Category: Class 12 English

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Flamingo English The Last Lesson

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Ans:  That day Franz was expected to be prepared with participles because M. Hamel had said that he would question them on participles. Franz did not know anything about participles.

Q2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Ans: Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street. But it was all very still that day. Everything was as quiet as Sunday morning. There was no opening or closing of desks. His classmates were already in their places. The teacher’s great ruler instead of rapping on the table, was under M. Hamel’s arm.

Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
Ans: For the last two years all the bad news had come from the bulletin-board. An order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The Germans had put up this notice on the bulletin-board.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Ans: M. Hamel had put on his best dress—his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and the little black silk cap, all embroidered. The whole school seemed so strange and solemn. On the back benches that were always empty, the elderly village people were sitting quietly like the kids.

Q2. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Ans: Franz came to know that it was the last lesson in French that M. Hamel would give them. From the next day they will be taught only German. Then he felt sorry for not learning his lessons properly. His books, which seemed a nuisance and a burden earlier were now old friends. His feelings about M. Hamel also changed. He forgot all about his ruler and how cranky he was.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Q1. The people? in this story suddenly realise how1 precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Ans: M. Hamel told the students and villagers that henceforth only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Those who called themselves Frenchmen would neither be able to speak nor write it. He praised French as the most beautiful, the clearest and most logical language in the world. He said that for the enslaved people, their language was the key to their prison. Then the people realised how precious their language was to them. This shows people’s love for their own culture, traditions and country. Pride in one’s language reflects pride in the motherland.

Q2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeonsT’ What could this mean?(There could he more than one answer.)
Ans: This comment of Franz shows a Frenchman’s typical reaction to the imposition of learning German, the language of the conquerors. Being deprived of the learning of mother tongue would mean cutting off all bonds with the motherland. Teaching the pigeons to sing in German indicates how far the Germans would go in their attempts of linguistic chauvinism.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Q1. “When a people are en slaved, as long as th ey hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their lan¬guage taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
Ans: Mother tongue helps a person to express his feelings and thoughts most lucidly and intimately. Conquerors try to subdue and control the people of the enslaved territory by enforcing many measures such as use of force to crush dissent and imposing their own language on them.
From time immemorial the victorious nations have imposed their own language on the conquered people and taken away their own language from them. The Romans conquered many parts of Europe and replaced the local languages by their own language— Latin. Later on Spanish, Pourtuguese, Italian and French developed from Latin. The Muslim invaders imposed Arabic and Persian in the countries of Asia overpowered by them. In many Arab countries the local religion and language have disappeared. In India, a new language Urdu developed from the mixture of Persian and Hindi.

Q2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive? For example:
Punjabis in     Bangalore
Tamilians in   Mumbai
Kannadigas in  Delhi
Gujaratis in     Kolkata
Ans. The linguistic minority in any state is easily marked and faces the same discrimination as the religious, social or ethnic minorities. There is, however, a pronounced difference in the treatment meted out and the level of acceptance displayed by the majority community in that region/city. Some cities like Delhi, Mumbai are cosmopolitan in outlook.
The linguistic minority tries to preserve its identity through an intimate contact, interaction and preservation of their language in social get-togethers, family functions and festivals of their own region. Adherence to social customs and traditions in family gatherings/group meetings of women also promote the unity between members of the linguistic minority.
In short, they create a mini-Punjab in Bangalore, mini-Chennai in Mumbai, mini-Bangalore in Delhi and mini-Surat in Kolkata.

Q3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what “lin¬guistic chauvinism” means?
Ans. ‘Linguistic chauvinism’ means an aggressive and unreasonable belief that your own language is better than all others. This shows an excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own language. Sometimes pride in one’s own language goes too for and the linguistic enthusiasts can be easily identified by their extreme zeal for the preservation and spread of their language. In their enthusiasm, love and support for their own language, they tend to forget that other languages too have their own merits, long history of art, culture and literature behind them. Instead of bringing unity and winning over others as friends, having excessive pride in one’s own language creates ill-will and disintegration. The stiff-resistance to the acceptance of Hindi as national language by the southern states of India is a direct outcome of the fear of being dominated by Hindi enthusiasts. The result is that ‘One India’ remains only a slogan.

WORKING WITH WORDS
Q1. English is a language that contains words from many other languages. This inclusiveness is one of the reasons it is now a “world language”. For example’.
petite – French
kindergarten – German
capital – Latin
democracy – Greek
bazaar – Hindi
Find out the origins of the following words:
tycoon barbecue zero
tulip veranda ski
logo robot trek
bandicoot
Ans.Word Origin Word Origin
Tycoon Japanese Veranda Portuguese
Tulip Persian Robot Czech
Logo Greek Zero Arabic
Bandicoot Telugu Ski Norwegian
Barbecue Spanish Trek South African Dutch

Q2. Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meaning:
(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
The words were
(i)loud and clear.
(ii)startling and unexpected.
(iii) pleasant and welcome.
(b)“When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”
It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they
(i)do not lose their language.
(ii)are attached to their language.
(iii)quickly learn the conqueror’s language.
(c)Don’t go so fast, you will get to your school in plenty of time. You will get to your school.
(i)very late.
(ii)too early.
(iii)early enough.
(d)I never saw him look so tall.
M. Hamel (i) had grown physically taller.
(ii) seemed very confident.
(iii) stood on the chair.
Ans. (a) (ii) startling and unexpected.
(b) (ii) are attached to their language.
(c)(iii) early enough.
(d)(ii) seemed very confident.

NOTICING FORM
1.Read this sentence:
M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles.
In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first part is used to indicate an “earlier past”. The whole story is narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of the verb and say why this form has been used.
Ans. (i)For the last two years all our bad news had come from there.
Reason: The ‘coming’ of bad news happened earlier than the bulletin in the story.
(ii)Hauser had brought an old primer.
Reaeon : The event of ‘bringing’ happened earlier than Franz noticed it.
(iii) That was what they had put up at the town-hall!
Reason’. The ‘putting up’ of bulletin happened earlier. Now it is recalled.
(iv)they had not gone to school more.
Reason’. The action of ‘not going* happened much earlier.
(v)the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof.
Reason’. The ‘planting’ of hopvine happened earlier than its twining about the windows.

WRITING
Q1. Write a notice for your school bulletin board. Your notice could be an announcement of a forthcoming event, or a requirement to be fulfilled, or a rule to be followed.
Ans:

Q2. Write a paragraph of about 100 words arguing for or against having to study three languages at school.
Ans:                             STUDYING THREE LANGUAGES AT SCHOOL
In most of the states in India, students have to study three languages at school. One of them is the mother tongue, the second is Hindi (the national language) and the third is English (the international or link language). In Hindi speaking region, a South or East Indian language—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam or Bangla, Oriya, Assamese etc is taught. The three language formula helps in national integration by acquainting young students about the social customs, rituals, culture and traditions of the various parts of the country. It also focuses on the principle of unity in diversity. The only drawback in this system is that it puts an excessive burden on the minds of the young learner. To alleviate their problem, the courses of study in the three languages may be structured suitably.

Q3. Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.
Ans: Facts are sometimes stronger than fiction. Many occurrences of life come as eye-openers. Such an experience occurred the previous day which led me to change my mind about our hostel warden Miss Angela Thomas. Overnight the terrible titan was transformed into a loving and affectionate elder sister full of milk of human kindness. Now when I remember how I disliked her and invented nicknames and pranks to tease her, I feel ashamed of myself. Yesterday, I had a terrible nightmare and I cried and wept. My room-mate failed to console me and reported the matter to the warden. God knows how long I remained unconscious! When I came to my senses I found my head in the lap of Miss Angela Thomas. Her eyes were red with tears and bps moving in prayer. She had really proved an angel for me and saved me.

THINGS TO DO
Q1. Find out about the following (You may go to the internet, interview people, consult reference books or visit a library.)
(a)Linguistic human rights
(b)Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India.
Ans: Extension Activity: To be done under the Teacher’s Guidance.

Q2. Given below is a survey form. Talk to at least five of your classmates and fill in the information you get in the form.
Ans: 

Classroom Activity: Do it yourself.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Why do you think was little Franz afraid of being scolded?
Ans: Franz was afraid of being scolded that day especially because M. Hamel, the teacher, had said that he would question them on participles. Franz frankly admits that he was totally ignorant about the topic. His exact words are: “I did not know the first word about them.” Secondly, he had started for school very late that morning.

Q2. “It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles.” What did Franz find ‘much more tempting’? How did he finally react?
Ans: Franz found that it was a very warm and bright day. The birds were chirping at the edge of woods. The Prussian soldiers were drilling in the open field at the back of sawmill. He could gladly spend life out of doors. However, he had the strength to resist the temptation. Finally, he hurried off to school.

Q3. “What can be the matter now?” says Franz. Why, do you think, did he make this comment?
Ans: There was a bulletin-board near the town-hall. When Franz passed by it, he noticed a crowd there. He did not stop to look at it. He wondered what could be the matter then. For the last two yeairs they had received all the bad news from the bulletin-board—the lost battle, conscription and the orders of the commanding officer.

Q4. Who was Wachter? What did he ask Franz and why? How did Franz react?
Ans: Wachter was a blacksmith. He was reading the latest bulletin. He asked Franz not to go so fast to his school. He added that the little boy would get to his school in plenty of time. Wachter had read the latest bulletin about teaching of German. Franz thought that the blacksmith was making a fun of him. So, he ran to the school and reached there breathless.

Q5. What was the usual scene when Franz’s school began in the morning?
Ans: Usually, when the school began, there was a great bustle. The noise could be heard out in the school. Students opened and closed their desks. They repeated the lessons together very loudly. They kept their hands over their ears to understand better. The teacher would go on rapping the table with his great iron ruler.

Q6. How had Franz hoped to get to his desk? What had he to do and why?
Ans: Franz had hoped to get to his desk unseen during the commotion. But that day it was very quiet. So, Franz had to open the door and go in before everybody. He blushed as he was late. He was frightened that the teacher might rebuke him, but M. Hamel spoke kindly to him that day.

Q7. What three things in school surprised Franz most that day?
Ans: First, M. Hamel, the teacher had put on his fine Sunday clothes—his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and the little black silk cap, all embroidered. Second, the whole school seemed quite strange and solemn. Thirdly, the village people were sitting quietly like school children on the back benches that usually remained empty.

Q8. Why had the villagers come to school that day? How did they look?
Ans: The villagers had come there to thank M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service. They also wanted to show their respect to the country that was theirs no more. They were sorry that they had not gone to school more. They were sitting quietly and looked sad.

Q9. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” Which were the words that shocked and surprised the narrator?
Ans: M. Hamel, the teacher, told the children in a solemn and gentle tone that it was their last French lesson. Henceforth, only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the next day. As that was their last French lesson, he wanted them to be very attentive. The teacher’s kind gesture and use of soft words shocked and surprised the narrator.

Q10. How did Franz react to the declaration: ‘This is your last French lesson’?
Ans: The words appeared startling and unexpected like a thunderclap. He now understood why there was a crowd at the bulletin board, why the village people had come to school, why the teacher was dressed in his Sunday best and why there was sadness and silence in the school.

Q11. What tempted Franz to stay away from school? [Delhi 2014]
Ans: Franz was not prepared Tor the test on participles. The Prussian soldiers were drilling in the open field at the back of sawmill. The birds were chirping at the edge of woods. These things tempted him. So he hurried off to school.

Q12. Who did M. Hamel blame for neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz?
Ans: He thought it typical with the people of Alsace. They would put off learning till tomorrow. Parents are not quite anxious to have their children learn. They put them to work on a farm or at the mills in order to have a little more money. The teacher got his flowers watered or gave them a holiday. He too neglected their lessons.

Q13. What did M. Hamel tell them about French language? What did he ask them to do and why?
Ans:M. Hamel told them that French was the most beautiful language in the world. It was the clearest and the most logical language. He asked them to guard it among them and never _ forget it. He gave a reason also. When a people were enslaved, as long as they held fast to their language, they had the key to their prison.

Q14. Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom? [All India 2014]
Ans: M. Hamel was taking the class of last French lesson. That is why elders of the village were sitting in the classroom to attend it. It was done not only to pay respect to M.Hamel but to pay respect to his own language.

Q15. How did Franz and other hoys enjoy their lesson in writing? 
Ans: That day M. Hamel had new copies for them. The words “France, Alsace, France, Alsace” were written on them in a beautiful round hand. The boys set to work quietly. The only sound was the scratching of the pens over the paper. Nobody paid any attention to the beetles who flew in.

Q16. How did M. Hamel feel and behave during the last lesson?
Ans: M. Hamel was solemn and gentle. He sat motionless in his chair during the writing lesson. He gazed at one thing or the other. Perhaps he wanted to fix in his mind how everything looked in that little school room. Surely, it must have broken his heart to leave it all after forty years.

Q17. “He had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last.” What led Franz to make this remark?
Ans: Franz noticed that M. Hamel was feeling sad on having to leave the place sifter 40 years and not being allowed to teach French any longer. Yet, he kept control on his emotions. He performed his duties faithfully. He heard every lesson to the last. The school was dismissed only at mid-day prayer time.

Q18. What happened when the lesson in history was over?
Ans: After the lesson in history was over, the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Old Hauser, who was sitting at the back of the room, had put on his spectacles. He was holding his primer in both hands. He was spelling the letters with the babies.

Q19. “Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson!” says the narrator. Which scene does he remember more vividly than the others?
Ans:The narrator remembers the scene of old Hauser spelling the letters from the primer with the babies. He too was crying. His voice trembled with emotion. It was so funny to hear him that all of them wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Q20. How did M. Hamel behave as the last lesson came to an end?
Ans: M. Hamel stood up in his chair. He looked very pale and tall. He wanted to say some parting words, but something choked him. Then he wrote “Vive La France!” on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. Then he stopped. He leaned his head against the wall. Without a word, he made a gesture to the students with his hand to permit them to go as the school was over.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Why was Franz scared that day 1 What did he see on his way to school and how did he get to his deski
Ans: Franz was not good at learning. He would rather take the day off and waste time in searching birds’ eggs or going sliding on the Saar. Franz was scared that day because M. Hamel had said that he would question them on participles. Franz did not know anything about participles.
He found that the day was warm and bright. The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods. The Prussian soldiers were drilling in the open fields. There was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board near the town-hall.
Franz found the school room unusually quiet. So, he had no option but to open the door and go in before everybody. He blushed and was frightened of the teacher. M. Hamel spoke very kindly to him and asked him to go to his place quickly. Franz jumped over the bench and sat down at his desk.

Q2. What order had been received from Berlin that day? What effect did it have on the life at school?
Ans: An order had been received from Berlin that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This order had far-reaching effects on the life at school. M. Hamel, who had been teaching French at the village school for the last forty years would deliver his last lesson that day.
It was in honour of the last lesson that M. Hamel, the teacher had put on his best clothes. Old men of the village were sitting quietly at the back of the classroom. They were sad as well as sorry for they had not gone to school more. They had come to thank the master for his forty years of faithful service and to show respect for the country that was theirs no more.
The teacher addressed the students in a solemn and gentle tone. He asked them to be attentive and explained everything quite patiently. He appealed to them to preserve French among them. During slavery it would act as key to the prison. He felt so overwhelmed by emotion that he could not bid farewell properly.

