CBSE Class 12

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1 My Mother at Sixty-six Consists Of All The Answers From This Chapter. You Can Download The Pdf For NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Free And Refer To The Answers To Get A Better Understanding Of The Chapter. https://mcq-questions.com/ncert-solutions-for-class-12-english-flamingo-poem-1-my-mother-at-sixty-six/

My Mother at Sixty-six NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1

My Mother at Sixty-six NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

My Mother at Sixty-six Think it out

My Mother At Sixty Six NCERT Solutions Question 1.
What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Answer:
The childhood fear of separation and the sadness associated with the thought of losing her mother is what the poet feels. While leaving her native place, the poet feels the guilt of not being able to take good care of her mother in her old age and hence, she is sad and pained. The mother’s aged, weak and pale frame is of great concern for the daughter and the nagging fear of her old mother departing in her absence ravages her mind.

Ncert Solutions Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1 Question 2.
Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Answer:
The young trees are quite opposite to the poet’s old mother who is pale and aged. A tree symbolises youth and is full of life. Trees seem to be sprinting while her mother is in the last stage of her life.

My Mother At Sixty Six Ncert Solutions Question 3.
Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
Answer:
The poet, while returning from her native place, sees the joyous children rushing out of their homes, into the open, to play. These young children, full of energy and life are a sharp contrast to the ashen visage of her mother who is weak, dull and lifeless at the age of sixty-six. The enthusiasm and vitality of the children brings home, more emphatically, the painful realisation that her mother may breathe her last any day in the near future.

Class 12 English Poem 1 NCERT Solutions Question 4.
Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
Answer:
The dull, weak, pale and aged visage of the mother is compared to a late winter’s moon which looks hazy, obscure and lacks shine and strength. Hence, the comparison is quite appropriate and the simile used is apt and effective. The mother has also lost the glow, vigour and vitality of her youth as she is sixty-six years old now.

Question 5.
What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer:
The poet had to leave her mother and her native place to go to her own home. She felt guilty to leave her mother, all by herself, alone, at this ripe age. Her mother needed love, respect, affection and togetherness, which the poet is unable to give her in plenty. Hence, to cover up her agony and pain of separation and loss, she puts on a long and cheerful smile on her face. She puts on a brave front to hide her fear behind a smile.

Before leaving, she says to her mother, ‘see you soon, Amma’ which definitely brought a faint ray of hope in the mother that she would survive long enough for the two to meet again. The smile, even if it was a hollow one, must have comforted both the mother and the daughter.

My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers

My Mother at Sixty-six Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
What were Kamala Das’ fears as a child? Why do the fears surface when she is going to the airport?
Answer:
Kamala Das fears that her mother would leave her alone and go away. These fears surface now as she looks at her old mother doze with her mouth open in the car.

Question 2.
How can suspension of activities help?
Answer:
The poet wants to prove that there can be life under apparent stillness. The poet invokes the earth as a living symbol to prove his point. The earth never attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work even under apparent stillness.

Question 3.
How does the poet describe her mother?
Answer:
Kamala Das describes her mother as old, pale and senile. As she was asleep, the poet noticed that her mother looked as pale and colourless as a dead body. She seemed to have lost the vitality of life.

Question 4.
Explain ‘pale as a late winter’s moon.’
Answer:
This is an example of a simile. The poet has compared her mother’s face to a winter’s moon. Winter symbolises death and a waning moon symbolises decay. Just like winter loses its magnificence and beauty when covered with fog and mist, similarly the poet’s mother has lost her youth and vitality, and has become inactive and withered.

Question 5.
Why did the poet promise her mother of a meeting in the near future?
Answer:
The poet was doubtful of seeing her mother again. She knew that the mother was also aware of the same. Yet, to encourage her mother, to leave a hope in her mind, to make herself strong, the poet promised a futile reunion in the future.

Question 6.
The poet’s repeated smile seems out of the place in a way. In which way is that appropriate?
Answer:
The poet had no reason to smile at the time of separation from her aged mother. She was deeply distressed and pained to separate from her mother when she was so old. Yet, to make the mother feel ‘there is nothing to worry,’ the poet attempted to be glad, cheerful and reassured her by her extended smile.

Question 7.
Why does the poet look at her mother again?
Answer:
The poet looks at her mother again for the last time to reassure herself that her mother is well. She drove away her thoughts of pain and fear which had surfaced on seeing her mother. It was a look of reassurance to meet her again.

Question 8.
What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother’s old age?
Answer:
Late winter’s moon. Her pale, bloodless and wrinkled face resembles that of a corpse. She has no vigour and energy left in her. She looks wan and pale. The sprinting trees and merry children are happy and young. They present a contrast to the mother’s pain and old age and the poet’s worry and fear. They symbolise youth, vigour and spring, whereas the mother is old, decaying and frail.

Question 9.
What kind of pain does Kamala Das feel in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Answer:
Kamala Das has a childhood fear of her mother ageing and while going to the airport, she sees her ageing mother looking like a corpse as she slept open mouthed and pale.

Question 10.
Why are the youngsters described as springing?
Answer:
The youngsters are described as springing as they are full of life. Merry children were joyfully coming out in numbers from their houses and were a contrast to her ageing mother beside her in the car.

Question 11.
Having looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the young children?
Answer:
After having looked at her mother, Kamala Das was in pain. She had a fear of separation from her mother. The children outside were symbolic of dynamism, joy and life. Hence, she wanted to divert her thoughts of her ageing mother.

Question 12.
In the last line of the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’, why does the poet use the word ‘smile’ repeatedly?
Answer:
Kamala Das wanted to make her mother feel that everything was fine. She wanted her to believe that they would meet soon. She also wanted to hide her fears about not meeting her next time. In fact, she wanted to put a brave front.

Question 13.
Why does the poet look at ‘young tree’ and ‘merry children’?
Answer:
The poet looks at ‘young trees’ and ‘merry children’ to divert her attention from the
gloomy thoughts of losing her mother. Looking at them was a ray of hope distracting her mind from the negative thoughts.

Question 14.
What does the poet’s smile in the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ show?
Answer:
The smile on the poet’s face was an attempt to reassure her mother. She was masking the fear of separation. She was also trying to hide her concerns regarding the possibility of her mother’s demise. Besides, she was also trying to hide her guilt and sorrow for having to leave her mother at a time in her life when she needs the poet the most.

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 8 Going Places Consists Of All The Answers From This Chapter. You Can Download The Pdf For NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Free And Refer To The Answers To Get A Better Understanding Of The Chapter. https://mcq-questions.com/ncert-solutions-for-class-12-english-flamingo-chapter-8-going-places/

Going Places NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 8

Going Places NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Going Places Think as you read

Going Places Question Answers Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 1.
Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie belonged to lower middle class families. Though Sophie dreamt of big and beautiful things, Jansie was more practical and realistic. It was most likely that the two girls would find work in a biscuit factory.

Going Places Ncert Solutions Class 12 Question 2.
What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?
Answer:
Sophie had dreamt of having a boutique in the city. She dreamt of becoming a manager, a fashion designer or an actress. Jansie discouraged her from having such dreams as Sophie’s dreams were wild and impossible. She had neither the means nor the skills to achieve them.

Going Places Class 12 Questions And Answers NCERT Solutions Question 3.
Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?
Answer:
Sophie had told Geoff not to tell about the meeting with Danny Casey to her father. She believed that her father would not believe it. He would rather scold her for telling such wild stories.

Question 4.
Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer:
Geoff finds it hard to believe when Sophie tells him about the meeting with Danny Casey. But he does not appear to disbelieve her either. If he did not believe her, he would not have told about it to his father and Jansie’s brother Frank.

Question 5.
Does her father believe her story?
Answer:
Her father does not believe her story at all. He knows her habit of indulging in fantasy. He thinks it to be another of her wild stories.

Question 6.
How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future?
Answer:
She does not know where her brother Geoff goes. But unknown world and people fascinate her. She wishes to be closer to Geoff. She hopes that someday he would take her there. She imagines herself in a yellow dress riding behind Geoff, and the world rising to greet them with an applause.

Question 7.
Which country did Danny Casey play for?
Answer:
Danny Casey played for United Kingdom.

Question 8.
Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?
Answer:
Sophie thought that Jansie was a stupid girl as she would not be able to keep a secret. She would tell the whole neighbourhood. People would come to Sophie and ask her what it was all about. Her father would be angry with her and there would be a row in their family.

Question 9.
Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?
Answer:
Sophie had not met Casey. It was only her fantasy. She imagined having met him as she desired to meet him. She never meets him in reality.

Question 10.
Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person?
Answer:
The only occasion when she could have seen Danny Casey in person was on Saturday. The whole family went to watch the United Team play. She saw him in person in the stadium.

Going Places Understanding the Text

Question 1.
Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up in the story?
Answer:
Both Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends belonging to middle class families. However, Sophie was much more ambitious than Jansie. Sophie tells Jansie that she wants to own a boutique. Jansie, who is more practical, advises Sophie that a lot of money is needed for a boutique. Sophie says that she would earn the money.

Then Jansie tells her that it takes a long time to save that much money. So Sophie says that initially, she would be a manager till she gets enough money. Jansie tries to explain to Sophie that they would not make Sophie a manager right away. Sophie still believes that she would have the most wonderful shop in the city. So Sophie, besides being impractical, had a wavering mind also.

Jansie felt sad thinking that both of them were likely to work in the biscuit factory after school. Jansie also tries to make Sophie understand that she should be sensible as they , do not pay well for the shop work. Sophie however, thought that she would become an actress and have a boutique. Besides that, she said that she might even be a fashion designer. So we see Sophie as an overambitious, impractical daydreamer. On the other hand, Jansie is more practical and has a firm mind.

Question 2.
How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father?
Answer:
Sophie’s father was an authoritarian, short-tempered person and a sports lover. He seemed to be a fun-loving person, as whenever the United team won, he went to the pub to celebrate. He had a plump face. When Geoff told his father that Sophie met Danny Casey, he looked at her with an expression of contempt. Later, he started discussing about the young, talented Irish, Danny Casey.

When Sophie told him that Danny Casey was going to buy a shop, he made an ugly face to show disgust. He told Sophie that it was another of her wild stories. He did not believe at all that Sophie might have met Danny. Sophie seems to be scared of her father. Sophie told Jansie that there would be a “right old row” if her father gets to hear about it. She even told Jansie about her father‘you know what a miser he is’.

Question 3.
Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective, whalt did he symbolise?
Answer:
Sophie was quite fond of her elder brother, Geoff, who was an apprentice mechanic. He had to travel each day to the far side of the city for his work. He was almost grown up though he had left school only three years ago. Geoff did not speak much. Sophie felt that when he was not speaking, he was away somewhere out there in the world in those places she had never been to.

These places had a special fascination for Sophie as they were unknown to her and remained out of her reach. She believed that there were even exotic and interesting people, of whom Geoff never spoke. She longed to know about them. She wished that her brother some day might take her there. So from Sophie’s point of view, her brother symbolised a person, who could acquaint her with “the vast world out there”, which was totally unknown to her. Her love for her brother is evident from the fact that she told Geoff only about her meeting with Danny Casey.

Question 4.
What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to? What are the indicators of her family’s financial status?
Answer:
From the story ‘Going Places’, we realise that Sophie belonged to a poor socio-economic background. But she aspired to have a boutique, though she had no means or money to fulfil her dreams. After school, she was likely to work in a biscuit factory.
When she said that if ever she has money, she will buy a boutique. To this, her father says that if she ever has money, she would better buy them a decent house to live in. This showed that their house was in a shabby condition.

The small room of their house was steamy from the stove and dirty washing was piled up in the corner. Her brother Geoff had been an apprentice mechanic who travelled to his work each day to far side of the city. Her father had a bicycle as Sophie saw it propped against the wall of the pub. So Sophie belonged to a poor family. Their social life seemed to be confined to watching the matches played by the United team.

Going Places Extra Questions and Answers

Going Places Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why did Sophie wish to become an actress?
Answer:
Sophie was interested in a boutique. For this, she needed money. So, she thought that she should become an actress as there was real money in that. Then she could have a boutique too.

Question 2.
What was Geoff doing and how did he go to his work?
Answer:
Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother. He had been out of school for three years and was almost grown up. He was an apprentice mechanic. He used to travel to his work each day to the far side of the city on his motor bike.

Question 3.
“And she was jealous of his silence.” Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?
Answer:
Sophie’s brother Geoff spoke very less. She was jealous of him as she thought that when he was not speaking it was as though he was away somewhere out there in the world in those places she had never been to.

Question 4.
What was the special fascination of the teenager Sophie?
Answer:
The unknown outlying districts of her city, unknown places beyond her country, and the world of places where she had never been were great fascination for Sophie. She wished to know about exotic places. She hoped to go there with her brother Geoff.

Question 5.
What did Geoff mean by saying, ‘Casey must have strings of girls’?
Answer:
Sophie wanted Geoff to promise not to tell daddy about her meeting with Danny Casey. He would get angry at her badly. Then Geoff told that Casey must be having a large number of girls in his contact, and she was still a schoolgirl. But Sophie pointed out that Casey was quiet. He did not have strings of girls.

Question 6.
What was the autograph riddle? Could it be solved?
Answer:
On first meeting, Danny Casey at Royce’s window, Sophie asked his autograph for little Derek. But neither had a paper nor a pen. In the second real meeting at the Royce’s, the same riddle stood unsolved—the autograph couldn’t be given neither had a pen.

Question 7.
What was Jansie’s attitude towards Sophie on hearing about her meeting Danny Casey?
Answer:
Geoff told Frank that Sophie met Danny Casey. Frank’s sister Jansie was nosey. She asked Sophie about the meeting. It surprised Sophie because she had termed it a secret. She felt at ease when she realised that Geoff had not let her down.

Question 8.
Write a character sketch of Jansie.
Answer:
Jansie belonged to a middle class family. Though she was sensible and practical, she was nosey. She loved to gossip. She did not have high ambitions in life like Sophie. She knew that she was earmarked to work in a biscuit factory.

Question 9.
What was going on in Sophie’s mind about people and places unknown to her?
OR
What were Sophie’s views about the vast world around?
Answer:
The unknown far off places even beyond the surrounding country had a great attraction in Sophie’s mind. She wanted to see, meet exotic and interesting people of whom Geoff never spoke. She was impatient to know them. She thought the world was waiting to welcome her.

Question 10.
What did Sophie tell Geoff about Danny Casey?
Answer:
Danny Casey was a young Irish player of the United first squad. Sophie told Geoff of the meeting Danny Casey at Royce’s window. It surprised him and he wanted to know the truth. She told about Danny Casey’s gentle green eyes. She told him that she talked with him first and also asked for an autograph. But they had neither pen nor paper. So he promised to do it next week, if she cared.

