DAV Class 8 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 12 A Bad Dream

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DAV Class 8 English Literature Chapter 12 Question Answer – A Bad Dream

Pre-Reading Task

Question 1.
We all dream while sleeping but there are people who ‘day-dream’ also. Is there any difference between dreaming and day-dreaming? Discuss in the class.
Answer:
Dreaming and day-dreaming are pole apart. We dream only when we sleep but day¬dreaming means dreaming with open eyes. Dreams come whatever our mind shows while sleeping. Day-dreaming is our entire imagination whatever we want to be or want to acquire.

Question 2.
Do your dreams connect to real life situations or are they just full of wild and weird happenings? Share a couple of your interesting dreams with your partner.
Answer:
My dreams are sometimes connected to real life and sometimes they are wild. In a dream I was caught by a terrorist. When I got up, I was wet with sweat. Once I saw I found a wonderful treasure and while planning to utilise that my eyes opened up by alarm and I felt as if I had lost my real treasure.
But in wild dreams, I had dreamt, that some ghosts were chasing me and sometimes a large eagle caught me in its talons and flew high in the sky.

I. Understanding the Play
A. Answer the following questions in about 30 words each.

Question 1.
Why was Mr. Hill upset with Annie?
Answer:
Mr. Hill was very upset with Annie as she was a bad cook. Now, Mr. Hill ate her poorly cooked food, so he was not able to tolerate. His guests also ate bad food cooked by her and it would hurt his image.

Question 2.
What did Mr. Hill expect his wife to do in the parties?
Answer:
Mr. Hill expected that Mrs. Hill should not spend her time in the kitchen when guests would come to see them. She should attend her guests in the parties.

Question 3.
How can we say that Mrs. Hill was a kind-hearted, considerate lady?
Answer:
Mr. Hill wanted to sack Annie but his wife Mrs. Hill being a sensitive woman thought it improper to sack Annie who had been serving them for the last twenty years. Now she was too old to get a new job. Being a kind and considerate lady, she even suggested that she would prepare food at the parties.

Question 4.
What was Annie’s reaction when she came to know that Mr. Hill had lost his job?
Answer:
When Annie came to know that Mr. Hill had lost his job she offered to serve them without money and she told that she was not doing work in their house for money.

B. Read these extracts from the play and then answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
“How will she find a new job”?
(a) Who is ‘she’ and why should she look for a new job?
Answer:
She is Annie, Mr. Hill’s old cook. She should look for a new job because Mr. Hill is going to sack her.

(b) Why will it be difficult for her to find a new job?
Answer:
It will be difficult for her to find a new job because she is very old.

(c) Why does the speaker react in such a manner?
Answer:
Mrs. Hill being a kind and considerate lady reacts in such a manner. She found it insensible to sack Annie in that age.

Question 2.
We had to do it, sir. We were only thinking of the bank.’
(a) Who does ‘sir’ refer to? Who are “we’ here?
Answer:
Sir, refers to Mr. Hill. We’ are Mr. Briggs, and Mr. Winter.

(b) What did they have to do?
Answer:
The bank employees wrote a complaint letter about Mr. Hill to head office of the bank.

(c) What was their reason for doing so?
Answer:
Mr. Hill’s bad behaviour with bank employees, his shrinking from hard work and spending two to three hours at lunch were the reasons behind their complaint.

Question 3.
But, George, why have you changed suddenly?
(a) What kind of a man was George earlier?
Answer:
Earlier, George was a rude and unkind man. Nobody liked him.

(b) What changes have come over George?
Answer:
George is now a kind man. He wants that Annie should not be sacked as she is very old. He also suggested to keep an assistant for Annie. Now he finds that dinners are not so important.

(c) What is the reason for these changes?
Answer:
His dream is the reason for these changes.

C. The words given below describe either Mr. Hill or Mrs. Hill. Read them carefully. Now group them appropriately in the table given below. Also find the lines from the text to support each description.

On the basis of these characteristics, compare and contrast the character of Mr. Hill with that of Mrs. Hill.
Answer:

Character	Words	Lines from the play
Mr. Hill	Rude	Annie must go. She can find a new job.
	Arrogant	I do not know she must go.
	Self-centred	You’re my wife and you must meet these people. You can’t spend your time in the kitchen.
Mrs. Hill	Indifferent	You are different now, George you have changed.
	Accommodating	We can’t do this to her.
	Considerate	She isn’t a young woman now. How she will find a new job.
	Compassionate	But Annie has been with us for a long time George.
	Sensitive	All right, I will speak to her today. Poor woman!

