Exploring different literary analyses in DAV Class 6 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 4 My Experiments with Truth enhances critical thinking.
DAV Class 6 English Literature Chapter 4 Question Answer – My Experiments with Truth
Pre-Reading Task
Question 1.
Have you ever made any mistake?
Answer:
A few months ago, I met with a road accident due to my own mistake. I didn’t watch right and left of the road before crossing it.
Question 2.
What did you learn from it?
Answer:
From that mistake I learnt that we should not only walk on the road but also do all our work carefully. Otherwise, we have to meet with negative consequences.
Question 3.
What do you do when you find an error in yourself? Do you:
(i) try to improve yourself?
(ii) try to forget it and don’t care at all?
(iii) try to hide it from others?
(iv) try to lay the blame on others?
Answer:
I always tiy to improve myself.
I. Understanding the Story
A. Answer the following questions briefly:
Question 1.
Which two books inspired Gandhiji a lot during his childhood?
Answer:
Two books which inspired Gandhiji a lot during his childhood were ‘Shravan Pitribhakti Nataka’ and ‘Harishchandra’. One taught him to be devoted to parents, second one taught him to be truthful.
Question 2.
Pick out the extract from the text which tells that Gandhiji was punctual.
Answer:
To be at school at the stroke of the hour and to run back home as soon as the school closed—that was Gandhi’s habit. It shows that he was punctual.
Question 3.
Why did Gandhiji dislike games and gymnastics?
Answer:
Gandhiji disliked games and gymnastics because he had a false notion about it. He thought that games and gymnastics have nothing to do with education. He was very keen to serve his father just like a nurse would do.
Question 4.
What made Gandhiji feel ashamed of himself during his visit to South Africa?
Answer:
Gandhiji used to believe that good handwriting had nothing to do with education. But during his visit to South Africa, he saw beautiful handwriting of lawyers and young men and when he compared it with himself he felt ashamed.
Question 5.
Why did Gandhiji steal gold from his brother’s armlet?
Answer:
Gandhiji stole gold from his brother’s armlet because he had to clear his debt of twenty five rupees.
Question 6.
Why did he confess his guilt to his father? How did he make the confession?
Answer:
He confessed his guilt to his father because it became difficult for him to bear the pain of guilt. He confessed to his father by writing a note.
Question 7.
What, according to Gandhiji, is the purest type of repentance?
Answer:
According to Gandhiji, confession combined with a promise never to commit the sin again is the purest type of repentance.
II. HOTS
A. Explain: He who is truthful will do no evil.
Answer:
This phrase is quite true because truthful people will think twice before doing something bad. We have so many examples from history also in front of us, e.g., Gandhiji himself and Raja Harishchandra.
B. Confessing one’s mistake to one’s parents needs great mental strength. Would you describe Gandhiji as a brave boy?
Answer:
Gandhiji was quite brave as far as confessing his mistake is concerned. He knew his father would be angry, might even scold him or give him a harsh punishment. But still he gathered courage to confess what he had done — stealing a bit of gold to repay his debt. All these incidents helped in shaping his personality.
III. Life Skills
‘Physical training is as important as mental training.’ Discuss with your partner the importance of physical training in life.
Answer:
Dialogue Construction
Me: What role does physical training play in our life?
Friend: Physical training, games, sports help to keep us mentally and physically fit. Me: How?
Friend: Playing game is just like doing exercise everyday.
Me: How much time should be devoted to games and sports?
Friend: One hour in morning is enough.
Me: What kind of games should we play?
Friend: It could be any game that interests you. Maybe football, cricket or simply going for yoga and jogging.
IV. Values
A. Every incident of Gandhiji’s life taught him something. Given below are some incidents from his life. Read these incidents and write the lesson that Gandhiji learnt from them.
Answer:
| Incident | Values Imbibed |
| 1. He saw the picture of Shravana carrying his parents on pilgrimage | Be devoted to your parents. |
| 2. He read the play Harishchandra. | One should always speak truth no matter what the consequences. |
| 3. His headmaster convicted him of lying. | Never be afraid of speaking truth and admit your mistakes honestly. |
| 4. He observed the good handwriting of people in South Africa. | Handwriting is a mirror to one’s personality. |
| 5. He stole gold and confessed it to his father. | Always share your problems with your parents. |
B. “We become the books we read.’ How far is reading good books instrumental in building good character? Discuss.
Answer:
Reading is a great source of knowledge. A student who is an avid reader is surely going to pass his exams with good marks.
Also it is said that good books shape our personality. We tend to imbibe the values given in the books. If we read good books like autobiographies of great personalities — they will make us great and if we read worthless books — we will pick up those habits only. So, always keep a book in your bag. Whenever you get free time read it to pass your time usefully.
V. Writing Skills
A. The chapter ‘My Experiments with Truth’ is a collection of Gandhiji’s real life incidents and experiences in the school, which taught him what one should or should not do in the school.
