th

Grade 12
English Notes
(2025-26)
 [Link] WRITING - 50 Words - 4 marks

A notice is a written or printed formal announcement. It is written in order to inform a large number of
people about something that has happened or is about to happen. It could be an upcoming event or
competition. Notice is written in third person as it is a formal piece of announcement to be delivered to
the targeted audience. Notices are factual and to-the-point.

A notice should contain all the necessary details such as:

1. Name of the issuing agency or Institution /school.

2. NOTICE (In bold letters)

3. Date of issue/release of the notice in left corner preferably

[Link]/Subject of the Event (what?)

5. BODY-Date/time/duration/Place/Venue (when and where?)

6. Authorized signatory: Name and signature (contact details)

Please follow the given tips while attempting a question based on Notice writing format:

Do not cross the word limit to avoid penalty of marks. The prescribed word limit is 50 words.

Repetition of any information should be avoided.

Always enclose the notice in a box. Make sure you draw the box with a pencil.

Keep your notice short, crisp and to-the-point.

Highlight the word ―NOTICE and ―TITLE..

The title should be captivating and eye-catching.

Don‘t make hypothetical information and facts. Make use of what‘s given in the question.

Make sure you do not mention your personal information.

Use all the available information in the question.

BODY OF NOTICE :

WHAT? - What is the notice about? WHO?- Who is it addressed to?

WHERE? - Where is the event? WHEN? - When is the event going to happen?

WHAT TO DO? - The instructions are written related to the notice

WHOM? - Whom to contact or get in touch with?

FORMAT -
[Link] the occasion of Diwali your housing society has planned a feast for all its members. As the chairman
of your society, write a notice inviting all the members of the society to this gathering. Provide all the
necessary details.

[Link] WRITING - 50 Words - 4 marks

FORMAT FOR INVITATIONS-

1. Formal Invitation (To invite someone)

(i) Acceptance (Formally) (ii) Refuse (Formally)

[Link] Invitation (To invite someone)

(i) Acceptance (informally) (ii) Refuse (informally)

FORMAT - 1
FORMAT - 2
FORMAT - 4
FORMAT - 5
3. LETTER WRITING - 120 - 150 Words - 5 marks
[Link] APPLICATION - 120 - 150 Words - 5 marks
 [Link] WRITING - 120 -150 Words - 5 marks

A report is a brief account of an event that has already taken place. It helps in recording events of
importance that occurs in our day to day life and attempts to present the first hand information of an

incident or event. A report on an event includes ideas, opinions and impressions on the event. It should
state the facts as clearly and objectively as possible. Basically a report is a concise write-up which is written
for a particular purpose and audience. It needs to be clear and well-structured.

Format:

(a) A bold heading/Title. (A catchy title which is expressive of the contents of the report.)

(b) Name of the reporter.( Name of the person writing the report with the designation. It is generally given
in the question. Remember, you are not supposed to mention your personal. details in your answer.)

(c) Date of Report along with name of the place (city).

Content:

Write a report in 3-4 short paragraphs.

Para-1:

ii. Brief introduction of the event. It includes expansion of the headline. It needs to be short as it is a
general overview of the report.

Para 2 and 3 -

[Link] details of incident like what how/ when/ where/who/why/ any special happening. (Main
steps/activities/people/etc. involved may be dealt with as and when required. Brief detail of the
place/cause/consequence/effects/guests/etc.)

Para -4:

iv. Concluding remarks regarding action taken or required. Make appropriate conclusions that are
supported by the evidence and analysis of the report. This will include the description of how the event
ended. It may include quote excerpts from the Chief Guest's speech or how the event took its turn.
Concluding Para may also exhibit reactions/promises by. authorities/statement.

POINT TO REMEMBER -

Mention the place, date, time and other relevant facts about the event.
[Link] WRITING - 120 -150 Words - 5 marks
 SESSION 2024-25
1. Flamingo:English Reader published by National Council of Education
Research and Training, New Delhi
 (PROSE)

1. The last lesson

[Link] lost spring

[Link] water

[Link] Rattrap

[Link]

[Link] and Pancakes

[Link] Interview

[Link] Places

 (POETRY)

[Link] Mother At Sixty Six

[Link] Quiet

3.A Thing of Beauty

4. A Roadside Stand

[Link] Jennifer‟s Tigers

 [Link]: Supplementary Reader published by National Council of

Education Research and Training, New Delhi
[Link] Third Level

[Link] Tiger King

[Link] to the End of the Earth

[Link] Enemy

5. On the Face of It

6. Memories of Childhood :-
(i) The Cutting of My Long Hair
(ii) We Too are Human Beings

1
  WRITING SECTION
1. Notice Writing

2. Formal/Informal Invitation and Reply

[Link] based on verbal/visual input

[Link]/ Report Writing,

2
 CHAPTER - THE LAST LESSON

Summary -The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He dislikes
studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel. After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in
France, Berlin has ordered that German language instead of French be taught in the schools [Link] is the last day
of their French teacher M. Hamel, whohas been there for forty years. He is full of grief, nostalgia and patriotism.
As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village men also attend his ‗last lesson‘. They are sad as they did not
learn their mother tongue, French in their childhood. Franz is shocked to know that it‘s his last lesson, as he does
3
 not know French. Now, suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day!
Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one‘s language from a person as it is natural to each being, may it

be the ―coo‖ to the pigeons or ―French‖ to the [Link] develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel
and respects him for his sincerity and hard work. He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being
able to recite the lesson of participles. M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager enough to
learn, putting it off to the next day. He blames himself for not teaching them [Link] patriotism is reflected
in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful and most logical language in the world. He tells
the class to guard their language as being close to one‘s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery.
It will help them in getting free from the Germans. They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue
and that they have been defeated by the Germans because of their illiteracy.
Embroidered – decorated, stitched (कढ़ाई ककय़ा हुआ), Inspection – check, review (ज़ााँच), Solemn – serious, grave
(गंभीर), Benches – seats, pews (पीठ), Former – ex, previous (पर् ू )व , Mayor – civic leader, town head (नगर
अध्यऺ), Postmaster – mail head, letter chief (ड़ाकम़ास्टर),
Spectacles – glasses, eyewear (चश्म़ा), Mounted – climbed, got up (चढ़ा), Grave – serious, stern (गंभीर), Gentle –
kind, soft (दय़ाऱ)ु , Attentive – focused, alert (ध्य़ानपूर्क
व ) , Thunderclap – shock, jolt (आश्चयव), Wretches –
villains, culprits (दष्ु ट), Town-hall – civic center, public space (नगर भर्न),
Nuisance – bother, annoyance (परे श़ानी), Grammar – language rules, syntax (व्य़ाकरण), Saints – holy people,
revered ones (संत), Cranky – irritable, grumpy (चचड़चचड़़ा), Honour – respect, tribute (सम्म़ान)

1. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Answer. Franz feared a scolding at school as he had not prepared hte lesson on participles, on which his French
teacher M Hamel was to question the class that day. Besides* the warm and bright weather, the chirping of birds
and the watching the drill of Prussian soldiers also tempted Franz to stay away from school.
2. Why is the order from Berlin called a thunderclap by Franz?
Answer -M Hamel told his students that it was their last French lesson, as an order had come from Berlin that
henceforth only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This announcement seemed to
be a thunderclap to Franz. He was left in surprise and shock to learn that a new master was going to arrive the
next day and they would learn German instead of their mother tongue.
3. Who were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel‟s last lesson?

Answer - Some of the elderly people from the village were sitting on .the back benches during M Hamel‘s last
lesson. The villagers had come there to attend his last lesson as it was their way of paying respect to the master,
who had given forty years of faithful service to the school.
4. What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class?What did they mean?

Answer. Before dismissing the last class, M Hamel turned to the blackboard, and wrote the phrase, ‗Vive La
France!‘ as large as he could. These words meant ‗Long live France‘, and spoke of M Hamel‘s great love for his
country and his deep sense of patriotism.
5. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for the school that day?

Answer. Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day. His teacher M Hamel, was to question him
on the topic. Franz had not learnt his lessons and feared to be scolded by him.
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 6. Mention two things about M Hamel that surprised Franz on his last day at school.

Answer. M Hamel didn‘t scold Franz for being late; instead he told him very kindly to go to his place. Also, that
day he was dressed in his best clothes; he was in his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and little black silk cap with
embroidery, which he wore only on inspection or prize days.
7. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean? Ans.
Franz is disheartened when he comes to know that he can no longer learn his language – French. Their district
has been captured by Germany and now German will be taught to them. Franz feels that mother tongue comes to
a person naturally, he is born with it and no one can snatch it away.
8. How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?
Ans: Franz was shocked and sad when he heard this news. Suddenly he developed a liking for ‗his‘ language and
was keen to learn French. He was remorseful (feeling sorry) for not learning well in the past and was sad that his
teacher, M. Hamel would go away.
9. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this?
Why does this happen?
Ans. When the village men realize that their mother tongue, French will no longer be taught to them, they realize
its importance. Suddenly, they develop an inclination towards learning. They attend the last lesson of French,
bring their old, torn primers to learn the language which shows their eagerness. They regret putting off learning
French to the next day.
10. What shows M Hamel‟s love for the French language?
Ans-In his last lesson, M Hamel told the students that the French language was the most beautiful language in the
world—the clearest and the most logical. He asked them to guard it amongst themselves and never forget it,
because when a people were enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language, it was as if they had the key to
their prison.
11.“What a thunder clap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and surprised
little Franz?
Answer: When [Link] mounted on the chair and announced that he was there to teach his last French lesson
that day, Franz was shocked and surprised. He felt very guilty for deliberately ignoring to learn his native
language and he suddenly developed a strange fascination for his language and his school.
12 . Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What does this tell us about the
attitude of the Frenchmen?
Answer: During his last French class Franz hears the pigeons cooing and wonders if the Prussians would make them
sing in German too. His thought reveals the Frenchmen‘s fear of complete domination by the Germans whereby
they would try to enslave even their minds.
13.“But the thing that surprised me most was to see ” What surprised Franz most in the class?
Answer: The thing that surprised Franz the most when he entered the classroom was to see the village people sitting
as quietly as the students on the back benches of the class that were always empty. This included old Hauser, the
former mayor, the former postmaster and several others.
14. “ We‟ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with”, said M. Hamel. Comment.
Answer : M. Hamel blamed everyone for putting off learning till the next time and thus losing out on the
opportunity to learn their native language, French. The parents preferred to put their children to work on a farm or
at the mills so that they could earn more money. M. Hamel too sent them to water his flowers and gave them a
holiday when he wanted to go for fishing.

5
 CHAPTER - LOST SPRING
SUMMARY-The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived backgrounds. Through
them she wants to highlight the plight (difficult situation) of street children forced into labour early in life and are
denied the opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness (insensitive or cruel behaviour) of society
and the political class towards the sufferings of the poor. The first encounter is with a rag picker boy named Saheb
– E – Alam who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives in Seemapuri in Delhi. These ragpicker children
look for ‗valuables‘ in the garbage – things like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious as ‗gold‘ for them.
They could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education, shoes and sports are
their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage searching for things that helped them survive –
afford food, clothing and shelter for the family. The children hunted through the garbage heaps looking for things
which could partially fulfil their unfulfilled dreams. One day, the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going
towards the milk booth. He had got a job at a tea stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and
all the meals. The writer noticed that Saheb had lost the freedom of being his own master which he had enjoyed
as a rag [Link] second boy was Mukesh who belonged to a family of bangle makers in Firozabad. The boy
had a dream of becoming a car mechanic. On the contrary, his family was traditionally engaged in bangle making,
although the profession harmed them physically and they hardly earned any money out of it. Still, no one dared
to dream of doing something else due to the fear of the police and the middlemen. The family elders were content
that other than teaching the art of bangle – making to their children, they had been able to build them a house to
live in. The boy wanted to be a car mechanic. Cars were all that Mukesh had seen on the roads of his town and
so, he could not dream any further.
Embarrassed = ashamed, self-conscious (शयमभॊदा), Bleak = desolate, grim (सुनसान), Announces = declares, states
(घोषषत कयना), Universe = cosmos, world (ब्रहभाॊड), Roams = wanders, meanders (घूभना), Barefoot = without
shoes, unshod (नॊगे ऩाॉव),Recognise = identify, know (ऩहचानना), Shelf = rack, ledge (अरभायी की
खिड़की), Tradition = custom, practice (ऩयॊ ऩया), Excuse = justification, reason (फहाना), Perpetual = continuous,
everlasting (शाश्वत) Desolation = emptiness, bleakness (सुनाऩन), Backyard = rear area, back space
(षऩछवाड़ा), Panting = gasping, puffing (साॊस पूरना), Goddess = deity, divine (दे वी), Acquaintance = knowledge,
familiarity (ऩरयचचतता), Periphery = edge, boundary (सीभा),Metaphorically = symbolically, figuratively (रूऩक रूऩ
भें ), Squatters = settlers, occupiers (अवैध फसेया कयने वारे), Wilderness = wasteland, barren (जॊगर), Tarpaulin
= waterproof sheet, covering (टायऩोमरन), Sewage = waste, effluent (सीवेज), Drainage = outflow, runoff (नारी
मसस्टभ),Identity = recognition, persona (ऩहचान) , Survival = existence, life (अस्स्तत्व), Tattered = torn, ragged
(पटा हुआ) , Transit = movement, shift (अस्थामी), Proportions = scale, size (आमाभ), Scrounging = searching,
seeking (तराशना), Elders = seniors, aged (फुजुग)ग , Fenced = enclosed, barricaded (फाड़ रगा हुआ)