Q3. What do you think is the theme of the story ‘The Last Lesson’? What is the reason behind its universal appeal?
Ans:The theme of the story ‘The Last Lesson’ is linguistic chauvinism of the proud conquerors
and the pain that is inflicted on the people of a territory by them by taking away the right to study or speak their own language and thus make them aliens in their own land of birth. The story has a sub-theme also. It highlights the attitudes of the students and teachers to learning and teaching.
Though the story is located in a particular village of Alsace district of France which had passed into Prussian hands, it has a universal appeal. It highlights the efforts of the victors to crush their victims—the vanquished people in all possible manner—materially, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Taking away mother tongue from the people is the harshest punishment. The proper equation between student and teacher, his focused attention, helpful and encouraging attitude and kind treatment can encourage students to learn better.

Q4. Comment on the appropriateness of the title ‘The Last Lesson’.
Ans: The story has an appropriate and suggestive title. It is the centre of attention throughout and the whole story revolves around it. The beginning of the story serves as preparation for it. The unusual quietness at school, presence of village elders and the teacher in his Sunday best dress—all point out to the unusual and unique occasion—the last lesson in French in a French village school in a district conquered by the Prussians. While delivering the last lesson, the teacher wants to transmit all his knowledge in one go. He explains everything with patience and the students as well as old villagers listen attentively.
For the narrator it is an unforgettable experience. “Ah, how well I remember it, that last lesson,” says he. Old Hauser is crying and his voice trembled with emotion. As the teacher is unable to express His emotions because of choked throat, he ends the lesson by writing Wive La France’ on the blackboard. He makes a gesture with his hand to indicate that the school is dismissed and students can go home.

Q5. What impression do you form ofM. Hamel on the basis of your study of the story ‘The Last Lesson’?
Ans: M. Hamel is an experienced teacher who has been teaching in that village school for forty years. He imparts primary education in all subjects. He is a hard task master and students like Franz, who are not good learners, are in great dread of being scolded by him.
The latest order of the Prussian conquerors upsets him. He has to leave the place for ever and feels heart broken. He feels sad but exercises self-control. He has the courage to hear every lesson to the last.
His performance during the last lesson is exemplary. He is kind even to a late comer like Franz. He uses a solemn and gentle tone while addressing the students. He has a logical mind and can analyse problems and deduce the reasons responsible for it. The problem for Alsace is that he (the district) puts off learning till tomorrow.
He knows the emotional hold of a language over its users. He is a good communicator and explains everything patiently. Partings are painful and being human, M. Hamel too is no exception. He fails to say goodbye as his throat is choked. On the whole, he is a patriotic gentleman.

VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1. War causes destruction and spreads hatred. People feel insecure. Discuss the disadvan¬tages of war keeping in mind Franco-Prussian war (1870-71).
Ans: War is a great threat to mankind. Fear, anxiety, tension and hatred are some of the offsprings of war. No individual is in favour of this brutal act. Innocent people lose their life because of the vested interests of some of the corrupt politicians. Moreover, war is not the solution to any problem. It only increases the hiatus between two nations. The desire to overpower the other disseminates hatred and the feelings of enmity. The aftermaths of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are evident before us. It should also be remembered that each nation is trying its level best to become a nuclear power. A nuclear bomb has the power to devastate nations. Thousands of people will lose their lives. There will not be any survivor. If someone is left alive, he/she will be crippled. There is no doubt that war has put the human existence at stake. We have heard seers say that one should shed one’s ego. The nations should also feel equally important. No nation is self-sufficient. Peace enhances creativity and productivity. The concept of a global village should be followed by all countries. Thus, war does not benefit any individual. It must not be encouraged.

Q2. It is often said that each language is unique in itself. No language is superior or inferior. People need to understand that a language is one of the means of communication. Discuss this statement in the light of the following lines:
“My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson…”
Ans: Language is always considered a medium of communication. Man is a gregarious animal. He has to interact with the fellow human beings. Therefore, a set of complex symbols is designed to serve this purpose. We must ruminate over the past before discussing the status of a language. There are innumerable man made problems. At the dawn of civilisation there was no discrimination on the basis of caste, colour, creed, language and nationality. But in this century these problems exist. Nature does not segregate nations. Scientific advancement, material prosperity, lofty aspirations, materialistic attitude, a desire to rule the world and vested interests are some of the causes of human sufferings. The concepts of all languages are similar. They have nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. As no religion is insignificant in the same way no language is inferior. The characteristics and nature of all languages are similar. The only difference is in symbols and pronunciation. The purpose and objective of all languages are synonymous. There is a dire need to understand that there should be only one religion i.e. humanity and there should be only one language i.e. the language of love. A language must not become the cause of rift among masses. It should bring people together instead of spreading hatred. One should not despise others because of their language. It is against human dignity and grace.

Q3. The people of Alsace and Lorraine were forced to study German. They were not allowed to study French. It implies that students of the area were taught only one language. They did not follow the concept of three languages at school. Write an article on the topic Advantages of Three Language System at school.
Ans:                                                     Advantages of Three Language System
India is a democratic stater. It is replete with people who have diverse backgrounds, and culture. Their customs and traditions vary. Their languages are also different. The language of a South Indian is entirely different from that of the North Indians. People have their regional languages and dialects too. In such circumstances it becomes a herculean task to decide which language should be taught at schools. So, India opted for three language system at schools. It is a boon to the residents of a particular area. They do not feel that their language is insignificant and ignored. They are given ample opportunities to opt for the languages they intend to speak or learn. Pupils get fundamental knowledge of three languages and can appreciate the literature of all these three languages. Such students never face failure due to language barriers. They bring laurels to their parents and nations as well. They explore new avenues and horizons with an astonishing ease. Three language system must be adopted by all nations so as to acquaint the children with various language patterns. The people of Alsace and Lorraine could be taught both languages i.e. German and French. Linguistic discrimination mars the future of humanity.

Q4. Nature has the knack to fascinate even the cynics. Its beauty and spontaneous music galvanise the beings. Write an article expressing the astounding beauty of nature in the light of the following lines:
“It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods… It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles…”
Ans. Our touch with nature makes the whole world kin. Matthew Arnold has rightly said that:

“Nature, with equal mind,
sees all her sons at play,
sees man control the wind,
the wind sweep man away.”

Nature’s working is mysterious. It is an astonishingly fabricated universe. Man has, undoubtedly, progressed a lot. Scientific advancement has explored the portals of every field. The hidden realities have been exposed. But science has not unearthed the mysterious traits of nature. It is also an acceptable fact that nature gives happiness to weary minds. It soothes and consoles the troubled souls. It banishes anxiety, tension, worry, fear and dejection. Its law is to please every beholder. The aesthetic pleasure we derive from Nature is incredible and cannot be expressed in words. Keats has rightly averred that ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever!’ Lord Byron has said:

“There is a pleasure in the pathless wood,
there is a rapture on the lonely shore,
there is a society where none intrudes, ‘
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less but nature more.”

Nature is our mother. It must be obeyed. It gives us moral lessons. All the seers and intellectuals have understood the significance of nature. “Nature goes on her own way, and all that to us seems an exception is really according to order.” It fascinates those who are indifferent to life. The boring scientific explorations and linguistic principles make our life insignificant. We are becoming devoid of emotions. But nature evokes sentiments and help us to become sensitive.

Q5. Teachers can act as trailblazers in the lives of pupils. They can affect eternity. But the advancement of technology has changed the role of a teacher. Write an article on the para¬digm shift in educational technology and the role of teachers.
Ans:                                                     Technology and Teachers
It goes without saying that teachers shape the destiny of children. They mould them according to their inbred potential and considerable talent. Dronacharya taught his pupils together. But he could not make everyone so skilled in using the bow and arrow as Aijuna. He identified his latent talent and tapped the same potential. In modem education system teachers don’t have much time to study the child. Children stay in the school campus for six hours a day and study various subjects from teachers. At times it happens that the subject teachers do not remember the names of students. They use PITs, projectors and computers to make their lectures interesting. They lack any kind of emotional attachment with the pupils. It has happened because of the innovative educational tools and aids. Teachers are given softwares to teach students. The teaching community has made students information seekers. The role of a teacher has undergone a sea change. A teacher has become a facilitator. He has no right to scold and punish the child. The dictum ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ has become obsolete and outdated. A teacher has to understand the psychology of a child in a period of thirty minutes. The role of a teacher is a mystery in today’s era.
More Resources for CBSE Class 12
RD Sharma class 12 Solutions
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Flamingo
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Vistas
CBSE Class 12 Accountancy
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CBSE Class 12 Biology
CBSE Class 12 Physics
CBSE Class 12 Chemistry
CBSE Sample Papers For Class 12

NCERT Solutions Class 12 Flamingo EnglishClass 12 Vistas English

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Flamingo English The Rattrap

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Ans: The peddler had been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap. It existed only to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing in the same manner as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as someone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.

Q2. Why was he amused by this idea?
Ans: His own life was sad and monotonous. He walked laboriously from place to place. The world had never been kind to him. So, during his gloomy ploddings, this idea became his favourite pastime. He was amused how people let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare and how others were still circling around the bait.

Q3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans: The crofter served him porridge for supper and tobacco for his pipe. He also played a game of cards with him till bed time. This hospitality was unexpected as people usually made sour faces when the peddler asked for shelter.

Q4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Ans: The crofter’s circumstances and temperament made him so talkative and friendly with the peddler. Since he had no wife or child, he was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. Secondly, he was quite generous with his confidences.

Q5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?
Ans: The crofter had told the peddler that by supplying his cow’s milk to the creamery, he had received thirty kronor in payment. The peddler seemed to doubt it. So, in order to assure his guest of the truth he showed the thirty kronor to the peddler.

Q6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Ans: No, the peddler did not respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. At the very first opportunity that he got, he smashed the window pane, took out the money and hung the leather pouch back in its place. Then he went away.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Ans: The peddler realised that he must not walk on the public highway with the stolen money in his pocket. He went into the woods. He kept walking without coming to the end of the wood. Then he realised that he had fallen in the rattrap. He had let himself befooled by a bait and had been caught in.

Q2. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Ans: The ironmaster walked closely up to the peddler. In the uncertain reflection from the furnace, he mistook the man as his old regimental comrade, Captain Von Stahle. He addressed the stranger as Nils Olof, spoke very kindly and invited him home.

Q3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Ans: The peddler knew that the ironmaster had mistaken him for his old regimental comrade. Secondly, he had stolen money—thirty kronor—on him. Going to the ironmaster’s residence would be like entering the lion’s den. So, he declined the invitation.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Ans: Miss Edla Willmansson looked at the peddler quite compassionately. She noticed that the man was afraid. She assured him that he would be allowed to leave just as freely as he came. She requested him to stay with them over Christmas Eve. Her friendly manner made the peddler feel confidence in her and accept her invitation.

Q2. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Ans: As Edla lifted the peddler’s hat, he jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened. Even her kind looks, disclosure of her name and purpose of visit failed to calm him. From his fear, she thought that either he had stolen something or he had escaped from jail.

Q3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Ans: Next morning, the stranger was cleaned and well-dressed. The valet had bathed him, cut his hair and shaved him. He was led to the dining room for breakfast. The ironmaster saw him in broad daylight. It was impossible to mistake him for an old acquaintance now. Then the ironmaster realised his mistake and threatened to call the Sheriff.

Q4. How did the peddler defend himself against not having revealed his true identity?
Ans: The peddler explained that he had not tried to pretend as his acquaintance. He was not at fault. All along he had maintained that he was a poor trader. He had pleaded and begged to be allowed to stay in the forge. No harm had been done by his stay. He was willing to put on his rags again and go away.

Q5. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Ans: Edla did not think it proper on their part to chase away a human being whom they had asked to come to their house and had promised him Christmas cheer. She understood the reality of the peddler’s life and wanted him to enjoy a day of peace with them. Hence, she still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Ans: As soon as Edla opened the package of the gift, the contents came into view. She found a small rattrap with three wrinkled ten kronor notes and a letter addressed to her. The peddler wanted to be nice in return as she had been so nice to him all day long. He did not want her to be embarrased at the Christmas season by a thief.

Q2.Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Ans: The ironmaster has invited the peddler to his house mistaking him for Captain von Stahle. He was welcomed there and looked after as captain even after the reality became known. The peddler got a chance to redeem himself from dishonest ways by acting as an honourable Captain.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Q1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the iron master and his daughter?
Ans: The peddler interprets the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the iron master and his daughter differently. He cheats the crofter as he provides him company in his loneliness and helps him pass time. He wants to get a couple of kronors from the iron master and is surprised at the contrasting style of behaviour of father and daughter. He is touched by the kindness, care and intervention of Edla on his behalf.

Q2. 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?
Ans: The ironmaster is impulsive* whereas his daughter is cool, logical, kind and thoughtful. In uncertain light he (iron master) mistakes the stranger as his old regiment comrade. He invites him home and takes care of his feeding, clothing etc. When he sees him in broad day light he calls the man dishonest, demands an explanation and is ready to call in the sheriff. His daughter is more observant. She notices the fear of the stranger and thinks that either he is a thief or a run away prisoner. Inspite of that She is gentle, kind and friendly to him. She treats him nicely even after knowing the mistake in identity.

Q3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
Ans: The peddler is surprised at the warm welcome, generous supper, cheerful company and intimate confidences by the crofter. The ironmaster addresses the peddler as Captain von Stahle. He is surprised when the ironmaster calls him “Nils Olof. The ironmaster assumes his declining the invitation a result of embarrassment caused by his miserable clothing. The peddler’s comparison of the world to a rattrap makes the ironmaster laugh and he drops the idea of calling in the sheriff.
The peddler looks at Edla in boundless amazement when she tells him that the suit is a Christmas present. She also invites him to spend next Christmas with them. She does all this even after knowing the mistake about his identity.The crofter is robbed by his guest, the rattrap peddler, in return of his hospitality.

Q4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Ans: Edla Willmansson treated the tramp in a friendly manner. She was nice and kind to her. She interceded on his behalf when her father was about to turn him out. She still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him. She offered him the suit as Christmas present and invited him to spend the next Christmas with them. Her love and understanding aroused the essential goodness in the peddler and finally he changed his ways.

Q5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Ans: The world entices a person through the various good things of life such as riches and joy, shelter and food, heat and clothing. These were just like the baits in the rattrap. Once someone is tempted by the bait, the world closed on him.The peddler was tempted by thirty kronor of the crofter. It makes him hide himself. He walks through the wood. He is afraid to go to the Manor house. He gets peace only after returning the bait (money).

Q6. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How7 does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?
Ans: The peddler has a subtle sense of humour, which is revealed during his interactions with the ironmaster and his daughter after the truth about him becomes known. He is neither afraid of being turned out in cold in rags nor of being sent to prison. He makes the ironmaster laugh with his metaphor of the rattrap. His letter with the Christmas present to Edla is a fine example of his capacity to make others laugh at him. Thus, he lightens the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endears himself to us.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Discuss the following in groups of four. Each group can deal with one topic and present the views of your group to the whole class.
Q1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
Ans: The peddler wins our sympathy for his way of life and how the world treats him. It is an admitted fact that the underdog always runs away with sympathy, so does the peddler with the rattraps. He begs the material like wire for his rattraps. His business not being specially profitable, he resorts to begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together.
His life is sad and monotonous. He plods along the road lost in his own meditation. The world has never been very kind to him and he feels happy in calling it a rattrap. Whenever, he asks shelter for the night, he meets sour faces. He is an unwelcome, unwanted and undesirable figure. The blacksmiths at forge glance at him only casually and indifferently. The master blacksmith nods a haughty consent without honouring him with a single word.
The old and lonely crofter finds him an enjoyable company. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old regimental comrade. Only Edla Willmansson behaves with him in a kind, friendly manner. Her nice treatment arouses the tramp’s goodness. He redeems himself Hy returning the stolen money and wins our admiration. Thus, we see that the sympathy is not only well earned but well justified too.

