IMPORTANT STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:
1. Driving from my parents home to Cochin last Friday morning, 1 saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse and realised with pain
that she was as old as she looked but soon
Questions
(a)Where was the poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
(b)What did the poet notice about her mother?
(c)Why was her mother’s face looked like that of a corpse?
(d)Find words from the passage which mean :
(i) sleep lightly (ii) dead body (iii) felt.
Answers:
(a)The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. Her mother was
sitting beside her.
(b)She noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open.
(c)Her mother’s face looked pale, faded and lifeless like a dead body because she had
grown old.
(d)(i) doze (ii) corpse (iii) realised.

2.…………..She
looked but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes,
Questions
(a)What did the poet realise? How did she feel
(b) What did she do then?
(c)What did she notice in the world outside?
(d)Find words from the passage which mean: (ii) running fast (ii) happy (iii)
moving out.
Answers:
(a)Her mother was lost somewhere else in thoughts. It pained her.
(b)The poet withdrew her thoughts from her mother and looked outside.
(c)The young trees growing outside went past as if they were sprinting. Happy children
were coming out of their houses.
(d)(i) sprinting (ii) merry (iii) spilling.

3………………but after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s mooft and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear, but all I said was, see you soon,
Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and
smile
Questions
(a)What did the poet do after the security check?
(b)Why did the poet compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon?
(c)What is her childhood fear ?
(d)How do the parting words of the poet and her smile present a contrast to her
real feelings?
Answers:
(a)After the security check, the poet stood a few yards away from her mother and
looked at her face again.
(b)The late winter moon lacks brightness as well as strength. The pale and colourless
face of the mother resembles the late winter moon.
(c)The fear of ageing and ultimate death/separation.
(d)The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles present a stark contrast to the
old familiar ache or childhood fear. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to
hide what is going on inside.

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

Q1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar
pain or the ache returns. Perhaps she has entertained this fear since her childhood.
Ageing is a natural process. Time and ageing spare none. Time and ageing have not
spared the poet’s mother and may not spare her as well. With this ageing, separation
and death become inevitable.

Q2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

Ans:  The poet is driving to the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees
seem to be walking past them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or
sprinting. The poet presents a contrast—her ‘dozing’ old mother and the ‘sprinting’
young trees.

Q3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of
their homes’ ?
Ans: The poet has brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ to
present a contrast. The merry children coming out of their homes in large numbers
present an image of happiness and spontaneous overflow of life. This image is in stark
contrast to the ‘dozing’ old mother, whose ‘ashen’ face looks lifeless and pale like a
corpse. She is an image of ageing, decay and passivity. The contrast of the two images
enhances the poetic effect.

Q4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken ‘ashen’ face resembles a
corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. Similarly the late winter’s moon
looks hazy and obscure. It too lacks shine and strength. The comparison is quite natural
and appropriate. The simile used here is apt as well as effective.

Q5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans: The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast to
the old familiar ache or fear of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate
attempt to hide her real feelings. The parting words: “See you soon, Amma” give an
assurance to the old lady whose ‘ashen face’ looks like a corpse. Similarly, her
continuous smiles are an attempt to overcome the ache and fear inside her heart.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. Where was the poet going and who was with her?
Ans: The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. The poet’s
mother had comfe to see her off. She was sitting beside her. She was dozing with her
mouth open. The words ‘driving’ and ‘doze’ provide a contrast between images of
dynamic activity and static passivity respectively.

Q2. What was the poet’s childhood fear? [All India 2014]
Ans: The child is always in fear of being separated from his parents. In the same way,
the poet’s fear as a child was that of losing her mother or her company.

Q3. What does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet
used to signify her ageing decay?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing
with her mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Usually old people keep their mouth
open to overcome breathing problems. Her face looked pale and faded like ash.
Actually, she is an image of death as her ‘ashen’ face looks like that of a corpse.

Q4. What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought
away’ and look outside?
Ans: The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless
like a corpse. She provides an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems
to be lost in her thoughts. The poet needs a distraction, a change. She puts that thought
away and looks outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness and activity.

Q5. Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place
outside?
Ans: The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her
dozing with mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the
poet watches young trees speeding past them. They seem to be running fast or
sprinting. Happy children are moving out of their homes cheerfully. They present an
image of life, dynamism and activity.

Q6. Why does the poet look outside? What does she see happening outside?
Ans: The thought of the ageing mother at sixty-six and her pale and ashen face looking
like a corpse becomes too heavy for the poet to bear. She needs a distraction, a
diversion and therefore she looks outside. She watches young trees. These trees speed
past them and appear to be sprinting. Then she sees happy children moving out of their
houses and making merry.

