to attack her face. She was trying to protect her face. The rest of the dogs in the camp attack and kill Curly when she does not rise.

(ii) When Curly dies, Buck gets his second important lesson of how to survive in this wilder environment that he has been put in. It also teaches him about the “Law of Club and Fang”. Well, he would see to it that he never went down.

(iii) In chapter 2, Buck hates Spitz for laughing at and participating in Curly’s death. Buck hated Spitz with a bitter and deathless hatred. Francois fastens Buck into a harness and sets him to work hauling sled.

(iv) There was no warning of the attack, only a leap in like a flash; a metallic snap of teeth, and a leap out that was equally swift.

(v) Dave, -an experienced wheeler, nips at Buck, whenever he is making mistakes. Spitz growls from his front post and also refuses to leave the harness preferring to die pulling the sled. The author Jack London, has very well stated the incidents.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him. In vague ways he remembered back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild dogs ranged in packs through the primeval forest and killed their meat as they ran it down.
(i) How did the dogs keep warm in the snow?
(ii) What was Buck made to learn? And how?
(iii) How was Perrault saved from drowning each time he went into the ice?
(iv) What problem did Buck face that night ?
(v) What were the changes that came about in Buck over the course of the journey?
Answer:
(i) Chapter 2 states that, the sled dogs dug a hole under the snow to stay warm. At times the dogs tried to enter the tent but they were chased out. Keeping themselves in burrows and their thick fur kept them warm through the frigid nights. This was an important survival skill.

(ii) Buck was hitched between Dave and Sol-leks on the sled-dog team, so that he could learn. This worked and Buck learnt through instinct, besides experience. Francois and Perrault were fair enough and guided the sled, which helped Buck to learn easily.

(iii) In chapter 2, a dozen times, Perrault, nosing the way broke through the ice bridges. He was saved by the long pole he always carried with him. Perrault climbed the cliff with the help of the pole as if by a miracle.

(iv) That night Buck faced the great problem of sleeping out in the cold. When he entered the tent, Perrault and Francois attacked him with curses and cooking utensils, till he fled.

(v) Buck is bigger than other dogs, so is never content. He imitates Pike, a new dog, by stealing a whole chunk of bacon. In this way he learns to steal; his old morals learned in Judge Miller’s sunny home, gradually slip away.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It was all well enough in the Southland under the law of love and fellowship, to respect private property and personal feelings; but in the Northland, under the law of Club and Fang, whoso took such things into account was a fool, and
in so far as he observed them he would fail to prosper.
(i) Give the reference from where the above extract has been taken.
(ii) What are the laws of “Club and Fang,” that Buck learned?
(iii) What law rules life in the Southland?
(iv) What difficulties did Perrault face in climbing the cliff?
(v) What physical change does Buck experience from living in the Northland?
Answer:
(i) The above extract has been taken from chapter 2 “The law of Club and Fang” of the Novel ‘The Call of the Wild’, written by Jack London. In this chapter, we come to know, how Buck adapts himself to the environment though he faces some difficulties also.

(ii) The “Law” i.e. “the Law of Club and Fang”, signifies the two most important factors for survival in the Northland. Buck understands that the ability to avoid armed men and ability to defend himself from other animals is necessary.

(iii) The above extract states the law of Love and fellowship rules life in the Southland, which is in contrast with the law of Club and Fang, which rules in the Northland.

(iv) The rim ice broke away before and behind, and there was no escape except to go up the cliff. Perrault climbed the cliff, and with every last bit of harness stretched into a long rope, the dogs were hoisted to the top of the cliff.

(v) Buck’s sense of sight and scent became keen, his muscles develop, he learns to tolerate pain, he develops _ ability to scent the wind, and he digests all the nutrients of his food.

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
A warning snarl told him that the trespasser was Spitz. Till now Buck had avoided trouble with his enemy, but this was too much. The beast in him roared. He sprang upon Spitz with a fury which surprised them both, and Spitz particularly; for his whole experience with Buck had gone to teach him that his rival was an unusually timid dog, who managed to hold on his own, only because of his great weight and size.
(i) Why did Buck attack Spitz? What was the nature of the relationship that existed between Buck and Spitz?
(ii) Where did their masters decide to make camp? Describe the weather conditions at the time.
(iii) Briefly describe the unexpected happening which distracted the dogs and their masters just then.
(iv) What do you learn about Spitz’s character from his actions during the ‘unexpected happening’?
(v) What was the condition of the camp when the dogs returned at daybreak? To what extent is Buck’s behaviour guided by his instinct to survive?
Answer:
(i) Buck started hating Spitz, when Spitz laughed at Curly’s death. Buck would show no patience when it came to Spitz. Spitz occupied Buck’s snug and warm place, when Buck returned, he sprang upon Spitz. Buck refuses to give it to Spitz eventually killing him.

(ii) The masters decided to make a camp at the mouth of the white river. The ice was soon to melt above the hills.The weather was not safe for animals and the team.

(iii) Thornton rapped Hal’s knuckles. Suddenly a whole section of ice gave way and both the dogs and the humans disappeared. This unexpected happening distracted the dogs and their masters. Even Buck sprang upon Spitz.

(iv) Spitz- Buck’s archrival and the original leader of Francois’s dog team, is a fierce animal- a “devil-dog”. One man calls on him who is used to fight with other dogs and win. He meets his match in Buck, who is as strong as Spitz.

(v) At day break, when the dogs limped back to the camp, the intruders had left and the men were in a bad temper. Half their food was gone. The wild dogs had chewed through the sledge lashings and canvas coverings. In fact, nothing, no matter how remotely edible, had escaped them.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Call of the Wild Chapter 1 Summary

The story begins in the fall of 1897, at the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. Buck is a large, four year old, one- hundred and forty pound dog, who lives on a ranch owned by Judge Miller in Santa Clara, California, some forty miles south of San Fransciso. Buck, is part St. Bernard and part Scotch Shepherd.