Q2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Ans: There are at least three characters in the story who suffer from loneliness and express the need to bond with others. They represent three strata of the human society as well. The peddler with the rattraps, the old crofter and the ironmaster all suffer from loneliness. The peddler is called a tramp, a vagabond and stranger at various points of the story. He moves wearily from one place to the other. He is lost in his own thoughts. He seeks shelter for night and people look at him with sour faces. Even the blacksmiths look haughtily at him and nod consent. The old crofter suffers from loneliness as he has neither wife nor child with him. Hence, he feels happy when he gets the peddler to talk to in his loneliness.
The ironmaster is also lonely in his manor house. His wife Elizabeth has died and his sons are abroad. There is no one at home except his oldest daughter and himself. His requests to Captain von Stehle to accompany him show his need for human bonding. He admits frankly that they didn’t have any company for Christmas. The stranger turns down the request not because he is against bonding with others but because he fears being caught with stolen money.

Q3. 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?
Ans: Yes, I know how the kindness of a Bishop transformed a hard-hearted beastly convict into a man again with faith in God and human values. The story is presented in the form of a famous play ‘The Bishop’s Candlesticks’
The Bishop provides food and shelter at midnight to a runaway convict who threatens him with a knife. Long years of imprisonment and harsh treatment in the prisonship has transformed the man into beast and he is devoid of all human feelings now. The convict runs away with the Bishop’s silver candlesticks, but is caught by the police.
In order to save the convict from further punishment and torture, the Bishop tells the police officer that the fellow is his friend and he had himself given him the candlesticks. This kind act of the Bishop melts the hard heart of the convict. He sobs and weeps. He promises to be a man again.

Q4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical. Discuss.
Ans: The story entertains us by providing glimpses into human nature and how people react to various situations. The actions of the peddler after stealing thirty kronor are quite amusing. The reactions of the blacksmiths to the tramp’s request for shelter show how casual and indifferent human beings can be.
The U-turn in the ironmaster’s attitude towards the stranger reveal how selfish and ignorant human beings can be. Mistaking the vagabond for his old regimental comrade, whom he thinks he has run across unexpectedly, he asks the stranger to accompany him home and spend Christmas with them. When the stranger refuses to go with him, the ironmaster sends his daughter. With her better persuasive power she makes him follow her.
The ironmaster is annoyed on seeing the stranger in broad daylight. But instead of realising his own mistake, he puts the blame on the man. He talks of handing him over to the sheriff. The metaphor of the world being a rattrap saves the situation for the tramp, but the ironmaster wants to turn him out. His daughter’s comments are quite entertaining and philosophical. She wants the tramp to enjoy a day of peace. Secondly, she does not want to chase away a person whom they had invited home and had promised Christmas cheer.

WORKING WITH WORDS
Q1. The man selling rattraps is referred to by many terms such as “peddler, stranger” etc. Pick out all such references to him. What does each of these labels indicate of the context or the attitude of the people around him.
Ans: Initially, the man who went around selling small rattraps of wire is called a Vagabond’ for he plodded along the road, left to his own meditations. He is referred to as “stranger” by the narrator while describing his meeting with the old crofter. When he leaves the next day he is described as “the man with rattraps.’ When he returns half an hour later to steal money he is called ‘the rattrap peddler.’
For the blacksmiths at the forge he is an intruder. The narrator now refers to him as a ‘tramp’. For the rich ironmaster he is a “ragamuffin’. Since he had never seen the ironmaster or known his name, the man with rattraps is called a ‘stranger’. He is described as ‘stranger* while he stretches himself out on the floor when the ironmaster leaves. The label sticks to him during his stay at the manor house as a guest. These descriptions also suggest the degree of social difference ^between the persons and the peddler of rattraps and their attitude towards him.

Q2. You came across the words, plod, trudge, stagger in the story. These words indicate movement accompanied by weariness. Find five other such words with a similar meaning.
Ans: Five other words with a similar meaning are: clomp, lumber, lurch, reel, stumble.

NOTICING FORM
1.He made them himself at odd moments.
2.He raised himself.
3.He had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught.
4. a day may come when you yourself may want to get a big piece of pork.
Notice the way in which these reflexive pronouns have been used (pronoun + self)
•In 1 and 4 the reflexive pronouns “himself’ and •‘yourself” are used to convey emphasis.
•In 2 and 3 the reflexive pronoun is used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence.
•Pick out other examples of the use of reflexive pronouns from the story and notice how
they are used.
Ans. 1.He had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep.
2.To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.
3…….there is no one at home except my oldest daughter and myself.
4.But he laughed to himself as he went away …
5……apparently hoping that she would have better powers of persuasion than he himself.
6. The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor…
7. It would never have occurred to me that you would bother with me yourself, miss.
8…… if he had not been raised to captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself.
In sentences 3, 5 and 7 the reflexive pronouns ‘myself, “himself and ‘yourself are used to convey emphasis.
In sentences 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, the reflexive pronoun is used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
Q1. Notice the words in bold in the following sentence:
“The fire boy shovelled charcoal in the maw of the furnace with a great deal of clatter.” This is a phrase that is used in the specific context of an iron plant.
Pick out other such phrases and words from the story that are peculiar lo the terminology of ironworks.
Ans: Words and phrases that are peculiar to the terminology of ironworks are given below: hammer strokes, smelter, forge, rolling mill, coal dust, furnace, pig iron, anvil, iron bar, big bellow, coal, charcoal, shovel and sooty panes.

Q2. “Mjolis” is a card game of Sweden.
Name a few indoor games played in your region. “Chopar” could be an example.
Ans: ‘Rang-kaaf and ‘Turap Bol’ are popular indoor card games in our region.
‘Chukkhal’ is a poor man’s substitute for Chopar.
‘Goti-paar’ is popular among young girls in rural areas.

Q3. A “Crofter” is a person who rents or owns a small farm especially in Scotland. Think of other uncommon terms for “a small farmer” including those in your language.
Ans: The uncommon terms for “a small farmer” are:
tiller, plowman/ploughman, husbandman, rancher, tenant farmer and small holder.
In our language there are words like haali’, ‘bataai-jotta’, ‘jotta’ etc.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. How did the peddler of rattraps manage in survive?
Ans:He made rattraps of wire and went around selling them. He got material for making them
by begging in the big stores or at big farms. Since his business was not quite profitable, he would beg or steal in order to survive.

Q2. How did the peddler look? Was he different from people of his type?
Ans: He was a man with a long beard, dirty, ragged, and with a bunch of rattraps dangling on his chest. His clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes. No, he looked like the way people of his type usually did.

Q3. What idea. did he get about the world? What were its implications?
Ans: He got the idea that the whole world was only a big trap. It sets baits for people exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing as baits. It closed on the person who let himself be tempted to touch the bait. Then everything came to an end.

Q4. Why did the peddler think of the world as a rattrap? What became his cherished pastime?
Ans: The world had never been kind to the peddler. So, he got unusual joy to think ill of the world. His pastime was to think of people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare of the world, and of others who were still circling around the bait.

Q5. What hospitality did the peddler with rattraps receive from the old crofter?
Ans: The old crofter served the peddler hot porridge for supper and gave him tabacco for his pipe. He entertained his guest by playing cards with him. He also informed him about his prosperous past life and how his cow supported him in his old age now.

Q6. ‘The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco’. What personal information did he impart to his guest ?
Ans: The old man told his guest that in his days of prosperity he had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks. Then he worked on the land. Now he was unable to do physical labour. His cow supported him now. He supplied her milk to the creamery everyday. Last month he had received thirty kronor in payment.

Q7. Where had the old man put his money? Why did he hold it up before the eyes of his guest and what did he do later on?
Ans: The man had put his money in a leather pouch which hung on a nail in the window frame. He picked out three wrinMed ten-kronor bills for his guest to see as he has seemed sceptical. Then he stuffed them back into the pouch.

Q8.‘ The next day both men got up in good, season.’ Why? Who are the men and what did they do after getting up?
Ans: The two men are the old crofter and his guest-the peddler with, the rattraps. The crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow. His guest did not want to stay in bed when the host had risen. They left the cottage at the same time. The crofter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. The peddler bade him goodbye and thanked him. Then each went his own way.

Q9. Why did rattrap peddler return and how did he rob the old crofter?
Ans: The rattrap peddler was tempted by the thirty kronors he had seen in the leather pouch of the old crofter. He returned half an hour later, smashed a window pane, stuck in his hand and got hold of the pouch. He took out the money and thrust it into his own pocket. Thus, he robbed the old crofter.

Q10. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? Why did he discontinue walking on the public highway?
Ans:At first he felt quite pleased with his smartness. Then he realised the danger of being caught by the police with the stolen money with him. He decided to discontinue walking on the public highway and turn off the road, into the woods.

Q11. Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away? [All India 2014]
Ans: Edla was kind and sympathetic. She was much pained by the plight of the peddler. Edla requested her father to spend a day with them in peace as a respite from the struggle.

Q12. How did the peddler feel while walking through the wood? What did he realise?
Ans: During the first hours the woods caused him no difficulty. Later in the day, it became worse as it was a big and confusing forest. The paths twisted back and forth. He kept on walking but did not come to the end of the wood. He realised that he had been walking around in the same part of the forest.

Q13. What do you learn about the Ramsjo Ironworks from ‘The Rattrap’?
Ans: The Ramsjo Ironworks used to be a large plant, with smelter, rolling mill and forge. In the summer time long fines of heavily loaded barges and scows slid down the canal. In the winter time, the roads near the mill were black from charcoal dust.

Q14. Why did the blacksmith fail to notice the entry of the peddler in the forge?
Ans: The forge was full of many sounds. The big bellows groaned and the burning coal cracked. The fire boy shovelled charcoal into the maw of the fumance with a great deal of clatter. A water fall roared outside. Sharp north wind made the rain strike the brick-tiled roof. Due to all this noise the blacksmith failed to notice the peddlar’s entry.

Q15. ‘The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder’, What prompted them to do so?
Ans: Usually poor vegabonds, without any better shelter for the night, felt attracted to the forge by the glow of fight which escaped through the sooty panes. They came in to warm themselves in front of the fire. The intruder looked like other people of his type usually did.

Q16. What did the tramp ask? Was his request granted? What did he do then?
Ans: The tramp asked permission to stay. The blacksmiths hardly deigned to look at him. The master blacksmith nodded a haughty consent without uttering a word. The tramp too did not say anything. He had come there only to warm himself and sleep. So, he eased his way close to the furnace. ‘

Q17. Who was the owner of the Ramsjo Iron Mill? Why did he come to the forge that night?
Ans: 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 both night and day. He came to the forge on one of his nightly rounds of inspection.

Q18. What did the ironmaster notice in the forge? How did he react then?
Ans: The ironmaster noticed a person in dirty rags lying quite close to the furnace. Steam rose from his wet rags. The ironmaster went near him and looked at him very carefully. Then he removed his slouch hat to get a better view of his face. He thought that he was an old acquaintance of his and said : “But of course it is you, Nils Olof!”

Q19. Why did the man with the rattraps not want to undeceive the ironmaster all at once?
Ans: The peddler thought that if the fine gentleman thought he was an old acquaintance, he might perhaps throw him a couple of kronor. So he did not want to undeceive him all at once.

Q20. What observation did the ironmaster make about the stranger? What did he ask him to do?
Ans: The ironmaster saw the stranger in the uncertain fight of the fumance and mistook him for his old regimental comrade. He said that it was a mistake on his part to have resigned from the regiment. If he had been in service at that time, it would never have happened. He asked the stranger to go home with him.

Q21. What did the peddler think about going up to the manor house? How did he react to the ironmaster’s invitation?
Ans: The peddler looked quite alarmed. He still had the stolen thirty kronor on him. Going up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He did not feel pleased to go there and be received by the owner like an old regimental comrade. So he declined the invitation.

Q22. What did the ironmaster assume to be the reason behind his old comrade s refusal? Hoiw did he try to reassure him?
Ans: The ironmaster assumed that his old regimental comrade felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. He said that his house was not so fine that he couldn’t show himself there. He lived there only with his daughter as his wife Elizabeth was dead and his sons were abroad.

Q23. What reason did the ironmaster advance in support of his invitation to the stranger?
Ans: He said that they didn’t have any company for Christmas. He thought it was quite bad. He requested the stranger to come along with him and help them make the Christmas food disappear a little faster.

Q24. ‘The ironmaster saw that he must give in.’ What made him give in? What did he say? What did the blacksmith think about the ironmaster?
Ans: The stranger declined the ironmaster’s invitation thrice. The ironmaster then told Stjemstrom, the blacksmith that Captain von Stahle preferred to stay with him that night. He laughed to himself as he went away. The blacksmith, who knew the ironmaster, understood very well that he had not said his last word.

Q25. Who was the new guest at the forge ? Why had that person come there and how did he I she look’? Who accompanied her and why? 
Ans: The new guest was the ironmaster’s daughter. She drove in there in a carriage along with a valet who carried on his arm a big fur coat. She had been sent there by her father hoping that she had better powers of persuasion that he himself. She was not at all pretty, but seemed modest and quite Shy.

Q26. Describe the scene at the forge when Edla Willmansson came there.
Ans: The master blacksmith and his apprentice sat on a bench. Iron and charcoal glowed in the furnace. The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor. He lay with a piece of pig iron under his head and his hat pulled down over his eyes.

Q27. What did the young girl notice about the stranger? What did she conclude? How did she make him feel confidence in her?
Ans: The stranger jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened. She looked at him sympathetically, but the man still looked afraid. She concluded that either he had stolen something or else he had escaped from jail. She spoke to him in a very friendly manner to make him feel confidence in her.

Q28. What did the peddler of rat traps think while he was riding up to the manor house?
Ans: Whfie he was riding up to the manor house he had evil forebodings. He questioned himself why he had taken that fellow’s money. He thought that he was sitting in the trap and would never get out of it.

Q29. Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a rattrap? [Delhi 2014]
Ans: The peddler was very happy with the idea of the world as a rattrap because he was never given kindly treatment by the world. He had quite different feeling for it and loved to think ill of it by comparing it to a rattrap.

Q30. How did the ironmaster try to convince his daughter about the stranger’?
Ans: He asked his daughter to have some patience. She would see something different as soon as the stranger got clean and dressed up. Last night he was naturally embarrassed. He asserted that tramp manners would fall away from him with tramp clothes.

Q31. What impression did the well-groomed guest make? How did the ironmaster react and why?
Ans: He looked truly clean and well dressed. The ironmaster did not seem pleased. He looked at him with contracted brow. It was because he had made a mistake in identifying the person in uncertain light at night. He demanded an explanation from the man.

Q32. What did the ironmaster threaten to do after knowing the mistake? How did the stranger save himself?
Ans: The ironmaster threatened to call in the sheriff. The stranger told him that the Sheriff might lock him up for dissembling. He reminded the ironmaster that a day might come when he might get tempted, and then he would be caught in the big rattrap of the world. The metaphor amused the ironmaster. He dropped the idea of sending for the sheriff, but asked the stranger to leave at once.