Question 11.
Why did Sophie like Danny Casey?
Answer:
The young Irish Danny Casey was a sports icon. He was gentle and calm. He was handsome and always impressively dressed. He was tall and handsome with a strong dark face. She imagined him to be fit for her love.

Question 12.
What did Sophie imagine about her meeting with Danny Casey?
OR
Write Sophie’s description about her first meeting with Danny Casey.
Answer:
Sophie told that she met Danny Casey at the Royce’s window. She was looking at her clothes there. He came and stood beside her. She spoke to him first and asked if he was Danny Casey. He confirmed, she asked for an autograph but neither had paper nor a pen. They talked a bit. He assured her of an autograph next week, if she cared.

Question 13.
What was the weekly pilgrimage in the story, ‘Going Places’?
Answer:
Their weekly pilgrimage on Saturday was to watch the United match. Actually she got interested in Danny Casey and wanted to see his game and watch him playing at the United on Saturday. Sophie with her lather and litde Derek sat near the goal, and Geoff went up with his friends. They boost up Danny’s morale and got thrilled at his scoring goal.

Question 14.
What did Sophie tell Jansie about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer:
Next week when Jansie met Sophie, she asked her about meeting Danny Casey. Though Sophie got surprised and damned her brother Geoff, yet she called it something special between them. Something secret but not a Jansie type. Jansie promised to keep it a secret. Sophie told it was a litde thing, she asked for an autograph but neither had a pen.

Question 15.
‘It was a perfect place, she had always thought so.’ Which is the place described and what made it so perfect?
Answer:
For the fancy date, Sophie walked by the canal in the evening. She used to play there in her childhood. She reached the wooden bench beneath the solitary elm tree. She sat and waited there for Danny Casey. It was a perfect place for the lovers, who wished not to be observed.

Question 16.
What was Sophie’s ambition in life? How did she hope to achieve that?
Answer:
Sophie wanted to be a manager, like Mary Quaint and have the most amazing shop, or an actress, or have a boutique or a fashion designer. She wanted to make money and fulfil her sophisticated wish.

Question 17.
Sophie was dreaming of so many things in her life. What were they?
Answer:
Sophie was a dreamer as she wanted to be a manager till she had enough money to have a boutique or an actress as there was real money in it, or fashion designer, something a bit sophisticated.

Question 18.
Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from having dreams?
Answer:
Jansie discouraged Sophie from having dreams because the latter was unrealistic and had unattainable visions. Jansie knew that they were earmarked for the biscuit factory as she was practical, and she thought reasonably how tough and challenging life could be.

Question 19.
What did Sophie imagine about her brother, Geoff?
Answer:
Sophie imagined that when her brother Geoff is silent, his mind goes to all the new places that beyond the surrounding country. He meets new people, who are exotic and interesting.

Question 20.
What did Sophie tell Geoff about her ‘meeting’ with Danny Casey?
Answer:
Sophie told Geoff that she met Danny Casey while she was staring at the clothes in Royce’s window. She started the conversation and then asked for an autograph. But neither of them had any paper or pen, so Danny Casey asked Sophie if she would meet him again for an autograph.

Question 21.
Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know about her meeting with Danny?
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she knew that Jansie would spread the news to the whole neighbourhood. Sophie did not want to be ridiculed before others.

Going Places Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
How did Geoff and Sophie’s father react when they came to know that Sophie had met Danny Casey?
Answer:
Sophie’s father and her brother, Geoff were very much fascinated with Danny Casey, whom they regarded a great player. When Sophie told Geoff that she had met Danny Casey, he did not seem to believe her. That is why, he inquired of her what Danny Casey looked like. She told him in detail how she happened to meet Danny Casey in the arcade. She even told him that Danny Casey’s eyes were green and gentle, and he was not so tall.

Perhaps that is why, Geoff told his father that Sophie had met Danny Casey and it was true.But when Geoff told his father about Sophie having met Danny Casey, he gave an expression of contempt. Her father did not believe it to be true. He told Sophie that it was another of her “wild stories”.

Question 2.
Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie, highlighting their temperaments and aspirations.
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie are classmates. They belong to lower middle class families. Both of them are earmarked for biscuit factory. Jansie’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. But Sophie is totally blind to the harsh realities of life. She dreams of big and beautiful things. She wants to have a boutique. She thinks of becoming an actress as there is a lot of money in this profession. If need be, she can also be a fashion designer. In short, she loves to be grand and sophisticated.

All her dreams are beyond her reach and resources. Jansie advises her to be sensible, but she remains a romantic dreamer. Sophie and Jansie differ in thinking and temperament. Sophie is lost in her dream world. She shares her secret with only one person. It is her elder brother, Geoff. Jansie is ‘nosey’. She takes interest in learning new things about others.

She can spread the story in the whole neighbourhood; so Sophie does not want to share secrets with her. Sophie is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She adores young Irish footballer Danny Casey. She develops a fascination for him. She becomes sad and helpless, but she doesn’t become wiser. She remains a dreamer. Jansie is practical and a realist. She has no such unrealistic dreams.

Question 3.
Do you think Sophie is overambitious and Jansie is more practical? Discuss.
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie are class fellows and friends. They belong to lower middle class families. Jansie understands her limitations well. She knows that both of them are earmarked for the biscuit factory. But Sophie is totally blind to the harsh realities of life. She dreams of big and beautiful things. She wants to have a boutique. She also entertains the idea of becoming an actress. She loves to be nice, grand and sophisticated. All her dreams are beyond her reach and resources. Though Jansie advises her, Sophie refuses to be sensible. She is nothing more than a romantic dreamer and is in awe of the footballer Danny Casey. Sophie and Jansie are poles apart in their thinking and temperament. Sophie is all lost to herself and her dreamy world. She is an incurable escapist. She adores the young Irish footballer Danny Casey. She remains what she always is a dreamer.

Question 4.
Sophie lives in a world full of dreams which she does not know she cannot realise.Comment.
OR
Attempt a character sketch of Sophie as a woman who lives in her dreams.
Answer:
Sophie is a young girl of a lower middle class family. Though she has been earmarked to work in the biscuit factory, she dreams of opening a boutique and also becoming an actress or a fashion designer or a manager. She dreams of coming out of her economic situation. She is an incurable dreamer and an escapist. All her dreams and disappointments are figments of her own imagination. Although she is warned against such dreams by her friend, Jansie and her father, but she ignores them. As no one believes her, she shares her dreams only with her brother, Geoff who is an introvert. She also worships the football player, Danny Casey. She fantasises about meeting Danny at the market place and later near the canal.

Question 5.
It is not unusual for a lower middle class girl to dream big. How unrealistic were Sophie’s dreams?
Answer:
Sophie is a young girl of a lower middle class family. She wants to open a boutique and also become an actress or a fashion designer or a manager. She is an incurable dreamer and an escapist. Although she was warned against such dreams by her friend, Jansie and her father but she ignores them.

Dreams are very important to go ahead in life. If there were no dreams, there would not be any progress anywhere. But being a mere dreamer is not enough. One should be realistic and practical as well. If our imagination has only wings, it will not take us anywhere unless and until we are firmly grounded also. Sophie’s dreams were just imagination, a flight of fancy which took her nowhere. She derived momentary delight from her dreams and that was all.

Question 6.
Do you think the title of the story ‘Going Places’ by A.R. Barton is appropriate? Discuss.
OR
In the story ‘Going Places’, the author A.R. Burton has successfully taken the readers to places. Elaborate.
Answer:
The author A.R. Burton has taken the readers to places through his female character Sophie. She was a very sweet and beautiful teenager, who loved fantasising. In the first phase of the journey, she took the readers in search of work. She wanted to have a superb boutique of her own or become a shop manager. She wanted to become an actress to have real money. If not that, she wanted to become a fashion designer though it was a little sophisticated. Her such thinking made her friend Jansie sad as she knew that both of them were earmarked for the biscuit factory.

In the second phase of the journey, she suspected the areas of Geoff’s life about which she knew nothing. Geoff never spoke much. When Geoff kept silent, she thought him to be away somewhere out there in the world in those places she had never seen; the adjacent areas of the neighbouring country, its people and thus, she had developed a great fascination for them. Riding behind Geoff, she took us to the world that one can easily praise.

In the final phase, from the Royce’s window to Danny Casey, the United’s first squad player. In her excitement and dreaming, Sophie waited under the elm tree near the canal. She pictured Danny Casey outside Royce’s arcade again. But here, she really could not take an autograph because neither of them had a pen. Thus, throughout the story, the reader goes on from place to place, but there is no solid result. So the title ‘Going Places’ is appropriate.

Question 7.
“Sophie’s dream world clashes with the world of her family and friends”. Bring out the stark difference between the two worlds.
Answer:
Sophie belonged to a mediocre or rather poor socio-economic background. But she aspired to have a boutique, though she had no means or money to fulfil her dreams. After school, she was likely to work in a biscuit factory.
When she told her father that she wishes to buy a boutique if she ever has money, he asks her to be practical and to rather build a decent house to live in with that money. This showed that their house was in a shabby condition. Her friend Jansie was very much aware about their financial conditions and family background. She knew that both were earmarked for the biscuit and tries to make Sophie understand the same. ‘‘However, Sophie refused to understand and remained an impractical daydreamer.

Question 8.
Teachers always advise their students to dream big. Yet, the same teachers in your classrooms find fault with Sophie when she dreams. What is wrong with Sophie’s dreams?
Answer:
It is good to dream but one needs to be practical too. Sophie belonged to a mediocre family. She aspired to own a boutique, though she had no means or money to fulfil her dreams. After school she was likely to work in a biscuit factory. Her dreams are unrealistic. She loves to indulge herself without even thinking of how to achieve it. In her heart of hearts, she knows that her dreams have little possibility of coming true and are only a product of adult fantasising. She also dream dates Danny Casey, an Irish football player.

She gets so pulled into her date story told to her brother Geoff that she was supposed to meet Danny. Irrespective of all this, Sophie fantasises about her hero, unperturbed. Dreaming within limits is good. Unless one is impossibly ambitious, hardworking, and have loads of patience and perseverance, such dreams are best kept under lock and key, unless one likes to be disappointed.

Question 9.
Every teenager has a hero/heroine to admire. So many times they become role models for them. What is wrong if Sophie fantasises about Danny Casey and is ambitious in life?
Answer:
Teenager is the phase of life which constitutes major changes in the life of an individual. During this phase, a person learns many things, sets his career goals, and deals with poor pressure and the reprimands, demands and expectations of the adults. Hence, it is natural for the teenagers to fantasise and love in a world of dreams.

It would be wrong to ridicule dreaming and fantasising, it is based on realistic goals and the world around provides them the means of opportunities to achieve these aspirations and dreams. Desiring to move ahead in life and working towards this instills confidence, positivity and optimism. However, if there is a disparity between the goal, dream and one’s capabilities, the effect could be harmful and painful. Failure could lead to disappointment, depression and a complete drop in confidence.

In short, dreaming or fantasising is not wrong, and therefore, Sophie was perfectly entitled to fantasise about her future or about her favourite footballer Danny Casey. The only problem or worry is that one should be realistic, sensible and prepared to face consequences whether good or bad with elegance.

Question 10.
Unrealistic dreams often lead to a great deal of unhappiness. Justify the statement on the basis of the story, ‘Going Places’.
Answer:
Unrealistic dreams lead to unhappiness. It is true as the world of dreams takes us away from reality. Dreams which are far away from reality put the person in difficult situation. In the story, Sophie always lived in a dream world, dreaming impossible things. She is not ready to accept the reality and always takes an imaginary flight. Only constructive dreams are like a guiding light.

They make us work harder. When dream becomes a fantasy, it does more harm than good. Just forgetting reality in the pursuit of dreams is harmful. Sophie, the protagonist in the story has been nurturing her dreams since childhood. She has taken a fancy for Danny Casey, the footballer as her hero. She refuses to accept that it is her fantasy. She is so lost in her dreams that she even imagines herself waiting for him by the canal. She goes to the extent and puts herself into load of troubles which leads to unhappiness.

Question 11.
In one’s approach to life one should be practical and not live in a world of dreams, flow is Jansie’s attitude different from that of Sophie?
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates and very good friends. Both of them belonged to a very poor socio-economic background. However, Sophie was very ambitious and had great plans of setting up a boutique of her own or be a manager in one. She would also speak of becoming an actress and would earn the requisite money to fulfil her dreams, whenever Jansie cautioned her.

According to her, working in the biscuit factory was absolutely not where she saw herself in the future. Jansie, on the other hand, was a very practical person. She advises her friend to come back to reality and out of her world of dreams. The down to earth and firm-minded Jansie knew that the castles Sophie built would only remain in the air. The attitude of the two friends very clearly shows that they were totally different in the approach to life.

Question 12.
What impression do you form of Sophie and Jansie after reading the story, ‘Going Places’?
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie, neighbours and schoolmates have opposite temperament while Sophie is imaginative, Jansie is practical. Sophie is a daydreamer and impractical. She wants to be in a glamorous career. She is an attention-seeker. She lives in a fantasy world and is always far from realty. She creates a story of her meeting Danny Casey to arouse everyone’s interest. Sophie is an escapist and gregarious, whereas Jansie’s views are grounded. She is individualistic and self-contained. She is contented, whereas Sophie is dissatisfied at her being a victim of lower middle class. She never accepts the reality that they are meant for biscuit factory.

Question 13.
In what way was Sophie’s hero worship and fantasising at odds with her socioeconomic background? Was she justified in dreaming the ‘impossible’?
Answer:
In many respects Sophie’s dreams were unrealistic. She wanted to buy a boutique, be a manager, an actress or a fashion designer. She hailed from a weak socio-economic background and did not even have a decent house. It seemed as Jansie said, that they were not made to work in a biscuit factory. Glamorous dreams about Danny Casey, the Irish soccer player and all her fantasies. Yet these dreams are justified perhaps because they take Sophie away, for some time, from the bitter reality that she cannot accept.

Question 14.
Maintaining a balance between one’s fantasies and the real world is the key to the survival. Give your opinion on Sophie’s character in the light of the above statement.
Answer:
Fantasy always takes one away from the real world. It is temporary refuge. Sophie an adolescent/teenager belongs to the poor socio-economic background. Her real world forces her to remain in the fantasy world. She always takes imaginary flight where she wants to remain. Her world is full of glamour and sophistication. Though this is a temporary refuge, but she is unable to balance both real and fantasy world. For her brother Geoff, she desires to be in his world, the places where he goes, the people he meets.