Question 1-Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web?
Answer :The author says that bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web because they are not able to form co-
operative societies for their betterment and are forced to follow and obey sahukars and policemen.
Question [Link] is Mukesh? What is his dream?
Answer :Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. He dreams of becoming a motor mechanic anda
car driver. In fact, he insists on becoming his own master.
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 Question [Link] could the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a co-operative?
Answer -Most of the young bangle-makers have fallen into the trap of the middlemen. They are also afraid of the
police. They know that the police will haul them up, beat them and drag to jail for doing something illegal. There
is no leader among them to help them see things differently.
Question [Link] does the writer mean when she says, „Saheb is no longer his own master‟?
Answer :The writer meant that till Saheb was a ragpicker, he was a carefree boy, who would work, have time for
himself and enjoy the work he was doing. But from the time he had started working in a stall with others
supervising his work, he changed. He had to become responsible and could not be free like earlier. He was no
longer his own master.
Question [Link] does the title „Lost Spring‟ convey?
Answer :Spring is associated with childhood. Like spring, a child blooms in childhood. However, abject poverty
and thoughtless traditions result in the loss of child-like innocence and much needed education. Millions of
children like Saheb and Mukesh lose the spring in their lives because they are compelled to do hazardous work
to provide a living for their family and themselves. Thus, the title brings out the dejected life of the child labourers
and their deprivation of the blessings of childhood.
Question [Link] is the condition of the children working in the glass furnaces of Firozabad?
Answer :More than 20,000 children illegally work in the glass blowing factories in Firozabad. They work around
furnaces in high temperature to weld glasses. They work in dingy cells without light and air. Their eyes are
adjusted more to the dark than to the light outside. They work all day long. Many of them lose their eyesight
before they become adults.
Question -7 What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for any precious thing which he cannot afford to buy. Things like a rupee, silver coin or a
pair of shoes. He has come to the garbage dump in the writer's neighbourhood. He lives in Seemapuri in Delhi
and has come from Dhaka.
Question -8 Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Ans. Saheb is happy that he has got work at the tea stall. He will get eight hundred rupees every month and his
meals too.
Question -9 Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this
happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Ans. Yes, I agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled. In the story the writer jokingly
offers the rag picker boy to join a school that she would open. Infact, she does not intend to open a school. She
speaks mindlessly but the boy takes it to be true and later asks her if the school has opened. There are many such
hollow promises in the boy's life because the person who makes the promise never intends to fulfil it.
Question -10 How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh dared to dream and wanted to become a motor mechanic. He wanted to drive cars too. He took the
initial step by aspiring to do something different from the family business. I think that Mukesh can realize his
dream with determination and hard work.
Question -11 What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans. The writer tells us that the bangle-makers of Firozabad are poverty-stricken. They are burdened by the fact
of the particular caste in which they are born bangle-makers. They have to continue the traditional profession.
Further, the society has formed a harsh circle around them. The money-lenders, middlemen, policemen, law-
keepers, officers and politicians altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty. They
cannot escape from it.

7
 Question -12 Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Ans. Forcing a child to work is a crime. This is so in order to prevent exploitation of children. If forced to work,
children cannot enjoy their childhood. They cannot get proper education. Also, when they are forced into
hazardous works, they get ailments at a young age. This destroys their future. Their parents overlook all these
facts as they need money. So, the government has to become proactive and take measures to check child labour
and enforce the law strictly.

CHAPTER - DEEP WATER

Summary - Deep Water summary will assist you in understanding the meaning of this chapter. It is an extract from the
book ‗Men and Mountains‘ by William Douglas. Over here, the author tells us about how he overcomes the deep-
rooted fear of water. We learn that the author develops fear of water following two very dreadful incidents. In this first
one, he is four years old when a wave knocks him down. Similarly, in the second one, he is 11 years of age. A bully
throws him in the deep end of the pool and almost drowns. Thus, having gone through such scary experiences, he fears
water deeply. However, he does work really hard to overcome it. Finally, we learn about the measures he takes to
overcome this fear. Moreover, he accomplishes in overcoming the fear and gives us all a great lesson of determination
and will power.

Deep Water is about the writer‘s journey of overcoming the fear of water, which is deeply rooted in him since
childhood. The author started fearing water since the age of four. It starts when he was visiting California with his
father. He visits a beach where a wave knocks him down and sweeps over him. This terrifies the author, although the
father laughs at this knowing it was no danger. However, this experience terrifies him and develops a fear of water.
After that, when the author is 11 years old, he experiences another incident which escalates his [Link] is at a
swimming pool in Yakima, trying to learn swimming. On one fine day, a bully decides to pull a dangerous prank. He
pushes him in the deep end of the pool which frightens the author. He reaches nine feet into the water and starts
struggling desperately to hold on to [Link], he yells for help but he starts feeling paralyzed and only his
heart was moving now. Thus, he gives up and readies himself to die but wakes up at the side of the pool. However, the
terror he experiences while drowning never goes away. It continues to haunt him for many years and even spoiled his
future expeditions concerning canoeing, swimming, fishing and [Link] even visits Marine Lakes, Columbia, New
Hampshire and more but is not able to enjoy it. Thus, he decides to overcome this fear by hook or by crook. He enrols
himself in a swimming class and tries to learn from the instructor. The instructor teaches him many tips and tricks for
swimming. He begins with the inhaling and exhaling part then he practices it for many [Link], he moves on to
the kicking the legs on the side of the pool. Finally, he combines all this with the final move of swimming. Although
the author knows how to swim, he is still terrified of water. Thus, in order to get rid of the fear, he decides to confront
it. He mocks it by thinking what can it really do? Consequently, he plunges in to the water and to his surprise, his fear
goes away. He faced it in many places and at last, manages to conquer it.

Conclusion of Deep Water

To sum up, Deep Water summary, we learn that if we are determined enough and have the courage, we can overcome
any fear that comes our way without letting the fear overpower us.

8
Skinny = thin, slender (दफ
ु रा), Aversion = dislike, distaste (घण
ृ ा) , Surf = wave, tide (रहय), Knocked = pushed, hit
(धक्का ददमा), Frightened = scared, terrified (डया हुआ), Terror = extreme fear, horror (आतॊक), Revived = restored,
renewed (ऩुनः जागरूक ककमा),Paddled = swam, splashed (ऩैय भायकय तैयना), Ducked = dipped, submerged (ऩानी भें
डूफना), Timid = shy, hesitant (डयऩोक), Subdued = controlled, suppressed (वशीबूत), Pride = ego, self-respect
(अमबभान), Buried = covered, engulfed हुआ), Overpowering = overwhelming, too intense
(दफा
(अत्मचधक), Revived = brought back, restored (ऩुनजीषवत), Unpleasant = disagreeable, displeasing (अषिम),
Paddled = swam, splashed (ऩैय भायकय तैयना), Aping = imitating, copying (नकर कयना), Timid = shy, hesitant
(डयऩोक), Bruiser = bully, strong person (फरवान), Rippling = wavy, fluttering (रहयाता हुआ), Summoned = called
upon, mustered (फरु ामा) ,Tinge = shade, hue (यॊ ग), Panicky = scared, anxious (घफयामा हुआ), Flailed = waved,
swung wildly (फेतयतीफ हरना), Paralysed = immobilized, unable to move (स्स्थय), Irresistible = unavoidable,
compelling (अिततयोध्म), Throbbed = pulsed, beat (धड़कना), Strategy = plan, method (यणनीतत),
Sheer = complete, utter (ऩयू ा), Stark = complete, sheer (अचधक), Seized = overtook, captured (ऩकड़
मरमा), Reason = logic, rationality (तकग), Tiles = pieces of ceramic material (टाइल्स), Ladders = steps, climbing
device (सीढी), Dirty = unclean, soiled (भैरा),Clutched = grasped, held tightly (कसकय ऩकड़ना), Flail = thrash,
wave (हाथ ऩैय भायना), Choked = blocked, strangled (घुटना), Rigid = stiff, inflexible (कठोय),Throbbed = pulsated,
beat rapidly (धड़कना), Endlessly = without end, continually (तनयॊ तय), Glow = shine, light (चभक), Seized =
grabbed, took hold (ज़ब्त कय मरमा), Frozen = immobile, halted (जभ जाना), Midst = middle, center
(भध्म), Trembled = shivered, quaked (काॊऩना), Fright = fear, terror (डय)

1. What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool ?
What plans did he make to come to the surface?
Answer : William Douglas was thrown into the deep waters of the pool by a big boy. He was frightened but not
frightened enough to stop thinking. All the time, despite having fear of drowning, he kept himself mentally alert.
He planned that when his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and
paddle to the edge of the pool. His strategy helped him save his life.
2. How did this experience affect him ?
Answer :This experience of the author about to face death, made him bold and strong. This experience wiped out
fear and wiped out terror from the author‘s mind. He felt that there was no more panic and it was all quiet and
peaceful. He felt that there was nothing to be afraid of.
3. Why was Douglas determined to get over the fear of water ?
Answer :Douglas felt handicapped because he was afraid of water. That is why he was determined to get over
the fear of water and decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. That was the only way he could get over the
fear of water.
4. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas ?
Answer :First of all, the instructor put a belt around Douglas. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley
that ran on overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope, and they went back and forth hour after
hour, day after day, week after week. Then the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale,
and to raise his nose and inhale. Douglas repeated the exercise hundreds of times.

9
 5. How did. Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror ?
Answer :To make sure that he has conquered the old terror of water, Douglas tried to swim alone when nobody
was around. So, he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island, and swam two
miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He swam the crawl, breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke. Only
once the terror returned, but he overcame it successfully for ever in his life.
6. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned?
Describe the details that have made the description vivid (producing clear picture in your mind).
Ans. William describes his experience where he had a close brush with death at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool.
As it a first-person account, he has described it deeply. The emotional, mental and physical struggle and the
paralyzing fear of drowning have been discussed in detail. William retained his intelligence and had a plan to
come to the surface. He tried it but I did not work and after a few trials to save his life, death dawned upon him.
All these details make the description vivid.
7. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What
larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Ans. William Douglas gives a detailed description of his childhood experience so that the reader gets familiar
with the kind of fear that he had as a child. When he quotes Roosevelt ""All we have to fear is fear itself" he tries
to draw a larger meaning from this experience. He wants to highlight the fact that life became meaningful and the
desire to live grew intense once he had conquered his fear.
8. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans. William Douglas was not able to come out of his fear. So, he hired a swimming instructor. Once he had
learned swimming, he wanted to check if he had overcome the fear as well. He would swim in lakes and found
the fear to return in small phases. William was no longer scared as he knew that he could swim. Hence, he
overcame the fear.
9. Which two incidents in Douglas‟ early life made him scared of water?
Answer: Douglas‘ first frightening experience in water was when he was three or four years old. He was
knocked down by waves while surfing at California beach. He had been terror-struck at that time. Years later, his
experience at the YMCA pool revived unpleasant memories when an eighteen year old boy had hurled Douglas
into the deep end of the pool. Both these experiences led Douglas to develop a fear of water.
[Link] did his swimming instructor „build a swimmer‟ out of Douglas?
Answer: To ‗build a swimmer‘ out of Douglas, the instructor began his training with extreme caution. He
attached a rope to a belt and put it around Douglas. The rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead
cable. Supported by the cable, they went to and fro in the pool and practiced for weeks together. The instructor
taught Douglas to put his face underwater and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. He then taught him to kick
in water for many weeks. Finally after seven months, the instructor told him to swim the length of the pool and
Douglas‘ persistent fear started fading.

