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Patol Babu, Film Star Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find Patol Babu, Film Star Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

Patol Babu, Film Star Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Patol Babu, Film StarExtra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
How does Patol Babu reconcile to the dialogue given to him?
Ans.
Patol Babu reported for the shooting with a lot of anticipation. However he was shattered with the insignificance of the role and the monologue that was offered to him. Better sense prevailed and he puts aside his initial response to quit, as he is guided by an inner voice, the words of his mentor, which directed him to focus on the quality of performance rather that the quantity to be performed.

Question 2.
What was the advice of Patol Babu’s mentor and guru Pakrashi?
Answer:
The priceless advice of Gogon Pakrashi was— “ remember one thing Patol, however small a part you’re offered, never consider it beneath your dignity to accept it. As an artist your aim should be to make the most of your opportunity and squeeze the last drop of meaning out of your lines. A play involves the work of many and it is the combined effort of many that makes a success of the play”.He also says that, “each word spoken in a play is like a fruit in a tree. Not every one in the audience has access to it. But you the actor must know how to pluck it, get its essence and serve it to the audience for their edification”.

Question 3.
What job did Patol Babu have in Calcutta and why did he leave it?
Ans.
Patol Babu started working with Hudson and Kimberly from the year 1934 in the position of a clerk, tlowever, the war led to the deterioration and the destabilization of the economy. Retrenchment of workers was the logical solution to handle the crisis. Therefore, after a nine year stint, Patol lost his job.

Question 4.
What idea did Patol Babu have while rehearsing? Did the director approve of the idea?
Answer:
Patol Babu began practising his little role. While doing so it occurred to him that the act would look more authentic if he were to be reading a newspaper in the scene. The director was not apposed to the idea.

Question 5.
What were Patol Babu’s dialogues and what was his reaction on seeing it?
Answer:
Patol Babu enquired about the dialogue that he had to deliver. After a considerable wait, a paper was handed over to him, on which just one word ‘Oh!’ was written. He was disappointed, felt cheated and humiliated.

Question 6.
Why did Patol Babu leave without taking money?
Answer:
After the shot was over, Patol Babu heaved a sigh of relief, a deep sense of satisfaction swept over him. He had done his job really well, and the director approved his scene after the very first take. Patol Babu was very satisfied for having executed his role with perfection. He did not linger around the set after the scene, nor did he collect the remuneration that was due to him. The actor in him, did not allow him to barter mental satisfaction with currency, for he felt it could not be balanced fairly.

Question 7.
How did Patol Babu react to the offer of a role in a film?
Answer:
Patol Babu was very apprehensive initially, when his neighbour put forward the proposal of a prospective role in a film. He was definitely happy that he received such an offer at his age. Eventually, as the idea started seeping into his mind and soul, he began building castles in the air.

Question 8.
What message is the author trying to convey through the lesson “Patol Babu”?
Answer:
The message conveyed by the story ‘Patol Babu’ is to do one’s job with perfection, no matter how big or small it is. In the plan of action everyone is assigned a role, which must be performed to the best of one’s ability. This is the only source of satisfaction.

Question 9.
How did Patol Babu manage to make his role special? What special touches did he give to the role?
Answer:
Patol Babu convinced himself that even “Oh!”, can be said in different ways to suit the requirement of the situation it has to be uttered in. He went to a quiet corner, and began rehearsing in front of a huge glass window. He worked extensively to bring about modulations in his voice, variety in his facial expressions, and on the appropriate body reactions as a result of the bump. He measured the distance he had to walk to make the timing and impact of the collision perfect. To make the scene look more authentic he suggested, holding a newspaper in his hand, which was accepted by the director.

Question 10.
What comprised the 100% of Patol Babu’s performance?
Answer:
Patol Babu experienced excruciating pain as a result of the collision. But not letting it affect his performance, he pulled himself together, and mixing 50 parts of anguish, 25 parts of surprise, and 25 parts of irritation he delivered his dialogue, “Oh”! with the necessary facial and body actions to perfection. His 100 % performance was approved at the very first take.

Question 11.
Who was Nishikanto Ghosh? What was the offer he made to Patol Babu?
Answer:
Nishikanto Ghosh was Patol Babu’s neighbour. The offer that he had made to Patol Babu, was of a role in a film. The age and physique of Patol Babu fitted the requirement perfectly. Besides, Njishikanto was aware of Patol Babu’s penchant for acting, and moreover, the request was made by his brother-in-law, who was a part of the film’s production team.

Question 12.
Why did Mullick turn down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal?
Answer:
Mullick turned down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal as he wanted to complete the shoot before the patch of cloud that was appearing in the sky takes away with it the bright daylight. Besides, he did not feel that the role required any preparation as it was fairly small and insignificant.

Question 13.
How do we know that Patol was a meticulous man?
Answer:
Patol Babu was guided by his Mentor Gogan Pakrashi’s wisdom. He was shattered when he was informed about his role and dialogue. But his inner voice, that reflected his mentor’s advice, told him that it was not the quantity but the quality of work that mattered. Patol Babu, therefore, decided to prepare meticulously, to execute the task at hand with perfection.

He moved away to a quiet place, and looking at his reflection on a huge glass window, practised with commitment, to arrive at the best combination of mind, body and soul, to potray his character. He tried out various facial expressions, voice modulations and the appropriate body movements to strike the right style. He also suggested some improvisations to make the scene authentic, which was readily accepted by the director. Patol Babu, eventually, “squeezed the last drop of meaning from his monologue, Oh!” and put in a magnificent performance.

Question 14.
What was Gogon Pakrashi’s advice to Patol Babu on how to become a successful actor?
Answer:
Gogon Pakrashi, Pato Babu’s mentor had told him, not to consider it undignified to accept any role given to him, whether big or small. The aim of an artist should be to make the most of an opportunity and squeeze the last drop of meaning out of the lines. He also compares the words in a play to fruits that are accessible only to man actor. He should pluck them and serve the essence for the audience to cherish.

Question 15.
How did Patol Babu initially react to the role allotted to him?
Answer:
After hearing the offer made by Nishikanta Ghosh, Patol Babu was very excited. He had never expected to get an opportunity to act in a film. It was beyond his wildest imaginations. He felt very important and started building castles in the air.

Question 16.
What changed Patol Babu’s mind about the small role allotted to him?
Answer:
Patol Babu was selected to do a role in a film. Sadly, his dialogue in the scene was nothing but, to exclaim, “Oh!” When he was told of this, a disheartened Patol, felt belittled and thought that he was being teased. But later, remembering the words of his guru Gogon Pakrashi who advised him to accept any small role, however, insignificant it may be, Patol accepted the role and got ready to do his role with great precision and accuracy.

Question 17.
Why didn’t Patol Babu wait to collect his payment?
Answer:
Patol Babu was given a small role in a film by Naresh Dutt a filmmaker. It was an insignificant role, which he executes with excellence. He left without accepting his remuneration because he believed that no payment can equate a job done well with the dedication it deserves.

Question 18.
What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh gave Patol Babu?
Answer:
When Nishikanto Ghosh came to Patol Babu’s house, he wanted to tell him some exciting news. He had met his youngest brother-in-law, Naresh Dutt, who was in the film production business and had talked about a role in a movie. For which a fiftyish, short, bald headed man in his fifties was required. He also knew about Patol Babu’s interest in acting and he had asked Naresh Dutt to consider Patol Babu for the role.

Question 19.
How did Patol Babu react? Why?
Answer:
At first, he could not believe that a man, who was fifty-two years old and a non-entity like him could get such an offer to act in a movie. Moreover, there was no reason for him to refuse the offer.

Question 20.
Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in Calcutta?
Answer:
He held a good clerical post with Hudson and Kimberley in Calcutta. Due to the war, as cost-cutting measures he lost his job.

Question 21.
How does Patol Babu reconcile to the dialogue given to him?
Answer:
When Patol Babu saw the paper on which just one word ‘Oh’ was written, he was terribly disappointed. But then he was reminded of the advice given to him by his mentor, Gogon Pakrashi, that the role was not big or small, it was the manner in which one performed it and made it as effective as possible that was important. At this, he decided to give all that he could to the role and performed it most superbly.

Question 22.
Who was Mr. Pakrashi? How do his words help Patol Babu in enacting his role?
Answer:
Mr. Pakrashi was Patol Babu’s mentor, a wonderful actor himself, without a trace of vanity in him. His words of advice had been, “No role was big and small, it was the way you performed it that matters.” So, Patol Babu, gave all of himself to the role of a pedestrian and left his mark by performing it flawlessly in the first attempt.

Question 23.
How do we know that Patol Babu was a meticulous man?
Answer:
He ignored the fact that the dialogue was just a monosyllable. He started thinking of ways to utter it in the most effective manner. He even went quietly to a side street to practise his role, and in front of a large glass window he rehearsed how to emote pain and surprise in the right proportion. Finally, he portrayed that insignificant role in the most significant manner.

Question 24.
Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal?
Answer:
Mr. Mullick turned down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal as he wanted to shoot the scene in daylight which was fast fading and there was a patch of cloud approaching the sun. He also thought the scene was too insignificant for a rehearsal.

Question 25.
What were the special touches that Patol Babu gave to his role to make it more authentic?
Answer:
Patol Babu gave numerous special touches to his role to make it more authentic. He asked for a newspaper to read while walking, so that he would appear as an absentminded stranger. He measured out the ratio of emotions that he had to express in his line to make it sound more effective. He also calculated the steps it would take to collide with the actor, so that the shot would be perfect.

Patol Babu, Film StarExtra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Patol Babu’s wife decides to write a letter to her friend giving vent to her feelings about the performance of her husband and what she feels about it. Imagine yourself as the wife and write the letter.
Answer:
Park Street Calcutta May 22,
19XX Dear Madhabi
How are you? Hope you, your family and parents are in good health. It has been quite a while since we have communicated with each other. I was missing your company a lot. My condition seems to be going from bad to worse. Life is getting very difficult because Patol has not been able to secure a stable job. The war has been very tough on us. He tried his hand at various jobs but to no avail.

All of a sudden, yesterday, our neighbour had come over to offer Patol a role in a film. You know his passion for acting. He was very excited, and as is his nature, began building castles in the air, despite my cautioning him against doing so. He seemed hopeful of seeing the end of our troubles.
In the evening, he came back with a very different perspective of life. He narrated to me the details of the numerous emotions he experienced before and after he was acquainted with his role. It was a very insignificant role, he said, which he executed with perfection, after meticulous preparation. The best part of the whole incident was that Patol left the set without accepting the remuneration due to him. He said the satisfaction he experienced could not be appropriated with any currency. I was really proud to be the wife of a man with such high ideals. I had to share this with you because you have always told me that Patol is a man of very high principles. I am convinced now. I always misunderstood his ways because of the lack of financial security. No longer !
Waiting to hear from you,
Yours affectionately,
Tapeshwari

Question 2.
That night, after the incident, when Patol Babu is about to retire for his sleep, he decides to make a diary entry. Write it.
Answer:
May 20, 20XX,
Thursday 9.00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
It was a very depressing day. But I did not succumb to my lesser emotions.
I had gone to Faraday house, with a lot of anticipation to take up the film assignment, offered to me by Nishikanto. I was overwhelmed to receive a role in a film at my age. Though Tapeshwari dissuaded me, I began fantasising about the rosy future, that would naturally follow a filmstar.
I reached the set much ahead of the scheduled time and waited in earnest for information about my role and dialogue. It was not forthcoming for a long time. Eventually I received and introduced to my character which destroyed my hopes and aspirations. I was assigned the role of a pedestrian, and my dialogue was restricted to an exclamation. I was dejected, and wanted to quit. But surprisingly the words of my revered mentor Gogonji, awakened my senses and told me not to let quantity affect quality and to respect every task that comes our way. I was determined to do my best. I rehearsed, suggested improvisations, and performed to the best of my abilities. My act was approved with the very first shot. A warm feeling of satisfaction of a job well done, enveloped my entire being. I left happily, thanking my mentor, for his wisdom had made me a better human being. I refused to barter my art and satisfaction for money. As I pen this down, I am a contented man!
Thank you
Gogonji!

Question 3.
Dedication and hard work are essential for success. Explain how these qualities enable Patol Babu to perform his small role to perfection.
Answer:
Patol Babu, was an unassuming, humble, and modest 52-year-old, man who gets an offer to play a role in a film. However, he was assigned the role of a pedestrian who was to bump into the hero and just exclaim the word ‘Oh!’ Disappointed, he does not want to play such a small role. But he remembers his mentor, Guru, Gogon Pakrashi’s words, ’’never refuse any role, however small it might be. An artist’s aim should always be to make the most of the opportunity, and squeeze the last drop of meaning out of his lines”, and resolves to give his best to the small role offered to him. He rehearses it many times, infusing different shades of emotions into the word ‘oh’. Patol Babu also makes suggestions for improving the shot, like holding a newspaper at the time of the collision and being precise about the number of steps that ought to be taken during the shot. He gives a perfect shot and makes the director very happy with his performance. However, he leaves the shooting scene modestly, without receiving his remuneration as job satisfaction was more important for him.

Question 4.
“Work is worship.” Discuss.
Or
No work is big or small, it is the manner in which it is executed that makes it big or small.
Answer:
This is an old proverb that has been passed down from generations. What does this mean? Well it certainly does not tell you to look at your work with folded hands and chant prayers.
You need to worship, and dedicate your whole being toward the task on hand to experience pleasure and contentment. It also teaches us the dignity of labour. No work is big or small. Work is work, and it has to be done with passion and love. Half-hearted, non-committal performances leads to incompleteness and unhappiness. The joy and satisfaction is derived only when you are devoted to what you are doing. What will be the plight of a patient whose doctor wanted to be an architect, and has little or no passion towards his profession? Chaos! But one must also remember that what we desire, might not always be. Therefore making the best of what comes our way is what a sensible person should do. As man proposes to do something, but the will of God might not be there, as He has other plans for you. The motto of every one should be to put in one’s best, hoping for the best to come back to you.
This fact has been very explicitly portrayed by the Protagonist of the story, “Patol Babu, a film star”. His devotion gives him a satisfaction that could not be weighed against money.

Question 5.
‘I hope the part calls for some dialogue?’ Who says this? Why?
Answer:
These words were spoken by Patol Babu. He expresses his hope to Mr. Naresh Dutt, Nishikanto’s youngest brother in law who was part of the production team. Naresh had gone over to Patol Babu’s house to make an appraisal of the man. It was during the course of this interaction that Patol Babu is informed that he was required to play the role of an absent minded pedestrian in the film. After briefing him about the role and the attire he was to be in, Naresh Dutt tells him to report at Faraday House the following morning. The crucial question whether the character was required to make a dialogue was asked by Patol Babu, just as Naresh Dutt was getting ready to leave. He was very happy when Naresh Dutt assures him that it was to be a speaking part.

Question 6.
“Were these people pulling his legs? was the whole thing a gigantic hoax? A meek, harmless like him, and they had to drag him into the middle of the city to make a laughing stock out of him. How could anyone be so cruel? Why does Patol Babu have such thoughts?
Answer:
Patol Babu was informed that the part he was given in the movie was a speaking part. He had been enquiring with them makers of the film to give him his dialogue to enable him prepare for the shot. After a long wait, Naresh wrote down the dialogue on a piece of paper and handed it over to Patol Babu. The exclamation, “Oh!” written on the paper, his dialogue, made him extremely dejected. It was because of the humiliation he experienced, that Patol Babu raised the questions mentioned above. He was perhaps trying to find an explanation to the anxieties that were gnawing at his self respect and identity. He wondered whether it was an attempt made by the filmakers to belittle a simpleton like him, and derive pleasure by making a fool out of him. He was upset with the cruel treatment he was being subjected to.

Question 7.
“Patol Babu is an amateur actor for whom walk-on part in a movie turns into an ultimate challenge.” Discuss.
Answer:
Patol Babu is an amateur actor. The walk-on part in a movie turns into an ultimate challenge, which he accepts and turns the tide in his favour by giving an excellent performance. Acting on stage had been a passion; he used to take active part in Jatras, theatricals and plays staged by the local club. But acting in a movie was different. His role was small, that of a pedestrian, who had to make a monosyllabic exclamation. Initially, Patol Babu experienced a lot of negative emotions.

Wallowing in self-pity, he felt cheated, humiliated, and dejected. However, the wisdom of his mentor Gogon Pakrashi awakened his weakened senses at the appropriate moment. His mentor’s valuable advice awakened his inner sense and reminded him that it was the quality of the act that was more important than the length of the role. He convinced himself that ‘Oh’, can be said in different ways, depending upon the situation.

Therefore, he rehearsed the exclamation, ‘Oh’ in so many different ways. Using his own imagination and understanding, he blends the right amount of irritation, pain and surprise to exclaim, and puts up a wonderful performance. The amateur actor Patol Babu went home satisfied. Time had not diminished his talent. He succeeded in converting an insignificant role into a challenging one and performed it to perfection.

Question 8.
Do you agree with the statement that Patol Babu is a practical man who comes to terms with whatever life has to offer? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, Patol Babu is really a practical man who comes to terms with whatever life has to offer. He has taken the ups and downs of his life in his stride. In his heydays he used to be a theatre artist. He was a popular actor and was in great demand. In fact he would appear in advertising handbills of theatre clubs and people would buy tickets just to see him perform. He enjoyed so much popularity and fan following, yet he did not go overboard. He continued to be the man he was – simple, humble and respectable.

Then the demands of life took him away from theatre and he got busy with his job in the railway factory. He switched his job for higher salary. He joined Hudson and Kimberley where he had worked for nine years. But then the World War II broke out and he lost his job due to retrenchment. The long struggle for survival began. He tried everything he could, opened up a variety store, did odd jobs in companies, sold insurance policies, but success eluded him everywhere. He kept trying like every practical man would do.

When the film role was offered to him, he was trying to take up a job with scrap iron dealer. In performing the film role too, though there was an initial emotional glitch, he motivates himself to view things in a practical manner. He puts in immense efforts to perform well. Pefhaps it would not be wrong in saying that he displayed a trace of impracticality only on one occasion, when his emotions did not let him accept a remuneration for his role. On the whole, Patol Babu was a practical man who comes to terms with whatever life has to offer.

Question 9.
Why does Patol Babu walk away before he can be paid for his role? What does this reveal about his character?
Answer:
Patol Babu walks away before he could be paid. This role was a small, but he put all his imagination, his heart and soul into it and gave a wonderful shot. A very good performance by a great actor. However, he refrains from collecting his remuneration.

It was probably the idealist in him that was responsible for this gesture. He was so disappointed with the happenings of the day, and regretted the callousness of the film crew. He felt saddened that the efforts he had put in was not appreciated by anyone. He therefore feels that the money that he would get was nothing as compared to the satisfaction he experienced after doing his work so well, abiding by his mentor’s principles. The author reveals that Patol Babu was a man of great principles, who was not afraid of taking up challenges, and one who believed in the adage, “Work is worship”, Money is transient in nature where as principles possess the rare quality of permanence.

Question 10.
Do you think making a movie is an easy job? Discuss with reference to the story.
Answer:
Making a movie is not at all an easy job. Film making is a very long, tedious and tiring job. For making a film different units are required such as makeup men, camera men, light men. Much talent and hard work is required into the production. A film producer creates the conditions for film-making. The producer is involved throughout all phases of film making process from development to completion of a project. There are number of areas on which a film maker has to work such as development, financing on production.

In the story Naresh Dutt goes to Patol Babu’s house for a small role. He found Patol Babu for the role. Patol Babu had to wear a jacket in the sharp sunshine because it was the demand of the role. The director Baren Mullick had to surprise everything, every being and every activity. He had to shoot at proper time and place. One has to be very careful and focussed in this field.

Patol Babu, Film StarExtra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Naresh Dutt cast an appraising look at Patol Babu and gave a nod. ‘Oh yes’, he said. There is no doubt about that. By the way, the shooting takes place tomorrow morning.
(i) Who is Naresh Babu?
(ii) For what did he give a nod? What do you mean by appraising look?
(iii) Where did the shooting take place?
(iv) Who says he does not have a doubt? Why did he say so?
Answer:
(i) Naresh Babu is the brother-in-law of Nishikant Ghosh, the neighbour of Patol Babu. He is a member of a film production team.
(ii) He gave a nod of approval for casting Patol babu for the said role. “Appraising look” means to take a close look, scrutinise or assess carefully for gauging somebody or something.
(iii) The shooting took place near Faraday House.
(iv) Naresh Dutt says he does not have any doubt about casting Patol babu. He says this in response to the question made by Patol with regard to him being right for the role.

Question 2.
Counting your chickens again before they’re hatched, are you! No wonder you could never make a go of it.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Why does she make this remark?
(iii) Explain ‘Counting your chickens again before they are hatched?’
(iv) Who was counting the chickens before they are hatched?
Answer:
(i) These words are being spoken by Patol Babu’s wife.
(ii) She makes the remark to caution him, as he was confident that this opportunity was going to be the first step towards his acquiring fame and fortune.
(iii) It means making plans or getting one’s hopes up based on assumptions.
(iv) Patol Babu was counting the chickens before they are hatched.

Question 3.
‘Jolly good! Why, you are quite an actor. Sosanko, just take a look at the sky through the dark glass, will you’.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What do you mean by ‘Jolly good’?
(iii) Who is being praised here?
(iv) What has he done for which he is being praised?
Answer:
(i) Baren Mullick, the director of the film is the speaker.
(ii) In this context, “jolly good” implies the approval of Patol Babu’s performance.
(iii) Patol Babu is being praised by the director for his excellent performance.
(iv) Though a small role, Patol Babu had made several

Question 4.
‘That’s odd — the man hadn’t been paid yet. What a strange fellow!’
(i) Who is the speaker of these words?
(ii) Who is the man he is talking about?
(iii) Why does he call him ‘a strange fellow’?
(iv) Why did Patol Babu leave before he was paid?
Answer:
(i) Naresh Dutt is the speaker of these words.
(ii) He is talking about Patol Babu.
(iii) He is calling Patol Babu a strange fellow because he had left the location without collecting his remuneration.
(iv) Patol Babu was content with the mental satisfaction he experienced after doing a job well, and chose not to exchange this mental gratification for cheap monetary benefits.

Question 5.
“In 1943, when he was just toying with the idea of starting a club in his neighbourhood, sudden retrenchment in his office due to the war cost him his nine-year-old job”.
(i) Who is ‘he’?
(ii) What happened to his job?
(iii) What is the meaning of “retrenchment”?
(iv) What idea was Patol Babu toying with?
Answer:
(i) “He” refers to Patol Babu.
(ii) In 1943 he lost his job as a result of retrenchment due to war.
(iii) Retrenchment means the action of an employee being termed “not Required”, or ‘redundant’ to reduce costs following an economic crisis, and removing him from his/her job.
(iv) Patol Babu was toying with the idea of starting a club in his neighbourhood.

Question 6.
“That has become a thing of the remote past; something which he recalls at times with a sigh”.
(i) Who is‘he’?
(ii) What is a thing of remote past?
(iii) What does he recall at times with a sign?
(iv) What made him recall his past?
Answer:
(i) ‘He’ refers to Patol Babu.
(ii) He is referring to acting which he used to do long long ago, in the remote past.
(iii) Patol recalls the past events and experiences of acting and feels nostalgic about it.
(iv) Patol Babu was offered a role in a film which makes him recall his past.

Question 7.
“This is only the first step on the ladder, my dear better half. Yes-the first step that would- God willing-mark the rise to fame and fortune of your beloved husband”.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Whom is he speaking to?
(iii) What is referred as first step on the ladder?
(iv) What does Patol Babu pray for?
Answer:
(i) Patol Babu is the speaker.
(ii) He is speaking to his wife.
(iii) The role in a film that has been offered to him is what Patol Babu considers to be the first step on the ladder.
(iv) He prays to climb up the ladder of fame and fortune.

Question 8.
“All he felt now was a keen anticipation and suppressed excitement. It was the feeling he used to feel twenty years ago just before he stopped on to the stage.”
(i) Who is ‘he’?
(ii) What did he do twenty years ago?
(iii) What was he excited about?
(iv) Name the chapter from which these lines are taken.
Answer:
(i) He refers to Patol Babu.
(ii) He was a stage and theatre artist twenty years ago.
(iii) He was excited about the offer he had received to act in a film.
(iv) These lines are taken from ‘Patol Babu, Film Star’.

Question 9.
“The hero’s head had banged against his forehead, and an excruciating pain had robbed him of his senses for a few seconds”.
(i) What is being referred to in the lines above?
(ii) What did the scene require of the two characters?
(iii) Who is the hero of the film?
(iv) What role did Patol Babu have to play?
Answer:
(i) The lines above is revealing the scene that was enacted by Patol Babu, and the severe pain he stiffered as a result of his act.
(ii) The scene required the two characters, Patol Babu and the hero, to bang into each other while walking along the pavement.
(iii) Chanchal Kumar is the hero of the film.
(iv) Patol Babu had to play the role of the pedestrian.

Question 10.
“He had done his job really well. All these years of struggle hadn’t blunted his sensibility. Gogon Pakrashi would have been pleased with his performance. ”
(i) Who is ‘he’?
(ii) Which job has he performed well?
(iii) Who is Gogon Pakrashi?
(iv) What do you mean by the phrase ‘blunted his sensibility’.
Answer:
(i) ‘He’ is Patol Babu.
(ii) He has performed his role of an absent minded pedestrian well.
(iii) He is Patol Babu’s mentor or guru.
(iv) ‘Blunted his sensibility’ means, reduce his ability to perform. Time had not taken away from him his talent.

Question 11.
Counting your chickens again before they are hatched, are you ? No wonder you can never make a go of it.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What does it tell us about the speaker?
(iii) What is the antonym of ‘never’?
Answer:
(i) These lines were spoken by Patol Babu’s wife
(ii) These words of the speaker gives us an understanding of her pessimism. .Besides she comes across as a very sarcastic woman, who is in the habit of discouraging her husband and doubting his abilities as an actor, who, she feels is a daydreamer.
(iii) Always

Grabbing Everything on the Land Question and Answers

The Letter Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find The Letter Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

The Letter Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

The Letter Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Who was Ali? Where did he go daily?
Answer:
Ali was an old coachman. He went to the post office daily in anticipation of receiving a letter from his daughter Miriam who had left him and gone to Punjab, after getting married to a soldier. His earnestness arose from the fact that he had no information about her for nearly five years.