Unlike the other smaller dogs on the ranch, Buck is allowed to roam over the entire property. He goes into the swimming tank, hunts with the Judge’s sons, and escorts the Judge’s daughters on their morning walks. In winter he lies at the feet of Judge in front of the fire in the library. He is like a king who lords it over all the other creatures, and is treated with respect by everyone.

One night, when no one is around, a gardner takes Buck on a walk with a rope on his neck and sells him to a strange man. Buck growls, and is surprised when the man tightens the rope and chokes him. This is the first time Buck has ever been treated badly. He bites the man’s hand, but can’t get away. Buck is put on a train to Seattle with nothing to eat or drink. He’s angry about how he’s being treated.

In the morning, four men come to pick up the crate. They amuse themselves by poking sticks at him. Buck is conveyed to a railway depot, where he is placed in an express car. He stays there for two days and nights, during which he neither eats nor drinks. He is bundled off the train at Seattle, where a man in a red sweater takes charge of him. The man lets Buck out the cage, and Buck attacks him in fury, but the man brutally beats him into submission with a club. Buck is beaten but his spirit is not broken. In the days that follow, more dogs arrive. One day a man named Perrault buys Buck for $300. He can see that Buck is special. He also buys another dog, Curly, and they all travel by boat with a man named Francois, and two other dogs.

The dogs are turned over to Francois, a swarthy French-Canadian. Buck learns to respect both men, since they are calm and fair. There are two other dogs on the ship, a big dog from Spitzbergen, and a gloomy one named Dave. ‘ Buck encounters snow for the first time.

Call of the Wild Chapter 1 Summary Word Meanings

• Demesne – Domain
• Populous – With many people, populated
• Imperiously – Like a king
• Sated – Filled up, full
• Insular – Protected, inexperienced
• Progeny – Children, offspring
• Deft – Skilled
• Futilely – Unsuccessfully
• Vilely – Rudely
• Hydrophobia – Rabies
• Impending – Soon to happen
• Calamity – Disaster
• Surcharged – Charged over normal price
• Primitive – Not sophisticated, uncivilized
• Dormant – Hidden, buried

Call of the Wild Chapter 1 Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why did Perrault purchase Buck?
Answer:
Perrault was a courier for the Canadian government. He needed dogs, so that his packages could reach faster. Moreover, he estimated that Buck is one in ten thousand. He (Perrault) could understand that Buck is a bully dog.

Question  2.
Why were the onlookers laughing when Buck first stepped on to the deck when the propeller stopped ?
Answer:
When the propeller stopped, Buck’s feet sank into a white mush, Buck had seen the snow for the first time. He sniffed it, and licked it. It bit like fire. He was puzzled. He tried again, but with the same result. The onlookers roared with laughter.

Question  3.
How did Manuel ensure that Buck obeyed the stranger at the rail flag station ?
Answer:
No one saw Manuel and Buck arrive at the little rail flag station. The stranger talked to Manuel. Buck accepted the rope with quiet dignity, because he had learnt to trust the men he knew. This was enough for Manuel to be sure that Buck obeyed the stranger.

Question  4.
What is Buck’s introduction to the primitive law ?
Answer:
The first chapter is called “Into the Primitive” and rightly so. In short, Buck’s introduction to the primitive law comes when he observes a pack of dogs fighting early on in the novel”. Buck lives a very civilized life until Manuel kidnaps him. He does not expect to have to go into the primitive, where he will need to rely on his animal instincts to survive. Jack London has established Buck as a product of civilization. This is indicated in Chapter 1 – “Into the Primitive”. Buck had not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing.

Question  5.
How does Buck maintain some measure of pride in Chapter 1?
Answer:
Buck had a fine pride in himself. He was a trifle egotistical. When the unsuspecting Buck is stolen from his owner and sold to become a sled dog, Buck is surprised, to understand that Manuel, a gardener on Judge Miller’s estate a person on whom Buck had trust would do this unreliable task. Buck attacks the stranger, he bites the man’s hand, and does not eat or drink for two days and two nights. The facts of life took him on a fiercer aspect and he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature, thus maintaining his pride.

Extract Based Questions

Question  1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
And this was the manner of dog Buck in the fall of 1897, when the Klondike Strike dragged men from all the world into the frozen North.
(i) What is meant by, ‘the Klondike Strike’? Why did it attract men to the frozen North? Why did these men require dogs?
(ii) Who is Buck? Give a brief description of his parents.
(iii) What act of treachery does Manuel, the gardener’s assistant commit? Why does he do this ?
(iv) Name the men who buy Buck from the man in the red sweater. What does Buck learn of their nature?
(v) Describe Buck’s first encounter with snow. How does it serve as an introduction to what lies ahead of him in the days to come?
Answer:
(i) This was the manner of dog Buck in the fall of 1897, when the Klondike Strike dragged men from all the world. Men grouping in the Aritic darkness had found a yellow metal, this attracted men from all over the world into the Frozen North. These men required heavy dogs with story muscles to toil, because other animals could not be used easily on the snow.

(ii) Bulk was a four year old dog. He was neither a house dog nor a kennel dog. The whole area was his. Buck’s father, Elmo, was a huge Saint Bernard and Buck’s mother was a huge Scotch shepherd dog.

(iii) Manuel, the Judge’s gardener, sells Buck to a stranger in exchange of money, committing a treacherous act. Manuel has acquired huge gambling debts so he kidnaps Buck and sells him.

(iv) Perrault bought Buck from the man in the red sweater. Buck learnt that Perrault and Francois were fair men and familiar with the way of the dogs.

(v) When Buck first time met with snow, he got many beneath his forelegs with a sour. He sprang back fearful of the unseen. There, curled up under the snow in a snug bell lay Billee. Finally Buck slept well, in a hold that he himself dug.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley, Judge Miller’s place, as was called. It stood back from the road, half hidden among the trees, through which glimpses could be caught of the wide cool verandah that ran around its four sides. The house was approached by gravelled driveways which wound about through wide spreading lawns and under the inter lacing boughs of tall poplars. At the rear, things were on even a more spacious scale than at the front.
(i) What does the above extract state?
(ii) What is the tone of the above paragraph?
(iii) What is Buck’s life like at Judge Miller’s place ?
(iv) What type of dog was Buck ?
(v) What is Judge Miller’s relationship with Buck?
Answer:
(i) The above extract has been taken from chapter 1 – Into the Primitive, from the novel ‘The Call of the Wild’ written by Jack London. The complete novel states about a dog named Buck.

