In this page you can find My Mother At Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers Class 12 English Flamingo, Extra Questions for Class 12 English will make your practice complete.
My Mother At Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers Class 12 English Flamingo
My Mother At Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
Question 1.
What were Kamala Das’ fears as a child? Why do the fears surface when she is going to the airport?
Answer:
Kamala Das fears that her mother would leave her alone and go away. These fears surface now as she looks at her old mother doze with her mouth open in the car.
Question 2.
How can suspension of activities help?
Answer:
The poet wants to prove that there can be life under apparent stillness. The poet invokes the earth as a living symbol to prove his point. The earth never attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work even under apparent stillness.
Question 3.
How does the poet describe her mother?
Answer:
Kamala Das describes her mother as old, pale and senile. As she was asleep, the poet noticed that her mother looked as pale and colourless as a dead body. She seemed to have lost the vitality of life.
Question 4.
Explain ‘pale as a late winter’s moon.’
Answer:
This is an example of a simile. The poet has compared her mother’s face to a winter’s moon. Winter symbolises death and a waning moon symbolises decay. Just like winter loses its magnificence and beauty when covered with fog and mist, similarly the poet’s mother has lost her youth and vitality, and has become inactive and withered.
Question 5.
Why did the poet promise her mother of a meeting in the near future?
Answer:
The poet was doubtful of seeing her mother again. She knew that the mother was also aware of the same. Yet, to encourage her mother, to leave a hope in her mind, to make herself strong, the poet promised a futile reunion in the future.
Question 6.
The poet’s repeated smile seems out of the place in a way. In which way is that appropriate?
Answer:
The poet had no reason to smile at the time of separation from her aged mother. She was deeply distressed and pained to separate from her mother when she was so old. Yet, to make the mother feel ‘there is nothing to worry,’ the poet attempted to be glad, cheerful and reassured her by her extended smile.
Question 7.
Why does the poet look at her mother again?
Answer:
The poet looks at her mother again for the last time to reassure herself that her mother is well. She drove away her thoughts of pain and fear which had surfaced on seeing her mother. It was a look of reassurance to meet her again.
Question 8.
What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother’s old age?
Answer:
Late winter’s moon. Her pale, bloodless and wrinkled face resembles that of a corpse. She has no vigour and energy left in her. She looks wan and pale. The sprinting trees and merry children are happy and young. They present a contrast to the mother’s pain and old age and the poet’s worry and fear. They symbolise youth, vigour and spring, whereas the mother is old, decaying and frail.
Question 9.
What kind of pain does Kamala Das feel in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Answer:
Kamala Das has a childhood fear of her mother ageing and while going to the airport, she sees her ageing mother looking like a corpse as she slept open mouthed and pale.
Question 10.
Why are the youngsters described as springing?
Answer:
The youngsters are described as springing as they are full of life. Merry children were joyfully coming out in numbers from their houses and were a contrast to her ageing mother beside her in the car.
Question 11.
Having looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the young children?
Answer:
After having looked at her mother, Kamala Das was in pain. She had a fear of separation from her mother. The children outside were symbolic of dynamism, joy and life. Hence, she wanted to divert her thoughts of her ageing mother.
Question 12.
In the last line of the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’, why does the poet use the word ‘smile’ repeatedly?
Answer:
Kamala Das wanted to make her mother feel that everything was fine. She wanted her to believe that they would meet soon. She also wanted to hide her fears about not meeting her next time. In fact, she wanted to put a brave front.
Question 13.
Why does the poet look at ‘young tree’ and ‘merry children’?
Answer:
The poet looks at ‘young trees’ and ‘merry children’ to divert her attention from the
gloomy thoughts of losing her mother. Looking at them was a ray of hope distracting her mind from the negative thoughts.
Question 14.
What does the poet’s smile in the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ show?
Answer:
The smile on the poet’s face was an attempt to reassure her mother. She was masking the fear of separation. She was also trying to hide her concerns regarding the possibility of her mother’s demise. Besides, she was also trying to hide her guilt and sorrow for having to leave her mother at a time in her life when she needs the poet the most.
My Mother At Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Ageing is a natural process; have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from us ?
Answer:
Ageing is a natural process. When the person be-comes old he becomes weak, he needs support .both emotional and physical. Thus, it becomes our duty to provide our old parents the love-, emotional support and respect they deserve. Our parents usually give us their best period of life to bring us up. Therefore it becomes our moral duty to reciprocate the same when they become old.
But unfortunately, due to rank materialism and nuclear family system the old people are treated as an unnecessary commodity. They are harassed and sometimes even beaten up. Many a time the old people are sent to old age homes, where they lack emotional support which the family can provide. It is very shameful for the younger generation. Our parents do not deserve such shabby treatment in their old age.
Question 2.
Write in brief the summary of the poem.
Answer:
One Friday morning the poet was driving in her car to the Cochin Airport from her parent’s home. Her old mother was sitting beside her. She had a glance at her mother. Her heart was full of pain to realize that her mother had grown very old. The poet’s mother was dozing, her mouth was opened and her face was as white as of a dead body. The poet realised
Question 3.
What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify ?
Answer:
The parting words of the poet were, ‘See you soon, Amma.’ And then she smiled and smiled only. These words show that the poet do feel for her mother but she could not express her feelings properly in words. Her smile signifies that she wants to hide her feelings for her mother under the garb of artificial smile.
Question 4.
Having looked at her mother the poet looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the children ?
Answer:
The poet is full of pain and ache when she looks at her ageing mother. She has grown so old that she might not grow older. This means her days on this earth are numbered. The poet looks at the children outside to divert her attention from the sad thoughts she has about her old mother.