Question 2.
‘Ali displays qualities of love and patience.’ Give evidence from the story to support this statement.
Answer:
Coachman Ali, an erstwhile hunter turns over a new leaf when his daughter goes away. He is left to lead a life of loneliness. Ali is characterised as a person possessing a great deal of patience towards all the people who ridicule him. Also, the love for his daughter prods him to make daily trips to the post office which he indulges in, with a lot of patience, guided by his faith in the ways of God.

Question 3.
How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?
Answer:
Ali would wake up every morning as early as 4 a.m, paying no heed to the changes in the weather. With a devout serenity born out of hope and faith. He would be the first to reach the post office everyday. This, was his place of pilgrimage. His relentless journey made him a familiar figure.

Question 4.
Why did Ali give up hunting?
Answer:
Ali was a renowned hunter in his heydays. But as he was reaching the dusk of his life, his daughter leaves for her marital home. This affected Ali very severely. Realisation dawned on him. He understood the importance of love, separation and human relationship. He pined for his daughter, and regretted having orphaned the fledglings and calves of the several animals and birds that fell to his bullets. Subsequently, Ali the hunter laid down his rifle.

Question 5.
What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story?
Answer:
The postmaster was quite cruel initially, as he maltreated the Coachman Ali. He did not consider him to be a sane person. In fact, once he called him a great pest and nuisance. Later, however, when his daughter fell sick and he was waiting for her letter, he got Miriam’s letter. At that time he felt guilty and repented for treating Ali badly.

Question 6.
The postmaster says to Ali, “What a pest you are, brother!” Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The coachman had got accustomed to go and sit in the post office to get his daughter’s letter. He would go and come back every day without any positive result. People started calling him a lunatic. One day, when he asked the postmaster for the letter, the latter called him a pest. He should have not done so as Ali was waiting for his daughter’s letter and was not in any way trying to be a pest or annoying him.

Question 7.
Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith. Why were Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience? How/Why was his faith still intact?
Answer:
Ali’s eyes were filled with tears of helplessness as he got a scolding from the postmaster and was asked to go away. His patience had been exhausted since he received no news about Miriam. However, Ali was an optimistic man and believed that the letter would come one day.

Question 8.
How was the heart of the postmaster brimming with sympathy for Ali?
Answer:
One day trouble came upon the postmaster. His daughter fell sick and was in another town. He was anxiously waiting for some news of her well-being. After spending just a single night in suspense, anxiously waiting for news of his daughter, his heart empathised for the old man who had spent nights in innumerable anticipation. His newly-awakened father’s heart understood Ali’s anxiety.

Question 9.
Explain Ali’s dictum, ‘The whole universe is built up through love and the grief of separation inescapable.’
Answer:
Ali had a daughter, Miriam. He loved her a lot. After her marriage, she left him. He felt lonely and dragged a cheerless existence. He understood the meaning of love and separation. He could no longer enjoy the hunter’s instinct. He sat down under a tree and wept bitterly. He felt that this world is an amalgamation of both love and sorrow and we cannot escape from either.

Question 10.
“Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait.” Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?
Answer:
The post master was one among the numerous people who were extremely unkind towards coachman Ali. However, it was when he finds himself in a similar situation that he realises the pain and anxiety of a father. The postmaster was waiting for information from his daughter. He could not bear the anxiety even for a day or two. Ali had been suffering for more than five years. He was filled with remorse because of his behaviour towards Ali. The doubt pertained to the fantasy of having interacted with Ali, who was, on enquiry reported to have died three months ago. The post master sat by the hot sigri, waiting for his daughter’s letter, repenting for his act, and tortured by the meaning of the apparition, he had seen in the early hours of the morning.

The Letter Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
The postmaster is ridden by a sense of remorse at what he had done to Ali and he decides to write a letter to his friend. Imagine yourself as the postmaster and write a letter on his behalf.
Answer:
Sohan Nagar Post office,
U.P.
20 October 1930 Dear Ranjan
Hope you and your family are doing well. Convey my regards to your family.
Hey! Ranjan, I am writing this letter to make a confession. I have been going through immense stress for the past few days. There was an old coachman, Ali, here at Sohan Nagar. He used to come to the post office everyday, hoping to receive a letter from his daughter, and all of us would tease him a lot. But I went a step further, and called him a ‘pest’ one day.
It was when I was waiting eagerly for a letter from Kajal, my daughter, who was unwell, that realisation of a father’s anxiety dawned on me. I am filled with remorse. I realised that experience does make a man wiser.

Yesterday while surfing through the letters, I was shocked to see a letter from his daughter Miriam, addressed to the old coachman. It was when we were trying to locate him, that we were informed of his demise three months ago.

My clerk Lakshmi Das then told me that on the last day Ali had come to the post office, he had given him 5 guineas and had requested him to place his daughter’s letter if and when it arrived on his grave. Respecting his wishes we went together and offered our respects to the dead man and placed the letter on his grave. Tortured by remorse, I have gone into a state of depression. However, I have decided to turn over a new leaf and become more humane. Perhaps that will be the way of seeking redemption.
My earnest prayer to God is to bless him.!
Thank you for being a great friend.
Yours sincerely
Sushil Jena

Question 2.
You are the clerk, Lakshmi Das, who received the five gold coins from Ali. Write a page in your diary describing your feelings from the time you received the coins to the time you laid the letter on Ali’s grave.
Answer:
18 November 1930 9:30 pm
Dear Diary,
I was startled when the old man Ali stopped me at the post office and laid five gold guineas from an old tin box onto my hands. Seeing me surprised, he told me that these gold coins would be useful to me as these could never be of any use to him. In return, he asked me for a favour. He requested me to forward Miriam’s letter to his grave. I was even more shocked. As he left, there were tears in his eyes. I was touched by his emotions. Nevertheless, I was happy to have got the five golden guineas which I quickly put in my pocket. Ali was never seen again.

No one bothered to inquire about him. However three months later a letter addressed to ‘Coachman Ali’ finally did arrive. I was assigned the task of finding Ali. On inquiring, I found to my dismay that old Ali had died. I knew I had to fulfil his last wish, which he had requested of me with a lot of sorrow, eyes brimming with tears. I was shocked to see the rough and tough hunter crumble in this manner. I did not expect that to be the last interaction with the coachman.

Along with the postmaster, I went to Ali’s grave and placed the letter on it. I didn’t know why, but after doing so, I felt a sense of fulfilment within myself. Ali had given me the golden guineas in the presence of God, and somewhere deep within my heart I was extremely satisfied to fulfil the old man’s wish. Lakshmidas

Question 3.
Imagine you are Miriam, the daughter of Ali. You have learnt about how miserable your father is throqgh an acquaintance. You decide to write a letter to your father at once.
Answer:
76BPO,
Punjab Regiment Amritsar (Punjab)
31 January, 1931
Dear Papa
Hope this letter of mine finds you in good health. How badly I miss you! I have been a very insensitive and heartless daughter! Papa, let me assure you that not a day of mine passes without remembering the days we spent together. How can I afford to forget you? You are my world. But I was always worried if you would forgive me for what I did. I know you would have married me off to Vikram if I had expressed my wish to do so. I was scared. Call it an act of immaturity committed by a young girl in love. I did request my husband to visit you but he remained occupied with his professional responsibilities. I could understand his limits. For a soldier, the nation is above everything. He is currently posted at the Wagah border.

I met Junaid uncle yesterday who told me about your pilgrimage to the post office. I feel ashamed of having been such an irresponsible daughter. Please forgive me Pa. I will come to Sohan Nagar as soon as I can. Miss you Papa.
Waiting for a reply from you
Yours lovingly
Miriam

Question 4.
“Letters and envelopes are not merely dead pieces of paper. They are living documents of human love and concern.”
Write a letter to your father expressing the values you have learnt from Ali.
Ans.
52, Park Road Dehradun
20th March, 2013
Dear Papa,
Today I read a wonderful chapter in my class. It is about anxiety and worry of a father for his daughter. The central character, coachman Ali has boundless love and affection for his daughter Miriam. Without her, he becomes extremely lonely and unhappy. The grief or pangs of separation is inescapable. This realisation makes him a totally transformed man. He gives up hunting. He can’t stand the sight of a helpless young animal separated from his parents. His only child Miriam got married and left him. No news of Miriam had come for the last five years. Everyday Ali visited post office in the hope of getting a letter from his daughter. This loving father was a marvel of patience and faith. For hours every day he waited patiently at the post office for a letter and silently bore the taunts of the post office employees.

Coachman Ali teaches us empathy, compassion, love and fellow feelings; we should respect others’ feelings and should not treat them harshly. It was really a great lesson. I learnt a lot today.
Hope Ma and Anuj are doing well.
Your lovingly
XYZ

Question 5.
“No one can gauge the depth of human emotions till one identifies oneself with one’s fellow beings.” The postmaster realises the pain of Ali when his own daughter was sick. He was full of remorse, guilt and repentance for his ill treatment to Ali. What values do you learn from the condition of postmaster?
Answer:
The postmaster like other fathers is loving and caring. Worried and anxious about his daughter’s sickness, he spends sleepless nights waiting for the news of her recovery and well-being. He rebukes Ali and considers him a mad man and ‘a pest’. However, his attitude undergoes complete transformation after he finds Miriam, Ali’s daughter’s letter while waiting for one from his own daughter.

He realises the pain, anguish and suffering of the coachman as he identifies his pain. He repented a lot and realises the need of empathy, compassion, love and fellow feelings for those suffering from the grief and pain of separation.

We should always respect other’s feelings. We should take care that we do not hurt others, and if we commit any mistake, we should at least apologise by saying “sorry”.
This helps us to reverse the effect of our mistake and at the same time, it increases our dignity and respect in other’s eyes.

The Letter Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
“Now he understood the meaning of love and separation. He could no longer enjoy the sportsman’s pleasure and laughter. ”
(i) Who is ‘he’ referred to?
(ii) When did Ali understand the meaning of love?
(iii) What is the “sportsman’s pleasure” referred to in the above lines?
(iv) Why could he not enjoy his sport anymore?
Answer:
(i) “He” refers to Ali.
(ii) It was when his only daughter Mariam left him to go off with a soldier, and remained incommunicado for more than 5 years, that .Ali understood the meaning and importance of love.
(iii) It refers to the pleasure he used to derive when he would see the fear and shock of the survivors of his hunt, as they watched their parents dying in front of them.
(iv) He could no longer enjoy hunting as he realised that it inevitably lead to death, loneliness and separation.

Question 2.
“Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith.”
(i) Why were Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness?
(ii) What had exhausted his patience?
(iii) What did he still have faith in?
(iv) Why did he gaze at the post office?
Answer:
(i) Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness because he was getting exhausted and impatient and the people failed to empathise with him.
(ii) The futile wait for Mirriam’s letter exhausted his patience.
(iii) Ali still had faith in the ways of God, and continued to believe that the letter would certainly arrive.
(iv) Ali was conscious of his failing health. He was gazing at his “pilgrim center”, probably to swallow its image for the last time, to carry with him till eternity.

Question 3.
“After spending but a single night in suspense, anxiously waiting for news of his daughter, his heart was brimming with sympathy for the poor old man who had spent his nights in the same suspense for the last five years. ”
(i) Who has spent a single night in suspense?
(ii) Whose heart is brimming in sympathy?
(iii) For whom was his heart brimming with sympathy?
(iv) What did he sympathise with the old man?
Answer:
(i) The postmaster was waiting in suspense for he had not received any news from his daughter who wa^s reportedly unwell.
(ii) It is the postmaster’s heart that is brimming with sympathy.
(iii) His heart was brimming with sympathy for Ali.
(iv) He sympathised with the old man and realised that the poor coachman had tided over several nights in the anticipation of receiving a letter from his daughter.

Question 4.
“He lifted his eyes and in them was a light so unearthly that the postmaster shrank back in fear and astonishment. ”
(i) In this extract who lifts his eyes?
(ii) Whose eyes emitted an unearthly light?
(iii) How did the postmaster react to this event?
(iv) Why do you think the light in his eyes was unearthly?
Answer:
(i) It is coachman Ali, who is said to have lifted his eyes.
(ii) The eyes of Ali emitted an unearthly light.
(iii) The Postmaster shrank back in fear and astonishment.
(iv) The light in the eyes appeared unearthly probably because it was Ali’s apparition that was interacting with the postmaster.

Question 5.
“Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of charcoal sigri to wait.”
(i) Who was tortured by doubt and remorse?
(ii) Why was he tortured by doubt and remorse?
(iii) What was he waiting for?
(iv) Why do you think he was sitting in the glow of the charcoal sigri?
Answer:
(i) The postmaster was tortured by doubt and remorse.
(ii) He was tortured because he regretted the way he had behaved with Ali.
(iii) He was waiting for a letter from his own daughter.
(iv) He was probably sitting in the glow of the charcoal sigri to repent for his sins, while experiencing the pain of waiting for communication from a loved one.

Question 6.
“But when the evening of his life was drawing in, he left his old ways and suddenly took a new turn. ”
(i) What does the expression ‘evening of life’ mean?
(ii) What does ‘old ways’ refer to here?
(iii) Whose life is being referred to in the above lines?
(iv) Why has Ali’s life taken a new turn?
Answer:
(i) The expression ‘evening of his life’ means the latter half of one’s life, or old age.
(ii) “Old ways” refers to what Ali used to do in the past, when he was younger.
(iii) The reference is being made to Ali’s life.
(iv) His life has taken a turn when his daughter has gone to live with a soldier with whom she has been married. In solitude and loneliness he realises the importance of life and its relationships and gives up his old ways.

Question 7.
“At last they had all gone. Ali got up too and saluting the post office as though it housed some precious relic, went off. ”
(i) Why does Ali salute the post office?
(ii) Who are ‘they’ here?
(iii) What do you mean by ‘precious relic’? What is the precious relic for Ali?
(iv) Name the chapter from which these lines are taken.
Answer:
(i) Ali salutes the post office because it was a place of pilgrimage for him.
(ii) Here ‘they’ refer to the peons and clerks who had come from their departments to the post office to collect mail for their office.
(iii) A “precious relic” is something that is of great historical value. For Ali the most precious relic was the post office, his place of pilgrimage, which would probably preserve his daughter’s letter for years to come.
(iv) These lines are taken from the chapter ‘The letter’ by Dhumaketu.

Question 8.
“In his whole life he had never received a letter, but with a devout serenity born of hope and faith, he persevered and was the first to arrive. ”
(i) Who has not received a letter in his life time?
(ii) What is meant by “devout serenity”?
(iii) What had he persevered to do?
(iv) Who was the first to arrive and where?
Answer:
(i) Ali had not received a letter in all his life.
(ii) “Devout serenity” means a calmness, or composure that one experiences in a state of spiritual ecstasy.
(iii) He had persevered the challenges posed by nature and life to visit the post office regularly in the hope of receiving his daughter’s letter.
(iv) Ali was always the first to arrive at the post office.

Question 9.
“But he is a bit touched sir. In the old days he committed many sins; and maybe he shed some blood within sacred precincts and is paying for it now. ”
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) To whom is he saying these words?
(iii) Who is Lakshmi Das referring to?
(iv) What sins had the person committed?
Answer:
(i) The speaker is Lakshmi Das the clerk at the post office.
(ii) He is speaking to the post master.
(iii) Lakshmi das is speaking about coachman Ali.
(iv) Ali was a hunter, The ‘sins’ refer to the number of birds and animals that had been silenced by his rifle. Lakshmi das surmises that his misfortune could probably be the consequence of outraging the sanctity of sacred places by spilling blood.

Question 10.
“What a pest you are brother!” He exclaimed.
“My name is Ali”, answered Ali absent-mindedly.
(i) Who is the speaker of the first line?
(ii) Why does he call Ali a pest?
(iii) What light does it throw on the character of the speaker?
(iv) What does it tell us about the listener?
Answer:
(i) The post master is the speaker of these lines.
(ii) The postmaster who was in a hurry to leave, gets irritated with Ali and calls him a pest. He got annoyed when Ali enquired if there was any letter addressed to him from Mariam.
(iii) The speaker, the postmaster is a haughty and insensitive person.
(iv) The listener is absent-minded and helpless.

A Long Walk to Freedom Question and Answers

A Shady Plot Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find A Shady Plot Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

A Shady Plot Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

A Shady Plot Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why could John Hallock not give his whole time to writing?
Answer:
John could not give his whole time to writing, as he was working in a lumber company as a book keeper. He had to do this job because there were grocery bills and his wife Lavinia’s fancied shopping.

Question 2.
Why is the narrator hesitant to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija board party?
Answer:
The narrator was hesitant to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the party as she was a flirt and grinned like a flirtatious crocodile. She took a lot of freedom with John and poor John was forced to become her partner much against his will.

Question 3.
Why does John want the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene?
Answer:
John knew his wife Lavinia was very sensitive. She was so nervous that she could not bear to see the sight of a mouse. So how could she face the ghost. Moreover, she was very suspicious as well.

Question 4.
How did the narrator react to the appearance of the ghost?
Answer:
The narrator could not believe that it was all real. He sat there feeling quite helpless. He did not know how to react to the presence of the ghost in his room. He was confused.

Question 5.
Why was Helen the ghost going on a strike? What condition did she lay for providing help?
Answer:
Helen and the other ghosts were being disturbed quite often by the Ouija board players. They were called very often and were asked the most stupid questions. As a result, they had all decided to go on a strike. If only the narrator could influence his friends and acquaintances to give up the use of Ouija boards, they would help him to write again.

Question 6.
Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do?
Answer:
John’s wife Lavinia was angry, because she thought he was flirting with a woman named Helen on the Ouija board. Next morning, she decides to leave and go to her grandmother. She also conveys through a letter that her lawyer would communicate with him later.

Question 7.
Why did Lavinia decide to leave her husband and what made her change her mind later?
Answer:
Lavinia was angry as she thought her husband was flirting with another woman named Helen. But when she finds that Helen was no woman but only a ghost, she heaves a sigh of relief and changes her mind.

Question 8.
“John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded.” Justify
Ans.
Lavinia was very sensitive and nervous too. She could not stand the sight of a mouse. But when she encounters the ghost of Helen, she talks quite bravely. She heaved a sigh of relief that it was a mere ghost and not a woman.

Question 9.
Why does the ghost appear before the narrator?
Answer:
The ghost of Helen had been sent to ask the narrator to make his wife give up using the Ouija board.

Question 10.
Hallock’s ghosts were live-propositions? How could he pen down ghost-special stories?
Answer:
The ghost created by Hallock in his ghost stories appeared real to his readers. Public found his ghost-stories very interesting and craved for them. He was being fed with ideas and inspiration to write, actually by a ghost.

Question 11.
How does the author of ‘A Shady Plot’ earn his living?
Answer:
Hallock was a very successful writer of ghost stories. Whenever his publisher asks him for a new story, he is able to write one. But being a writer was not enough. He had a wilful and whimsical wife who enjoyed spending money on every new fad or fashion. In order to meet her demands, Hallock had to work as a bookkeeper in a lumber company.

Question 12.
What kind of woman is Lavinia?
Answer:
She is John’s wife. She is a domineering person. A compulsive spendthrift, she spends a lot of money on the latest fashions and fads. Her latest craze is Ouija board. She buys one and calls her friends for an Ouija party. Hallock describes his wife as a very sensitive little lady. Hallock says that Lavinia couldn’t even bare a mouse say boo to her. Lavinia can be easily influenced, she is very unpredictable and gullible. She is very possessive of her husband and therefore tends to suspect him of having an extra-marital relationship.

Question 13.
How did Lavinia react when she saw Helen, the ghost?
Answer:
The narrator was talking to Helen the ghost when Lavinia appeared on the scene. She asked him who he was talking to. Hallock did not want his wife to see the ghost as he worried that she would get scared. However, she thrust him aside and saw Helen. Lavinia did not swoon, nor was she hysterical on the contrary, sense of relief swept her . being, as she her worst fears were proved to be false.

Question 14.
Why did Gladolia idecide to leave the Hallocks? What made her change her decision?
Answer:
Gladiola was the narrator’s cook. She decided to leave her job at the Hallocks because she was fed up and scared of Ouija boards and hoodoos. She was scared of ghosts and spirits in the house. Lavinia and Hallock said that they would burn the Ouija board themselves and promised never to use it again. It was because of this assurance given to her, that Gladolia changes her decision.

Question 15.
Why is Lavinia angry with her husband John? What decision does she take?
Answer:
John’s wife was angry because the Ouija board seemed to be conveying messages from Helen, ‘a woman’, and also referred to her husband as a ‘traitor’. This filled her with suspicion about his faithfulness towards her. She was also getting jealous of John’s closeness with Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party. She eventually asked for a divorce and told John to speak to her lawyer, left John and decided to go to her grandmother’s house.

Question 16.
What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why?
Answer:
Jenkins, the narrator’s publisher wants him to write ghost stories as his ghost stories are entertaining and were liked by the public. This ensured that his magazine’s sale was high and he earned a lot of money.

Question 17.
Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story.
Answer:
No, the narrator did not like writing ghost stories. His first fiction story was a ghost story and since then he had wanted to write a story of another genre, but had been forced by his publisher to write ghost stories as they were liked by the public. All his popularity was because of the ghost stories he churned out.

Question 18.
What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organise the Writer’s Inspiration Bureau?
Helen, the ghost had been a writer, but then became a reader for a magazine in her previous life. She suffered so much then, that she sought out other ghosts, who had suffered like her, and together they formed ‘Writer’s Inspiration Bureau’ and started looking for writers lacking inspiration and ideas, but who had soft and easily impressionable minds. They started helping them write stories to prevent from suffering the troubles they themselves had suffered.

Question 19.
Why had Helen, the ghost been helping the narrator write ghost stories? Why was she going on strike? What condition did she place for providing continued help?
Answer:
Helen, the ghost had been helping the narrator write ghost stories as she had been assigned to him by the Bureau and she had helped him write many ghost stories. However, she was now going on strike because the new trend of using Ouija boards had left the spirits exhausted and exasperated. People were involving the spirits and then asking the stupidest of questions, which they were forced to answer. She agreed to continue helping the narrator, only if he convinced his friends and acquaintances to stop using the Ouija boards and leave the spirits alone.

Question 20.
How does the ghost undermine the narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories?
Answer:
The narrator all along thought it was he who had the ability to write interesting ghost stories. He was overconfident and ‘cocky’ about it. His stories were very well made and, appreciated by the readers. But the ghost of Helen, when appeared, told him it was she who used to put all the ideas into his soft and impressionable mind.

Question 21.
Why does John want the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene? What impression of his wife’s characters do you form from his words?
Answer:
John does not want the ghost to be there in front of his wife. He knew she was sensitive and given to hysterics. She would start shouting and shrieking. This shows she was suspicious and doubtful, given to jealousy.

Question 22.
Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party?
Answer:
Laura Hinkle was without a partner, so Lavinia requested John, the narrator to be her partner for the game. John was reluctant as Laura was a flirtatious crocodile: She even leaned forward and took John’s hands in her own, seemingly in a coy manner and John felt uncomfortable.

Question 23.
What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator’s house? What is their reaction to the message?
Answer:
The words t-r-a-i-t-o-r and H-e-l-e-n were spelt out on the board where the narrator and Laura Hinkle were seated. The message appeared on two other boards as well. This conveyed that John was flirting with another woman named Helen. Through the Ouija board, it became an open secret.

Question 24.
Do you agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women “manipulators”?
Answer:
John felt all the women gathered there were manipulators for they were operating the Ouija boards and Laura Hinkle and the likes could made the situation look like the way they felt like, to get what they wanted. They were flirtatious and manipulative.

Question 25.
Why is John’s wife angry? What does she decide to do?
Answer:
John’s wife Lavinia who was extremely sensitive could not take it all in her stride. She was angry and felt insulted that her husband was cheating on her with another woman, Helen. She decides to leave him and go back to her grandmother. She also tells him that her lawyer would communicate with him later.

Question 26.
Why does John wish he were dead?
Answer:
Thanks to the ladies of the ‘Book Club’, John was in a very awkward situation, as his wife now suspected him of flirting with Helen. She looked at him disdainfully. That night, she slept in the guest-room. Next morning, she packed up to go to her grandmother. She also threatened him that her lawyer would communicate with him later. John’s life was in a complete mess. He felt he had lost his wife, his home and his happiness, so he wished he were dead.

Question 27.
When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija board, Johan insists that ‘the affair was quite above-board, I assure you, my love’. Bring out the pun in John’s statement.
Answer:
Above board means legitimate and honest. Here, John, if he was flirting it was only on the Ouija board. There was nothing secretive about it. This is a very interesting pun that the author, Elsie Brown has made use of in the story.

Question 28.
John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. Justify.
Answer:
Lavinia was very sensitive and given to hysterics. She would start shouting and shrieking at the sight of a mouse. She was so meek. He felt afraid to such an extent that John did not want her to come face to face with the ghost. But to his relief, he was surprised when he saw Lavinia’s reaction on seeing the ghost, Helen. She was greatly relieved that her husband John was not flirting with any woman, rather it was only a ghost, who used to ‘ keep writing ghost stories.

A Shady Plot Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe the Ouija board party and how did it affect the domestic life of John and Lavinia Hallock?
Answer:
Lavinia and a number of her other friends, who were also members of the Book Club had organised the Ouija board party. It was to be held at Lavinia’s place among the invited members, most of them were elderly ladies. They were divided in different groups as pairs, to be seated opposite one another with the board in the middle. Laura Hinkle’s partner did not turn up, so John was pulled in to be her partner.

He hesitatingly sat in front of her, Laura Hinkle being a coquette of the first order, he was uneasy and uncomfortable. On a number of boards, Helen’s name appeared who wished to communicate with John. All started gossiping, at which John turned red and fled from the room. When Lavinia came to know of it, she of course grew very angry that her husband was having an affair with a woman called Helen. She decided to leave the next morning and go to her grandmother. She also conveyed to John that her lawyer would communicate with him later.