CHAPTER - THE RATTRAP

Summary-The Rattrap is a story about a rattrap seller who leads a very poor life as his earnings are very low. He
has to resort to thievery and begging to meet his [Link] is alone in this whole world and leads a miserable life.
So he starts knitting up various kinds of thoughts. One of these thoughts is of supposing the whole world as a big
rattrap. His views are that the world offers us various types of baits in the form of comforts of life. This in return
traps us into the rattrap of the world and leads us to various types of [Link] night, the peddler had to
10
 search for shelter as he has no home. One evening he was offered shelter by an old crofter. The next morning he
stole the crofter's money which he had earned by selling his cow's milk. To safeguard himself, the peddler chose
the path through the forest, but soon found himself trapped in the forest as he wasn't able to find the way out of
the dense forest. Later on, he finds a way to a forge and takes shelter there. Something unusual [Link]
ironmaster mistakes him as an old friend and invites him to his house. The poor peddler rejects the offer due to
the fear of being caught. Soon he is invited by the ironmaster's daughter. The next morning he is somehow stopped
by the ironmaster's daughter for Christmas Eve even after being caught that he was a peddler and not Captain
[Link] next day after Christmas, when the iron master and his daughter visit the church, they come to know
that the man is a thief who had stolen money from the old crofter. The iron master and his daughter regret for
sheltering a thief and wonder at what all things he would have stolen by that time. Here comes a twist as instead
of stealing, the peddler gifts the ironmaster's daughter a rattrap. She finds a letter of thanks and the stolen money
inside the rattrap. The peddler thanks Edla for her kindness and requests her to return the stolen money to the
crofter. This story gives us the message that goodness in a human being can be awakened at any time with your
own good deeds.
1 Sunken lowered drowned, sunk
2 Gleamed Shone glance
3 Monotonous boring उफानेवारा dull, uninteresting, unexciting
4 Vagabond wanderer ऩमगटक tourist, hobo, camper
5 Plods walks heavily थके ़दभों से चरना tramp, drag oneself, stomp
6 Tempted convinced िमत्न कयना to try, entice, persuade
7 Cherished to love, protect प्माय कयना adore, admire, appreciate
8 Dreary dull सुस ्त drab, lax, inactive
9 Dejected sad उदास crestfallen, cast down, depressed
10 Snare trap जार mesh, net, toils
11 Trudging walking slowly थकाऊ भ्रभण plod, tramp
12 Carved off to divide something into parts िद
ु ी हुई thrash

Question 1 What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different
from that of his daughter in many ways?
Ans. The characters of both ironmaster and his daughter were totally different from each other. The iron master
was a proud man. When he saw the peddler, he mistook him as an old regimental comrade and tried to help him
out of his sense of pride. When he realized that he had been mistaken, he called the peddler to be dishonest and
also warned him of calling the sheriff.
2. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Ans. Edla Willimansson's kindness reformed the peddler. Her kindness, compassion and generosity killed the
thief in him. He gifted her a rattrap. Also, he returned the three ten kronor notes that he had stolen from the
crofter's house. He requested her to return the money to the old crofter. He wrote a letter to her, thanking her for
treating him well just like she would have treated a real captain.
3. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament (a difficult situation)?
Ans. The world tempts the human beings by various good things such as the luxuries and joy, food, shelter,
clothing,warmth etc. They are just like the bait which is planted to trap someone in the rattrap of the world. In the
story, the peddler was attracted to the thirty kronors of the crofter, which he stole from him. He found himself
trapped in the forest as he planned to hide himself by walking through the woods. When he got trapped, he thought
11
that this was a punishment for his sin of getting attracted by the money.
4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer :The crofter was lonely. He lived alone in his cottage without a wife, a child or any companion. Since
he suffered from acute loneliness he was extremely happy when he got the peddler‘s company. That is why he
was so talkative and friendly with the peddler.

5. Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the cottage?
Answer :At the crofter‘s cottage the peddler was welcomed warmly and received generous hospitality. The crofter
was an old and lonely man and the prospect of getting the peddler‘s company overjoyed him. So he poured all his
warmth and friendly courtesy on the peddler.
6. Did the stranger agree to go to the ironmaster‟s house? Why or why not?
Answer :Initially the stranger declined the ironmaster‘s invitation. He had the stolen thirty kronors on him and
thought it was like going into the lion‘s den. But then he accepted the ironmaster‘s invitation because Edla‘s
sympathy and compassion allayed his fears and her friendly manner made him to have confidence in her.
7. How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace?
Answer :When the iron master saw the stranger lying close to the furnace he walked up to him and looked him
over carefully. Mistaking him for an old acquaintance, a comrade from his regiment, he got very excited and
invited him to come to his cottage.
8. What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the crofter had been robbed by the peddler?
Answer :When the ironmaster heard that the crofter had been robbed by a man who went around selling rat-traps,
he sarcastically remarked to his daughter that she had let a fine man into the house and was wondering as to how
many silver spoons were left in their cupboard by that time.
9. Why did Edla invite the peddler?
Answer :Edla invited the peddler because she wanted to celebrate Christmas in the true spirit of the festival by
having a guest over for Christmas supper. Moreover, she wanted to give the peddler a day of peace.
10. Describe the crofter‟s meeting with the rattrap peddler.
Answer :The crofter gave the rattrap peddler shelter for a night. He was very hospitable with the peddler. He
gave the peddler supper, tobacco to smoke, played cards with him and even shared his confidences with him.
11. Which act of the crofter surprised the peddler? Why?
Answer :The peddler was always shunned away wherever he went. No one treated him with kindness and so he
had lost all hope of being shown any kind of warmth. But when he approached the crofter‘s roadside cottage he
was surprised by the latter‘s warm welcome and generous hospitality.

CHAPTER-INDIGO
Summary -Louis Fischer met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram. Gandhi told him that how he initiated
the departure of the British from India. He recalled that in 1917 at the request of Rajkumar Shukla, a sharecropper
from Champaran, he visited the place. Gandhi had gone to Lucknow to attend the annual meeting of Indian
National Congress in the year 1916. Shukla told him that he had come from Champaran to seek his help in order
to safeguard the interests of the sharecroppers. Gandhi told him that he was busy so Shukla accompanied him to
various places till he consented to visit Champaran. His firm decision impressed Gandhiji and he promised him
that he would visit Calcutta at a particular date and then Shukla could come and take him along to Champaran.
Shukla met him at Calcutta and they took a train to Patna. Gandhi went to lawyer Rajendra Prasad's house and
they waited for him. In order to grab complete knowledge of the situation, he reached Muzzafarpur on 15th April
12
 1917. He was welcomed by Prof. J.B Kriplani and his students. Gandhi was surprised to see the immense support
for him. He also met some lawyers who were already handling cases of sharecroppers. As per the contract, 15
percent of the peasant, land holding was to be reserved for cultivation of indigo, the crop of which was given to
the landlord as rent. This system was very cruel. Gandhi wanted to help the sharecroppers. So he visited the
British landlord association but he was not given any information because he was an outsider. He then went to
the commissioner of Tirhut division who threatened Gandhi and ask him to leave Tirhut. Instead of returning,
he went to Motihari. Here he started gathering complete information about the indigo contract. He was
accompanied by many lawyers. One day as he was on his way to meet a peasant, who was maltreated by the
indigo planters, he was stopped by the police superintendent's messenger who served him a notice asking him to
leave. Gandhi received the notice but disobeyed the order. A case was filed against him. Many lawyers came to
advise him but when he stressed, they all joined his struggle and even consented to go to jail in order to help the
poor peasants. On the day trial, a large crowd gathered near the court. It became impossible to handle them.
Gandhi helped the officers to control the crowd. Gandhi gave his statement that he was not a lawbreaker but he
disobeyed so that he could help the peasants. He was granted bail and later on, the case against him was
dropped. Gandhi and his associates started gathering all sorts of information related to the indigo contract and
its misuse. Later, a commission was set up to look into the matter. After the inquiry was conducted, the planters
were found guilty and were asked to pay back to the peasants. Expecting refusal, they offered to pay only 25
percent of the amount. Gandhi accepted this too because he wanted to free the sharecroppers from the binding of
the indigo contract. He opened six schools in Champaran villages and volunteers like Mahadev Desai, Narhari
Parikh, and his son, Devdas to teach them. Kasturbai, the wife of Gandhi used to teach personal hygiene to
[Link] on, with the help of a volunteer doctor he provided medical facility to the natives of Champaran,
thus making their life a bit better. A peace maker, Andrews wanted to volunteer at Champaran ashram. But
Gandhi refused as he wanted Indians to learn the lesson of self reliance so that they would not depend on others.
Gandhi told the writer that it was Champaran‘s incident that made him think that he did not need the Britisher‘s
advice while he was in his own country.
Complied = obeyed, conformed (आऻा भानना), Disobey = defy, resist (अवऻा कयना), Consequence = result,
outcome (ऩरयणाभ), Summons = order, call (तरफ), Awake = alert, wakeful (जागरूक), Influential = powerful,
significant (िबावशारी), Viceroy = governor, ruler (वामसयाम),Demonstration = protest, show
(िदशगन), Liberation = freedom, release (भस्ु क्त), Cooperation = collaboration, teamwork (सहमोग), Polite =
courteous, respectful (मशष्ट), Prosecutor = attorney, lawyer (अमबमोजक), Postpone = delay, defer (स्थचगत
कयना), Consult = seek advice, confer (ऩयाभशग कयना), Protested = objected, opposed (षवयोध ककमा), Guilty =
culpable, responsible (दोषी) ,
Conflict = clash, disagreement (सॊघषग), Humanitarian = charitable, compassionate (भानवता वादी), Conscience =
moral sense, inner voice (अॊतयात्भा), Penalty = punishment, fine (दॊ ड), Recess = break, pause (अवकाश), Furnish =
provide, supply (िदान कयना),Bail = security, bond (जभानत), Reconvened = reassembled, regathered (ऩुनः
फुराना), Judgment = decision, verdict (तनणगम), Liberty = freedom, independence (स्वतॊत्रता)

Question [Link] do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life?

[Link] Champaran event had solved various problems faced by the poor peasants. They were relieved from the
torture they had to face at the hands of the landlords. Thousands of people supported him. This was considered
13
 as a turning point in the life of Gandhi. He once said that what he did was an ordinary thing as he didn't want the
Britishers to order him in his own country.
2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
[Link] asked the lawyers about their course of action if he was sentenced to jail. They Answered that they
would return back. He then asked them about the plight of the peasants. This made them realize their duty towards
the social issue and they decided to go to jail with Gandhi.
3. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?

Ans. Ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement. This can be justified by the following events:

● A large number of students accompanied Prof. J.B Kriplani to welcome Gandhi at Muzzafarpur railway station.

● Peasants also came to see him either on foot or by conveyance.

● A large number of people gathered to demonstrate around the courtroom.

4. While at Champaran how did Gandhiji keep a long distance watch on his ashram?
Answer :During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhiji kept a long distance watch on his Ashram. He sent regular
instructions by mail and asked for financial accounts. He even wrote to the residents that it was time to fill in the
old latrine trenches and dig new ones.
5. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
Answer :The Lieutenant Governor was forced to drop the case against Gandhiji because the lawyers had told
Gandhiji that they would follow him into jail. So the Lieutenant Governor wrote to the Magistrate ordering him
to drop the case against Gandhiji.
6. Why did the servants think Gandhiji to be another peasant?
Answer :In Patna, Rajkumar Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of Rajendra Prasad who was a lawyer. The servants
knew Shukla as a poor peasant of Champaran who often came to Rajendra Prasad‘s house and pestered him to
take up the cause of the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. Since a simple-clad Gandhiji accompanied Shukla
the servants mistook him to be another peasant.
7. What made Gandhiji demand 50% refund from the British landlords?
Answer :Gandhiji demanded 50% refund from the British landlords in the form of repayment of money which
the landlords had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the poor sharecroppers.
8. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Cham-paran case to the court was useless?
Answer :Gandhiji felt taking the Champaran case to the court was useless as taking such cases to the courts did
little good. Where the peasants are so crushed and fear-stricken, law courts prove useless. The real relief for these
peasants was to be free from fear.
9. What were the terms of the indigo contract between the British landlords and the Indian peasants?
Answer :The arable land in the Champaran district was divided into estates which were owned by Englishmen
and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to
plant 15 per cent of their holdings with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
10. How did Gandhiji help the peasants of Champaran?
Answer :At Champaran, the British landlords forced all the tenants to plant 15 per cent of their holding with
indigo and then surrender the entire harvest as rent. This increased the misery of the poor tenants. But when
synthetic indigo was developed and indigo plantation was no longer profitable, the landlords obtained fresh
agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation for releasing them from the 15% arrangement. Gandhiji
came in at this time and through non-violent civil disobedience he forced the landlords to refund 25 per cent of
the compensation money to the peasants.
14
 CHAPTER - POETS AND PANCAKES