Mr. Hill and Mrs. Hill are entirely different characters. Mr. Hill is not a sensitive person. He does not have any sympathy with his cook, Annie who has been serving them for the last twenty years and wants to sack her at any cost. Mrs. Hill is rather sensitive. She does not support him in his decision. Mr. Hill is arrogant and stubborn but Mrs. Hill is kind and considerate. She feels that Annie would not get a new job in this age. But Mr. Hill does not care for this. He asks to give Annie three months to search another job. He is rude to his bank employees also. But Mrs. Hill is a kind-hearted and caring lady. She even gets ready to cook at the party for the sake of Annie. She thinks that Annie is a hard working lady.

II. HOTS

“Mr. Hill had a bad dream’ – was the dream really bad?
Answer:
The dream was not that bad, because it had Mr. Hill a changed person. He realised in the end the importance of a loyal servant in one’s life. After all they are also human beings, they also have feelings. As they spent the best time of their lives with their masters, they become like family members. Old ones are always faithful and trustworthy. We should never part with them during their difficult times or old age.

III. Life Skills

A. Assuming the dream to be a reality, do you support Mrs. Hill’s decision to leave Mr. Hill at the time when he needed her the most?
Answer:
Yes, that’s true because a rude and an arrogant man like Mr. Hill can be taught a lesson only in this manner. He should know how to respect the feeling of others. He was ready to throw Annie out of her job because she had grown old. In the same manner, the Bank officials wanted him to leave the job because he was no good to the company. His wife’s decision to leave him at this juncture was a lesson to him that if you don’t have money and job you are good for nothing.

B. What, according to you, should be the code of conduct of a bank manager with their employees and their customer?
Answer:
According to me, the code of conduct of a bank manager should be polite and soft spoken with others. Whether a person is junior you should never speak rudely with him/her. You should carry yourself in the best possible manner. Your conduct should be such that it becomes model code of conduct for others.

IV. Values

‘Compassion for our fellow beings should be an integral part of our Existence’. Discuss.
Answer:
For Self-attempt.

V. Writing Skills

Imagine you are Mr. Hill. Your unpleasant conversation with Mr. Briggs and Mr. Winter awakens your conscience and changes your attitude towards Annie. Write a diary entry expressing your feelings for her before and sifter your meeting with the visitors.
Answer:
10:00 p.m.

7th June, 20XX
Monday
What an unlucky day it is! Mr. Winter and Mr. Briggs visited me and they informed me that nobody liked me in the bank. Even the head office is ready to sack me.
But thsmks to God. It was a dream. The unpleasant conversation between me and Mr. Winter and Mr. Briggs was not real. But I have come to know that others’ hard work should not be underestimated. The dream opened my eyes. I will never sack Annie, my cook. She has been working at my home for the last twenty years. Where will she get job in this age? I will keep an assistant for her so that she would do her work properly. Now I have understood that my wife is really a good human being. I will do exactly what she likes.

DAV Class 8 English Literature Chapter 12 Solutions – A Bad Dream

I. Reference to Context

Read the following extracts carefully and then answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
What are you talking about? Is this a joke, Briggs?
(i) Who is you’ here?
(ii) What seems to be a joke to Mr. Hill?
(iii) Who visited Mr. Hill and why?
Answer:
(i) ‘You’ refers to Mr. Briggs.
(ii) Resigning from his reputed job of a bank manager seems to be a joke to Mr. Hill.
(iii) Mr. Briggs and Mr. Winter visited Mr. Hill to demand his resignation on the order of head office.

Question 2.
Yes, the people in the bank don’t like you. I’m not very surprised.
(i) Who is the speaker here? What is the tone of his/her statement?
Answer:
The speaker of the above statement is Mrs. Hill. Her tone is bitter and mocking.

(ii) Why is the speaker not very much surprised?
Answer:
The speaker is well aware of the arrogant attitude of her husband, so she is not surprised that the bank employees don’t like him.

(iii) Is the speaker sympathetic to Mr. Hill?
Answer:
The speaker is not sympathetic to Mr. Hill. She thinks that he is going to reap the same what he sows.