(ii) The above paragraph states that the first chapter of the novel sets the tone for the rest of the book. According to Educators, it explores the central tension between the primitive and civilized in London.

(iii) Buck lived a pampered life at Judge Miller’s place. Buck was not always a sheep dog. Before he was kidnapped, he was a pampered house pet. His master Judge Miller was a wealthy person and lived on a large farm in the Santa Clara Valley.

(iv) Buck was neither a house dog nor a kennel dog. The whole area was his. He ruled over the great estate of Judge Miller.

(v) Judge Miller was Buck’ first owner. Buck was born at the farm and lived for four years. His father, Elmo, had been Judge’s inseparable companion. His mother, shop, had been a scotch shepherd dog. So in short, Judge Miller and Buck, both had a very important relationship.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Buck had accepted the rope with great dignity. To be sure, it was an unwanted performance; but he had learned to
trust in men he knew, and to give them credit for a wisdom that outreached his own.
(i) Who was Manuel?
(ii) Why did Manuel kidnap and sell Buck?
(iii) How did Buck react to the stranger’s rope?
(iv) What was Manuel’s one sin?
(v) How would you describe Buck as stated in the above extract?
Answer:
(i) In chapter 1 – ‘Into the Primitive’ of the novel “The call of the wild” written by Jack London, Manuel was the Gardener’s helper who stole Buck away from Judge Miller’s place in Santa Clara, Valley of California. Manuel was a gambler.

(ii) Manuel has acquired huge gambling debts, and his wages were not even enough to support his family. So he kidnaps and sells Buck to a man who will sell him to be trained as a sled dog.

(iii) Manuel ties a stout rope around Buck’s neck. When the stranger tries to take the rope, Buck growls and the rope tightens around his neck. His strength sagged and his eyes glazed. He had never been so angry.

(iv) Manuel’s had one sin. He loved to play Chinese lottery. To play, he required money, and his wages were not even enough to support his family.

(v) In the introductory part of Jack’s London’s hard-edged and naturalistic adventure, Buck is first described as a large dog of one hundred and forty pounds, who is a St. Bernard Shepherd mix. “He had a fine pride in himself, and was ever a trifle egotistical”.

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
They were a new kind of men to Buck and while he developed no affection for them, he none the less grew honestly justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to befooled by dogs.
(i) Why was there a sudden demand for heavy and furry dogs?
(ii) Why did the Man in the Red Sweater take Buck out of his crate and what lesson did he teach Buck?
(iii) Who bought Buck? At what cost? For what purpose?
(iv) How did Buck behave when he was imprisoned ?
(v) What puzzled Buck when he stepped onto the deck of the Narwhal ?
Answer:
(i) In chapter 1 of the Novel “The Call of the Wild” written by Jack London, we come to understand that there is a sudden demand for heavy and furry dogs. The reason behind is that the novel picturises the hilly area. People travelling through Alaska wanted a form of transportation, and heavy and furry dogs are best suited to this climate.

(ii) The man in the Red Sweater threw Buck out of his crate, as Buck was furious in the beginning and would not give up. This man in the Red Sweater taught Buck that he was the law maker and Buck had to obey him.

(iii) Perrault bought Buck for $300, to teach him how to be a sled dog, to carry mail he needed to deliver for the Canadian government. Buck quickly learnt that his new masters were fair enough and familiar with the ways of the dogs.

(iv) Buck neither ate nor drank for two days and nights. His eyes turned blood shot and he transformed into a raging fiend. He was snarling and growling furiously, anxious to get out.

(v) On the deck, Buck’s feet sank into a white mush. It bit like fire and in the next instant, was gone. This puzzled him. In short, Buck was puzzled by the atmosphere and the climate and the snow; since it was his first snow.

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A Tiger in the Zoo Summary in English by Leslie Norris

A Tiger in the Zoo by Leslie Norris About the Poet

George Leslie Norris (1921-2006) was a prize winning Welsh poet and short story writer. He is considered as most important Welsh writer of the post war period and his literary works have won many prizes. His famous works are Finding Gold, The loud winder, phoenix living poets series: Ransoms, etc.

Poet Name	Leslie Norris
Born	21 May 1921, Merthyr Tydfil, United Kingdom
Died	6 April 2006, Provo, Utah, United States
Parents	George, Mary Jane Norris
Spouse	Catherine Morgan
Nationality	Welsh, British

A Tiger in the Zoo Summary in English

The poet has compared the activities of a tiger in the zoo with the tiger in its natural habitat. The Tiger moves slowly and quietly inside the cage in his very bright stripes. He takes a few steps in his cage on pads of’velvet quiet and humbly snarled in his quiet rage. The Tiger should be waiting somewhere secretly in the shadow, sliding through the long grass of the wild, near the water-hole in a forest for wild animal’s where the plump dear pass.

The Tiger should be showing his teeth and making angry noises around houses at the edge of the jungle showing his white fangs, his claws and terrorising the village. But now the Tiger is locked up in a concrete cell and all his strength is kept behind bars. He spends his time stalking the length of his cage and ignoring all visitors. The voice of the patrolling cars is the last voice he hears every night and that is then he stares with his brilliant eyes at the brilliant stars above.

A Tiger in the Zoo Summary Questions and Answers

1. He should he snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!

a. Who is ‘he’?
Answer:
‘He’ here refers to the tiger.

b. Where does he snarl around?
Answer:
He snarls around houses.

c. Why does he do it?
Answer:
It is his natural movement.

d. What effect does it have on the whole village?
Answer:
It has a terrorising effect on the whole village.

2. Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

a. What is the tiger doing? Why is he ignoring the visitors?
Answer:
The tiger is moving inside his cage. He is ignoring visitors because he does not like to be confined in the cage. He would rather wander about in his natural habitat, the jungle.

