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The Ghat of the Only World Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

The Ghat of the Only World Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
When and why did Shahid mention his death to the writer?
Answer:
The first time that Shahid mentioned his approaching death was on 25 April 2001 although he had been under treatment for malignant brain tumour for about fourteen months. He was going through his engagement book when suddenly he said that he couldn’t see anything. Then after a pause he added that he hoped this didn’t mean that he was dying.

Question 2.
What was the strange request that Shahid made to the writer?
Answer:
After Shahid broached the subject of death for the first time with the writer, he did not know how to respond.The writer tried to reassure him that he would be well but Shahid interrupted him and in an inquiring tone said that he hoped after his death, he would write something about him.

Question 3.
How did the writer realize that Shahid was serious about him writing about his death?
Answer:
When the writer tried reassuring him, Shahid ignored his reassurances. When he began to laugh the writer realised that he was very serious about what he had said. He wanted the writer to remember him not through the spoken words of memory and friendship, but through the written word.

Question 4.
Why did he want the writer to write something?
Answer:
Perhaps, Shahid knew all too well that for those writers for whom things become real only in the process of writing, there is an inherent struggle to deal with loss and sorrow. He knew that the writer’s nature would have led him to search for reasons to avoid writing about his death.

Question 5.
Where was Shahid staying during his illness?
Answer:
Earlier Shahid was staying a few miles away, in Manhattan. But after the tests revealed that he had a malignant brain tumour, he decided to move to Brooklyn, to be close to his youngest sister, Sameetah, who was teaching at the Pratt Institute, a few blocks away from the street where the writer lived.

Question 6.
‘Shahid, I will: I’ll do the best I can.’ What best did the writer want to do?
Answer:
The writer would have had various excuses for not writing about Shahid. He would have said that he was not a poet, their friendship was recent or that there were many others who knew him much better and would be writing from greater understanding and knowledge. Shahid seemed to have guessed this and insisted . that he wrote about him. The writer promised to try his best in doing justice to the memory of Shahid in his piece of writing.

Question 7.
What did the writer do in order to fulfill his promise to Shahid?
Answer:
The writer, from the day he was committed to writing an article, picked up his pen, noted the date, and wrote down everything he remembered of each conversation after that day. This he continued to do for the next few months. This record made it possible for him to fulfill the pledge he made that day.

Question 8.
What did Amitav Ghosh think of Shahid, the poet?
Answer:
Amitav Ghosh was introduced to Shahid’s work long before he met him. His 1997 collection, The Country Without a Post Office, had made a powerful impression on him. His voice was like none that had ever heard before. It was at once lyrical and fiercely disciplined, engaged and yet deeply inward. He knew of no one else who would even conceive of publishing a line like.- ‘Mad heart, be brave.’

Question 9.
‘….his illness did not impede the progress of our friendship.’ Why does the writer feel so?
Answer:
The writer got to know Shahid only after he moved to Brooklyn the next year, as he, too, lived in the same neighbourhood. Then they began to meet sometimes for meals and quickly discovered that they had a great deal in common. By this time of course Shahid’s condition was already serious, but despite that their friendship grew rapidly.

Question 10.
What were the interests that Shahid and Amitav shared?
Answer:
They had many a common friends, in India, America, and elsewhere, they shared a love for roganjosh, Roshanara Begum and Kishore Kumar; a mutual indifference to cricket and an equal attachment to old Bombay films.

Question 11.
How did Shahid occupy himself, when he was not writing?
Answer:
Shahid was a very sociable person. There was never an evening when there wasn’t a party in his living room. He loved having many people around in his apartment. He loved serving them good food. He loved the spirit of festivity. This he said, meant he didn’t ‘have time to be depressed’.

Question 12.
Shahid was legendary for his prowess in the kitchen. Justify.
Answer:
Shahid was never so preoccupied to overlook the progress of the evening’s meal. Even the number of guests didn’t matter. He would cut short his conversation to shout directions to whoever was in the kitchen. Even when his eyesight was failing, he could tell from the smell alone, exactly which stage the roganjosh had reached. And when things went exactly as they should, he would sniff the air and appreciate. He would spend days over the planning and preparation of a dinner party.

Question 13.
What was the impact of James Merrill on Shahid’s poetry?
Answer:
James Merrill, the poet, completely changed the direction of Shahid’s poetry. After coming in contact with him, Shahid began to try out strict, metrical patterns and verse forms. No one had a greater influence on Shahid’s poetry than James Merrill. In the poem in which he most openly anticipated his own death, ‘I • Dream I Am At the Ghat of the Only World,’ he awarded the envoy to Merrill.

Question 14.
How did Shahid justify his passion for the food of his region?
Answer:
Shahid had a special passion for the food of his region, particularly ‘Kashmiri food in the Pandit style’.This was very important to him because of a persistent dream, in which all the Pandits had vanished from the valley of Kashmir and their food had become extinct. This was a nightmare that haunted him in his conversation and his poetry.

Question 15.
What did he admire in Begum Akhtar? What merit did he have in common with her?
Answer:
Apart from her music, Shahid admired her sharpness in repartee. He, too, was a witty man. On one occasion, at Barcelona airport he was asked what he did for a living. He said he was a poet. The guard, a woman, asked him again what he was doing in Spain. Writing poetry, he replied. Finally, the frustrated woman asked if he was carrying anything that could be dangerous to the other passengers. To this Shahid said: ‘Only my heart’.

Question 16.
Comment on Shahid as a teacher.
Answer:
Shahid was teaching at Manhattan’s Baruch College. The narrator had the privilege to watch him perform in a classroom. It was evident from the moment they walked in that the students adored him. They had printed a magazine and dedicated the issue to him. Shahid for his part was not in the least subdued by the sadness of the occasion. From beginning to end, he was a sparkling diva.

Question 17.
How did Shahid’s upbringing help him imbibe ecumenical outlook?
Answer:
Shahid’s vision was always inclined towards the broader and universal outlook. He credited this to his parents. In his childhood he had the desire to create a small Hindu temple in his room in Srinagar. Initially he was hesitant to tell his parents, but when he did they responded with an enthusiasm equal to his own. His mother bought him murtis and other accessories and he was diligently did pujas at this shrine.

Question 18.
What was Shahid’s last wish? Why?
Answer:
On May 4, Shahid had gone to the hospital for a scan. Shahid told the writer that the doctors had given him a year or less. He said that he would like to go back to Kashmir to die. He wanted to go to Kashmir because of the feudal system existing there, which would be a lot of support. Moreover his father was there too. He didn’t want his siblings to have to make the journey afterwards, like they had to with his mother.

Question 19.
What does Amitav Ghosh say about his end?
Answer:
The last time the writer saw Shahid was on 27 October, at his brother’s house in Amherst. He was able to converse only intermittently and there were moments when they talked as they had in the past. He had made his peace with his approaching death. There was no trace of any anguish or conflict and he was surrounded by the love of his family and friends, he was calm, contented, and at peace. He loved the idea of meeting his mother in the afterlife.

The Ghat of the Only World Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe in detail Agha Shahid Ali’s attitude towards his approaching death.
Answer:
The first time Shahid spoke to the narrator about his approaching death was on 25 April 2001. It was during a routine telephonic conversation that the writer heard him flipping through his engagement book and then suddenly he said that he could not see a thing. After a brief pause he added that he hoped that this didn’t mean that he was dying. He had been under treatment for cancer for some fourteen months, but was active and perfectly logical, except for intermittent lapses of memory.

He had never before touched the subject of death. His voice sounded joyous but the subject of conversation was grim. When the writer tried to tell him that he would be fine, he interrupted him and told him that he hoped Amitav would write something about him after his death.

Later, when the doctors lost hope, Shahid said that he would like to go back to Kashmir to die. He wanted to go to Kashmir because of the feudal system existing there, as there would be a lot of support. Moreover his father was there too. He didn’t want his siblings to have to make the journey afterwards, like they had to with his mother. A day before his death, there was no trace of anguish or conflict and he was surrounded by the love of his family and friends, he was calm, contented, and at peace.

Question 2.
How did the writer decide to write a piece on Shahid after his death?
Answer:
When for the first time Shahid expressed his desire that Amitav write something about him after his death, Amitav was shocked into silence and a long moment passed before he could bring himself to try to reassure him.But Shahid ignored his reassurances. He began to laugh and it was then that the writer realized that he was very serious. He understood that Shahid was trusting him with a specific responsibility.

Shahid knew all too well that for writers things become real only in the process of writing, but there is a natural battle in dealing with death. He knew that Amitav’s instincts would lead him to search for reasons to avoid writing about his death, so he repeated ‘You must write about me.’ The writer could think of nothing to say so he promised to put in his best efforts.

Question 3.
How did the bond of friendship grow between the writer and Shahid?
Answer:
The writer, in 1998, quoted a line from Shahid’s ‘The Country Without a Post Office in an article that mentioned Kashmir. Then the only fact that the writer knew about him was that he was from Srinagar and had studied in Delhi. The writer had been at Delhi University at about the same time but they had never met. Later, some common friend introduced them. In 1998 and 1999 they had several conversations on the phone and even met a couple of times.