Q33. ‘The daughter stood there quite embarrassed and hardly knew what to answer.’ What embarrassed her? Why did she intercede for the vagabond?
Ans: The daughter had drawn plans to make things homelike and typical of Christmas, for the poor hungry wretch. She could not get away from this idea at once. She felt embarrassed when her father asked the man to get out. She interceded for the vagabond to persuade her father to let him stay for Christmas.

Q34. What arguments did the young girl give in favour of the stranger’s stay there?
Ans: She said that the whole year long, the stranger walked around. He was probably not welcome or made to feel at home even at a single place. He was chased away wherever he turned. He was always afraid of being arrested and cross-examined. She wanted him to enjoy a day of peace with them-just one in the whole year.

Q35. “He only stared at the young girl in boundless amazement.” What made the man with the rattraps react in this manner?
Ans: The young girl told him after the Christmas dinner that the suit he wore was to be a Christmas present from her father. He did not have to return it. If he wanted to spend next Christmas Eve peacefully, without any evil befalling him, he would be welcomed back again. This amazed him.

Q36. “The young girl sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.” What two reasons forced her to behave in this manner?
Ans: First, she had learned at church that one of the old crofters of the ironworks had been robbed by a man who went around selling rattraps. Second, her father taunted her and held her responsible for letting that “fine fellow” into the house.

Q37. Sum up the contents of the letter addressed to Miss Willmansson.
Ans: The stranger did not want her to be embarrassed at the Christmas season with a thief. As she had been nice to him as if he were a captain, he would be nice to her as if he were a real captain. She asked her to return the money to the old crofter. The rattrap was a present from a rat who would have been caught in the world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain. It was as captain that he got power to clear himself.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. What is the theme of the story ‘The Rattrap’ ? How has this theme been developed?
Ans: The theme of the story is that most human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefit. However, every human being has an essential goodness that can be awakened through understanding and love. A human being has the tendency to redeem himself from dishonest ways.
The theme is developed with the help of the metaphor of the rattrap. The peddler of rattraps calls the world a big rattrap. The material benefits like riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing are temptations that that allure a person to fall into the rattrap of the world exactly as the bait of cheese and pork attract a rat to fall into the rattrap. Once someone takes the bait, the world closes in on him and then everything is lost.
The peddler is tempted by the thirty kronors of the old crofter. He steals the money. Now he is afraid of being caught and moves through the woods. It is the kind, sympathetic, loving and generous treatment given by Edla Willmansson that helps him get himself free from the rattrap of the world.

Q2. Give an account of the peddler’s meeting with the old crofter. How does the peddler conduct himself? What light does this episode throw on human nature?
Ans: One dark evening the peddler reached a little gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. The owner, an old man without wife or child, welcomed him. He was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He served him hot porridge for supper and gave him tobacco for his pipe. Then he played cards with him till bed time.
The host told the peddler that in his days of prosperity, he worked on land at Ramsjo Ironworks. Now his cow supported him. He sold her milk at the creamery everyday. He showed the peddler the thirty kronor notes he got as payment that month. Then he hung the leather pouch on a nail in the window frame. Next morning the crofter went to milk the cow, and the peddler went away. However, he returned after half an hour, broke the window pane, took the money out of the leather pouch and hang it back on the nail.This episode shows that in loneliness, human beings crave for company, for social bonding. Secondly, temptations can overpower the greatest philosopher. The peddler who calls the world a rattrap is himself tempted by thirty kronor.

Q3. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? What course did he adopt and how did he react to the new situation? What does his reaction highlight?
Ans: Having robbed his generous host, the peddler felt quite pleased with his smartness. He did not feel any qualms of conscience that he had abused the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. The selfish wretch thought only of his own safety. He realised the danger of being caught by the police with the stolen thirty kronor on his person. Hence, he decided to discontinue walking on the public highway and turn off the road, into the woods.
During the first few hours the woods caused him no difficulty. Later on, it became worse as it was a big and confusing forest. The paths twisted back and forth. He kept on walking but did not come to the end of the wood. He realised that he had only been walking around in the same part of the forest. The forest closed in upon him like an impenetrate prison from which he could never escape.
The reaction of the peddler highlights the predicament of human nature. Temptations lead to evil. The fruits of evil seem pleasant at first, but they deprive man of his goodness and push him into the maze of the world which holds a vice-like grip on him.

Q4. (i) ‘The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder.’ (ii)“The ironmaster did not follow the example of the blacksmiths who had hardly deigned to look at the stranger * What do these attitudes reveal? How does the forge-episode help to develop the story? What is its implication?
Ans: The blacksmiths display the typical attitude of manual workers and labourers for whom work is the first priority and parasites on human society are drags on the fruit of their labour. The master blacksmith nods a haughty consent without honouring the intruder with a single word. Evidently, he regards the tramp as insignificant.
The ironmaster, who is on his nightly round of inspection, behaves differently. He walks closely up to him and looks him over carefully. Then he removes his slouch hat to get a better view of his face. In the uncertain light of the furnace he mistakes the stranger for his old regimental comrade and requests him to go home with him. When the stranger declines the invitation, the ironmaster sends his daughter to persuade him to spend Christmas Eve with them. Thus the forge episode helps to develop the story.
The episode highlights the difference in the reactions of various persons to the same set of circumstances. This reveals the shades of human nature. It shows that even the person with best discernment may commit an error of judgement.

Q5. Bring out the contrast in the ironmaster’s attitude and behaviour towards the stranger before and after he realises his mistake.
Ans: The ironmaster is moved to see his old regimental comrade in a pitiable state. He considers it a mistake on his part to have resigned from the regiment. He insists that his old comrade will go home with him. As the stranger declines the invitation, he thinks that the man feels embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. He explains that he does not have such a fine home that he cannot show himself there. He requests the stranger to provide company to him and his daughter for Christmas. When the stranger refuses thrice, he sends his daughter, with a big fur coat to persuade him. Just before breakfast on Christmas Eve, he thinks of feeding him well and providing him same honourable piece of work.
His behaviour undergoes a U-turn when he looks at the well-groomed stranger and realises his mistake. He expresses his displeasure with a wrinkled brow and demands an explanation from the man. Though the peddler defends himself well saying he never pretended to be someone else, the ironmaster calls him dishonest and threatens to hand him over to the sheriff. When the metaphor of world being a rattrap softens him a bit, he asks the peddler to quit at once.

Q6. What impression do you form of Edla on reading the story ‘The Raitrap’ ?
Ans: Miss Edla Willmansson is the eldest daughter of the owner of the Ramsjo Ironworks. She is not pretty, but modest and quite shy. She is quite obedient and visits the forge at the behest of her father. She has a wonderful power of observation and takes quick judgement. From the stranger’s frightened looks, she concludes that he is either a thief or a runaway convict. She uses her skills of persuasion to make the stranger agree to accompany her home. Her compassionate looks, friendly manner and polite way of address help her. She tells her father that nothing about the man shows that once he was an educated man.
She believes in the spirit of Christmas and intercedes on behalf of the stranger to per suade her father to let him stay and be happy. She first makes a passionate plea and then argues that they should not chase away a person they had invited themselves and promised him Christmas cheer.
Her dejection on learning that the peddler with rattraps was a thief reflects her sensitiveness. The gift of the captain makes her happy. It is her noble action that helps a thief redeem himself. In short, she is an intelligent, affectionate and kind young girl.

Q7. Comment on the efuRng of the story ‘The Rattrap’.
Ans: The story ‘The Rattrap’ has a very beautiful ending. It helps us to realise that all is not lost for human beings who are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It is the protagonist of the story—the peddler with the rattraps—who coins the metaphor of the rattrap, falls
himself in it on being tempted and ultimately redeems himself by renouncing the temptation. His admission that he had been the thief, and the treatment he got as a captain, show how love and understanding can transform even a depraved soul. The story thus comes a full circle with the ending. All questions are answered and no loose tags remain hanging.
The ending also pays tribute to the goodness of humanity here exhibited through Miss Edla Willmansson. The happy ending also arouses our optimism and belief in the essential goodness of man and other human virtues. Thus it serves to inspire the readers to do noble acts.

Q8. Do you think the title of the story ‘The Rattrap’ is appropriate? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans: The story has an appropriate and suggestive title. It at once draws our attention to the central theme—the whole world is a big rattrap. This metaphor helps us to understand the human predicament. All the good things of the world are nothing but baits to tempt a person to fall into the rattrap. Through the character of the peddler, the writer drives home the idea that most human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits.
The story begins with rattraps and ends with a rattrap as a present for someone who has helped a rat to get free from’the rattrap. Even the middle of the story revolves round the rattrap. The actions of the peddler after he steals thirty kronor of the old crofter reveal the inner conflicts, tensions and lack of peace of a person who touches the bait of temptation. Renunciation of the temptation helps in redemption.Thus, we conclude that the title is apt and significant.

VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1. Honesty is considered the best policy for earning one’s bread and butter. Stealing is a sin and a punishable act. Vagabonds tend to forget this essential goodness. Elucidate the dictum in the light of the following lines:“He made them himself at odd moments, from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. ”
Ans:                                                       Honest Means of Livelihood
Every human being has to earn his bread and butter. Means vary from person to person, but one has to face many obstacles and odd situations in life. These means can be fair or foul, honest or dishonest. Unfortunately, the modem man hankers after money and has become commercial-minded. People are not afraid of the Almighty. They wish to accumulate riches by hook or by crook. They have no respect for humanity and moral values. The social norms and time-tested principles bemoan somewhere in a comer. The mortals of this computer age focus only on pecuniary gains. They are desirous of becoming rich overnight. And it is sure that no one can make easy money without resorting to corruption. One should always remember that those who are honest get respect in society and feel themselves satisfied. They don’t have to feel guilty. But those who are corrupt hide themselves behind the veils when caught. A person should always be honest and sincere. The factory workers, farmers, teachers and poor artisans live an honest life and are appreciated everywhere. Freud rightly proclaimed in his letter to Wilhelm Fliess that ‘Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise’. A few honest men are better than numerous bad ones.

Q2. It is rightly said that the crown and glory of life is character. Alphonse Karr, a French journalist, said, “Every man has three characters: that which he shows, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has”. Substantiate the saying taking ideas from the following expressions:“…It was quite honest, either. You must admit that, and I should not be surprised if the sheriff would like to have something to say in the matter.”
Ans:

“The crown and glory of life is character
When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;
When health is lost, something is lost;
When character is lost, everything is lost”.

Charming said that the great hope of society is individual character. Character plays a pivotal role in the life of a human being. It is as significant for a man as a crown for a king. It is the glory of a man’s life. Character reflects the traits and personality of a person. A man of character retains moral strength and faces the music of life bravely. A man is judged by his character. A person who has good character is respected and honoured in society. It is often said that our lot depends on our character. One rises in life in proportion to the strength of one’s character. Character gives self-satisfaction to a person. He can lead a happy and contended life. He accumulates wealth in heaven instead of building treasures on the earth. It is only character that distinguishes man from beasts. Goethe .remarked that “Talent is nurtured in solitude; character is formed in the stormy billows of the world.

“Not in the clamor of the crowded street,
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng,
But is ourselves, are triumph and defeat. —Longfellow

Q3. Man is a gregarious animal. Aristotle wrote in Politics, “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god”. Lonliness gnaws a man from within. Write an article on the topic mentioned above in your own words. You can take ideas from the following lines:“…he knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. Nor was he refused. Instead of the sour faces which ordinarily met him, the owner, who was an old man. without wife or child, was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness.”
Ans:                                                    Loneliness: A Terrible Moment
Enduring loneliness requires perseverance and strength of mind. The state of alienation may depress a person. He may become insane. Everybody cannot bear the pangs of leading a lonely life. Seclusion irritates a mortal as it is known to us that man is a gregarious animal. He needs company to share his views and thoughts. It is also said that solitude is the playfield of satan. Man gets diverted and takes recourse to illegal ways. The Bible says that ‘woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up’. An alienated person leads a miserable and pitiable life. Survival at a deserted place becomes next to impossible for a human being. Solitude gives vent to the feelings of enmity against mankind. A depressed person may go to any extent to avenge his seclusion. Solitude and melancholy are synonymous of each other. Mother Teresa has described loneliness in a fitting manner. She said, “Lonliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty”. Each individual needs love, affection and company. The victims of solitude and lonliness never feel themselves gratified. They never feel themselves the part of the main stream. It breeds negativity and animosity. They become hostile towards the fellow human beings. The repercussions of loneliness are catastrophic and disastrous.

Q4. Voltaire has rightly remarked that ‘Love truth, but pardon error’. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. Sympathy is a divine virtue. It is indispensable for a philanthropist. Elucidate the dictum taking ideas from the following expressions.
“Since you have been so nice to me all day long, as if I was a captain, I want to be nice to you, in return, as if I was a real captain—for I do not want you to be embarrassed at this Christmas season by a thief- but you can give back the money to the old man on the roadside…”
Ans: The Bible proclaims that ‘Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy5. Love begets love and hatred begets hatred. People in this world have a reciprocal relationship. They reciprocate the thing they receive. It is a universally accepted aphorism that ‘To err is human, to forgive, divine’. Sympathy has a great power. A sympathetic person receives the blessings of the destitute whom he helps or forgives. People can’t imagine the incredible power of sympathy. A person’s kind acts and words may save many precious fives. One must not forget that those who sympathise with others get inner satisfaction. It awakens the affection of a human heart. It leaves an indelible impression even on the most rugged ’ nature. Its results are better than a king’s power. It helps a man in his endeavour to elevate his fellow human beings from a state of poverty and distress. Dr. Samuel Johnson averred that the wretched have no compassion. When a man suffers himself, it is called misery; when he suffers in the suffering of another, it is called pity. Forgiveness is, undoubtedly, a divine quality. The philanthropists should inculcate the habit of forgiving others in their character.

“Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge—Shakespeare

More Resources for CBSE Class 12
RD Sharma class 12 Solutions
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Flamingo
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Vistas
CBSE Class 12 Accountancy
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th Maths
CBSE Class 12 Biology
CBSE Class 12 Physics
CBSE Class 12 Chemistry
CBSE Sample Papers For Class 12

NCERT Solutions Class 12 Flamingo EnglishClass 12 Vistas English

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Flamingo English Going Places

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1.Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?
Ans: Sophie and Jansie would soon pass out of their school. Only a few months were left. Jansie knew very well that both of the them were earmarked for biscuit factory. Sophie had wild dreams about her career. Jansie was a realist. She knew that they did not pay well for shop work and Sophie’s father would not allow her to work there.

Q2. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?
Ans: Sophie wanted to open a boutique. It would be the most amazing shop that city had ever seen. Alternatively, she would become an actress and have the boutique as a side business. She also thought of being a fashion designer. Jansie had her feet firmly planted to the ground. She wanted Sophie to be sensible and drop all her utopian plans because all of them required much money and exprience.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1.Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?
Ans: Sophie knew her father well. He would be angry if he knew of her meeting with the young Irish footballer, Danny Casey. She didn’t tell him. When Geoff told his father about it, he became angry. He turned Ms head to look at her with disdain. Sophie wriggled where she was sitting at the table.

Q2.Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans: No, Geoff doesn’t believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey. First, he looks round in disbelief and says, “It can’t be true”. Again he says, “I don’t believe it.” Sophie then narrates how Danny Casey came and stood beside her. Geoff asks her, “What does he look like?” So, he doesn’t seem to be convinced that Sophie met Danny Casey.