Not only this, she fantasises the famous footballer prodigy Danny Casey and tries to prove her meeting with him a real one. No one believes her but she suffers badly as it only gives her disappointments. So for survival, it is must for one to maintain balance between a fantasy and reality.

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4 The Rattrap Consists Of All The Answers From This pdf. You Can Download The Pdf For NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Free And Refer To The Answers To Get A Better Understanding Of The Chapter. https://mcq-questions.com/ncert-solutions-for-class-12-english-flamingo-chapter-4-the-rattrap/

The Rattrap NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4

The Rattrap NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Rattrap Think as you read

The Rattrap Questions And Answers Class 12 NCERT Solutions  Question 1.
From-where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer:
The peddler once got lost in the woods, and thought of his rattraps, when the idea of the world being a rattrap struck him.

The Rattrap Question Answers Class 12 NCERT Solutions  Question 2.
Why was he amused by this idea?
Answer:
The peddler believed that the world with all its riches and joys, food and shelter appears as a rattrap to tempt people. He was amused to think of many other people he knew, who were already caught in the trap, and some others who were circling around the bait.

The Rattrap Question Answer Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 3.
Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Answer:
The peddler did not expect to receive the kind of hospitality he received from the crofter. He usually used to meet sour faces and was turned away without even a word of kindness.

Rattrap Question Answers Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 4.
Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter was so talkative and friendly with the peddler because he always lived alone and he needed company. He wanted to share his feelings with somebody. The peddler had sufficient time and he had to pass the night, so he listened peacefully.

The Rattrap Ncert Solutions Class 12  Question 5.
Why did he show the thirty kronors to the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter felt proud of the cow that gave him enough milk to support him. So he told the peddler that he had got thirty kronors from the creamery as the payment of previous month’s supply. However, he felt that the peddler did not believe him. Thus, he showed the money to convince him.

Rattrap Class 12 Questions And Answers NCERT Solutions Question 6.
Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Answer:
The peddler had no respect for the crofter’s confidence reposed in him. In fact, he came back, smashed the windowpane, and stole the money.

The Rattrap Class 12 Ncert Solutions Question 7.
What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Answer:
After stealing the crofter’s money, the peddler believed that it was not safe to walk along the public highway. So he went into the woods. He walked there but could not get out of it. So he thought that he had fallen into a rattrap. The forest with its trunks, branches and under growths appeared to him like an impenetrable prison.

Rattrap Ncert Solutions Class 12 Question 8.
Why did the iron master speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer:
The iron master considered the peddler as an old regimental comrade, who had fallen on evil days. So he invited the peddler to come home with him.

The Rattrap Solutions Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 9.
Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Answer:
The peddler was afraid as he was carrying stolen money with him. The peddler knew that the ironmaster had mistaken him for an old regimental comrade and feared that the ironmaster would send him to the police. He felt it was like walking into a lion’s den.

Rattrap Class 12 Ncert Solutions Question 10.
What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Answer:
The peddler accepted her invitation as she spoke kindly to him. She realised that he was afraid. Thus, she assured him that no harm would come to him and he was at liberty to leave whenever he wanted.

The Rattrap Class 12 Question Answer NCERT Solutions Question 11.
What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Answer:
Edla was kind, trusting and compassionate. She had promised joy and festivities to
the peddler on Christmas eve. Therefore, she entertains the peddler even after she knew the truth about him. Edla thought that the peddler had stolen something or had escaped from jail. She did not believe him to be educated, thus, she did not think of him as her father’s old regimental comrade.

Rattrap Questions And Answers Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 12.
When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Answer:
The ironmaster had seen the peddler in the dim light of the furnace. When the peddler came well-groomed in the broad daylight, the ironmaster realised that he was mistaken.

Class 12 English The Rattrap Ncert Solutions Question 13.
What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person ‘the ironmaster had thought he was?
Answer:
The peddler told that he never pretended to be what he was not. He only desired to be permitted to sleep in the forge for the night. He had declined the ironmaster’s invitation, again and again. He even wanted to put on his rags again, and go away.

The Rattrap Question And Answer Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 14.
Why did Edla entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Answer:
Edla served him not as her father’s old comrade. She always thought him to be a homeless poor tramp. She wanted to feed supper to the poor man on Christmas eve. Thus, she let him stay.

Class 12 English Chapter 4 Question Answer NCERT Solutions Question 15.
Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer:
Edla was the daughter of the ironmaster. She had invited the peddler to her house, but when she was in church, she came to know that the peddler had stolen the money from the crofter’s house. She was worried that he might have stolen things from her house too. But later, she was overjoyed to see the gift and all things untouched.

English Class 12 Chapter 4 Question Answers NCERT Solutions Question 16.
Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Answer:
The ironmaster had been mistaken when he took the peddler for his old comrade. In reality, he felt he was Captain von Stahle, and signed his name on the letter as that. All this was due to Edla’s behaviour, who made him feel like a real captain.

The Rattrap Understanding the Text

Class 12 Rattrap Ncert Solutions Question 1.
How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
Answer:
The peddler had been a man selling small rattraps made of wire. All around, he led a sad and monotonous life of a vagabond. He knocked at the door of the house of the crofter, who was an old man without wife and children. He showed kindness and hospitality unexpected by the peddler. Still the rattrap peddler stole his thirty kronors. So he betrayed the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. Later, the ironmaster thinking him to be an old acquaintance, invited him to his house. The peddler went to his house thinking that ironmaster might give him a couple of kronors. He did not reveal his true identity.

Edla Willmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter asked him to come to her home in a very compassionate and friendly manner. He agreed to go to their home. But while he was riding to the manor house, he had “evil forebodings”. He felt guilty for stealing the crofter’s money. The ironmaster, after realising that he was not the captain, told him to go out of the house immediately. However, the insistence of Edla allowed him to spend the Christmas evening in their house. The peddler wondered about it. However, he interpreted it to be her nobleness, kindness and generosity.

Class 12 The Rattrap Question Answer NCERT Solutions Question 2.
What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different from that of his daughter in many ways?
Answer:
There are several instances in the story to prove that ironmaster’s character is different from his daughter’s in many ways. The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be an old acquaintance. So he invited him to his house to spend Christmas evening. The peddler however, declined his invitation. So the ironmaster sent his daughter with the hope that she would have better ways of persuasion. The compassionate manner of the daughter won the confidence of the peddler, who agreed to go to her home.

However, as the valet bathed the peddler, cut his hair and shaved him and dressed him in a good-looking suit, the ironmaster had the realisation that he was someone else. The ironmaster, who could be called impulsive, told him to get out of his house immediately. However, his daughter said that he should stay with them that day, for Christmas.She felt sympathetic towards ‘the poor hungry wretch’. She believed that he could have a day of peace with them just one in the whole year. She even told him to take his father’s suit as a Christmas gift. Her attitude changed the peddler who left with her the money he had stolen.

Question Answer Of The Rattrap Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 3.
The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
Answer:
In ‘The Rattrap’, there are instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Walking along the road one evening, the peddler saw a light grey cottage by the roadside. He sought shelter for the night. Usually, he was met by ‘sour faces’. However, unexpectedly the house owner, the crofter, an old man without wife or children, greeted him. He showed hospitality by serving food and taking care of him. Then the peddler was entrapped in the forest. Over there, he sought shelter at the Ramsjo Ironworks. However, he met the ironmaster who insisted that he spends the Christmas evening at his home.

The ironmaster mistook him for an old regimental comrade. When the peddler declined the offer, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, went there to persuade him to come to their house. Later, the ironmaster realised that he had mistaken the stranger’s identity and told him to leave his house immediately. But Edla unexpectedly convinced her father to let him stay for Christmas in the house. The most surprising reaction, however was the transformation of the peddler that was a result of the behaviour of Edla towards him.

Rattrap Question And Answer Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 4.
What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer:
The peddler, in addition to selling small rattraps of wire was even a petty thief. From the house of the crofter, he stole thirty kronors. This was inspite of the fact that the crofter sheltered him in his house for a night and gave him the best possible hospitality. However, the kind and generous behaviour of Edla Willmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter, finally changed him.

The ironmaster invited him to his house, mistaking him for an old regimental comrade. But realising that the peddler was not his old acquaintance but someone else, he told him to leave his house immediately. However, Edla showed pity on him and persuaded her father to permit him to spend the Christmas with them. Her behaviour changed his conscience and while giving her gift of a rattrap, she requested him to return the thirty kronors of the crofter which he had stolen. A complete transformation takes place in the peddler due to Edla.

The Rattrap Class 12 Questions And Answers NCERT Solutions Question 5.
How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Answer:
In the story, ‘The Rattrap’, the peddler sells small rattraps of wire. Thinking of his rattraps, he was suddenly struck by the idea that the whole world around him lands and seas, its cities and villages—was a big rattrap. He believed that the world existed for no other purpose but to set baits for people. The world was full of riches and joys, shelter and food and clothing, just as the rattrap offered food. When anyone was tempted to touch the bait, it trapped him, and it brought everything to an end. Thus, the metaphor of the rattrap serves to highlight the human predicament. The more we are allured by the wordly things, the more we are entrapped by them. There is no way out.

Question 6.
The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?
Answer:
The peddler had a great sense of humour. He contrasts the whole world with a rattrap. It sets bait for people. Since the world was never kind to him, he got ‘unwanted joy’ to think ill of it this way. His pastime was to think about people he knew who had been caught in the dangerous web, and of others who were waiting to be caught in the bait. It depicts his sense of humour. With stolen money of the crofter, he felt “quite pleased with his smartness”. Entrapped in the forest, he thought about the world and the rattrap. He believed that ‘his own turn had come’. It shows his sense of humour. He believed that he had been fooled by a bait and had been caught.

He did not tell his real identity to the ironmaster as he thought that thinking him as an old acquaintance, ironmaster may ‘throw him a couple of kronors’. Going to the manor house, he believed that he was sitting in the trap and would never get out of it. As the ironmaster came to know that he was not his old acquaintance and threatened to call the sheriff, he replied that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap and the ironmaster began to laugh. His sense of humour serves in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story. It also evokes our sympathy for him.

The Rattrap Talking about the Text

Discuss the following in groups of four. Each group can deal with one topic. Present the views of your group to the whole class.

Question 1.
The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
Answer:
The rattrap seller has been shown as a victim of his situation and not as an evil character from the beginning of the chapter. The peddler’s business was not profitable enough to make both ends meet, so he had to resort to beggary and stealing. Moreover, he had no friends to guide him to the right path. The sympathy is justified because the peddler is capable of appreciating genuine goodness and hospitality. When he is treated with respect and kindness, he reciprocates the same in the best way he can, as shown in the end of the chapter.

Question 2.
The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others?
Answer:
The chapter deals with the issues of loneliness and companionship. Not only the peddler, but also other characters like the crofter, the ironmaster and Edla are lonely. The peddler had been lonely for a long time, but Edla’s kindness and hospitality changed him. On the other hand, the crofter was also a lonely old man whose craving for a companionship leads him to give a shelter to the peddler, and he ends up getting robbed.

The other two characters in the chapter the ironmaster and his daughter also suffer from loneliness. They crave company on Christmas Eve and are excited when they get the opportunity to serve a guest.

Question 3.
Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
Answer:
(Answers may vary.)

Question 4.
The story is both entertaining and philosophical.
Answer:
The story provides us with the glimpses of human nature and the reactions of people in various situations. The actions of the peddler after stealing thirty kronors are quite Amusing. The change in the ironmaster’s attitude towards the stranger reveals how selfish and ignorant human beings can be, and the reactions of the blacksmith to the tramp’s request for shelter show how casual and indifferent human beings can be. The ironmaster mistakes the vagabond for his old regimental comrade and asks him to spend Christmas with them at their home.

When the peddler refuses, he sends his daughter to convince with her persuasive power, she makes him follow her to the house. When the ironmaster sees the strange in broad daylight, he is annoyed. Instead of realising his own mistake, he puts blame on the peddler. The metaphor of the world being a rattrap saves the situation for the tramp, but the ironmaster wants to turn him out. But the daughter wants the tramp to enjoy a day and moreover, she does not want to chase away a person who they invited home. The ironmaster’s comments are quite entertaining and philosophical.

The Rattrap Extra Questions and Answers

The Rattrap Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
“Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.” Which two reasons forced her to behave in that manner?
Answer:
Edla was sad and upset as she had heard that a crofter of ironworks had been robbed. This led her to think that the peddler to whom she gave shelter was responsible for this misdeed. Her father also added to her doubts by saying that he had heard the peddler was a thief.

Question 2.
Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked at the door of the cottage?
Answer:
The peddler was surprised as he was not only welcomed at the night time but was also provided food and shelter. He was treated like a guest and not as a beggar. The crofter was a lonely man, he also needed company.

Question 3.
What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer:
The peddler changed his way of living because of the love and hospitality shown by Edla, daughter of the ironmaster. He lived a pathetic life, but when he was respected and cared, he changed his way of life. He began to live with dignity and respect.

Question 4.
Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did he feel?
Answer:
The peddler kept to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage because he wanted to avoid police. He was afraid as he had stolen the crofter’s money. If he took to the road, he might be caught or seen by policemen or the crofter.

Question 5.
Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mill? Why did he visit the mill at night?
Answer:
The owner of that mill was a very prominent ironmaster. His greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market. He insisted on quality and kept a watch on the work round the clock. He came to the forge on one of his night rounds of inspection.

Question 6.
How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace?
Answer:
The ironmaster adjusted his hat to see the stranger very carefully. He seemed to him as one of his acquaintances, so he offered to take him home.

Question 7.
Why didn’t the stranger tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof?
OR
How did the peddler react when he saw that the ironmaster had recognised him as Nils Olof, an old regimental comrade?
Answer:
The peddler was mistaken by the ironmaster to be an old acquaintance from the regiment. He assumed that the ironmaster would hand him a few kronors and therefore, made no attempts to deny the reference being made. He replies by saying that things had gone down hill for him. However, when the ironmaster said that he should not have resigned and suggested that “Nils Olof” should accompany him to the manor, he flatly refused to do so, for fear of being recognised.

Question 8.
Why did Edla invite the peddler to stay with her family?
Answer:
Edla was a kind and compassionate young lady. It was Christmas and she wanted the peddler to be a guest for the occasion and share all the goodies that were prepared for Christmas. She had also sensed his fear, but she wanted him to spend some time in her house without any fear and relax in comfortable security.

Question 9.
Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap?
Answer:
The peddler was a very poor man. He earned his living by selling rattraps made out of material bought by begging. Suddenly, he realised that the whole world was a rattrap. The riches and luxuries and comforts are the baits. Like rats, people allow themselves to be tempted by these baits. Once caught, everything is lost and even struggles would not let anyone escape.