But they barely knew each other until he moved to Brooklyn the next . year. Then, being in the same neighbourhood, they met for occasional meals and discovered that they had a great deal in common. By this time Shahid’s condition was already serious, yet their friendship flourished. They had common friends, shared a love of rogan josh, Roshanara Begum and Kishore Kumar, had a mutual indifference to cricket and an equal attachment to old Bombay films.

Question 4.
Why does the writer feel that ‘Shahid had a sorcerer’s ability to transmute the mundane into the magical’?
Answer:
The writer quotes an episode when Shahid was to be got back from the hospital after a surgical procedure that was meant to ease the pressure on his brain. His head was shaved and the shape of the tumour was visible upon his bare scalp, its edges outlined by metal sutures. When it was time to leave the ward a blue- uniformed hospital escort arrived with a wheelchair. Shahid said that he was strong enough to walk out of the hospital.

But he was weak and dizzy and could take no more than a few steps. Iqbal got back the wheelchair while the rest of them held him upright. At that moment, leaning against the depressing hospital wall, a kind of delight flooded Shahid. When the hospital orderly retuned with the wheelchair Shahid gave him a broad smile and asked where he was from. The man said he was from Ecuador. Shahid clapped his hands gleefully together and said loudly ‘I always wanted to learn Spanish. Just to read Lorca.’ Shahid had an ability to metamorphose a dull moment into a delightful one.

Question 5.
Shahid placed great store on authenticity and exactitude in cooking. Comment.
Answer:
Shahid placed great store on authenticity and exactitude in cooking and did not like variation from conventional methods and recipes. He pitied people who took short cuts. The aroma of roganjosh and haale would invade even the elevator. No matter how many people there were, Shahid was never so preoccupied as to lose track of the progress of the evening’s meal. From time to time he would interrupt himself to shout directions to whoever was in the kitchen.

Even when his eyesight was failing, he could tell from the smell alone, exactly which stage the roganjosh had reached. And when things went exactly as they should, he would sniff the air and appreciate the cooking. He had a special passion for ‘Kashmiri food in the Pandit style’ because of a recurrent dream, in which all the Pandits had vanished from the valley of Kashmir and their food had become extinct. He also loved Bengali food.

Question 6.
The steady deterioration of the political situation in Kashmir the violence and counter-violence had a powerful effect on Shahid. Comment.
Answer:
Shahid traveled frequently between the United States and India and hence was an irregular but first-hand witness to the growing violence that gripped the region from the late 1980s onwards. The continuous decline of the political situation in Kashmir had a great effect on him. It became one of the fundamental subjects of his work and it was in writing of Kashmir that he created his finest work.

Distressed about Kashmir’s destiny, Shahid firmly refused to accept the role of victim. In fact this would also have given him a great deal of popularity but Shahid never had any doubt about his mission. Although respectful of religion, he believed in the separation of politics and religious practice.

Short Answer Questions

Q1. What picture of Mrs. Pearson emerges in the opening of the play ‘Mother’s Day’?

Ans. Mrs. Pearson is in her forties. She is a pleasant looking woman. She is a typical housewife. She takes delight in serving her family, though they take no notice of her. Even if they are thoughtless and selfish, she is very fond of them. She bears with them patiently as she does not want any unpleasantness in the house.

Q2. What was Mrs. Fitzgerald’s advice to Mrs. Pearson?

Ans. She advised Mrs. Pearson to be the boss of her own family.

Q3. Why is Mrs. Fitzgerald insisting upon Mrs. Pearson’s being the boss of her family?

Ans. Because Mrs. Pearson’s husband and children considered her as a housemaid rather than a loving and caring mother and wife. They treated her like a slave, ordered her to make tea and never thought that she, too, is a human being and needs rest.  They thought that it was her duty to work for them while they never considered her work as work.

Q4. How was Annie Pearson responsible for her fate?

Ans. To a certain level, Annie Pearson was herself responsible for her fate. She loved and cared for her children and husband so much that they failed to understand her value and worth
. She had wished to correct them but for fear of hurting them, she didn’t mention it.

Q5. Write down Mrs. Fitzgerald’s opinion about a perfect household?

Ans. In a perfect household all the family members should be considerate towards the lady of the house. They are not supposed to order her but are supposed to lend a helping hand in the smooth running of the family. The lady sacrifices her entire life making the family happy and comfortable. She should be given due regard and recognition.

Q6. How did Mrs. Fitzgerald offer to help Mrs. Pearson to set her family right?

Ans. Mrs. Fitzgerald tells her plan and says that they would change their personalities with each other. She had learnt this art when she was in East. Mrs. Fitzgerald would look like Mrs. Pearson and vice versa. Thus Mrs. Fitzgerald offered to set Mrs. Pearson’s family right for her.

Q7. What were the immediate effects of the magic spell?

Ans. When it was spelled, the two women stirred out of their selves and transformed into contrasting characters. Annie became bold and started behaving like Mrs. Fitzgerald. She snatched the cigarette from Mrs. Fitzgerald’s mouth and put it in her own mouth.

Q8. How is George Pearson treated at the club?

Ans. The members of the Club laugh at George Pearson. His wife Mrs. Pearson says, “He is their one of their standing jokes at the club.” They call him “Pompy-Ompy” Person because they think him very “slow and pompous”. She tells that people always laugh at him behind his back. They call him names but he is quite unaware about all this.

Q9. Mrs. Pearson was behaving strangely but her children were making fun of her. What does this show?

Ans. Mrs. Pearson, after having undergone a change in her personality started behaving with her children Cyril and Doris severely but they did not take her seriously. Deris said she might have hit her head and had a concussion, which caused her strange behaviour. She began to giggle and Cyril felt it very strange. He wanted to stay and see what would happen on the arrival of their father.

Q10. Mention three things in the behaviour of mother that astonish Doris Pearson.

Ans. First, mother, as usual, has not got tea ready for her. Secondly, mother’s smoking. Thirdly, she is not in mood to iron her silk that she intends to wear that evening.

Q11. How does mother make fun of Charlie Spence?

Ans. Charlie Spence is Doris’s boy-friend. She intends to go out with him that evening. But mother makes fun of Charlie Spence. She says that Charlie has buck-teeth and he is half-witted. She wonders whether Doris could not find of anyone better than Charlie Spence.

Q12. Why is Cyril Pearson astonished at mother’s behaviour?

Ans. First, mother has not got tea ready for him, as usual. Secondly, she has not got his things ready though she had promised in the morning to look through them in case there was any mending. Obviously, he is astonished at strange behaviour of the mother. Then, mother asks him whether there is any stout left in the house. He wonders why mother needs stout.

Q13. What, according to Doris, could be the reason for mother’s strange behaviour? Does Cyril agree with her?

Ans. According to Doris, mother might have hit her head or something that could have been the cause of her strange behaviour, Cyril agrees that mother’s behaviour was rather, odd but Doris’s idea seems to him too far-fetched.

Q14. What is mother’s future plan as revealed to Doris?

Ans. Mother tells Doris that she would work like them forty hours a week and have two days off i.e. Saturday and Sunday. She might make their bed or do a little bit of cooking on her off- days if she is properly asked and thanked for everything she does. She adds that she might go off on weekend days for a change.

Q15. Why does Doris ask mother whether she had fallen or hit herself with something? How does mother react to it?

Ans. Doris asks mother whether she had fallen or hit herself with something because she is under the impression that mother had gone barmy because of some violent shock. Mother becomes aggressive to hear this and asks her to behave properly and stop asking such silly questions.

Q16. What is odd, according to Mrs. Pearson, in the behaviour of George, when he is annoyed with her for not getting his tea ready?

Ans. George tells Mrs. Pearson that he does not want any tea. When Mrs. Pearson tells him that there is no tea ready for him he gets annoyed. She wonders why he is annoyed at not getting his tea ready while he does not want it. This seems rather odd to her.

Q17. How does Mrs. Pearson make fun of her husband?

Ans. Mrs. Pearson tells her husband that they laugh at him at the club and call him Pompy- ompy Pearson because they think he is so slow and pompous. When his son Cyril also confirms it, he is shocked and staggers out of the room.

Q18. Why is George Pearson astonished when Mrs. Fitzgerald calls him ‘George’? How does Mrs. Pearson make fun of him?

Ans. Mrs. Fitzgerald is their neighbour. Obviously, George Pearson is astonished when she informally calls him ‘George’. Mrs. Pearson makes fun of him saying that his name is, after all, George, and then asks him mockingly whether he thinks he is Duke of Edinburgh.

Q19. Why did Mrs. Fitzgerald request Mrs. Pearson to change back? Who were these two ladies actually?

Ans. Mrs. Fitzgerald was, in fact, Mrs. Pearson in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s body. She saw how miserable her husband and children were feeling. She could stand it no longer. So she requested Mrs. Pearson to change back.

Q20. What was Mrs. Fitzgerald’s final advice to Mrs. Pearson?

Ans. She advised Mrs. Pearson to be tough on them for a couple of hours. She also forbids to feel sorry for the drama and give any explanation or apology. If she stays firm, they will eat out of her hands obediently.

Q21. What change do you notice in George, Doris and Cyril at the end of the play?

Ans. They are no longer thoughtless and overbearing in their behavior. Cyril and Doris agree to get supper ready while their mom have a talk with their father. She also asks for a nice family game of rummy. All agree with her. She finally thanks her neighbour and bids her goodbye. As she walks out of the room, the family gathers round mother.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Give a brief character-sketch of Mrs. Pearson.