3. On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.

a. Who is referred to here? Why does he express his anger quietly?
Answer:
A tiger caged in the zoo is referred to here. He expresse’s his anger quietly because he is in the confines of his cage, restricted and quite helpless and he is unable to do anything about it.

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The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary Workbook Answers

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary

This scene takes place in the garden of Portia’s house. The scene opens with a humorous dialogue of Launcelot for the amusement of the groundlings. Launcelot says that Jessica will be damned for her father’s sins. Jessica replies she will be saved because of the virtues of Lorenzo and also because she has converted into Christianity. Launcelot teases her by saying that the Christian community will accuse her of doing wrong to them and they would increase the price of pork.

At this time Lorenzo enters and says that he is getting jealous of Launcelot for talking so much to his wife by getting her ‘into corners’. He tells him to go inside and see that dinner is prepared.Lorenzo asks Jessica’s opinion about Portia. She praises Portia, stating that she has no one even equal to her on this earth. Lorenzo says that the same thing can be said about him. Jessica replies that they can talk about it over dinner. Lorenzo agrees that by talking about such romantic things they will be able to digest the dinner better.

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary Word Meanings

1. laid upon – revenged upon
2. plain – honest
3. agitation – wrongly used for cogitation which means thought
4. damned – fated to go to Hell
5. enow – enough
6. rasher – slice of bacon
7. are out – quarreled
8. commonwealth – Christian community
9. wit-snapper – comedian
10. cover – using it to mean lay the table,
11. quarrelling with the occasion – disputing whether the word is suitable to the context
12. discretion – ability to distinguish words
13. army – a collection,
14. garnished – supplied with words
15. tricksy word – a word that allows a trick to be played (punning)
16. defy the matter – confuse with their meanings
17. past all expressing – beyond words
18. meet – necessary
19. upright – honorable
20. there must be something pawned – If one compares Portia with another human something should be added to the other balance to make the worth even
21. rude world – this earthly world
22. not her fellow – not her equal
23. set you forth – praise your qualities or put you in your place.

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary Questions and Answers

1. Launcelot :
Yes, truly; for, look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now
I speak my agitation of the matter : therefore be o’ good cheer; for, truly, I think you are damned. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good, and that is but a kind of bastard hope neither.
Jessica : And what hope is that, I pray thee ?
Launcelot : Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew’s daughter.
Jessica : That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed : so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me.
Launcelot : Truly then I fear you are damned both by father and mother : thus when I shun Scylla (your father) I fall into Charybdis (your mother): well, you are gone both ways.
Jessica: I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian.

Question 1.
Who, according to the speaker, is the father here? What sins is he referring to? Who is the child?
Answer:
According to the speaker, Shylock is the father here. He sins by lending money to people with heavy interest and shows no mercy on anyone, as he is greedy for money. Jessica, the daughter of Shylock, is the child who is being talked about in the above lines.

Question 2.
Who is damned and why? What is the only hope, according to the speaker?
Answer:
Launcelot believes that Jessica is damned because she is the daughter of the cunning Shylock. Being the daughter of such a sinner, she will have to pay for her father’s sins. Though Launcelot feels that there is only one hope for Jessica and that is to hope that her father had not begot her, which is a false hope.

Question 3.
How does the person, who is ‘damned’, reacts? How can this person be saved?
Answer:
If Jessica hopes that if she was not the Jew’s daughter then she will have to be punished for the sins of her mother which means that she is doomed from both the sides i.e., from her father’s as well as from her mother’s side. Jessica says that her husband, Lorenzo, who is a Christian and has made her a Christian, will save her.

Question 4. There are four complaints against the speaker. What are they? What does Jessica say in reply?
Answer:
Seeing, both Jessica and Launcelot are talking to each other, Lorenzo points out to Launcelot that he will grow jealous of him if he’ll find him whispering to his wife in the corners. Secondly, Jessica reports to Lorenzo that Launcelot very bluntly stated that she is damned and that Lorenzo is not a good member of his community.

Lorenzo also holds Launcelot responsible for impregnating a Moorish woman. Finally, Launcelot is accused of playing with words to his advantage, twisting and turning their meanings as he desires. Jessica replies that her husband needs no suspicion as she and Launcelot have fallen out as he has flatly said that she has no place in heaven as she isn’t a Christian.

Question 5.
What humorous remarks does Launcelot say about Christian community soon after this extract?
Answer:
Launcelot says that Lorenzo is to be blamed for adding to the Christian community by adding one more Christian. They have enough of Christians and this addition will create one more pig eater, thereby increasing the price of the pigs; ultimately, the demand will be too much that there will not be a decent slice of bacon to be cooked on their fire.

2. Lorenzo :
O dear discretion, how his words are suited !
The fool hath planted in his memory
An army of good words, and I do know
A many fools, that stand in better place,
Garnish’d like him, that for a tricksy word Defy the matter.
How cheer’st thou, Jessica ?
And now, good sweet, say thy opinion;
How dost thou like the Lord Bassanio’s wife ?

Question 1.
Who is the speaker talking about? What observation does he make about him?
Answer:
The speaker is Lorenzo. He is talking about Launcelot Gobbo, the fool. Lorenzo laughs at Launcelot’s ability to use words at his discretion and fit them for his purpose. Lorenzo also says that he knows of many fools better than Launcelot (perhaps professionally) but he outruns them all.

Question 2.
What is Jessica’s opinion of Bassanio’s wife?
Answer:
Jessica feels that Portia, Bassanio’s wife, is beyond any comparison. He is blessed to have such a lady as his wife and he should now, lead an honorable life. Having her as his wife, he’ll lead a heavenly life on earth. She always draws an example by saying that if there was a heavenly match between two gods and two earthly women were on the wager, one being Portia, something else would have to be gambled for the other as there was no other woman in the world to match Portia.