Question 10.
What did the gift of the rattrap signify?
Answer:
In the story ‘The Rattrap’, the peddler leaves a small rattrap with thirty kronors and a note for Edla. He confesses his mistake and asks Edla to return the money to the crofter. He admits that he got caught in his own rattrap. He also thanks her for treating him as a real captain and for giving him another chance.

Life is one big rattrap, one gets trapped by his own deeds. The gift of the rattrap signified that the peddler was releasing himself from the trap he had very nearly got into. It was an expression of gratitude to Edla, for enabling him get out of it because of her behaviour towards him. It is important that everyone gets a second chance to improve oneself, and Edla had given him his chance.

Question 11.
Why was the peddler amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer:
The peddler believed that the world with all its riches and joys, food and shelter appears as a rattrap to tempt people. He was amused to think of many other people he knew, who were already caught in the trap, and some others who were circling around the bait.

Question 12.
What hospitality did the peddler receive from the crofter?
Answer:
The peddler was surprised as he was not only welcomed at the night time but was also provided food and shelter. He was treated like a guest and not as a beggar. The crofter was a lonely man, he also needed company.

Question 13.
What do we learn about the crofter’s nature from the story, ‘The Rattrap’?
Answer:
he crofter was lonely and trusting. He was hospitable and gullible. Without any doubt on the peddler, he invites the peddler inside his house at night and shares not only his food but also the whereabouts of his hard-earned money. He was friendly and talkative. He felt proud of his cow that gave him enough milk to support him and talks a lot about it.

Question 14.
Why did the crofter show the thirty kronors to the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter felt proud of the cow that gave him enough milk to support him. So he told the peddler that he had got thirty kronors from the creamery as the payment of previous month’s supply. However, he felt that the peddler did not believe him. Thus, he showed the money to convince him.

Question 15.
Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer:
The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be “Nils olof ”, his old regimental comrade. He goes on to tell him that he would not have allowed him to resign if he had been in service. As if to make amends for what had happened, the ironmaster tells the peddler to accompany him to the manor, so that he can be received honourably like an old regimental comrade.

Question 16.
Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer:
Edla was happy to see the gift as it was a Christmas Eve and her mother was dead and
brothers were abroad. On this festival, a stranger left a gift for her and shared the feelings of happiness and bonding as she was feeling lonely.

Question 17.
What was the content of the letter written to Edla by the peddler?
Answer:
The peddler had left a packet behind for Edla which contained a rattrap, as a Christmas gift. Inside the packet, there was a letter and thirty kronors. In the letter, he has thanked Edla for her kindness and hospitality towards a stranger. He also repented for his crimes in the letter.

Question 18.
What did Edla notice about the stranger?
Answer:
Edla noticed that the stranger was very scared. He seemed to be either a thief or a runaway from a prison. As per her observation, he did not seem to be educated to be a captain.

The Rattrap Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Describe the events which led to the change in the peddler’s way of life.
Answer:
The peddler had been living a despicable life of poverty, despair and frustration. His only aim in life was to accomplish things in life. He did not care about the means he chose to acquire the material substances in life. Be it beggary, theft or cheating someone, he did not shy away from anything. His view towards the society was in fact shaped by the apathetic and indifferent attitude of the society towards him. He was never shown any understanding, respect or kindness by anyone. He did not have any respect for any one and viewed the whole world as a rattrap.

He felt that the riches and luxuries of life were baits to entice people into a vicious cycle of struggles, from which there was no escape. Neither the crofter’s hospitality nor the ironmaster’s invitation to his house brought about any change in him. It was only when he met the ironmaster’s daughter, Edla that his outlook towards life changed. Edla’s warmth, kindness, compassion and genuineness touched him. He left a rattrap as a Christmas gift for Edla and enclosed a letter thanking her for her kindness.

He also confessed to stealing money from the crofter and left the money to be restored to the owner. This way, he redeemed himself from his dishonest ways and emerged as an altogether transformed person. In this transformation process, he behaved like a real captain, the way Edla addressed him.

Question 2.
Do you think the title, ‘The Rattrap’ is appropriate? Give examples from the text in support of your view.
Answer:
Selma Lagerlof gives a very apt and logical title to the story. The metaphor of the rattrap is very effectively used. The whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All riches, joys, food and shelter are just baits. These baits make people restless, helpless and powerless. The moment anyone touches the bait, the rattrap closes in on him. Then everything comes to an end.

The story revolves around the vagabond, who, though philosophises about the world being a rattrap, falls into its trap. Though the crofter shows him kindness by offering him food and shelter, he robs him. His greed for money makes him fall in the rattrap. Further, when the ironmaster mistakes him to be an old friend, he does not correct him. He decides to cheat him of his money. So even though the peddler tries hard not to fall into the rattrap or worldly riches and materialistic benefits, he ultimately falls into one.

Question 3.
Attempt a character sketch of the peddler in the story, ‘The Rattrap’.
OR
The peddler enjoys the sympathy of readers right from the beginning of the story. Draw a character sketch of the peddler, justifying the sympathy he generates among the readers.
Answer:
Selma Lagerlof draws the character of the peddler with all sympathy and understanding. Selma wants to give a definite message. The peddler represents some human weaknesses. He is in fact the product of circumstances. But he is never devoid of basic human goodness. Only it lies in hibernation for some time. The essential goodness in him is awakened through love and understanding of Miss Edla Willmansson.

The peddler is so many things, all rolled in one. He is a vagabond cum beggar cum etty thief. At moments, he can raise himself to a philosopher. He philosophises life and compares the world to a big rattrap. Finally, he transforms himself into a ‘gentleman’. The peddler is a pragmatist. He finds his business not quite profitable. He doesn’t mind resorting to both begging and petty thievery. Nor is he above temptations. He steals 30 kronors of his generous host, the old crofter.

The peddler raises himself above petty worldly temptations in the end. His essential human qualities raise him to heroic heights. He is witty and humorous. He knows how to deal with men and tricky situations. He thanks Miss Edla for her kindness and hospitality. She gives a little cry of joy when he decides to return 30 kronors to the rightful owner. She is requested to return the money to its rightful owner, the old crofter. The readers forgive him for his little human weaknesses. They develop sympathy and appreciation for him.

Question 4.
Describe the peddler’s meeting with the ironmaster. Why did he decline his invitation?
Answer:
It was by chance that the peddler found himself at the Ramsjo Ironworks. It was a dark evening before Christmas. The peddler opened the gate and stood close to the furnace. It was nothing unusual for poor vagabonds to have night shelter in the winter in front of the fire. The ironmaster noticed the peddler.

He walked close up to him and looked him over very carefully. He mistook him for Captain Stahle, an old comrade of his regiment. He felt sorry that he had resigned from the regiment long ago. The ironmaster invited the peddler home as their special guest on Christmas. The peddler was not amused. He didn’t want to be received by the owner like an old regimental comrade. He looked quite alarmed and declined the invitation.

Going to the manor house appeared like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He didn’t want to go there. He only wanted to spend the night in the forge. He wanted to sneak away in the morning unnoticed. Then he thought of the thirty kronors. They were a bait and he couldn’t resist the temptation. Now again the bait had been thrown at him. He had to resist the temptation and decline the invitation. The ironmaster only assumed that the peddler felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing.

Question 5.
Edla proved to be much more persuasive than her father while dealing with the peddler. Comment.
OR
The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster but accepted the one from Edla. Why?
Answer:
The peddler was afraid as he was carrying stolen money with him. The peddler knew that .the ironmaster had mistaken him for an old regimental comrade and feared that the ironmaster would send him to the police. He felt as if he were walking into a lion’s den. He didn’t want to go there. He only wanted to spend the night in the forge. He wanted to sneak away in the morning unnoticed. Then he thought of the thirty kronors.

They were a bait and he couldn’t resist the temptation. However, he accepted Edla’s invitation as she spoke kindly to him. She realised that he was afraid. Therefore, she assured him that no harm would come to him and he was at liberty to leave whenever he wanted. The compassionate manner of the daughter won the confidence of the peddler who agreed to go to her home.

Question 6.
Why did the crofter repose confidence in the peddler? How did the peddler betray that and with what consequences?
OR
How did the peddler betray the confidence reposed in him by the crofter in ‘The Rattrap’?
Answer:
The peddler did betray the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. He considered this world nothing but a big rattrap. It sets baits for people. The peddler unwillingly allowed himself to be tempted to touch the bait. Those thirty kronors which the crofter stuffed into the pouch proved to be bait. He stole the money. By doing so, he committed a breach of trust. It was nothing but simple moral degeneration. One dark evening, as he was walking along the road, he saw a gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. He was well received there.

The owner was an old man (crofter) without wife or child. He was happy to find a man to talk to in his loneliness. The old crofter served him supper, gave him tobacco and played a game of cards with him. The old man went to the window and took down a leather pouch. He counted thirty kronors and put it into the pouch. It provided a big bait. The peddler was tempted to steal them. In this way, he betrayed the confidence that was reposed in him by the host.

Question 7.
The story ‘The Rattrap’ focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Explain.
OR
The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Answer:
In this story, the author tells us that as normal human beings, we always like to share something with others, be it joy or sorrow. It means that humans do not want to be lonely and they want company of others. In this story, first the peddler is lonely, and to overcome this, he sells rattraps. The crofter is lonely, so he welcomes the peddler to have a conversation with him. The ironmaster and his daughter are also lonely. They are rich and have a big house, but they do not have anybody to give them company. Hence, they request the peddler to spend Christmas eve with them. The author has very subtly focused on the loneliness of humans and how they strive hard to get a good companion.

Question 8.
How can we transform and clean an evil doing person? Give example from the story.
OR
Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
Answer:
The writer has highlighted a universal theme in this story. It is that we can arouse the goodness in the life of a man by love, understanding, sympathy and respect. Once upon a time, there was a man who went around selling self-made small rattraps of wire. His condition was too miserable to beg and do petty thefts. He was in rags with sunken cheeks and hungry eyes.
One day, an idea flashed into his mind. He thought that the whole world around him was a big rattrap. It offered riches, joys, food, shelter, clothing like a bait offering cheese

and pork in a rattrap for the rats. Those who were tempted to touch the bait, fell. It closed on them bringing an end to everything. One dark evening, while staying at the crofter’s cottage, he was given food and lodging. But the next morning, the tramp stole his thirty kronors. He kept on walking the same path in the forest. On hearing the sound of hammer strokes, he reached the iron mill and lay near the furnace.

The ironmaster mistook him to be his old acquaintance and invited him for Christmas cheer but he refused. He sent his daughter Edla, who persuaded him to their house. After having him well dressed, the ironmaster found that he mistook him as Captain ‘Nils Olof.’ So he ordered him to get out at once. The young girl interceded for him and said that she wanted him to stay as they promised him Christmas cheer. He was treated like a real captain with food. In their absence, when they were at church, he left. In the church, they learnt that the rattrap seller had robbed the old crofter. So they became worried.

When they returned, the valet told that he had taken nothing with him and had rather left behind a Christmas gift for Miss Willmansson. She found a small rattrap, thirty kronors and a letter in it. The letter stated that she had taken him as if he were a captain, so he would be nice to her as a captain. It had given him power to cleanse himself.

Question 9.
Greed is the greatest evil force that has tempted man into doing a lot of misdeeds. It is greed that has led to so much corruption, violence and mayhem in the world. The peddler in ‘The Rattrap’ is not conscientious nor does he think twice before robbing a crofter. Bearing these thoughts in mind, write an article discussing the qualities that are required for overcoming the Evil of Greed.
Answer:
Value Points:

• Greed is the greatest evil that paralyses the goodness of man.
• It spreads like wildfire and makes a man immune to goodness and kindness.
• Money, fame, power and property acquired by unfair means is like a vicious cycle never lets anyone rest in peace.
• The consequences of greed are deep and never-ending.
• Meditation, consultations, keeping the company of good and honest people can keep the bridle on such men.
• It is most important that the desire to overcome greed should come from within.

Question 10.
The peddler thinks that the whole world is a rattrap. This view of life is true only of himself and of no one else in the story. Comment.
Answer:
The Swedish peddler is a victim of retrenchment that occurred with machines taking over man, in the second half of the 19th century. Industrialisation made him a travelling rattrap salesman. Even the crofter and the ironmaster of Ramsjo Ironworks are fellow sufferers, the peddler’s own experience, perhaps makes him conclude ‘the world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages-was nothing but a big rattrap’. It existed for no other reason than as baits for everybody.

‘It offered riches, joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and fork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and everything came to an end.’ The peddler was likewise trapped into stealing the thirty kronors; he gives into Edla and accepts the invitation for a stay and Christmas dinner, but he is able to save himself in the end by leaving the thirty kronors behind, along with a rattrap and a touching letter to Edla.

Question 11.
Very soon after stealing the crofter’s money, how did the peddler realise that he was himself caught in a rattrap?
Answer:
After stealing the crofter’s money, the peddler started walking towards the forest to stay safe. He tried to walk in a definite direction, but the paths were strangely twisted. He kept on walking without coming to the end of the woods. Finally, he realised that he had been walking around the same part of the forest. He then realised that the whole forest, with its trunks and branches, its thickest and fallen logs, closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison from which he could never escape. This time he was trapped in a rattrap.

Question 12.
Edla’s empathetic and compassionate behaviour changed the life of the rattrap seller. Do you think that an act of kindness can change a person’s view of the world?
Answer:
An act of kindness does change a person’s perspective and nature as well as his view of the world. The peddler had been living a despicable life of poverty, despair and frustration. Everywhere he was not welcomed and had the fear of being caught. No one was there in his life who would love him. Edla’s hospitality and kindness deeply touched him.

He never received such kind treatment being a stranger to Edla. It was her generosity which made Peddler to confess his mistake and he repaid for his wrong doings by behaving like a real captain. He left rattrap as a Christmas gift for her and wrote a letter of thanks leaving behind the stolen money. This way he redeemed himself from a thief to real captain and emerged altogether as a transformed person.

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Lost Spring Consists Of All The Answers From This pdf. You Can Download The Pdf For NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Free And Refer To The Answers To Get A Better Understanding Of The Chapter. https://mcq-questions.com/ncert-solutions-for-class-12-english-flamingo-chapter-2-lost-spring/

Lost Spring NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2

Lost Spring NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Lost Spring Think as you read

Lost Spring Ncert Solutions Class 12 Question 1.
What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Answer:
Saheb is looking for some silver coins or currency note. It is as valuable as gold for him. He is in Seemapuri (Delhi) and had come from Bangladesh.