Ans. Mrs. Pearson is a loving wife and mother. She is very fond of her husband and children. She looks to all their needs. She does her best to keep them happy. Mrs. Pearson is a simple-hearted woman. But she is gentle to a fault. She does feel that her husband and children are thoughtless. Her husband and children work eight hours a day and five days a week. But the poor mother has to work all the hours of the day and all the days of the week. Yet the husband and the children have for her no word of praise or gratitude. This is what pains Mrs. Pearson. But, she is too weak to protest. It is Mrs. Pearson’s own weakness that has spoiled her husband and children.

Q2. Give a brief character-sketch of Mrs. Fitzgerald.

Ans. Mrs. Fitzgerald is Mrs. Pearson’s neighbour. She is a strong-minded woman. She has a dominating nature. She believes in equal rights with men. She believes that women have the liberty to do anything that men do. Mrs. Fitzgerald feels strongly that the woman should be the mistress of her own house. Mrs. Fitzgerald is very intelligent also. She knows how to cure people of their waywardness. She handles Doris, Cyril and George very intelligently. She gives each of them a good pounding. She puts them in their proper places. She makes them realise that a mother and a wife is also a human being. Thus she helps Mrs. Pearson to rein in her husband and children.

Q3. How were George, Doris and Cyril all ungrateful to Mrs. Annie Pearson?

Ans. George, Doris and Cyril are all ungrateful. Each is worried about himself or herself only. George doesn’t want tea, yet he grows angry with his wife because she hasn’t made any tea for him. Doris wants her mother to iron her yellow silk dress because she is going out to meet her boyfriend. Cyril says he is tired after his eight-hour day. But none of them ever thinks of poor Mrs. Pearson’s fate. Everybody orders her about as if she is their servant. Really they are all very ungrateful.

Q4. How did Mrs. Fitzgerald help Mrs. Pearson to be the boss of her family?

Ans. Mrs. Fitzgerald is Mrs. Pearson’s neighbour. She offers to help Mrs. Pearson in setting her family right. She knows some magic, and effects a change of personality with Mrs. Pearson. Now she looks as if she were Mrs. Pearson and vice versa. She sends Mrs. Pearson to her own house and herself stays in Mrs. Pearson’s house. When Doris, Cyril and George come in, she deals with them very severely. She makes them realize how unfeeling and selfish they are. Thus Mrs. Fitzgerald helps Mrs. Pearson to be the boss of her f
amily.

Q5. ‘Husbands, sons, daughters should be taking notice of wives and mothers, not giving them orders and treating them like dirt.’ What do you think about it?

Ans. The problem of wives and mothers is a universal one. Husbands, sons and daughters treat them like dirt. They order them about as if they were their servants. They go out to enjoy with their friends, leaving the poor mothers and wives at home. They think they have done much work during the day. And when  they come home, they want to be served like kings and princes. Really, it is something very unfortunate. All husbands, sons and daughters must think that the poor wife and the mother is also a human being and has the same feelings and desires as they have.

Q6. Contrast the characters of Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald.

Ans. Mrs. Pearson is a loving mother and a gentle wife. She works hard to keep her husband and children happy. But she gets no praise or regard for it. Her husband and children are very thoughtless and selfish. They treat her as a servant. Mrs. Pearson feels unhappy about it. But she is too weak to protest.

On the other hand, Mrs. Fitzgerald is very outspoken. She can brook no injustice. She believes in equal rights with men. To make it clear, she even smokes and drinks. She says that husbands, sons and daughters should take notice of wives and mothers. They should not treat them like dirt. She asks Mrs. Pearson to be the boss of her family.

Q7. How does Mrs. Fitzgerald put Doris, Cyril and George in their places?

Ans. Mrs. Fitzgerald knows some magic. She uses it to change her personality with that of Mrs. Pearson. Soon Mrs. Pearson’s daughter, Doris, comes in. She asks Mother for tea, but Mother says that there is no tea ready for her. Doris had wanted her mother to iron her yellow silk. But the mother refuses to do any ironing for her. Doris has never seen her mother behave like this. She is in tears. When Cyril and George come in, they, too, receive the same kind of treatment. Mother tells them that henceforth she, too, will work eight hours a day and five days a week. While all this is going on, Mrs. Fitzgerald (who is in fact Mrs. Pearson) enters. The two ladies change back into their real personalities. They heave a sigh of relief when Mrs. Pearson calls them back with a smile. But now they have learnt their lesson. Thus Doris, Cyril and George are brought to their places.

Q8. Bring out the theme of the play ‘Mother’s Day.

Ans. In this play, Priestley tries to depict the fate of most housewives. The poor housewife has to work all hours of the day and all days of the week. She works hard to keep her husband and children happy. But the husband and children are almost always thoughtless. They have no regard for the feelings of the poor mother. They treat her as a servant. Alter their work, they go out to spend their evening with friends. The poor mother has to stay at home and keep working. Her husband and children never think that she, too, is a human being. They never realise that she, too, needs some rest and entertainment. Such husbands and children need to correct themselves.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why was Einstein unhappy at school?

Ans. Einstein was a misfit at school and was unable to cope with the conventional system of education. As a student at Munich, he was different from other boys of his age. He hated the oppressive atmosphere of the school and was sure he would fail in the examinations.

Q2. Why was Mr. Braun speechless?

Ans. Mr. Braun was speechless because he asked Einstein in what year the Prussians defeated the French at Waterloo. Albert could not reply, when he (Braun) demanded the reason responsible for this he admitted that he did not learn the answer. Later he said that he could not see any point in learning dates which could be read in a book as well. This made Mr. Braun speechless.

Q3. What made Einstein’s life miserable in the slum where he lived?

Ans. Albert Einstein lived in a slum where his landlady made his life a hell. She most often beat her children and then occasionally she was beaten by her husband. She was so rude with Einstein that she didn’t allow him to play his violin for a relief from all this stress. Apart from this, he was constantly sad for the thought of having to go back to the school where he had not a friend.

Q4. What was Einstein’s theory about education?

Ans. Einstein believed that the then existing education method was incapable of meeting the purpose of education. He believed that learning facts and dates was not education. He was against learning facts and dates by heart. He was really disappointed that there was no effort of the teachers to make the students think and analyze the subject in his school.

Q5. How did the history teacher insult Einstein?

Ans. Mr. Braun, the history teacher remarked that Einstein was an ungrateful boy and that his output to be ashamed of himself. He should ask his father to take him away. He punished him by making him stay in for an extra period in the school that day.

Q6. Who was Yuri?

Ans. Yuri was the only friend Albert had in Munich. Yuri had great concern for Albert. It was Yuri who understood Albert’s helplessness in the school and his desire to go to Milan to join his family. Yuri was greatly helpful for Albert, especially in getting a medical certificate.

Q7. Why did Einstein not like the place where he lived?

Ans. Einstein lived in a rented room in one of the poorest quarters of Munich. He did not like the place because of the atmosphere of slum violence. His landlady beat her children regularly. Every Saturday her husband came drunk and beat her.

Q8. What was the problem faced by Einstein in passing the exams?

Ans. For passing the exams one didn’t have to know anything or understand what one was taught. One could easily pass the exams if one was able to repeat in the exams what one was taught. The problem with Einstein was that he was not good at learning things by heart.

Q9. What advice did Elsa give to Einstein to pass the examination?

Ans. Elsa is Einstein’s cousin who lived in Berlin where his father had a business. She thinks that just repetition of the lesson taught in the class during the examination is enough to pass the examination. No understanding is essential. Just learning something by heart may do the trick.

Q10. Why couldn’t Einstein think of going to Milan without a serious reason?

Ans. Einstein’s father was a struggling businessman in Milan. He had asked his son to return to Milan after completing his studies in Munich and was very stubborn about that. To go to Milan, therefore, Einstein needed a very strong reason to leave his school in Munich.

Q11. How did Albert feel at his lodging?

Ans. Albert was not at all happy in his lodging situated in the poor slum area. His room was in the poorest quarters of Munich. Even the atmosphere was quite miserable as the landlady used to beat her children. Her husband too returned on Saturday quite drank and beat her mercilessly. The atmosphere was full of noise and insanitary.

Q12. What for did Einstein require a medical certificate?

Ans. Einstein enquired his friend Yuri about a friendly doctor, who would certify him falsely for a nervous breakdown as he longed to escape from the school. Einstein hated the school at Munich and longed to escape. But he knew that if he left his studies and went to Italy to join his family, his father would get angry and send him back. One day he gets an idea. He decides to play a small drama. He would pretend that he has had a nervous breakdown. He would say that he has been advised by the doctor to discontinue studies. He asks his friend, Yuri, if he knows a kind and sympathetic doctor.

Q13. Why did the head teacher call for Albert?

Ans. Einstein got a false medical certificate and was about to go to the head teacher’s office to submit it. To his surprise, however, the headmaster himself sent for him and informed that the school had decided to rusticate him for his hostile presence in the school. The head teacher explained that all the teachers were troubled with his rebellious attitude and did not want him in the school any longer. He then suggested the simplest way out for Einstein to leave the school on his own.