Question 2.
Imagine you are Gladolia. Describe the happenings in the Hallock household to your friend.
Answer:
Oh dear! It has been a terrible time in my master’s household. My mistress got the Ouija board and the troubles began. She invited her friends for a session of calling the spirits and all that hoodoo, which I never approved of. But she never listened to anyone. During the party, there was this ghost sending messages to my master. It was very embarrassing for him. I myself did not wish to continue in the household anymore and decided to leave. When mistress came to know, she ordered to burn the board. I decided to stay and work for them.

Question 3.
Write a brief account of the incident at the Ouija board party as seen by one of the members of the Book Club.
Answer:
We all were invited to the Ouija board party at Lavinia Hallock’s place, which turned out to be rather interesting, quite strangely. The session of calling the spirits began. Mr. Hallock was also present, sitting opposite Laura Hinkle whose partner had not turned up. Most of us were elderly women and were surprised when messages were flashed on the board calling John a traitor. Eyebrows were raised, when the messenger’s name appeared on the board. It was some Helen. All the women starting whispering in hushed tones. Lavinia, naturally appeared quite upset and angry, but what is the truth is not clear. John did behave and looked suspicious. But there definitely is a mystery. I’m curious.

Question 4.
Describe the first interaction between the narrator and the ghost. How did she materialize and how does the narrator react to this?
Answer:
John Hallock sat down at his desk, to hit upon a suitable plot to write his next story. While doing so, his mind was straying to mundane domestic issues and as he exclaimed sarcastically to himself “the writing business was delightful”, he heard a strange voice “yes”, and noticed that something was taking shape at the corner of the unlit study. First the arm, then a bit of a stiff white shirtwaist, the leg, skirt, and finally the complete shape appeared. A long angular shape with enormous fishy eyes, a big bone rimmed glasses, with the hair tied back. The narrator could see right through her head. It was someone I’d never seen before, and was shocked to find her glaring at me with what seemed to be absolute annoyance.

John pulled himself up and enquired about her identity and her reason for making such a fragmented appearance. Her reply that she was called for by him, and claim that she was the source and inspiration of all his stories, shocked him. She clarifies that this appearance would never have been made if it was not necessary to warn him, on behalf of all the ghosts, that they were planning to go on a strike.

She said no aid would be given to struggling authors like him, if he did not work towards putting an end to the harassment being meted out to the ghosts by the Ouija board users. She was told to leave when John heard Lavinia’s voice. John in absolute disbelief, stared at the disappearing figure moistening his lips that had gone dry.

Question 5.
“ The ghost of Helen is not a ghost but is like a human being”. Explain.
Answer:
A “Ghost’ is considered to be an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a shapeless image. Generally, the term ‘208 ghost instills fear in everyone’s mind, and they are traditionally portrayed as being scary, blood-curdling and dreadful in appearance.

But in ’A Shady Plot’, the author has presented the ghost in a very humane form. Helpful and kind at several instances. The reference to the fragmented appearance and the initial interaction between the narrator and the ghost instilled more of humour than fear, especially when the narrator expresses the possibility of the parts getting all mixed up, as it appeared and disappeared.

It was as natural as a woman and a man carrying on a normal conversation. Besides, the claim made by Helen that she was a writer, the formation of the writers’ bureau, and their plan of going on a strike, were all significant of the ghost possessing characteristics of a human being. The kindness she had been showing towards struggling writers, the threat to withdraw support, and the plea to stop harassing their “species “ were all very representative of human nature.

The most striking character was the disappointment Helen had with regard to not being able to carry on with their ghostly duties of frightening and teasing human beings. This was certainly the “ghostly’ attribute but was more like the grievances, a discontent human is seen to indulge in.

Question 6.
Lack of trust shakes the very foundation of human relationships. How does Lavinia’s suspicious nature threaten to wreck their marriage?
Answer:
John’s wife was angry because the Ouija board was conveying a message from Helen to her husband, that called him a traitor. This filled her with suspicion and she was getting jealous of John’s closeness with Laura Hinkle with whom he was paired on the Ouija board. When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insisted that he and Laura Hinkle were just moving the Ouija board indicator. When she asked him he denied it and said he was not doing anything questionable.

Later her doubts were furthered when their cook Gladolia threatened that she would leave if they continued to deal with hoodoos or black magic. Lavinia also decided to leave John. The next morning when she went to bid him goodbye, John was interacting with someone and he was trying to conceal the matter from her. She finally found him interacting with a ghost, whom he was trying to hide from her.

To her surprise the ghost was of Helen of Troy, who had come to help John write a ghost story. She faced the ghost with all her strength and regretted doubting John. She asked John to pardon her and both were happy again. They bid farewell to the ghost. Her lack of trust nearly destroyed the very foundation of their relationship and they saved their life from turmoil.

Question 7.
“Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing with originality and not plagiarized content”. Explain.
Answer:
Every living being is endowed with something exceptional that sets them apart from the rest and a special place in God’s plan for this world. Perhaps it was His plan to make man a “rational being”. This makes it possible for man to experiment and be creative. Development has been possible only because of the single-minded effort of those individuals who used their creative abilities with a purity of purpose, truthfulness and honesty. Human beings have progressed from the stone age to the technological age. Creativity does not propagate imitation or plagiarism of any sort. Doing so would be unethical.

Therefore, it is very essential for each one of us to identify our capabilities and use them creatively to contribute honestly towards the cause of mankind. Original work is a representation of one’s sincerity towards one’s conscience, contrarily stealing from another person’s creative inputs is an act of betrayal towards onself and the world. The former is received with applause and recognition, whereas the person who uses plagiarized content is subject to ridicule and dishonour.

A Shady Plot Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
So I went home and sat down before my desk and sucked at the end of my pencil and waited, but nothing happened. Pretty soon my mind began to wander off on other things.
(i) Where was the author coming back from?
(ii) What was the author waiting for to happen?
(iii) Where did the author’s mind begin to wander?
(iv) What was the author’s real profession?
Answer:
(i) The author was coming back after a meeting with Jenkins.
(ii) The author was waiting for an idea of a plot to write a ghost story.
(iii) The author’s mind began to wander on material things like his wife’s shopping and how he was going to cure her alarming tendency to take every new fad that came along.
(iv) The author worked as a book keeper for a lumber company.

Question 2.
“This writing business is delightful, isn’t it?” I said sarcastically at last, out loud, too. You see, I had reached the stage of imbecility when I was talking to myself.
(i) Who is the speaker of these lines?
(ii) What does the narrator mean by writing business?
(iii) Which word has the narrator used sarcastically?
(iv) Which stage of imbecility has the narrator reached?
Answer:
(i) John Hallock, the narrator of the story, is the speaker of these lines.
(ii) By writing business the narrator means writing ghost stories.
(iii) The narrator uses the word ‘delightful’ sarcastically.
(iv) The narrator had reached the stage of imbecility when he was talking to himself.

Question 3.
“You know I bought the loveliest thing this afternoon. Everybody’s wild over them.”
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Who is she speaking to?
(iii) What did she/he buy?
(iv) Why was everybody wild over them?
Answer:
(i) Lavinia Hallock, wife of the narrator John is the speaker.
(ii) She is speaking to her husband John Hallock.
(iii) She bought an Ouija board.
(iv) Everybody was wild over them as the Ouija boards are a new feel and craze.

Question 4.
“I ain’t stayin’ round no place ‘long wid dem Ouija board contraptions. I’ve skeered of hoodoos. I’m done going, I is. ”
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What is the speaker scared of?
(iii) What is hoodoo?
(iv) What has the speaker decided to do?
Answer:
(i) Gladolia, the maid servant is the speaker.
(ii) She was afraid of the spirits communicating through Ouija boards.
(iii) Hoodoo is placing curses and charms to bring bad luck.
(iv) The speaker has decided to quit as she is not comfortable about the Ouija boards.

Question 5.
I hadn’t the shade of an idea, but at the time that didn’t worry me in the least. You see, I had often been like that before and in the end things had always come my way -1 didn’t in the least know how or why. It had all been rather mysterious.
(i) On which shade does the passage show the narrator?
(ii) What had been mysterious for the narrator?
(iii) In which field is the narrator not a specialist?
(iv) Which time is the narrator referring to here?
Answer:
(i) The narrator felt Overconfident that he will find a new plot for his story.
(ii) The narrator was always able to write ghost stories without any inkling of how or why.
(iii) The narrator is not a specialist of writing ghost stories.
(iv) The time mentioned here is when Jenkins asked him to give another ghost story for the public.

Question 6.
Curious how that idea for a plot had come to me out of nowhere after I had chased inspiration in vain for months. I had never found it healthy to contradict Jenkins.
(i) Who was Jenkins?
(ii) Why did the narrator find it unhealthy to contradict Jenkins?
(iii) How did the idea for a plot come to him?
(iv) What genre of stories did the narrator write?
Answer:
(i) Jenkins used to publish John’s stories in his magazine.
(ii) The narrator had found it unhealthy to contradict Jenkins as he provides financial assistance during tough times.
(iii) The idea of a plot came to him because of the assistance provided by Helen.
(iv) The narrator wrote ghost stories.

Question 7.
“You’re to exert your influence. Get all your friends and acquaintances to stop using the Ouija board and then we’ll start helping you to write”.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What help is she talking about?
(iii) Why does she want to stop his friends and acquaintances to stop using Ouija board?
(iv) How did she want John to help her?
Answer:
(i) Helen is the speaker.
(ii) She is talking about helping John to write a ghost story.
(iii) Helen and other ghosts are troubled by the Ouija board fanatics. They are not able to involve in leisure time activity of haunting. They find themselves answering to frivolous questions put by his friends and acquaintances.
(iv) She wanted John to help her by exerting his influence on his friends and acquaintances to stop using Ouija board.

Question 8.
“I groaned and clutched my hair. The very idea of that horrible scarecrow so much as touching me”.
(i) Why did the speaker groan and clutch his hair?
(ii) Who is the scarecrow?
(iii) What is a scarecrow?
(iv) What did she want John to do?
Answer:
(i) The speaker groaned and clutched his hair because he was totally shocked and confused.
(ii) Helen, the ghost is the scarecrow.
(iii) A scarecrow is an object in the shape of a person, which is put in a field where crops are growing in order to frighten birds away.
(iv) She wanted John to discourage his friends and acquaintances from using Ouija board.

Question 9.
“Don’t forget the strike, “she repeated, while her lower jaw began to disintegrate, and as my Lavinia crossed the room to me the last vestige of her ear faded into space”.
(i) Who is ‘she’?
(ii) Of which strike is ‘she’ talking about?
(iii) Why was she disintegrating?
(iv) Why had Helen come to meet John?
Answer:
(i) Helen.
(ii) ‘The writer’s Inspiration Bureau’ of ghosts would go on strike and writers like John would not get any help to write their stories.
(iii) She was disintegrating as Lavinia had entered the room.
(iv) She had come to meet John as she wanted him to discourage his friends and acquaintances from using Ouija Board.

Question 10.
“I don’t know, John – they are awfully thrilling”.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What is awfully thrilling?
(iii) What was Lavinia’s craze?
(iv) What had she taken now?
Answer:
(i) Lavinia.
(ii) Ouija boards are awfully thrilling.
(iii) Lavinia’s craze was to take new fads.
(iv) Her latest craze was Ouija boards and she picked one up at the bargain sale.

The Ham Radio Question and Answers

Virtually True Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find Virtually True Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

Virtually True Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Virtually True Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Who was Sebastian Shultz? What had happened to him?
Answer:
Sebastian Shultz was a 14-year-old schoolboy from South London. He had met with a motorway accident.

Question 2.
What did Michael and his father buy at the computer fair?
Answer:
At the computer fair Michael and his father bought a virtual reality visor and glove and a handful of the latest interactive psycho-drive games.

Question 3.
When did the first video game come to an end? How?
Answer:
The first video game wild-west was in process. The second sheriff, Sebastian, had to be saved. But suddenly the sound of a gunshot echoed in the air followed by groaning and slumping of the victim. Sebastian could not be saved.

Question 4.
How did Michael enter Sebastian’s memory?
Answer:
Sebastian Shultz was badly injured in a motorway accident and went into a coma. Sebastian’s memory was saved in the computer when he banged his head on it during the accident. Michael had bought the games that were reportedly stolen for Sebastian’s house at the computer fair, and perhaps he had been drawn into it with an attempt to retrieve the memory. Therefore when he played the game he entered Sebastian’s memory.

Question 5.
Why does Michael find it difficult to believe newspaper report about Sebastian Shultz?
Answer:
Michael found it difficult to believe the newspaper report about Sebastian Shultz. He was surprised to read that the boy who he was playing with was the same person who was in a prolonged state of coma. It was on the day he was rescued during the game that he seemed to have miraculously recovered. He found the whole situation very strange.

Question 6.
How did Michael hit the jackpot and finally crack the game?
Answer:
In the game ‘Warzone’, Michael succeeded in saving Sebastian Shultz. He managed to pull him up into the helicopter, which soared into the sky. When ‘Game over’ flashed on the screen highlighting a score of 40,000,000 he had hit the jackpot and cracked the game.

Question 7.
Why did Michael feel bad at the close of ‘Jailbreak’ and how did he reconcile himself?
Answer:
He could not save Sebastian Shultz. He had failed him and lost the game too. Later he reconciled to the fact that Sebastian was a virtual character in a game and not a real life character.

Question 8.
“We both knew that by reliving the accident, something wonderful has happened.” Why does narrator feel so?
Answer:
Michael and Sebastian are two intelligent, like-minded beings who had got to know each other and had also helped each other. They got to know each other in a virtual world, that brought them close in the real world too. A virtual situation of pain, and agony, lead to the relief of the virtually true character, who was brought back into the real world albeit through the game.

Question 9.
What kind of computer fascinated Michael and his dad? Why?
OR
“Dad’s nutty about computers”. What evidence is there to support this statement?
Answer:
Michael’s dad was crazy about computers and couldn’t resist buying new gadgets and gizmos that came into the market. He had Pentium 150 MHz processor complete with RAM, CD ROM, speakers, printers, modem and scanner. He had all the games: Tornado, MC Babash Black Belt etc.

Question 10.
Which was the second game that Michael played? How did it seem real?
Answer:
The second game Michael played was the “Dragonquest” that involved saving the Princess Aurora, and securing the Dragon’s treasures. The act where Sebastian, came in as the second Knight, chops of the long braids of the princess to use it as a rope, and the sensation of the fiery breath of the dragon, gave an experience of closeness, a feeling of reality to the game.

Question 11.
How did Michael save Sebastian?
Answer:
Michael did not see Sebastian after the ‘Jailbreak”. Suddenly the next day there was a mail with a request from Sebastian for making a last attempt to save him, adding that an accident would have to occur it the escape was to be made possible. The suggestion was to go into the “Warzone”. Michael followed his instructions and realised that it was a city, that he could not recognise.

There were tall buildings windowless and riddled with holes, machine guns continued to fire in the air, walls were tumbling down, bombs exploded relentlessly. In between all this Michael had to rescue the trapped Sebastian. After running around wildly, they spotted a helicopter. But they were again pushed back by a tank fire. Then Sebastian shouted out and told him to get into a jeep stationed by the road, and they drove off.

Sebastian sent the jeep tumbling as he slammed on to the brakes, to escape the tank that was hurtling the two of them. In the collision, Michael was carried into the helicopter. Sebastian was still in the jeep. But fortunately as the tank crashed into the jeep, Sebastian also was thrown into the air. He landed on the hatch and was eventually pulled into the helicopter by Michael. The game was over, and Sebastian was rescued.

Question 12.
Why was Michael surprised to see Sebastian Shultz’ photograph in the newspaper?
Answer:
Michael was surprised to see Sebastian’s photograph and news regarding his recovery in the newspaper. Sebastian Shultz was a character with whom he had been playing
psycho-drive games. He was shocked to learn that the player Sebastian he had saved in the game, was a real person.

Question 13.
What was the aim of the game Dragonquest?
Answer:
The game “dragon quest” was a very simple game. Here the narrator had to rescue the fair princess Aurora who had been imprisoned at the top of a tall tower by the wicked dragon and collect his wicked treasures. During the course of the game, he is also requested to rescue the knight Sebastian.

Question 14.
How did Sebastian Shultz get injured? What did the doctors think of his illness?
Answer:
Sebastian Shultz got injured in a motor accident, and he hit his head on the laptop that he was using to play a psycho-drive game. The doctors informed that he was critical but stable. He was in a coma, and they hoped for a miracle to happen to help Sebastian regain consciousness.

Question 15.
According to the newspaper, what had happened to Sebastian Shultz?
Answer:
According to the newspaper, a fourteen-year-old boy, Sebastian Shultz from South London had miraculously come out of a coma, who the doctors feared might be lost forever.

Question 16.
‘Dad’s nutty about computers.’ What evidence is there to support this statement?
Answer:
Michael’s dad was crazy about computers, his obsession was such that he had all the latest computers accessories as well as a computer that could perform a number of different things. The new gizmos and gadgets had also been purchased by him that came in the market.

Question 17.
In what way did the second game seem very real?
Answer:
The second game required the player to rescue a princess called Aurora from a wicked dragon, who had imprisoned her in a tall tower. The long plaits of the princess are chopped off and used for escape as a rope by Sebastian who appears as a knight in the game. Michael could even hear and feel the evil dragon’s nearness; he could even feel the smell of the dragon in his nostrils. Everything seemed very real.

Question 18.
The last game has tanks, jeeps, helicopters, guns and headings. In which category would you put this and the other games?
Answer:
The last game ‘Warzone’ has tanks, jeeps, helicopters guns etc. Warzone was in a city, where there are tall buildings without windows and had a number of holes. Machine-gun fire filled the sky. Bombs were exploding. Michael had to save Sebastian in a helicopter. Sebastian was thrown out of his jeep, when the tank crashed into it. He is pulled up by Michael and the helicopter soars up into the sky. Such games can be put under ‘Interactive Psycho-drive Games’.

Question 19.
What was Michael’s theory about how Sebastian had entered the games?
Answer:
According to Michael’s theory, Sebastian was using his laptop to play one of the same psycho-drive games that Michael had. Possibly, Sebastian’s memory had been saved in the computer when he had banged his head on it during the accident and had entered the games.

Question 20.
Why did the news of the ‘miracle recovery’ shock Michael?
Answer:
The news of the ‘miracle recovery’ shocked Michael as it was about a 14-year-old boy Sebastian Shultz from South London. He had come out of a coma that the doctors feared might last forever. When Michael saw the photograph of the boy, he recognized him as he had been with him in interactive psycho-drive games. If the boy had been in coma all these days then how could that be possible, he could not have a logical answer to it.

Question 21.
Michael’s meeting with Sebastian Shultz had been a chance meeting. Where had it taken place and how?
Answer:
Michael had been playing the game ‘Wildwest’ when he met Sebastian for the first time. He was portraying a sheriff and had been challenged for a duel by the fastest gun in the west, Black-Eyed Jed. As soon as he was ready to go out, he saw the second sheriff come in through the back door, shouting and waving his arms about. The second sheriff was Sebastian and he was protesting against Michael’s decision of going out.

Question 22.
What kind of computers fascinated Michael and his dad? Why?
Answer:
Michael and his dad were fanatics of computers. They were fascinated by the latest advancement in technology so they liked the latest computers available in the market. His father had a computer with the latest gadgetry available such as 256 GB RAM, Pentium 150 MHz, 1.2 Gb hard disc drive, 16 speed CD ROM and could play music, paint, create displays and improve his homework. They had also brought the latest psycho-drive games and the virtual reality visor and gloves. He had even converted his loft into a haven for his computers and called it the Powerbase.

Question 23.
Describe the first place where Michael was virtually transported.
Answer:
The first game that Michael played was ‘Wildwest’, which transported him to Texas, during the days of Wildwest. He reached a town in a desert and was walking down a dusty, track towards the saloon. He noticed that a sheriff’s badge was pinned on his shirt. As he walked into the saloon, everyone became silent and glared at him. There was a bar in the saloon and he ordered a drink called ‘Sarsa Parilla’.

Question 24.
What help did Sebastian Shultz ask Michael for? How did he convey this message?
Answer:
After being shot in the first game ‘Wildwest’, the second sheriff or Sebastian Shultz groaned and slumped back against Michael. The game was over. Michael noticed the printer had come on. He picked up the piece of paper from the tray. At the top was the picture of the second sheriff, this time though he was wearing jeans and a sweat shirt. Printed over the bottom was a message. I’M STUCK. PLEASE HELP TO RETRIEVE ME. TRY DRAGONQUEST—Sebastian Shultz.

Question 25.
Why did Michael fail in rescuing Sebastian Shultz the first time?
Answer:
Michael tried the ‘Dragonquest’ to help and retrieve Sebastian Shultz. He was soon walking the massive doors of the dragon’s castle. The game required him to rescue a fair princess from a wicked dragon. After leaping from the window and passing through a secret passage, they were going down into the castle. At once the dragon appeared and pounced at them. Michael swung his sword, but in vain. The dragon was only interested in Sebastian. Michael was helpless as he could do nothing to save Sebastian Shultz.

Question 26.
The second attempt to rescue Sebastian Shultz was disastrous. Give reasons.
Answer:
The second attempt to rescue Sebastian also ended in a disaster. This time according to the message in the printer, Michael tried Jailbreak’. He was transported to the dungeon cell. Here, Sebastian was a prisoner. With the help of a swipe-card, they were soon out of the cell. After dodging the guards, they went to the roof. On the roof, Sebastian pointed towards a helicopter and as he took a step backwards, he fell down and came tumbling down to the concrete below.

Question 27.
Narrate the accident that injured Sebastian Shultz.
Answer:
Sebastian had been involved in a motorway accident. During the accident, he had been plugged into his computer and had banged his head against it. The computer had then saved his memory in its own and transported it to his games. The accident left Sebastian in a coma that the doctors feared was terminal and only a miracle could save him.

Question 28.
How had Sebastian Shultz entered the games?
Answer:
At the time of accident, Sebastian was using his laptop. He was playing the same psycho-drive games which Michael had got. Possibly, he had been plugged into the computer. When his head banged in the accident, the computer had saved his memory in its own, stored on the disk. This is how he entered the games. They were stolen while Sebastian was in the hospital and were bought by Michael at the Computer Fair.

Question 29.
How was Sebastian Shultz’s memory stored on Michael’s disk? How did Michael discover that?
Answer:
Sebastian was perhaps plugged into the computer when he banged his head in the accident. The computer had stored and saved his memory in its own. Possibly, Sebastian’s memory was stored on interactive psycho-driven disks. There disks were stolen, when Sebastian was in the hospital and bought by Michael at the Computer Fair. Now, when Michael was playing the weird versions of those games, he was actually retrieving that memory.

Virtually True Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What are psycho-drive games? Describe the four games played by Michael. Which one do you find most interesting and why?
Answer:
Psycho-drive games are played using mental power. The games involve the continuous interaction between the players and the characters who play with them through the medium of a computer. They are played wearing a virtual reality visor and glove. One can bring about necessary changes through the course of the game as the player can control all the actions by his/her thoughts. These games are immensely thrilling.

In the story, Michael plays four psycho-drive games, one after the other. We are taken to the imaginary world of the ‘Wildwest’ and get to introduced to the dusty towns, castles, dragons and dungeons, a fairyland of sorts. There is however a common link in all the games, the trapped Sebastian who had come up with a plea to be saved.

He appears as the second Sheriff in ‘Wildwest’, the second knight in ‘Dragonquest’ a prisoner in Jail- break’ and a victim in ‘Warzone’, and Michael, the player was entrusted with the task of rescuing the trapped Sebastian. The trials of rescuing turned out to be failed attempts in the first three games. The last game turned out to being the most significant.

The actions of the two, Sebastian and Michael appear to be more organized and in coordination with each other. They dodge everything unhurt and jump into a jeep parked by the side of the road. And after a few misses and slips, both of them make it to the waiting helicopter which soars into the sky. Both are unhurt. Michael gets his reward. His score touches 40,000,000 and he wins the jackpot. He cracks the game saving Sebastian this time.

As a reader of the lesson, I find the last game the most interesting, as the mystery was building up on me too. I was loosing hope after the three failed attempts. Will Sebastian be saved? It finally required the most challenging and final game to enable Michael rescue the trapped “virtually true” character.

Question 2.
Describe the whole episode as Michael to your friend in a letter. Also, tell how he must have entered the psycho-drive games.
Answer:
10, Baker Street London
Dated
Dear William
How are you? I received your letter. Congratulations!! It is wonderful to know that you have topped the University. Do convey my regards to uncle and aunty too. William, I have an interesting experience to share with you. Well, you know how passionate my dad and I are about technology, and acquiring the latest gadgets and gizmos. We added to our stock yesterday by buying a good number of psycho-drive games at the computer fair.

It didn’t take me long to begin playing. Interestingly I had to save a character, Sebastian, who appeared in different forms in the four games I played. I failed to do so in the first three games. I cracked the jackpot and saved him in the fourth game.

This morning I was shocked to read an article in the paper, that said, “Sebastian Shultz” the virtual character I had saved had indeed recovered from the state of coma he had been in due to a motor accident. I believe he had been plugged on to his laptop and was playing these games, and probably got into the machines memory when he crashed.

Coincidently, the games that I had bought were supposed to have been stolen from Sebastians house. Can you believe this? I was shocked. However I was convinced that the “virtual Character” was a “true Character”, when I received a mail from the real Sebastian, thanking me for saving him. Well the incident is “Virtually True”
I hope to meet him soon and I am also excited to think how interesting it would be. Do write to me.
Yours affectionately
Michael

Question 3.
‘Everything that I’ve described is true virtually! says the narrator. Even the title of the story is ‘Virtually True’. Justify the statement of the narrator and also the title of the Story.
Answer:
Virtual means something which does not really exist but only seems to exist. It does not be in the real time and space but only lives in cyberspace. The piece written by Paul Stewart relates the story of Michael Dawson, a school boy who plays psycho-drive and interactive games and discovers in the process of a certain “Sebastian Shultz”who constantly requires saving.