Lost Spring Class 12 Ncert Solutions Question 2.
What explanation does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Answer:
The author argues that the children are poor, so they could not afford to have any shoes.

Class 12 English Chapter 2 Lost Spring Question Answers Question 3.
Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? How do you know?
Answer:
Saheb is not happy working at the tea stall. He is no longer his master and that relaxed look on his face is also lost. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag that he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. It was because the bag was his and the canister belonged to the man who owned the tea stall. He had lost his independence and he was bound by time to lead a life of servility.

Lost Spring Solutions Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 4.
What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Answer:
Firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry.

Class 12 English Chapter 2 Question Answers NCERT Solutions Question 5.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.
Answer:
There are a lot of hazards of working in a bangle factory. They are badly lit and have bad ventilation. It requires continuous bending over the furnace. All these lead to a lot of health issues. Men have to work in dingy cells without air and light. As a result, they lose the brightness of their eyes and go blind with the dust from polishing the glass bangles.

Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 Question Answers Question 6.
How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Answer: Mukesh tries to break away from the family tradition of making bangles. This was more like a rebellion since no one had ever tried to move away from this trade. Mukesh wanted to carve a niche for himself. He wanted to be different. He wanted to become a car mechanic.

Lost Spring Understanding the Text

Ncert Solutions Of Lost Spring Class 12 Question 1.
What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer:
Their fields and homes could have been swept away by frequent floods because of which they had nothing to eat. Thus, they had to leave their homes and come to the cities.

Lost Spring Class 12 Solutions NCERT Solutions Question 2.
Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Answer:
Promises made to the poor are rarely kept. In the text, when the author meets Saheb, she encourages him to study and offers to open a school. Her unfulfilled promise disappoints Saheb.

Lost Spring Class 12 Question Answers NCERT Solutions Question 3.
What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer:
They include sahukars, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians who exploit them.

Lost Spring Talking about the text

Class 12 English Lost Spring Ncert Solutions Question 1.
How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Answer:
Mukesh’s aim in life was to become a motor mechanic. Yes, it indeed was possible to realise his dreams through his hard work and determination. He walked all the way to a garage, far away from his house, to learn the nuances of being a motor mechanic. He can realise his dream by working at some garage and learning the job of a motor mechanic.

Class 12 Lost Spring Ncert Solutions Question 2.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer:
The glass bangles industry has many health hazards. It usually employs small children. It is illegal to employ very young children. They work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures. The dingy cells, where they work are without air and light. They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark. Therefore, they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.

The Lost Spring Ncert Solutions Class 12 Question 3.
Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer:
Child labour is an inhuman practice. It should be eliminated by educating the children and banning it too. The parents who send their children for cheap labour, must be made aware of the fact that it is a crime to make little children work.

Lost Spring Extra Questions and Answers

Lost Spring Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web?
Answer:
The author says that bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web because they are not able to form co-operative societies for their betterment and are forced to follow and obey sahukars and policemen.

Question 2.
Who is Mukesh? What is his dream?
Answer:
Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. He dreams of becoming a motor mechanic and a car driver. In fact, he insists on becoming his own master.

Question 3.
Why could the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a co-operative?
Answer:
Most of the young bangle-makers have fallen into the trap of the middlemen. They are also afraid of the police. They know that the police will haul them up, beat them and drag to jail for doing something illegal. There is no leader among them to help them see things differently.

Question 4.
What does the writer mean when she says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’?
Answer:
The writer meant that till Saheb was a ragpicker, he was a carefree boy, who would work, have time for himself and enjoy the work he was doing. But from the time he had started working in a stall with others supervising his work, he changed. He had to become responsible and could not be free like earlier. He was no longer his own master.

Question 5.
What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ convey?
Answer:
Spring is associated with childhood. Like spring, a child blooms in childhood. However, abject poverty and thoughtless traditions result in the loss of child-like innocence and much needed education. Millions of children like Saheb and Mukesh lose the spring in their lives because they are compelled to do hazardous work to provide a living for their family and themselves. Thus, the title brings out the dejected life of the child labourers and their deprivation of the blessings of childhood.

Question 6.
What is the condition of the children working in the glass furnaces of Firozabad?
Answer:
More than 20,000 children illegally work in the glass blowing factories in Firozabad. They work around furnaces in high temperature to weld glasses. They work in dingy cells without light and air. Their eyes are adjusted more to the dark than to the light outside. They work all day long. Many of them lose their eyesight before they become adults.

Question 7.
Why don’t the younger ones of the bangle-makers do anything else?
Answer:
The years of mind numbing and hard toil kill the desire of making new attempts to improve their condition and the ability to dream. In Firozabad, doing any other work needs rebellion, strong will and the determination of the bangle-makers to do something go along with the family tradition because of lack of awareness, education and opportunities.

Question 8.
What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Answer:
For elders of Seemapuri, since they are ragpickers, garbage is a means of survival. However, to the children of Seemapuri, garbage is wrapped in wonder. Sometimes, they expect to find a coin, which raises their hope of finding more.

Question 9.
What does Saheb look for in the garbage dumps?
Answer:
Saheb looks for some silver coins or currency note. It is as valuable as gold for him.

Question 10.
“It is his karam, his destiny”. What is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their situation?
Answer:
Mukesh’s grandmother regards it as their destiny. She says that they were born in the caste of bangle-makers and have seen nothing but bangles in their lives. Mukesh’s family had mutely accepted it as their destiny and had stopped taking any initiative to change their fate.

Question 11.
How is the bangle industry of Firozabad a curse for the bangle-makers?
Answer:
Men have to work in dingy cells without air and light. As a result, they lose the brightness of their eyes and go blind with the dust from polishing the glass bangles. They are also exploited by moneylenders, police, bureaucrats and politicians. They live in a state of intense poverty and have to go without food for days. Therefore, it is a curse for them.

Question 12.
Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.
Answer:
Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alam which means ‘Lord of the Universe’. But in stark contrast to his name, Saheb is poverty-stricken, barefoot, homeless ragpicker who scrounges the garbage dumps of Delhi for his livelihood. His name is in total contrast to his very existence and is thus, ironical.

Question 13.
What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the economic condition of the ragpickers?
Answer:
The ragpickers were extremely poor. They did not have any money to buy chappals. They were poor and impoverished. They lived a hand-to-mouth existence. They were exploited and had no other work to do. They did not have a house to live in too.

Question 14.
“Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds…” In the context of Mukesh, the bangle- maker’s son, which two worlds is Anees Jung referring to?
Answer:
The author, Anees Jung very distinctly sees the two worlds of the bangle-makers and the makers of the society. On one side exists the poverty-stricken families burdened by the stigma of caste, illiteracy, pall and gloom, while on the other side, there is the sahukars, middlemen, policemen, keepers of law and the bureaucrats, who ensure that these poor people continue to be entangled in the vicious circle of poverty. Both these worlds are in stark contrast to each other.

Question 15.
Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?
Answer:
Saheb’s parents belonged to Dhaka in Bangladesh, where they lived amidst green fields. They and the other ragpickers left their homes many years ago and migrated to India in search of a livelihood, as their homes and fields were destroyed in storms. This forced them to come to India, where they settled in the slums of Seemapuri.

Question 16.
What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?
Answer:
Saheb took up work at a tea stall, where he had to perform several odd jobs, including
getting milk from the milk booth. He was not happy, as he had lost his independence. Though he earned ? 800 and got all his meals free, he was no longer his own master.

Question 17.
Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle-makers?
Answer:
Anees Jung blames the middlemen, the policemen, the lawmakers, the bureaucrats and the politicians for the sorry plight of the bangle-makers. These people conspire and exploit the poor bangle-makers. They pay them meagre wages, do not let them form co-operatives, and compel their children to join the same trade at an early age.

Question 18.
What was Mukesh’s dream? In your opinion, did he achieve his dream?
Answer:
Mukesh’s dream was to become a motor-mechanic. It is no doubt difficult for Mukesh to achieve his dream, as he is torn between his desires and his family tradition, which he cannot escape. Besides, he has to face a number of obstacles in the form of sahukars, middlemen, bureaucrats, lawmakers, politicians, etc. However, his will to work hard, and his strong determination could make him achieve his dream.

Question 19.
In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they are not devoid of hope. How far do you agree?
Answer:
In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who live in the slum have the desire to achieve something big in life like Mukesh. This shows that they are not devoid of hope. Saheb, a ragpicker, is eager to go to a school and learn. Mukesh, who , works in dark, dingy cells, dreams of becoming a motor mechanic, which is very much against his family tradition.

Question 20.
Was Saheb happy working at the tea stall?
Answer:
No, Saheb was not happy working at the tea stall. He had lost his carefree look. He was less contented as he was burdened with responsibilities. The rag-picking plastic bag though heavy, seemed lighter than the steel canister.

Lost Spring Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Grinding poverty and tradition condemn the children of ragpickers or bangle-makers to a life of exploitation. Such children are deprived of all opportunities in life. Mukesh, who opts out of the existing profession of his forefathers by resolving to start a new job of a motor mechanic symbolises the modem youth. What lesson do we learn from Mukesh’s example?
Answer:
It is not only the grinding poverty but also the tradition that condemns the children of ragpickers or bangle-makers to live a life of exploitation. On one side is the family, trapped in poverty and burdened by stigma of the caste they are born in, on the other side, they are trapped in the vicious circle of inhuman sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the so-called keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. All of them have created a situation from which there is no way out.

The trapped do not have the guts to break out of it. Mukesh, in fact, is like a ray of hope with his dreams of becoming a motor mechanic. He wants to opt out of the existing profession of his forefathers. He has resolved to start a new job as a motor mechanic. The long distance to the garage where he will learn the work of a motor mechanic does not deter him. He is prepared to walk. But he is firm. He symbolises the youth of his clan. If this persists, the day is not far when a new generation will bring brightness and hope to the dark and dingy homes of these poverty-ridden workers.

Question 2.
How is Mukesh more ambitious in life than Saheb? Give a reasoned answer.
OR
How is Mukesh’s attitude towards his situation different from that of Saheb? Why?
Answer:
Mukesh is definitely more ambitious than Saheb. Unlike most of his friends in Firozabad, Mukesh did not want to follow the profession of making bangles. No one else could dare to think of breaking the conventional style of living. Mukesh dreamt of becoming a motor mechanic. He had already decided to go to a garage and learn about cars. Though the garage was a long way from his home, he was prepared to walk that distance. He insisted on becoming his own master.

Saheb, on the other hand, had sacrificed his freedom as a ragpicker to take up a salaried job that would pay him 800 rupees and give him all his meals. Now, he was no longer his own master. He had lost his carefree look (which he had when he was a ragpicker). The can that he carried seemed heavier than the bag he carried as a ragpicker, for this job was not to his liking.

Question 3.
The barefoot ragpickers of Seemapuri live on the periphery of Delhi, yet metaphorically speaking, miles away from it. Comment
Answer:
The barefoot ragpickers of Seemapuri live on the periphery of Delhi, yet metaphorically speaking, miles away from it, sums up the true condition of the ragpickers of Seemapuri. Seemapuri is a slum area, which houses approximately 10,000 ragpickers. They live in mud houses with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. There is no sewage, drainage or running water. They came here from Bangladesh in 1971 and have been living here ever since without any identity of their own or permits, but they have ration cards and their names figure in the voter’s list.

Women wear tattered saris. Survival in Seemapuri means ragpicking. This is an example of the gross negligence and apathy of the Delhi Government. It has failed to do anything for them. Though Seemapuri is so close to Delhi, almost on its periphery, but the glitter and glamour advantages like education,proper facilities for living a clean and decent life are beyond the reach of these slum dwellers of Seemapuri, which is so close to Delhi, yet so far.

Question 4.
The bangle-makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make everyone happy, but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate.
Answer:
The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in utter poverty, generation after generation. They believe that they are the people who are destined to work as glass bangle- makers. They make beautiful bangles for women, but they live in the dark. The workers have to look at the hot bright furnaces while polishing bangles. While welding pieces of coloured glass into bangles, they have no other option but are forced to sit near flickering lamps. Hence, they are forced to stay in dark room huts and their eyes are not in a position to see the daylight outside. They become blind quite early in life. They are in a vicious circle tossed around by moneylenders, middlemen and politicians. Instead of helping them, the law enforcing authorities only prey on them.

Question 5.
Give a brief account of the life and activities of people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Answer:
Saheb is a poor boy belonging to a refugee family from Bangladesh. His family came to Delhi and settled in the trans-Yamuna area called Seemapuri. Here, they have no work to do. They pick garbage for their livelihood. Saheb also, like others, looks and searches the garbage dumps for some coins.

They leave their houses in the morning with a bag on their back to collect something from the garbage. They remain barefoot. It has become their habit not to wear any footwear. The families like Saheb’s left behind a life of abject poverty in flood-hit areas of Bangladesh and came to India. They move to big cities in the hope of getting some work. In the absence of work, they begin ragpicking.

Question 6.
‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
Answer:
Yes, I fully agree that ‘Lost Spring’ explains abject poverty. Saheb-e-Alam came along with his family from Bangladesh to Delhi. His family settled on the banks of the Yamuna river. Here, they have no work to do and no house to live in. So they began the work of ragpicking. His family lives a hand-to-mouth existence. Thus, this lesson deals with the plight of street children like Saheb-e-Alam, and Mukesh of Firozabad working in a glass bangle factory. The children of such families are forced to labour early in life and denied the opportunities of going to school. These children are trapped in the vicious circle of social stigma, tradition, poverty and exploitation. Thus, the title of the story rightly explains and brings out the depravity of child labour in our country.

Question 7.
What contrast do you notice between the colour of the bangles and the atmosphere of the place where these bangles are made?
Answer:
The dusty streets of Firozabad, the bangle-making district, are overflowing with garbage and the stink is overwhelming. The hovels where the bangle-makers dwell have walls that are crumbling down, with unstable doors and no windows. The conditions are so terrible that families of humans and animals live together.

The drabness and lack of colour in the lives of these people contrast starkly with the colour of the bangles which lie everywhere “sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple, every colour born out of the seven colours of the rainbow”. The unhappiness and tedium in the lives of the bangle-makers contrasts the joy and merriment that their bangles will bring to the women who will buy and wear them.

Question 8.
What did the writer see when Mukesh took her to his home?
Answer:
The writer realised that it was a slum area. The lanes were stinking and were choked with garbage. The homes looked like hovels. Their walls were crumbling. The doors were wobbly, with no windows. The homes were crowded with humans and animals living together. Mukesh’s home looked like a half-built shack. In one of its parts, a firewood stove had a large vessel on it.