Q14. Who was Mr. Koch? How did he help Einstein?

Ans. Mr. Koch was Einstein’s mathematics teacher. He was a great man, probably who was not jealous of Einstein’s knowledge. He admired Einstein’s knowledge and thought probably Albert would soon be able to teach him. Apart from this, Mr. Koch gave him a certificate that helped Einstein secure a seat in a university.

Q15. “Albert felt the medical certificate almost burning a hole in his pocket”. What does the author mean?

Ans. The author means to say that Einstein has worked so hard to get the certificate from the doctor, and then he was willing to show the certificate to the headmaster and see how he would react. However, the certificate had then become unnecessary as he was being expelled without its production.

Q16. Did Einstein succeed in leaving school? How?

Ans. Yes, finally Einstein got rid of his school. With the help of his friend, Yuri, Einstein found a doctor who was kind and understanding. The doctor gave a certificate stating that Einstein needed rest for six months because he was under extreme stress. In a dramatic turn, Einstein was called to the head teacher’s room and was told that the school had decided to expel him from the school. 

Q17. Express your views on the prevailing system of education.

Ans. Education is in fact a process which brings out the best from within. But it’s an irony that the present system of education kills originality. It prompts a child to be more commercial and self centred. It encourages him to compete more and more without letting the original personality blossom the present system of education cultivates one sided personality. It stifles creativity and originality.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. What made Einstein unhappy at school?

Ans. This lesson describes Einstein’s suffering at school in a moving way. It shows how a creative genius like Einstein was ridiculed by his teachers and expelled from school for daring to be different.

Einstein was a misfit at school and unable to cope with the conventional system of education. As a student at Munich, he was different from other boys of his age. He hated the oppressive atmosphere of the school and was sure he would fail in the examinations. He liked to study only the subjects which interested him. He believed that there was no point in memorizing facts. Thus, on being asked when the battle of waterloo took place. Einstein replied frankly that he had forgotten the date. Moreover, he added, he did not see why one should learn dates as they could easily be looked up in a book. Einstein’s honesty is mistaken for arrogance. He is punished and told that he is disgrace to the school. Einstein thus, felt miserable at school and longed to escape.

Q2. Did Einstein succeed in leaving school? How?

Ans. Einstein hated the school at Munich and longed to escape. One day he gets an idea and discusses it with his friend, Yuri. He decides to play a small drama. He would pretend that he has had a nervous breakdown. He would say that he has been advised by the doctor to discontinue studies. With the help of his friend, Einstein is able to find a doctor who is kind and understanding. The doctor gives a certificate stating that Einstein needs rest for six months. But even before Einstein can submit the certificate, he is called by head Teacher. The head teacher tells Einstein that all the teachers are troubled with his rebellious attitude and want him to leave the school. Einstein realizes that there is now no need to show the medical certificate. He cheerfully walks out of the school which has been his prison for the last five years.

Q3. What were Einstein’s views regarding rote learning? Why is mere rote learning useless?

Ans. As a student at Munich, Einstein was different from the other boys of his age. He was unable to cope with conventional system of education which lays a lot of emphasis on rote learning. Einstein believed that the then existing education method was incapable of meeting the purpose of education. He believed that learning facts and dates was not education. He was against learning facts and dates by heart. Facts, he felt, could easily be looked up in books. Thus, on being asked when the Battle of Waterloo takes place, Einstein replied frankly that he had forgotten the date. He added that it would be more interesting to find out why soldiers had killed one another, rather than to memorize the number of soldiers killed in the battle. He was really disappointed that there was no effort of the teachers to make the students think and analyze the subject in his school.

Q4. Do you think that the teacher’s role should be primarily to make students think?

Ans. In the Conventional System of Education the aim of the student is to get a degree and take up a job. The task of the teacher, in such a system, is mostly to impart fact-based knowledge and help the student to do well in the examination. For this purpose the teacher may dictate notes, mark important questions and repeatedly “drill” students. Such a system crushes the creative genius like Einstein.

But in Reality, the role of a teacher is not to teach facts but to impart skills which can make the student think. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the teacher shows the student how to think and not what to think. The true teacher encourages the individual to be inquisitive and to analyze the various facts and implications of an issue. The aim of education therefore, is to produce learning individuals, not necessarily learned ones, in an environment of freedom and creativity. Otherwise, the very purpose of education would be lost.

Q5. Today’s school system curbs personal talents and ignores the genius in students, imposing a teacher-school centered approach upon the students. Discuss.

Ans. Einstein studied in a school in Munich, where he was unhappy with the teaching. He was particularly averse to the idea of learning facts by heart. When his history teacher asked him when the battle of war was fought, Einstein was unable to give the answer. The history teacher scolded him for this and said he should know the answer as it had been mentioned many times in the class. Einstein replied that he did not believe in memorizing facts. He was more interested in answering the ‘why’ questions rather than ‘how’ and ‘when ‘questions.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Where is Hasahalli? Why does the author talk about Hosahally with great enthusiasm?
 
Ans. Hosahalli is a place in Karanataka, the Erstwhile Mysore State. The author is greatly enthusiastic about Hosahalli because it is his birthplace.

Q2. What is Dr. Gundabhatta’s opinion about Hosahalli and the world outside?
 
Ans. Dr. Gundabhatta speaks so much glowingly about Hosahally as the author does. He is proud of Hosahalli. Though he has toured quite a number of places outside India, he admits that there is not such a wonderful place like Hosahalli.

Q3. How does the writer describe his village, Hosahalli?
 
Ans. In Hosahalli, the mango trees produce very sour fruits. There is also a creeper growing in the ever-so-fine water of the village pond. The flowers are a feast to behold and the leaves can be used to serve afternoon meals.

Q4. What was special about Rangappa? How did the villagers react to it?
 
Ans. After his return from Bangalore where he had been studying for six months, much to everyone’s surprise, he was just the same. His homecoming became a great event for the villagers. People rushed to his door step to have a look at him. An old lady even ran her hand over his chest, looked into his eyes and remarked that the janewara was still there. He hadn’t lost his caste.

Q5. Who was Ranga? What was special about him?
 
Ans. Ranga was the village accountant’s son who had gone to Bangalore to study. People thought that city education would change him but they were wrong. He still showed respect towards elders in the village and wore the sacred thread. However, his views on marriage had changed.

Q6. How does the narrator give us a vague picture of Indian villages during the British rule?
 
Ans. During the British rule, Indian villages were poor and undeveloped. Very few people could understand or speak English. So when Ranga was sent to Bangalore to study, it w’as a great event. Early marriage was a common practice. Ratna was married off when she was just eleven years old.

Q7. Who was Ratna?
 
Ans. Ratna was the eleven-year-old pretty niece of Rama Rao. She had lost her parents. Since she was from a big town, she knew how to play upon the veena and the harmonium. She also had a sweet voice. Shyama played a key role in her marriage with Ranga.

Q8. How did the narrator carry out his resolve to get Ranga married to Ratna?
 
Ans. The narrator felt that Ranga and Ratna was a suitable match for each other. He arranged a meeting in which Ranga could meet Ratna and get impressed with her quality of singing. He manipulated things in a clever way and made Ranga fall in love with her. He finally got them married.

Q9. What impression do you form of the narrator? How does he add to the humor of the story? 
 
Ans. The narrator appears to be a very talkative man. He jumps from one topic to another. There are too many digressions in his narration. He takes a lot of interest in village affairs. He decides to get Ranga married to Ratna as soon as he realizes that they seem suitable for each other. His narration evokes the humor in the story when he manipulates the situation in a clever way. The astrologer’s remarks and the meeting between Ranga and Ratna add to the humor of the story.

Q10. Why was Ranga’s homecoming a great event?
 
Ans. Ranga was the son of the village accountant. He was sent to Bangalore to study in an English school. People were very excited when Ranga returned home after six months. They expected a big change in the boy. So they rushed to his doorstep. His homecoming became a great event.

Q11. What were Ranga’s views on the selection of a bride and marriage in general?
 
Ans. Rangappa had no intention to marry unless he found the right girl. He wanted a mature girl and also one whom he admired. He was against arranged marriage and against marrying an adolescent girl. If he failed to find the girl of his choice, he was ready to remain a bachelor.

Q12. How did the narrator bring Ranga and Ratna face to face?
 
Ans. The narrator called Ratna to his house to take away some buttermilk. He requested her to sing a song. He also sent for Ranga, so as to know how much he liked or admired the girl. His plan was successful. Ranga fell for the sweet-voiced young and pretty girl.

Q13. Why did the narrator resolve to get Ranga married?
 
Ans. The narrator was pleased when Ranga brought him a couple of oranges. He thought that such a decent boy should marry and settle down. But Ranga had his own views about an ideal life-partner. He was willing to remain single until he found the right girl. So the narrator made up his mind to get the boy married soon.

Q14. What role does Shastri play in bringing about Ranga and Ratna together?
 
Ans. The narrator sought the help of Shastri in bringing Ranga and Ratna together. He tutored Shastri, the astrologer. He took Ranga to his house. Shastriji read the stars and made calculations. He finally declared that the girl in Ranga’s mind should have the name of something found in the ocean. It could be Ratna as well. Ranga was convinced and he agreed to marry.

Q15. Why did the narrator tell a lie about Ratna’s marital status?
 