Summary -In this lesson, Asokamitran talks about Gemini Studios and all that helps in keeping it in the spotlight.
He starts by making a mention about ‗Pancakes‘, the famous make-up brand which Gemini Studios ordered in
truckloads. He then talks about the plight of actors and actresses who have to bear too many lights on their face
while getting ready in the make-up room. The make-up department, according to him, used lots of make-up to
turn them into ugly-looking creatures. Shockingly, he talks about the office boy of the make-up department whose
task is to slap paint onto the faces of players at the time of crowd-shooting. He was a poet and had joined the
Studio in the hope of becoming an actor, screenwriter, director or a lyricst. In those days, the author used to work
inside a cubicle and had the task of collecting newspaper cuttings which, according to others was insignificant.
Thus, office boy would come in time again, to bother him with his complaints. He was well-convinced that the
reason behind his misery was Subbu. He thought Subbu had an advantage because he was born a Brahmin. Subbu
was a resourceful man whose loyalty made him stand out. He was tailor-made for films and it was difficult to
imagine film-making without him. He was very welcoming and was known for his hospitality. Just like many
others at the Gemini Studios, he also did poetry. He worked for the story department which also consisted of a
lawyer. People generally called him the opposite of a legal practitioner. He was a logical and neutral man amongsta
room full of dreamers. Asokamitran, then describes how Gemini Studios got a chance to host a group of
international performers called Moral Re-Armament Army. Though the plots and messages were not complex,
their sets and costumes were near to perfection so much, so that for many years,Tamil plays displayed sunset and
sunrise in a way inherited from ‗Jotham Valley‘. Then another guest, Stephen Spender comes to visit Gemini
Studios. People had hardly heard of him and they couldn‘t even connect with him due to linguistic barriers. It
was not until a few years later that Asokamitran saw his name in a book about communism and realised who he
actually was.
Cheerful = happy, joyful (िसन्न), Flop = failure, unsuccessful (असपर), Loyalty = faithfulness, allegiance
(वपादायी), Principal = main person, leader (भख्ु म), Tailor-made = perfectly suited, custom-made (मसरे हुए
जैसा), Inspired = motivated, stimulated (िेरयत), Producer = maker, creator (तनभागता), Effective = impactful,
successful (िबावी), Alternatives = options, choices (षवकल्ऩ),Golden years = best times, prime years (स्वखणगभ
वषग), Identity = self, persona (ऩहचान), Poet = writer, versifier (कषव), Complex = complicated, intricate
(जदटर), Masses = common people, general public (जनता), Overshadowed = dominated, eclipsed (छामा कय
दे ना), Folk = traditional, people‘s (रोक), Novel = book, fiction (उऩन्मास), Characters = personas, figures
(ककयदाय),Devadasis = temple dancers, servants of god (दे वदासी), Actor = performer, artist (अमबनेता), Subsidiary
= secondary, supporting (सहामक), Genuine = true, real (असरी), Residence = home, dwelling (तनवास), Charitable
= generous, giving (दानी), Enemies = foes, adversaries (दश्ु भन), Intimate = close, personal (आत्भीम), Demeanour
= behavior, conduct (आचयण), Sycophant‟s = flatterer‘s, yes-man‘s (चाऩरूस का), Readiness = willingness,
eagerness (तत्ऩयता)

15
 1. What does the writer mean by „the fiery misery‟ of those subjected to make-up‟?
[Link] ‗the fiery misery‘ of those subjected to make-up, the writer is trying to throw light upon the difficulties
that actors and actresses have to face because of half a dozen mirrors surrounded with large light bulbs. The bulbs
generated a lot of heat and were definitely not a pleasure for the eyes.
2. What work did the „office boy‟ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he
disappointed?
Ans. The ‗office boy‘ had the duty of slapping paints on the faces of players at the time of crowd-shooting. He
joined Gemini Studios with a dream of becoming a first-rate actor, screen-writer or producer. He was disappointed
by the advantage earned by Subbu.
3. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
Ans. Subbu, as a man of many qualities, had the ability to look cheerful at all times, was an excellent actor who
could portray his roles in several ways, was an accomplished poet, and loved anyone he met.
4. Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?
Ans. The legal adviser was referred to as the opposite by others because he once resorted to blackmailing an
actress by recording her while she was throwing tantrums on the set. This is not considered to be legal, thus he
was usually called the opposite.
5. Why is the Englishman‟s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
[Link] Englishman's visit to the Gemini Studios is referred to as an unexplained mystery because no one could
identity him, whether he was a poet or an editor. Besides, when he spoke, no one at the studio understood what
he intended to say as his accent was beyond their comprehension.
6. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
[Link] investing money in participating in a short story contest organized by an English periodical- The
Encounter, the author did a research on the magazine. He went to the British Council Library where, while going
through a book of that periodical, he discovered that its editor was Stephen Spender, the poet that had once visited
the studio.
7. Who was the English visitor to the studios and what was the purpose of his visit?
Answer :The Englishman who visited the studios was Stephen Spender. He was an English poet and the editor
of a British periodical, ‗The Encounter‘. He visited the studio to deliver a speech at the invitation of Mr. Vasan
who was the boss of Gemini Studios. He was unable to establish a rapport with his dazed audience. No one really
understood the purpose of his visit. Even his identity was discovered by Asokamitran years later, that too by sheer
chance.
8. What was MRA and why it was welcomed at the Gemini Studios?
Answer :The MRA, the Moral Rearmament Army, was a kind of counter movement to international communism.
They were welcomed at the Gemini Studios due to their political affiliations. The big boss of the studio, Mr.
Vasan literally played into their hands. Also, people at the Gemini Studios were averse to communism. So the
Moral Rearmament Army could not have found a better host in India than the Gemini Studios, who welcomed
them warmly.

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

16
 10. Give one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
Answer :The MRA staged two plays ‗Jotham Valley‘ and ‗The Forgotten Factor‘. These were presented in the
most professional manner. The six hundred strong Gemini family saw these plays numerous times because of
their fabulous sets and costumes. For years the Gemini Studios copied the sets and costumes in the manner of
‗Jotham Valley‘. Also for some years almost all Tamil plays had a scene of sunrise and sunset in the manner of
‗Jotham Valley‘.
11. Why did Asokamirtan pray for crowd¬shooting all the time?
Answer :Asokamirtan was wrongly believed to have nothing to do so the office-boy often came to his cubicle to
give an outlet to his frustrations and stress the fact that a great talent was being wasted. The author was bored
with the office boy‘s never-ending babble and prayed for crowd-shooting all the time so that the boy remained
busy and did not pester him.
12. Who was Subbu‟s enemy? Why?

Answer :Subbu‘s enemy was the ‗boy‘ at the make-up department. All his anger and frustration were directed
against him. The boy was convinced that Subbu was the cause of his woes and miseries. This ‗boy‘ was jealous
of Subbu‘s rising stars, his success and his intimacy with the boss.
13. Why did everybody in the studio think of giving the author some work to do?

Answer :The author‘s job was to cut out newspaper clippings on a wide variety of subjects and store them in files.
Most people saw him doing this and considered it as useless work as they felt he was doing next to nothing. So
everyone in the studio thought of giving the author some work to do.

CHAPTER - THE INTERVIEW

Summary -The lesson begins with the introduction to interview as a commonplace of journalism since its
invention, which was a little over 130 years ago. According to the author, it is not very surprising that people
have very distinct opinions about the usage of interview. Some think of it in its highest form whereas some people
can‘t stand being interviewed. An interview leaves a lasting impression and according to an old saying, when
perceptions are made about a certain person, the original identity of his soul gets stolen. Famous celebrities,
writers and artists have been heard criticising [Link] Kipling‘s wife wrote in her diary how their day
in Boston was ruined by two reporters. Kipling considers interviewing an assault, a crime that should attract
punishment. He believes that a respectable man would never ask or give an [Link] is an excerpt from
the interview between Mukund (from The Hindu newspaper) and Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of
Bologna in Italy who had already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics (the
study of signs), literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics before he turned to writing fiction. The interview
revolves around the success of his novel, The Name of the Rose whose more than ten million copies were sold in
the market. The interviewer begins by asking him how Umberto manages to do so many different things to which
he replies by saying that he is doing the same [Link] further justifies and mentions that his books about children,
talk about peace and non-violence which in the end, reflect his interest in philosophy. Umberto identifies himself
as an academic scholar who attends academic conferences during the week and writes novels on Sundays. It
doesn‘t bother him that he is identified by others as a novelist and not a scholar, because he knows that it is
difficult to reach millions of people with scholarly work. He believes there are empty spaces in one‘s life, just
like there are empty spaces in atoms and the Universe. He calls them interstices and most of his productive work
is done during that [Link] about his novel, The Name of the Rose, he mentions that it is not an easy-read.
17
 It has a detective aspect to it along with metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Also, he believes that had
the novel been written ten years earlier or later, it would have not seen such a huge success. Thus, the reason for
its success still remains a mystery.
Lionized = treated as a celebrity, glorified (िशॊमसत), Repel = ward off, resist (िततयोध कयना), Acquaintances =
contacts, people one knows (ऩरयचचत), Petitioners = applicants, requesters (आवेदक), Satisfaction = contentment,
fulfillment (सॊतोष), Amusement =entertainment, pleasure (भनोयॊ जन),Condemnatory = disapproving, criticizing
(तनन्दात्भक), Immoral = unethical, wrong (अनैततक), Offence = violation, crime (अऩयाध), Assault = attack,
aggression (हभरा), Merits = deserves, earns (मोग्मता), Cowardly = timid, fearful (कामय, Vile = disgusting,
despicable (घखृ णत),Respectable = honorable, esteemed (सम्भाननीम), Perpetrated = committed, carried out
(आचयण ककमा), Ordeal = trial, difficult experience (कदठनाई), Thumbprints = fingerprints, imprints
(अॊगुरीछाऩ), Windpipe = trachea, breathing tube (श्वासनरी),Supremely = extremely, highly
(अत्मचधक), Serviceable = useful, functional (उऩमोगी), Medium = channel, means (भाध्मभ), Vivid = clear, bright
(स्ऩष्ट), Impressions = perceptions, views (िततष्ठान)
1. How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Ans. Eco is a university professor who attends academic conferences all week. He finds so much time to write in
the empty spaces that we all have in our lives, just like the structure of atoms and Universe. He terms these empty
spaces as ‗interstices‘. If he is waiting for someone coming to his house via the escalator, he would use that time
to write an essay rather than sit idle. Therefore, he considers himself a scholar who writes novels on Sundays.
2. What was distinctive about Eco‟s academic writing style?
[Link], academic scholars write false hypothesis, rectify them and then give conclusions. On the other
hand, Umberto takes the readers through the journey of his research, quoting all the trials and errors to reach the
conclusion. His narrative style of writing made him distinctive.
3. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
[Link] novel, The Name of the Rose is a hard-read, differentiating it from other novels. It is a detective narrative
that contains metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Thus, it targeted the audience that is not interested in
an easy reading experience, probably not all the time. However, the success of the novel still remains a mystery.
According to Umberto, had the novel been written ten years earlier or later, it would have not attracted the same
proportion of audience.
4. What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Ans: Interviews are useful means of communication. Almost everybody who is literate reads an interview once
in their life. It is a source of truth. In practice, it is an art and varies in its function, methods and merits.
5. Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Ans: Most of the celebrity writers despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives or feel that it
somehow diminishes them. They consider themselves as a victim of an interview.
6. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
Ans: 'The Name of the Rose' is a very unique novel with a mystery plot but it also dips its toe into metaphysics,
theology, as well as medieval history. It is popular among a large group of readers. Though the actual reason
behind its success is still not revealed.
7. What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Ans: In many primitive cultures, being photographed is thought to be equivalent to stealing his/her soul and
leaving his/her existence incomplete.
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 8. What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Ans: In many primitive cultures, being photographed is thought to be equivalent to stealing his/her soul and
leaving his/her existence incomplete.
9. Who, in today‟s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Ans: In today‘s world, the interview has become commonplace in journalism. It is seen as a highly advantageous
means of communication. Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed. Through the interview, we got
complete and true information. By interacting with other people, we got to know about their experiences, views
and feelings.
10. What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his windpipe”?
Ans: Celebrity writer Saul Bellow who was interviewed on several occasions expressed it as ‗Thumbprints on his
windpipe‘ which means having been muffled. He considers it as an assault on his personality because it creates
too much tension.