A frail young woman cooked the evening meal. She was the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. As Mukesh’s father came in, she brought her veil closer to her face. The old man was a poor bangle-maker. Even after long years of hard labour, he had been unable to renovate his house. He was unable to send his two sons to school. Mukesh’s grandmother was also there. Her husband had become blind with dust from the polishing of glass bangles.

Question 9.
Describe the difficulties the bangle-makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
OR
Describe the circumstances which keep the workers in the bangle industry in poverty.
Answer:
The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in utter poverty generation after generation. They believe that they are the people who are destined to work as glass bangle-makers. They make beautiful bangles for women but they live in dark. The workers have to look at the hot bright furnaces while polishing bangles. While welding pieces of coloured glass into bangles, they have no other option but are forced to sit near flickering lamps. Hence, they are forced to stay in a dark room and their eyes are not in a position to see the daylight outside. They become blind even before they become adults. Their life is embroiled in a web that is created by the moneylenders, middlemen and politicians. Instead of helping them, the law enforcing authorities only prey upon their misfortunes.

Question 10.
In the lesson ‘Lost Spring’, Saheb and Mukesh are deprived of their childhood pleasures and education. Nobel Peace prize winners Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai have been fighting for the rights of the children. Motivated by these activists, you write an article on the topic, ‘Evils of child labour and denial of education’. You are Mahesh/Malvika. Write your article in about 125-150 words.
Answer:
Evils Of Child Labour and Denial Of Education
By Malvika
Child labour has been a major problem not only in India but also in all the developing countries. It is a great social problem. We often find children working in dhabas, factories, tea stalls, fields and homes. They often become ragpickers and street performers. All this deprives children of a normal, carefree childhood. Schooling becomes a distant dream, and a perpetual state of poverty becomes a reality. Dreams become a mirage.

Child labour is often borne out of the need for survival. Often the reason is to increase the income of a poor family. Industries often employ children under 14, in the hope of reducing the labour cost in their organisation.
In a developed society, where every citizen counts and all citizens have to have proper education, health care support, games and entertainment, a child with less or absolutely . no education finds it hard to survive.

Taking up a small job as a domestic help or in a restaurant for a nominal salary of ₹ 750-1800 per month, does not leave a child with enough time for primary and secondary education. All this renders a child completely illiterate, unskilled and perhaps unhealthy. Free education should be provided to poor children to motivate their parents to send them to school.

The government should come forward with schemes for upliftment of the poor and unemployed. This will take away the burden of earning their livelihood from the tender shoulders of poor children. Hence, no child should be engaged as labourers, both from a legal point of view as well in the interest of the child’s future.

Question 11.
“Butpromises like mine abound… in their bleak world.” Saheb and others like him spend their life on unfulfilled promises. One role that the youth can play to improve their conditions is by volunteering in programmes like, ‘Each one Teach one’. You are Vibha Raghunathan, the Head Girl of Bal Vidyalaya, Rohtak. You and some other students of the school are touched by the plight of the slum kids, who would love to be educated but can’t because of their poor economic conditions. You and your friends wish to make a difference by teaching these kids. Draft a notice, in not more than 50 words, making an appeal for generous help and inviting other students for the same purpose.
Answer:
Bal Vidyalaya, Rohtak
Notice
11 May 20XX
Eact One Teach One
A school trip is being planned to the nearby slums on every Sunday. The purpose of this trip is to teach the slum children. Those who are interested in being a part of this noble cause can attend a meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 2 June 20XX at the school auditorium.
Vibha Raghunathan
Head Girl

Question 12.
Garbage to them is gold. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri survive?
Answer:
Seemapuri is on the outskirts of Delhi. It is comprised of migrants from Bangladesh who survived through ragpicking. These refugees are provided with no amenities of sewage, drainage or running water and is unlike the life of glitter and glamour in Delhi. Poverty prevails here from corner to corner. Ragpicking meant survival for them. It assumed proportions of fine art.

For the children of course it proves to be fun. They scrounge through the garbage to discover valuables in them. Saheb, the main character has resigned to this life. The ragpickers who came here way back in 1971, live in mud houses, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. For all these years, they have had no identity, ho permits yet possess ration cards and have their names in the voter’s list. All of them know that garbage would ensure their daily bread and a roof above their heads.

Question 13.
For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.” What kind of life do the ragpickers of Seemapuri lead?
Answer:
Seemapuri is on the outskirts of Delhi, comprising migrants from Bangladesh, who survived by way of ragpicking. These refugees, who settled down here in 1971 have no amenities of sewage, drainage or running water and is unlike the life of glitter and glamour in Delhi. Poverty prevails here from corner to corner. Ragpicking is the only means of survival for them and at times it assumes proportions of fine art. For the children of course it proves to be fun and they scrounge through the garbage to discover valuables in them.

Saheb, the main character has resigned to this life. The dwellers here live in mud houses, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin. For all these years, they have had no identity, no permits yet possess ration cards and have their names in the voter’s list. All of them know that garbage would ensure their daily bread and a roof above their head.

Question 14.
What change do you find in Saheb’s life when he stops ragpicking and starts working at a tea stall?
Answer:
When Saheb started working at the tea stall, his face lost the carefree look which he used to have when he was a rag picker. He was no longer his own master now. He had to do what the owner of the tea stall asked him to do. He carried heavy metal canisters, instead of light plastic bags and these canisters were not even his own. The plastic bags were his own. He was not happy working at the tea stall as he had lost his freedom.

Question 15.
Do the poor have the right to dream? Why then does the author call Mukesh’s dream ‘a mirage’?
Answer:
Dream comes naturally, and everybody has a right to it whether rich or poor. It is true that Mukesh had challenges in life, but he was very optimistic though the dream was like a mirage for him. He belonged to a family that was in the marginalised category of the society. He disliked his profession of bangle-making that blinded children at an early age and gave no proper food or shelter.

He wanted to become a motor mechanic even though he had been working for years in the bangle-making factory. He knew about the vicious circle of politicians and middlemen, yet he had a dream to fulfil one day.

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Deep Water Consists Of All The Answers From This pdf. You Can Download The Pdf For NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Free And Refer To The Answers To Get A Better Understanding Of The Chapter. https://mcq-questions.com/ncert-solutions-for-class-12-english-flamingo-chapter-3-deep-water/

Deep Water NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3

Deep Water NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Deep Water Think as you read

Deep Water Ncert Solutions Class 12 Question 1.
What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?
Answer:
William Douglas had just begun to learn swimming. One day, an eighteen-year-old boy, for fun, picked him up and tossed him into the deep end of the Y.M.C.A. pool. He hit the water surface in a sitting position. He nearly died in this misadventure.

Deep Water Class 12 Ncert Solutions  Question 2.
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
Answer:
Douglas started going down gradually into the water. He was petrified, so he decided to jump as soon as his feet touched the bottom of the pool. However, as he jumped, he did not spring upwards. Rather he went down. There was water all around. Only his nose was out of water. He started his downward journey once again. An irresistible force brought him down.

He felt afraid and was paralysed with fear. Terror seized him, and he trembled with fright. He called for rescue but no one came. After that, blackness swept over him. He lost fear. There was no panic. He felt relaxed and lost consciousness.

Deep Water Class 12 Question Answers NCERT Solutions Question 3.
How did this experience affect him?
Answer:
The near death experience of drowning had a very strong impact on his psychology. He was deeply perturbed and shaken by the whole experience. A haunting fear of water took control of his physical strength and emotional balance for many years. As he couldn’t bear being surrounded by water, he was deprived of enjoying any water- related activity.

Deep Water Solutions Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 4.
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water because he believed in what Roosevelt has said, “All we have to fear is the fear itself.” Douglas regretted being deprived of enjoying water activities like canoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, etc. The wish to enjoy them and the craving to regain his lost confidence, while being in water, made him try every possible means to get rid of his fear. He was finally able to overcome this mental handicap by getting himself a swimming instructor and further ensuring that no residual fear was left.

Deep Water Class 12 Question Answer NCERT Solutions Question 5.
How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Answer:
The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece. For three months, he held him high on a rope attached to his belt. He went back and forth across the pool. Panic seized the author every time. The instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. Then Douglas had to kick with his legs for many weeks till they relaxed. After seven months, the instructor told him to swim the length of the pool.

Class 12 Deep Water Ncert Solutions Question 6.
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Answer:
When Douglas was alone in the pool, the remnants of the old terror would return.He would stare at and rebuke it, then go for another length of the pool. He was not satisfied. Even after the swimming training was over, Douglas wasn’t confident about his swimming or about the fact that he had overcome the fear. He was determined to get rid of it forever. He swam alone in the pool.

There he tried every possible stroke he had learnt. He went to Lake Wentworth to dive and dived off a dock at Triggs Islands and swam two miles. He tried every possible stroke he had learnt. He fought back the tiny vestiges of terror that gripped him in middle of the lake. Finally, in his diving expedition in the warm lake, he realised that he had truly conquered his old terror. Now, he could laugh away the terror.

Deep Water Understanding the Text

Ncert Solutions Of Deep Water Class 12 Question 1.
How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
Answer:
Douglas used to feel scared of water due to his childhood experience. But he decided to learn how to swim. He chose the Y.M.C.A. pool for this purpose as it was safe. However, unfortunately, one day, while he sat on the edge of the pool, a young man tossed him into water, just for fun. Douglas had a horrific experience. He fell into the water in a sitting position. He was scared as he sank into the depth. Though only nine feet deep, still it appeared to be bottomless. Terrified, he decided his next move. When he touched the bottom of the pool, he jumped. However, he did not spring to the surface. He came up gradually.

His eyes and nose came out of the water. He saw nothing besides water. He wanted to catch a rope, but failed. Though he kept on beating the water with his arms, nothing helped him. His legs remained stiff and hung as dead weights. Finally, he felt being sucked into water again. His lungs were about to burst. His head pulsated, and fear seized him. Terror struck him like an electric charge. He trembled with fear. He shouted for help but no one could listen to him. He came up and gasped for breath, but he swallowed water. Gradually, his mind blacked out and he became unconscious.

Class 12 English Chapter 3 Question Answers Question 2.
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer:
The panic that Douglas had experienced in the pool, haunted him. Its remembrance made him sick. As he went boating, fishing or bathing, fear gripped him. He was unable to enjoy canoeing, boating, fishing or swimming. Douglas thus, wanted to overcome this fear. He hired an instructor to learn swimming without fear. The instructor put a belt around Douglas. The rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor caught the end of the rope.

This way, they went back and forth across the pool. Each time the instructor loosened the rope, Douglas was afraid. Three months later, however, his terror began to leave him. So the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and then exhale. Further, he held Douglas at the side of the pool, and made him kick with his legs. All of this exercise was repeated hundreds of times till it was done perfectly. Thus, piece by piece, the instructor turned Douglas into a good swimmer who could swim independently using different strokes. But Douglas still felt ‘ dissatisfied. He did not feel fearless completely.

To get confidence, he went to Lake Went worth. There he dived off a dock at Triggs Island. He swam two miles using all types of strokes. Only once, memories of old terror came back. But Douglas overcame them with a laugh. So he was able to get over his fear of water totally.

Deep Water Question Answers Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 3.
Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Answer:
Douglas underwent a horrific experience in water. His first experience came at the sea beach with his father. A powerful wave passed over him, almost drowning him. The other experience was in the Y.M.C.A. pool. A strong wave hurled him to the deepest . part of the pool. Douglas did not know swimming. He was scared. He went up and down, his head ached, his lungs were about to burst, and an overwhelming terror seized him. In fact, he was nearly drowned.

This experience left a permanent impression on Douglas’mind. Experiencing something of this sort makes people feel like narrating it to others. So it was natural for Douglas to share his experience with the readers. But there are some other experiences too. It was the experience of total peace, with no fear of death. Here, Douglas finds that there is terror of death. But death is not terrible.

Later, Douglas was able to overcome it. Getting terrible fear and having conquered it, his will to live became intense.  He started enjoying every minute of living. His experience and ultimate conquest of his fear is a lesson for all the readers.

Deep Water Talking about the Text

Deep Water Class 12 Solutions NCERT Solutions Question 1.
“All we have to fear is fear itself.” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome? Elaborate.
Answer:
Roosevelt has appropriately said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” These words have a deeper meaning for all of us. It implies that we fear, fear the most. Those who have undergone this experience of fear can only appreciate its worth. William Douglas had faced it twice in life. He had a terrible fear of water. He could not go , for swimming, canoeing, boating, rafting, etc. He realised that it would ruin his life, since it was following and haunting him wherever he went. Fear is our hard core enemy.

We must get rid of it at the earliest like Douglas. I too had a terrible experience in my life. Once I went to a snake park in Kerala. Seeing all the snakes trying to crawl up the oily well wasn’t a pleasing sight and infact brought terror of snakes in my life. One day, when I was walking on the road, I saw a small snake crossing the road. My friend, who knew about my fear, asked me to run away. This, however, had an opposite effect on me and made me confront it. I went near it and found that it didn’t harm me. Though even now, I get scared on seeing huge snakes and avoid watching them on TV and newspaper, my fear for snakes has reduced. All because I decided to fight my fear.

Deep Water Extra Questions and Answers

Deep Water Short Answer Questions

Class 12 English Deep Water Ncert Solutions Question 1.
When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?
Answer:
Douglas did not lose hope. He planned that as soon as he would hit the bottom of the pool, he would push himself up. He sprang up as he planned and came slowly to the surface.

Class 12 English Deep Water Question Answers NCERT Solutions Question 2.
What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water with a yellow glow? How could he feel that he was still alive?
Answer:
Douglas was seized with extreme terror and panic. He tried to shriek under water and felt absolutely paralysed with fear. He felt stiff and rigid, and the screams seemed to freeze in his throat. The beating of his heart and the pounding in his head were the only reminders that he was still alive.

Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3 Question Answers NCERT Solutions Question 3.
Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?
Answer:
Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire to get rid of his fear of water. He took training from a coach in a swimming pool. Though his fear for water decreased, it had not completely left him. Then he went to the lake to test his fear to swim all alone. He swam two miles in the lake. Thus, he conquered his phobia of water.

Class 12 English Chapter 3 Deep Water Ncert Solutions NCERT Solutions Question 4.
Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of Y.M.C.A. pool?
Answer:
Douglas decided in favour of Y.M.C.A. pool, as it was an ideal place to learn swimming. It was safe as it was only two-three feet deep at the shallow end. Though, it was nine feet deep at the other end, the drop was gradual.