Q7. How has the poet contrasted the scene inside the car with the activities going
on outside?
Ans: The poet has used beautiful images to highlight the stark contrast between the
scene inside the car and the activities going on outside. The ‘ashen’ face of the poet’s
mother is pale and lifeless. It looks like that of a corpse. She is dozing and lost to
herself. The image of the ‘dozing’ mother is contrasted with the ‘spilling’ of children. The
‘ashen’ and ‘corpse¬like’ face is contrasted with the young trees sprinting outside.

Q8. What does the poet do after the security check-up? What does she notice?
Ans: They have to pass through a security check-up at the airport. After it, the poet
stands a few yards away. Before saying parting words to her mother, she looks at her
mother again. Her face looks pale and colourless like the late winter’s moon. She
presents a picture of ageing and decay.

Q9. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans: The poet’s mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon to bring out the
similarity of ageing and decay. The late winter moon looks hazy and obscure. It lacks
shine and strength. The poet’s mother has an ‘ashen’ face resembling a corpse. She
has lost her shine and strength of youth. The comparison reinforces the impact.

Q10. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?
Ans: The poet is pained at the ageing and decaying of her mother. The fear is that with
ageing comes decay and death. The sight of her old mother’s ‘ashen’ and corpse-like
face arouses “that old familiar ache” in her heart. Her childhood fear returns. She is also
pained and frightened by the idea that she may have to face all these things herself.

Q11. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
[All India 2014]
Ans: Kamala Das was in much trouble after seeing the lifeless and faded face of her
mother. The old lady seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The poetess turned away
her attention from her mother and looked outside. The outside world was full of life and
activity. The young trees seemed to be running fast. The children looked happy while
moving out of their homes.
Q12. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to
her mother ?
OR
With fear and ache inside her heart and words of assurance on lips and smile on
the face, the poet presents two opposite and contrasting experiences. Why does
the poet put on a smile?
Ans: The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother at sixty-six brings an image of decay
and death. It brings that old familiar fear of separation back. She fears the ultimate fate
of human beings. But she has to put on a brave face. She regains self-control. She
composes herself and tries to look normal. She utters the words of assurance that they
will meet again soon. She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.

Q13. What poetic devices have been used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty-
six’?
Ans: The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is rich in imagery. Kamala Das uses the
devices of comparison and contrast. The use of simile is very effective. The face of the
poet’s old mother is described as ‘ashen’. This ashen face is ‘like that of a corpse’. The
poet uses another simile. The “wan, pale’ face of the mother is compared to ‘a late
winter’s moon’.
The poem excels in contrasts. The old ‘dozing’ lady inside is contrasted with the young
trees “sprinting” and merry children “spilling” out of their homes.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Important

Stanzas For Comprehension
Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:
1.Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.
Like rootless weeds, the hair torn around their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-
seeming boy, with rat’s eyes.
Questions
(a)Where, do you think, are these children sitting?
(b)How do the faces and hair of these children look?
(c)Why is the head of the tall girl ‘weighed down’?
(d)What do you understand by ‘The paper-seeming boy, with rat eyes’ ?
Answers:
(a)These children are sitting in the school classroom in a slum which is far far away
from the winds or waves blowing strongly.
(b)The faces of these children look pale. Their uncombed and unkempt hair look like
rootless wild plants.
(c)The head of the tall girl is ‘weighed down’ by the burdens of the world. She feels
depressed, ill and exhausted.
(d)It means that the boy is exceptionally thin, weak and hungry.
2.…………The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson from his desk. At back of the dim class One unnoted, sweet and young. His
eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than this.
Questions
(a)Who is the ‘unlucky heir’ and what will he inherit ?
(b)What is the stunted boy reciting ?
(c)Who is sitting at the ‘back of the dim class’ ?
(d) ‘His eyes live in a dream’—what dream does he have ?
Answers:
(a)The lean and thin boy having rat’s eyes and a stunted growth is the ‘unlucky heir’. He
will inherit twisted bones from his father.
(b)He is reciting a lesson from his desk. He is enumerating systematically how his father
developed the knotty disease.
(c)A sweet young boy sits at back of this dim class. He sits there unnoticed.
(d)The boy seems hopeful. He dreams of a better time—outdoor games, of a squirrel’s
game, of a room made inside the stem of a tree. He dreams of many things other than
this dim and unpleasant classroom has, such as green fields, open seas.