Ans. The narrator noted Ranga’s growing interest in Ratna. Ranga enquired if she was married. The narrator told a lie that she was married a year ago. He said so to see Ranga’s dejection. Later on he declared that she was not married yet. Ranga was suiprised and happy to marry Ratna.

Q16. What role does the narrator play in the life of Rangappa?
 
Ans. Shyama, the narrator, resolved to get Ranga married. He lays a trap for it. He sends for Ratna and Ranga to his house. They see each other. Ranga after meeting Shastri, agrees to marry Ratna. Thus, the narrator plays the role of a marriage broker.

Q17. How did Ranga and Ratna express their gratitude to the narrator?
 
Ans. Several years passed after the marriage of Ranga and Ratna. They had a three-year-old son, now named after Shyama. Ranga visited the narrator for dinner at his house on the child’s birthday. That was how the two youngsters expressed their gratitude to Shyama.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Give a brief account of Ranga’s education, his views on marriage and finally how he got married.
 
Ans. Ranga was the son of an accountant of Hosahalli village. He made a news when he went to Bangalore to study English. In those days, not many people could speak or even understand English. So when he returned home after six months, a curious crowd of villagers gathered at his house to see the change in the boy. They were disappointed.

Ranga was unwilling to marry a very young and immature girl. He was willing to remain a bachelor until he found the right girl. He was opposed to arranged marriage. A man should marry a girl he admired—that was his clear-cut philosophy.

But the narrator resolved to get Ranga married at the earliest. He so manipulated that Ranga saw young Ratna, got the sanction of Shastri’s astrology and married her.

Q2. Why and how does the narrator conspire to get Ranga married?
 
Ans. Ranga was a young, generous and promising boy. But he was adamant on not marrying a very young and immature girl, selected by his parents. He was bent upon staying single until he found the right girl whom he admired. The narrator resolved to get him married. He thought of Ratna, an eleven-year-old niece of Rama Rao. She could play upon the harmonium and even sang in a sweet voice. The narrator brought Ratna and Ranga face to face at his own house. He roused the boy’s interest in the girl. He declared that the girl was already married. But it was a lie. He conspired with Shastri to further Ranga’s interest in Ratna. With the approval of the Shastras, Ranga gave in and married the girl selected by the narrator.

Q3. This is a humorous story. Which part did you find the most amusing? Describe the narrator of the story.
 
Ans. Shyama, the narrator of the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ is also the central character. His style of narration evokes a lot of humor in the story. He is an elderly gentleman and refers to himself as a dark piece of oil cake. He is passionately in love with his village and the villagers and rambles incessantly while describing it. He is a keen observer of his surroundings and uses a colorful style of narration. He feels it is disgraceful to use English words in the native tongue. He is a good judge of people and regards Ranga as a generous and considerate fellow. He is conservative at heart and feels unhappy at Ranga’s decision to remain single. He means well and his intentions are good. He plans  to get Ranga married. He calls Ranga when Ratna was singing. He also arranges a meeting with Shastri whom he had tutored thoroughly. He had decided that Ratna would be a suitable bride for him. He is a shrewd contriver as he tells Ranga that Ratna was married. This he does in order to rouse Ranga’s desire for the unattainable.

The description of the village of Hosahalli evokes some humor in the story. The narrator and Ranga’s visit to the astrologer and their conversation produce a few comic moments in the story.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why did the narrator go to Number 46, Marconi Street?

Ans. This was the address of the woman who had carried their valuables to her home for safety during war time. So the narrator went there to claim the belongings of her mother.

Q2. Why was Mrs. Dorling cautious while opening the door?

Ans. Mrs. Dorling had committed the crime of misappropriating the narrator’s household things a few years ago. She hoped that the war would uproot the entire family and they would never return. But she also feared one day someone from the family could turn up and claim the things that she kept at her home. Hence she was cautious in opening the door.

Q3. Do you think the woman didn’t recognize the narrator, or she was merely pretending? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Obviously, the woman was pretending that she didn’t recognise the narrator. As soon as she realised that she had been found out she said, “Have you come back? I thought that no one had come back.”

Q4.  How was the narrator convinced that she had made no mistake and had reached the right address?

Ans. When the woman who opened the door gave no sign of recognition, the narrator thought she was perhaps mistaken and had rung the wrong bell. When she saw the woman wearing her mother’s green knitted cardigan, she was convinced that she had made no mistake and reached the right address.

Q5. How did the woman try to avoid the narrator?

Ans. First, the woman refused to recognise the narrator. When she realised that she had been found out, she regretted that she couldn’t do anything for the narrator. Then she asked the narrator to come another time. She gave the impression that there was someone in the house whom she didn’t want to be disturbed.

Q6. Why did the author first hesitate to claim her belongings from Mrs. Dorling?

Ans. When the war was over and the narrator began to feel a little secure, she felt like missing her family belongings. On a second thought, she began to suspect that the presence of her family articles would remind her of her dear ones who were no more with her so she hesitated to claim those articles from Mrs. Dorling’s house. Besides, she lived in a poor room that looked the oddest place to accommodate her expensive possessions.

Q7.  Who was Mrs. Dorling? What did the narrator’s mother tell her about the woman?

Ans. Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance of the narrator’s mother whom she had not seen for years. She had recently renewed their contact. Since then she has been visiting their house regularly. Every time she left their house she took something home with her.

Q8. Why did the narrator finally decide to forget the address?

Ans. After the war, the author went to collect the things which belonged to her family. Mrs. Dorling who had taken away everything did not allow the author to enter in her house. Later, she tried to take another chance. This time her daughter received her. The narrator entered and saw many things lying here and there. Her past memories stood before her eyes. But soon she realised that the objects which are associated with the past had lost their value as being cut off from them. The easiest way was to forget. So she decided to forget the address.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Describe the narrator’s first visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house in Marconi Street.

Ans. The narrator was sure that her mother’s belongings must still be preserved by Mrs. Dorling. One day she felt an urge to see and touch those objects. So she went to Mrs. Dorling’s house in Marconi Street. She rang the bell. A woman opened the door and looked at her searchingly. The narrator came closer and introduced herself that she was Mrs. S’s daughter. The woman kept staring at her in silence. There was no sign of recognition on her face. The narrator thought perhaps she had come to the wrong house. But she saw the woman was wearing her mother’s green knitted cardigan. She knew at once that she had made no mistake. She asked the woman whether she knew her mother. The woman could not deny this. She said, “Have you come back”? The woman regretted that she could not do anything for her. She asked the narrator to come some other time and cautiously closed the door. The narrator realized that her visit was in vain. She stood on the step for a while and then left the place.

Q2. Describe the narrator’s second visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house.

Ans. The narrator’s first visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house was in vain. She decided to try a second time. This time a girl of about fifteen opened the door to her. Her mother was not at home. The narrator said that she would wait for her. Following the girl along the passage, the narrator saw their old-fashioned iron candle-holder hanging next to a mirror. The girl made her sit in the living room and went inside. The narrator was horrified to find herself in a room she knew and did not know. She found herself in the midst of familiar things which she longed to see again but which oppressed her in the strange atmosphere. She dared not look around her. The woollen table-cloth, the cups, the white tea-pot, the spoons, the pewter plate, everything was full of memories of her former life. Suddenly the objects linked with her former life lost their value. In strange surroundings, they too appeared strange to her. She no longer had desire to possess them. She got up, walked to the door, and came out of the house.

Q3. What did the narrator learn about Mrs. Dorling from her mother?

Ans. The war was going on. The narrator was home for a few days. She immediately noticed that something or other about the rooms had changed. Various things were missing. She looked at her mother questioningly. Then her mother told her about Mrs. Dorling. The narrator had never heard of that woman. Obviously, she was an old acquaintance of her mother, whom she had not seen for years. Since then she had been coming to their house regularly. Every time she left the place she took something home with her. She took all the table silver, then the antique plates and several other precious things. She herself explained that she wanted to save all their nice things because they would lose everything in case they had to leave the house. The narrator’s mother never doubted her intention. She rather felt obliged to Mrs. Dorling for talking all the trouble while carrying their things.

Q4. Why had the narrator remembered Mrs. Dorling’s address? Why did she want now to forget the address?

Ans. Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance of the narrator’s mother. She had carried their valuables to her house for safety during the war time. She said that she wanted to save all their nice things because they would lose everything if they had to flee from the place. The narrator’s mother told her Mrs. Dorling’s address. The narrator had remembered the address.

When the war was over and things became almost normal, one day the narrator had an intense longing to see and touch the objects which were linked with the memories of her former life. She knew that all the things must still be preserved by Mrs. Dorling. So she went to Number 46 in Marconi Street. She was horrified to find in a room she knew and did not know. She found herself in the midst of familiar things which she longed to see again. Suddenly the objects lost their value. In strange surroundings, they too appeared strange to her. She realised that she no longer wanted to possess them. Now the address lost all its significance for her and she wanted to forget it.

Q5. Comment on the contrasting elements in the characters of Mrs. S and Mrs. Dorling?