Deep Water Question And Answer Class 12 NCERT Solutions Question 5.
Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror flee?
Answer:
Douglas was not sure whether all the terror had left even after the training from October to April and practice till July. So he went to Lake Wentworth and swam two ‘miles. Terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. He had put himself under water and saw nothing but bottomless water. The old sensation returned,but only at a smaller magnitude. He laughed and rebuked terror.

Question 6.
What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas hired an instructor who taught him to face water and exhale. He taught Douglas
various techniques to handle water and learn swimming. Eventually, to ensure that his fear was completely off his mind, Douglas swam two miles across the lake went worth, and for any residual fear to be cleared, he hurried west to the Conrad Meadows and dived into the warm lake from on top of the Gilbert peak. He had finally conquered his fear of water.

Question 7.
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
Answer:
Douglas wanted to overcome his fear of water. For this, he took the help of an instructor who taught him all the strokes of swimming. He taught him to practise every part of his body separately – his limbs, his hands, how to exhale and inhale when out of water and inside water. After perfecting each part, he integrated the whole and built a complete swimmer out of Douglas.

Question 8.
What was the author’s early childhood fear of the water? How did it affect him the rest of his life?
Answer:
The author and his father once went to the beach of California when the former was three or four. While playing in the surf of the sea, the author was knocked down by the water and was buried under it. He lost his breath and a deep fear developed in his mind.

Question 9.
Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool?
Answer:
Douglas’ mother recommended that he should learn swimming at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool because it was much safer than the river where a lot of drownings had taken place. It was only 2-3 feet deep at the shallow end and 9 feet deep at the other end.

Question 10.
Mention any two long term consequences of the drowning incident on Douglas.
Answer:
After the drowning incident, Douglas always felt terrified near water. He was deprived of enjoying water activities like canoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, etc. Fear gripped him and all this spoiled his holidays.

Question 11.
What deep meaning did his experience at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool have for Douglas?
Answer:
After his near death experience at the Y.M.C.A. pool, Douglas started fearing water. He could not enjoy any water sports or go fishing. He decided to overcome his fear and learnt swimming again. He became confident and understood that ‘all that we have to fear is fear itself’.

Question 12.
‘All we have to fear is fear itself’. When did Douglas learn this lesson?
Answer:
These words mean that we fear, fear the most. Those who have undergone this experience of fear can only appreciate its worth. Douglas faced it twice in life. He had a terrible fear of water. He could not go for swimming, canoeing, boating, rafting, etc. He realised that it would ruin his life since it was following and haunting him wherever he went. Fear is our hard core enemy.

Question 13.
How does Douglas develop an aversion to water at the age of three or four?
Answer:
The author and his father once went to the beach of California when the former was three or four. While playing in the surf of the sea, the author was knocked down by the water and was buried under it. He lost his breath and a deep fear developed in his mind. At the Y.M.C.A. pool, a strong boy threw him in the deep end of the pool. Douglas hit the water in a sitting position and slowly went to the bottom. Although he was saved later but the terror stayed with him.

Question 14.
Douglas’ mother thought that Y.M.C.A. pool was safe for learning to swim. What are your views?
Answer:
Although the Y.M.C.A. pool was only two or three feet deep, but it lacked safety measures for learners. The pool remained open for hours, but there was no security. There were no ropes or ladders in the pool to help if someone happens to drown.

Question 15.
How did Douglas hope to come out when he was thrown into Y.M.C.A pool?
Answer:
Douglas planned that he would spring from the bottom of the pool and would push himself up, lie flat on the water, strike out with his arms and thrash with his legs. Then he would get to the edge of the pool and be safe.

Question 16.
What shocking experience did Douglas have at Y.M.C.A. pool?
Answer:
When Douglas was alone one day and the place was quiet, the water looked still and he observed all this sitting on the side of the pool, waiting for others, a big bruiser of a boy probably eighteen years old. A beautiful physical specimen, according to him yelled at him, picked him up and tossed him into the nine feet deep end of the pool, making him land in a sitting position, swallowing water and going straight to the bottom. Douglas unfortunately did not know to swim. He almost died.

Question 17.
How did Douglas’ introduction to Y.M.C.A. pool revive his childhood fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas remembered his experience on the beach of California when he was just three or four years old. He recalled how the waves overpowered him and though his father was with various instead of helping Douglas, he kept on laughing and enjoying his plight.

Question 18.
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer:
He was determined to get rid of his fear of water because he had suffered a lot, depriving himself from various water sports like boating, fishing and canoeing, etc.

Deep Water Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
“…there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality?
Answer:
Once Douglas was thrown into the swimming pool by a boy. He did not know swimming by that time. He could not come out of it by himself and was nearly drowned. Therefore, he became very much afraid of water. He dropped the idea of swimming and developed the fear of water. He made many efforts but went in vain. He could not control his feeling of terror. The writer had near death experience in the pool.

The writer made one more effort to come out but that also failed. Ife could not forget his first experience of drowning when he was swept away by a sea wave. At that time, he was with his father but he was afraid.Now, the author was so afraid of water that he could not even wade into it. He could not bathe in the river and could not enjoy any water sports.

Question 2.
How did the misadventure in Y.M.C.A. swimming pool affect Douglas? What efforts did he make to conquer his old terror?
Answer:
The misadventure at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool affected Douglas for life. He was eleven at the time. When he was a learner and sat alone on the edge of the Y.M.C.A. pool, a young man, just for fun, threw him into the deep end of the pool.

He almost drowned. This experience left a deep scar on his mind. For days, the panic and fear kept haunting him. He began to fear water. He was possessed by it completely. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, fishing, bathing and swimming all water sports. So he decided to conquer it.

He got the services of an instructor, who trained him. First, every part of his body and then bit by bit, he built a swimmer out of Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt around the waist of Douglas and the rope went through a pulley, the other end was held by the instructor. First, the fear came back every time the instructor let go the rope. Gradually, the fear became less. Later, the instructor was no more needed.

He tried to swim alone to test himself. So he went to Lake Went worth and dived off. He swam using all the strokes that he had learnt. The traces of fear that frightened him were brushed aside. He could now laugh it all away. The fear was gone. He could swim fearlessly.

Question 3.
How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?
Answer:
The haunting fear of the water followed Douglas in his fishing trips, swimming, boating and canoeing. He used every way he knew to get rid of this fear, but it held him firmly in its grip. So he finally engaged an instructor to learn swimming.
The instructor made him practise five days a week, an hour each day. He held one end of the rope in his hands and the other end through a pulley overhead of Douglas, was tied to the belt. Thus, the instructor relaxing his hold on the rope made Douglas swim back and forth in the pool.

After three months of this much training, the instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and breathe out, and to raise his nose and breathe in. He repeated this breathing-out and breathing-in exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit, he got rid of part of the terror which had gripped him. Next, the instructor held Douglas at the side of the pool and made him kick the water with his legs. After weeks of practice, he could command his own legs for swimming in water.Thus, piece by piece, the instructor built a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them into an integrated whole in the seventh month of the training.

Question 4.
How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the Y.M.C.A. pool?
Answer:
Douglas was tossed into the Y.M.C.A. pool by an older boy. He was frightened out of his wits, but on his way down, he planned how to rescue himself. He decided that when his
feet would hit the bottom, he would jump upwards and be able to come to the surface, ‘‘lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool. He tried to do so several times.

However, it seemed difficult because his lungs seemed to burst, he was not able to push himself upwards with force. He tried to reach a rope which also he failed to do. He tried to call out for help, but his voice failed him. His legs failed to paddle, he was surrounded by water and he drafted into a state of unconsciousness.Though all his efforts to save himself failed, he was rescued by the folks at Y.M.C.A. But the incident aggravated his fear for water.

Question 5.
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
Answer:
Douglas developed an aversion to water first as a child when he went to the beach in
California with his father. It so happened that when he was three or four years old, he went to the beach with his father. The waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water and his breath was gone. He was frightened and there was terror in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves.

At the Y.M.C.A. pool, a strong boy threw him in the deep end of the pool. Douglas hit the water in a sitting position and slowly went to the bottom and fainted. Although he was saved later, the terror stayed with him. As a result, he could not sleep or eat for days and did not go near the water for years. He developed a strong aversion for water bodies.

Question 6.
‘Practice makes a man perfect
Douglas tried hard to reach to the level of perfection by perseverance. Comment.
Answer:
Practice means constant use of one’s intellectual and aesthetic powers. Perfect means ‘ideal, complete and excellent’. Proper planning and practice promote perfect performance. Practice depends on training and it means repeating an activity. Constant practice also sharpens talent.

One has to follow certain qualities to be perfect. These are hard work, strong will power, faith, tolerance, positive approach, self-confidence and dedication. The quality that prepares one for all other qualities is practice. One should not stop practising and be satisfied until one achieves perfection.

Practice is the best way by which one can achieve perfection. Practice makes one feel and understand the same idea or thing again and again. The more one practices, the more errorless one becomes. One doesn’t repeat the errors that were done previously. Practice begins in the cradle and ends in the grave. Right from childhood, man practises various activities like talking, reading, writing, eating, cooking, etc. For learning an art or any activity, one needs constant practice.

A child practises speaking first by’learning the alphabet, then the words, sentences and finally the speech. A child through repeated practice reaches perfection in speaking. One can’t ride a bicycle or a motor bike or drive a car at the very first instance. One needs to practise till one achieves perfection in the same. The same method applies to other areas too. Be it fine arts, cooking or writing. Determined to overcome his phobia of water, Douglas got trained under an instructor. He conquered this terror with an adamant determination, patience, undeterred single-mindedness and relentless efforts. He became fearless and courageous.

Practice enables a person to reach the heights of success in all walks of life. Practice develops outstanding qualities in one’s character. Practice not only brings perfection but also helps in building character. Thus, it is practice that makes a man perfect and helps a human being who faces every challenge in life.

Question 7.
Fear is mankind’s greatest handicap. Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your views.
Answer:
People often hesitate from trying something new because of fear. Fear of failing; fear of not being able to complete something; fear of poor outcome; fear of change; fear of making mistakes—this fear of taking risks in life impedes the progress of a lot of people, especially those who have tasted success in the past. Successful people like to win and achieve high standards, so they become deeply interested in only achieving continuous success.

They don’t care to put their reputation as a ‘winner’ at stake—so they stay in their comfortable cocoon, missing all kinds of opportunities for an even brighter future. Yet again, childhood fears and phobias also act as deterrents in our way of progress. Fear of darkness, may prevent a person from enjoying the beauty of the right sky. Fear of heights, the view of the world below, and fear of water will deprive one from enjoying various pleasures that is provided by water sports. Fear of failure prevents us from trying to move towards success. In short, fear of every nature is a handicap.

• Change needs resilience, and resilience is born of confidence. One’s confidence is highest when things are going well. You’ll cope with any setbacks far better when you’re doing so from a position of strength.
• If you wait until life has dealt you some bad blows, those necessary changes will need to be made under time, pressure and stress. That’s a bad time to make decisions. The more stressed and frantic you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes and the less you’ll be able to recover from them.

Corporations often make the same error. They get complacent when the product line is selling well and profits are high, only thinking about new ways to please their customers when those customers are already going elsewhere.Achievement is a powerful value for many successful people. Each fresh achievement adds to the drive to achieve in their lives. Failure becomes the supreme nightmare: a lurking horror that they must avoid at any cost. And the simplest way is never to take a risk.

It is important to understand that failure is in fact the pillar to success. Be it J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Thomas Alva Edison, Albert Einstein, King Bruce or William Douglas from the chapter ‘Deep Water’, all of them had failed multiple times to achieve success in life. In fact, constant failure was what pushed them towards success. A little failure is essential to preserve everyone’s perspective on reality.

Fear is the greatest destroyer of human life and happiness. If you’re successful, but constandy afraid of failing, all your success hasn’t brought you what matters the most— peace of mind in the face of life’s constant unpredictability.

Question 8.
A big boy pushed Douglas into the deep end of the swimming pool which could have led to his death. Concerns regarding bullying and ragging persist in many teenage groups. Quoting examples from the text, discuss the problem of bullying and its effects on the victims. Also suggest ways to deal with this problem.
Answer:
Bullying or ragging creates many physiological problems for victims. It may or may not lead to physical harm, but psychologically it harms the victim. Douglas was also a victim of a similar incident. At the Y.M.C.A. pool, a bully threw him in the deeper end of the pool. Although he was saved, the terror stayed with him. As a result, he could not sleep or eat for days and did not go near the water for years. He also started avoiding water for a long time. Simple activities like fishing and boating, which he wanted to enjoy, couldn’t be done.

To deal with this problem, especially in schools and colleges, committees for monitoring teenagers should be set up. Once the prospective bullies know that they are being watched, they would not dare to do such actions. Equally important is the support of parents and community. Children need to be aware to understand what bullying is and report any incidents of bullying. Bullies should be severely punished and not just left with a warning. Unless some stringent measures are taken, the problem of bullying and ragging cannot be resolved.

Question 9.
Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water?
Answer:
Douglas had a very bad experience with water when he was very young, and the fear of water haunted him very significantly. He felt sick whenever he remembered the incident. His fear prevented him from enjoying water sports, fishing, canoeing, and swimming. He made up his mind to overcome this fear. He hired an instructor to enable him to do so. The instructor put a belt around Douglas that was connected safely to a pulley that ran on an overhead cable.

The end of the rope was in the instructor’s hand. The training began very systematically. Three months later, his confidence began increasing. All the techniques like breathing, paddling, and different strokes were introduced and perfected gradually. Though he began swimming, he had not lost his fear totally. He, therefore, went to Lake Wentforth, dived from the dock at Triggs Island and swam for two miles. He finally shut off his fears with a laugh. He made a definite attempt at overcoming his fears and succeeded in doing so.

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 7 The Interview Consists Of All The Answers From This pdf. You Can Download The Pdf For NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Free And Refer To The Answers To Get A Better Understanding Of The Chapter. https://mcq-questions.com/ncert-solutions-for-class-12-english-flamingo-chapter-7-the-interview/

The Interview NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 7

The Interview NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Interview Think as you read

Question 1.
What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Answer:
The writer believes that interview helps us in finding out the hidden talents of person. Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years. They regard it as the highest form of deciding the truth but in practice it is an art. Thus, an interview helps us to know the truth as well as the art.

Question 2.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Answer:
Most of the celebrity writers despise being interviewed as it is an unwanted intrusion into their privacy. They believe that the interview diminishes them in one way or the other. They do not want to be prey of the interview. The wife of Rudyard Kipling calls that an interview is immoral, and it is a crime.

Question 3.
What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Answer:
Some of the world fame writers are averse to being photographed. They despise it vehemently and offer their condemnatory remarks. It is like taking a photographic portrait of somebody. After that his soul is stolen. It is the severest offence of life. Thus, many people regard it as a crime and offence.