Throughout the game Dawson believes that he is just attempting to crack the game while in reality it appears that the real Sebastian suffered from some kinds of an accident and his memory well stored in the game. When Sebastian wins the Jackpot’ in the game, the real Sebastian gains his memory and revived from Coma. Sebastian is an imaginary character in the computer games but he is real boy. So, everything which seemed virtual on the computer screen is real. Michael has saved the real Sebastian by playing a virtual game of computer.

Question 4.
Describe how Sebastian must have entered the games in detail.
Answer:
Sebastian Shultz was a brilliant minded person. He was a strong determined boy who never looses hope. Sebastian was plugged into computer when he banged his head in a motor accident. The computer had saved his memory in its own. Possibly Sebastian’s memory had been stored on disks. The psycho-driven games which Sebastian played were stolen and sold in computer fair. Michael bought it. By playing the weird version, Michael met Sebastian in the games who was in different characters in different games. Thus Sebastian entered the games. By winning the jackpot Michael retrieved Sebastian’s memory.

Question 5.
Will power and determination bring success against all odds. Comment with reference to ‘Virtually True’.
Answer:
The story ‘Virtually True’ teaches us the lesson of perseverance. It shows us how will power and determination help an individual achieve what he strives for. Sebastian Shultz, who is very fond of virtual games, meets with an accident while playing one of his games. His head bangs against his seat and he loses consciousness but his memory gets automatically saved in the game drive. Doctors inform his father that Sebastian has gone into coma. Michael, buys Sebastian’s games from the computer fair.

When Michael starts the game on his computer Sebastian’s memory starts to work and he asks Michael to help him retrieve his memory. Michael tries to help him in the games—Wild-West Guns, Dragon Quest and Jail Break but he fails. But at last, in the game War Zone he gets success, and rescues Sebastian Shultz. Thus, his perseverance helps him succeed in his endeavour.

Question 6.
Computer based games is becoming a rage with children. This is an addiction that is becoming hazardous, leading to physical and mental stress among the young generation. Lack of physical activity is reducing the children into couch potatoes. How can we establish a balance between the virtual and real world?
Answer:
Virtual games take us to a world that is apparently close to the real world. These games display an abstract reality that is capturing the curiosity of the young children. They are living them in real life. Their world is the computer and they sit endlessly in front of it without food and water.

Entertainment today has been redefined and the children live in a world of science fiction and fantasy which is supported abundantly by technology. Visors and gloves make the experience real and the children are getting hooked on to the latest fad-interactive psycho-drive games. The adults are not far behind. Every successive win, gives the player an inexplicable high, a boost to his/her sagging spirits, with the ability to command and win. This is steadily becoming an addiction specially among the youth.

The blue whale game was a typical example of the deteriorating value system. Health is failing too. The only way to curb this spreading menace is to use technology wisely. Parents must encourage their children to indulge in outdoor activity, understand nature, and more importantly the need to be an active social being. The children need to be initiated, by being living examples, to lead a balanced life style, so as to ensure that they grow up into mature, healthy and focussed individuals and not retarded robots.

Question 7.
“Dear Michael, it said, Thank you! I am not sure how it happened, but thanks, you saved my life.” Even though Michael did not know Shultz personally, he made every attempt to save him. What values did Michael display?
Answer:
The quote above is an extract from the email sent by Sebastian to Michael. After reading the story, we have all been introduced to the sequence of events that led to the entire “virtually true” incident. The two characters did not know each other.

But every time he played a game and received a request to be rescued from Sebastian, Michael felt that he looked different from all the other characters he interacted with during the games. There was something ‘human’ about Sebastian, and that disturbed him immensely, when he failed to rescue him.

This could be characterised as compassion and empathy Michael felt towards a boy who seemed to be roughly around his own age. He refused to give up as he was extremely concerned about the trapped Sebastian. Eventually he does manage to rescue him while playing the fourth game. The lesson is very discretely projecting values such as care, empathy, determination, mutual concern, gratitude, and the need to be responsible towards fellow human beings.

Virtually True Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
I suddenly saw the photograph that went with the story and gasped.
(i) Who is ‘I’?
(ii) Whose photograph did he see?
(iii) What was the story about him?
(iv) What had happened to him?
Answer:
(i) T is the narrator, Michael.
(ii) Michael notices the photograph of Sebastian Shultz in the paper.
(iii) The story was about the miraculous recovery made by Sebastian Shultz, a 14-year- old schoolboy from South London.
(iv) He was badly injured in a motorway accident and was in a coma. The doctors had feared that it could be forever.

Question 2.
‘Never mind her,’ came a voice, and a second knight appeared from the wardrobe. It’s me who needs rescuing!
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Who is being spoken to?
(iii) Who is ‘her’ in the above line?
(iv) In what form and from where did the speaker appear?
Answer:
(i) Sebastian is the speaker.
(ii) Sebastian is speaking to the narrator.
(iii) ‘Her’ is the fair princess Aurora who was in the clutches of a wicked dragon.
(iv) The speaker appeared as a second knight from behind the wardrobe in the game Dragonquest.

Question 3.
Six weeks ago, Sebastian Shultz was badly injured in a motorway accident. His condition, on arrival at the General Hospital, was described as critical though stable. Despite doctor’s hopes, the boy did not regain consciousness. His parents were informed that their son was in a coma.
(i) How did Sebastian Shultz go into coma?
(ii) In what condition was he brought into the hospital?
(iii) Did he gain consciousness?
(iv) Where was he taken for treatment?
Answer:
(i) He had been badly injured in a motorway accident.
(ii) He was brought in a very critical condition to the hospital. Though reportedly stable.
(iii) Despite the hopes and efforts of the doctors attending on him, Sebastian did not regain consciousness.
(iv) He was taken to the General Hospital.

Question 4.
I’d hit the jackpot. I’d finally cracked the game.
(i) Who is T?
(ii) What is the ‘jackpot’?
(iii) What was the outcome of the game.
(iv) Name the chapter from which the above lines are taken.
Answer:
(i) ‘I’ is the narrator.
(ii) jackpot’ is the perfect score of 40,00,000.
(iii) The narrator won the game.
(iv) The above lines are taken from the chapter ‘Virtually true’.

Question 5.
“We came away with a virtual reality visor and glove and a handful of the latest interactive psycho-drive games. They’re terrific”.
(i) Who are ‘we’?
(ii) What does he say is “ terrific”?
(iii) Why are they terrific?
(iv) What did they purchase?
Answer:
(i) “We” refers to the narrator and his father.
(ii) He says that the psycho-drive games are terrific.
(iii) They are terrific because they can be driven by mental power.
(iv) They purchased a virtual reality visor and gloves and a handful of the latest interactive psycho-driven games.

Question 6.
“The more futuristic they get the better you can understand the past”.
(i) Who is the speaker of the above line?
(ii) What are ‘they’?
(iii) How can one understand the past better?
(iv) What is the meaning of ‘futuristic’?
Answer:
(i) Michael is the speaker of the above line.
(ii) Computers are being referred to here.
(iii) The Past could be understood better as the computers become more futuristic.
(iv) It means- Strange and very modern, seeming to come from, or referring to some imagined time in the future.

Question 7.
“He wasn’t like the other characters in the saloon. For a start, he was about my age and though he looked like a computer image, he somehow didn’t move like one. ”
(i) Who is ‘he’?
(ii) Why was he not looking like other characters in saloon?
(iii) How old was he?
(iv) What is a ‘saloon’?
Ans.
(i) ‘He’ is Sebastian Shultz.
(ii) He was not looking like other characters because he was not a computer image. He was a real character.
(iii) He was the same age as the speaker.
(iv) In this context a saloon is the term used to refer to lounge bar.

Question 8.
‘“My hero!’ she squealed. ‘Take me away from all this’. ‘Behind me I could hear the dragon roaring’”.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Why did the speaker squeal?
(iii) Who is the hero?
(iv) Explain “Take me away from all this”.
Ans.
(i) Princess Aurora a character in the game is the speaker.
(ii) She squealed because she was in the clutches of a wicked dragon.
(iii) Michael is the hero.
(iv) According to the game the princess was to be released from the dragon’s captivity, and its treasures had to be collected by the narrator. The young Aurora did not want to be part of this vicious game.

Question 9.
“ But it was too late. The boy had slipped and was tumbling back through the air, down to the concrete below”.
(i) Who is the ‘boy’?
(ii) Which is the game in process here:
(iii) What had happened to Sebastian’?
(iv) What was “too late”?
Answer:
(i) The ‘boy’ refers to Sebastian.
(ii) The game in process was ‘Jailbreak”.
(iii) Sebastian took a step backward, slipped and tumbled through the air and landed down on the concrete floor.
(iv) The helicopter that was to help Sebastian escape had flown in late.

Question 10.
It all started a month ago. Dad and I had spent the entire Saturday afternoon at the Computer Fair.
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Why had the speaker and his father gone to the Computer Fair?
(iii) What had started a month ago?
(iv) What was the speaker’s father fond of?
Answer:
(i) Michael is the speaker of these lines
(ii) Michael and his father were crazy about computers and had gone to the computer fair to buy the latest gadgets.
(iii) Michael’s interaction with Sebastian in virtual games had started a month ago.
(iv) Speaker’s father was fond of buying electronic gadgets.

A Havoc of Flood Question and Answers

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
“It was Mrs. Packletide’s pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger.” Why was Mrs. Packletide intent on shooting a tiger?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide did not nurse any lust or craze to shoot a tiger. She intended to indulge in the game only because of her dislike for Loona Bimberton, who had captured the limelight by flying eleven miles in an aeroplane piloted by an Algerian aviator. Her motive was to dissipate the fame of her rival Loona. Therefore, she planned to do something as adventurous as shooting a tiger. This would definitely cause a sensation and the limelight would naturally shift on to her.

Question 2.
Who was Loona Bimberton? What daring feat had she achieved that led to Mrs. Packletide disliking her?
Answer:
Loona Bimberton was Mrs. Packletide’s arch rival. Both the women nursed a mutual feeling of dislike towards each other. Loona had performed a daring feat by flying eleven miles in an aeroplane piloted by an Algerian aviator. The fame and glory that followed her, intensified Mrs. Packletide hatred and jealousy towards Loona.

Question 3.
What plan did Mrs. Packletide orchestrate to honour Loona?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide had planned that she would arrange a party in Loona Bimberton’s honour at her house in Curzon Street. The tiger skin rug was to decorate her foreground, and her feat would necessarily be the hot topic for conversation. She had also designed a tiger-claw brooch that she proposed to gift to Loona on her next birthday.

Question 4.
Why did the mothers carrying their little babies hush their singing?
Answer:
The mothers hushed their singing while returning home from the jungle to avoid disturbing the tiger from his restful slumber. They were also exercising caution to ensure that the tiger did not go away from their vicinity.

Question 5.
Why were the cheap goats let loose by the villagers?
Answer:
The cheap goats were let loose in good numbers by the villagers so that the wild beast remained satisfied. This would also ensure that the tiger would not go in search of fresh hunting grounds.

Question 6.
What preparations were made for the shooting?
Answer:
Elaborate arrangements were made by the natives of the village. A safe platform was constructed on a comfortable and conveniently placed tree where Mrs. Packletide and her paid companion, was to be seated. A goat that bleated continuously day and night was tethered at an optimum distance. Mrs. Packletide had with her, an accurately sighted rifle and a thumb-nail pack of patience cards to use as they waited for their prey.

Question 7.
Who accompanied Mrs. Packletide for the shooting? Was she helpful?
Answer:
Louisa Mebbin, a ‘paid companion’ of Mrs. Packletide, accompanied her. She was of no use to Mrs. Packletide. Contrarily, she distracted her mistress persistently with her weird and unwarranted remarks. She was a thrifty woman. She did not approve of wasting money for shooting an old tiger. She pretended to be afraid of the tiger, to avoid putting in any extra work. She believed in doing only as much as she was being paid for.

Question 8.
What happened after Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot? How did the villagers react?
Answer:
As soon as the rifle flashed out with a loud report, the tiger that was seen ambling towards the goat could be seen springing to one side, and then rolling over into the stillness of death. Instantly the excited natives of the village crowded around the scene and shouted in jubilation, the sound echoed throughout the village, spreading happiness as they were now free from the fear of the tiger.

Question 9.
“Mrs. Packletide was pardonably annoyed at the discovery.” What led her to be annoyed?
Answer:
Miss. Louisa Mebbin’s observation led to the discovery that it was the goat that died of the bullet of Mrs. Packletide’s rifle, and that the tiger was killed of heart failure caused due to the banging noise of the rifle. This annoyed Mrs. Packletide as the mortal wound was visible on the goat’s body but no wound was visible on the tiger’s body.

Question 10.
Though Mrs. Packletide knew that she did not shoot the tiger, still she was sure that no one would reveal the secret. Why?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide was sure of the fact that the error pertaining to the shooting of the tiger would remain a guarded secret. The villagers would be silent as they did not want to loose the thousand rupees that was promised to them. Miss. Mebbin who was the other person who knew about the mishap, sold her silence to Mrs. Packletide in exchange for a weekend cottage.

Question 11.
What was Loona Bimberton’s reaction at Mrs. Packletide’s instant fame?
Answer:
The vainglorious Loona Birnberton, arch rival of Mrs. Packletide, expressed her reaction in the most childish manner. She refrained from reading any paper or weekly that carried the pictures and news about Mrs. Packletide for several weeks. However with very repressed emotions, she accepted the birthday gift, though she declined the luncheon invite.

Question 12.
Why did Mrs. Packletide wish to kill a tiger?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide wished to kill a tiger because she was guided by her dislike of Loona Bimberton, who had recently travelled eleven miles in one of the airplanes, piloted by an Algerian aviator, a rare feat accomplished by any woman. She too wanted to catch public attention and desired similar media popularity. So she decides to shoot a tiger.

Question 13.
What made her decide to give a party in Loona Bimberton’s honour? What did she intend to give Loona on her birthday?
Answer:
All movements and motives of Mrs. Packletide were largely governed by her dislike of Loona Bimberton. She threw a party in her favour to show her that it was Mrs. Packletide who had caught the limelight and that Mrs. Bimberton’s glory had been overshadowed. To insult her more, she had planned to send Loona Bimberton, a tiger-claw brooch on her next birthday.

Question 14.
How was the tiger shooting arranged? What kind of a tiger was chosen for the purpose?
Answer:
Tiger shooting was arranged on a moonlit cloudless night. A platform had been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree where Mrs. Packletide would sit accompanied by her paid companion, Miss Mebbin. A goat that could bleat

Question 15.
In what way did the villagers help Mrs. Packletide shoot the tiger?
Answer:
The villagers first searched for an old tiger that would involve less risk for Mrs. Packletide. Children were posted night and day on the outskirts of the local jungle so that the beast didn’t roam into fresh hunting grounds. Added to that, cheap goats were left about in the open to keep the tiger’s appetite satisfied. Mothers carrying

Question 16.
Who was Miss Mebbin? Was she really devoted to Mrs. Packletide? How did she behave during the tiger shooting?
Answer:
Miss Louisa Mebbin was Mrs. Packletide’s paid companion who escorted her for the shooting. No, she was not at all devoted to her. Rather, her actions at the platform revealed that she was money-minded and a manipulative woman. She felt that she must in no case offer her services more than the amount she had been paid for. On the other hand, she dissuaded Mrs. Packletide saying that she ought not to have paid such a heavy amount for the old tiger. Shrewd as she was, she further advised Mrs. Packletide that if the beast did not touch the goat, she must not pay for shooting.

Question 17.
Mrs. Packletide was a good shot. Discuss.
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide was a good shot definitely. It was flashed out that she killed two animals with one bullet instantly. The goat was mortally wounded whereas the tiger, the old beast died of heart failure. The noise was good enough to invite the local crowd, who shouted throughout the village to spread the news that memsahib had killed the tiger.

Question 18.
What comment did Miss Mebbin make after Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot? Why did Miss Mebbin make this comment? How did Mrs Packletide react to this comment?
Answer:
After Mrs. Packletide had fired the shot, Miss Mebbin drew attention to the fact that the wrong animal had been hit. The goat was shot to death and that the tiger died because of heart failure owing to old age. Miss Mebbin was a shrewd woman. She thought perhaps Mrs. Packletide would pay her more requesting her not to reveal the truth. Mrs. Packletide ignored this fact and claimed she shot the tiger, assuming

Question 19.
How did the villagers react to the tiger’s death?
Answer:
As soon as the natives of the village heard the loud noise of the rifle, they reached the spot where the two animals were lying dead. They swarmed around the scene and shouted throughout the village spreading the news of the tiger killed by the memsahib.

Question 20.
Do you think Mrs. Packletide was able to achieve her heart’s desire? Give reasons for your answer
Answer:
Though annoyed at discovering that the tiger was not killed by her shot, Mrs. Packletide was a happy woman. Whatever might have been the situation, she was the proud possessor of the dead tiger. She was able to achieve her heart’s desire as she faced camera with a light heart. Her photographs were taken that were to appear in the famous illustrated papers Texas Weekly Snapshot and the illustrated Monday supplement of the Novoe Vremya. She gave a luncheon party in the Curzon Street in the honour of Loona Bimberton. All this amply shows that she was able to achieve her heart’s desire.

Question 21.
How did Miss Mebbin manage to get her weekend cottage? Why did she plant so many tiger lilies in her garden?
Answer:
Miss Mebbin was a stingy, strict, sneering and cold-hearted woman. She was observant and cautious, not for others but for herself. It was her conscious watching that led her to discover that Mrs. Packletide had not killed the tiger. She very well knew that Mrs. Packletide would never part with her fame. She had the key to the fame of Mrs. Packletide. Therefore, she blackmailed her to get the required amount to purchase a beautiful cottage. She planted so many tiger lilies in her garden so as to remember that the cottage has some association with tiger in one or the other way. Her fondness for animals could also be the other reason.

Question 22.
“The incidental expenses are so heavy,” she confides to inquiring friends. Who is the speaker? What is she referring to here?
Answer:
Mrs. Packletide is the speaker. Here she is referring to those expenses which she has to bear in order to maintain her fame as tiger killer. Miss Mebbin blackmailed her to get the money required to buy a cottage.

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Imagine you are Mrs. Packletide. After being betrayed by Louisa Mebbin, you learnt a lesson for life. Now you are completely changed. You are purged of all ill-will and dislike that you nursed for Loona Birnberton. Write a letter of apology to Loona Birnberton telling her how you were blackmailed because of your craze for feme.
Answer:
#15, Curzon
Street London
June 24, 19XX*
Dear Loona
You will be shocked to receive my letter as we were never the best of friends. It’s been almost five years now since we last met. As I look back on the events that went by, I feel very pity and ashamed for having conducted myself in such a poor manner. I realise that I have been vain and insensitive.

All the pomp and glory that accompanied the tiger shooting incident has revealed unconditionally my ridiculously vainglorious nature. I hate myself for having been in continuous competition with you. How lovely it would have been if we were congenial with each other!

I have a confession to make to you. The entire incident surrounding the tiger shoot was only partially true. I had not killed the tiger. It had succumbed to a natural cause. I did not disclose the truth, neither did my associates, the villagers and my paid companion, as I had paid them handsomely to buy their silence. However I paid a heavy price for my falsehood. Louisa blackmailed me into buying her a weekend cottage to guard my secret. This shattered my self-confidence.

Realisation has dawned, and I have decided to turn over a new leaf. Time has been a great teacher. It taught me that fame and money are transient, whereas human relationship is not. Loona, I earnestly wish to seek your pardon for my deplorable behaviour towards you. I extend to you my hand of friendship.
Hope you would keep in touch.
Your friend
Ruby Packletide

Question 2.
Imagine you are Louisa Mebbin. Write a diary entry expressing how you could afford a cottage.
Answer:
Dorking
June 4, 19XX*,
Saturday 9:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
I had never in my dreams thought of owning my own cottage until I met Mrs. Packletide. Living in scarcities had always made me realize the value of money which my mistress never understood. She wasted money so carelessly showing her vain glory. That led me to feel that she acted rather stupidly when she had paid a huge amount of thousand rupees to the villagers just for shooting a wild old beast that could hardly walk. I kept on reminding her through various ways that she had been wasting money so absurdly that pained me. But all my suggestions fell on deaf ears.

My seriousness with life and observation helped me when I concluded that it was not the tiger that was shot but the goat who received the mortal wound. Annoyed at the discovery, my mistress expected me to keep quiet because I had not received my payment for accompanying her. And I did not want to lose it because I did not want to perform an atom more than the money paid for. That was the time when I felt that I could extract money from this silly vainglorious woman.

I waited for the right time and then went to warn her that if she did not pay me the expected amount to buy a cottage I would reduce her glory to ashes. Crazy for fame, she had to part with the money that led me to purchase this cottage. I admit that I had been a blackmailer but I feel I must not repent because these upper class women don’t realize the worth of money. They throw money so extravagantly and lavishly that if I have benefitted from her extravagance to lead a respectable life, it doesn’t mean any sort of offence committed on my part.
Louisa

Question 3.
“Materialistic morals of high sophisticated society lead to hollowness and shallowness.” What Values do you learn from Mrs. Packletide’s materialistic morals and vaingloriousness?
Answer:
The story ‘Mrs Packletide’s Tiger’ lays the shallowness and hollowness of the so-called sophisticated elite of the society who go about pursuing hazardous activities not to taste personal thrill and excitement but to impress people around. They pose to expose themselves to risk and danger but in reality they use money and power to ensure their safety and comfort while getting their false brave images built.

The people like Mrs. Packletide who consider themselves smart enough to outshine others often get outsmarted themselves. The actions of these manipulative people can backfire and recoil on them. Like Mrs. Packletide tried to outshine Loona Bimberton but she herself became a prey of Louisa Mebbin who blackmailed Mrs. Packletide to earn money. Her weakness for publicity and vainglofiousness made her a matter of laughter and humour. Mrs. Packletide wanted to hunt a tiger but in reality she hunted a lamb. Mrs. Packletide’s showy nature brought only hollowness and shallowness for her. A person can be great by great thinking and good actions not by money and vaingloriousness.

Question 4.
Before targeting anyone, one must not forget that even a biter can be bitter.” Explain with the reference to the story Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger. What values do you learn from the story?
Answer:
It is Mrs. Packletide’s vanity that had made her enact the tiger hunting drama. Her urge to outshine Loona Bimberton was nothing but an attempt to satisfy this vanity. Her posing for the photographs and throwing on luncheon party with the tiger skin prominently spread in the drawing room reflects this vain lady’s efforts to prove her superiority and become a celebrity.

Mrs. Packletide targetted Mrs. Loona Bimberton but she herself was targetted by Miss Mebbin. The manipulative Miss Mebbin started blackmailing Mrs. Packletide. To keep her mouth shut and not to reveal that she (Mrs. Packletide) hunted a lamb not a tiger, she had to pay an exorbitant price to Miss Mebbin. Thus, the people who consider themselves smart enough to outshine others often get outsmarted themselves we should try to get name and fame by our good deed not by insulting and having rivalry to others. The manipulative actions can be backfired and recoiled on ourselves.

Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
“It was Mrs. Packletide’s pleasure and intention that she should shoot a tiger. Not that the lust to kill had suddenly descended on her, or that she felt that she would leave India safer and more than she had found it.”
(i) What did Mrs. Packletide want to do?
(ii) Why did she want to shoot a tiger?
(iii) Explain’ “lust to kill”.
(iv) Was the killing done to secure the Indians?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide wanted to shoot a tiger.
(ii) She undertook the adventurous task of shooting a tiger for the sheer pleasure of belittling her arch rival Miss Loona and thereby acquiring fame for herself.
(iii) “Lust to kill” means to be driven by an excessive passion to kill.
(iv) The vain and selfish Mrs. Packletide had only her interest in mind while undertaking this.

Question 2.
“In a world that is supposed to be chiefly swayed by hunger and by love Mrs. Packletide was an exception; her moments and motives were largely governed by dislike of Loona Bimberton.”
(i) How Mrs. Packletide’s behaviour different from others?
(ii) What governed her motives?
(iii) Who was Loona Bimberton?
(iv) How was Mrs. Packletide an exception?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide’s behaviour was different from others. Satisfaction of the primary human requirements like hunger and love was not as important to her as defeating Miss Loona Bimberton was.
(ii) Her motives were governed by her intense hatred for Loona Bimberton.
(iii) Loona Bimberton was the arch rival of Mrs. Packletide. She was just as vainglorious as the latter was, and both the women were in constant battle to be on top of the social ladder.
(iv) Mrs. Packletide was neither swayed by love nor by hunger.

Question 3.
“Mothers carrying their babies through the jungle after the day’s work in the fields hushed their singing lest they might curtail the restful sleep of the venerable herd-robber. ”
(i) Why did the mother hush their singing?
(ii) What does the expression ‘venerable herd-robber’ mean and for whom is this expression used?
(iii) What was the ulterior motive for such precautions?
(iv) Which figure of speech is used in the expression Venerable herd-robber?
Answer:
(i) Mothers hushed their singing to avoid disturbing the tiger from his restful slumber.
(ii) The term ‘venerable herd-robber’, refers to the tiger. The expression is used to convey two opposite qualities of the tiger—one that he is a very respected animal, but at the same time he is called a herd robber, because he robs the life of its prey for survival.
(iii) The motive behind the precautions taken by the villagers, was to ensure that the old and troublesome tiger, was presented alive and in one piece before Mrs. Packletide, for her to kill. Besides they were keen to secure the award of Rs. 1000/- that was promised for their cooperation.
(iv) The figure of speech used here is oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear together, (eg. Truly false)

Question 4.
“With an accurately sighted rifle and a thumbnail pack of patience cards the sportswoman awaited the coming of the quarry. ”
(i) Who is the sportswoman referred to here?
(ii) What is “the quarry”?
(iii) Why did she carry the ‘thumbnail pack of patience’?
(iv) Why were all these arrangements made?
Answer:
(i) The sportswoman referred to here is Mrs. Packletide.
(ii) The quarry refers to the tiger that was to be hunted down by Mrs. Packletide.
(iii) A brave, confident and calm Mrs. Packletide carried with her the “ thumbnail pack of patience” to tide over the time they might have to wait for the tiger’s arrival by playing a game of cards.
(iv) All these arrangements were made to outshine Loona Bimberton.