List at least five things that you think a student should do in the school. Also write at least five things that a student should not do in the school.
Answer:
Five things that a student should do in the school.
- A student should always be punctual in school.
- A student should always respect his teachers.
- A student should maintain discipline.
- A student should follow the rules of school.
- A student should work hard at studies.
Five things that a student should not do in the school.
- A student should not break rule.
- A student should not be unpunctual.
- A student should not disregard his teachers.
- A student should not break discipline.
- A student should not be careless in studies.
B. Gandhiji’s father experiences mixed feelings for his son on receiving the confession note. He pens down his feelings in the form of a diary entry’. Imagine yourself in his place and write a diary entry in about 80-100 words.
Answer:
Gujarat
20 May, 19XX
Dear Diary,
Today, my son came to me with a letter in his hand. In this letter he had confessed his crime. He had also written that he won’t do it again. I couldn’t stop myself from crying on reading the letter. Tears fell non stop from my eyes. He had also said that he will never do such kind of act again. I couldn’t scold him. My tears were enough to bring a change in him. May God always bless him.
Gandhi
DAV Class 6 English Literature Chapter 4 Solutions – My Experiments with Truth
Question 1.
What kind of child was Gandhiji?
Answer:
He was very shy and avoided all company. Books were his sole companion. Also, he refrained from telling a lie — to his teacher and to his classmates.
Question 2.
How’ does Gandhiji describe his school headmaster?
Answer:
Gandhiji describes ‘Dorabji Ginu’ as a very strict disciplinarian and a strict headmaster. He was also a man of method and a good teacher. He felt that physical exercise was also very important for students. So, he made gymnastics and cricket compulsory for each one of them.
Question 3.
What did Gandhiji learn from the story of Shravana?
Answer:
Gandhiji learnt the importance of parents in one’s life and also devotion towards parents. This story left an undying impression on his mind and he became devoted towards his parents after reading the story.
Question 4.
What did Gandhiji learn from the story of Harishchandra?
Answer:
The story of Harishchandra captured Gandhiji’s heart. He thought when Harishchandra did not give up the path of truth even after facing too much miseries then he would also follow truth in all circumstances. He learnt the lesson of truth and honesty from the story of Harishchandra.
Question 5.
What is the importance of good handwriting in one’s education?
Answer:
Writing plays an important role in one’s education. Bad handwriting is regarded as a sign of imperfect education. It is said that good handwriting reflects one’s personality.
Question 6.
Do you think confession makes a person true human being?
Answer:
Confession is a sacred act of accepting one’s mistake before God or someone whom one considers one’s ideal. It makes a man true human being.
Question 7.
Write an article on the importance of games and sports.
Answer:
Importance of Games and Sports
Games and sports are quite essential for children. Games and sports help in maintaining our physical and mental health which is equally important. For a student, academics and sports must go hand in hand. Sports and games keep us healthy and fit. They offer us a change or relaxation from the monotonous routine. It is a useful means of entertainment as well. Besides making students physically fit and strong, they instil among them the values of discipline, team spirit, tolerance, setting and achieving goals. So games and sports should be made a compulsory part of school curriculum.
Question 8.
You have read the lesson about Gandhiji’s truthfulness. What do you think we should do to make our life purposeful?
Answer:
In order to get success in life we should always know how to respect our elders or parents, not to lie anybody, always be punctual, always do mental or physical exercise, be careful of our act and must follow the path of Ahimsa.
Question 9.
In each of the following sentences based on the text, there are some misprints which completely change the meaning of the sentence. Rewrite the words which are wrong and also write which words should have been used instead.
Answer:
| Extracts | Misprint | Correct |
| 1. Gandhiji had a false motion that good handwriting was not important. | 1. motion | notion |
| 2. During his visit to South Africa, Gandhiji noted that bad handwriting was considered a sign of unperfect education. | 1. unperfect | imperfect |
| 3. Gandhiji recented his mistake of selecting his handwriting and tried to improve it, but it was too late. | 1. recented 2. selecting |
1. repented 2. neglecting |
| 4. Gandhiji ones stole a piece of gold from his brother’s armlet. But his conscience compelled him to express his built. | 1. ones 2. built |
1. once 2. guilt |
My Experiments with Truth Summary in English
In this chapter, Mahatma Gandhi narrates some of the incidents of his life which had left a great impression on his mind. He also tells us about some of the mistakes he had committed when he was young. Mahatma Gandhi was admitted to a primary school at the age of seven. At that time, he was very shy and books were his only friends. He didn’t like to read any other book apart from his textbooks. But, once he came across a book called ‘Shravanct Pitribhakti Nataka’ which left a great impression on him and he started copying Sharvana. Then, he read Harishchandra and decided to be truthful like Harishchandra. Gandhiji considered gymnastics and physical exercise as useless as he always thought that it had nothing to do with the studies but afterwards he realised that physical exercise is as important as mental exercise.