Question 4.
What do you understand by the expression “Thumb prints on his windpipe”?
Answer:
In the writer’s opinion, interviewing is like the “thumb prints on his windpipe.” It is related to the fact of smothering a person whose finger imprints can be traced on the throat. Similarly, the writer perceives an interview as immoral, a crime and an offence. It is an assault as well as vile. No respectable person believes in an interview. This expression explains the feeling of being suffocated.

Question 5.
Who, in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Answer:
Inspite of drawbacks, interview is the most supreme and serviceable medium of communication. Through interviews” we deduce clearly about impressions of different personalities. Through the art of questioning others, we can get every point of his/her soul from him/her. So, the interviewer has got an unmatchable power and influence.

Question 6.
The medium you like best for an interview, print, radio or television.
Answer:
The medium I like the best for an interview is the television. It has both audio and visual effect. It presents the interviewer and interviewee before the audience in their true colours. Usually celebrities accuse the reporters of misquoting them or misreporting them in the print media or the radio. This is not possible when they are face-to-face on the television.

Their lip movement and body movement while replying to probing questions are there for all to see. The recording of various expressions coming on the face of the interviewee and his/her gestures and words are the additional advantages that television holds over the print media or the radio. The print media has dull, dry woods alongside a picture, whereas the radio tries to create the atmosphere by skilful variation of the sound. Both expect a lot of attention from the reader/audience.

Question 7.
Every famous person has a right to his or her privacy. Interviewers sometimes embarrass celebrities with very personal questions.
Answer:
Interviewers want to present exclusive and intimate details about the famous person they are interviewing. Some interviewers focus on the public life and achievements of the individual only. They try to be objective in their approach as well as assessment. However, there are others who want to make their interviews spicier and usually cross the thin limit of privacy of the individual. In their zeal to present good copy, they embarrass the famous person with the personal questions.

Sometimes, the impact of such questions on famous person reveals his/her aversion as well as irritation at the silliness of the person. If they shout, they are accused of being rude and proud, and if they keep mum, they are labelled as arrogant. In my opinion, privacy of an individual must be respected.

The Interview Understanding the Text

Question 1.
Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Answer:
After screening and going through the interview extract, one can easily notice that Umberto Eco does not allow the slightest wrinkle on his face while being interviewed. Rather, he interacts very properly and methodically. He gives details about writing his novel The Name of the Rose and the way he pursues his philosophical interests. He feels happy considering him as a University Professor. Thus, he does not think that interviewing is any kind of crime or an offence. It is only a way to detail others.

Question 2.
How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Answer:
Umberto Eco works on the theory of interstice i.e., an empty space. Eco believes that we have a lot of empty spaces in our lives. He terms them interstices. He always works in empty spaces. He gives an example by saying, “Suppose one is coming over to my place in a lift from first floor to the third floor. The wait and the time duration to come over to the third floor is an interstice.” So Umberto Eco works so much during this empty space.

Question 3.
What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer:
Umberto Eco displays philosophical interests in his writing style. His books for children are about non-violence and peace. They even find ethical facts. His essays have a narrative aspect which exhibits his personal quality. It departs from the regular academic style, which is dry and boring. He started writing novels by accident at the age of 50 years.

Question 4.
Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer:
Umberto Eco does not regard himself a novelist first. It gives him much elation if he is called a University Professor who writes novels on Sundays. He participates in academic conferences but not in the meetings of Pen Clubs and writers. He prefers identifying himself with the academic community.

Question 5.
What is the reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose”?
Answer:
The novel The Name of the Rose is a detective novel at one level but it delves into metaphysics, theology and medieval history. It is a wrong belief that people do not like reading difficult experiences, and they just like trash. Two to three million copies were sold of this book in US. It proves that people like reading difficult experiences.

The Interview Extra Questions and Answers

The Interview Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
What does the author say about the interview?
Answer:
The author believes that the interview has become commonplace of journalism. Our lives have become complicated as we have to face and pass through this vile process of screening and interaction. Many celebrities had to be interviewed daily and many of them may have to pass from it a number of times. But it is piercing, troublesome and peace-disturbing as it is the wearer who realises where the shoe pinches.

Question 2.
Write down the opinions that disfavour the cause of the interview.
Answer:
Regarding the conduction of an interview, some believe that in its highest forms, the interview is a valuable source of truth. In practice, it is nothing but a simple art. It is like stealing one’s soul. People hate the interview and call it as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives.

Question 3.
How does V.S. Naipaul feel about interview?
Answer:
V.S. Naipaul vehemently condemns the cause of the interview. He believes that it is more than losing something from our body. He says that through interviews many would lose a part of our self. In reality, it is horrific for the interviewing candidate. This is the cause why people refuse to give their consent for an interview.

Question 4.
What do Rudyard Kipling and his wife comment about the interview?
Answer:
Rudyard Kipling is a man of free and frank nature. He is more condemnatory for the attitude of the interviewer. His wife Caroline calls it immoral, crime, an assault and it merits punishment. It is both cowardly and vile. She believes that a respectable person will never ask for an interview.

Question 5.
How do the other authors opine about the interview?
Answer:
Many authors do not favour the interview. H.G.Wells in an interview in 1894 referred to “the interviewing ordeal”. But he remained a frequent interviewee. Saul Bellow once agreed for an interview but he regarded it as being like thumb prints on his windpipe.

Question 6.
Umberto Eco says: “I am always doing the same thing but that is more difficult to explain.” Why does he say so?
Answer:
Umberto Eco feels elevated on calling him a professor. People think that he is doing many things but he concludes of doing himself the same thing. It is because that Umberto Eco had some philosophical interest which he followed in his novels and other academic work. His children books are based on peace and non-violence. There is a touch of philosophical and ethical interest as well.

Question 7.
What secret does Umberto Eco point out to Mukund Padmanabhan about an interview?
Answer:
Umberto Eco points out towards empty space in this universe. According to him if the empty space is eliminated from the universe, and as well as from the atoms, this universe will turn as big as our fist. In the same way, our lives are full of empty spaces. Umberto Eco calls them interstices. Eco says: “ Suppose you are coming over to my place on the third floor. You are in an elevator from the first to third floor and I am waiting for you. This is an interstice.”

Question 8.
How does Umberto Eco explain his capacity of doing so much work? What are ‘interstices’ and how does Eco use them?
Answer:
Umberto tells the secret pf his working style. People have a lot of empty spaces in their lives. He calls them ‘interstices’ or ‘intervals’. He utilises and makes use of them. This is the secret of his success. He tells his interviewer that while he was waiting for his elevator to come up, he has already written an article.

Question 9.
Describe the distinct style of ‘The Name of the Rose’.
Answer:
‘The Name of the Rose’ is the most popular and respected novel of Umberto Eco. It is a very serious novel. At one level, it appears to be a detective yarn. But it also delves into metaphysics, theology and medieval history. It is for those readers who don’t want easy experiences. But still it has a tremendous mass appeal.

Question 10.
Justify the title ‘The Interview’.
Answer:
The title of the excerpt is quite logical and apt. Umberto Eco likes to be interviewed. He cooperates fully with the interviewer, Mukund. He prefers himself to be called an academician than a novelist. He tells him that he started writing novel at the age of 50 just by accident. He wrote 40 non-fictional writings against 5 novels. He thinks himself a professor who writes novels on Sundays.

Question 11.
Why did Umberto Eco start writing novels at the age of 50, more or less?
Answer:
Umberto Eco was basically an academician. He was pursuing scholarly pursuits through academic writings. He wrote about forty non-fictional writings. He himself says that ‘he became a novelist by accident’. Perhaps that was the reason he started writing novels so late – at the age of 50, more or less.

Question 12.
“In spite of the ‘drawbacks’ the interview is a ‘supremely serviceable medium of communication’. Justify the statement.
Answer:
Many celebrities consider the interview ‘an unwarranted intrusion’ in their lives. But it has become a commonplace feature of journalism. It is a great serviceable medium of communication. We get the most vivid impressions of our contemporaries only through interviews. Everything reaches us in the simplest and true form when one asks questions of another.

Question 13.
How is Umberto Eco’s non-fictional writing a departure from his regular style?
Answer:
Umberto Eco’s non-fictional writing is a departure from his regular style. It has a ‘certain
playful and personal quality about it.’ His regular academic style is ‘depersonalised and boring’. Like other scholars Eco doesn’t make false hypotheses. On the contrary he tells the story of his research including his ‘trials and errors’.

Question 14.
‘The Name of the Rose’ is a very ‘serious novel’. Yet it enjoyed a mass audience. Give reasons for its popularity.
Answer:
Umberto Eco’s famous novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ is a very ‘serious novel’ But it enjoyed a mass audience. The interviewer wants to know the reason of its huge success. Even journalists and publishers are puzzled. People like what is served to them. If they are given to read even serious novels, they will read them. They accepted and digested a serious novel like ‘The Name of the Rose’. Its ‘timing’ was perfect. About 10 to 15 million copies of the novel were sold.

Question 15.
What is the position of the interviewer during the interview?
Answer:
According to Denis Brian, the interviewer holds a position of ‘unprecedented power and influence. He holds the balance between the audience and the man who is being interviewed. Almost everything of the celebrity reaches us through one man asking questions of another.

Question 16.
Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer:
Yes, Umberto Eco likes being interviewed. Throughout the interview, he remains cool and composed. He answers Makund’s questions and queries very patiently. He seems to be relaxed and tries to make Mukund quite comfortable. There is no trace of any impatience or irritation visible during the interview.

The Interview Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Explain the word Interview and how do many writers find favour with it.
Answer:
The word ‘interview’ is derived from French derivative word “entrevue”. It is a conversation between a journalist or broadcaster and a person of public interest. It is an oral examination of an applicant for a job through the process of formal questioning. Since the word has wider implications, it duly involves screening, interaction and introspection. During the process, both the interviewer and the interviewee, participate and the interviewee has to face the horror of the interviewer.

The word interview was inserted 130 years ago. Since then it became a commonplace in journalism. In this world, all have to undergo through the process of the interview. Thousand of people are interviewed daily for one or the other kind. Depending on the merit of the interview, people have claimed in its highest form as a source of truth and in its practice, it is an art. H.G. Wells remained averse to ‘interview’ and in 1894 he referred to it as an ordeal. But forty years later he himself was found interviewing Joseph Stalin of Russia. People view that almost everything reaches us through asking the interviewer who holds a position of unprecedent power and influence.

Question 2.
What does Umberto Eco point out about himself and his novel, “The Name of the Rose”?
Answer:
In an interview with Mukund, Umberto Eco points out that he regards himself a University Professor rather than a novelist. Uikewise, he readily went in academic conferences but did not go to meetings of Pen Clubs and the writers. He links himself with the academic community. He is a professor who writes novels on Sundays. Even people have the impression that Umberto Eco is doing many things.

Here Eco tells that his work includes philosophical interest and in his novels for children one can find non¬violence and peace. He says that the universe has empty spaces and these are eliminated in all the atoms. The universe will become as big as the fist of a man. He regards these empty spaces as interstices and he works in them.

For his writing, Umberto Eco adopts informal approach. He departs from a regular academic style and his essays follow a narrative aspect, which was the crowning success for his novel The Name of the Rose. It attracted a mass audience. His novels are full of narration. Side by side his novel has metaphysics, theology and medieval history as well. It has other experiences too.

Question 3.
How does Umberto Eco pursue his philosophical and academic interests? How does he make use of ‘interstices’? How has he developed a non-fictional style?
Answer:
Umberto Eco has many philosophical interests. He pursues them through his academic works and novels. Even his children’ works are about non-violence and peace. They are the same bunch of ethical and philosophical interests. Eco wrote more than 40 scholarly works on non-fiction. Eco considers himself ‘a university professor who writes novels (only) on Sundays’. He prefers to be called an academician.

Umberto shares a secret with the interviewer. He thinks that if we eliminate the empty spaces from the universe, the world will shrink. It will become as big as a fist. Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces or ‘interstices’ in our lives. He works in these spaces and uses them to his advantage.

Umberto Eco has evolved a distinct non-fictional style. His scholarly works have a certain playful and personal quality about them. It is different from his regular style which is ‘depersonalised and often dry and boring’. He is different from other scholars. Eco tells the story of his research. Even he includes his ‘trials and errors’. His essays always have a narrative aspect. This narrative style of his scholarly works was fully developed later on in his novels.

Question 4.
Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years, some of them repeatedly.’ But still many of them ‘despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion in their lives’. Describe opinions for and against the interview as mentioned in the lesson.
Answer:
The interview has become an indispensable feature of journalism today. Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years. Some of them have been interviewed repeatedly. Opinions vary. Some consider it a source of truth. Some call it a great art. It is the most effective and powerful medium of knowing important persons or celebrities.

Usually celebrities despise being interviewed. They consider it as an ‘unwarranted intrusion’ into their lives. They somehow feel that it diminishes them. Naipaul feels that people are ‘wounded by interviews’. They lose a part of themselves. Lewis Carrol never consented to be interviewed. Rudyard Kipling considered it immortal and an offence against his person. H.G. Wells interviewed Joseph Stalin.

But he also considered it as ‘an ordeal’. Saul Bellow considered interviews as ‘thumbprints on his windpipe’.In spite of some of these drawbacks, the interview remains ‘a supremely serviceable medium of communication’. Because of this, the interview holds a position of great power and influence.

Question 5.
What picture do you form of Umberto Eco after reading the extract of the interview of Eco that was taken by Mukund Padmanabhan?
Answer:
‘The Interview’ is an extract from an interview of Umberto Eco. The interviewer Padmanabhan helps us know many aspects of his writings, style and ideas. He emerges as a many-sided genius.Even the novelist David Lodge can’t understand how Umberto Eco can do all things he does. Eco answers it very modestly.

He only gives the impression of doing many things. Actually, he is doing the same thing. He pursues his philosophical interests through his academic writings and novels. Eco himself tells the secret of his success. He feels there a lot of‘empty spaces’ in our lives. He calls them ‘interstices’. He works in these empty spaces. He utilises them to his advantage.

Umberto Eco prefers himself to be called an academician rather than a novelist. He wrote more than 40 philosophical writings against just five novels. He started writing novels just by accident and that too at a late age of 50. Modesty and honesty are the signs of a great writer like Eco. Mukund Padmanabhan asks the reason behind the huge success of ‘The Name of the Rose’. Umberto honestly replies that the success of this novel is a mystery even to him. Perhaps, he wrote it at an appropriate time. Had it been written 10 years before or after, perhaps it wouldn’t have been such a huge success.