Question 5.
“And their triumph and rejoicing found a ready echo in the heart of Mrs. Packletide; already that luncheon-party in Curzon Street seemed immeasurably nearer. ”
(i) Who is rejoicing in these lines?
(ii) What do you mean by ‘triumph and rejoice’? Why are they triumphing and rejoicing?
(iii) What is the luncheon party being referred to here?
(iv) What echoed in Mrs. Packletide’s heart?
Answer:
(i) The natives of the village are rejoicing.
(ii) ‘Triumph’ means victory and ‘ rejoice’ is jubilation. The villagers were in a triumphant mood and they were rejoicing as the tiger had been killed.
(iii) It is the luncheon party that Mrs. Packletide was proposing to host to honour Loona Bimberton.
(iv) The sound of the jubilation echos the realisation in Mrs. Packletide’s heart, that the time to host the party to honour Loona and get even with her, was fast approaching.

Question 6.
“Circumstances proved propitious. ”
(i) What does the word propitious mean?
(ii) What circumstance is being referred to here?
(iii) How did the circumstances prove propitious?
(iv) For whom did circumstances prove propitious?
Answer:
(i) ‘Propitious’ means – to be favourable.
(ii) The circumstances refer to the situations surrounding Mrs. Packletide’s latest passion.
(iii) The circumstances proved to be propitious because both Mrs. Packletide and the villagers stood to gain from the proposed event, in some form or other.
(iv) It proved propitious for Mrs. Packletide because she was successful in securing a dead tiger. As for the villagers, they earned a sum of Rs. 1000/- along with getting rid of the old troublesome tiger.

Question 7.
“The compelling motive for her sudden deviation towards the footsteps of Nimrod was the fact that Loona Bimberton had recently been carried eleven miles in an aeroplane. ”
(i) For whom is the pronoun ‘her’ used in this context?
(ii) What was the sudden deviation being referred to here?
(iii) Who is Nimrod?
(iv) Why is his reference made here?
Answer:
(i) The pronoun ‘her’ has been used to refer to Mrs. Packletide.
(ii) The sudden deviation refers to the sudden interest or inclination expressed by Mrs. Packletide towards hunting.
(iii) Nimrod is a biblical character, the great grandson of Noah, who was a mighty hunter.
(iv) The reference to his character is made here because Mrs. Packletide too, wanted to follow him. She had plans of hunting a tiger.

Question 8.
“It’s a very old tiger. It couldn’t spring up here even if it wanted to.”
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What light does this remark throw on the character of the speaker?
(iii) What was she planning to do with the tiger?
(iv) Why could the tiger not spring up?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide is the speaker here.
(ii) This remark shows that Mrs. Packletide was fearless as she sat on the platform to shoot a tiger, that was old and helpless. She comes across as a person who is petty, shallow, vain and callous. The fact that she was going to kill an animal did not bother her. Her prerogative was to acquire fame.
(iii) She was planning to shoot the tiger.
(iv) The tiger was very old and weak. Hence it was not capable of springing up on to the platform that seated Mrs. Packletide and her companion Louisa.

Question 9.
“In a moment a crowd of excited natives had swarmed on the scene, and their shouting speedily carried the glad news to the village… .”
(i) What scene is referred to here?
(ii) What is the glad news?
(iii) Who is ‘their’ in the above lines?
(iv) Why were they shouting?
Answer:
(i) The scene depicted in the above lines is that of the shot being fired, the great tawny beast rolling over in the stillness of death and the reaction of the excited natives.
(ii) The glad news was that Mrs. Packletide had shot the tiger to death.
(iii) ‘Their’ in the above lines refers to the native villagers.
(iv) They were shouting because they were happy that the old tiger that was preying upon their domestic animals had been put down forever.

Question 10.
“The incidental expenses are heavy.”
(i) Who is the speaker
(ii) Who is she speaking to?
(iii) What makes the speaker give this remark?
(iv) What incidental expense did she have to pay?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Packletide is the speaker of the above lines.
(ii) She is talking to her friends who were curious to know why she did not indulge in big-game shooting anymore.
(iii) Mrs. Packletide had to incur a lot of expenses as the result of her first hunting stint. Her missed bullet turned out to be very cosdy, as she had to pay a heavy price to buy Louisa’s silence.
(iv) She had to buy a week-end cottage for her paid companion Miss Mebbin.

Freedom Question and Answers

Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Who were the two boys who the narrator met on his way to Verona? Why was the narrator attracted towards them?
Answer:
The two boys—Nicola aged 13 years and Jacopo 12 years were selling strawberries when the narrator met them for the first time. The narrator and his companion were strangely attracted towards the two boys with their brown skins, tangled hair and dark earnest eyes. When the narrator and his companion talked to them they discovered that they were brothers. The remarkable demeanour of the two boys attracted the narrator towards them.

Question 2.
Describe the narrator’s observation of the two boys as they showed them the town as guides.
Answer:
The narrator was very impressed with their willingness to work and their reliable ways. He felt that little Jacopo was lively as a squirrel, while Nicola the older of the two was steady and focused. They were looking much serious than their age.

Question 3.
The two boys were of great help to the narrator while he stayed in the town. How?
Answer:
The boys were of great help to the narrator. They provided the narrator and his companion with American cigarettes, booked them seats for the opera and told them about the names of good restaurants in the city. They would also run errands for them, and guide them around Verona.

Question 4.
“We do many things, Sir,” Nicola answered seriously. Illustrate this statement.
Answer:
Nicola says this in reply to a question made by the narrator regarding the exact nature of their work. He tries to create a good impression on the narrator by listing all the things they were capable of doing, including selling paper and shining shoes. He looks at Cronin hopefully, expecting the latter to employ them as his tour guide.

Question 5.
What were the boys doing one midnight resting on the stone pavement, beneath the lights in a windy and deserted square?
Answer:
The boys were resting in the deserted square at night with a bundle of unsold newspapers. It was past midnight and they were waiting for the last bus from Padua to arrive so that they could sell it to the passengers on that bus.

Question 6.
What did the nurse tell the narrator about the boys?
Answer:
The nurse explained that the boys were quite alone in the world except for their sister Lucia. Their father, a widower and a well-known singer, had lost his life in the early part of the war. Shortly after this tragedy, unfortunately, a bomb blast destroyed their house. The boys and their sister were thrown onto the streets, exposed to a life of poverty and starvation.

They had hitherto led a comfortable and a cultured life. War had enveloped their life in perpetual tragedy. The boys grew to hate the Germans and were the first to join the resistance movement. As soon as the war was over, the boys ran back to be with their sister. Tragically, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the spine. They admitted her to the hospital to bring her back to absolute normalcy.

Question 7.
What led the boys to dislike the Germans?
Answer:
The boys disliked the Germans, because their beloved father was killed during the war, leaving thenj all alone in the world. Besides, a bomb had destroyed their home depriving them of a comfortable and cultured life. The 3 siblings were thrown out onto the streets to face the misfortunes of life. Their hatred was further aggravated, when the war took its toll on their sister’s health. Though they were steadfast in their determination to tide over, the hatred towards the Germans was to stay.

Question 8.
The narrator preferred to keep the secret which the boys did not want to reveal. What was the secret and why did the boys want to keep it?
Answer:
The narrator had requested the nurse to tell him all that she knew about the boys. It was through her disclosure that Cronin is introduced to the reason behind the struggle and relentless work schedule of the two boys. They had not disclosed their sister’s illness to anyone, probably because of the social stigma attached to disease ‘tuberculosis’. Besides they did not wish to seek financial or emotional support from anyone. Honouring their privacy and respecting their untold secret, the narrator refrains from speaking about it to the boys.

Question 9.
Based on your discussion above, what do you think the story is about?
Answer:
The story could be a revelation to the readers of the qualities that one needs to possess to qualify for the title of ‘ gentleman’.

Question 10.
Why didn’t Luigi, the driver, approve of the two boys?
Answer:
Luigi, the narrator’s driver, didn’t approve of the two boys because of their shabby appearance.

Question 11.
Why were the narrator and his companion impressed by the two boys?
Answer:
The narrator and his companion were impressed by the determination of the boys, and their willingness to undertake any task.

Question 12.
Why was the narrator surprised to see Nicola and Jacopo working as shoeshine boys?
Answer:
The narrator was surprised to see Nicola and Jacopo as shoeshine boys as just on the previous day he, had seen them selling strawberries.

Question 13.
How were the boys useful to the narrator?
The boys were of real help to the narrator. They brought them American cigarettes, booked seats for the opera, suggested the names of good restaurants in the city and ran errands for them.

Question 14.
Why were the boys at the deserted square at night? What characteristic traits do they exhibit?
Answer:
The boys were at the deserted square at night to sell newspapers to the travellers of the last bus from Padua. The character traits evident here are- perseverance, determination, willingness to work, self-respect and a single-minded devotion to achieve.

Question 15.
The narrator asks the boys, “Must you work so hard? You both look rather tired.” The boys reply, “We are not complaining, sir.” What do you learn about the boys from their reply?
Answer:
The reply of the boys indicates that they do not want to have any complaint as they are aware of the situation they are in. They reiterate that and do not grudge doing hard work.

Question 16.
When the narrator asks the boys about their plans, they are evasive. Why don’t they disclose their problems?
Answer:
The boys are evasive about their plans because their plans were so personal and painful that they did not want to share it with any outsider.

Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Imagine that you are the narrator. You have reached back to your town. Still the memory of the ‘two gentlemen of Verona’ is fresh in your mind, as you really miss those little heroes. Write a letter to one of your friends telling him/her about the gratifying experience you had at Verona in their company.
Answer:
# 50, Cedar Avenue
London
24 June 19XX
Dear Jacob
It has been months since I wrote to you. Hope you are doing well. This world is amazing. Every minute we meet and interact with different kinds of people. Recently, while on a trip to Verona I happened to meet two little boys aged around 12 and 13 selling strawberries. While interacting with them, it occurred to me, that perhaps they were children from respectable families, victims of some misfortune in their tender lives. There was a very appealing gentleness in their behaviour that attracted me towards them.

The next day we found them shining shoes at the public square. I was in for a big surprise when they told me they did various jobs to earn a living. I had to stay in the town for a few days and therefore came in contact with them several times. I realized that the boys worked very hard, day and night. I was greatly impressed by their positive attitude and willingness to work.

Though they earned fairly well, they lived a very meagre existence. I often spotted them eating black bread and figs. They almost spent nothing on clothes. Why they saved money was a mystery to me.! I tried to ask them but they were evasive. Finally, the mystery was unravelled. Yesterday, the boys had asked me for a lift to a place called Poleta. Their sister was admitted in a hospital there, for treatment of the tuberculosis of the spine. I realised why they had been saving every single penny, instead of splurging it on themselves. I was taken aback by their sacrifice. The hope and devotion with which they worked to take care of their sister was heart-rending.

The two gentlemen of Verona have left a permanent imprint on my mind. I hope and pray that many more emulate them. I am definitely working towards it.
Keep in touch
Your friend
A.J. Cronin

Question 2.
Imagine you are Nicola. You are touched by the empathy and the kindness of the narrator towards you and your brother. Thinking that such good people are rare to find in otherwise hostile world, record your sweet encounter with the narrator in the form of a diary entry putting down your experiences from the day you met him.
Answer:
23rd July, 19XX
Thursday
Dear Diary,
Every day begins with a new promise of life, a hope for a better tomorrow. It is with this attitude that we wake up every day.

Every day we meet countless customers. Some are forgotten, while some leave a permanent imprint on the mind. Let me tell you about the experience Jacopa and I had a few days back. We met a very honourable gentleman, whom we addressed as ‘sir’. I still remember that day when we first met him. He bought the biggest basket of strawberries from us and we were delighted.
He kept on observing us doing various jobs. He enlisted our help during his stay in the town. We enjoyed being of assistance. Today when sir told that he was leaving, I felt disappointed. Jacopo grew so attached to him that he asked for a drive to the hospital. We have not revealed the misfortune of our life to Sir, because we did not want anyone to sympathise with us.
For the first time in my life, after dad left us, I felt the hand of a guardian over our head. I felt protected.
We have been bereft of happiness since the dreaded war. Dad had gone, and no home to live in.
Now, this harbinger of hope, is leaving us today. Why do good people stay for such a short time in our lives?
My heart is so heavy today. I wish I had expressed my love and regard for him before he left.
Oh! Father in Heaven, please bring him back into our lives.
Good night, I am so tired. It has been a long day.
Nicola

Question 3.
“War is another name for destruction. It brings with it endless number of maladies in the form of poverty, crime, innocent killings, social unrest, food crisis and so on.” With reference to the story ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’, write an article telling how war has affected the lives of the characters in the story.
Ans.
War and its Destruction
(By ABC)
War is another name for destruction. It brings with it endless number of maladies in the form of poverty, unemployment, crimes, social unrest, lack of basic amenities of life like food, shelter and clothing and a lot many other problems associated with it. History bears testimony to the fact that the wheel of progress is turned backward in those nations which are under the cruel clutches of war. For example, nations like Syria, Iraq, Myanmar and the like. All the resources of these nations had been exploited to prepare ammunitions and soldiers for the deadly battle. If these resources had been utilised for constructive and welfare purposes, these nations would have been among the developing nations of the world.

No one in the world likes war. It destroys homes and families, the basic unit of society. Mothers lose their sons, wives their husbands and children become orphans! Isn’t a war that shattered the lives of Nicola and Jacopo. They lost their widowed father during the wars, a bomb destroyed their home, where they lived a comfortable and cultured life. They were thrown out onto the streets to face the hazards caused by war.

Abject poverty, and the ailment of their sister, were the two monsters that stared them in the face. Not disheartened, the boys undertake the fight for survival from a very tender age, at a time when they should have been at school.

War is not the solution for resolving conflicts. Nations should hold talks, discussions and arrive at decisions that are conducive to a peaceful human existence. How can we dream of peace and harmony when the world is at war?

Question 4.
Imagine you are Jacopo. When the narrator leaves, he gives his address to you in case he could be of some help to you in future. However, you and your brother never approached him for help being self-righteous. Ten years have passed. You both are well established young men now. Remembering your struggle, write a letter to the narrator recounting your journey from rags to riches.
Answer:
# 36, Rocking Villa
Edmund Street
Verona
19 June, 19XX
Dear Sir
I am sure you will be surprised to receive my letter. I wonder if you would remember me. I write to you on behalf of Nicola and on my own behalf. I am elated to establish this communication with you after a gap of ten long years. My elder brother Nicola is 23 now and I have turned 22.

When I look back I remember our long struggle for survival. I am sure you must be remembering how we used to sell fruits, newspapers, shine shoes and guide tourists. We would not hesitate to do any job, as we desperately needed to earn that extra penny. When you stayed at Verona, you were curious to know why we worked so hard and led a very meager existence. It was a safely guarded secret. We didn’t tell you about our dear sister, Lucia. She was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine and had been admitted to a hospital in Poleta. We saved all the money to pay for her treatment. I told Nicola to tell you about her, but he didn’t reveal this because he didn’t approve of wallowing in self-pity, or seeking favours from anyone .

We missed you a lot when you left Verona, and kept hoping you would come again. Ten years have gone by. With God’s grace, our sister recovered from her illness. She is now ‘ an established singer. We have scaled the social ladder and are comfortable financially too. We have a beautiful house in Verona. We have managed to fulfil most of our parents’ dreams.

We wish to thank you for being so kind to us, when we were left in the lurch by fate.
I wish to invite you, Sir, to spend some time, with us in Verona. We will be glad to see you.
With warm regards
Jacopo

Question 5.
“The real gentlemen are the people who never give up like Nicola and Jacopo.” What values do you learn from the two gentlemen of Verona.
Answer:
Nicola and Jacopo are the two young protagonists of A J Cronin’s, “Two gentlemen of Verona”. In this lesson, the author makes a scathing attack on the propagators of war. On the other hand he appreciates the resilience of the victims of war and applauds their commitment towards survival. Thrown out of their home, and orphaned by the war, the two young boys, toil relentlessly to sustain themselves and to secure the funds required for the treatment of their ailing sister. Their steadfastness, willingness to work, honesty, dignity, self-righteousness, selflessness, love, devotion, and positive attitude, are the values projected by the author. He tries to impress upon his readers that there is no alternative to hard work.

Question 6.
How does the story ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ promise hope for society? How can you promise hope for society?
Answer:
The German invasion had snatched the very essence of life from the people of Verona. Orphaned by war, the two young boys Nicola and Jacopo along with their sister Lucia were rendered homeless. Poverty and disease swept through the city. Lucia was not spared. She fell prey to the dreaded tuberculosis. Not smitten by the disaster, the spirited boys resolve to set matters right. They admit Lucia in a hospital, and go about the task of generating the funds for their survival and for the treatment of their sister.

Time or weather did not act as a deterrent to their resolve.Cronin was extremely attracted and impressed with the exceptional demeanour of the boys. He thereby exclaims that these committed children are a promise to the future the of society, and that they have brought back nobility to human life and hope for a better

Two Gentlemen of Verona Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Next morning, coming out of our hotel, we saw our friends bent over shoeshine boxes beside the fountain in the public square, doing a brisk business.
(i) Who are ‘we’ in the above extract?
(ii) Who are the ‘friends’ here?
(iii) Are they the friends of the speaker? If not then why does he call them friends.
(iv) What are these boys doing?
Answer:
(i) ‘We’ are the author and his friends.
(ii) ‘Friends’ are the two little boys, Nicola and Jacopo.
(iii) No, they are not the friends of the speaker. The author called them his friends because he was very impressed by them.
(iv) They were bent over shoe shine boxes beside the fountain in the public square, doing brisk business.

Question 2.
One night, we came upon them in the windy and deserted square, resting on the stone pavement beneath the lights.
(i) Who is the speaker of these lines?
(ii) Who is ‘them’ in the extract?
(iii) Why are they resting on the pavement at night?
What characteristics trait of ‘them’ is exhibited in the above line?
Answer:
(I) The speaker is the narrator.
(ii) In the extract, ‘them’ are the two brothers, Nicola and Jacopo.
(iii) They were resting on the pavement, awaiting the arrival of the last bus, to sell their newspapers.
(iv) They were very hardworking.

Question 3.
He coloured deeply under his sunburn, then grew pale. He looked to the ground. “You must be saving up to emigrate to America, ” I suggested. He looked at me sideways, spoke with an effort.
(i) Who is ‘he’ in this extract?
(ii) Why does he look to the ground?
(iii) Explain the expression ‘coloured deeply under his sunburn’.
(iv) What assumption did the speaker make to justify the reason behind the children saving money?
Answer:
(i) In this extract, ‘he’ refers to Nicola.
(ii) Nicola looked to the ground in embarrassment, because he did not want any one to know the secret behind their “plans” for working hard, till late in the night and leading a miserly existence.
(iii) It means to blush with embarrassment.
(iv) The speaker assumed that the boys must be saving money to emigrate to America.

Question 4.
Nicola shook his head, but suddenly Jacopo said, “Sir” he burst out, “every Sunday we
make a visit to the country to Poleta, 30 kilometres from here. Usually we hire bicycles. But
tomorrow, since you are so kind, you might send us in your car. ”
(i) What was the question to which Nicola shakes his head?
(ii) Why did the boys make a visit to Poleta every Sunday?
(iii) How did they go to Poleta every Sunday?
(iv) What was Jacopo’s response to the speaker’s offer?
Answer:
(i) When the writer asked Nicola if he could do something for them as he was leaving the next day, Nicola shook his head in a gesture that indicated a refusal to accept any favour.
(ii) The boys made a visit to Poleta to see their ailing sister and to pay the hospital fees.
(iii) They usually hired bicycles to go to Poleta every Sunday.
(iv) Jacopo acknowledges the kindness of the speaker and requests him to send them by his car to Poleta that Sunday.

Question 5.
“The two boys were seated at the bedside of a girl of about twenty two who propped up on the pillows, wearing a pretty lace jacket, was listening to their chatter, her eyes soft and tender. ”
(i) Who is the girl in this extract?
(ii) Where are the boys and why have they gone there?
(iii) What is the relation between the boys and the girl?
(iv) Why does her eyes become soft and tender?
Answer:
(i) The girl is 20 years old Lucia, Nicola and Jacopo’s elder sister.
(ii) The boys are in a hospital. They have gone there to see their ailing sister.
(iii) They were siblings. The boys were the brothers of the girl.
(iv) Her eyes are soft and tender, as they are filled with love, appreciation and gratitude towards her loving brothers.

Question 6.
“Won’t you go in?” the nurse murmured. “Lucia will be pleased to see you.”
(i) Who is Lucia?
(ii) Does the narrator go to meet Lucia?
(iii) What makes the writer decide to do so?
(iv) Where was Lucia?
Answer:
(i) Lucia is the sister of the two boys, Nicola and Jacopo.
(ii) No, the writer does not meet Lucia.
(iii) He did not want to intrude upon the happy family party.
(iv) Lucia was at the villa, which served as a hospital.

Question 7.
Nicola was glaring at his younger brother in vexation. “We could not think of troubling
you, sir.”
(i) Why does Nicola not want to trouble the narrator?
(ii) What does the above lines tell about Nicola?
(iii) Whom does Nicola glare at?
(iv) Why does Nicola glare at?
(i) Nicola is a self-righteous boy. He does not approve of seeking favours from anyone including the narrator.
(ii) These lines suggest that Nicola is a very mature, self-respecting, sensitive and cultured boy.
(iii) Nicola glared at his younger brother Jacopo.
(iv) Nicola glares at his younger brother Jacopo because he does not like Jacopo asking favour from the narrator.

Question 8.
“I don’t know what they do, I do not ask. Work is scarce in Verona. But whatever it is, I know they do it well. ”
(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Who is she speaking to?
(iii) In what context does she speak these lines?
Who are ‘they’ in the given lines?
Answer:
(i) These lines are spoken by the nurse attached to the hospital where Lucia is admitted. She is speaking to the narrator.
(ii) The nurse is referring to the honesty with which the boys make the payment for their sisters treatment. She wonders how they manage to do so when work was scarce. She was however certain that they were essentially doing a good job.
(iii) ‘They’, refers to the two boys, Nicola and Jacopo.

Question 9.
“He shrugged his shoulders to convey his disapproval of their shabby appearance. ”
(i) Who is ‘he’ referred to here?
(ii) Why did he react in this manner?
(iii) Whose shabby appearance did he disapprove of?
(iv) What were ‘they’ doing there?
Answer:
(i) ‘He’, refers to the narrator’s driver, Luigi.
(ii) He reacted in this manner because he disapproved of the way in which the car was stopped by two untidy looking ‘urchins’.
(iii) He disapproved the shabby appearance of the two boys, who were selling wild strawberries
(iv) They were selling wild strawberries.

Question 10.
“What struck one most was their willingness to work. During these summer days, under the hot sun they shined shoes, sold fruit, hawked newspapers, conducted tourists round the town, ran errands. ”
(i) Who is ‘their’ in the above lines?
(ii) What work did they do?
(iii) What was striking about them?
(iv) Under what severe condition did they work?
Answer:
(i) ‘Their’, refers to the two young boys, Nicola and Jacopo.
(ii) They would sell fruit, shine shoes, hawk newspapers, conduct tourists and even run errands.
(iii) Their willingness tp work was the most striking thing about them.
(iv) They worked during summer days under the hot sun.

An Icon of Civil Rights Question and Answers

From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers for Class 10 English

September 25, 2023September 22, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers for Class 10 English, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers for Class 10 English

From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What role does the diary play in Anne’s life?
Answer:
When Anne first begins writing in her diary as the thirteen-year-old girl, she feels that her friends and family all misunderstand her. Thus, she first turns to the diary as a new friend and confidant, counting on the diary to be the sympathetic, non-judgemental ear she has been unable to find elsewhere.

Once she goes into hiding in the annex, Anne feels even more misunderstood. She thinks her mother is cold and callous, and feels that the other adults consider her a nuisance. The diary offers Anne much solace in the annex because she is in need of companionship.

Until she befriends Peter, Anne has no one other than her diary with whom she can openly share her fear, anger, sadness and hope. Anne calls the diary “Kitty”, indicating that she considers it a close friend. She occasionally even writes to Kitty as if the diary were a person who had asked her questions.

Writing diligently in the diary also helps Anne redirect her strong feelings instead of expressing them outright and causing damage to the fragile relationships within the annex. When everyone around her is feeling anxious and tense, Anne turns to her diary . for comfort because she does not want to burden the already overtaxed adults with her own concerns. In this way, Anne becomes very independent at a young age.

Moreover, Anne’s constant diary writing enables her to discover her inner voice and her voice as a writer, the diary gives her a private space to explore and develop her increasingly profound thoughts and ideas. After two years, Anne is able to look back at the invaluable record of her experiences and analyse how she has grown and changed. In this sense, the diary becomes a significant tool for Anne’s maturity.

Question 2.
“Paper is more patient than people.” Elucidate with reference to the novel.
Answer:
Anne Frank believes that “paper is more patient than people” and feels that she does not have any true friends and confidants. She has a loving family and many people she could call friends or admirers, but she cannot confide in any of them. Anne starts to write a diary and calls it “Kitty”.

She finds it as a new friend and confidant, counting on the diary to be the sympathetic, non-judgemental ear. Writing diligently in the diary also helps Anne redirect here strong feelings instead of expressing them outright and causing damage to the fragile relationships. The dairy gives her private place to explore and develop her increasingly profound thoughts and ideas. A diary is a significant tool for Anne’s maturity.

Question 3.
Where was the secret annex? Why did Anne and the family go there?
Answer:
Secret annex is a hiding place. It is in Otto Frank’s (father of Anne), office building at 263 Prinsengracht. It was hidden upstairs from the office, behind a big gray door. Anne and her family went there to hide themselves from Germans because Germans had prejudice against Jews. Anne’s father explained that they would have to go into hiding soon. He told her that they would leave of their own accord instead of waiting for the Germans to take them.