Question 3.
Where will you get the money for a holiday? You’ve lost your job. It won’t be easy to find a new one. You’re not a young mam.
(i) Who is the speaker? Where is the speaker going?
Answer:
Mrs. Hill is the speaker. The speaker is going cn a holiday to her sister’s house.

(ii) Who has lost his job and what is not easy for him?
Answer:
Mr. Hill has lost his job. It is not easy for him to get a job in this age.

(iii) What is the tone of the speaker here?
Answer:
The tone of the speaker is ironical as earlier she tried to convince him that Annie would not get job in this age.

Question 4.
No, of course not, sir, I’m very happy here.
(i) Who is the speaker here? What does she not want?
Answer:
The speaker is Annie, Hill’s old cook. She does not want to leave Hill’s house.

(ii) Why does Mr. Hill think that she would leave him?
Answer:
Mr. Hill thinks that she would leave him as he had lost his job and his wife also had left him in such crisis.

(iii) What trait of character of the speaker do you notice here?
Answer:
The speaker is devoted to her master. She is faithful. She does not want to leave them in time of crisis.

II. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Do you think ‘adversities make a man perfect?’ Comment on the basis of the play ‘A Bad Dream’.
Answer:
In favourable circumstances a person remains arrogant and always thinks himself or herself superior and wise enough. He or she does not feel ashamed of hurting others but when the same person meets with adversities of life his or her eyes open and he/ she realises his/her mistake of underestimating others and misbehaving with others. The adversities give him/her a lesson and the person becomes a perfect person.

Question 2.
Old servants are more trustworthy and faithful than new ones. Comment.
Answer:
Servants are also human beings. They also have feelings. As they pass a long time with their masters, so they become like family members. In some cases, they act better than family members. It might be possible that the new servants would be better skilled than old ones but they can’t be faithful and trustworthy.

Question 3.
What should be the role of an ideal wife in her life?
Answer:
Wife is known as better half her husband. She should share both joys and sorrows of life. An ideal wife should stand with her husband in the time of adversity. She should support him and kindle him with new hope. An ideal wife should never leave the hand of her husband in crisis.

Question 4.
You are Mrs. Hill. Seeing the change in your husband you feel pleased. Write a letter to your friend about the surprising change in your husband.
Answer:
25, Joan Street
New York
10th June, 20XX
Dear Jimmi
You will be surprised to know that my husband George has completely changed.
As you know he was an arrogant person and was never sympathetic towards others. He always underestimated others’ hard work. Yesterday after lunch, he was in bad mood because the lunch was not good. He gave his adamant decision to sack Annie from the job who had been her cook for the last twenty years on the notice of three months. I tried to convince him but he was not ready to hear anything. But after a two hour nap when he woke up he was changed into a sympathetic gentleman and suggested to keep an assistant of Annie to provide her comfort.
I am too happy on this wonderful change in him.
Yours
Jene

A Bad Dream Summary in English

It was an afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Hill took the lunch cooke d by Annie. It was a bad lunch. The coffee was also terrible. Mr. Hill wanted that they should sack Annie as she never cooked well. Mrs. Hill answered that Annie had been serving them for the last twenty years. Skie was too old to get a new job. Mr. Hill listened to nothing and answered that she must speak to her and give her three months’ time to search another job. Saying this Mr. Hill went: to sleep. It was two o’clock.

There was a knock at the door. The assistant manager of the Bank Mr. Briggs and his cashier, Mr. Winter came. Mr. Hill was surprised to see them on Sunday. It was necessary for them to meet him. Mr. Hill asked them to s it. Mr. Briggs asked him when he was going to resign. Mr. Hill was surprised to hear that. Mr. Briggs and Mr. Winter said that he did not behave properly with the bank employees. All -wanted that he should resign. Mr. Hill said that he had been working with the bank for last thirty years.

The employees also told that lie did not work hard. He used to come late in the morning and spend on lunch at least 2-3 hours. They had written to the Head Office. They had agreed that Mr. Hill must resign. They went away. Mrs. Hill came and informed him that she was going to have a long holiday with her sister. Mr. Hill wanted her support. But she had left soon. Annie came in and asked him for tea. Mr. Hill told Annie that he had no money to pay her. Annie said it did not matter. She was not working for money. She would not leave home.