3.On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,

Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-handed map
Awarding the world its world.
Questions
(a) What is the colour of the classroom walls?What does this colour suggest ?
(b) What do these classroom walls have ?
(c) Which two worlds does the poet hint at?How is the contrast between the two
worlds presented?
(d) Explain:(i) ‘Open-handed map’
(ii) ‘Awarding the world its world’.
Answers:
(a)The colour of the classroom walls is ‘sour cream’ or off white. This colour suggests
the decaying aspect and pathetic condition of the lives of the children in a slum-school.
(b) The walls of the classroom have pictures of Shakespeare, buildings with domes,
world maps and beautiful valleys.
(c)The poet hints at two worlds : the world of poverty, misery and malnutrition of the
slums where children are underfed, weak and have stunted growth. The other world is
of progress and prosperity peopled by the rich and the powerful. The pictures on the
wall suggesting happiness, richness, well being and beauty are in stark contrast to the
dim and dull slums.
(d) (i) ‘Open handed-map’ suggests the map of the world drawn at will by powerful
people/ dictators like Hitler.
(ii) ‘Awarding the world its world’ suggests how the conquerors and dictators award and
divide the world according to their whims. This world is the world of the rich and
important people.
4.…………And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed ip with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.
Questions [All India 2014]
(a)What are the ‘children’ referred to here?
(b) Which is their world?
(c) How is their life different from that of other children? id) What is the future of
these children?
Answers:
(a)Those children are referred to here who study in an elementary school classroom.
(b) Their world is limited to the window of the classroom. They are confined only within
the narrow streets of the slum, i.e., far away from the open sky and rivers. Their view is
full of despair and despondency. The life of the children seem to be bleak.
(c) “The slum children spend their life only in the narrow streets of the land. They do not
get the basic necessities of life. They are deprived of food, clothing and shelter. But the
main thing that they differ from other children is freedom. They do not enjoy the freedom
of life.
(d) The future of these children is uncertain and bleak.

5. Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example,

With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night?
Questions [Delhi 2014]
(a)Who are ‘them’ referred to in the first line?
(b)What tempts them?
(c)What does the poet say about ‘their’ lives?
(d)Explain: ‘From fog to endless night’.
Answers:
(а)Here ‘them’ refers to the children studying in a slum school.
(b)All beautiful things like ships, sun and love tempt the children of slum school.
(c) The poet says that the children spend their lives confined in their cramped holes like
rodents. Their bodies look like skeletons because they are the victims of malnutrition.
Their steel-frame spectacles with repaired glasses make them appear like the broken
pieces of a bottle scattered on stones. Their future seems to be bleak. id) Their future is
foggy or uncertain. The only certainty in their lives is the endless night of their death. In
other words, their birth, life and death are all enveloped by darkness.

6.………On their slag heap, these children

Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel With mended glass, like
bottle bits on stones.
AII of their time and space are foggy slum.
So blot their maps with slums as big as doom.
Questions
(a)What are the two images used to describe these slums? What do these images
convey?
(b)What sort of life do such children lead?
(c)What blot’ their maps? Whose maps?
(d)What does the poet convey through ‘So blot their maps with slums as big as
doom’?
Answers:
(а)The images used to describe the slums are:
(i)slag heap
(ii)bottle bits on stones
(iii)foggy slums
(iv)slums as big as doom. (Any two acceptable)
These images convey the misery of the children and the poverty of their dirty and
unhygienic surroundings.
(b)In the dirty and unhygienic surroundings the slum children lead very pathetic and
miserable lives full of woes, wants, diseases, poverty and uncertainty.
(c) These living hells i.e. these dirty slums blot their maps. These are the maps of the
civilized world—the world of the rich and great.
(d) The poet conveys his protest against social injustice and class inequalities. He
wants the islands of prosperity to be flooded with the dirt and stink of the slums.

7. Unless, governor, inspector, visitor,

This map becomes their Window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs.
Questions
(a)Why does the poet invoke ‘governor’, ‘inspector’, ‘visitor’? What function are
they expected to perform?
(b)How can ‘this map’ become ‘their window*?
(c)What have ‘these windows’ done to their lives?
(d)What do you understand by ‘catacombs’?
Answers:
(a)Governor, inspector and visitor are important and powerful persons in the modem
times. The poet invokes them to help the miserable slum children. They are expected to
perform an important role in removing social injustice and class inequalities. They can
abridge the gap between the two worlds—the beautiful world of the great and rich and
the ugly world of slums.
(b)Two worlds exist. This map’ refers to the beautiful world of prosperity and well being
inhabited by the rich and great and shaped and owned by them. Their windows’ refer to
the lairs, holes or hovels of the dirty, stinking slums where the poor and unfortunate
children of slums live. The slum children will be able to peep through windows only
when the difference between the two worlds is abridged.
(c)These windows’ of dirty surroundings have cramped their lives, stunted their growth
and blocked their physical as well as mental development. They have shut them inside
their filthy, dull and drab holes like the underground graves.
(d) ‘Catacombs’ means a long underground gallery with excavations in its sides for
tombs. The name catacombs, before the seventeenth century was applied to the
subterranean cemeteries, near Rome.