Anne was greatly dismayed by her father’s plans. Three days later, on Sunday afternoon Anne’s sister, Margot told Anne that it was really herself not Mr. Frank, who had been called up. The girls quickly packed their things. Margot left the house first, carrying a schoolbag, Anne followed later on that evening.

Question 4.
“Anne’s life in the hiding is an adventure of sorts.” Explain.
Answer:
At first, Anne sees her new life in hiding as an adventure of sorts. Though the two families live in constant fear of capture, they spend their time thinking about simpler, more immediate problems. They often try to think of ways to escape boredom. Because they are in such close quarters, the residents begin to get annoyed with one another’s quirks. Peter is a hypochondriac, Mrs. Van Daan is critical, and Anne’s mother and Peter’s mother fight a lot and speak improper Dutch.

At first, Anne focuses on figuring out ways to avoid getting frustrated with the others or ways to stay quiet while the plumber is visiting. Anne’s initial pleasure with the novelty of the annex quickly fades, as she becomes restless and frustrated at her inability to go outside or even open the curtains during daylight hours. Even Anne’s pervasive optimism cannot keep her from feeling dread each time the doorbell rings. Soon the excitement of a new place fades. The mundane routines of daily life are not quite able to mask the constant ring of terror and fear in the annex.

Question 5.
How does Anne feel about the laws that restrict the Jews’ freedom?
Answer:
The Franks left Germany to live in Holland because they could escape persecution. After the Germans invaded Holland in 1940, however, the same laws imposed in Germany were extended to the Netherlands. Anne thinks the laws are unjust, but she does not completely understand why the Jewish people have been singled out for this discrimination. She wishes that next time the Jews will be chosen for something good rather than something bad.

Anne feels it is unfair that Jews cannot use streetcars, that they must wear yellow stars, and that she must attend particular school. Nonetheless, she is still optimistic about her family’s safety and feels relatively secure about her future. Anne accepts the restrictions as a fact of life in Amsterdam, and she is thankful to the Dutch people for their sympathy, especially the ferryman, who let Jews ride the ferry because they are not allowed to ride streetcars.

Once the SS calls up for Margot, Anne realises that she is not safe from the Nazis. Her entire life and world view is quickly transformed as she is forced into hiding. As Anne hears about more of her friends being taken to concentration camps, her fears grows and she questions why the Jews are being restricted.

She also questions why she remains relatively safe while her friends outside have to suffer so much. Anne says that she does not blame the Dutch people for her family’s misfortune, and her sense of perspective allows her to realise that the non-Jewish Dutch also suffer greatly during the war. When she hears that the Dutch are becoming more anti-Semitic, she is disheartened but remains optimistic about humanity.

Question 6.
Does Anne consider her family lucky or unfortunate to be living in the annex?
Answer:
Anne’s feelings about the annex change constantly. Most of the time, Anne realises that she and her family are very fortunate to have the annex as a place to hide. She values the kindness and generosity of her father’s non-Jewish colleagues who are risking their lives to provide them with food and supplies.However, Anne often complains about the miserable physical and emotional conditions of the annex, and the confinement bothers her.

She misses being able to see nature and the sky and laments that she cannot explore the world. Compared to her formerly comfortable, middle-class life, Anne must live with eight people under severe condition. She eats rotten potatoes day after day, has no privacy, deals with clashing personalities, and lives in constant fear that the family will be discovered. Most of all, she feels lonely since she has no companions besides Peter in the annex in whom she can confide.

When Anne compares her deprived life to the freedom of non-Jewish Dutch children – a freedom she experienced so recently and took for granted – she feels indignant. However, when she thinks about her Jewish friends and family members who have probably been arrested and sent to concentration camp, such as her friend Hanneli, she feels extremely thankful to still be alive.

Anne feels that the Jews as a group are not fortunate and have not been chosen for good things, only bad ones. However, she expresses her conflict over whether she feels fortunate or lucky about her personal situation. She wonders whether it would have been better to die a quick death than live a confined, tedious and fearful existence. Anne quickly realises, however, that she loves life too much and decides she is fortunate that she had the opportunity to evade the Germans.

Question 7.
Is Anne in love with Peter? Why does she feel she can confide in him?
Answer:
Yes, Anne is in love with Peter. In fact, Anne doesn’t like Peter at first since both of them were very different, but at the end they both found in each other company. They could rely on each other and they stay together till the end.

Anne feels she can confide in Peter because he is her friend and they get closer towards the end of their time in the annex. She feels as though Peter is the one bright light in her life, and they spend a great deal of time together. She wonders what Peter feels about her and admits that her feelings are growing more serious.

They begin to seek each other out and confide in each other. Anne’s love for Peter is innocent and touchingly naive. Anne is lonely, she wants someone in whom she may confide her feelings, and that is, in large part, why she chooses Peter. Anne and Peter discuss on different topics for hours. Peter gives Anne emotional support in such a hard time.

Question 8.
Why do you think Hanneli appears in Anne’s dreams?
Answer:
Hanneli is one of Anne’s close friends who appears in Anne’s dreams several times as a symbol of guilt. Hanneli appears sad and dressed in rags, and she wishes that Anne could stop Hanneli’s suffering. A young Jewish girl, Hanneli has presumably already been arrested and deported to a concentration camp and the millions of Jews many of whom were children like herself who were tortured and murdered by the Nazis. Anne continually struggles with the guilt that her friend is dead while she is still alive. Hanneli’s appearance in Anne’s dreams makes Anne turn to God for answers and comfort, since there is no one else who can explain why she lives while her friend does not.

Question 9.
“The novel, The Diary of a Young Girl is a conflict between imagination and social expectations.” Elucidate.
Answer:
Anne is guided by her imagination and romanticism, which often lead her astray. Daydreams constantly interrupt her chores and conversations, pulling her away from reality and into her own imaginary world. This escape pleases Anne, but her rich inner life often comes into conflict with Avonica’s expectations of appropriate behaviour.

Anne’s imaginative excursions lead to everything from inner household disasters, such as baking an inedible cake, to life threatening calamities, such as nearly drowning in an attempt to act out a poem. Marilla does not indulge in fantasy, and equates goodness with decorum and sensible behaviour. She adheres to the social code that guides the actions of well-behaved ladies.

Anne has difficulty in understanding why Marilla does not indulge in fantasy and equates goodness with decorum and sensible behaviour. Anne finds it difficult to understand why Marilla doesn’t use her imagination to improve upon the world. Partly Marilla is not naturally inclined to imaginativeness, that Anne will imagine and long for wonderful things and then experience painful disappointment when reality does not live up to her expectations. Anne wants to please Marilla by acting obedient and deferential however, Anne curbs her extreme romanticism and finds a compromise between imagination and respectability.

Question 10.
What role does the diary play in Anne’s life?
Answer:
When Anne first begins writing in her diary as the thirteen-year-old girl, she feels that her friends and family all misunderstand her. Thus, she first turns to the diary as a new friend and confidant, counting on the diary to be the sympathetic, non-judgemental ear she has been unable to find elsewhere. Once she goes into hiding in the annex, Anne feels even more misunderstood.

She thinks her mother is cold and callous, and feels that the other adults consider her a nuisance. The diary offers Anne much solace in the annex because she is in need of companionship. Until she befriends Peter, Anne has no one other than her diary with whom she can openly share her fear, anger, sadness and hope. Anne calls the diary “Kitty”, indicating that she considers it a close friend. She occasionally even writes to Kitty as if the diary were a person who had asked her questions.

Writing diligently in the diary also helps Anne redirect her strong feelings instead of expressing them outright and causing damage to the fragile relationships with the annex. When everyone around her is feeling anxious and tense, Anne turns to her diary for comfort because she does not want to burden the already overtaxed adults with her own concerns. In this way, Anne becomes very independent at a young age.

Moreover, Anne’s constant diary writing enables her to discover her inner voice and her voice as a writer, the diary gives her a private place to explore and develop her increasingly profound thoughts and ideas. After two years, Anne is able to look back at the invaluable record of her experiences and analyse how she has grown and changed. In this sense, the diary becomes a significant tool for Anne’s maturity.

Question 11.
Where was the secret annex? Why did Anne and the family go there?
Answer:
Secret annex is a hiding place. It is in Otto Frank’s (father of Anne), office building at 263 Prinsengracht. It was hidden upstairs from the office, behind a big gray door.Anne and her family went there to hide themselves from Germans because Germans had prejudice against Jews. Anne’s father explained that they would likely have to go into hiding soon.

He told her that they would leave of their own accord instead of waiting for the Germans to take them. Anne was greatly dismayed by her father’s plans. Three days later, on Sunday afternoon Anne’s sister, Margot told Anne that it was really herself not Mr. Frank, who had been called up. The girls quickly packed their things. Margot left the house first, carrying a schoolbag, Anne followed later on that evening.

Question 12.
“Anne’s life in the hiding is an adventure of sorts.” Explain.
Ans.
At first, Anne sees her new life in hiding as an adventure of sorts. Though the two families lie in constant fear of capture, they spend their time thinking about simpler, more immediate problems. They often try to think of ways to escape boredom. Because they are in such close quarters, the residents begin to get annoyed with another’s quirks. Peter is hypochondriac, Mrs. Van Daan is critical, and Anne’s mother and Peter’s mother fight a lot and speak improper Dutch.

Question 13.
How does Anne feel about the laws that restrict the Jews’ freedom?
Answer:
The Franks left Germany to live in Holland because they could escape persecution. After the Germans invaded Holland in 1940, however, the same laws imposed in Germany were extended to the Netherlands. Anne thinks the laws are unjust, but she does not completely understand why the Jewish people have been singled out for this discrimination. She wishes that next time the Jews will be chosen for something good rather than something bad.

Once the SS calls up for Margot, Anne realises that she is not safe from the Nazis. Her entire life and worldview is quickly transformed as she is forced into hiding. As Anne hears about more of her friends being taken to concentration camps, her fear grows and she questions why the Jews are being restricted. She also questions why she remains relatively safe while her friends outside have to suffer so much.

Anne says that she does not blame the Dutch people for her family’s misfortune, and her sense of perspective allows her to realise that the non-Jewish Dutch also suffer greatly during the war. When she hears that the Dutch are becoming more anti-Semitic, she is disheartened but remains optimistic about humanity.

Question 14.
Does Anne consider her family lucky or unfortunate to be living in the annex?
Answer:
Anne’s feelings about the annex change constantly. Most of the time, Anne realises that she and her family are very fortunate to have the annex as a place to hide. She values the kindness and generosity of her father’s non-Jewish colleagues who are risking their lives to provide them with food and supplies. However, Anne often complains about the miserable physical and emotional conditions of the annex, and the confinement bothers her.

When Anne compares her deprived life to the freedom of non-Jewish Dutch children a freedom she experienced so recently and took for granted . she feels indignant. However, when she thinks about her Jewish friends and family members who have probably been arrested and sent to concentration camp, such as her friend Hanneli, she feels extremely thankful to still be alive.

Question 15.
Is Anne in love with Peter? Why does she feel she can confide in him?
Answer:
Yes, Anne is in love with Peter. In fact, Anne doesn’t like Peter at first since both of them were very different, but at the end they both found a company, they could rely on each other and they stay together till the end. Anne feels she can confide in Peter because he is her friend and they get closer towards the end of their time in the annex. She feels as though Peter is the one bright light in her life, and they spend a great deal of time together. She wonders what Peter feels about her and admits that her feelings are growing more serious.

Question 16.
Why do you think Hanneli appears in Anne’s dreams?
Answer:
Hanneli is one of Anne’s close friends who appears in Anne’s dreams several times as a symbol of guilt. Hanneli appears sad and dressed in rags, and she wishes that Anne could stop Hanneli’s suffering. A young Jewish girl, Hanneli has presumably already been arrested and deported to a concentration camp and the millions of Jews, many of whom were children like herself, who were tortured and murdered by the Nazis. Anne continually struggles with the guilt that her friend is dead while she is still alive. Hanneli’s appearance in Anne’s dreams makes Anne turn to God for answers and comfort, since there is no one else who can explain why she lives while her friend does not.

Question 17.
“The novel, Diary of a Young Girl,” is a conflict between imagination and social expectations. Elucidate.
Answer:
Anne is guided by her imagination and romanticism, which often lead her astray. Daydreams constantly interrupt her chores and conversations, pulling her away from reality and into her own imaginary world. This escape pleases Anne, but her rich inner life often comes into conflict with Avonica’s expectations of appropriate behaviour. Anne’s imaginative excursions lead to everything from inner household disasters, such as baking an inedible cake, to life threatening calamities, such as nearly drowning in an attempt to act out a poem.

Marilla does not indulge in fantasy, and equates goodness with decorum and sensible behaviour. She adheres to the social code that guides the actions of well-behaved ladies. Anne has difficulty in understanding why Marilla does not indulge in fantasy and equates goodness with decorum and sensible behaviour. Anne finds it difficult to understand why Marilla doesn’t use her imagination to improve upon the world.

Partly Marilla is not naturally inclined to imaginativeness, that Anne will imagine and long for wonderful things and then experience painful disappointment when reality does not live up to her expectations. Anne wants to please Marilla by acting obedient and deferential however, Anne curbs her extreme romanticism and finds a compromise between imagination and respectability.

Question 18.
How does Anne mature and develop through the course of her diary?
Answer:
Anne is thirteen years old when she started writing her diary, because she feels that her friends and family all misunderstand her. Thus, she first turns to the diary as a new friend and confidant, counting on the diary to be the sympathetic, nonjudgemental ear she has been unable to find elsewhere.

The diary gives her a private place to explore and develop her increasingly profound thoughts and ideas. Moreover, Anne’s constant diary—writing enables her to discover her inner voice as a writer. After two years, Anne is able to look back at the invaluable record of her experiences and analyse she has grown and changed. In this sense, the diary becomes a significant tool for Anne’s maturity.

Anne records her feelings, thoughts and emotions of every stage of her life. She accounts her fear and despair due to war. She shares her relationship with Peter with her diary. She also mentions her longings and desires. She accepts her mistakes and is sorry to develop an intimacy with Peter. She expresses her intense desire to line. As Anne matures however, Anne curbs her extreme romanticism and finds a compromise between imagination and respectability.

Question 19.
On the pages of her diary, how does Anne explore love and question the meaning of life in a way that’s quite typical of a young teen?
Answer:
Anne is guided by her imagination and romanticism, which often lead her astray. Daydreams constantly interrupt her chores and conventions, pulling her away from reality and into her own imaginary world.

Like a teen Anne’s feelings run deep; she loves and hates with passion, and dreams with spirit. However, as a young girl, she cannot distinguish between true emotion and mere sentimentality, or fake emotion, often over allowing herself to indulge in sentiment because she thinks it romantic. Like a teenager her weakness for sentiment colours her fictional stories, which feature melodrama, true love, eternal devotion and tragic loss.

On the pages of her diary, Anne explores love and questions the meaning of life in a way that is quite typical of a young teen, yet quite. Extraordinary under the circumstances under which she lives. Her portrayal provides a stark glimpse into her extraordinary ordeal. Anne on her diary accounts the teenagers’ problems, their dilemmas and mistakes and repentance.

Question 20.
What is attitude of Anne’s parents to the growing friendship between Anne and Peter?
OR
Write a brief character sketch of Mrs. Van Daan.
Answer:
Peter was a simple, lovable boy, whom Anne would sometimes tease for his slow, methodical ways. Anne was a lovely girl who never had anyone to share her secrets with. As she was growing up, she started having a feeling that she should have a friend. She liked Peter and dreamt of him. She always wanted to be near him, so she kept on finding some excuses to go to his room or talk to him. She longed for his company. Whenever Peter didn’t talk to her she used to cry a lot and became restless.

Both had a very good understanding relationship. Even Peter liked her company and they talked on every subject including physical changes of teenagers. They never felt embarrassed about it. Anne’s parents however objected to their meetings. Her mother felt that Peter would not be good partner for her. They had several arguments, but Helen refused to relent. As for her father, though he did not disapprove of the friendship, advised her to exercise caution. His concern was only with regard to Peter’s weak and diffident nature.

They didn’t bother much about their parents as they felt that their relationship was very rosy. Anne felt herself to be in love with him whereas Peter thought of her as a friend.

Mrs. Van Daan was described as a very uncomplicated person, anxious and cheerful at the same time, as temperamental people often are. Anne’s account of her in her diary is generally unflattering and intolerant, and we often feel that there was a great gulf of character and intelligence between them. What is evident is that Mrs. Van Daan was not a stoical person who shines in adversity.

Anne initially describes her to be a friendly but later she was referred to as an instigator. A very inquisitive lady, she was vain, egoistical, flirtatious, petty stingy, and very disagreeable at most times. She was very critical of Anne, did not approve of her relationship with Peter, and was always at war with her. Anne adds that Mrs. Van was a very discontent person, and persisted in complaining about their pitiable condition. She does not survive the war, but the exact date of her death remains a mystery.

Question 21.
What does Anne’s diary reveal about the steadily worsening economic and social conditions during the war?
OR
What is your impression of Peter?
Answer:
Anne discusses the worsening living conditions for the Jews even before she and her family go into hiding in the Annex. She described how difficult it is for the Jews, as forms of transportation, athletics, and saloons were out of bounds for them. They were not even allowed to sit in the gardens after a certain time, and could shop for food only during a two-hour stretch in the afternoons.

In terms of the economy, the war had thrown society into turmoil. The people had to purchase food with ration books. Tickets from these books were exchanged for food. Black marketing, long queues of people waiting to buy vegetables and provisions, robbery, and murder, were the order of the day. Doctors could not visit patients, and people feared to get out of their homes.

The police and night watchmen became more vigilant but their efforts to regulate the system was of no avail. Family time and social interactions were getting adversely affected because of space crunch and curtailment of freedom.

Peter Van Daan was the teenage son of the Van Daans. He comes across as an introvert who was socially awkward and inarticulate. A lazy, obstinate and hypersensitive boy, Peter was very gullible and hardly worth Anne’s notice.

Gradually after repeated interaction with him, she develops a romantic attraction towards Peter and presents a different version of his character. Peter is transformed into being her confidant and the only source of affection.

He did not believe in religion and was very critical of the treatment being meted out to the jews. It was probably due to the unfortunate situation that he was in, that he developed a severe inferiority complexion. The two years at the annexe did not help in improving his personality.

Question 22.
Lack of basic necessities, cramped space and the general atmosphere of fear make the residents’ life extremely difficult in the Secret Annexe. Comment.
OR
Which character traits of Anne Frank do you find the most admirable ? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer:
Life was extremely difficult in the annex. The residents were forced to keep the windows curtained and they could not make any noise – no flushing of toilet or bathing and could not walk around during the day while workers were present. They had no access to a physician if they got sick. Because of the cramped space and unhygienic living conditions everyone was prone to illness.

They were confined for 24 hours a day in a small area, a situation that aggravated the tension among residents. When the owner of the building sold the annex without informing Mr. Kugler and Mr. Kleiman, who hid the Jewish fugitives, the residents of the annex were terrified that they would be discovered. Fortunately, Mr. Kleiman was trying to ensure that the existence of an annex remains a secret. The residents’ clothing were wearing out, their food was in shortage, and they did not know how long the war would last or if they would be able to hide until it ended. They lived in constant fear of the Germans.

Anne was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany. She was four years old when her father moved to Holland to find a better place for the family to live. She was very intelligent and perceptive, and wanted to become a writer. Anne was a voracious reader. Though in hiding she kept reading something or the other every day to continue her studies. She translated chapters, wrote down the words. She used to work hard on Maths problems though she didn’t like Maths. She enjoyed shorthand but later left it as her eye sight grew weak and she could not visit an ophthalmologist as long as she was in the hiding in the secret annexe.

Like any other child, she loved her parents but later grew a dislike towards her mother as she used to compare her to Margot, her elder sister whom she felt jealous of. She always had a feeling that her father loved her more than her mother. Anne was an optimistic girl who learnt a lot from her sufferings.

She always believed that a time would come when all their problems would be over and they would lead a happy, tension free life after the war ended. Anne had many friends but not a single in whom she could confide in. Thus, she made Kitty, her diary, her friend and gave way to all her feelings in it. Later she found in Peter a good friend and confidant. Anne died of typhus in the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen in late February or early March of 1945.

What is Man without the Beasts? Question and Answers

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 25, 2023September 22, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
How does the poet declare his rhyme to be powerful?
Or
What comparisons does the poet draw between the poetry and monuments?
Answer:
The poet tells how time will not destroy the powerful rhyme (the poem), though it shall destroy the world’s most magnificent structures. He makes comparisons between the poetry and various monuments to show how poetry is stronger than these structures. Neither the precious marble nor the gold-plated monuments meant to be the graves of princes can match the powerful effect of the poem that the poet has written in praise of his young friend. Sluttish time destroys everything. Even the great monuments once carefully preserved are tarnished and left uncared with the passage of time. But the time will have no sway over the poem that glorifies the young friend in its lines.

Question 2.
Describe how poetry survives all wars and destruction.
Or
Describe how the memory of the friend shall survive all kinds of ravages.
Answer:
The poet is quite optimistic about the power of poetry. He expresses his anguish on how great statues are broken and overturned to insignificance by the destructive wars.
Not only that he feels sad to find that even great quarrels, disputes especially during a war, ravage great works of architecture. But he is also glad to declare that these wars organized by Mars and his followers are not able to spoil the verses in which he has glorified his beloved friend.

Question 3.
‘Gainst death and all oblivious enmity, shall you pace forth.’ On the basis of these lines comment how the poet honours his friend.
Answer:
The poet states that he has established a living record of his friend in the form of a sonnet that will outlive all the ravages of time. This recorded memory of his friend shall be honoured and remembered until posterity. The poet emphasizes that like a powerful man, his friend shall stride forward against all destructive forces like death and enemies and will be praised even by the fixture generations to come. His memory will outwear this world and survive until the doomsday (the last day of humanity).

Question 4.
What judgment does the poet talk about in the ending couplet of this poem?
Answer:
In the ending couplet the poet refers to the doomsday, the Apocalypse, i.e., the last day of humanity when he talks about the ‘judgment’. He makes this reference to judgment because he wants to declare the immortality of his friend in his verse. He wants to ensure it to the readers that until there is humanity alive, people will read this verse and henceforth his friend will be immortalized.

Question 5.
Where does the poet tell his friend to stay until the judgment day and why?
Answer:
The poet is very caring about his love for his friend. He tells that his friend shall forever remain in the poem composed by him and will be admired by all the lovers around the world. He shall only rise to heaven when it will be the last day of humanity (day of Last Judgment). Until then he will remain in this poem and remain in the eyes of the lovers who read this.

Question 6.
Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory?
Answer:
The rich and the powerful people get the monuments and statues erected in their memory so as to last until posterity, i.e. the future generations shall also remember them.

Question 7.
Describe how the monuments and statues struggle to brave the ravages of time.
Answer:
Time is all powerful. All durable, solid, precious marbles and gilded memorials that mark the graves of the princes are ravaged with the passage of time. These stone monuments are left uncared and neglected to such an extent that the cruel time tarnishes and destroys them completely. Whatever little is spared and left is destroyed completely by the wasteful wars and broils.

Question 8.
Why does the poet refer to time as being sluttish?
(c)
The poet calls time sllutdsh, because there is no escape from it. Time is known for its unclean, inhuman habits and behaviour. It leaves the great monuments and stones dusty, uncared for and tarnishes them to insignificance.

Question 9.
The poet says that neither fo
Answer:
These lines reveal that the poet is very optimistic about his love for his friend and the power of his rhyme.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Comment on the theme of the poem ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’.
Or
“The poem ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’ is all about love.” Comment.
Answer:
Shakespeare’s sonnet 55 deals with the idea that his friend, his love will be made immortal in these verses, though everything else will be lost through war, “sluttish” time, or other violent forces. Shakespeare considers poetry as superior, and the only assurance of immortality in this world, but lowers this particular sonnet itself as being unworthy of his friend. Thus, his theme is that everything will be destroyed and forgotten except the friend, who will be praised forever, because he is immortalized in these lines.

This, he proves by comparing his verse with marbled, gilded monuments of the princes. He is glad to declare that these great monuments too have been ravaged by time and are in a state of utter neglect. But neither time nor any other mode of destruction can reduce the effect of his ‘powerful rhyme’ in which his friend has been shining through ages.

The poet goes on to say that wars and broils too have done great damage to the great statues and great buildings of architecture. As a result, these once popular buildings and statues will be destroyed. But neither Mars, his sword nor any devastating fire resulting from the wars can burn the verses in which the poet has immortalized his friend.

His love for his friend is imminent when he ensures that death or any sort of enmity would not rue his friend as he ‘shall pace forth’ to be remembered till posterity until the ‘ day of Last Judgment. Thus the poet immortalizes his friend forever in his verses.

Question 2.
Shakespeare, in this poem talks about two destructive forces. What are those and how does he manage to save his love from their clutches?
Answer:
Time and war are the two destructive forces that the poet talks about in this poem. The very first quatrain of his sonnet revolves around the theme of the ravages made by the passage of time. The poet says that the once acclaimed and well known durable marbled and gilded monuments of princes too have been tarnished and left uncared by the ‘sluttish time’. In the second quatrain, he goes on to talk about yet another destroyer called war. These wars, over the ages have overturned great statues and rooted out great ‘works of masonry’.

However, the poet is comfortable when he ensures that his verse as well his beloved friend have no threat from either sluttish time or from the sword of Mars. His poetry shall outlive all the ravages of time and his friend shall shine brighter than the gilded monuments of the princes. Even the Mars or his ‘quick fire’ shall not be able to burn the living record (the poem) in which the poet has immortalized his friend.

Question 3.
How does the poet immortalize his verse along with glorifying his friend?
Answer:
The process of immortalizing the friend and the verse progress side by side. In the first quatrain, when the poet says that ‘But you shall shine more bright in these contents’ the poet is glorifying his friend and his verse equally. Again, at yet another place in the second quatrain, he ascertains the memory of his friend in the living record (his verse).
However, towards the end of the sonnet the friend gains more recognition as he is made to ‘pace forth’ gaining regard from the generations to follow. The poet ensures that his friend shall be immortalized until the last day of the humanity.