CHAPTER - GOING PLACES

Summary - Sophie and Jansie are two teenagers who are coming back from school. They both work in a biscuit
factory. Sophie is lost in her imaginations of owning a boutique shop and becoming famous like Mary Quaint, a
fashion designer. Jansie tells her not to dream big as it requires lots of money which they don‘t have. To this she
replies that she will become an actress, earn a lot and then own a boutique. Jansie being a realistic person does
not support her thoughts. On reaching home, Sophie feels choked in that small house which is full of the stove‘s
steam and looks untidy because of the dirty [Link] father is eating and her mother is busy in the kitchen. She
goes to meet her elder brother Geoff, who is a trainee mechanic and is busy repairing some motorcycle part. Geoff
talks very less about his personal life which made her imagine of his personal life which she considers very
interesting and wants to be part of it. She shares a secret with him that she met Danny Casey the famous footballer
in a gallery(arcade). Her brother and her father do not believe her. But she tries to make them believe this. She
also tells her brother about her meeting with Casey. Her brother does not believe her but gives her a chance to
believe her story. On Saturday, Sophie and her family go to watch a football match as all of them are great fans
of football. Their favorite team wins due to a goal made by Casey. All of them feel so overjoyed. When Sophie
returns home with her little brother Derek, Jansie questions her about the reality behind her meeting with Danny
Casey. Sophie gets angry with her brother because of letting her secret out but tries to handle the situation and
succeeds. She then visits a secret place near a canal to meet her hero Casey who doesn‘t show up. She knows thatit
was just her imagination but she was so lost in his love that she doesn‘t want to come out of this. In the end she
returns back to her home with sadness in her heart. But when she comes across the Royce‘s, she again finds
herself lost in her hero‘s dreams.
Sophisticated = Cultured, Refined (सस
ु ॊस्कृत), Incongruity = Mismatch, Inconsistency
(अनुऩटता), Apprentice = Learner, Trainee (मशऺाथी), Tinkering = Adjusting, Fiddling (भयम्भत कयना), Vest =
Sleeveless garment, Undershirt (फतनमान), Stooped = Bent over, Hunched (झुका हुआ),
Cluttered = Messy, Crowded (गड़फड़), Grimy = Dirty, Soiled (भैरा) , Delicate = Fragile, Dainty
(नाजुक), Blacked = Darkened, Obscured (अॊधकारयत), Jealous = Envious, Covetous (ईष्मागर)ु , Tightening =
Constricting, Squeezing (कसना), Crooked = Bent, Twisted (टे ढा), Bow = Knot, Tie (फाॉधना) Fascination =
Attraction, Interest (आकषगण), Exotic = Foreign, Unusual (षवदे शी), Affections = Feelings, Fondness
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(स्नेह), Forbade = Prohibited, Banned (भना ककमा), Impatient = Eager, Restless (अधीय), Conscious = Aware,
Mindful (जागरूक), Instinctively = Naturally, Automatically (सहजता से), Applause = Clapping, Approval
(तामरमाॉ), Component = Part, Element (घटक), Abruptly = Suddenly, Unexpectedly (अचानक), Arcade
= Shopping area, Covered walkway (आकेड), Chastened = Humble, Corrected (शीतर), Unawareness
= Ignorance, Obliviousness (अऻानता)
1. Sophie and Jansie were class-mates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up
in the story?
[Link] and Jansie were totally opposite of each other though they were friends. Sophie was always lost in
her dreams. She wanted to lead a life full of luxury and sophistication. She dreamt of owning a boutique, be like
Mary Quaint or an actress and wanted to become rich and famous. On the other hand, Jansie was a girl who had
a realistic approach towards life. She knew that they came from a poor family and were working in a small
[Link], she did not involve herself in daydreams like Sophie. Rather she tried to teach her that such
dreams required a lot of money and a small amount of salary from the factory was not enough to fulfill such
dreams.
2. How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie‟s father?
[Link]‘s father is a plump and aggressive person. Sophie fears his anger. He doesn‘t believe in the wild
stories of his daughter but as a caring father, he reminds her not to make such stories as this could lead her to
trouble. He is a football fan because he visits the football ground with his kids, every Saturday, to watch his
favorite team ‗United‘ play the match. He also wishes Danny Casey to become like Finney and enjoys the winning
of his team by visiting the pub.
3. Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective, what did he
symbolise?
[Link] was an introvert type of person and so he spoke less about himself. This made Sophie like him as she
thought that he visited some secret places that were full of interesting people. So, she tried to win his affection in
order to get a chance to ride with him to that special place where she would visit by wearing a beautiful yellow
dress. She also imagined of being welcomed by the crowd there. Sophie wanted to live that beautiful life which
was full of colours and happiness that Geoff lived but she could not.
4. Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing.” Why did Sophie say so?
Answer :Sophie had cooked up the story of her meeting with Danny Casey to impress Geoff who was a great fan
of the football prodigy. She knew this news would be of great interest to her brother. She had also thought her
brother would keep her secret. She did not want Jansie, who was ‗nosey‘, to know about this. So when Geoff told
Jansie, Sophie cursed him because she knew Jansie would spread her story in the entire neighbourhood.
5. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from enter¬taining thoughts about the sports-star, Danny Casey?
Answer :Jansie is a practical girl who lives in the real world. She knows that Danny Casey, a sports- star is far
beyond Sophie‘s dreams and imagination. So she discourages Sophie from entertaining any kind of wild thoughts
about him.
6. Why didn‟t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?
Answer :Jansie told Sophie that Geoff had given her the news of her (Sophie‘s) meeting with Danny Casey.
Sophie cursed Geoff for telling Jansie this because it was meant to be something special between Geoff and her.
‗It wasn‘t the jansie kind of thing at all‘. Jansie was ‗nosey‘ and now the whole neighbourhood would come to
know her story.

20
 7. What did Sophie tell Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer :Sophie told Geoff that she had met Danny Casey, the wonder footballer. As she was looking at the
clothes in a shop‘s window Casey came and stood beside her. Geoff did not believe her. Sophie then went on to
tell him that Casey had green and gentle eyes and he was not very tall.
8. Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie? How do you know?
Answer :No, Geoff did not keep his promise to Sophie. He told Sophie‘s secret to Jansie‘s brother Frank who in
turn told Jansie about it. We know this because Jansie questions Sophie about her meeting with footballer, Danny
Casey and Sophie is startled that Jansie knows about this meeting.
9. Did Geoff keep his promise? How do you know?
Answer :No, Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Frank about Sophie‘s meeting with Danny Casey though he
had promised her he would not disclose it. Even Jansie came to know about it. Sophie was happy to know thatGeoff
had at least not revealed the date of her meeting with Casey.
10. How do we know that Sophie‟s family lived in poor circumstances?
Answer :We know that Sophie‘s family lived in poor circumstances as her father worked hard as a manual
labourer. Her mother‘s back had become crooked due to the burden of household work. Their house was rather
small, easily suffocated with steam from the stove.

POETRY
POEM - MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX
Question [Link] were Kamala Das‟ fears as a child? Why do the fears surface when she is going to the
airport?
Answer :Kamala Das fears that her mother would leave her alone and go away. These fears surface now as she
looks at her old mother doze with her mouth open in the car.
2. How can suspension of activities help?
Answer :The poet wants to prove that there can be life under apparent stillness. The poet invokes the earth as a
living symbol to prove his point. The earth never attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work even under
apparent stillness.
3. How does the poet describe her mother?
Answer :Kamala Das describes her mother as old, pale and senile. As she was asleep, the poet noticed that her
mother looked as pale and colourless as a dead body. She seemed to have lost the vitality of life.
4. Explain „pale as a late winter‟s moon.‟
Answer :This is an example of a simile. The poet has compared her mother‘s face to a winter‘s moon. Winter
symbolises death and a waning moon symbolises decay. Just like winter loses its magnificence and beauty when
covered with fog and mist, similarly the poet‘s mother has lost her youth and vitality, and has become inactive
and withered.
5. Why did the poet promise her mother of a meeting in the near future?
Answer :The poet was doubtful of seeing her mother again. She knew that the mother was also aware of the same.
Yet, to encourage her mother, to leave a hope in her mind, to make herself strong, the poet promised a futile
reunion in the future.
6. The poet‟s repeated smile seems out of the place in a way. In which way is that appropriate?
Answer :The poet had no reason to smile at the time of separation from her aged mother. She was deeply
distressed and pained to separate from her mother when she was so old. Yet, to make the mother feel ‗there is
21
nothing to worry,‘ the poet attempted to be glad, cheerful and reassured her by her extended smile.
7. Why does the poet look at her mother again?
Answer :The poet looks at her mother again for the last time to reassure herself that her mother is well. She drove
away her thoughts of pain and fear which had surfaced on seeing her mother. It was a look of reassurance to meet
her again.
8. What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother‟s old age?
Answer :Late winter‘s moon. Her pale, bloodless and wrinkled face resembles that of a corpse. She has no vigourand
energy left in her. She looks wan and pale. The sprinting trees and merry children are happy and young. Theypresent
a contrast to the mother‘s pain and old age and the poet‘s worry and fear. They symbolise youth, vigour and
spring, whereas the mother is old, decaying and frail.
9. What kind of pain does Kamala Das feel in „My Mother at Sixty-six‟?
Answer :Kamala Das has a childhood fear of her mother ageing and while going to the airport, she sees her
ageing mother looking like a corpse as she slept open mouthed and pale.
10. Why are the youngsters described as springing?
Answer :The youngsters are described as springing as they are full of life. Merry children were joyfully coming
out in numbers from their houses and were a contrast to her ageing mother beside her in the car.
11. Having looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the young children?
Answer :After having looked at her mother, Kamala Das was in pain. She had a fear of separation from her
mother. The children outside were symbolic of dynamism, joy and life. Hence, she wanted to divert her thoughts
of her ageing mother.
12. In the last line of the poem, „My Mother at Sixty-six‟, why does the poet use the word „smile‟ repeatedly?
Answer :Kamala Das wanted to make her mother feel that everything was fine. She wanted her to believe that
they would meet soon. She also wanted to hide her fears about not meeting her next time. In fact, she wanted to
put a brave front.
13. Why does the poet look at „young tree‟ and „merry children‟?
Answer :The poet looks at ‗young trees‘ and ‗merry children‘ to divert her attention from the gloomy thoughts
of losing her mother. Looking at them was a ray of hope distracting her mind from the negative thoughts.

POEM - KEEPING QUIET

1. In the poem „Keeping Quiet‟, what is the appeal made by the poet?

Answer :The poet appeals the people to keep quiet for a short time. This would help them take stock of their
mindless activities and conduct self-analysis. All this will help save mankind from its imminent doom.
2. “Under the apparent stillness there is life.” Justify this statement giving an example from the poem,
„Keeping Quiet‟.
Answer :The poet says that just as there will be life below the snow once it melts, similarly, there will be life
even in the apparent stillness.
3. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda‟s attitude towards these
wars?
Answer :Green wars – cutting the trees, war with environment; war with gas—chemical or nuclear; war with fire,
and war with ammunition. Every type of war is useless and must be given up. Whenever there is victory after a
war, there are no survivors. War is only destructive.
4. What is „the fisherman‟ symbolic of?

22
 Answer :The fisherman symbolises man‘s indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests.

5. How can suspension of activities help?

Answer :The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow men to introspect, which can help them by
solving many of the problems based on caste, religion and nationality.
6. According to the poet, what is that human beings can learn from nature?

Answer :Life under apparent stillness in attitude is important. Just like nature carries on its work even when there
is stillness all around, similarly, stillness in attitude will help in retrospection.
7. „Life is what it is all about; How is keeping quiet related to life?

Answer :Keeping quiet helps people pursue their goals single-mindedly. They need to understand that silence is
productive and stillness is progress.
8. How will „keeping quiet‟ protect our environment?
Answer :Keeping quiet will stop man‘s indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests. In this
moment of inactivity, fishermen will not harm the whales.
9. How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
Answer :Keeping quiet will prevent sea life from being harmed and the person collecting salt would look at his
hurt hands. It will thus, help in maintaining an ecological balance and give everyone some time to introspect.
10. How is the earth a source of life when all seems dead on it?
Answer :The seeds that lie dormant throughout winter germinate or spring to life with the arrival of spring. It
appears as if nature is celebrating life.
11. What are green wars? Who wage them and with what result?
Answer :Green wars mean war against environment or environmental degradation. It is waged by the people who
exploit the nature for commercial use and the soldiers. It results in damage to the environment and ultimately
harming humans.
12. According to Pablo Neruda, what do we not do when we keep quiet?
Answer :When we keep quiet, we will not be in any rush, the people will not harm any other living organisms
and will not harm the environment. When we keep quiet, we will not do anything.

POEM-A THING OF BEAUTY

1. What is the source of the endless fountain and what is its effect?
Answer :―Endless fountain‖ refers to the unending beauty of nature. This is a gift from the creator. Our life is
full of trials and tribulations, but the beautiful things of nature soothen our sorrows and give us the motivation to
move on.
2. What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it removed?
Answer :Trials and tribulations of life spread the pall of despondence over our dark spirits. Loss of faith and
disappointment are the results of our own making. We can remove it by making life worthwhile with the beautiful
things of life that lift the veil of gloom, paving way for optimism and hope.
[Link] is the message of the poem,„A Thing of Beauty‟?
Answer :The message of the poem is that a beautiful object is treasured in our mind because it provides us eternal
and everlasting joy. Therefore, let us keep the natural beauty intact. Let us not destroy it.

23
[Link] is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
Answer :A thing of beauty is a joy forever because its loveliness increases. A beautiful thing is perennial and
constant. It sustains human spirit in all ages and stages. It never passes into nothingness. In fact, it moves away
the pall from our dark spirits and makes life worth living.
[Link] to Keats, what moves the pain and suffering away from human life?
Answer :Everything in nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are the sun, the moon,
old and young trees, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, the green pastures and the blooming musk-
roses. All of them are things of beauty. They are the constant sources of joy and pleasure, and remove the gloom
of life.
[Link] does a thing of beauty do for us?
Answer :A thing of beauty brings joy and removes the gloom. It makes life worth living in spite of being
despondent. Its loveliness keeps on increasing, providing a pleasant and quiet place for us.
[Link] any four things of beauty that add joy to our life.
Answer :The things of beauty that Keats refers to in his poem are the sun, the moon, the trees, the innocence of
the sheep, the blossoming of the daffodils in the meadows, the musk-roses blooming, the mass of ferns and the
clear streams among mountains.
[Link] rich bounty has the heaven given us?
Answer :Heaven has blessed us with unending beauty in nature that encircles and makes our life beautiful
eternally whenever we think of it. Like an eternal fountain from the brink of heaven, beauty blesses us with joy
forever.
[Link] objects of nature does Keats mention as sources of joy in his poem, „A Thing of Beauty‟?
Answer :Everything of nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are the sun, the moon,
old and young trees, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, mass of fern and the blooming of musk-
roses. All of them are things of beauty. They are the constant sources of joy and pleasure.
[Link] troubles and sufferings do human beings face in life?
Answer :In life, humans face adverse circumstances and gloomy days which cause suffering. Malice and
disappointment dampen our spirits. Lack of noble qualities, death and bad health bring sadness in life.