Question 3.
What humorous exchange of words takes place between husband and wife at the end of the scene?
Answer:
Lorenzo says that Jessica has a husband with all the qualities of an ideal husband just as Portia has for an ideal wife, Jessica replies that she should be allowed to decide that. When Lorenzo suggests that they should talk about it over dinner, Jessica says that she’d prefer to talk about his qualities when she has the inclination to do so. Then Lorenzo says that it’ll be better if they have such pleasant conversation while eating, as no matter what she says, he’ll be able to digest it along with the other things on the table.

Question 4.
How does the scene end? What impression do you get about the relationship between the couple?
Answer:
The scene ends on a very sweet note with a romantic conversation between Jessica and Lorenzo. He claims that the way Portia is the best wife, similarly Lorenzo has no match as a husband. Jessica insists on being given the opportunity of expressing her opinion on that. Thus, continuing their love prate, they move to the dinner table. From this, we understand that the couple shares a strong bond of love and are passionate about each other. They can spend hours together in each other’s company.

Question 5.
In what way is the scene important to the play?
Answer:
The scene is a light-hearted interlude that acts as dramatic relief before the commencement of the emotionally charged court scene. The interaction between the newly married Lorenzo and Jessica provides romance and sweetness to the play. It gives the time gap for Portia’s journey to Venice. Jessica’s superlative praises enhances Portia’s character. Launcelot’s clowning and punning is to entertain the common crowd. The comedy would heighten the effect of the court scene.

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The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 4 Summary Workbook Answers

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 4 Summary

The scene is taking place in Belmont. Bassanio and Gratiano have left for Venice. We see Portia in a new light. She makes a clever plan to save Antonio. She sends a letter to her cousin and a famous lawyer, Dr Bellario. She tells her servant Balthazar to get a reply from the doctor and a lawyer’s robe.

Portia and Nerissa leave for Venice under the pretext of spending time in a monastery. She plans to disguise as Bellario the lawyer and Nerissa will be dressed as a clerk. She bets that when they are dressed as men, she’ll be the prettier of the two.

Portia describes how bravely she’ll wear her dagger and brag of manly conquests so that she’ll be taken for a boy barely one year out of school. This whole plan will be disclosed to Nerissa during their ride in the coach bound for Venrtian ferry.The disguise theme, in which women disguised as men, add the comic element to the play. The theme of friendship gets a ‘godlike amity’.

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 4 Summary Word Meanings

1. habit – dress
2. accomplished – equipped with
3. wager – bet
4. braver grace – greater air of boldness, mincing steps lady like quick steps,
5. fray – fights
6. bragging – boastful
7. quaint – imaginative
8. puny – small
9. raw – boyish
10. bragging jacks – boastful fellows
11. device – plan
12. stays – waits
13. haste away – hurry up
14. measure – travel.

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 4 Summary Questions and Answers

1. Portia :
I never did repent for doing good,
Nor shall not now : for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together.
Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit;
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
How little is the cost I have bestow’d
n purchasing the semblance of my soul.

Question 1.
To whom is Portia replying in this manner? What has that person just said to Portia?
Answer:
Portia is talking to Lorenzo in this manner. Lorenzo has just praised Portia’s decision to send Bassanio to Antonio. He says she has a good understanding of spiritual friendship. That is why she willingly bears the absence of her husband; but if she knew the person whom she has shown this kindness and honor, how good a man and a good friend of her husband, she’ll feel proud of her action. In fact, this action is more valuable than her other generous actions so far.

Question 2.
Explain the meaning of ‘companions that do converse and waste the time together’. What is meant by ‘equal yokes of love’ and ‘lineaments’?
Answer:
‘Companions that do converse and waste the time together’ means friends who spend time talking to each other. ‘Equal yokes of love’ means bound to each other like a pair of oxen and ‘lineaments’ mean characteristics.

Question 3.
What makes Portia come to the conclusion that Antonio and Bassanio are similar?
Answer:
Portia feels when two friends spend their time together and interact with each other, bearing equal respect and love for each other in their souls, there is bound to be some similarity in face, manners and disposition.

Question 4.
What does Portia tell Lorenzo about her plans in the next few days, till Bassanio returns?
Answer:
Portia tells Lorenzo that she has made a solemn vow to live in prayer and meditation, with no other attendant but Nerissa, till their husbands return. They are going to live in a monastery two miles away.

2. Portia :
I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas’d
To wish it back on you : fare you well, Jessica.
[Exeunt Jessica and Lorenzo]
Now, Balthazar,
As I have ever found thee honest-true,
So let me find thee still. Take this same letter,
And use thou all th’ endeavour of a man
In speed to Padua : see thou render this
Into my cousin’s hand, Doctor Bellario;
And look what notes and garments he doth give thee,
Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin’d speed
Unto the traject, to the common ferry
Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words,
But get thee gone : I shall be there before thee.

Question 1.
Who is Portia talking to? What had they wished her?
Answer:
Portia is talking to Lorenzo and Jessica. Lorenzo wished Portia pleasant thoughts and happy hours. Jessica wished her the fulfillment of all the desires of her heart.

Question 2.
Who is Balthazar? What is Portia’s estimation of him?
Answer:
Balthazar is Portia’s trusted servant. Portia has always found him honest and trustworthy and she is sure that he’ll continue to be so and will do the present assignment with utmost sincerity and responsibility.

Question 3.
What job has Balthazar been entrusted with?
Answer:
Portia entrusts Balthazar with the job of taking a letter to her lawyer cousin Bellario to Padua. He has to do this fast and bring the papers and dresses given by the lawyer and reach the landing place of the ferry bound for Venice.

Question 4.
Give the meaning of ‘imagined speed’ and traject’. What reply does Balthazar give to these instructions?
Answer:
‘Imagined speed’ means quickly, with the speed that imagination takes and ‘traject’ is the landing place for the ferry. Balthazar replies that he will fulfill all the instructions as fast as possible.

Question 5.
What does Portia tell Nerissa just after this?
Answer:
Portia tells Nerissa. she has work in hand which Nerissa need not know for the present. The only thing she should know now is that they will see their husbands sooner than they think.