Q3. Does her father believe her story?
Ans: No, Sophie’s father does not believe her story. When Geoff tells him that Sophie met Danny Casey, his father looked at SopMe with disdain. He ignores her totally. He thinks that it is yet another ‘wild story’. He begins to talk about Tom Finny, another great football player.

Q4. How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future?
Ans: Geoff was always the first to share her secrets. So, she told him about meeting Danny Casey. She also told him about her plan to meet him next week. She suspected areas of his life about wMch she knew nothing. She longed to know them. She wished that someday he might take her with him. She saw herself riding there behind Geoff.

Q5. Which country did Danny Casey play for?
Ans: Danny Casey played for Ireland.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?
Ans: Jansie was very interested in things that did not concern her. She wanted to know other people’s affairs. She would spread the news in the whole neighbourhood. So, Sophie didn’t want Jansie to know about her story with Danny. It may also be mutual rivalry and one-up manship on her part. Sophie was startled to learn that Geoff had told Jansie about her story with Danny.

Q2. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey? [Delhi 2014]
Ans: No, Sophie did not really meet Danny Casey. She was very fascinated by the young Irish footballer. She imagined his coming. She sat in the park, waiting for Casey and knowing that he would not come. She felt sad. Sadness was a hard burden to carry. She was always lost in a dreamy world where she imagined Casey meeting her.

Q3. Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person?
Ans: The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when the family went to watch United on Saturday. Sophie, her father and little Derek went down near the goal. Geoff went with his mates higher up. United won two-nil. Her idol Casey drove in the second goal. She saw the Irish genius going round two big defenders on the edge of penalty area. He beat the hesitant goal keeper from a dozen yards. Sophie glowed with pride. She was very happy.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Q1. Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up in the story?
Ans: Sophie and Jansie are poles apart in tastes and temperament. Sophie has fantastic dreams and floats in a fairy land. She is an incurable escapist who won’t come out of her dreams. Jansie is down to earth—a realist. Sophie wants to do something sophisticated. Jansie knows that these things require a lot of money which their families do not possess. Jansie also knows that they were earmaked for the biscuit factory. She even advises Sophie to be sensible and practical. Sophie considers Jansie ‘nosey’ and does not want to confide in her.

Q2. How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father?
Ans:Sophie’s father has a plumpy face looking grimy and sweaty. He doesn’t seem to be a soft or sophisticated man. Sophie fears his agressive manliness. He is a realist and does not believe in his daughter’s wild stories. He loves watching football. He hopes young Casey will be as good as Tom Finney. He wishes that the young footballer keeps away from all distractions. He shouts instructions to Casey at the playground. When the Irish genius beats the hesitant goal keeper, Sophie’s father screams with joy and pride. He goes to a pub to celebrate the victory.

Q3. Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective, what did he symbolise?
Ans: Geoff is the only person who listens to Sophie’s fantasies and long cherished dreams. Her father is too bossy and aggressive. He hates Sophie’s fantastic stories. Even little Derek – makes fun of her growing rich. Her classmate Jansie is ‘nosey’ and can’t be trusted with a secret. Only Geoff can be trusted to keep all the secrets of Sophie to himself.
From her perspective, Geoff symbolises an elder brother who has grown up and visited places unknown to her. She wished that someday her brother might take her to those places. He is sympathetic and cautions her by telling her that Casey might have strings of girls. He warns her that he would never show up again. He speaks softly so as not to break the heart of the young dreamer.

Q4. What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to? What are the indicators of her family’s financial status?
Ans: Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family. She is an escapist and has wild dreams. She dreams of things she can’t have in real life. Jansie tells her that boutique needs a lot of money. Sophie knows that the family doesn’t have money. She says, “If ever I came into money, I’ll buy a boutique.” Even little Derek understands her unrealistic nature.
Geoffs occupation reflects their socio-economic background. He is an apprentice mechanic. He travels to his work each day to the far side of the city. His jacket is shapeless. Her father lacks sophistication. He is a heavy breathing man. He sits in his vest at the table. He grunts and tosses one of little Derek’s shoes from his chair on to the sofa. There is stove in the same room where dirty washing is piled in a comer. Sophie’s father goes to pub on his bicycle. All these indicators confirm their lower middle-class family background.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Discuss in pairs
Q1.Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.
Ans: Sophie is a young school-girl belonging to a lower middle-class family. She wants to rise from the situation in which she finds herself. She is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She dreams of opening a boutique. Her classmate Jansie, who had her feet firmly planted on the ground, tells Sophie that opening a boutique requires a lot of money and experience and she has neither of them. Sophie, who floats in a dreamy world of her own, dreams of becoming an actress or a fashion designer. She has dreams of a hero also. She develops fascination for Danny Casey, the wonder-boy of football. She sees him in action only once when he scores the second goal for United. She imagines him coming to her and tells her brother about the meeting. She goes on waiting for him on the next date but he does not turn up. She becomes sad and carries the burden of sadness all the times. Thus, her dreams and disappointments are the creations of her mind.

Q2.It is natural for teenagers to have unrealistic dreams. What would you say are the benefits and disadvantages of such fantasising?
Ans: Teenagers have boundless enthusiasm and ambitions. They have sweet dreams and go on fantasising. It is natural for them to do so. Every youth is a dreamer. Every great scientist or writer has a dream. Without some thing to aspire for one can’t strive to achieve that goal. Dreams lead to the golden gate of success. Some teenagers float in the world of fantasy. They have unreal dreams. It is just like a child asking for the moon. Their feet are in the mud and they dream of the stars in the sky. Such fantasising results in disappointment and disillusionment. A dreamer who fails to realise his dream is labelled a failure. Those who realise their dreams become heroes and achievers in their spheres. I think it is better to have dreams even if we fail to realise them. Who would have dreams if the teenagers don’t—will these grey-headed, grey-bearded persons have dreams? Let the teenagers indulge in their natural activity and dream of a golden future. They will strive to translate them into reality.

WORKING WITH WORDS
Notice the following expressions. The highlighted words are not used in a literal sense. Explain what they mean.
•Words had to be prized out of him like stones out of a ground.
•Sophie felt a tightening in her throat.
If he keeps his head on his shoulders.
•On Saturday they made their weekly pilgrimage to the United.
•She saw … him ghost past the lumbering defenders
Ans. (i)Phrase Meaning : Words had to be prized out of him. He was so silent that words had to be extracted from him with great difficulty or force.
(ii)Phrase Meaning : … a tightening in her throat. Sophie felt a stiffness in her throat and felt upset.
(iii)Phrase Meaning : … keeps his head on his shoulders. If he is sensible or intelligent.
(iv)Phrase Meaning : … they made their weekly pilgrimage. They went to see the football match every week as if they were visiting a holy place.
(v) Phrase Meaning :… ghost past. Making a silent move or running to dodge/deceive.

NOTICING FORM
Notice the highlighted words in the following sentences:
1.“When I leave,’ Sophie said, coming home from school, “I’m going to have a boutique.”
2. Jansi, linking arms with her along the street, looked doubtful.
3.“I’ll find it,” Sophie said, staring far down the street.
4. Jansie, knowing they were both earmarked for the biscuit factory, became melancholy.
5.And she turned in through the open street door leaving Jansie standing in the rain.
-When we add “ing” to a verb we get the present participle form. The present participle form is generally used along with forms of “be’, (is, was, are, were, am) to indicate the present continuous tense as in “Sophie was coming home from school.”
-We can use the present participle by itself without the helping verb, when we wish to indicate that an action is happening at the same time as another.
-In example 1, Sophie “said” something, “Said”, here, is the main action.
-What Sophie was doing while she was “saying” is indicated by “coming home from school”. So we get the information of two actions happening at the same time. We convey the information in one sentence instead of two.
-Analyse the other examples in the same way.
-Pick out five other sentences from the story in which present participles are used in this sense.
Ans. 1.“She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad? said little Derek, hanging on the back of his father’s chair. ,
2.She was conscious of a vast world out there waiting for her …
3.She saw herself riding there behind Geoff.
4.Here I sit, she said to herself, wishing Danny would come, wishing he would come
and sensing the time passing.
5.She waited, measuring in this way the changes taking place in her.
6.Sitting here waiting and knowing he will not come I can see the future…

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
Notice these words from the story.
•“chuffed”, meaning delighted or very pleased
•“nosey”, meaning inquisitive
•“gawky”, meaning awkward, ungainly.
These are words that are used in an informal way in colloquial speech.
Make a list of ten other words df this kind.
Ans. (i) “boutique”, meaning a shop selling fashionable clothes or expensive gifts.
(ii)“dad”, meaning father.
(iii)“scooping”, meaning picking up something with a spoon.
(iv)“prized out”, meaning extract some infrmation with difficulty or force.
(v)“muttered”, meaning murmured.
(vi)“pub”, meaning a place where one can drink.
(vii)jeered”, meaning taunted.
(viii)“damn”, meaning ‘go to hell!’
(ix)“ghost past”, meaning moved unseen and unheard.
(x)“huh”, meaning an expression showing disagreement.

WRITING
-Think of a person who you would like to have as your role-model.
-Write down the points to be discussed or questions to be asked, if you were asked to interview that person on the Television show.
Ans:                                         INTERVIEWING SUNIL GAVASKAR
1.Welcome, Sunil to our chat show. How do you feel at this stage of life?
2.Sachin Tendulkar has broken your record of hitting the highest number of test hundreds. How do you react to that?
3.What helps you to keep fit and smart at this age?
4.What are your current international engagements?
5.What do you prefer—writing books on cricket or commenting on television?
6.Have you ever thought of coaching India?
7.Would you like to be involved intimately in grooming budding talent, if offer comes from the right quarters?
8.What are your plans for helping the players to get a better deal?
9.How do you balance your international engagements with you personal obligations?
10.What are your interests other than cricket?

THINGS TO DO
1.Look for other stories or movies where this theme of hero worship and fantasising about film or sports icons finds a place.
Ans: Extension Activity : To be attempted under the guidance of the teacher.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. What does Sophie dream of doing after she passes out of school? Why do you call it a ‘dream’ and not a ‘plan’?
Ans: Sophie dreams to have a boutique of her own. It will be the most amazing shop the city has ever seen. She says that she will buy a boutique if ever she comes into money. She does not mind becoming an actress to run a boutique as a side business. Since she has no money or experience, it is called a ‘dream’ and not a ‘plan’.

Q2. What are the other dreams of Sophie in addition to having a boutique?
Ans: The greatest dream of Sophie is to have a boutique. She wants to be a bit sophisticated and rise above her lower-middle class status. Her other dream is of being an actress as “there’s real money in that”. Moreover, actresses don’t work full time. She can look after her first love i.e. boutique as a side business. She has another option. She can be a fashion designer, and do something sophisticated.

Q3. Why does -Jansie say : “Soaf, you really should be sensible” ?
Ans: Jansie knows Sophie’s family background and financial position. She knows that both of them are earmarked for that biscuit factory. Sophie dreams of big and beautiful things like having a boutique or becoming an actress or a fashion designer. All these things need a lot of money and experience. Sophie has neither of them. So Jansie being down-to-earth advises her to be sensible and stop having wild dreams.

Q4. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie?
OR
Jansie is Sophie’s classmate and friend but doesn’t entertain any ‘wild dreams’like her. Why?
Ans: Sophie and Jansie are classmates and friends, but the similarity ends here. They are poles ’ apart in thinking and temperament. Sophie is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She dreams of big and beautiful things, which are beyond her reach.
On the other hand, Jansie is realistic and practical. She knows that they are poor and will have to work in the biscuit factory after leaving school. She is well aware that big things require big money and experience, which they don’t have. It is better to live in reality and think accordingly.

Q5. What job is Geoff engaged in? How does he differ from his sister, Sophie?
Ans: Geoff is a grown up boy. He left school three years ago. Now he is an apprentice mechanic. He has to travel to his work each day to the far side of the city. He speaks little but listens to his sister’s ‘wild stories’. But he is not a day dreamer like her. He knows the financial limitations of his family. He cautions Sophie against entertaining dreams for a celebrity like Danny Casey.

Q6. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?
Ans: Geoff was almost grown up now. He spoke little. Words had to be extracted out of him like stones out of the ground. Sophie was jealous of his silence. She knew that when he was not speaking, he was away somewhere. He was out in the surrounding country—in those places she had never been. She wanted to share her brother’s affection.

Q7. What does Sophie tell Geoff about her meeting with Danny Gasey? How does Geoff react to it?
Ans: Sophie tells Geoff that she met Danny Casey. Geoff is surprised. He looks round abruptly and asks ‘where?’ Sophie replies that she met him in the arcade. Geoff can’t believe her. He says, “It’s never true.” He asks her, “What does he look like?” She replies that he has green eyes and is not very tall. Geoff is still not convinced.

Q8. How does Sophie’s father react when Geoff tells him about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans: Geoff informs his father that Sophie had a meeting with Danny Casey. He turns his head on his thick neck to look at her in disbelief. His expression is one of disdain. He ignores the news and goes on to talk about Tom Finney. He hopes that Danny will he like Tom Finney one day. When Sophie says that Casey is going to buy a shop, he reacts sharply. “This is another of your wild stories.”

Q9. “He don’t believe you—though he’d like to.” Who says so, about whom and in what context?
Ans: Geoff says so to Sophie about their father. He reacted sharply to her account of meeting Danny Casey. Geoff said that she had met him in the arcade and then told him how it had been. Their father said aggressively that she was going to talk herself into a load of trouble. Sophie asked Geoff to confirm that it was true. It was then that Geoff uttered these remarks. *-

Q10. Why do you think, does Goeff tell Sophie the following?
(i)“Casey must have strings of girls.”
(ii)“As if he’d ever show up.”
Ans: Geoff knows that Sophie is still very young and immature. She is crazy after Danny Casey, the Irish wonder-boy. He tries to convince Sophie that a celebrity like Casey must have a large number of girls running after him. She says that he doesn’t have any. He will give her autograph next week if she cares to meet him next week. Geoff is not convinced. He doubts if he would ever show up.

Q11.Who was Danny Casey? How did the members of Sophie’s family react towards him?
Ans: Danny Casey was a young Irish football player. He played for the United. The Irish prodigy could easily dodge the defenders and score goals. Sophie’s father was a football fan. He admired old heroes like Tom Finney and young wonder boy Casey. Geoff had a large poster of United first team squad on his bed room wall. There were three coloured photographs of Casey in the row below it. Every Saturday they went to watch United play.

Q12. Why was the visit of Sophie’s father and his family to watch United ‘their weekly pilgrimage’ ?
Ans: Sophie’s father was a keen footfall fan. He took great interest in the career of Danny Casey, the Irish prodigy. Geoff, too was interested in football. Sophie considered Danny Casey her personal hero. She always dreamt of him. Casey was playing for United. The family visited the stadium regularly to watch him. So the family’s visit was like a religious or holy weekly ritual—a pilgrimage.

Q13. Where did Sophie meet Casey and what transpired between them?
Ans: Sophie met Danny Casey in the arcade. It was she who spoke first and asked if he was Casey. He looked surprised. He was certainly Danny Casey as he had the Irish accent. She had already heard him on television. She asked him for an autograph for little Derek. But neither of them had any paper or pen. Before going he promised to give his autograph if she cared to meet him next week.

Q14. What promise does Sophie want Geoff to make and why ?
OR
Why does Sophie say: “Promise you’ll tell no one” and “Promise, Geoff-Dad’d murder me.”
Ans: Sophie wants to confide in Geoff what happened dining her meeting with Danny Casey. Before telling him the details, she wants him to promise that he would tell no one about her meeting and the next ‘date’. She is afraid of her father’s anger. She fears he would murder her. Geoff assures her that she is quite safe. Their father does not believe such wild stories.