POEM - A ROADSIDE STAND

1. Why does the poet refer to the roadside stand as pathetic?
Answer :The poet refers to the roadside stand as pathetic because it looked awkward and unattractive to the eye.
Naturally, it failed to attract the sophisticated city people who drove past, without even a second glance.
2. Who do these pitiful kin refer to? Why will they be mercifully gathered in?
Answer :These pitiful kin refers to the villagers who have been deprived of their home and land. They will be
mercifully gathered in to live in villages near the theatre and the stores.
3. What is the party in power keeping from these rural poor?
Answer :The government, and the civic authorities who appear to help them but actually end up harming them
are relocating them to the vicinity of the towns near the theatre and the shops which is a great disservice to the
people. They will be thus, robbed of their voices and their freedom and ability to find solutions to their problems.
4. What is the childish longing that the poet refers to? Why is it vain?
Answer :Childish longing seems to emanate from the roadside shed, for a life that is described in ‗ the movies, a
life so far removed from their life in the village. The thoughtless occupants of a car who stop at the shed to buy a
gallon of gas, speaks of the disconnect that exists in the perceptions of town people with regard to the villagers.
24
5. What does the poet wish he could do for these people? Why does he change his mind?
Answer :The poem is an expression of the rage that the poet feels on behalf of the farmers, with whom his
sympathies lie. Enraged, the poet wishes he could put the farmers out of their pain at one stroke. However, he
immediately checks himself and wonders how he would react if someone offered to do the same to him.
6. What kind of support do the country folks expect to receive from city dwellers?
Answer :The country folks starved of cash, look for financial support and patronage from city dwellers. They
feel that if they could have some cash with them, then they could lead a much better and prosperous life.
7. Give examples of contrast and irony in the poem.
Answer :The use of expressions ‗greedy good-doers‘ and ‗beneficent beasts of prey‘ bring out the use of irony
and contrast by the poet.
8. What is the „open prayer‟ made by the country folks?
Answer :The people in the rural areas make an open appeal to the people of the city. The rural folks pray that
they should not be so selfish. Instead, they should stop at the roadside stand and help them lead a better life.
9. State the reasons for which the cars from the city halt at the roadside stand.
Answer :The people from the city halt their cars at times to plough the grass and use the yard to back and turn
around. Sometimes, they stop to ask for the right way and path. At times, they stop to enquire about a gallon of
gas.
10. Which lines tell us about the insufferable pain that the poet feels at the throught of the plight of the
rural people?
Answer :The lines about the insufferable pain that the poet feels are :―Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
the thought of so much Childish longing in vain, the sadness that lurks near the open window there.‖ ―I can‘t help
owning the great relief it would be to put these people at one stroke out of their pain.‖

POEM -AUNT JENNIFER'S TIGERS

1. What ideology does Aunt Jennifer‟s poem propound?
Answer :The poem, ‗Aunt Jennifer‘s Tigers‘ is critical of the male world. It criticises the male society for
terrifying and oppressing women like ‗Aunt Jennifer‘.
2. How has Aunt Jennifer created her tigers? What traits of tigers do they reveal?
Answer :Aunt Jennifer has embroidered the tigers on a panel with an ivory needle and wool. The tigers that she
has created are wild and free bright golden yellow denizens of the green forest. They are fearless and bold,
jumping around with confidence, totally opposed to her own character.
3. What do you mean by the certainty that the tigers possess?
Answer :The tigers used to fear the men. But once they were made by Aunt Jennifer, they learnt courage. In their
new birth, these tigers feel at ease and confident. Now, they do not have to run away from anyone. They move
slowly and run ferociously.
4. How does the poet describe Aunt Jennifer‟s tigers?
Answer :The poet describes Aunt Jennifer‘s tigers as ‗bright topaz denizens of the green forest‘. They are fearless.
They pace in ‗sleek‘ chivalry.
5. What will happen to Aunt Jennifer‟s tigers when she is dead?
Answer :The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are eternal. They will keep on prancing even after her death. These
tigers are born out of her imagination in response to the oppression she goes through in the patriarchal society.

25
 6. What is the weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer‟s hand? How is it associated with her husband?

Answer :Aunt Jennifer had a troubled married life with a domineering and oppressing husband. She tries to find
refuge in art to fight these demons, but even here, there is no respite. This makes her hand quiver so much that
she finds it hard to knit.
7. How are the tigers different from her?

Answer :The tigers of Aunt Jennifer are quite different from her. In fact, they are exactly opposite of her
oppressed, submissive personality. The tigers are a symbol of strength, fierceness and beauty.
8. Aunt Jennifer‟s efforts to get rid of her fear proved to be futile. Comment.
Answer :Aunt Jennifer‘s efforts to get rid of her fears proved futile. She embroiders tigers, a symbol of her desire
of a free spirit. But her inner spirit has been jailed by the patriarchal society. The society did not show any concern
for the Aunt‘s suffering, or even her death. Her loss of freedom was her own loss.
9. How do „denizens‟ and „chivalric‟ add to our understanding of the tiger‟s attitudes ?
Answer :Tigers are the denizens of the world of green. The . tiger is considered very brave and courageous animal.
They are not afraid of anyone.
10. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer‟s hands are „fluttering through her wool‟ in the second stanza ? Why
is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
Answer :Aunt Jennifer has become so old that it appears that her fingers are trembling through wool. She has
become so weak that she even finds the needle hard to pull. The poet means to say that unending household chores
have made aunt very weak.
11. What is suggested by the image „massive weight of Uncle‟s wedding band‟?

Answer :The poet says that Uncle‘s wedding band lies very heavily on Aunt Jennifer‘s hand. She has to work
endlessly from morning till night and also have to bear Uncle‘s tyranny. Aunt Jennifer has to slavishly follow all
the orders of uncle.
12 Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character? What
might the poet be suggesting, through this difference?
Answer :Aunt Jennifer is old and submissive woman. But the tigers she is embroidering on the panel appear to
be bold and chivalric. The suggestion given here is that women give birth to men but the same men tyrannise
women when they grow up.

VISTAS
CHAPTER - THE THIRD LEVEL
Summary-The story revolves around a 31 year old man named Charley, who experienced something weird. One
day after work coming from the Subway, he reached the third level of the Grand Central station (which doesn't
actually exist). He discusses the entire experience with his psychiatrist friend Sam. Charley thought he
experienced time travel and had reached somewhere in the eighteen-nineties, a time before the world saw two of
its most deadliest wars. As soon as he realised what time he is in, he immediately decided to buy two tickets to
Galesburg, Illinois; one for himself and the other for his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century
was different. Thus, the next day he withdrew all his savings and got them converted even if it meant bearing
losses. He went looking for the third level but failed to find it. It worried his wife and the psychiatrist Sam who
told him that he is hallucinating (he is experiencing a situation which seems to exist but does not exist in real) in
26
 order to take refuge (shelter) from reality and miseries of the modern world which is full of worry. Charley thus
resorts to his stamp collection in order to distract himself when suddenly one day he finds a letter from his friend
Sam who had gone missing recently. Sam wrote that he always wanted to believe in the idea of third level and
now that he is there himself, he encourages Charley and Louisa to never stop looking for it.
 Railroads: Metal tracks on which trains run
 Stack: A pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged
 Psychiatrist: A medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness
 Refuge:(a place that gives)protection or shelter from danger, troubles, unhappiness, etc.
 Blocks: Group of things considered together
 Issue: A set of newspapers or magazines published at the same time or a single copy of a newspaper or magazine
 Subway: A railway system in which electric trains travel through tunnels below ground
 Gabardine suit: A suit made from thick cloth especially used for making coats
 Suburban trains: Residential trains
 Ducked: Lower the head or body quickly
 Bumping: Knock or run into something
 Booth: Small temporary structure used for providing information, selling goods, or staging shows.
 Flickering: unstable
 Gaslights: A type of lamp that uses gas as fuel

Question [Link] you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans. Yes, the third level of the Grand Central Station was a medium of escape for Charley. Modern world offers
a lot of challenges and in order to take refuge from reality, one might resort to day-dreaming or hallucination. We
all understand the miseries of the modern world which is full of worry and pressure, thus, in order to take the
burden away from his shoulders and take a sigh of relief, Charley resorted to escaping reality, although
unintentionally.
2. What do you infer from Sam‟s letter to Charley?
Ans. The way Charley discovered Sam‘s letter was rather strange. It was one of those first-day covers people used
to mail to themselves back in time with a blank page inside. So to begin with, the cover had a letter in it and not a
blank page in it. Secondly, the letter dates back to 18 July, 1894 when Sam (the writer of the letter) didn‘t exist
because both Sam and Charley exist in the present times. Thus, it is sound to conclude that it was just a product
of Charley‘s imagination.
3. The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we
attempt to overcome them ?
Ans. One cannot count on fingers the negative aspects the modern lifestyle has to offer. There is stress, pressure,
fear, insecurity and worry. In order to relieve yourself of all these miseries, one can indulge in creative activities
from time to time. Making time for yourself and doing what you love to do is very important. Secondly, one can
read a good book or even meditate. Long walks in the lap of nature are not to be underestimated because nature
has its own healing power. Apart from these, a short weekend getaway, movie night with friends or even alone at
home can be done in order to dissociate oneself from the routine.
4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans. Yes, there are a lot of instances that tell us about the intersection of time and space in the story.

● The two levels existed in present time while the third level existed in 1894.

● Charley and Louisa live in present time but Charley gets old currency to reach the station of Galesburg of 1894.

● The platform of the old station is different from that of the two levels of the present time.

● The people in 1894 dress in an old fashioned manner.

27
 ● The newspaper- The World was published in 1894. It was dated June 11, 1894, overlaps with Charley's real
time existence.
● The letter mailed to Charley's grandfather on July 18, 1894 displays the intersection of time and space because
both Sam and Charley live in the present time.
5. What was the psychiatrist‟s diagnosis?
Answer :The psychiatrist said that Charlie was unhappy. The modern world, full of insecurity, fear, war and
worry oppressed him, and he just wanted to escape.
6. What proof did the psychiatrist provide?
Answer :Charley‘s psychiatrist and his friends said that his stamp-collecting was an indication of his desire to
seek ―a temporary refuge from reality‖, as was his collection of first-day covers.
7. How does Charley describe Galesburg, Illinois, 1894?
Answer :Charley describes it as a wonderful town with a leisurely way of life with big old frame houses, huge
lawns, tremendous trees and a peaceful and tranquil world. During summer evenings, people sat in their lawns,
with men smoking cigars and women waving palm-leaf fans. The first World War was twenty years away and
the second World War was forty years into the future.
8. How did Charley compare the Grand Central to a huge tree? Why?
Answer :Charley always found new tunnels and staircase at the Grand Central. He began to suspect that Grand
Central was like a huge tree. It used to push out new corridors and tunnels like the roots of a tree.
9. How do you find the ending of the story surprising?
Answer :Sam was a psychiatrist. He got worried about Charley as he told Sam that he reached the third level. He
firmly believed it did not exist. However, he himself was not only convinced but also escaped to Galesburg.
10. How did Charley reach the third level?
Answer :Charley had been late to his office. He desired to reach home early. So he went to Grand Central to
catch a suburban train. He was lost in a corridor. He thought it was the second level. But he had reached the third
level.
11. What role does the first-day cover play in the story?
Answer :One night,while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley comes across a first-day cover that should
not have been there. It had been mailed to his grandfather at his home in Galesburg in July 18, 1894. However,
instead of a blank paper, it contained a letter for Charley from Sam. It urged him to come back to the third level
with Louisa, and keep looking for it till he found it.