3. Portia :
They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit
That they shall think we are accomplished
With that we lack. I’ll hold thee any wager,
When we are both acoutered like young men,
I’ll prove the prettierfellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
And speak between the change of man and boy
With a reed voice, and. turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride, and speak of frays
Like a fine bragging youth

Question 1.
To what question of Nerissa, does Portia give this reply? Who are the ’they’ mentioned? Where are ‘they’?
Answer:
When Portia tells Nerissa that they will see their husbands before they get time to think of them, Nerissa asks her whether they’ll be able to see them, before time. To this question, Portia says, they will. ‘They’ mentioned here are Bassanio and Gratiano. They have gone to Belmont.

Question 2.
Explain ‘but in such a habit that they shall think we are accomplished with what we lack’.
Answer:
Portia says that their husbands will see them in such a dress that they will think they are equipped with qualities of men which they actually lack.

Question 3.
For what does the speaker laid a bet with Nerissa? How does the speaker intend to behave to justify their disguise?
Answer:
Portia bets that being dressed as a man, she would be the smarter of the two (Portia and Nerissa). She claims that she would wear her dagger more gracefully and would speak like a man. She would convert her lady like steps into manly strides. For her to brag and lie like a youth would be easy and she would claim to have caused many women to faint at the sight of this youth. She would very easily learn a thousand tricks of these boasting fellows.

Question 4.
What lies will Portia say to make people think that he is only twelve months out of his school? What else does she have in her mind?
Answer:
Portia will tell lies like how noble ladies sought his love but being rejected fell sick and died. Then she would wish she had not done that and  regret her behaviour. She has thousand raw plans in her mind, which brew in the minds of boastful school boys.

Question 5.
What question does Nerissa ask thereafter? What reply does she get?
Answer:
Nerissa is confused so she asks Portia whether they are going to dress as men? Portia pretends to think that Nerissa means ‘take men for lovers’ so she ridicules Nerissa for asking such a question. She further says that someone with a dirty mind would feel that they are ready to fall into the arms of men. She then assures Nerissa that she will disclose her entire plan to Nerissa on their way to Venice.

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The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 3 Summary Workbook Answers

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 3 Summary

The audience is taken back to Venice. We come to know about Antonio’s miserable state, He has been allowed to leave jail for a short time. Shylock tells the jailor to guard Antonio closely. Antonio’s mercy pleas have been completely ignored by Shylock. The Jew is very keen to avenge all the wrongs done to him.

He repeatedly says, ‘I’ll have my bond!’ He says that earlier Antonio had called him a dog without reason. Since he is considered a dog, Antonio will now have to face his fangs. Shylock complains that Antonio is shown favoritism, as he is allowed to come out of the jail.

He is not ready to listen to Christian pleaders. Antonio decides not to plead further. Solanio hopes for some mercy from the Duke. But the duke is also duty bound to follow the strict rules of Venice. Venice depends on the prosperity from the International trade which, in turn, depends on impartial treatment towards all. If the laws are violated and justice is denied, Venice will lose its credibility. It will surely affect its trade.

Antonio says that the worries and griefs of the past few days have made him lose weight that he doubts whether there will be enough flesh to be cut off the next day. He only prays that Bassanio come to see him discharge his debt; he wishes for nothing else.

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 3 Summary Word Meanings

1. fangs – teeth
2. naughty – good for nothing
3. abroad – outside the prison
4. dull – eyed – stupid
5. relent – show pity
6. intercessors – pleaders
7. impenetrable cur – hard hearted dog
8. kept with – lived among
9. bootless – futile
10. delivers – rescued
11. forfeiture to hold – to be enforced
12. commodity – rights
13. strangers – foreigners
14. impeach – questioned or accused
15. bated – affected
16. bloody – blood thirsty.

The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 3 Summary Questions and Answers

1. Shylock:
I’ll have my bond; speak not against my bond :
I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond.
Thou call’dst me dog before thou hadst a cause,
But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs :
The duke shall grant me justice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art so fond
To come abroad with him at his request.

Antinio : I pray thee, hear me speak.
Shylock : I’ll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak :
I’ll have my bond, and therefore speak no more.
I’ll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool,
To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield
To Christian intercessors. Follow not;
I’ll have no speaking; I will have my bond.

Question 1.
To whom are these words spoken? When? Who else is with the characters? Where are they?
Answer:
These words are being spoken to Antonio, when he requests Shylock to listen to him. Solanio and the jailor are with them. They are in a street in Venice.

Question 2.
In what state of mind is Shylock, now? What has he accused the jailer of, a little while earlier?
Answer:
Shylock is excited and very keen to take his revenge against Antonio. He keeps on repeating, ‘I’ll have the bond’. He has accused the jailor of showing partiality towards Antonio by allowing him to come out of the jail.

Question 3.
Explain ‘I’ll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool, to shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield to Christian intercessors’. Earlier he tells the listener to be beware of his fangs. Why?
Answer:
The line means that Shylock will not become a soft and stupid fool to shake his head and relent to forgive Christian pleaders. Earlier he says that Antonio had called him a dog and now he must suffer the dog’s bite.

Question 4.
Why and when does the listener say, ‘Let him alone’?
Answer:
When Solanio comments that the Jew is the most heartless dog, Antonio says that there is no use pleading in front of the blood-thirsty Shylock.

Question 5.
Why is Shylock after his life, according to the speaker?
Answer:
According to .Antonio, Shylock is after his life as he had rescued many people from the Jew’s clutches by helping with his money. So Shylock has been deprived of his forfeiture many a time: therefore, the Jew hates him and he is after his life to take revenge.

Question 6.
Why can’t the Duke save the speaker?
Answer:
The Duke can’t save the speaker, as he has to abide by the strict laws of Venice. If he goes against justice, Venice will lose its credibility among foreign traders and this will affect its trade and prosperity.

Question 7.
How does the scene end? Bring out the significance of the scene.
Answer:
The scene ends on a sad note with Antonio losing all hope for his life. His last wish is to meet Bassanio, his best friend. This is the preparation for the trial scene that follows. The audience is prepared for Antonio’s tragedy. This also gives a time gap for Bassanio to reach. The scene emphasizes the theme of friendship in which Antonio without any complaint submits to his fate.