In nutshell, we can say that Shakespeare considers poetry as superior, and the only assurance of immortality in this world, but lowers this particular sonnet itself as being unworthy of his friend. This way he immortalizes both his friend and his verse together, though the former has an upper hand in immortality.

Question 4.
Imagine you are the poet’s friend. Write a letter of thanks to the poet for his love towards you.
Answer:
#16, Torrents Square Stratford
Upon Avon 21 June,
16XX Dear Shakespeare
Sometimes certain sentiments are better expressed in written form than communicating. Yesterday when we met you I wanted to thank you from the depths of my heart but I was so overwhelmed that I could not speak… . Therefore I preferred to write to you.

First of all, I thank you for gifting me such a beautiful poem. As you said that it was dedicated to me, I was emotionally perplexed after reading it. You have done the impossible through your verse. I appreciate your poetic skills with which you have immortalized a mortal being. I am ennobled as you have overshone me eclipsing the marbled statues and gilded monuments. The way you have portrayed me as stronger than death and enmity has led me to introspect about my life. Your faith and love for me is indicated when you praise and declare that I shall be remembered even by the coming generation to follow and remain immortal until the doomsday.

I don’t know whether I deserve the honour bestowed on me by you but one thing is clear that your expectations from your friend are high. I shall try my best to come up to your desires. This poem shall be preserved by me as a souvenir. It will strengthen our bond of friendship.

I pray to the Almighty that your verses shall become immortal and the future generations may read your works with the same fervor as I read today.
Your friend
XYZ

Question 5.
How would wars prove ineffective in tarnishing the living record of ‘your’ memory? In what way are the wars wasteful?
Answer:
Wars take toll of life and cause widespread devastation; however they cannot obliterate the name and fame of those great men whose images are etched in people’s hearts and who are immortalised by the poets.Wars take toll of life and they cause widespread devastation. They raise to the ground the ornate and aesthetically built monuments and statues. Thus they wipe out the name and fame of those who are confident of being remembered by posterity. Sure a verse cannot destroyed by forces of nature, wars and the unmatchable power of gods, it immortalise the great man. One cannot be immortal in statues and monuments. One can be immortal by winning the hearts of people. Thus, we can live forever in their hearts.

Question 6.
“You live in this, and dwell in lovers eyes.”
(a) How can he dwell in lovers’ eyes?
(b) What values are highlighted in the above line?
Answer:
(a) He can dwell in lovers’ eyes by living in the memory of his admirers. He will be immortalised in the verses of the poet.
(b) Despite death and enemies one can be remembered by his good deeds. One can be immortalised by beautiful poems not by statues and monuments. Thus, pen is more powerful than time and sword. Nobody immortalises himself by power and money but he can be remembered by winning the hearts of people.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the following questions in your answer sheet in one or two sentences only.

Question 1.
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;

(i) Who is the poet of this verse?
(ii) What will not outlive the powerful rhyme?
(iii) What does he mean by “Powerful rhyme?
(iv) What is the poet conveying through these lines?
Answer:
(i) Shakespeare is the poet of this verse.
(ii) The monuments built to immortalise will not outlive his rhyme.
(iii) By ‘powerful rhyme’ the poet is referring to the power of poetry.
(iv) The poet is trying to say that ‘words’ have the rare power of being preserved and immortalised and therefore outlive the physical structures that are built in memory of great leaders.

Question 2.
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone, besmear’d with sluttish time

(i) Who is “You” in the first line?
(ii) Why will “you” shine more bright?
(iii) Explain “Unswept stone”
(iv) Why is the poet calling time sluttish?
Answer:
(i) ‘You’ is poet’s friend.
(ii) It will shine more because it will continue to live unlike monuments.
(iii) “Unswept stone” implies monuments that are built for immortalising great leaders, are often left unattended and uncared for.
(iv) “sluttish” means to be unclean and to be following low standards of behaviour. The poet is therefore referring to time as sluttish, because time that is guided by nature displays “unethical” behaviour while ruthlessly destroying and tarnishing precious monuments.

Question 3.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory

(i) What do wasteful wars and broils do?
(ii) Identify the poetic device in the first line.
(iii) Explain the third line.
(iv) Why would it be a living record?
Answer:
(i) Wasteful wars and broils destroy the statues that are pieces of wonderful work of masonary.
(ii) The poetic device used is ‘Alliteration’.
(iii) The poet is saying that neither the sword of “Mars” the God of war, nor the fires that spread during wars can burn anything that is “written” to record a memory.
(iv) The memory is considered to be a living record as it continues to be alive as it read and passed on from one generation to another.

Question 4.
Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room,
Even in eyes of posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.

(i) Who shall pace forth against death and all oblivious enmity?
(ii) Explain “find room in the eyes of posterity”?
(iii) What is “ending doom”?
(iv) What is to happen till the ending doom?
Answer:
(i) The poet says that the written memory of his beloved will walk forward to remain alive defeating death and enmity which is forgetful of everything and so seeks to destroy everything.
(ii) The poet says that the words of praise that he has written in praise of his beloved will be read and enjoyed by all the succeeding generations.
(iii) The ending doom that the poet is referring to is the Apocalypse; i.e., the last day of humanity.
(iv) The poet says that the verses written to praise his beloved will continue to remain alive as it will be read even by the last generation that lives to face the doomsday.

Question 5.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise.
You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes
(i) What does “the Judgement” mean?
(ii) What will remain till judgement day?
(iii) What does the expression ‘So, till the judgement, that yourself arise’ mean?
(iv) Where will the poet’s friend dwell?
Answer:
(i) According to Christian belief, ‘Judgement” is —Immediately upon death each soul undergoes the particular judgement, and depending upon the state of the person’s soul, goes to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. … The Last Judgement will occur after the resurrection of all the dead souls and the reuniting of a person’s soul with own physical body, resulting in the glorification of some and the punishment of others.
(ii) The memory of the poet’s beloved will live on till the day of the judgement.
(iii) ‘It means that his beloved will also have to rise from her grave to present herself therefore the Lord for the final judgement.
(iv) The poet’s beloved will be alive in the eyes of all the lovers ‘who’d be inspired to read the words of praise he had written to keep her memory alive

Little Bobby Question and Answers

The Dear Departed Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 25, 2023September 22, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find The Dear Departed Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

The Dear Departed Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

The Dear Departed Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What does Mrs. Slater want to take away from grandfather’s room? What were her plans after his death?
Answer:
Mrs. Slater always nursed a desire to own the bureau that the grandfather had in his room. Therefore as soon as he ‘breathed his last”, she connived with her husband Henry to bring it down to place it in her room. She worried that her clever and observant sister would take it away using her cheap bargaining skills. So she decides that it should lay claims to it, before the division of grandpa’s property.

Question 2.
Comment on the character of Mrs. Jordan.
Answer:
Mrs. Jordan too is portrayed to be a cunning, insensitive, impolite and materialistic woman, just like her sister. She is very hypocritical when she says Mrs. Slater had committed a “Fatal mistake”, when she herself had not bothered to check on grandfather for a very long period of time. She was very critical of the fact that Henry, ‘had stepped into the deceased man’s slipper in haste’.

Her sister says that she is very sharp, is capable of securing everything she likes and striking a cheap bargain. She had the habit of grabbing all good things in the world, therefore she has an eye on her father’s valuable gold watch. She stoops to the extent of disgracing her sister to get her father’s property, though everything turned out into being an exercise in futility.

Question 3.
Who is Victoria? What is her role in the play?
Answer:
Victoria or Vicky is a sweet, precocious ten year old daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Slater. She is the only person in the family who has affection for her grandfather and is upset that he is no more. Victoria is both shocked and delighted when she notices that her grandfather was alive. She does not appreciate the haste and cunningness with which her mother plans to get hold of the clock and the bureau that belongs to grandpa. Her innocence and sense of fairness, is in stark contrast to the cold and calculative attitude of her relatives.

Question 4.
Why didn’t the Slaters call for the doctor?
Answer:
Henry Slater did go to call their family doctor Dr. Pringle, who attended on grandpa whenever he had any problem. Unfortunately, he was out of the town. They did not call for another, as they thought it was not ethical to do so.

Question 5.
Who is Jimmy? Why is his reference made in the play?
Answer:
Jimmy is presumably the son of Mr. & Mrs. Jordan. His reference is made twice in the play when Mrs. Jordan states that the grandpa had promised to give his gold watch to him, regarding which Mrs. Slater had not the slightest clue. Mrs Slater refers to Jimmy later in the play, when both the sisters are arguing about their rights towards Abel’s properties. As Abel is alive, she wants Elisabeth to reconfirm with him if he had promised to give his watch to Jimmy. He does not have a physical presence in the play.

Question 6.
Who is Ben? What is he most worried about?
Answer:
Ben is the husband of Mrs. Jordan and a slightly humorous man by nature. He is more money minded than Henry. Throughout the play what keeps him worried is to find the receipt of the premium that the grandfather had paid at the insurance office. And when he does not get it, he calls the grandpa ‘drunken old beggar’. He seems to be a hen-pecked husband, who dances to the tune of his wife. He also tries to caution the grandfather when he decides that he’d not live with either of his children.

Question 7.
How does the father come to know that he was presumed to be dead?
Answer:
Both the sisters try their best to hide the error they had committed by assuming that grandfather was dead, before taking a medical opinion. However, this could not be hidden for long as the two sisters resumed their fight. The blame game began with one accusing the other of robbing furniture from the room of their “dead” father. Their behavior was an automatic give away, and grandpa deduced the reason for Elizabeth’s unprecedented visit and the truth behind the black attire.

The Dear Departed Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What is the underlying theme of the play ‘The Dear Departed’?
OR
The play ‘The Dear Departed’ conveys a social message. Comment.
Answer:
The Dear Departed is a social drama that revolves around a very important theme of human relationship. The message that is very effectively projected is, the need to respect and honour the needs and wishes of the elderly people without greed and prejudice. The playwright is critical of the increasing materialistic values, in contrast to the rapidly deteriorating social, human and moral values.

The patriarch of the family, an old man of 72, Abel Merryweather, has two daughters, happily married and living with their spouses and children. He is addressed as grandpa by everyone. Every situation in the play criticizes the apathy of the younger generation towards an elder. The play opens with his daughter, Mrs. Slater, making a declaration that their grandfather has died. She is shown to be getting ready for a pretentious mourning, making every attempt to be one-up on her sister, in her preparations.

The writer does not lose hope, for he finds humanity still present in Abel’s grand daughter Victoria, who disapproves the cheap tactics of her parents, who begin stealing grandfather’s belongings. The play continues with the arrival of Mrs. and Mr Jordan, who is carved out of the same stone. She had come over to visit her sister with purely sinister plans. Along with being sensitive and empathetic to the needs of others, in this extremely materialistic world. Man must secure his own future to enjoy financial and emotional independence.

Question 2.
Imagine you are the grandpa. You are upset at the way things have happened in your family and your decision taken thereafter. Write a letter to your friend sharing with him your pain in this regard.
Answer:
# 456, Lower Cornbank Street
Manchester
England 304
June 26,
20XX Dear Peter
Hello! Its been over a year since I have written to you. Have you come back from your Asian tour? Hope you enjoyed the trip. Do convey my regards to everyone at home. Peter, I am in a state of absolute mental decay. You used to envy me for having two lovely children, while regretting the fact that you couldn’t have a child of your own. You are blessed my friend. I feel it is better to have no children, than having those like mine. I am so disheartened by their attitude.

You will be surprised to know that they have no concern about me, my wants or my growing age. If there is anything they worry about, it is what I bequeath to them after my death. Initially I thought I was being very harsh in my perceptions about their nature. But yesterday, I slept in, and they believed that I’d succumbed. Preparations for my burial, the epitaph, distribution of property, went on in all its seriousness. They were absolutely disgruntled when I woke up, alive and healthy. Amelia tried to get hold of some of my belongings before Elizabeth could arrive.
Their behaviour saddened me greatly. I announced my decision of leaving them and getting married to Mrs. John, and kept them out of my will too.

I do feel sad. But I had to teach them a lesson. I have however added a clause which no one knows of, that all the properties would be equally divided among my grandchildren after Mrs. John’s demise. Hope Victoria continues to be the lovely kid she is today.
I am settling down with Mrs. John for the rest of my life. Do pray for me.
Love and regards.
Abel

Question 3.
Imagine you are Mrs. Slater. After everything is over, and as grandpa has left you to settle down and marry elsewhere, you feel sorry and repentant. Write a diary entry expressing your realization of your ill treatment with him.
Answer:
August 4, 20XX
Friday 10:15p.m.
Dear Diary,
I don’t feel good these days ever since father left us. I feel responsible for all that happened. Why did I stoop so low? Mom had brought us up with such great morals and values. Where did I lose them? I am looked down upon by everyone in the family. Henry hardly talks to me. My daughter Victoria too blames me for the entire dispute in the family.
I have proved to be an absolute failure as a human being by trying to secure inanimate objects, totally insensitive to the speculated state of my father’s death. Without bothering to ascertain his death, I began preparing for my life after his death. How deplorable. I empathise with dad now as I face the same neglect from my family. I deserve it but dad didn’t.

My guilt is weighing very heavily on my mind. I have to make amends for all my sins. I will go an meet him tomorrow and seek his pardon. I need to apologize to Elizabeth also. I hope Victoria and Henry will forgive me. What a horrible daughter, wife and mother I have been! Sorry mom for letting you down.
Sorry, Sorry!!
Amelia

Question 4.
“The moral values are degraded in respect and care within the members of the family itself.” Explain this statement with reference to Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan.
Answer:
In the drama “Dear Departed” the playwright has tried to portray a very dismal reality of life. The gradual but steady decline unit called ‘family’ along with all its innate values. Growth of nuclear families has led to a breakdown in the wonderful experiences of living in joint families. Children are left alone, no one to care for them, to lead their own lives of “I me and myself”.

The story revolves around a father, his two daughters, their spouses and children. It begins with an announcement of Mr. Abel, the grand dad’s demise. This incident is followed up by the deceit and selfishness of the sister towards each other and their father. Mrs. Salter and Mrs. Jordan, who are shown to be at constant war with each other, embarrass their daughter Victoria, with their devious behaviour.

These elders along with their spouses systematically destroy the moral values such as love and respect towards elders, sorrow and concern for the dead, and propagate selfish traits like materialism, cheating, fraud, disrespect of elders and thieving. In this story it is the child of the next generation who seems to be possessing good moral values, and is seen to be extremely affected and pained to see the apathy of her elders.

Question 5.
“Old people deserve to be treated with great care and love.” How can you take care of elderly?
Answer:
Blinded by greed and avarice the materialistic people show a total disregard for respect, regard, care and obligation that has to be extended towards one’s elders and parents. The old people most of whom have sacrificed their needs, time and money selflessly to take care of their young ones deserve to be treated with great care and love.

They struggled in their hey days, for their children, hoping that when they are in the dusk of their lives they will have their children to lean back on. Every one has to pass through the seven ages, of which the final and first stage is when we need support. In the first stage we are taken care of unconditionally, so is it not our duty to take care of those who nurtured us in the first stage when they reach their final stage.

Question 6.
Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
Answer:
The irony in “Dear Departed”, makes its presence right from its title. We are introduced to the family of the daughter of the departed soul, who thinks that her father’s possessions are more dear to her than her father himself. So under the pretext of mourning her father’s death, she tries to keep for herself the things that were dear to him, only because she did not want to lose it to her sister.

The second daughter and the respected spouses of the two girls, were also worried about the dear belongings of the father. They did not have the courtesy to make sure if he had actually died, to begin fighting over his property. For the children the departed was ironically not as dear to them, as the things he left behind while leaving.

It eventually turns out that the father is alive, and is exposed to the true characters of his dear family. Ironically, what transpired was that neither of the children stands to gain, and the old man plans to bequeath his wealth to one who is really dear to him. All the efforts of the two children were in vain.

Question 7.
How does the spat between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth?
Answer:
Mr. Abel Merry weather had two daughters Elizabeth and Amelia, Who were married to Mr. Ben Jordan and Mr. Henry Slater. Both of them had a child each, Jimmy and Victoria respectively. The writer has made it very clear from the very first part of the play that both the sisters were not particularly the closest of siblings.

The scene begins with Amelia, preparing intensely to defeat her sister, even while getting things ready for her father’s funeral. The spat between the two begins even before the arrival of Elizabeth, as we see Amelia stocking away her father’s belongings. She did not want her sister to keep the bureau and clock that belonged to her father. She wanted to be appropriately dressed for mourning, assuming her sister would not have found the time to get the necessary black clothing. As they begin arguing, Victoria who was sent to check on his insurance receipt announces happily that grandpa was alive.

The gentleman walks down to listen to their spat once again, when they blame each other for having declared him dead, for stealing his property and the like. Eventually it reaches a crescendo when the grandfather decides to will his property to the person who is with him till he dies. The claim and blame for who should be the chosen one continues, and stops only when Abel declares who that was going to be.

The battle for money ended on a very bitter note when neither of the children got anything. It was their unwarranted battle to acquire property and belittle each other that led to grandpa knowing the truth about his children and taking the decision that he eventually did.

Question 8.
Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from the play.
Answer:
Both Henry and his wife represented a selfish, materialistic, money-minded couple, who depict the degradation of moral values in the society. The writer introduces to us how Mrs. Slater indulges in a very deplorable act of taking away her father’s bureau and clock, as he still lay on his bed, without any twitch of the conscience.

She goes to the extent of stealing her father’s slippers even before formally ascertaining if he had really passed. She is dominating, clever, shrewd and in constant competition with her sister. Her dominant nature is indicated throughout the play as she does not listen to anyone and insists on getting the things done her own way. She is so insensitive that she even accuses her father of being a swindler when it was discovered that his insurance premiums were not paid.

On the other hand Henry, though an accomplice of his wife, seemed to be better of the two. When his wife tells him to bring down the bureau, he is startled for a minute and refused to do her bidding, saying that her sister had an equal right over her father’s property. However, he succumbs to her dominance. He does not approve of using the old man’s slippers as ordered by Amelia.

He comes across as a polite person. He’s a better parent of the two and deals with Victoria with patience and care. At times when both the sisters quarrel, it is Henry who comes in between to stop them. He is less money-minded when compared to Ben and it seemed that he had good relations with grandpa. Henry had helped grandpa to open his boots while he was fast asleep the night before he “died”.

He was also worried about his obituary for the newspaper while everyone was after his insurance. All this shows that Henry is a better person in comparison to his wife. He only lacked decisiveness and confidence in himself and was therefore dominated and exploited by his wife.

The Dear Departed Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the following questions in your answer sheet in one or two sentences only.

Question 1.
“Elizabeth’s that sharp she’ll see I’m after it, and she’ll drive a hard bargain over it. Eh, what it is to have a low money grubbing spirit!”

(i) What is the relation of the speaker with Elizabeth?
(ii) What does ‘it’ in this extract stand for?
(iii) What bargaining is being discussed here?
(iv) Explain the meaning of the expression ‘a low money grubbing spirit’?
Answer:
(i) Elizabeth is the speaker’s sister.
(ii) ‘It’ stands for the bureau.
(iii) The speaker is saying that Elizabeth will try and bargain hard to secure the bureau.
(iv) The expression means an unethical tendency to be mean and greedy about money.

Question 2.
“How you can gallivanting about in the street with your grandfather lying dead and cold upstairs. ”

(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) Whom is the speaker speaking?
(iii) What is the mood of the speaker?
(iv) What is she telling her daughter?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Slater is speaking.
(ii) She is speaking to her daughter ‘Victoria’.
(iii) Mrs. Slater is angry with Victoria.
(iv) She is telling her not go about seeking pleasures, when her grandfather is lying dead.

Question 3.
“Be off now, and change your dress before your Aunt Elizabeth and your Uncle Ben come. It would never do for them to find you in colours. ”

(i) Who speaks these words?
(ii) Who is she speaking to?
(iii) Why does the speaker want Victoria to change her clothes?
(iv) Explain, “it would never do in colours”.
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Slater is speaking these words.
(ii) She is speaking to her daughter Victoria.
(iii) The speaker wants Victoria to change her clothes because the family is in mourning.
(iv) These words mean that it would not be right if Elizabeth and Ben see her in colourful clothes.

Question 4.
“I’m not satisfied, but it’s the best we can do till our new black’s ready.”

(i) Who speaks these words?
(ii) To whom is she speaking?
(iii) What is the speaker not satisfied with?
(iv) What does ‘new black’ here stand for? What is it being readied for?
Answer:
(i) The above words have been spoken by Mrs. Slater.
(ii) She is speaking to her husband.
(iii) Mrs. Slater is not satisfied with the clothes available to be worn at short notice.
(iv) ‘New black’ refers to the new black dresses for mourning. It is being readied for the ‘funeral’ of Abel Merryweather, the head of the family.

Question 5.
Ben: You should have gone for another. Eh. Eliza?
Mrs. Jordan: Oh,yes. It’s a fatal mistake.

(i) What does ‘another’ refer to?
(ii) What light does this dialogue reflect on Ben and Elizabeth?
(iii) Why does Ben say these words?
(iv) Why did Mrs. Jordan call it “a fatal mistake”?
Answer:
(i) ‘Another’ refers to another doctor who could have attended to Mr. Abel at the time of his‘death’.
(ii) The dialogue reflects a hypocritical and exaggerated concern for their father, and a streak of opportunism.
(iii) He says so, because Mrs. Slater had said that their family doctor Pringle was not in town to check on their father.
(iv) Supporting her husband’s opinion of consulting another doctor, she says these words. It implies that if another doctor was called in perhaps death could have been avoided. It was therefore a fatal mistake.

Question 6.
“Well, I don’t call that delicate, stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste. ”

(i) Who makes this comment?
(ii) What prompts the speaker to say this?
(iii) What does Mrs. Jordan mean by ‘delicate’?
(iv) What was done in haste?
Answer:
(i) The comment is made by Mrs. Jordan.
(ii) Elizabeth makes this statement when Abel observes that Henry was wearing his slippers.
(iii) She means that it was a very inappropriate act.
(iv) Elizabeth feels that Henry was too hasty in stepping into their father’s slippers.

Question 7.
“After all I’ve done for him, having to put with him in the house these three years. It’s nothing short of swindling.”

(i) Who speaks these words?
(ii) Who is “him” in the above lines?
(iii) In what context does she say these words?
(iv) What is nothing short of swindling?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Slater speaks these words.
(ii) “Him” refers to the grandfather.
(iii) They were discussing about Abel’s insurance, and Victoria tells them that he had not paid the premium on the previous day. This angered Mrs. Slater and she says the above lines.
(iv) Not paying the premium would affect the benefactors after the death of the insured person. Thus Mrs. Slater feels her father’s act was nothing short of swindling/ cheating, after all that she had done for him for three long years.

Question 8.
“Of course it’s me. Don’t do that, ‘Melia. What the devil do you mean by this tomfoolery?”

(i) Who speaks these words?
(ii) Whom are these words spoken to?
(iii) Why does he say “Of course its me”?
(iv) What tomfoolery did Amelia do?
Answer:
(i) Grandfather speaks these words.
(ii) These words are spoken to Amelia.
(iii) This was in answer to Mrs. Slater’s question, “ Grandfather is that you?”.
(iv) Amelia pokes grandfather to check if he was a genuine human being.

Question 9.
“They sneaked into your room like a thief in the night and stole them after you were dead.”

(i) Who speaks these words?
(ii) Whom are these words spoken to?
(iii) Who are ‘they’?
(iv) What did ‘they’ steal?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Jordan is speaking these words.
(ii) These words are spoken to the grandfather.
(iii) ‘They’ refers to Amelia and Henry.
(iv) They stole grandfather’s clock and bureau.

Question 10.
“I can’t exactly call everything to mind, but I remember I was a bit dazed, like I couldn’t move an inch, hand or foot. ”

(i) Who is the speaker of the above line?
(ii) Why does he say these lines?
(iii) Why is the speaker dazed?
(iv) What difficulty did he experience?
Answer:
(i) Grandfather is the speaker.
(ii) When Amelia asks grandfather if was asleep, he replies in the negative and says the above lines.
(iii) The speaker is dazed because he is said to have been drunk the previous night.
(iv) He experienced difficulty in moving his hands and legs.

Question 11.
“Well, he must have gone to the ‘Ring-o-Bells’ afterwards, for he came in as merry as a sandboy. ”

(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) In what context are these lines spoken?
(iii) Where would he have gone?
(iv) Why was he “Merry as a sandboy”?
Answer:
(i) Mrs. Slater is the speaker.
(ii) The sisters and their spouses were speaking about the sequence of events that preceded grandfather’s demise.
(iii) Mrs. Slater presumes that he must have gone to “Ring-o-bells”, a restaurant.
(iv) Perhaps every time he goes to “Ring-o-bells”, he returns as “merry as a sandboy”, very happy and carefree.

Swami is Expelled from School Question and Answers

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

September 25, 2023September 22, 2023 by Laxmi

In this page you can find The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature, Extra Questions for Class 10 English will make your practice complete.

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why did other creatures of the bog loathe frog’s voice? How did they express their disapproval of the frog?
Answer:
Other creatures of the bog loathed frog’s voice because he croaked in an unpleasant harsh voice from day to night. Finding no choice they had to bear the torture. They expressed their disapproval of the frog in many ways. Some threw stones and sticks at him. Others requested him to stop blaring. While there were still many who insulted, lodged complaints and threw bricks at him. But nothing could stop the frog from displaying his heart’s elation.

Question 2.
How did the nightingale react to the applause of the bog dwellers?
Answer:
The nightingale had never earlier received an appreciation for her songs. And when she perches on the sumac tree to sing her song, all the creatures cheer her with the words ‘bravo’, ‘too divine’, ‘encore’. The nightingale is so flattered by their remarks that she sang till morning without any break.