CHAPTER - THE TIGER KING

Summary -The tiger King is the story of king Jung Jung Bahadur of Pratibandapuram, a brave warrior whose
death had been predicted when he was born. The chief astrologer had predicted as the royal child was born in the
hour of the bull, the tiger being its enemy, death would come to the child by a tiger. The brave prince asked all
tigers to beware of him. He came to be known as ‗tiger king‘. The prince became king at the age of twenty and
considering killing a cow in self defense to be lawful, went on a tiger killing mission. He was warned of danger
from the hundredth tiger that he [Link] all the tigers in his kingdom had been killed by him but still he
had to kill more, he married into a state having a high population of tigers. When his killings reached ninety nine,
he desperately sought the next hunt. Fearing the king‘s harshness, the minister planted an old tiger in the forest
for him to kill. The king fired at it but the tiger escaped the bullet miraculously. The royal hunters feared the king
and so did not inform him; rather they killed the beast themselves. The king was satisfied that he had evaded
28
 death and now celebrated his son‘s third [Link] got a wooden toy tiger as a gift for the prince. The toy was
poorly made. As both the king and his son were playing with the tiger, one of the thin pieces of wood that were
erupting out of the wooden tiger like feathers pierced the king‘s right hand. The wound became infectious, spread
through his arm and as he was being operated upon, he died. So, ironically, the hundredth tiger killed the king
and eventually took its revenge.
Tear up = destroy, rip (पाड़ दे ना), Astrology = star study, fate science (ज्मोततष षवद्मा), Tuft = hair clump, clump
(चोटी), Crop = trim, cut (छाॊटना), Incoherent = unclear, muddled (अस्ऩष्ट), Celebration = festivity, joy
(उत्सव), Banned = stopped, forbidden (िततफॊचधत),Proclamation = announcement, notice (घोषणा), Confiscated =
seized, taken (जब्त कय मरमा), Vowed = swore, promised (िततऻा की), Realise = achieve, reach (िाप्त
कयना), Bullet = shot, ammo (गोरी), Leapt = jumped, hopped (उछरा), Beast = animal, brute (ऩश)ु , Inhabiting =
living in, occupying (यहनेवारा), Proclamation = declaration, announcement (घोषणा), Dared = challenged, risked
(दहम्भत की), Fling = throw, hurl (पेंकना), Wealth = riches, assets (धन-सॊऩषि), Property = possessions, belongings
(सॊऩषि), Ambition = goal, aim (भकसद), Realise = achieve, attain (हामसर कयना), Missed = failed, overlooked (चक
ू
जाना), Fought = battled, combated (रड़ा)

Question [Link] story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary
device of dramatic irony in the story?
[Link] king was full of pride. He thought he could achieve anything, even overpower death. He tried to prove
the predictions of the royal astrologer as false. He had predicted death for the king by a tiger. As the king killed
one, he cautioned him against the hundredth tiger that he came [Link], the king killed the hundredth
tiger also and overpowered death but as it was destined to be, the tiger escaped the bullet miraculously. He had
killed ferocious tigers of flesh and blood but his satirical death came by a wooden toy tiger which he had got as a
birthday gift for his son. A tiny piece of wood from the toy wounded the tiger king‘s hand and finally killed him.
This was an unexpected end of the mighty maharaja ‗the tiger king‘.
2. What is the author‟s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?
[Link] author is indicating that the king being mighty, killed so many innocent animals merely to prove the
astrologer wrong or to overcome his fear without realizing the severity of his actions. He did not accept destiny
which has its own ways as death struck upon him by a lifeless, wooden tiger.
3. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja‟s minions (followers) towards him? Do you find
them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in
today‟s political order?
[Link] king‘s minions feared him and tried to please him. They wanted to keep him happy and so, spoke what
was pleasing to the king‘s ears. The astrologer was initially reluctant to predict the king‘s future. It was when the
King asked him ‗to speak without fear‘ that he spoke. The minister did not advise the king not to kill so many
innocent animals; rather he searched for a kingdom with a high population of tigers for the king to kill. The royal
hunters did not inform the king about the hundredth tiger being alive as they feared losing their job. The
shopkeeper sold the toy tiger to the king at a high price because he feared punishment. In today‘s political order
also, we can see that the people who are in subordination try to please their seniors in order to retain their positions.
4. What did the British officer‟s secretary tell the Maharaja? Why did the Maharaja refuse permission?
Answer :The British officer‘s secretary told the Maharaja to allow him to shoot the tigers in his kingdom. But
the Maharaja did not allow him because he thought that the number of tigers would decrease and he would not be
29
able to complete the desired number.
5. What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?
Answer :When the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram was born, an astrologer predicted that his death would be caused
by a tiger. So the Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt.
6. How does the hundredth tiger take its final revenge upon the Tiger King?
Answer :Few days after killing the hundredth tiger, the Maharaja gifted a wooden tiger to his son on his third
birthday. A tiny splinter on the surface of the wooden tiger pierced the Maharaja‘s right hand, leading to a sore,
followed by the Maharaja‘s death. Hence, the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King.
7. Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
Answer :As the Maharaja occupied the throne at the age of twenty, he went on a tiger hunting campaign. He was
excited to kill his first tiger, and within ten years, he killed seventy tigers. Soon, tigers became extinct in his own
state. So he decided to get married to the . royal family of a state that had a large number of tigers.
8. Why was it a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram?
Answer :It was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram because the ,Maharaja banned
tiger hunting in the state. Except the Maharaja, no one was allowed to hunt tigers. It was proclaimed that if anyone
was found hunting a tiger, all his property and wealth would be seized.
9. How did the Tiger King‟s Dewan prove to be resourceful ?
Answer :After the Tiger King had killed ninety-nine tigers, no more tigers were left. After some time, there were
indications of the presence of a tiger in the forest of a village. The King went there but did not find the tiger. Then
he asked the Chief Minister to find the tiger or he would remove him from his job. The Dewan had hidden in his
house an old tiger which had been brought from the People‘s Park in Madras. He took that hundredth tiger to the
forest to be killed by the King.
10. How did the ten-day-old baby (the future Tiger King) react to the prediction about his future made by
the astrologer?
Answer :On hearing the prediction, the ten-day-old prince spoke in his squeaky voice that ‗everyone who is born
has to die one day‘. He was told that he would be killed by a tiger. To this, he responded, ‗Let Tigers Beware‘.
11. What happened to the hundredth tiger?
Answer : On the day of hunt, the hundredth tiger wandered in Maharaja‘s presence and stood in humble
supplication. The Maharaja took an aim at him and the tiger fell in a crumpled heap. But when the hunters looked
at the tiger, they realised that he was not dead as the bullet missed the mark rather, it had fainted.

CHAPTER - JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

Summary - For a south Indian girl travelling to Antarctica from Madras, it takes nine time zones, six checkpoints,
three water-bodies and just as many ecospheres to reach there. Tishani Doshi travelled to the Southern end of the
Earth along with an expedition group named ‗Students on Ice‘ that provides opportunity to the young minds to
sensitise (to become sensitive) towards the realistic version of climatic changes happening in the world. According
to the founder of the organisation, we are the young versions of future policy makers who can turn the situation
around. Antarctica is one of the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the [Link] far as the eyes can see, it is
completely white and its beauty gives immense relief. It is shocking to believe that India and Antarctica were part
of the same supercontinent Gondwana, that got segregated into countries giving rise to the globe we know today.
Antarctica had a warmer climate until then. Despite human civilisation around the globe, it still remains in it pure
form. Being a south Indian sun-worshipping person, it was unimaginable for the author to visit the place that
constitutes world‘s 90% of ice, a place so quiet that it is only interrupted by snow avalanches. It gives us a glimpse
30
of the past and at the same time, Antarctica helps us foresee the future. The place gives an awakening to
threatening alarm that global warming is actually real. Who knows if Antarctica will be warm again and even if
it does, will we be alive to see it?
Arched- curved , Bumping- knock or run into something , Ducked- lower the head or body quickly , Fussing-
show unnecessary or excessive concern about something , Gabardine- a smooth , durable, twill-woven
worsted or cotton cloth , Locomotive- a powered railway vehicle used for pulling trains , Snapped- break
suddenly and completely , Spittoons- a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top, used
for spitting into ,Stack- a pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged , Suburban- residential ,
Timetables- a schedule showing the departure and arrival times of trains, buses or aircraft , Vest- a garment
worn on the upper part of the body ,Waking dream- an involuntary dream occuring while a person is awake
,Wander- walk; roam

Question [Link] are Geoff Green‟s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice
expedition?
[Link] Green took high school students on an expedition to one end of the Earth to make them realize the
impact that human intervention could have on nature. He wanted the future policy - makers to experience how
difficult it would be to sustain life with the rising temperatures. He wanted them to see the melting ice shelves so
that they could estimate the trouble that mankind was headed to.
2. „Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.‟ What is the relevance of
this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?
Ans. The statement holds great importance in context of the Antarctic environment. For instance, the
phytoplanktons in the region serve as food for marine birds and animals. The depletion of the ozone layer affects
the phytoplanktons and the carbon cycle. This can obstruct the existence of marine life. So, if the process carried
on by these small grasses is taken care of, the processes of the environment can be taken care of.

3. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth‟s present, past and future?

Ans. Antarctica is the place to go and understand the earth's past, present and future because it gives us an idea
of how the earth was millions of years ago. The melting sheets of ice due to global warming gives us an idea of
the future also.

4. What was Akademic Shokalskiy? Where was it headed and why?

Answer :Akademic Shokalskiy was a Russian research vessel which was heading towards Antarctica, the coldest,
driest, windiest continent in the world to become a part of Geoff Green‘s ‗Students on Ice‘ programme.
5. Describe the author‟s emotions when she first set foot on Antarctica.
Answer :Tishani Doshi‘s initial reaction was relief as she had travelled for over hundred hours. This was followed
by wonder at Antarctica‘s white landscape and uninterrupted blue horizon, its immensity, isolation and at how
there could have been a time when India and Antarctica could have been a part of the same landmass.
6. Why does Tishani Doshi describe her two weeks‟ stay in Antarctica „a chilling prospect‟?

Answer :Accustomed to the warm climate of South India, being in a place where ninety per cent of the earth‘s
total ice is stored was a chilling prospect literally and metaphorically. It affected her metabolic and circulatory
systems as well as her imagination.
31
 7. Explain: „And for humans, the prognosis isn‟t good‟.

Answer :The human civilisation has been around for a mere 12,000 years—barely a few seconds on the biological
clock. Yet we have managed to etch our dominance over nature with concretisation, battling for limited resources,
and unmitigated burning of fossil fuel. This has created a blanket of carbon dioxide around the world, which is
increasing average global temperature.

8. Why is Antarctica a crucial element in all debates on climate change?

Answer :Antarctica is the only place in the world that has never sustained a human population and is therefore,
relatively ‗pristine‘. More importantly, it holds in its ice cores half¬million-year-old carbon records trapped in its
layers of ice.

9. How did the Antarctica amaze the writer when she first saw it?
Answer :The Antarctica is perhaps the coldest, and the driest continent. The writer felt wonder struck by its
immensity, its isolation, its uninterrupted blue horizon. She was amazed as to how there was a time when India
and Antarctica were part of the same landmass.

10. What does the author describe as her best Antarctic experience?
Answer : Just short of the Arctic Circle, this group of fifty-two people were made to walk on the ocean. The
experience of walking on ice that seemed to stretch out forever, with the living, breathing ocean underneath, was
nothing short of a revelation.

CHAPTER - THE ENEMY

Summary - The Enemy is a story set in Japan during the second world war. In this story, an injured American
army man washes up on the beach near the home of a Japanese surgeon, Dr. Sadao Hoki. Although he has lived in
America and follows a modern profession, Dr. Sadao‘s family lives a traditional Japanese life. Dr. Sadao is in a
dilemma to leave the American man to die, to throw him back into the sea, to hand him over to the army or to save
his life. He reluctantly takes him home and decides to save his life. The presence of an enemy disrupts his family
life. His wife is against his idea of operating upon and taking care of the soldier. The servants of the houseoppose
the idea and leave their master. Yet, Dr. Sadao shelters him, operates upon him, and saves his life. Out ofthe fear of
being accused of sheltering an enemy, he narrates the incident to a general in the Japanese military. The general
helps Dr. Sadao and offers to get the man killed by hired killers. However, the killing doesn't take place, and after
waiting for three nights, Dr. Sadao thinks of getting rid of the American himself. He arranges a boat for the man to
help him reach the nearby island. He provides him necessities like food and clothing to survivetill he finds a Korean
fishing boat which could rescue him. Dr. Sadao wonders that why did he save the life of an enemy.
1. A stain of red: blood stain
2. Absolute state: a state run by kings having total powers
3. Amazement: surprise
4. Anatomy: the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living
organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
5. Anatomy: the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living
organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
6. Anesthetic: a substance that induces insensitivity to pain
7. Apologise: feel sorry
32
8. Assassins: professional killers
9. Assuage: decrease, reduce
10. Battered: torn and worn out
11. Beachcomber: a vagrant who makes a living by searching beaches for articles of value and selling them
12. Beginning to stir: gaining consciousness.
13. Bitter: unpleasant
14. Blond: light – coloured, yellowish colour
15. Blond: of light colour

Question 1. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private
individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story you have just
read.

[Link]. Sadao is trapped in a dilemma. On one hand, being a doctor having moral and ethical responsibility to
save the wounded soldier and on the other hand, being a patriot, to let the enemy die or hand him over to the army.
He fulfils his ethical responsibility, saves the man, risks his own life, his family, reputation and then later, as a
patriot plans to get him killed with the help of the army general. Later on again, he helps him escape which reflects
his true personality.

2. Dr. Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife,
sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?

[Link] firmly follows her husband‘s sense of duty although she knows that her husband‘s decision is being
questioned by everyone. She is humanitarian and compassionate and goes beyond her duty to perform the tasks
which she is not supposed to. It is her care that helps the man recover quickly. She respects her husband and has
a sense of duty towards him.

3. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it human consideration,
lack of national loyalty, dereliction (negligence) of duty or simply self-absorption (preoccupied with one‟s
own situation)?

[Link] his life the general had performed his duties with utmost sincerity. He realized that killing innocent men
had become a burden on his soul. He understood Sadao‘s mindset which indicated that he wanted to save a life
irrespective of the fact that he was from an enemy country. The general also considered him to be a human being
and so, excused Sadao to save his life.

4. 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.

5. 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.
33
 6. 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.
7. 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‖.
8. What help did Dr Sadao seek from Hana while operating the wounded white man?
Answer :Dr Sadao asked Hana to fetch towels. He asked her to help him turn the wounded soldier. Sadao asked
Hana to administer an anaesthetic to the wounded white man, if required. He also asked her to soak cotton with
the anaesthetic and hold it near his nostrils.