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The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 4 Summary Workbook Answers

The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 4 Summary

The subplot further develops in this scene. We see how Jessica and Lorenzo plans to elope. Bassanio’s friends are making arrangements for a celebration, a masquerade dinner party. Lorenzo suggests that they should ‘slink away1 by supper time and meet at his residence to disguise themselves.

They also have to arrange for the torch bearers for the masque. While they are talking, Launcelot enters and hands over Jessica’s letter to Lorenzo. Launcelot is in a hurry as Bassanio had told him to give the invitation for dinner to Shylock. Lorenzo gives the clown some money and sends a message to Jessica with him.

Lorenzo shares his secret elopement plans with Gratiano. Jessica has informed him that she’ll leave her father’s house that night, dressed as a page. She’ll carry some money and jewels from the house. Lorenzo decides that he’ll be their torch bearer. Gratiano is delighted to hear about the plan and offers to help them in any manner he can.

The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 4 Summary Word Meanings

1. slink away – slip away
2. disguise – dress as someone or something else to hide own identity
3. preparation – arrangement
4. spoke us yet – provided us with
5. vile – disgusting
6. quaintly order’d – done with style
7. furnish us – be ready
8. seem to signify – inform you
9. know the hand – recognize the handwriting
10. by your leave – with your permission
11. bid – invite
12. masque – a procession in which the participants wear masks
13. some hour hence – in an hour
14. furnished – supplied
15. page’s suit – uniform of a boy servant to a person of high rank
16. foot – path
17. cross her foot – come in her way
18. issue – offspring
19. faithless – one who doesn’t believe in Christianity
20. peruse – study.

The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 4 Summary Questions and Answers

1. Lorenzo :
I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed
How I shall take her from her father’s house;
What gold and jewels she is furnish’d with;
What page’s suit she hath in readiness.
If e’er the Jew her father come to heaven,
It will be for his gentle dauther’s sake;
And never dare misfortune cross herfoot,
Unless she do it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me : peruse this as thou goest.
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

Question 1.
Where is Lorenzo now? Who else is with him? What are they preparing for?
Answer:
Lorenzo is on the street outside the house of Shylock. Gratiano is with him. They are preparing for a masque, as they are going to celebrate that night at Bassanio’s masquerade dinner party.

Question 2.
What is a masque? What have they not arranged, so far?
Answer:
A masque is a procession in which all the guests participate in disguise, covering their faces with masks. They have not been able to arrange for the torch bearers for the masque.

Question 3.
What does Lorenzo want to inform Gratiano? Explain in detail.
Answer:
Lorenzo wants to inform Gratiano about the plan of eloping with Jessica. Jessica has informed him through the letter that how he should take her from her father’s house, what gold and jewels, she would be taking, and about the dress of the page she would be wearing.

Question 4.
Who is the ‘Jew, her father’? On what condition can he go to heaven?
Answer:
The ‘Jew, her father’ is Shylock. According to Lorenzo, it is only the fact that gentle and loving Jessica is his daughter, who can work as a passport for Shylock to go to heaven.

Question 5.
For what reason can misfortune ‘cross her foot’? Explain ’faithless Jew’.
Answer:
Lorenzo prays that no misfortune should cross the way of Jessica. If it happens, it’ll be only because of the fault, that her father is a faithless Jew which means a non-believer; one who doesn’t believe in Christianity.

Question 6.
What decision does Lorenzo make at the end of the scene? What does he ask Gratiano to peruse as they go?
Answer:
Lorenzo decides that Jessica will be dressed as a page, and he will be their torchbearer for the masque. He asks Gratiano to read the message sent by Jessica.

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The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 3 Summary Workbook Answers

The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 3 Summary

This scene is set in Shylock’s house. This introduces the sub-plot of Lorenzo- Jessica love story. Launcelot comes to take his leave from Shylock, but finds his master’s daughter, Jessica, sitting alone in the house. She is sad to know Launcelot is leaving but understands the reason.

She says that he had brought some cheer to the house which is as oppressive as hell. She also asks him to deliver a letter to Lorenzo, her lover. Launcelot sadly bids farewell to the sweet Jew and is happy that she is going to run away with a Christian. After the clown goes, Jessica reveals that she is ashamed of being Shylock’s daughter.

She has only ‘blood1 in common with her father. She says that if she succeeds in running away, she’ll marry Lorenzo and become a Christian. The scene exposes the conflict between her father and her love for Lorenzo.

The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 3 Summary Word Meanings

1. taste – part
2. tediousness – boredom
3. exhibit – inhibit my tongue
4. pagan – non¬believer in Christianity
5. play the knave – be dishonest
6. deceived – cheated
7. drops – tears
8. spirit – courage
9. heinous – evil
10. strife – conflict.

The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 3 Summary Questions and Answers

1. Jessica :
I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so.
Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.
But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new master’s guest:
Give him this letter—do it secretly.
And so farewell; I would not have my father
See me in talk with thee.

Question 1.
Where is Jessica now? Whom is she addressing? Why has this person come here, at this moment?
Answer:
Jessica is in her father’s house now. She is addressing Launcelot as the ‘merry clown’. He has come there to take leave of his hitherto master, Shylock as he is joining his new master Bassanio.

Question 2.
Explain the meaning of ‘Didst rob of it some taste of tediousness’.
Answer:
Jessica means that the jokes and pranks of the country clown had made the atmosphere of the house a little better than hell. He made her life cheerful.

Question 3.
What does Jessica request the other person to do? What does she gives him?
Answer:
Jessica gives Launcelot a gold coin and requests him to deliver a letter secretly to Lorenzo, whom he’ll be meeting at Bassanio’s dinner.

Question 4.
What does this extract show about the character of Jessica?
Answer:
The extract shows that Jessica is a generous person and has true affection for the clown. She is unhappy with the cruelty of her father and finds her house to be a veritable hell. She is troubled by her conscience, as she wants to leave her father to marry a Christian. She is neither loyal to her father nor her religion.