Q15. Did Geoff keep his promise? How do you know?
‘ OR
Why did Sophie say “Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing.”
Ans: Sophie had told Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey and asked him to promise that he would tell no one. It was a secret between the two—something special just between them. Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Jansie’s brother Frank about it. Sophie cursed Geoff, as it was his doing, not Jansie’s.

Q16. Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans: Sophie knew that Jansie was ‘nosey’. She was very inquisitive by nature. She took special interest in knowing new things about others. Sophie did not trust Jansie as she could not keep a secret. She could spread the rumour in the whole neighbourhood.

Q17. How did Jansie react at Sophie’s story of her meeting with Danny Casey ? [Delhi 2014]
Ans: Jansie was a classmate and friend of Sophie. She lived in the same neighbourhood. She knew Sophie quite well. She was also aware of Sophie’s habit of dreaming. On learning of her meeting with Danny Casey, her first reaction was of disbelief. “You never did”, exclaimed Jansie. But when Sophie told her about her request for autograph, Jansie softened a little and said, “Jesus, I wish Fd have been there.”

Q18. What did Sophie want to keep a secret from her father and why? How did Jansie react to this disclosure?
Ans: Sophie told Jansie that she wanted to keep her meeting with Casey a secret. There would be a row if her father knew it. Jansie thought that he would be pleased. Sophie told Jansie what a misery her father was. Moreover, she did not want crowd of people asking him about Danny Casey and her. She feared that he would murder her. Her mother felt upset whenever there was a row. Jansie assured Sophie that she could trust her to keep the secret.

Q19. Why did Sophie choose to walk by the canal? What did she do there?
Ans: Sophie walked by the canal along a sheltered path. It was far away from the noise and crowd of the city. It was a place where she had often played when she was a child. There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm tree. Lovers sometimes came there. That was the most suitable place where she could dream of her hero Danny Casey.

Q20. How did Sophie react as she kept sitting for hours, waiting for Danny Casey and imagining his coming?
Ans: At first Sophie was optimistic. She imagined him coming out of the shadows. When time had elapsed, pangs of doubt stirred inside her. She became sad and despondent. Danny would not come there at all. She feared that people would laugh at the story of her meeting with Casey.

Q21. Sophie is a typical adolescen.t hero-worshipper who carries her fantasising too far. Comment.
Ans: Sophie is a dreamer and an escapist. She is also a hero-worshipper. Danny Casey, the wonderful Irish football player was her hero. She indulged in wishful thinking and dreams of meeting him. Her imagined meeting gave her immense pleasure. But the pangs of not meeting him made her sad and despondent.

Q22. “Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.” Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Ans: I fully agree with the observation. Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind, she is a hero-worshipper. The Irish prodigy is her hero. She imagines her meeting with him. Her day-dreaming makes her sad and despondent. The idea that Casey will not come at all is quite painful to her. Thus, her dreams and disappointments are products of her mind only. They have nothing to do with reality. ‘

Q23. Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection? [All India 2014]
Ans: Geoff was not veiy talkative. He was an introvert. Sophie thought that Geoff had access to the world where she had not got even a chance to visit. She wanted to be the part of her brother’s world. That is why she longed for his affection.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. What impression do you form of Sophie on reading the story ‘Going Places’?
OR
Sophie has her own dreams and disappointments, but they are all her creations—the creations of her own mind. Justify the statement.
Ans: Sophie is a young school girl. She dreams of big and beautiful things. Some of these are beyond her reach or her means. Her ambitions have no relation with the harsh realities of life. She thinks of having a boutique. She wants to have the most amazing shop this city has ever seen. Then she entertains the idea of being an actress There’s real money in that.’ Actresses do not work full time. So she would nm the boutique as a side business. If need be, she can be a fashion designer. She doesn’t realise that her family is not rich enough and her dreams can’t be fulfilled.
Sophie develops a romantic fascination for Danny Casey. He is a young Irish football player and the hero of her dreams. She indulges in hero worship. She tells a story that she met Casey. Her father calls it another of her “wild stories”. Even Geoff does not believe her. He tries to caution her. Casey is a celebrity. Many girls run after him. But Sophie ignores him.
She is an incurable dreamer. She has seen Casey only once, but all the time she thinks of him. She sits alone and waits for his arrival. She becomes sad and despondent when Casey does not come. She suffers because of her dreams. These dreams and disappointments are all the creations of her mind.

Q2. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie highlighting their temperament and aspirations.
Ans: Sophie and Jansie are class-fellows and friends. 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 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 ‘nose/. She takes interests in learning new things about others. She can spread the story in the whole neighbourhood. So, Sophie doesn’t want to share secrets with her.
Sophie is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She is a hero-worshipper. She adores the young Irish footballer Danny Casey. She develops a fascination for her. She becomes sad and helpless but she doesn’t become wiser. She remains a dreamer. Jansie is practical and realist. She has no such unrealistic dreams.

Q3. Describe the bond between Geoff and Sophie in spite of differences in their temperament and thinking.
Ans: Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother. He was three years out of school. He was an apprentice mechanic. He travelled to his work each day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now. He spoke very little. Sophie was jealous of Geoff’s silence. He was quiet
and didn’t make new Mends easily. He thought that Sophie was too young and immature. Geoff was mature enough to understand his limitations and those of his family. He never dreamt of big and beautiful things.
In spite of difference in their temperaments, there was a close bond between the two. Geoff was always the first to share Sophie’s secrets. He knew that Sophie’s story of meeting with Danny Casey was not true. Still he listened to her. Sophie confided in him. Her secret was something special just between them. It was not meant for nosey Jansie who would spread it in the whole neighbourhood. Geoff tried to persuade Sophie. He warned her that Danny Casey was a celebrity. He must have many girls like her running after him. Sophie told him that Casey would give her an autograph if she cared to meet him next week. Geoff did not believe “he’d ever show up.” Thus, he acted like an elder brother.
Geoff and Sophie share a common trait. It is their fascination for the Irish prodigy, Danny Casey. But they differ in their thinking. Like his father, Geoff wished Casey to be a great footballer one day. Sophie had romantic fascination for Casey. It was something else other than football.

Q4. Who was Danny Casey ? How was he adored by the family of Sophie, and specially by Sophie and her father ?
Ans: Danny Casey was an Irish Prodigy. He was a wonderboy of football. He had won the hearts of his countless fans. He played for United. Sophie’s family was obsessed with the Irish genius. Sophie’s father compared young Danny Casey to another great football player Tom Finney. He wished that Casey might be that good someday. He knew there were a lot of distractions for a youngster in the game those days. He wished that Casey would keep his head on his shoulders. Geoff remarked that he was with the best team in the country. He hoped that Casey would prove even a better player than Tom Finney. Geoff considered him the best. His father thought that he was too young for the first team. The fact was that with his exceptional ability he was playing for the first eleven.
On Saturday, Sophie’s family made their weekly pilgrimage to the stadium to watch United play their match. They watched their hero Danny Casey in action. He was running, going round the two big defenders. Then he was on the edge of the penalty area. Sophie’s father was screaming for him to pass. They saw him beating the hesitant goal keeper from a dozen yards. He scored the second goal. United won two-nil. Sophie glowed with pride. Geoff was ecstatic. Someone wished he were an Englishman. Little Derek declared that Ireland would win the world cup. Their father went to the pub to celebrate.
Sophie adored Danny Casey. She had a romantic fascination for the Irish prodigy. Her young heart throbbed for her hero. She imagined Casey coming to her. She would sit under an elm tree, waiting for Casey and dreaming of him. She realised that he would not come. This made her sad and dejected. Sophie became a victim of her own dreams and disappointments.

VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1. The unrealistic dreams determine negativity and failure. Childhood dreams sometimes dishearten and disappoint the people. Write an article on the topic, “Horrors of Unrealistic Dreams” taking ideas from the following lines:
“For some while, waiting, she imagined his coming. She watched along the canal, seeing him come out of the shadows, imagining her own consequent excitement.”
Ans:                                         Horrors of Unrealistic Dreams
People harbour fierce and uncontrollable desires. The search for a better life is one of the most basic desires of human beings. But they substantially deviate from the path of righteousness when they feel that their unquenchable desires can never be fulfilled. They found themselves in the depths of depression. The mortals should use their wisdom to set
realistic goals. Imagination is thrice away from reality. Undoubtedly, the human race is
governed by its imagination. But it is also a harsh reality of life that ‘He who has imagination
without learning has wings but no feet.’ One should not forget that there is a difference
between real life and reel life. The happenings of dreams cannot take place in this physical
world. Those who ignore the present situation while setting their goals repent later. Man
has to identify his latent talent and potential to materialise his goals. One should have thorough knowledge of one’s interests and outlook.

Q2. The world we are living in is replete with hypocrites and ditchers. It becomes difficult for us to confide our secrets to someone. But it is important to have someone you can confide in. Discuss the topic taking ideas from the following expressions:
“Sophie glared at the ground. Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing. It was meant to be something special just between them. Something secret. It wasn’t a Jansie kind of thing at all.”
Ans: Man is a social animal. He has to interact with the fellow human beings to give vent to his emotional grievances and sentimental grudges. He needs a person, a Mend to confide in his secrets. This dog eat dog world has numerous people who seem to be trustworthy. But they are pretenders, hypocrites and opportunists. A person who leads a lonely life never feels happy and contented. His life becomes a hell. Expression of thoughts lightens the human soul. It is a matter of fact that there is dearth of true Mends. People do not believe in one another. Material prosperity and unhealthy competition have eroded trust. Our forefathers worked together, lived together and earned their livelihood together. In the modem world lack of trust has created nuclear families. The concept of joint family was based on the principles of trust, honesty and brotherhood. These virtues have no significance in the present age. Trust gives us strength and courage to overcome the obstacles coming in the life. It is said that a Mend in need is a Mend indeed. We must have someone with us whom we can tell our secrets and reveal the truth. There should be a person who could objectively listen to our candid confessions.

Q3. “Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.” The attitude of parents shape the child’s perception. Write an article on effective parenting taking ideas from the following lines:
“Sophie’s father was scooping shepherd’s pie into his mouth as hard as he could go, his plump face still grimy and seat—marked from the day… outside the pub she passed her father’s bicycle propped against the wall, and was glad”
Ans:                                                              Effective Parenting
Taking care of children requires infinite patience, great tolerance and profound wisdom. Children are emotional and delicate creatures. They should not be treated as things. People scold children frequently. Consequently, they become rude and arrogant. Those who thrash the tiny tots tend to forget that children intend to explore the mystery of physical objects. All the things available at home make the children curious. Their insatiable curiosity gets stimulated and stirred when they get freedom to touch them. Their spontaneity must not be hindered. Parents should encourage children to create new things. They should develop their interest in various activities so as to make their lives colourful. Their questions asked out of innocence should be answered thoughtfully. It is a universally accepted fact that children learn by imitating others. Parents should never argue with each other in presence of their children. They should treat the children in an affectionate way. They should play the role of a Mend, teacher, councilor and parents.
More Resources for CBSE Class 12
RD Sharma class 12 Solutions
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Flamingo
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Vistas
CBSE Class 12 Accountancy
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th Maths
CBSE Class 12 Biology
CBSE Class 12 Physics
CBSE Class 12 Chemistry
CBSE Sample Papers For Class 12

NCERT Solutions Class 12 Flamingo EnglishClass 12 Vistas English

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Flamingo English Deep Water

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What is the “misadventure ” that William Douglas speaks about?
Ans. William O. Douglas had just learnt swimming. One day, an eighteen year old big bruiser picked him up and tossed him into the nine feet deep end of the Y.M.C.A. pool. He hit the water surface in a sitting position. He swallowed water and went at once to the bottom. He nearly died in this misadventure.

Q2. 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?
Ans. Douglas was frightened when he was thrown into the pool. However, he was not frightened out of his wits. While sinking down he made a plan. He would make a big jump when his feet hit the bottom. He would come to the surface like a cork, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.

Q3. How did this experience affect him?
Ans. This experience revived his aversion to water. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He couldn’t eat that night. For many days, there was a haunting fear in his heart. The slightest exertion upset him, making him wobbly in the knees and sick to his stomach. He never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it whenever he could.

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Ans. His fear of water ruined his fishing trips. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming. Douglas used every way he knew to overcome this fear he had developed ’since childhood. Even as an adult, it held him firmly in its grip. He determined to get an instructor and learn swimming to get over this fear of water.

Q2. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Ans. 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 everytime. 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 these relaxed. After seven months the instructor told him to swim the length of the pool.

Q3. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Ans. Douglas still felt terror-stricken when he was alone in the pool. The remnants of the old terror would return, but he would rebuke it and go for another length of the pool. He was still not satisfied. So, he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. He had his residual doubts. So, he went to Meade Glacier, dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back.Thus, he made sure that he had conquered the old terror.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Q1. 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.
Ans. Douglas gives a detailed account of his feelings and efforts to save himself from getting drowned. He uses literary devices to make the description graphic and vivid. For example,
‘Those nine feet were more like ninety’, ‘My lungs were ready to burst.’ ‘I came up slowly,
I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water….. I grew panicky1 ‘I was suffocating. I
tried to yell, but no sound came out!’ ‘

Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans. When Douglas grew up, he took the help of an instructor to learn swimming. His training went on from October to April. For three months he was taken across the pool with the help of a rope. As he went under, terror filled him and his legs froze. The instructor taught him to exhale under water and inhale through raised nose. He made him kick his legs to make them relax. Then he asked him to swim. He continued swimming from April to July. Still all terror had not left. He swam two miles across Lake Wentworth and the whole length to the shore and back of Warm Lake. Then he overcame his fear of water.

Q3. 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?
Ans. The experience of terror was a handicap Douglas suffered from during his childhood. His conquering of it shows his determination, will power and development of his personality.
He drew a larger meaning from this experience. “In death there is peace.” “There is terror only in the fear of death.” He had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. So, the will to live somehow grew in intensity. He felt released- free to walk the mountain paths, climb the peaks and brush aside fear.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Q1.“All ice have to fear is fear itself” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome? Share your experience with your partner.
Ans. I must have been about eight or nine years old. It was the night of Diwali. All the houses were shining bright with the rows of candles, oil lamps and electric bulbs. Children were bursting crackers. Suddenly, a cracker went up and hit the thatched roof of a poor gardener. Soon the hut was in flames. His only son, a tiny infant had severe burns  before he could be rescued. I began to tremble with fear as the police questioned the boys exploding crackers. From then on I had a fear of crackers, fire and police. My parents and I had to work very hard to remove this blemish. It was adversely affecting
my personality. By learning the safeguards against fire and safe handling of crackers, I
gradually overcame my fear. However, I still get panicked at the sight of a policeman in uniform. The fear of police remained now; My uncle came to my rescue. He got me dressed as a police inspector in one of his plays, I commanded many policemen and scolded them for misbehaving with the common people. I learnt that policemen were also, humans and not demons. Police protect and help us to maintain law and order. Thank God, I have overcome all my fears now.