Question 3.
How did the frog convince the nightingale that she needed a trainer?
Answer:
The frog in his introduction told the nightingale that he too was a critic of music and was responsible for all musical performances in the bog. This way he leaves an impression on the nightingale that motivates her to enquire about her song. Like a perfect impartial critic, he comments that the technique was good but it needed a particular force that could only come if she received training from experts like him. And the nightingale left no opportunity to flatter him to be her trainer.

Question 4.
Why does the nightingale regard her first encounter with the frog to be a fairy tale?
Answer:
The nightingale was so impressed by the critical comments of the frog on her song that when he offers to be her trainer, nightingale could not believe her eyes. She feels that she is in some fairy land. She thinks that the great Italian composer Mozart has come before her in the form of the frog to be her musical trainer. Therefore, she considers it to be a fairy tale.

Question 5.
Why did the frog tell the nightingale to puff her lungs out with a passion?
Answer:
The frog nurses two motives behind forcing the nightingale to puff her lungs out with a passion. First, he would gain if the song of the nightingale became lively that would help him earn some more bucks. Even if she is not able to do so, puffing out would result in bursting out of the vein leading to her death. That would again be helpful for him to get rid of his rival. Both ways he was at profit. Therefore, he tells the nightingale to puff her lungs out.

Question 6.
How does the frog’s foghorn blare unrivalled through the bog?
Answer:
The frog was very manipulative and opportunistic. Discovering her to be dead, he wants to save himself from any sort of blame. So he clearly declared that he tried his best to teach her. He pointed out certain weaknesses in the nightingale like being too nervous, too tense and falling quickly to someone’s influence that brought her tragic end. This way the frog’s foghorn once again, blared unrivalled through the bog.

Question 7.
The frog considers the nightingale stupid and brainless. Do you agree with the statement? Support your answer with reasons.
Answer:
Though the frog called the nightingale stupid and brainless creature, a sensitive being cannot do so because the nightingale was simple not stupid. She lacked the clever ways of the world and was ignorant enough to see through the sly plans of the frog. But referring her to be a brainless creature would be an exaggeration. Every creature wants to be successful. If the nightingale had dreamt to be so, she was not stupid. It was because of her timid, meek and gullible nature that the frog calls her brainless and stupid.

Question 8.
How did the creatures of Bingle bog react to the nightingale’s singing?
Answer:
Other creatures of the bog were so interested in nightingale’s song that they could not
think of anything else. It was only after she ended her song that they clapped. Ducks resumed swimming and herons started wading in water to express their happiness after listening to her song. There was solitary loon too who wept overwhelmed by the song of the nightingale. All these creatures were just admiring and staring towards the sumac until then.

Question 9.
Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance?
Answer:
The frog asserts his importance in many ways. First of all, he calls himself as the owner of the tree declaring that he is not only known for his ‘splendid baritone’ but for his compositions too. He offers a critique of nightingale’s song and makes her believe that she should receive musical training from him and the nightingale is so humble that she admits him to be no less than Mozart. He offers to train her for an amount that the nightingale couldn’t afford to pay until her death.

Question 10.
Why is the frog’s joy both sweet and bitter?
Answer:
The frog enjoys the mixed feelings of happiness and bitterness. He is happy because he is earning money with the performances of the nightingale as he charges everyone whosoever comes to listen to her melodies. He experiences bitterness because the bird is receiving attention and he is being ignored and sidelined by the creatures of the bog.

Question 11.
Why was the frog angry?
Answer:
The frog was angry because the nightingale failed to draw up a good crowd of audience as her voice lost the charm it had earlier. Continuous practice and no rest
had made the nightingale so sorrowful and dull that she failed to comply with the instructions given by her master. She was not able to bring in the required trills and frills in her song that could satisfy her teacher.

Question 12.
How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again?
Answer:
The mercenary treatment of the frog and his arrogant behaviour was indeed too much to be tolerated by the gentle nightingale. Obeying her master’s instructions, as she still owed him sixty shillings, the nightingale puffed up her lungs to sing with passion. In fear of being reprimanded by her master again she puffed up, burst a vein and died. The sly frog commented on her weaknesses saying that she could not match him because she was very nervous, stupid and prone to influence. This way he once again became the unrivalled king of the bog.

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Attempt a character portrayal of the frog on the basis of your reading of the poem.
Answer:
Confidence in oneself is the key to success. This can be applied to the character of the frog who has the knack of turning all unfavourable winds in his favour. He declares himself to be the only one with a ‘splendid baritone’ in his bog. Not only this, he wants to remain as the unrivalled musical maestro. This is evident from his ill-treatment of the nightingale who happened to challenge his supremacy.

He knows all clever ways of the world, when to be gentle and when to be aggressive. With his clever manipulations he impresses upon the nightingale to such an extent that she considers him no less than Mozart. Once she submits herself to him as her trainer, he adopts all mercenary ways to dominate her. He scolds, insults and reprimands her in all possible ways to such an extent that the poor creature loses her self-esteem and finally dies. Not only this, he is no less scheming. He earns silver by selling her songs to those who came to listen to her songs. People like the frog are present in every nook and corner of the society in the present times. The poet through his character has warned the readers to beware of such false friends.

Question 2.
In this fast-paced world, simple beings like nightingale bear the brunt of the modern society. Keeping in mind the nightingale, attempt a character sketch of the nightingale that led to her doom.
Answer:
There can be no denying of the fact that simple, honest and innocent people are misfits in the society of the present times. The nightingale was so humble, tender and simple that she could not enjoy the fruit of her success, the applause of the audience. It was snatched away by the cold, calculating villain, the frog.

The poor nightingale was full of regard for her trainer, who exploited her thoroughly of her innocence and sold her song for silver. As she was very gullible and credulous, she could not understand why the frog made her practice excessively. She was scolded, humiliated to such an extent that she lost control on herself and died of bursting a vein. Such humble creatures have such pathetic fate in store for them that they are used and thrown away like discarded useless coins. We feel sorry for the nightingale as she dies a painful death. All her talent of a great singer drains out because of her innocence.

But then we don’t want the world to be dominated by the crooks of the kind of the frog. So the message that the poet wants to convey through the character of the nightingale is that simplicity, gentleness, meekness and submissiveness as characterised by her are the hallmarks of a person’s character but these qualities need to be sheltered and protected with the defiant strength so that no sly creature of the world ever dares to overpower it.

Question 3.
The poem ‘The Frog and the Nightingale’ is a spoof on the present society where success is determined by influence and not by talent. Comment.
Answer:
In this world of cut-throat competition, the poet, Vikram Seth wants to hit hard on the minds of the readers that talent in the present times has to face a stiff competition from all sides. Where the talented ones burn themselves day and night to receive the accolades of success, it is the influential ones who always run away with the cake.This directly applies to the character of the nightingale whose talent is killed before it could openly bloom. The poet tells how the talented young, poor artists are shown the gates of the back door by the clever money seekers whose pockets are filled by those who have power and pelf. And the ones like the frog, who are not even aware of the nuances of the field, enjoy sole monopoly. Success is with the one who is making money. Poor, humble people like the nightingale even have to risk their lives in order to gain recognition. And the influential people like the frog even go to the extent of killing the talented. The hypocrite and the manipulative achieve success in the present times. Whether they possess any talent or not is insignificant. The defeat of the nightingale and the victory of the frog bring home this very point.

Question 4.
Imagine you are the frog. You are extremely happy to become again the unrivalled king of the bog. Write a letter to one of your friends sharing with him your tale of success.
Answer:
Bingle Bog Sumac Tree June 14, 20XX
Dear friend
It’s been over more than a month since we wrote to each other. Actually I was busy saving my lost image of an established musician. It happened so, that a nightingale flew by chance and perched on the sumac tree. And as she started singing, every creature of the bog was so interested in her song that they applauded her and requested her to sing some more. This was totally opposite from the treatment that I received. You know that they used to throw stones and bricks on me whenever I sang. So I decided to eliminate her.

I knew that she was very simple, innocent and meek. I made use of her lack of worldly wisdom and used my patronizing ways to impress upon her. I was successful as she took me to be her trainer. And then I came to my true colours. I knew that she was a tender creature. I made her practice day and night so mercilessly that I did not even allow her to sleep. Even when it rained I told her to practice. I benefitted doubly from her as I sold her songs and earned a good amount of money too.

Very soon when she lost interest in singing, I scolded, insulted and reprimanded her to such an extent that she lost control over her senses and died in an attempt to sing with passion. I don’t repent at all on her death. On the other hand, I would regard her foolish and brainless who was trying to learn my song. How could she have done that? Well now things are back to order and I am again the unrivalled singer of the bog.
Your friend
Frog

Question 5.
“The Frog and the nightingale is a social satire, an attempt to criticise the various discriminations that exist in the modern world, that is causing a steady destruction of real talent, by the frogs in the society” What is your opinion on the reality events where children are humiliated by the “judges”, which is perhaps the concern of the poet?
Answer:
Reality events are here to stay. In fact, channels compete with each other to make their event more absurd than the others. This is indeed a very pathetic and worrisome reality. It has been noticed several times that the person who is appointed as a judge, is absolutely clueless about how to do his job as he is not qualified for the job. Very often to raise the viewership of the show, the channels resort to unhealthy practices of rebuking the participants without regard to the harm it would cause to the participant’s mental health.

There have been incidents of children going into depression for being humiliated by the judges. Just as the frog destroyed the very existence of the talented nightingale, these “frogs” eat into the psyche of the child and destroy his very identity and self confidence, sealing his fate for a dismal future. It becomes necessary therefore that respect of art and the artist, is an essential part of the process of judgement.

Probably things would be easier if such competitions come at a lesser price, and not the huge cost of the loss of the dignity of an artist. It is also necessary for the artists and competitors to be worldlywise and develop the mental strength to face challenges alongwith having an understanding of one’s own abilities and shortcomings. “Failure is definitely a stepping stone to success, and does not mark the end of the world”.

Question 6.
Our self-image is often based on what others make us believe we are. A poor self-image can do irreparable damage to us. Do you agree with this statement? Elaborate.
Answer:
Self-image refers to the observation and understanding of one’s abilities, appearance and personality type by the individual himself or herself, and not that made by another persons. This is the only road that will motor the wheels without allowing spokes to act as hurdles in the journey of “life”. Self-image should not be a reason to belittle or demean the self but to develop on one’s capabilities and work on the disabilities. A low self-image gives rise to a low self-esteem and this would cause irreparable damage.

Similarly, if we depend on a second person and his opinion to understand ourselves, it would be a disaster, as such an assessment would be laced with prejudice and hypocrisy. If we do not understand ourselves, we would face the same plight as the nightingale who did not have a clue about her talent and abilities. Be a person with a strong conviction, and feel firmly placed on the ground, to avoid succumbing to flattery or rebuke, for both of these are detrimental to our mental peace and calm. Be not the Caesar who was stabbed in the back, or the frog who was quite brazen in his act.

Question 7.
Bring out the irony in the frog’s statement—‘Your song must be your own’.
Answer:
The statement—‘Your song must be your own’—is ironic in nature as throughout the poem the frog coaxes the nightingale to sing like him. The poor nightingale is scolded by the frog when he says ‘you must practice even longer, till your voice like mine grows stronger’. The nightingale tries her best but could not sing as expected by the frog, bursts a vein and finally dies. Every creature is born with individual differences. Talents differ; all is well and wisely put. How could a tender creature sing with the harshness of a frog?
The gullible nightingale couldn’t understand this. And when the nightingale dies, the frog immediately changes his statement that she should have known that ‘your song must be your own.’ Therefore, this statement is ironic in nature as it proved detrimental claiming the life of the nightingale and turning the fortune of the frog that makes him the unrivalled king of the bog.

Question 8.
Do you think the end is justified?
Answer:
The end is justified and is a lesson to all those who very soon come under the influence of others and especially those who are strangers. The nightingale commits this mistake and pays the penalty for it. As soon as the frog discovers the weak and humble nature of the nightingale he tries to lower her self-esteem saying that she needs more improvement in singing. And vain and credulous nightingale falls into his trap to never come out of it. Her sad end leaves a message that if one wants to succeed, one must have self-confidence in one’s abilities even if one is exceptionally talented.

Question 9.
Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
I would not consider the nightingale as brainless but would regard her as a simple, innocent creature as she fails to understand the patronizing nature of frog. She is too meek, naive and fawning. We feel sorry for her when she calls her killer, the great Mozart and feels elated when he starts giving her training. The repeated, restless training given by the frog makes her voice so hoarse and quivering that it loses the original melody. Even at this stage she is so timid and gullible to speak herself out. And when the frog tells her to puff her lungs, she should have told her limits. Because she doesn’t do so owing to her poor self-image, she dies ultimately.

Question 10.
In spite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller, the nightingale turns out to be a loser and dies. How far is she responsible for her own downfall?
Answer:
Though the nightingale’s melodious voice has a great appeal and creatures from miles around come to listen to her beautiful voice still she has to face a painful death. There is a time in her life when she is applauded by titled crowd and the tree is bowed with the crowd of the audience. But her meek, submissive and ignorant nature brings her to the verge of downfall. Continuous scolding and reprimanding by the frog makes her subdued, sorrowful and dull to such an extent that she dies finally. The nightingale had talent but talent alone does not ensure success. The nightingale lacked self-confidence and that poor self-image led her to self-destruction.

Question 11.
Do you agree with the frog’s inference of the nightingale’s character? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The frog is very clever and crafty in comparison to the simple character of the nightingale. Being high-headed he establishes a sound opinion of the nightingale that she is a very polite creature. He infers her well and personally opines that she is stupid as she flatters him to be a Mozart.

He draws her well through his manipulative ways and earns handsomely by selling her melodious songs. But he was also worried about his career as an unrivalled king of the bog. For this he is so insensitive that he slyly scolds and humiliates the poor creature to such an extent that unable to cope up with her declining health and sorrowful life, she dies. And the frog’s foghorn once again blares through the bog unrivalled.

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-Context

Read the extracts and answer the following questions in your answer sheet in one or two sentences only.

Question 1.
Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle
Bog Every night from dusk to dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn.

(i) Who is the poet of this poem?
(ii) What is a bog?
(iii) ‘Awn and awn and awn/ write the usage and meaning of this expression.
(iv) How long did the frog croak?
Answer:
(i) Vikram Seth is the poet of this poem.
(ii) A bog is an area of land that is very wet and marshy.
(iii) ‘Awn and awn and awn’ is made to rhyme with away and means on and on and on.
(iv) He croaked from dusk to dawn.

Question 2.
Neither stones nor prayers or sticks,
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frog’s determination
To display his heart’s elation.

(i) Who throws stones and sticks?
(ii) What were the insults, complaints, stones and sticks aimed at?
(iii) What was the frog determined to display?
(iv) What couldn’t still the frog’s determination?
Answer:
(i) The other creatures of the bog threw stones and sticks.
(ii) The insults, complaints, stones and sticks were aimed at the frog.
(iii) The frog was determined to display his singing.
(iv) Stones, prayers, sticks, insults, complaints or bricks couldn’t still the frogs determination.

Question 3.
Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog.
And the whole admiring bog
Stared towards the sumac, rapt,
And when she had ended, clapped

(i) How did the frog sit?
(ii) What is the whole bog admiring?
(iii) In line 4, what does the word ‘she’ refer to?
(iv) What did the admiring bog do?
Answer:
(i) The frog sat dumbstruck.
(ii) The whole bog is admiring the melodious voice of the nightingale.
(iii) Inline 4, the word ‘she’ refers to the nightingale.
(iv) They moved towards the sumac in rapture and clapped when the nightingale ended her song.

Question 4.
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured:
“Bravo!” “Too divine!” “Encore!”
So the nightingale quite unused to such applause,
Sang till dawn without a pause.

(i) Whose voice is being cheered upon?
(ii) What was the nightingale not used to?
(iii) What did the nightingale do after getting all the praise?
(iv) What is the poetic device used in line 1 of the stanza?
Answer:
(i) The voice of the nightingale is being cheered upon.
(ii) The nightingale was not used to the praise and appreciation of the bog dwellers.
(iii) The nightingale sang till morning without a pause.
(iv) The poetic device used in line 1 is alliteration.

Question 5.
“Sorry—was that you who spoke?”
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog.
“Yes,” the frog replied. You see,
I’m the frog who owns this tree.

(i) Who is the speaker of the first line?
(ii) In reply to what, the speaker puts her question?
(iii) The frog tells the nightingale that he owns the tree. What does this trait of frog tell?
(iv) What was the nightingale doing on the tree?
Answer:
(i) The first line is spoken by the nightingale.
(ii) The nightingale puts her question in reply to the frog’s croak.
(iii) This trait of frog tells that he is territorial.
(iv) The nightingale was singing on the tree.

Question 6.
“That’s not much to boast about”.
Said the heartless frog. “Without
Proper training such as I
And few others—can supply.
You’ll remain a mere beginner.
But with me you’ll be a winner”.

(i) Why does the frog rebuke the nightingale?
(ii) What personality trait of the frog is revealed in the last four lines of the given stanza?
(iii) Was the frog impressed by her song?
(iv) What does the frog advise her?
Answer:
(i) The frog rebukes the nightingale of boasting that the song is composed by her.
(ii) The last four lines of this stanza reveal that the frog is patronising.
(iii) The frog was not impressed by her song as he tells her that her song was not much to boast about.
(iv) The frog advises her that she requires a proper trainer or else she will remain a mere beginner.

Question 7.
Every day the frog who’d sold her
Songs for silver tried to scold her:
“You must practice even longer
Till your voice, like mine grows stronger
In the second song last night .
You got nervous in mid-flight.

(i) Why did the frog scold the nightingale everyday?
(ii) How did the frog sell the nightingale’s song for silver?
(iii) What is the frog trying to do when he scolds the nightingale and forces her to make her voice stronger like him?
(iv) What does the word ‘mid-flight’ refer to?
Answer:
(i) The frog scolded the nightingale everyday as he feels that the quality of her voice was becoming dull and she was not giving spirited performance.
(ii) The frog sells the nightingale’s voice for silver by charging admission fee from the audience.
(iii) When the frog scolds the nightingale and forces her to make her voice stronger like him, he is exploiting the ignorance of the nightingale.
(iv) In this stanza, the word ‘mid-flight’ refers to a song being sung at a pitch when the singer is advancing from lower to higher tune.

Question 8.
Now the frog puffed up with rage.
“Brainless bird you’re on the stage
Use your wits and follow fashion.
Puff your lungs out with your passion.”

(i) For what reason did the frog puff up with rage?
(ii) What does the frog want the nightingale to use?
(iii) Why does the frog call the nightingale ‘brainless’?
(iv) Identify the rhyme scheme of the above stanza.
Answer:
(i) The frog is puffed up with rage because the nightingale is not able to sing with spark and precision as before.
(ii) He wants the nightingale to use her wits and follow fashion.
(iii) The frog calls the nightingale ‘brainless’ because she is not sure of her abilities.
(iv) The rhyme scheme of the above stanza is a a b b.

Question 9.
Other creatures loathed his voice,
But, alas, they had no choice.
And the crass cacophony
Blared out from the sumac tree
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning night.

(i) Whose voice was loathed by other creatures of the bog?
(ii) Explain ‘crass cacophony’.
(iii) What was it that blared out from the sumac tree?
(iv) Why did the creatures loathe the frog’s voice?
Answer:
(i) It was the voice of the frog that was loathed by other creatures.
(ii) Crass cacophony here refers to the stupid, loud and unpleasant noise of the frog with which he sang whole night.
(iii) It was the unpleasant noise (song) of the frog that blared out of the sumac tree.
(iv) They loathed his voice as it was loud and harsh.

Question 10.
Ducks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded
And a solitary loon
Wept, beneath the summer moon.

(i) What had the ducks and heron been doing prior to swimming and wading?
(ii) Whom does ‘she’ in this stanza refer to?
(iii) Why did the solitary loon weep?
(iv) Identify the rhyme scheme of the given stanza.
Answer:
(i) The ducks and the herons had been listening to the song of the nightingale so interestingly that they couldn’t think of anything else.
(ii) In this stanza ‘she’ refers to the nightingale.
(iii) The solitary loon wept as the nightingale song was melodious and had divine quality about it. It touched all the creatures of the Bingle Beg.
(iv) The rhyme scheme of the given stanza is aa bb.

Question 11.
“Yes,” the frog replied. “You see
I’m the frog who owns this tree.
In this fog I’ve long been known
For my splendid baritone
And, of course, I wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then.”

(i) Who is being addressed to?
(ii) What does ‘splendid baritone’ mean?
(iii) What does the frog wield his pen for?
(iv) Identify the rhyme scheme of the given stanza?
Answer:
(i) The nightingale is being addressed to.
(ii) It means a fairly deep male singing voice and here it refers to the voice of the frog who himself praises saying that he has a splendid baritone.
(iii) The frog also claims that whenever there is any musical performance in the bog, he only is the organizer and the sole singer.
(iv) The rhyme scheme of the given stanza is aa bb cc.

Question 12.
“bearest frog,” the nightingale
Breathed: “This is a fairy tale
And you’re Mozart in disguise
Come to earth before my eyes.”
“Well I charge a modest fee.
Oh!…. But it won’t hurt, you’ll see.”

(i) What fairy tale is being talked about in this stanza?
(ii) Which poetic device has been used in this stanza?
(iii) Who speaks the last two lines of the given stanza?
(iv) What does it indicate about the nature of the speaker?
Answer:
(i) The nightingale is so impressed with the knowledge displayed by the frog with respect to music that when he offers to train her she cannot believe it and expresses that he is Mozart in disguise. All this appear to be just like a fairy tale.
(ii) The poetic device used in these lines is metaphor. Here, the nightingale compares the frog to Mozart; the great Italian music composer.
(iii) It is the frog who speaks these lines.
(iv) They are indicative of his greedy and exploitative nature.

Question 13.
Now the nightingale inspired,
Flushed with confidence, and fired
With both art and adoration,
Sang—and was a huge sensation.
Animals for miles around
Flocked towards the magic sound,
And the frog with great precision
Counted heads and charged admission.

(i) How was the nightingale inspired and flushed with confidence?
(ii) Why did the frog count heads?
(iii) What do you mean by ‘adoration’? Who had fired her with both art and adoration?
(iv) How was the animals’ reaction to the nightingale’s song?
Answer:
(i) The encouragement of the audience that cheered with loud applause whenever the nightingale sang flushed her with confidence. She also gained confidence under frog’s training.
(ii) The frog counted heads in order to charge money from the audience who came to listen to the song of the nightingale.
(iii) Adoration’ means high regard or admiration. The frog had fired her with both art and adoration.
(iv) The nightingale was a huge sensation and animals from miles around flocked to hear her magical sound.

Question 14.
And the sumac tree was bowed,
With a breathless, titled crowd:
Owl of sandwich, Duck of Kent,
Mallard and Milady Trent,
Martin Cardinal Mephisto,
And the Coot of Monte Cristo.

(i) Explain the expression ‘breathless, titled crowd.’
(ii) Why was the sumac tree bowed?
(iii) What is the purpose of the visit of the ‘breathless, titled crowd’?
(iv) Name two distinguished titled animals in the crowd.
Answer:
(i) The breathless titled crowd was of eminent, distinguished birds of respectable ranks.
(ii) The sumac tree was bowed with the crowd of distinguished birds.
(iii) The crowd of these birds had flown from far and wide to listen to the song of the nightingale.
(iv) Among titled animals there were Owl of Sandwich and Duke of Kent.

Question 15.
Ladies with tiaras glittering
In the interval sat twittering—
And the frog observed them glitter
With a joy both sweet and bitter.

(i) What do you mean by ‘ladies with tiaras’ in the above stanza?
(ii) What interval is being referred to here?
(iii) Why is the joy of the frog both sweet and bitter?
(iv)Name the poem and poet of the above stanza.
Answer:
(i) The ladies with tiaras are the females of the ranked male birds.
(ii) The interval is the break time of the musical show that the nightingale is presenting.
(iii) The frog is joyous as he is earning silver with every show of the nightingale. He has bitterness in his heart because his monopoly in the field of music has been threatened with the arrival of the nightingale.
(iv) The name of the poem is ‘The Frog and the Nightingale’ and the poet is Vikram Seth.

Question 16.
And, my dear, lay on more trills:
Audiences enjoy such frills.
You must make your public happier:
Give them something sharper, snappier.
We must aim for better billings.
You still owe me sixty shillings.”

(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) What trills are being talked about in this stanza?
(iii) What do you mean by ‘billings’ here? What are the last two lines indicative of?
(iv) How much does the nightingale owe the frog?
Answer:
(i) The frog is the speaker.
(ii) The trills are the interchanged musical notes that are sung one after the other in quick succession.
(iii) ‘Billings’ means promoting of a performance. The last two lines indicate that the frog is very greedy, crafty and calculative.
(iv) The nightingale owes sixty shillings.

Question 17.
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose—
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

(i) How did the ticket office gross crash?
(ii) What were the ears of nightingale addicted to?
(iii) Why did she sing all alone in the night?
(iv) Identify the rhyme scheme of the given stanza.
Answer:
(i) As there was no audience to listen to the songs of the nightingale, the ticket office gross crashed.
(ii) The ears of the nightingale were addicted to the loud cheers and unlimited applause of the audience.
(iii) She was instructed by the heartless frog to sing all alone in the night as he did not want to lose any opportunity to earn.
(iv) The rhyme scheme of the given stanza is aa bb cc.

Question 18.
Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.
Said the frog: “I tried to teach her,
But she was a stupid creature—
Far too nervous, far too tense.
Far too prone to influence.

(i) Why was the nightingale blind with tears?
(ii) How did the nightingale die?
(iii) What light does this extract throw on the character of the frog?
(iv) How did the frog blame the nightingale?
Answer:
(i) The rigorous training, no sleep, no rest and added to that the insults and the reprimanding of the frog had broken all her self-esteem. Therefore, she was blind with tears.
(ii) The nightingale died of bursting a vein.
(iii) It tells that the frog was truly mercenary. He had planned of nightingale’s end in this way and was successful in achieving it. His confidence in himself and his dominating nature helped him to erase the existence of nightingale from his life who posed a danger to his career.
(iv) He considered her to be a stupid creature. He felt she was nervous, tensed and too proned to influence.

The Snake and the Mirror Question and Answers