Ans. The mother of the author, Mrs. S was a lady of simplicity. She didn’t seem to have seen the harsh and cruel side of this two-faced world. She could easily befriend people, and rather more easily, trust them. That’s why she trusted Mrs. Dorling, who was just an acquaintance of her, and allowed her to keep all her precious belongings for the time being. Moreover, she was so kindhearted that she was sympathetic enough for Mrs. Dorling, who had to carry all her heavy articles all alone.

In contrast, Mrs. Dorling was an absolute thief, a unique combination of cunningness and betrayal. She cheated Mrs. S and seized her very precious belongings very wittingly. She can be called a perfectionist in this ‘occupation’ of hers.

Q6.  Who is Mrs. Dorling? Do you justify her behaviour in the story?

Ans. Mrs. Dorling is an acquaintance of Mrs. S, the narrator’s mother. In the story Mrs. Dorling exploits Mrs. S’s fears and insecurity during the war. She insists Mrs. S and took away all her valuable things after giving assurance that she would keep them safe until the war was over. In fact, Mrs. Dorling had no intentions of returning the valuables as she was sure that Mrs. S and her family would not survive the war. So when the narrator, Mrs. S’s daughter, went to Mrs. Dorling’s house to claim those articles to which her mother’s precious memories were associated, she even pretended not to recognize her. Instead of returning those articles to the narrator, she shamelessly used them which actually belonged to the narrator’s mother and also behaved rudely to the narrator. So, in the context of the above Mrs. Dorling’s behaviour cannot be justified.

Short Answers Type Questions

Q1. Who were Aram and Mourard?
 
Ans. Aram and Mourad were cousins. Aram was nine years old. Mourad was thirteen. Both of them were fond of horse-riding. They belonged to the garoghlanian tribe of Armenians.

Q2. How does the narrator describe the Garoghlanian family?
 
Ans. Garoghlanian family had the reputation for honesty that has been maintained by its family members for hundreds of years. Every one trusted them. These people took pride in the fact that they were honest in spite of their poverty.

Q3. What did the narrator see when he looked out of the window? Why couldn’t he believe his eyes? 
 
Ans. The narrator heard a tap on the window of his room. When he looked out, he saw his cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful white horse. He could not believe his eyes because Mourad belonged to a poor family. He could not afford to buy such a lovely horse. Surely, he had stolen it.

Q4. How did Aram justify Mourad’s action of riding a stolen horse?
 
Ans. Aram too was very crazy about horse riding. But riding a stolen horse both delighted and frightened him. He justified Mourad’s action saying that taking out a horse just for a joy-ride could not be called stealing until they offered to sell it.

Q5. Who was the real owner of the beautiful white horse? How did Aram come to know about him?
 
Ans. John Byro was the real owner of the white horse. He was a farmer. On a visit to Aram’s house he complained of his loss to uncle Khosrove. This assured Aram that the horse had been stolen by Mourad.

Q6. In what respect did Mourad and Aram differ from each other?

Ans. Mourad and Aram were cousins belonging to the Garoghlanian family. Both had a common craze for horse riding. But Aram was more honest and straightforward than his cousin. Mourad had a streak of craziness. He could tell lies’. He was boastful. Aram was simple-hearted.

Q7. Why did the sight of Mourad’s horse both delight and frighten Aram?
 
Ans. Aram was just a young lad, truthful and honest. But he had a longing for a joyride on a horse. Naturally, he was delighted when Mourad asked him to sit on the white horse. But he was also frightened because he knew that it was a stolen horse.

Q8. Who was uncle Khosrove? What were some of the notable traits of his character?

Ans. Uncle Khosrove was widely known to be crazy. He was short-tempered and impatient as well. He stopped others from talking by shouting at them. His stock saying was: ‘It is no harm, pay no attention to it.’ Mourad had got that craziness from uncle Khosrove.

Q9. Mourad had a way and some sort of understanding with three creatures. Who were they?

Ans. Mourad was boastful and self-confident. He was good at dealing with a wild white horse, the barking dogs and an angry farmer, like John Byro. The white horse of Byro became better tempered. The dogs at Byro’s barn did not bark. John Byro also accepted Mourad’s lie as true.

Q10. What was Aram’s experience when he rode the white horse alone?

Ans. Aram was keen to ride the white horse alone. He leaped to the horse-back and even kicked into its muscles. It snorted and began to run. It went out of control. It leaped over seven vines. Aram fell but the horse continued running.

Q11. ‘I didn’t want both of us to be liars? Who spoke these words and in what context?

Ans. These words were spoken by Mourad to Aram. Mourad indirectly admitted that he was telling a lie that he had not stolen the horse but in case they were found out by the horse owner, Aram was to tell him that they had started riding that very morning.

Q12. Why did Aram rush to his cousin’s house soon after Byro was gone?

Ans. John Byro visited Aram’s house. He reported that his horse was still untraceable. Uncle Khosrove shouted him down. But Aram overheard the conversation. He ran to Mourad’s house to tell him about it. He asked Mourad that he would keep the horse for some time more.

Q13. How did Mourad put John Byro off when the two met one morning?

Ans. One morning the two cousins ran into the farmer John Byro who examined the horse thoroughly. But Mourad confidently told Byro that his horse’s name was My Heart. Byro made no fuss because he knew about the honesty of Mourad’s family.

Q14. What change did John Byro notice in his horse after it was returned to him?

Ans. John Byro was not only happy but also surprised when he got his missing horse back. He failed to understand how his horse had become stronger and better tempered than before. He thanked God for the change.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Who stole the beautiful white horse and why? How did they use the horse and what made them return the horse to its true owner?

Ans. ‘The Summer of The Beautiful Horse’ is a simple but interesting story about stealing of a horse by two Armenian boys Mourad and Aram, and later how they returned it to its rightful owner. Mourad had a passion and love for horse riding. Due to his passion for riding and fun once, he stole a beautiful white horse. Actually, the poverty of the tribe forced them to fulfill his desire for riding by stealing the horse. His cousin Aram too loved riding and in their childish innocence, they justified that stealing a horse for a fun and riding was not the same as stealing
and selling it for money. The two boys enjoyed riding the horse early every morning and hid it in the barn of the deserted vineyard.

The boys belonged to the Garoghlanian family which was known for its integrity and honesty. One day when the boys met John Byro, true owner of the horse and heard his confidence in the honesty of their family, the boys became conscience – stricken. Soon the pride and honesty which they inherited from their tribe overpowered their childish pranks and they realized that what they did was wrong as this could bring disgrace to their family. Thus conscience-stricken, they eventually returned the horse to its rightful owner.

Q2. Compare and contrast the characters of Mourad and Aram.

Ans. Mourad and Aram were cousins thirteen and nine years old respectively. Both longed for a horse ride. But their family was too poor to buy a horse. Both were adventure- loving. Both knew that their family was well known for honesty and right conduct. But Mourad could not help stealing John Byro’s horse. While he had a streak of craziness, Aram was honest and simple-hearted. Mourad was more talented and bolder than Aram. He domesticated the wild horse of John Byro. He repaired the injured wing of a robin bird; he knew how to deal with a horse, a dog and a farmer. Comparatively, Aram was timid and low-lying.

Q3. Bring out some of the notable traits of Mourad’s character.

Ans. Mourad, the son of Zorab, was the 13-year old cousin of Aram. Zorab was a practical man but Mourad was most unlike him. He was considered as crazy as his uncle Khosrove. He was not so honest as his family or tribe. He did not hesitate to steal John Byro’s horse. He was as fond of horse riding as his cousin. But he did not have the means to buy a horse. Very cleverly he hid the horse in a deserted bam and took it out at daybreak for a joy-ride. He loved adventure and singing. He had remarkable self-confidence. He said boastfully that he had a way with a horse, a dog and a farmer. He was not a thief. He returned the horse to its owner John Byro after about six weeks.

Q4. The narrator’s uncle Khosrove was known to be a crazy fellow. Give a few instances of his craziness.

Ans. The narrator’s uncle Khosrove was an enormous man with a large moustache. But he was considered crazy or capricious by the people who knew him. He was furious by nature. He was easily annoyed. He was impatient. He would not let anybody have his say. He silenced people with his roar. Once his house was on fire and his son ran to the barber’s shop to give the bad news. But he paid no serious attention to it and repeated his words rudely. He got irritated when John spoke about his stolen horse, and walked out of the room. He was a strange character.

Father to Son Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Father to Son Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why doesn’t the father know anything about his son though they have lived in the same house?
Answer:
The father-son relationship is actually non-functional. The father doesn’t understand the aspirations, longings arid cravings of the son. They do not communicate with each other and behave like strangers. Therefore, the father doesn’t know anything about his son.

Question 2.
Is the father responsible for the present situation? What are your views?
Answer:
Yes, I think the father is responsible for the present situation. We do not get to hear the son’s version about his relationship with the father here. But the father is guilty of allowing continued silence or non-communication between them and also not understanding the son’s aspirations and feelings.

Question 3.
Father and the son behave like strangers to each other. What can be the possible reason with for this?
Answer:
They both act and behave like strangers due to lack of understanding with each other. A growing son has his own ambitions and aspirations. Elders must try to act like friends rather than command their children to behave according to their orders.

Question 4.
What does the poet mean by ‘Silence surrounds us?’
Answer:
The father feels helpless as he has no dialogue with his son. They don’t understand each other and they are living like strangers to each other in spite of their living under the same roof for years. Their outlook and temperament are so different that they remain separated from each other. They have a communication gap along with the generation gap, which causes the silence.