Q2. Find and narrate other stories about conquest of fear and what people have said about courage. For example, you can recall Nelson Mandela’s struggle for freedom, his perseverance to achieve his mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor as depicted in his autobiography. The story ‘We’re Not Afraid To Die,’ which you have read in Class XI, is an apt example of how courage and optimism helped a family survive under the direst stress.
Ans. In his autobiography ‘Long Walk to Freedom’, Nelson Mandela tells the extraordinary story of his life. He brings vividly to life the escalating political warfare in the fifties between the African National Congress and the government, culminating in his dramatic escapades as an underground leader and the notorious Rivonia Trial of 1964, at which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He recounts the surprisingly eventful twenty-seven years in prison and the complex, delicate negotiations that led both to his freedom and to the beginning of the end of apartheid. Mandela also struggled against the exploitation of labour and on the segregation of the universities. He persevered to achieve his mission and to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor. In 1990, he was freed from prison. The apartheid laws were relaxed. Mandela became the champion for human rights and racial equality. He also became the first non-white president of the Republic of South Africa.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
If someone else had narrated Douglas’s experience, how would it have differed from this account? Write out a sample paragraph or paragraphs from this text from the point of view of a third person or observer, to find out which style of narration would you consider to be more effective? Why?
Ans. The third person account or one from the point of view of an observer is detached and objective. Real-life personal account is subjective and focuses more on the person’s thoughts, feelings and emotional response. I would consider the first person narrative style more effective as it is quite authentic and depicts everything faithfully.

SAMPLE PARAGRAPHS
(From the point of view of a third personlobserver)
A big bruiser of a boy, yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?” with that he picked up the 10 year old tiny boy and tossed him into the nine feet deep end of the Y.M.C.A. pool. The kid struck the surface in a sitting position, swallowed water and at once went to the bottom. .
Watching all this from a distance filled me with anxiety for the kid. I rushed towards the side of the pool. By that time, the boy had risen twice to the surface but being unable to grab a rope or support on the side wall, he went down.
Before I could bail him out he sucked in more water and went down third time. I at once jumped into the pool. The boy’s legs were limp. All efforts had ceased. I carried him on my shoulder and swam to the side of the pool.
He was made to lie on his stomach. His back was slapped gently but firmly to make him vomit the water he had swallowed. He responded to the first-aid measures and soon regained consciousness.

WRITING
Q1. Doing well in any activity, for example a sport, music, dance or painting, riding a motorcycle or a car, involves a great deal of struggle. Most of us are very nervous to begin with until gradually we overcome our fears and perform well.
Write an essay of about five paragraphs recounting such an experience. Try to recollect minute details of what caused the fear, your feelings, the encouragement you got from others or the criticism.
You could begin with the last sentence of the essay you have just read: “At last I felt released—free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.”
Ans.                    MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF RIDING A MOTORCYCLE
At last I felt released, free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear. This fear of injuries had been my old enemy and had thwarted me at crucial moments. I remember exactly when I started developing this fear. I was a toddler when I was given a tricycle. I would lose balance and the tricycle would fall over me.
As I grew older, I was given dwarfer versions of cycles but my road fear persisted. I would hit someone or something and fall down. Sometimes the injuries took time to heal. I felt annoyed with myself and cursed my fear. But fern assumed monster like proportions.
Now I had passed tenth class examination and joined the city school. My father gifted me a Hero Honda mobike on my birthday. My uncle volunteered to train me. After telling me in details the functions of various parts, he took me to the playground. He sat behind me and issued orders. He held me firmly at first. When I had learnt to start the vehicle,
change gear, increase and decrease speed, turn the vehicle and come to a stop, he asked me to take a round. I perspired from head to foot. He reassured me and encouraged me. I regained my confidence.
Then I took a short round of the playground. I still hesitated while tinning the comer. Uncle explained the mechanism and demonstrated how to handle the machine.
Finally, I took three rounds of the playground. Then uncle and I came to the side road. He trained me how to avoid the vehicles and give them passage. I drove to the city and returned safe. I had conquered fear and learnt how to ride a motorcycle.

Q2. Write a short letter to someone you know about your having learnt to do something new.
Ans. 23, King John’s Lane
Westbury (UK)
12 March, 2007
Dear Dolly,
You will be pleased to learn that at last I have learnt playing tennis. You know how I dotted on the players taking part in Wimbledon and had cherished a dream to play on the centre court.
Well, I have taken the first step in that direction. After years of perspiration and training I have learnt playing tennis. This year I am participating in the Junior County Championship.
I must take this opportunity of thanking you for you have been a constant source of inspiration and support to me, both on and off the court.
I am anxiously awaiting for the day when I’ll intimate to you my achievements in this newly learnt game.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Angela

THINGS TO DO
Q1. Are there any water sports in India? Find out about the areas or places which are known for water sports.
Ans. India provides exciting opportunities for the following watersports:
(i) White Water Rafting, (ii) Water Skiing, (iii) Canoeing and Kayaking,
(iv) Scuba Diving, (u) Snorkelling, (vi) Angling and Fishing.
Areas or places known for watersports:
(i) White Water Rafting and Kayaking : The Ganges (from Rishikesh); the Beas (from
Manali, the Indus (in Ladakh), Zanskar (in Zanskar), the Teesta (in Sikkim)
(ii)Water Skiing:The Ganges, the Beas.
(iii)Sailing, Yachting and Wind-surfing:Goa, Kovalam Beach in Kerala.
(iv)Scuba Diving:Andaman and Lakshadweep, Goa.
(v)Snorkelling:Andaman and Lakshadweep, Goa.
(vi)Angling and Fishing:Balukpung (Assam) Beas (Kullu Valley)

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. When did Douglas decide to learn swimming? What options were available to him to swim in? Which one did he choose and why?
Ans. Douglas was ten or eleven years old when he decided to learn swimming. He could swim in the Yakima River or the Y.M.C.A. pool at Yakima. The Yakima River was dangerous. Many persons had drowned in it. So, he chose the Y.M.C.A. pool. It was considered safe.

Q2. Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of the Y.M.C.A. pool?
Ans. The Y.M.C.A. pool was safe. It was only two to three feet deep at the shallow end. It was nine feet deep at the other. Moreover, the drop was gradual. The Yakima River was treacherous and had drowned many. So, he decided in favour of the Y.M.C.A. pool.

Q3. “I had an aversion to the water when I was in it?” says Douglas. When did he start having this aversion and how?
Ans. The aversion started when Douglas was three or four years old. His father had taken him to the beach in California. They were standing together in the surf. He had held his father tightly, even then the waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. He was frightened. There was terror in his heart about the overpowering force of the waves.

Q4. How did Douglas initially feel when he went to the Y.M.C.A. pool? What made him feel comfortable?
Ans. Unpleasant memories of the past were revived and childish fears were stirred. In a little while he gathered confidence. He paddled with his new water wings. He watched the other boys and tried to imitate them. He did so two or three times on different days. He began to feel comfortable.

Q5. What two things did Douglas dislike to do? Which one did he have to do and why?
Ans. Douglas hated to walk naked, into the pool and show his very thin legs. Secondly, he was fearful about going in alone. So, he sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. But he had to go into water as one cannot learn swimming without going into water.

Q6. In what connection does Douglas mention “a big bruiser of a boy ?”
Ans. Douglas mentions him for his misadventure in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool in which he had nearly died. It was this boxer boy who had picked up Douglas and tossed him into the deep end. Later on, when Douglas was rescued, the boy said, “I was only fooling.”

Q7. Describe the boy who was responsible for the author’s misadventure?
Ans. He was a big boy, a bruiser. He was probably eighteen year old. He had thick hair on his chest. He was a beautiful specimen. His legs and arms had rippling muscles. He was a fun loving fellow and enjoyed teasing the younger and weaker boys.

Q8. How did the “misadventure” happen with Douglas?
Ans. Douglas was sitting alone on the side of the pool, waiting for others. A big, boxer boy of eighteen came there. Mocking him as ‘skinny’ he enquired how he would like to be plunged in water. Saying so, he picked up Douglas and tossed him into the nine feet deep end. Douglas struck the surface of water, swallowed water and at once went to the bottom.

Q9. “I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits,” says Douglas. Which qualities of the speaker are highlighted here and how?
Ans. Douglas was frightened when he went down into the pool and was about to be drowned. He had an aversion to water and now he was filled with terror. He had remarkable self¬control. He used his mind even in the crisis and thought of a strategy to save himself from being drowned.

Q10. “On the way down I planned,” remarks Douglas. What plan had he devised and how far did it succeed?
Ans. While going down to the bottom, he made a plan to save himself from being drowned. He decided to make a big jump as his feet hit the bottom. He hoped to move up to the surface of water like a cork. Then he would lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool. The plan was only partly successful. He rose to surface twice. But each time he swallowed water and went down.

Q11. What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time ?
Ans. Going down to the depth of nine feet was not quick. It seemed a long way down. For him those nine feet were more like ninety. Before he touched bottom his lungs were ready to burst. He did not lose his presence of mind. Using all his strength, he made a great jump upwards.

Q12. How was the result of the ‘great spring upwards’ that Douglas made on hitting the bottom of the pool for the first time?
Ans. Douglas rose to the surface very slowly. When he opened his eyes he saw nothing but water with a dirty yellow colour. He grew panicky. He tried to grab a rope but his hands clutched only at water. He was suffocating. He tried to shout, but no sound came out. Then his eyes and nose came out of the water but not his mouth.

Q13. How did Douglas struggle before hitting the bottom of the pool for the second time? What was the outcome of his struggle?
Ans. Douglas moved his arms and legs around without control. He swallowed water and choked. His legs hung as dead weights, paralysed and rigid. A great force was pulling him down. He struck at the water with full force as he went down. He had lost all his breath. His lungs ached and head throbbed. He was getting dizzy. He went down through dark water and was filled with fear.

Q14. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the ‘water with a yellow glow?’ How could he feel he was still alive?
Ans. An absolute, rigid terror seized Douglas. It was a terror that knew no understanding or control and was beyond comprehension of anyone who had not experienced it. He was paralysed under water-stiff and rigid with fear. His screams were frozen. The beating of his heart and throbbing of mind made him feel that he was still alive.

Q15. ‘In the midst of the terror came a touch of reason.’ How did the two forces work in opposite direction and how did Douglas fare?
Ans. Reason told him to jump when he hit the bottom as he felt the tiles under him, he jumped with everything he had. But the jump made no difference. A mass of yellow water held him. Stark terror took an even deeper hold on him. He shook and trembled with fright. His arms and legs wouldn’t move. He tried to call for help, but nothing happened.

Q16. 7 crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.’ How did Douglas experience the sensation of dying before he actually crossed to oblivion?
Ans. As Douglas went down the pool the third time, he swallowed more water. All his efforts to jump up ceased. His legs felt limp. A blackness swept over his brain and it wiped out fear and terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet and peaceful. He felt drowsy and wanted to go to sleep.

Q17. In what state did Douglas find himself on regaining consciousness?
Ans. He found himself lying on his stomach near the pool. He was vomiting. The fellow who had thrown him in the pool was saying that he was only joking. Then someone remarked that the small boy had nearly died. He hoped that he would be all right then. Then he was carried to the locker room for change of clothes.

Q18. How did Douglas react to the frightening experience (i) that day and (ii) later when he came to know the waters of the Cascades?
Ans. (i) He walked home after several hours. He was weak and trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He couldn’t eat that night. A haunting fear was there in his heart. The slightest exertion upset him. His knees became wobbly. He felt sick to his stomach. (ii) Whenever he waded the Tieton or Bumping River or bathed in Warm Lake of Goat Rocks, the terror that had seized him in the pool would come back. This terror would take possession of him completely. His legs would become paralysed. Icy horror would grab his heart.

Q19. “This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by.” How did it affect his pursuits for pleasure?
Ans. The haunting fear of water followed Douglas everywhere. He rowed in canoes on Maine lakes fishing for landlocked salmon. He went for bass fishing in New Hampshire, trout fishing on the Deschutes and Metolius in Oregon, fishing for salmon on the Columbia, at Bumping Lake in the Cascades. Fear ruined his fishing trips. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.

Q20. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water and why?
Ans. Fear of water was a handicap Douglas developed during his childhood. It stayed with him as he grew older. It ruined his pursuits of pleasure such as canoeing, boating, swimming and fishing. He used every method he knew to overcome this fear. Finally, he determined to get an instructor and learn swimming.

Q21. What was the first piece of exercise the Instructor gave Douglas? How long did it take to yield the desired result?
Ans. The instructor made him go across the pool an hour a day for five days with the help of a rope attached to his belt. The rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope. They went back and forth across the pool. A bit of panic seized him every time. Moreover, the old terror returned and his legs froze when the instructor loosened his grip on the rope and Douglas went under water. It was after three months that the tension began to decrease.

Q22. Which other exercise did the Instructor prescribe for Douglas to make him shed the panic caused by water?
Ans. He taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale. Then he was to raise his nose
and inhale. He repeated this exercise hundreds of time. Bit by bit he shed part of the panic that seized him when his head went under water.

Q23. Which exercise helped Douglas to loosen his stiff legs and make them work as he desired?
Ans. The Instructor held Douglas at the side of the swimming pool. Then he made Douglas kick vfith his legs. He did just that for weeks. At first his legs refused to work. But gradually they relaxed. Finally, he was able to command them.

Q24. Why does Douglas say: ‘The Instructor was finished. But I was not finished?’ How did he overpower tiny vestiges of the old terror?
Ans. The Instructor’s work was over when he built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece and then put them together into an integrated whole. However, Douglas was not satisfied
as the remnants of the old terror would return when he swam alone in the pool. He would frown on terror go for another length of the pool.

Q25. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror flee ?
Ans. 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 his face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. The old sensation returned in a smaller size. He laughed and rebuked terror. His terror fled away and he swam on.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. “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’?
Ans. The water waves which knocked down young Douglas and swept over him at the beach in California filled him with fear. He was then three or four years old. All this happened when he had clung to his father. He was buried under water. His breath was gone and he was frightened. His father laughed, but there was terror in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves.
His introduction to the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. He had gathered some confidence when a misadventure happened as a big boy threw him at the nine feet deep end of the pool. His efforts to rise to the surface and paddle to the side failed twice. He would have drowned if he had not been rescued in time. This terror of water overpowered his limbs and made them stiff. His mind was haunted by fear of water. It was, in fact, a handicap to his personality.

Q2. Give an account of the fears and emotions of Douglas as he made efforts to save himself from being drowned in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool.
Ans. Douglas was frightened as he was going down. His active mind suggested a strategy to save himself from being drowned in water. He knew that water has buoyancy. He must make a big jump as his feet hit the bottom. He hoped to rise up like a cork to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.
Before he touched bottom, his lungs were ready to burst. Using all his strength, he made a great jump. He rose up very slowly. He saw nothing but yellow coloured dirty water. He grew panicky and he was suffocated. He swallowed more water as he tried to shout. He choked and went down again. His stiff legs refused to obey him. He had lost all his breath.
His lungs ached and head throbbed. He was getting dizzy. He went down through darkwater again. An absolute terror seized Douglas. He was paralysed under water. His reasoning power told him to jump again. He did so, but his aims and legs wouldn’t move. His eyes and nose came out of water, but not his mouth. He swallowed more water and went down third time. Now a blackness swept over his brain. He had experienced the terror that fear of death can produce as well as the sensation of dying.