9. In what condition did Dr Sadao find the American soldier at the seashore?
Answer :While standing outside their house, Dr Sadao and his wife saw something crawl out of the sea. They
rushed and found that he was a wounded prisoner of war. He was motionless with his face in the sand. He had
suffered a gun wound on the right side of his lower back which had reopened.

10. Where had Dr Sadao first met his wife? What had been his initial reaction?
Answer :Dr Sadao met his wife for the first time in America in professor Harley‘s house. He waited to fall in
love with her as he wanted to be sure whether she was a Japanese or not.

CHAPTER -ON THE FACE OF IT

Summary - The story begins with a teenage boy entering a garden. His face is burnt on one side due to an accident
when acid fell on half of his face. He has gone there to hide himself as he is afraid of facing people. He fears
being teased by others for having such a face. But when he enters, he finds someone already present there. He
tries to leave the place but he is stopped by the old man, Mr. Lamb, the owner of the garden. Derry feels guilty
for entering the garden without permission. Mr. Lamb welcomes him and tells him not to leave just because of
his [Link] wants to leave as he thinks people don‘t like his face and moreover, they get afraid of his looks.
But Mr. Lamb insists him to stay there. They enter into a conversation that how Derry is not liked by anyone and
how he hates people behaving like this with him. Mr. Lamb tries to console him. He tells him that he has a tin leg
and kids make fun of him. Still he is not depressed and enjoys his life. They both talk about various things and
reveals about Derry‘s fear, depression and hatred about his being in such [Link] Mr. Lamb keeps on telling
him to think of the positive things. Soon they become friends and Mr. Lamb asks him to help him in plucking the
crab apples of his garden. Derry tells him that he had come too far from his home and hadn‘t told anything about
this to his mother. Mr. Lamb tells him to take permission from his mother. Derry finds it difficult and this leads
to a small discussion between both of them. At last Derry tells him that he would come back after taking his
mother‘s [Link] mother does not want him to go back but he comes back again to fulfill his promise.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lamb climbs the ladder on his own to pluck the crab apples as he was sure that Derry would not
return. He was disabled and it was difficult for him to climb. Mr. Lamb falls from his ladder and dies. Derry, on
34
 the other hand, returns to the garden to help him. When he enters the garden, he sees Mr. Lamb lying on the
ground. Derry tries hard to make him move but did not get any response from him. Finally, he comes to know
that he is dead and starts crying.
Birdsong = chirping, melodies (ऩक्षऺमों की चहचहाहट), Rustling = soft
sound, whispering (सयसयाहट), Tentatively = hesitantly, uncertainly (सॊकोच से), Screen = barrier, partition
(अवयोध),Startled = shocked, surprised (चौंका हुआ), Windfalls = sudden gains, fallen fruits (अचानक िाप्त
राब), Trip = stumble, falter (ठोकय रगना), Empty = vacant, unoccupied (िारी) ,Afraid = scared, fearful (डया
हुआ), Empty = vacant, uninhabited (रयक्त), Indoors = inside, within a building (बीतय), Panic = sudden fear,
alarm (आकस्स्भक डय), Climbed = ascend, go up (चढना), Watching = observing, looking at (दे ि यहा है ),
Scrump = steal fruit, pilfer (चोयी कयना), Pretend = feign, act (ढोंग कयना), Ugly = unattractive, displeasing
(बद्दा), Terrible = awful, dreadful (बमानक), Steal = pilfer, thieve (चोयी कयना) , Whole = entire, complete
(ऩयू ा), Cooler = less hot, chillier (ठॊ डा), Ladder = steps, climb tool (सीढी), Ripe = mature, ready
(ऩक्का), Pretend = simulate, feign (नकर कयना), Upset = distressed, bothered (ऩये शान), Burned = charred,
scorched (जरा हुआ), Acid = corrosive substance, chemical (अम्र), Different = not the same, distinct (अरग)

1. In which section of the play does Mr Lamb display signs of loneliness and disappointment? What are the
ways in which Mr Lamb tries to overcome these feelings?
Ans. In the middle part of the first scene, we observe that Mr. Lamb is lonely. He tells Derry that when it is a bit
cooler, he will get the ladder and a stick, and pull down those crab apples. He makes jelly with them. Derry could
help him. He also tells him that he is interested in anybody or anything that God has created. It may be a person,
flower, fruit, grass, weeds or [Link] also tells him that he sits in the sun and reads books and that he does not
use curtains in his house because he wants to enjoy both light and darkness. These all are the signs of his loneliness
and also his ways of overcoming it

2. The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of
alienation (isolation) felt by the person with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that the person
expects from others?

[Link] story reveals the bitter truth of a life led by a disabled person. They not only suffer physical pain but also
suffer emotionally due to the absurd behavior of people. They are teased and disliked by others. Derry has a burnt
face and people don‘t like him for being ugly. Some get afraid of him which does not allow him to stay with
[Link] the other hand, Mr. Lamb has a tin leg and is teased by kids as ‗Lamey Lamb‘. He lives alone in his big
house and has no one in his life. Such instances show that the sense of alienation that these people feel causes
them constant pain. Such persons expect cooperation from others. They do not want sympathy but just a
reasonable behavior just like normal people get from different people around.

3. Will Derry get back to his old seclusion (the state of being away from people) or will Mr. Lamb‟s brief
association effect a change in the kind of life he will lead in the future?

Ans. Derry will not get back to his old seclusion because Mr. Lamb had changed his way of thinking. He told
him that hating people and living alone is more harmful then what acid did to him. He told him to take risk and
face people. He also suggested that it‘s just his face that has disfigured. He has legs, arms, heart and brain and he
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 could do whatever he wants to do in his life. He also says that there are chances that Derry can achieve more
than a normal person can if he makes a firm determination to achieve something. This surely had a great impact
on him and this can be seen that he returned back to the garden though his mother was not ready to let him go. He
decided to face it and live without fear of being disliked by anyone and therefore runs back to the garden in
order to live those moments again which he liked when he was in the company of Mr. Lamb.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.
7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. How do people react to Derry‟s face?

Answer :When people see Derry‘s face, they pity on him. They say that it is the ugliest thing they have seen and
run away from him. They don‘t wish to speak to him or be friends with him.

11. Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment, but much more painful for them is the feeling
of loneliness. Comment.

Answer :Man is vain, selfish and prejudiced. He does not cherish anything that is incomplete or impaired. This
nature of man, creates a vaccum in the life of human beings who are handicapped, for no fault of theirs. A war
veteran, an accident victim, a polio affected, or a person born handicapped is looked upon by the so called ‗Normal‘
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people with a false sense of sympathy, disgust or repulsion. As a result, the injury that is physical becomes
secondary to the injury that is caused to the mind, and psyche of the person. They become pessimistic, feel lonely
and alienated.

CHAPTER - MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD

Summary: (The cutting of my long hair)-The story begins with Zitkala‘s first day in a boarding school Carlisle
Indian school. It is a school opened for native Indians where they are trained to leave behind their own culture
and become part of the American culture. Zitkala describes that she really felt bad when a shawl is taken off her
shoulders by the school authorities before entering into the dining hall. She also wonders about how the other
Indian girls agreed to wear tight clothes which were not descent according to her as their whole body shape could
easily be seen. Even their hair was cut short which according to the author was not good. Her mother had told her
only a coward‘s or a mourner‘s hair should be shaved [Link] on Zitkala and other girls were taken to the dining
hall where she was keenly noticed by a pale faced woman for not following the table manners. Judewin, another
Indian girl tells her that the pale faced woman has decided to cut her hair. Zitkala revolts back as she does not
want to look like a coward or a mourner. She hides herself under a bed in some room upstairs. Everyone starts
searching for her and finally she is caught. She is tied up and her hair is cut down. She felt so depressed and
humiliated with this. She is reminded of her mother who would have comforted her during this hard time. At the
end she feels that she is treated like an animal.

Summary: (We too are Human Beings)- The story is written by Bama who is one of the characters in this story.
She is a little cheerful girl who loves to observe things taking place in her street. She says though it takes only ten
minutes to reach home from her school but she takes about thirty minutes to reach her home from the school. She
then explains the reason behind it. She says when she is on her way to home she sees a monkey performing and
a snake charmer doing some acts with his snake which was very interesting for her. Then there was a cyclist also
who was cycling from past three days. There was one famous temple which had a big bell and a tribal man who
sells clay beads, needles etc. She also comes across various snack stalls. Then she explains about how various
political parties come to her street to give lectures. As she proceeds further, she saw a landlord sitting and watching
his workers work in the field. She then saw an old man of her community handling a snack pack in a very strange
manner and then offering it to the landlord. She founds it so amusing that she bursts out into a laugh. On reaching
home she narrates it to her elder brother and starts laughing. He then tells her a real truth about her being from a
low caste and that the upper caste people do not like their presence or touch the low caste as it would make them
impure. She finds it so disgusting that she grows angry over the upper caste people. He then suggests her to study
hard, as only this could earn her respect. She works as per his suggestions and becomes topper of her class. This
not only earns her respect but many friends too.

Question [Link] two accounts that you read are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of
theme found in both of them?

[Link] autobiographical accounts covered under ‗Memories of Childhood‘ are by the two women from socially
marginalized sections in two different cultures of the world. In the first story the author describes how she
became victim of the social discrimination when she was badly treated by the European staff of the school
because she was a Native American. She feels so humiliated when her shrugg is removed from shoulders and
her hair was shingled. In her culture shingled hair was a symbol of being a [Link] the second story, Bama
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 describes the social discrimination faced by the low castes in India. She being a student of third standard was
forced to face the harsh reality of untouchability, when she saw an old Dalit man carrying food packet by
strings as it was meant for an upper caste man. Although both the stories are set in different parts of the world
but still they have a similar theme. They show the hardships and sufferings of the marginal communities in
different parts of the [Link]

2. It may take a long time for oppression (unjust treatment) to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion (revolt)
are sowed early in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?

[Link], it is true that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by the children. This we have seen
in both the stories we have read. In the first story when Judewin told Zitkala that the authorities have planned to
shingle their hair, Zitkala decides to rebel. Judewin says that the authorities are strong we have to agree with them.
But Zitkala hides herself, when she is found out,she kicks and scratches them wildly.

3. Bama‟s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does Zitkala-Sa‟s
experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?

[Link] Sa was ill treated by the European school authorities as she was a Native American. As shown in the
story her moccasins (shoes) were taken away, they remove her shrugg from her shoulders which make her feel so
insulted and her hairs were shingled. In Zitkala‘s culture, only a coward‘s hairs were cut down and girls did not
wear indecent clothes as they were considered immodest. She was even pointed out for not following the table
manners. All this took away her confidence and she was left in [Link] when she grew up, she with the power
of her education wrote articles against the Carlisle Indian School and their discrimination with the Native
Americans. On the other side, Bama also studied hard and became a famous writer and wrote against the caste
discrimination. So, here we can say that though both the women belonged to different periods of time and different
parts of the world but used education as their tool to fight against the discrimination.

4. How was Zitkala-Sa different from the other Native American students?

Answer :Zitkala-Sa was a Native American girl. She had great love for her tradition and culture. She was proud
of her beliefs. She held these beliefs close to her heart and felt hurt when the rest of the girls followed the foreign
culture without any hesitation.

5. Why was the girl tied to a chair in Memories of Childhood?

Answer :The girl, Zitkala-Sa was refusing to accept the school‘s decision to shingle the hair of all girls. According
to her traditions and customs, a girl‘s long hair was shingled only when captured by enemy, in mourning or for
cowards. She felt insulted and hid herself. She was finally caught and forcefully tied to a chair and her long hair
was chopped off.

6. Why did Zitkala-Sa not want her hair to be cut short?

Answer :Zitkala-Sa belonged to a Native American warrior tribe. Their tradition was to keep long and heavy hair.
Only those warriors, captured by the enemy, had their hair shingled. Short hair was worn by mourners, and
shingled hair by cowards. Therefore, for her, this was absolutely atrocious.

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7. How was Zitkala-Sa‟s hair cut?
Answer :Zitkala-Sa‘s hair was cut even after her resistance and strong opposition. It was all in vain since her stiff
resistance was met with equally stiff efforts. She was tied to a chair and amidst her loud disapproval, her hair was
cut.

8. What advice did Annan offer Bama?

Answer :Annan asked Bama to study hard and to top all exams. He also told her that if she was successful in life,
people would come to her of their own accord.

9. Why did the landlord‟s man ask Bama‟s brother, on which street he lived? What was the significance?
Answer :The street on which a person lived signified the caste of a person. Each street was dominated by a
particular caste.

10. When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her community?
Answer :Bama came to know of the social discrimination when she was in class 3. On her way back from school,
she saw an elder from her community carrying a small packet of eatables by a string without touching it. She
found it very funny that a huge elderly man was carrying a small packet so strangely. Later on, she discovers from
her brother that the real reason was that the landlords were of a higher class and they thought that their food would
get polluted, if touched by people from her cast.

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