Question 5.
In what way is her character contrasted with that of Portia?
Answer:
Portia is shown as a lady of high character who has great reverence for her dead father. She is willing to follow the instructions of her father regarding her marriage. Jessica is ashamed to call Shylock, her father as she is fed up on the contrary, of his harsh ways. She is going to elope with a Christian even if she knows that it will be a terrible blow to her father.

2. Launcelot :
Adieu ! tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful pagan, most
sweet Jew ! If a Christian do not play the knave and get thee, I
am much deceived But, adieu ! These foolish drops do something
drown my manly spirit: Adieu !

Question 1.
Why does Launcelot say Adieu? What is the humour in the first line of the extract?
Answer:
Launcelot has decided to leave Shylock’s house and has come now to bid farewell. He sees Jessica and bids her adieu. The humour is provided by Launcelot’s tendency to use the wrong words in place of similar sounding correct words. Here he uses ‘exhibit’ instead of inhibit. He actually wants to say that his tears are preventing him from using his tongue.

Question 2.
Why does the speaker calls Jessica, a pagan and sweet Jew.
Answer:
Christians considered everyone from other religion than Christianity as a non-believer or pagan. Launcelot also has the same prejudice and hence he calls Jessica pagan, as she is a Jew. But since she is good and he likes her a lot, he calls her sweet.

Question 3.
Explain the meaning of ‘If a Christian do not play the knave and. get thee, I am much deceived.’
Answer:
Launcelot wants Lorenzo to be dishonest enough to take away Jessica, without the permission of her father. If Lorenzo, the Christian does not play the cheating game, Launcelot, will feel cheated. He wanted Lorenzo to acquire Jessica as his wife.

Question 4.
What does the speaker mean by, ‘These foolish drops do something drown my manly spirit’?
Answer:
Launcelot feels sad to leave Jessica. He feels that if he stays longer, his tears will make him look less manly.

Question 5.
What does Jessica say to herself, soon after this extract?
Answer:
Jessica says that it is a deadly sin to feel ashamed of her own father. She was a daughter to him only in blood but not in manners. If Lorenzo keeps his promise, she was ready to be his wife and become a Christian. In this way, she would be able to finally make a choice between her loyalty to her father and love for Lorenzo.

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The Trees Summary in English by Adrienne Rich

The Trees by Adrienne Rich About the Poet

Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was a famous poet, essayist and feminist. She has published nineteen volumes of poetry, three collections of essays and other writings.

Poet Name	Adrienne Rich
Born	16 May 1929, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died	27 March 2012, Santa Cruz, California, United States
Spouse	Alfred H. Conrad (m. 1953–1970)
Awards	National Book Award for Poetry, Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize

The Trees Summary in English

The poet has unusual theme for the trees which want to break all the barriers of man-made things so as to reunite with their natural surroundings. The poet very clearly depicts the disadvantage of growing trees inside the houses in enclosures which are cramped enough to make these trees revolt. They lose their natural utility by housing the insects and birds and spreading their shadow to the tired souls. The trees though appear to be weak, make ceaseless efforts from all the sides to come out of the boundaries by smashing the glass.

The condition of land without forest
a. No bird will be there.
b. No insect will be there.
c. The sunlight cannot make shadow.
Activities by plants for reforestation
d. Plants are coming out of the pots kept in veranda.
e. The leaves in the picture frames are breaking the glasses.
f. Very small plants that look like discharged patients are also moving for reforestation.
The reaction of poet
g. She is happy to hear the movement sound of plants.
h. She writes a letter but does not mention this departure of plants because she is afraid that those people may again cut the forest.
The image of moon
i. Unbroken moon – It is sad for not scattering its light over forest because all trees are cut.
j. Broken Moon – It has scattered its rays over the reforested jungle.

The Trees Summary Questions and Answers

1. I sit inside, doors open to the veranda
writing long letters
in which I scarcely mention the departure
of the forest from the house.

a. ‘I’ in the above lines is ___________
(i) a young man
(ii) the poet
(iii) a boy
(iv) a young woman
Answer:
(ii) the poet

b. The speaker is ___________
(i) in her house
(ii) is writing letters
(iii) watching the departure of the forest
(iv) all of the above
Answer:
(iv) all of the above

c. The trees are moving ___________
(i) inside
(ii) outside
(iii) nowhere
(iv) sideways
Answer:
(ii) outside

2. All night the roots work
to disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor.

a. Where are the roots?
Answer:
The roots are entangled in the cracks of the veranda floor.

b. What are the roots doing?
Answer:
The roots are trying to disengage themselves from the cracks of the veranda floor so that they can move out into the forest.

c. Where have the cracks appeared?
Answer:
The cracks have appeared on the veranda floor.

3. I sit inside, doors open to the veranda
writing long letters
in which I scarcely mention the departure
of the forest from the house.

a. Who is ‘I’?
Answer:
The poet is ‘I’ here.

b. What is he doing?
Answer:
She is writing letters.

c. Where are the trees in the poem?
Answer:
The trees are inside the house. But now they are moving out of the house.

Question 4.
What are the three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest?
Answer:
The forest has been empty all these days because its trees have been cut down. Three things cannot happen in a treeless forest. Firstly, birds cannot sit there. Secondly, insects can’t hide themselves. Thirdly; the sun cannot bury its rays in shadow.

Question 5.
In the poem ‘Trees4, where are the trees? What are their roots, twigs, etc. trying to do?
Answer:
The trees are inside the houses. Their roots, twigs, etc. are making ceaseless efforts from all the sides to come out of the boundaries by smashing the glass.

Question 6.
What does the poet mean by the sun’s feet? What picture do these words create in mind?
Answer:
The sun’s feet refer to the sunrays which are not able to penetrate through the thick cluster of trees. These words create a dark and gloomy image in the mind.

Question 7.
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof Like newly discharged patients.
Why does the poet compare branches with patients?
Answer:
The poet compares the ‘long-cramped’ branches that have been shuffling under the roof to newly discharged patients who look half-dazed as they move towards the hospital doors after long illnesses and wait to get out of the hospital. The branches also have cramped under the roof and want to get out into the open to spread themselves in fresh air.