Q3. How did the misadventure in Y.M.C.A. swimming pool affect Douglas ? What efforts did he make to conquer his old terror? Did he succeed?
Ans. Douglas had nearly died in the swimming pool. For days there was a haunting fear in his heart. The slightest exertion upset him. He avoided going near water as he feared it. The waters of the cascades, fishing for salmon in canoes, bass or trout fishing-all appeared attractive activities. However, the haunting fear of water followed Douglas everywhere and ruined his fishing trips? It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating and swimming.
The fear of water became a handicap. He used every method he knew to overcome this fear. Finally, he decided to engage a trainer and learn swimming. In seven months the Instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas. However, the vestiges of the old terror would return when he was alone in the pool. He could now frown on terror and go for another length of the pool. This went on till July. Douglas was not satisfied.
He went to Lake Wentworth and swam two miles. The terror returned only once when he had put his face under water and saw nothing but bottomless water. In order to remove his residual doubts he hurried west to Warm Lake. He dived into the lake and swam across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy as he had conquered his fear of water. He finally succeeded in his effort.

Q4. Comment on the appropriateness of the title ‘Deep Water’
OR
Do you think the title Deep Water’ is apt? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Ans. The title ‘Deep Water’ is quite appropriate to this extract from ‘Of Men and Mountains’ by William O. Douglas. The title is highly suggestive and at once focuses our attention on the main theme—experiencing fear of death under water and the efforts of the author to overcome it.
All the details in the essay are based on his personal experience and analysis of fear. The psychological analysis of fear is presented from a child’s point of view and centres round deep water and drowning.
The overpowering force of the waves at the California beach stir aversion for water in Douglas. His mother warns him against swimming in the deep waters of the treacherous Yakima River. The nine feet deep water of the swimming pool appears more than ninety to Douglas. However, when he conquers fear he can dive and swim in the deep waters of Lake Wentworth and Warm Lake. :
Thus the title is apt and suggestive.

Q5. What impression do you form of William O. Douglas on the basis of reading Deep Water?’
Ans. William Douglas leaves a very favourable impression on us. He appears quite truthful and courageous. He gives a detailed account of his fears and emotions as he struggles against deep water to save himself from being drowned. Confessing one’s faults and shortcomings is not easy. It needs courage, honesty and will power. Douglas has all these qualities.
His efforts to overpower the fear of water show his firm determination, resolution and strong will power. He has an analytic mind which diagnoses the malady and prompts him to search the cure. He is frightened of deep water, but not yet frightened out of his wits.
In his heroic struggle against fear, terror and panic, he rises to heroic stature. He becomes an idol, a living image of bravery and persistent efforts. He typifies the will not to surrender or yield. His indefatigable zeal is a source of inspiration for all and specially for the youth.
In short, William Douglas impresses us as a frank, truthful, honest and determined person.

VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1. It is often said that ‘No Pains, No Gains’. One cannot get anything if one does not work hard. Write an article on the ‘topic, mentioned above, in not more than 120 words. You can take ideas from the following lines:
“I went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that fan on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool, hour after hour, day after day, week after week.”
Ans.                                                   No Pains, no Gains
The dictum implies that one can’t attain phenomenal success without making sincere efforts. There is no substitute to hard work. There is no short cut to success. All successful persons have emphasised the importance of hard work in life. Nobody achieved greatness overnight. The secret of their success was hard and systematic work. Destiny never obliges the shirkers. God helps those who help themselves. Rome was not built in a day. Man must comprehend the significance of doing hard labour. One must bum the midnight oil to succeed in this world of intense competition. Never forget that rest is rust and work is worship. A person who toils and work hard gets applause and recognition everywhere. Hard work is the only key to success. Those who work hard flourish and those who are passive rain their earthly existence. They lose their identity. Industrious people reach at their long cherished destinations. They lead their fellow human beings with politeness and humility.

Q2. People say that failures are the stepping stones. They are the best teachers. Discuss the aphorism taking ideas from the following lines:
“I feared water. I avoided it whenever I could. A few years later when I came to know the waters of Cascades, I wanted to get into them. And whenever I did … the terror that had seized me in the pool would come back… I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. ”
Ans.                                      Failures are the Pillars to Success
It is rightly said that failure plays an important role in a man’s life. Failure in one field becomes the cause of exploring success in other fields. It is a sure key to many a riddle. Failures make us familiar with our weaknesses and flaws. They become the stepping stones and inspire us to fight against odd circumstances. Man should learn from his mistakes and strive hard to reach at his destination. Most of the successful peoples failed at any step but could get their target because failures guided them and encouraged them to try harder. One should never give up one’s target. Our duty is to do our ‘karma’. The result is in the hands of the Almighty. It is certain that failure inspires us to work with more strength and vigour. One should never get depressed and dejected. All leaders, fighters, businessmen, bureaucrats firmly say that failures are the pillars to success.

Q3. The story “Deep Water” has made you realize that with determination and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write a paragraph in about 100 words on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve success in life. [Delhi 2014]
Ans. Will power plays a pivotal in the life of a human being. Determination and persistent hard work are the hallmarks of success. A person who has passionate desire to do something achieves his goals within the stipulated time. There are numerous ways which lead to the desirable goals. Will power of a human being gives him strength, energy, vigour and enthusiasm. It determines the fate of a human being. Absolute determination has the uncanny ability to face and overcome obstacles. No hindrance can defeat the will power. It is invincible and insurmountable. A man who lacks enthusiasm, will power and determination is like a ship which has no helm. It floats on the surface of water according to the wind. There is no problem in this world which has no solution. It has been proved by great personalities that all obstacles can be overcome by sheer determination. Man has the knack to achieve anything. Nothing is impossible in this world of science and technology. He must not be fatalist. He should not believe in destiny, but on karma. Man can accomplish every assignment if he desires. Strong desire is the prerequisite to success. There is no scope for disappointment in the life of a person who has iron will and dogged determination. He puts in tremendous efforts to achieve greatness.

Q4. The significance of training cannot be underestimated. Saint Cyprian said, “The helmsman is recognised in the tempest; the soldier is proven in warfare’. Substantiate the words quoted above in your own words. You may take ideas from the given lines:
“I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim… he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and to raise my nose and inhale… Bit by bit I shed part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.”
Ans.                                     Training: An Essential Component of Success
Training sharpens the consumate skills of trainees. Acquiring the profound knowledge of the work we do is of utmost importance. Nobody can refuse to accept and acknowledge the wider and potential significance of training. Soldiers receive training to overcome the greatest obstacles they can face in the battlefield. Doctors are given training so that they
may not become the cause of a patient’s life. Teachers receive training to dispel the darkness of ignorance. Training keeps the trainees abreast of the latest developments in their specific fields. The trainers apprise them of all the fundamental and significant instructions. A fresher who joins any profession without receiving proper training may devastate everything. Experience matters a lot. It teaches us the way things are to be done. It is rightly said that ‘the best way really to train people is with an experienced mentor… and on the job’. The experienced advice of the trainer enlightens the trainees. They are made exceptionally skilled in the basic techniques. The overwhelming importance of training can be neglected at our own peril. This perception of beings would bring them perilously close to disaster.

Q5. FD Roosevelt says in his Inaugural Address in 1933 that ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ Write an article on this topic. You may take ideas from the given lines:

“I used every way I knew to overcome
this fear, but it held me firmly in its
grip

Ans. Fear
Fear stifles innovation, erodes creativity and limits the exponential growth. It is said that Those who love to be feared, fear to be loved. Some fear them, but they fear everyone. Montaigne wrote that The thing I fear most is fear’. Fear is the principal source of superstition, and one of the primary sources of cruelly. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Seneca says that ‘If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living. A person who is afraid of something cannot enjoy life in totality. Fear makes us weak, and cowardly. But it does not mean that one should become arrogant. A person of peevish nature cannot be called a brave fellow. Aijuna said that a warrior’s fear always helps him in understanding and analysing the potential of the opponent. Cervantes wrote in Don Quixote that ‘Fear has many eyes and can see things underground’. Man should not have unnecessary fear. It discourages him to achieve the lofty aspirations. Fear impedes action and it is a well known fact that those who do not act lose the battle of life. One has to face the challenges of life. They can never be ignored and neglected. They help us in honing our skills and tapping our untapped potential. Hence, one must shed fear.
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NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Flamingo English Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

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IMPORTANT STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:
1. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree:
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Questions
(a) Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
(b) What are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers doing? How do they look like?
(c) Where do they live? Are they fearless? Give an example.
(d) How do they pace?
Answers:
(а) The poem is Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers. The poet is Adrienne Rich.
(b) They are jumping across a screen or a wall. They look like shining yellow topaz.
(c) They live in green forests. They are fearless. They don’t fear the men under the tree.
(d) They run with a well-groomed, honourable confidence.

2. Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.
Questions
(a)What were Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through?
(b)How was she pulling the needle?
(c)What was lying heavily? Where?
(d)What was upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand? How did it sit there?
Answers:
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s fingers were fluttering through her wool.
(b) She was finding even the ivory needle hard to pull.
(c) The weight of Uncle’s wedding band was lying heavily on her hand.
(d) There was uncle’s wedding band upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand. It sat heavily there.

3. When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
Questions
(a) Why are Aunt Jennifer’s hands called ‘terrified’’?
(b) What are they still ringed with?
(c) Where did she make the tigers?
(d) What will happen to her tigers after her death?
Answers:
(а) Her hands are called terrified because they passed through very hard and bitter experience of married life.
(b) They are still ringed with those hard and testing difficulties which possessed her dining her life.
(c) She made the tigers in the panel.
(d) Her tigers will go on jumping ahead, proud and unafraid even after her death.

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

Q1. How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes?
Ans: Like all beasts of prey, the tigers are the denizens of the forest. They live far away from human settlements. They are called ‘chivalric.’ This indicates the majestic and honourable position that they occupy in the world of animals. So, the use of the words ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ adds to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes.

Q2. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer’s hands are ‘fluttering through her wool’ in the second stanza? Why is she finding the needle so hard to pull?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer is weaving tigers on the panel. Her hands are moving about her wool. She is finding the needle quite hard to pull. The weight of years of her married life is lying heavy on her hand. This makes the pulling of the neddle so hard.

Q3. What is suggested by the image ‘massive weight of uncle’s wedding band’?
Ans: It suggests the weight of the harsh and tough experience of Aunt Jennifer’s married life. The image is quite suggestive. The wedding band is symbolic. It represents the unbreakable bond of marriage between the husband and the wife.

Q4. Of what or whom is Aunt Jennifer terrified in the third stanza?
Ans: In the third stanza, the poet refers to Aunt Jennifer’s ‘terrified hands’. The old unhappy memories are still fresh in her mind. She had passed through many testing and horrible times during her married life. These ordeals crushed and suppressed her. Their effect is still visible. So, she is still ringed with those ordeals that dominated her life.

Q5. What are the ‘ordeals’ Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by? Why is it significant that the” poet uses the word ‘ringed”! What are the different meanings of ‘ringed’ in the poem?
Ans: The poem addresses the experiences of marriage in the midst of constrictions. The word ‘ringed’ is significant. It suggests that the vicious grip or her unhappy married life is still holding her tightly. The word ‘ringed’ has been used in two ways. First is the conventional
use. Here ring is a symbol of the sacred bond of marriage. The other is the figurative use of ‘ringed’. It means encircled or surrounded.

Q6. Why do you think Aunt Jennifer created animals that are so different from her own character? What might the poet be suggesting, through this difference?
Ans: The tigers are ‘prancing’. They pace in ‘sleek chivalric certainty’. They ‘do not fear’ the men beneath the tree. Thus, they are symbols of strength, fierceness and beauty. Aunt Jennifer, on the other hand, is weak and terrified. Her hands are finding it difficult to pull through her wool. The massive weight of the wedding band sits heavily on her hand. Her terrified hands are still ringed by the ordeals of married life. The contrast heightens the intensity.

Q7. Interpret the symbols found in this poem.
Ans: Adrienne Rich’s ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, is rich in symbolism. ‘The massive weight of wedding band’ symbolises ordeals, hardships and worries of married life. ‘Terrified hands’, and ‘ringed with ordeals’ also indicate those unpleasant experiences that are still clinging to Aunt Jennifer physically and mentally. ,

Q8. Do you sympathise with Aunt Jennifer? What is the attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer?
Ans: Yes, we do sympathise with Aunt Jennifer. She has experienced hardships and ordeals during her married life. The attitude of the speaker towards Aunt Jennifer is equally sympathetic. The poet gives many suggestive images and symbols to present an old lady who has passed through painful experiences as well as unpleasant and terrifying periods during her married life.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. What do you learn about^Aunt Jennifer’s tigers on reading the poem?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer’s tigers were created in the panel by her own hands. They appeared to be prancing (jumping) across a screen. They looked sleek. They were bright like yellow topaz. They were majestic and courageous. They didn’t fear the men beneath the tree. They paced in ‘chivalric certainty’.

Q2. How has Aunt Jennifer created her tigers? What traits of tigers do they reveal!
Ans: Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are her own creations. She works with wool and ivory needles. She has created them in the panel. They have all the traits of the beasts of prey who are denizens of green forests. They are well-built and well-groomed. They are chivalric and full of confidence.

Q3. What difficulty does Aunt Jennifer face while making her tigers and why ?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer is making her tigers in the panels. She is using ivory needles. Her fingers are fluttering through the wool. She finds it difficult (hard) to pull even the ivory needles. The reason is obvious. The weight of unhappy and unfortunate experiences of her married life sits heavily on her hands.

Q4. What is the weight that lies heavy on Aunt Jennifer’s hand? Hou: is it associated with her husband?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer is working with ivory needles and wool. But she can’t move her fingers freely in the wool. She finds it hard to pull even the ivory needles easily. The experiences
of her past married life are quite bitter. She has unpleasant memories of her married life with her husband. The heavy weight of the wedding band sits heavily upon her hand.

Q5. How will Aunt Jennifer’s hands look when she is dead?
Ans: When Aunt Jennifer dies, her hands will still look terrified. Perhaps she has experienced a lot of hardships and troubles in the past. Their effect has left its print on her hands. The ordeals that crushed her married life had sorrounded and cramped her fingers and hands too.

Q6. What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead?
Ans: Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will survive her. She has created the tigers in a panel. They are made of wool. These objects of art will survive their creator. The tigers will go on jumping, proud and unafraid.

Q7. Describe the poetic devices used in the poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’.
Ans: Adrienne Rich’s Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ a beautiful short poem rich in symbolism and imagery. The mataphor ‘bright topaz’ depicts the shining yellow complexion of her tigers. The effective use of alliteration in ‘sleek, chivalric certainty’ describes the pace of the tigers effectively. ‘The massive weight of wedding band’ symbolises ordeals and hardships of Aunt Jennifer’s married fife. The images ‘terrified hands’ and ‘ringed with ordeal’ create the effect of oppression and terror as well as captivity.

Q8. How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?[All India 2014]
Ans: Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are a picture of strength, beauty and certainty. They seem to be jumping across a screen. They “pace in sleek chivalric certainty”. They are confident and impressive. Aunt Jennifer is a weak, depressed and terrified person. Life has been a cup of woes for her. She is still in the grip of those ordeals and terrors that she faced and suffered from dining her married life. Her fingers are so ‘terrified’ that they find it hard to pull even the ivory needle. Thus, the contrast is amply highlighted.

Q9. What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life? [Delhi 2014]
Ans: The fife of Aunt Jennifer was overburdened by the duties of her married life. Hardships and sufferings were the parts bf her married fife. She had to face oppression by her husband even though she was old and weak.
More Resources for CBSE Class 12
RD Sharma class 12 Solutions
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Flamingo
NCERT Solutions for Class 12th English Vistas
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CBSE Class 12 Biology
CBSE Class 12 Physics
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CBSE Sample Papers For Class 12

NCERT Solutions Class 12 Flamingo EnglishClass 12 Vistas English