Soon Mr. Hill woke up. Mrs. Hill came inside. Mr. Hill was surprised to see her. She had left for her sister’s place. Mrs. Hill told that she did not go anywhere. Mr. Hill was dreaming. He asked if she had asked to Annie. Mrs. Hill replied in negative. Mr. Hill said that she should not talk to her. Annie would not get a new job at this age. They might keep some helper instead. The dream made Mr. Hill a changed person now.

A Bad Dream Summary in Hindi

दोपहर का समय था । मि. हिल तथा श्रीमती हिल ने दोपहर का भोजन किया जो ऐनी ने बनाया था। यह बहुत खराब भोजन था। उन्होंने कॉफी ली जो बहुत खराब थी । मि. हिल चाहते थे कि उन्हें ऐनी को नौकरी से निकाल देना चाहिए क्योंकि वह कभी अच्छा खाना नहीं बनाती थी । श्रीमती हिल ने उत्तर दिया कि ऐनी उनके यहाँ बीस वर्ष से काम कर रही थी। अब उसे इस आयु में नौकरी नहीं मिल सकती थी । मि. हिल कुछ सुनने को तैयार नहीं थे और कहा कि उससे बात करनी ही होगी। मि. हिल ने कहा कि ऐनी को नयी नौकरी ढूँढ़ने के लिए तीन महीने का समय दिया जाय। अपनी राय देने के बाद मि. हिल सो गये। उस समय दो बजे थे।

दरवाजे को किसी ने खटखटाया। उसकी बैंक के सहायक प्रबंधक मि. ब्रिग्ज तथा कैशियर मि. विन्टर आये थे। मि. हिल उन दोनों को देखकर हैरान हुए । उनके लिए उनका मि. हिल से मिलना आवश्यक था। मि. ब्रिग्ज ने पूछा कि मि. हिल इस्तीफा कब दे रहे हैं। मि. हिल यह सुनकर चौंक गए। मि. ब्रिग्ज एवं मि. विन्टर ने कहा कि वे बैंक के कर्मचारियों के साथ अच्छा बर्ताव नहीं करते। इसलिए सभी कर्मचारी चाहते हैं कि आप इस्तीफा दें। मि. हिल ने कहा कि वे बैंक में पिछले तीस वर्षो से काम कर रहे थे।

कर्मचारियों का कहना था कि वे मेहनत नहीं करते। वे सुबह देर से आते हैं एवं दोपहर का भोजन करने में दो-तीन घंटे लगा देते हैं। उन्होंने ये सारी शिकायतें मुख्य कार्यालय को लिखी थीं। इसलिए मुख्य कार्यालय के अधिकारी सहमत थे कि मि. हिल इस्तीफा दें। वे दोनों चले गये। श्रीमती हिल आयी और बताया कि वे अपनी बहन के यहां लम्बी छुट्टियाँ बिताने जा रही थी और मि. हिल उनका सहयोग चाहते थे। पर वे उसे छोड़कर चली गयी। तभी ऐनी आई और उसने मि. हिल से चाय के लिए पूछा। मि. हिल ने कहा कि उनके पास उसे देने के लिए धन नहीं था। ऐनी ने कहा कि कोई बात नहीं। वह पैसों के लिए काम नहीं कर रही थी। वह घर नहीं छोड़ेगी।

जल्दी ही मि. हिल उठ गए। श्रीमती हिल आई और उन्हें देखकर मि. हिल हैरान हुए। वे तो अपनी बहन के घर जा चुकी थी। श्रीमती हिल ने बताया कि वे कही नहीं गई थी। मि. हिल सपना देख रहे थे। उन्होंने पूछा, क्या श्रीमती हिल ने ऐनी से बात की। श्रीमती हिल ने जवाब दिया कि उन्होंने बात नहीं की। मि. हिल ने उनसे ऐनी से बात न करने को कहा और कहा कि इस आयु में ऐनी को दूसरी नौकरी नहीं मिलेगी। वे ऐनी के लिए एक सहायक और रख सकती थी। सपने से उठने के बाद मि. हिल बदल चुके थे।

• Terrible – frightful – भयानक;
• Trouble – difficulty – समस्या;
• Assistant – helper – सहायक;
• Manager – one who manages – प्रबंधक;
• Resign – to leave the job – नौकरी से त्याग पत्र देना
• Customers – one who consumes – ग्राहक;
• Agrees – give consent to – सहमत होना;
• Perhaps – possibly – शायद ।