Once Mahatma Gandhi had to go for gymnastics to the school at 4 o’clock but as soon as he came out, the rain started and when he reached school, all the boys had already left. He told the reason to his teacher for being late but the teacher refused to accept it. It w’as then he realized that a man of truth should be a man of care. After that he was never careless. His another mistake which he never corrected since his childhood was that he never cared for his handwriting. He always thought that handwriting had nothing to do with education but when he went to South Africa he realized that bad handwriting was considered as a sign of imperfect education there. He could never get over this neglect,
My Experiments with Truth Summary in Hindi
इस कहानी में राष्ट्रपिता महात्मा गाँधी ने अपने जीवन की कुछ घटनाओं का विवरण प्रस्तुत किया है जिसने उनके मस्तिष्क पर अमिट छाप छोड़ी। महात्मा गाँधी अपने बचपन में की गई कुछ गलतियों के बारे में भी हमें बताते हैं । महात्मा गाँधी का सात वर्ष की उम्र में प्राथमिक विद्यालय में दाखिला कराया गया। उस समय वे बहुत ही शर्मीले स्वभाव के थे और किताबें ही उनकी मित्र हुआ करती थीं। उन्हें अपने स्कूल की किताबों के अलावा कोई अन्य किताब पढ़ना पसन्द नहीं था। लेकिन एक बार उनकी नज़र एक किताब ‘ श्रवण पितृभक्ति नाटक’ पर पड़ी जिसका उन पर गहरा प्रभाव पड़ा और उन्होंने श्रवण का अनुकरण करना आरंभ कर दिया। इसी तरह जब उन्होंने ‘राजा हरिश्चन्द्र’ नामक नाटक पढ़ा तो इतने प्रभावित हुए कि उन्होंने राजा हरिश्चन्द्र की तरह सत्यवादी होने का निश्चय किया। गाँधीजी खेलकूद एवं जिमनास्टिक में रुचि नहीं रखते थे। वे सोचते थे कि यह केवल समय की बर्बादी है। पढ़ाई से इसका कोई लेना देना नहीं है। किंतु बाद में उन्होंने महसूस किया कि खेलकूद भी पढ़ाई की तरह ही आवश्यक है। एक बार जब वे जिमनास्टिक के लिए जा रहे थे तो अचानक वर्षा शुरू हो गयी और गाँधी जी जब विद्यालय पहुँचे तो सभी लड़के वापस जा चुके थे। जब अगले दिन कारण पूछने पर उन्होंने अपने शिक्षक को सारा किस्सा बताया तो वे मानने को तैयार नहीं हुए। इससे गाँधीजी को शिक्षा मिली कि जीवन में कभी लापरवाही नहीं करनी चाहिए। उसके बाद उन्होंने कभी भी लापरवाही नहीं की। उनकी दूसरी गलती यह थी कि उन्होंने जीवन में कभी अपनी लिखावट पर ध्यान नहीं दिया। उन्हें हमेशा यही लगता था कि साफ़ लिखावट का पढ़ाई से कोई लेना देना नहीं है। किंतु जब वे दक्षिण अफ्रीका गए तो उन्होंने महसूस किया कि खराब लिखावट अपूर्ण शिक्षा की निशानी है। किंतु वे अपनी लिखावट को आजीवन
सुधार नहीं पाए और इसका पछतावा उन्हें हमेशा रहा । एक बार गाँधीजी को अपना पच्चीस रुपये का ऋण चुकाने के लिए अपने भाई के बाजुबंद से कुछ सोना चुराना पड़ा, लेकिन इसके लिए वे हमेशा मन ही मन अपने आपको कोसते रहते थे। वे अपने पिता के सामने अपना गुनाह कबूल करना चाहते थे, किंतु वे उनसे बोलने से डरते थे, इसलिए उन्होंने कागज़ पर अपना गुनाह लिखकर कबूल किया और स्वयं को सजा का हकदार बताया। यह देखकर उनके पिता की आँखों में आँसू आ गए और उन्होंने गाँधीजी को माफ़ कर दिया। यह गुनाह कबूल करने का उचित तरीका है। गाँधी जी ने यह स्वीकार किया है कि उन्होंने अपनी गलतियों से बहुत कुछ सीखा। यह उनके प्रथम पाठ अहिंसा में भी था ।
- Impression – a feeling or an opinion that you get about somebody – छाप;;
- Ideal – an idea or principle that seems perfect – आदर्श;
- Inspired – influenced by particular thing, feeling or person – विशेष मनोभाव;
- Discipline – manners – अनुशासन;
- Gymnastics – athletic exercise – व्यायाम;
- Innocent – harmless person – निर्दो;
- Imperfect – defective – अधूरा;
- Repented – to be regretful about – पछतावा;
- Confession – an act of admitting that you have done something wrong – अपराध स्वीकार करना ।