Question 5.
How does the father feel when his relationship with his son comes under strain?
Answer:
Father feels very helpless at this situation when both father and son do not understand each other. It saddens him to understand that he has never tried to understand his son’s perspective and his son has distanced himself from him from long.

Question 6.
What is the father’s attitude towards his son in the third stanza?
Answer:
The father wants to rectify the situation in the third stanza. The father wants his son return to the home that he has left. The father is willing to forgive his son and restart their relationship.

Question 7.
What does the father wish for?
Answer:
The father is unhappy and helpless. He wants to maintain a healthy relationship with his son. The father wants that his prodigal son may return to his home and start living under the same roof with him.
He doesn’t want that he should create and live in a world of his own.

Question 8.
The father is ready to have his prodigal son return. What inference can you draw from this?
Answer:
Prodigal means wastefully extravagant. Here the reference is to the story in the Bible in which a father gives his inheritance to his sons. The younger brother leaves, wastes his fortune and returns to his father’s home. Still the father is ready to take him back and forgive him. In the poem, the father also wants to forgive him so that they live peacefully together again.

Question 9.
The root cause of the generation gap presented in the poem lies in the fact that it is only the father talking to his son rather than hearing or understanding him. Explain.
Answer:
One of the reasons of the generation gap is absence of understanding and communication. Here in this poem we hear only the father’s point of view. We do not hear anything from the son’s side. The root cause of the generation gap has been lack of sharing of interests or not paying attention to the childs, emotional needs, when he is growing up. The child should be allowed to express his opinions freely and adults should not behave like dictators.

Question 10.
What do the words ‘an empty hand’ signify?
Answer:
The words ‘empty hand’ signify that both the father arid the son want to forgive each other and extend a hand of friendship to each other, but neither of them is willing to be the first one to do so. This means that although they are longing to forgive each other, their egos are coming in the way so that none of them wants to be the first one to do so.

Father To Son Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
The poem talks about the universal problem of generation gap. Why does such a situation exist? How can someone avoid such confrontations? Express your views in 120-150 words.
Answer:
Generation gap is a psychological and emotional gap between parents or elder people and the younger ones. This creates misunderstanding and lack of attachment between parents and children. The success of parenting lies in how effectively they avoid the generation gap or ignore differences with their children.

Generation gap is the result of the fast paced development of society. In earlier times, two or three generations lived in the same lifestyle and environment, as development was slow. Today, parents do not even know many of the modem technologies and equipment children use.

Being up-to-date is the only way to cope .with the generation gap. Moreover, generation gap occurs when there are differences of opinion. One should be flexible in approach and must try to understand the reason of a particular behaviour.

Question 2.
In the fast moving materialistic world, parents are busy in earning while their children grow without them giving enough time to them. This is a major factor in creating a generation gap. There should be a balancing act on the part of parents. Discuss.
Answer:
In today’s materialistic world parents, specially fathers, are busy with their careers, finding very little time for their children.

Childhood is a tender age and the child needs his/ her parents at every stage of his growing up. In the pursuit of money or career, children are left at the mercy of caretakers or maids who may provide or fulfil child’s basic need but their emotional and intellectual needs are left unfulfilled. Bonding between parents and children keeps on diminishing until it reaches an alarming level.

Parents need to understand that between career and children, a balancing act has to be practised. Children need their parents to guide them, to share their likes and dislikes, to spend quality time with them.

No parent should allow such a situation where they may not understand their children or there may be no communication at all between them. Emotional bonding is a must for a family to stay together.

Childhood Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What question does the poet ask again and again in this poem?
Answer:
In this poem the poet is really confused. He asks the question again and again ‘when did my childhood go?’

Question 2.
The poet has discussed two stages of life – childhood and adulthood. How do we differentiate one from another?
Answer:
Childhood has been considered by the poet as a blissful period in one’s life, where a child trusts everyone.
Adulthood is marked by rational and creative thoughts, ability to perceive and differentiate and learn new things. In this stage of life one also learns to be double faced and crafty.

Question 3.
What did the poet realise when he crossed the age of eleven years?
Answer:
When the poet crossed the age of eleven years, he realised that he had lost his childhood and had developed a mind of his own. He also found out the non-existence of Hell and Heaven.

Question 4.
How did the poet conclude that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places?
Answer:
The poet concluded that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places because Geography books contain names of places, but there is no mention of places like Hell or Heaven in these books.

Question 5.
How did adults seem to the poet when he was a child?
Answer:
As a child, the poet considered all the adults as an epitome of love and sincerity. He believed that their love was true and they were ready to do anything for , their loved ones.

Question 6.
Bring out the hypocrisy that the adults exhibit with regard to love.
Answer:
As the poet grew up, he could make out the double standards followed by adults. He realised that though adults preached of love and talked of love, their behaviour was totally different and full of manipulation. They were all hypocrites who behaved differently from the way they talked.

Question 7.
What did the poet notice about independent thinking? How important was this discovery?
Answer:
The poet discovered that he was different from others and could think independently. He could have his own opinions without getting influenced by anyone else. This discovery was very important to him as it revealed to him his abilities for independent thinking and decision taking.

Question 8.
What is the poet trying to convey when he says that childhood is hidden in an infant’s face?
Answer:
The poet says an infant is really innocent as he trusts everyone and does not try to fool others. The poet brings out this fact by contrasting it with the behaviour of adults, who become manipulative and are hypocrites. As a person develops rational thoughts, his childlike innocence fades away.

Question 9.
According to Markus Natten, when does the child become an adult?
Answer:
Becoming an adult is a complex process which is associated with physical, mental and social development. A child becomes an adult when he is able to live his own life and take care of his responsibilities individually. He also develops his own thought process, using which he can form his own beliefs and opinions.

Question 10.
What is the poet’s feeling towards his childhood?
Answer:
The poet regards childhood as a period of innocence. A child sincerely feels that he is free from all evils and that there is really a Hell and a Heaven. A child knows no hypocrisy. There is no difference between his thoughts and actions. In short, childhood is a state of innocence and purity of heart.

Question 11.
How does the poem expose man and present him in true colours?
Answer:
According to the poet, childhood symbolises innocence, purity, softness and love. As a child grows up, these qualities start receding. Man adheres to lying, shrewdness, cunningness and hypocrisy.

Adults preach about truth and honesty but themselves practise hatred and lying. The simplicity and honesty of childhood evaporates the moment man crosses the threshold of innocent childhood.

Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Write an article in about 150 words about childhood and the process of growing up.
Answer:

Childhood
by Manav Singh

When I was a child the world seemed to be a place of joy and happiness to me. There was nothing worth worrying about. Whenever I cried, somebody consoled me. When I did not like to sit alone, I was always in somebody’s arms. My mother always looked after me. These are my most cherished memories and I believe that looking at a child playing and enjoying childhood makes me somewhat nostalgic.

Childhood is free from cares. There are no duties or responsibilities on the shoulders of a child. A child only eats, drinks, sleeps and plays. Thus, a child lives in the bliss of ignorance and innocence. As we grow in age, worries about studies, choice of profession, shouldering responsibilities etc keep haunting us. Tensions, stress and worries become a part of adult life and the individual forgets to live a carefree life.

Question 2.
Is independent thinking a step towards adulthood? If yes, then how? Explain with reference to the poem ‘Childhood’.
or
Markus Natten, though showing disapproval regarding the behaviour of adults, also raises a very important point, that of independent thinking and individuality. Do you agree that independent thinking and individuality make us what we are? Elaborate in the context of the poem ‘Childhood’.
Answer:
Of course, independent thinking is a step towards adulthood. As a child, one is not able to make one’s own decisions and one’s thinking is always influenced and directed by adults. A child is so innocent that it is not able to distinguish between truth and imagination.

As a child’s thinking is influenced by others, it has no individuality. Moreover, it is prone to manipulations which lead to fickle-mindedness. Independent thinking makes us what we are. It shapes our personality and we are known among people through what our mind thinks and what decisions we take.

If we want to stay away from evil people who try to influence our thoughts for their selfish purposes, then only independent thinking can help us. We cannot claim to be an individual if we cannot take decisions ourselves.

The Voice of the Rain Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Voice of the Rain Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why does the poet get surprised when he gets an answer from the rain?
Answer:
The poet gets surprised when he gets an answer from the rain, as it is inanimate and cannot speak. In this poem, to the poet’s and reader’s amazement, the rain gives a reply which has been translated by the poet for the readers.

Question 2.
What answer does the rain give back to the poet?
Answer:
The rain answers to the poet’s question by telling him that it is the Poem of Earth and is involved in a continuing process of going up and coming down.

Question 3.
How does the rain justify its claim ‘I am the Poem of Earth’?
Answer:
The rain calls itself the Poem of the Earth because the poem rendered by the poet has the task of bringing joy, happiness, life to its readers. Similarly when the rain falls down over Earth, a rhythm or music is created. That’s why the rain calls itself the Poem of Earth.

Question 4.
Describe the never ending cycle of rain.
Answer:
Water rises unperceived in the form of vapour from land and water bodies on the Earth. It goes up, takes the form of a cloud, changes its shape and falls down on Earth in the form .of water drops to bathe the small dust particles, land and sea. The water returns through rivers to oceans and seas after it rains on Earth.

Question 5.
Why does the rain call itself ‘impalpable’?
Answer:
Impalpable means something that cannot be felt by touching or seeing. When water takes the form of vapour, it is not visible to the human eye and nor can we feel its touch.

The vapour rises to the sky, condenses and forms clouds which cause rain. Though we are aware of its presence, the process remains invisible to us. Hence, the rain has rightly called itself ‘impalpable’.

Question 6.
What happens when it rains after a long hot spell?
Answer:
After a long hot spell, everything is dried up on Earth. When it rains, all the dust that has accumulated on Earth gets washed away, giving a new fresh look to nature. Moreover the seeds which were lying latent till now, get germinated with the help of rain and new trees and plants start growing.

Question 7.
Latent seeds get a life by rain. Explain.
Answer:
The seeds lying on Earth require water to germinate and take shape. When it rains, the seeds start germinating and change into the form of saplings. In this way, the seeds which would have dried up or get wasted get a new lease of life by rain.

Question 8.
Why is rain essential for Earth?
Answer:
If it doesn’t rain then Earth will remain parched, droughts will follow and the dust-layers will not be washed away. There will be nothing to quench the thirst of the plants and trees and their seeds will die.

Question 9.
How does the rain become the voice of Earth?
Answer:
In the poem, ‘The Voice of the Rain’, the poet describes how the rain falls on Earth. He also asks a question to the rain’about it. He calls the showers of the rain as ‘Poem of Earth’ as the rain gives a new lease of life to ‘ the scorched and parched Earth and falls on Earth in a rhythmic manner.

Actually, it is the voice of Earth as the slowly falling showers produce a very soft music and Earth finds its expression only through the showers falling on it.

Question 10.
Why do you think the poet says the phrase ‘reck’d or unreck’d’?
Answer:
The words have been poetically drafted. Reck’d and unreck’d stand for reckoned and unreckoned. The words literally mean cared and uncared for respectively. The poet says these words to emphasise the fact that when it falls on the Earth, we sometimes take notice of it or sometimes completely ignore it. But even if it is left uncared for, it completes its destiny and returns to absorbed where it started from.

Question 11.
Justify the title ‘The Voice of the Rain’.
Answer:
The whole poem is about the eternal process of rain and its benefits. Through the words of the rain, the poet has tried to bring out the importance of rain for Earth, for plants and for man. As the poet is translating what the rain is speaking through its own language (the sounds it makes when it falls), the whole poem is about the rain talking to the poet. Thus, the title is justified.

Question 12.
The poem has a conversational tone throughout. Who are the two participants? Is there any advantage of this method?
Answer:
The two participants are the poet and the voice of the rain which answers the poet’s questions. The advantage of this method is to maintain continuity of thoughts and ideas expressed by the poet and to bring about clarity in what he wants to express.

The Voice Of The Rain Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
The poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ gives a hidden message that rain is essential for this Earth. Write an article in 120-150 words describing the importance of rain.
Answer:

Importance of Rain
by Ali Jawed

As we all know, the three essentials for survival are water, food and air. The most important element of weather is water. We get water in different forms of precipitation but rain is the most beneficial of all types of precipitation.

Rain helps in harvesting our crops that give us food to eat. Without rain, no crops would grow and we would perish. Also, falling showers remove the dust in air, making our air clean, because we need clean air to breathe.

Rain water plays a key role in creating the climate of certain areas. Its presence in the atmosphere provides replenishment of the moisture in cloud systems.

The most well-known and most important effect of rain water is to provide us with water to drink. Without rain, there would be no life.

Question 2.
Rain is an eternal process benefiting mankind. Contrast it with human life which is short lived on this Earth. Should we disturb these eternal elements of nature?
Answer:
The poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ beautifully shows the continued process of rain which sounds like music to human ears, as it fulfills our needs.

It is an ever going process which sustains human life and provides us with food, pure air and green cover. On the other hand, human lives are mortal. We come on this Earth for a short period and then depart without leaving any mark on this planet. Moreover human beings, for their greed and selfish motives, indulge in destructive activities which may disturb these eternal processes of nature.

We must learn a lesson from nature. If we want peaceful co-existence, we need not disturb the balance of nature, otherwise the whole of humanity will be in danger. We must learn a lesson from such eternal processes and do something good for humanity at large.

Question 3.
Natural elements such as air and rain make no discrimination and bless everyone equally. Comment on class distinction and inequality, which is a totally human creation.
Answer:
Man’s existence on this Earth is short-lived but even in this short span, he has been responsible for many wrong doings against other human beings. God has created everyone as equal. But it is very unfortunate that man has divided this society on the basis of class, caste and other factors.

Man must learn from elements of nature which provide us fresh air, heat or water, without making any distinction. But in human society class distinctions and caste distinctions both exist and inequalities prevail in large numbers. It is high time that man must learn lessons from nature and adopt universal brotherhood for the betterment of our society.

The Laburnum Top Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Laburnum Top Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why is the poem named ‘The Laburnum Top’?
Answer:
The poem has been named ‘The Laburnum Top’ because the top of the Laburnum tree has been described in detail in the poem. It is on the top of the Laburnum tree that the nest of the goldfinch is located and where all the activity takes place when the goldfinch visits the nest.

Question 2.
What is the significance of ‘yellow’ in the poem?
Answer:
The flowers of the Laburnum tree and its leaves (in autumn) both are yellow in colour. Apart from this, the goldfinch’s feathers are also yellow in colour. The poem highlights the high security that the mother bird (goldfinch) ensures for her babies and the colour yellow helps in camouflaging the babies. Hence they escape being noticed by any predator.

Question 3.
How is the tree transformed during the bird’s visit?
Answer:
After the goldfinch arrives on the tree, the silent and still Laburnum tree suddenly starts trembling and moving. The whole tree comes to life as the chicks of the goldfinch make a lot of noise as they chitter and trill on seeing their mother.

Question 4.
To what is the movement of the goldfinch compared? What is the basis for the comparison?
Answer:
The movement of the goldfinch is compared to that of a lizard. The basis of the comparison is the sleek, alert and sudden movements of a lizard. The goldfinch makes similar kind of movements when it arrives on the Laburnum tree to avoid being noticed by any predator.

Question 5.
‘Then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt, She enters the thickness’. Explain the given line.
Answer:
The lizard is a quick moving animal. It is also very alert and its movements are sudden. In the given line, the arrival of the goldfinch on the Laburnum tree is described. The poet describes its movements as alert and sudden just like that of a lizard. This is done to avoid getting the attention of the predators.

Question 6.
What is the engine of the machine? What is its fuel?
Answer:
The goldfinch has been called the engine of her family. Just as the engine starts up the machine, the goldfinch’s arrival in the nest has suddenly started the machine i.e. the young ones in the nest have started making noise. The fuel of the engine is the food that the goldfinch brings for her chicks.

Question 7.
How does the Laburnum ensure security for the nestlings?
Answer:
According to popular belief, the bark and the seeds of the Laburnum tree are poisonous. So, predators normally do not come near the tree. Apart from this, its yellow flowers and yellowing leaves in the autumn season complemented by the yellow coloured feathers of the goldfinch help in camouflaging the nestlings from the predators.

Question 8.
Explain the line, ‘And the Laburnum subsides to empty’.
Answer:
This is the last line of the poem. It describes that with the departure of the goldfinch from the Laburnum tree, it falls silent. The tree was noisy and lively when the goldfinch came to feed its chicks, but it reverts to its earlier self after its departure from the tree.

The Laburnum Top Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
The arrival of the goldfinch on the Laburnum top brings about a change in the poem. How do you interpret this change? Is change good or bad in life?
Answer:
At the start of the poem, the top of the Laburnum tree in the poem is silent and still. There is hardly any activity on it as the sunlight falls on it on a September afternoon. However, with the arrival of the goldfinch, it suddenly becomes a place of feverish activity. The silence of the place is broken by the twittering and chirruping of the chicks and the goldfinch.

I think that the change brought about by the arrival of the goldfinch on the Laburnum top is good, as it breaks the monotony. The tree becomes alive and lively with the movement of the goldfinch and the twitterings and chirrupings of the chicks.

Change can be good or bad in life depending on a situation. However, the fact is that change is the only constant in life. So, even if a change is bad, we have to accept it and move on in life.

Question 2.
What values do you learn from the goldfinch in the poem ‘The ‘Laburnum Top?
Answer:
The goldfinch has its nest on the top of the Laburnum tree in the poem, ‘The Laburnum Top’. Her chicks stay in the nest while she (the mother goldfinch) keeps going out at regular intervals to get food to feed her chicks. This shows her caring nature and highlights the values of motherly care and affection of a mother towards her offspring.

The other aspect of the goldfinch that is captured in the poem is its movement. She arrives at the Laburnum top in a sudden manner and is very much alert to her surroundings. The poet has compared her movement with the sleek movement of a lizard. However, there is a reason for her moving like this (in an alert and sudden manner). She is moving in this manner so as to avoid getting noticed by any predator. She does not want any predator to know that her chicks are resting in her nest on the Laburnum top as then the predators may kill them or harm them. The values of safety and security for her offspring is highlighted in this act of the goldfinch.