8. Break O break open till they break the town

And show the children to green fields, and make their world
Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues
Run naked into books the white and green leaves open
History theirs whose language is the sun.
Questions
(a)‘Break O break open’. What should they ‘break*?
(b)Explain: ‘. till they break the town’.
(c)Where will ‘their world’ extend up to then ?
(d)What other freedom should they enjoy?
Answers:
(a)They should break all the barriers and obstacles that bind these children and confine
them to ugly and dirty surroundings.
(b)Till they come out of the dirty surroundings and slums of the town and come out to
the green field and breathe in the open air.
(c)Then their world will be extended to the gold sands and azure waves as well as to the
green fields.
(d) They should enjoy freedom of acquiring knowledge as well as freedom of
expression. Let the pages of wisdom (contained in the books) be open to them and let
their tongues run freely without any check or fear.

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

Q1. Tick the item which best answers the following.
(a)The tall girl with her head weighed down means The girl
(i)is ill and exhausted
(ii)has her head bent with shame
(iii)has untidy hair.
(b)The paper-seeming boy with rat’s eyes means The boy is
(i)sly and secretive
(ii)thin, hungry and weak
(iii)unpleasant looking.
(c)The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones means The boy
(i)has an inherited disability
(ii)was short and bony.
(d)His eyes live in a dream. A squirrel’s game, in the tree room other than this
means The boy is
(i)Full of hope in the future
(ii)mentally ill
(iii)distracted from th,e lesson.
(e)The children’s faces are compared to ‘rootless weeds’
This means they
(i)are insecure
(ii)are ill-fed
(iii)are wasters
Ans:  (a)(i) is ill and exhausted
(b)(ii) thin, hungry and weak
(c)(i) has an inherited disability
(d)(i) full of hope in the future
(e)(i) are insecure.

Q2. What do you think is the colour of ‘sour cream’ ? Why do you think the poet
has used this expression to describe the classroom walls?
Ans: The colour of ‘sour cream’ is off white. The poet has used this expression to
suggest the decaying aspect. The deterioration in the colour of the classroom walls
symbolises the pathetic condition of the lives of the scholars—the children of this slum
school.

Q3. The walls of the classroom are decorated with the pictures of ‘Shakespeare’
‘buildings with domes’, ‘world maps’ and beautiful valleys. How do these contrast
with the world of these children?
Ans: The pictures that decorate the walls hold a stark contrast with the world of these
underfed, poverty-stricken, slum children living in cramped dark holes. Obstacles
hamper their physical and mental growth. The pictures on the wall suggest beauty, well-
being, progress and prosperity—a world of sunshine and warmth of love. But the world
of the slum children is ugly and lack prosperity.

Q4. What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be
made to change?
Ans: The poet wants the people in authority to realise their responsibility towards the
children of the slums. All sort of social injustice and class inequalities be ended by
eliminating the obstacles that confine the slum children to their ugly and filthy
surroundings. Let them study and learn to express themselves freely. Then they will
share the fruit of progress and prosperity and their fives will change for the better.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. In the opening stanza the imagery is that of despair and disease. Read the
poem and underline the words /phrases that bring out these images.
Ans: The following words/phrases bring out these images of despair and disease:
‘Rootless weeds’; ‘the air tom round their pallor’;
The tall girl with her weighed-down head’;
The paper-seeming boy, with rat’s eyes’.
‘The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones’.
‘gnarled disease’.
Q2. Why does Stephen Spender use the images of despair and disease in the first
stanza of the poem and with what effect?
Ans: He uses the images of despair and disease to describe the miserable and pathetic
fives of the children living in slums. The faces of these children are pale and lifeless.
They and their hair are like ‘rootless weeds’. The burden of fife makes them sit with their
head ‘weighed down’. The stunted growth is depicted by ‘the paper-seeming bo/ and
‘the stunted unlucky heir of twisted bones’. Their weak bodies recite their fathers’
‘gnarled disease’.

Q3. In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they
are not devoid of hope. Give an example of their hope or dream.
Ans: The burden of poverty and disease crushes the bodies of these slum children but
not their souls. They still have dreams. Even their foggy future has not crashed all their
hopes. They dream of open seas, green fields and about the games that a squirrel plays
in the tree room.

Q4. How does Stephen Spender picturise the condition of the slum children?
Ans: Stephen Spender uses contrasting images in the poem to picturise the condition
of the slum children. For example:
“A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky Far far from rivers, capes and stars of words.”
The first line presents the dark, narrow, cramped holes and lanes closed in by the bluish
grey sky. The second fine presents a world of beauty, prosperity, progress, well-being
and openness.

Q5. What is the theme of the poem ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ ?
How has it been presented?
Ans: In this poem Stephen Spender deals with the theme of social injustice and class
inequalities. He presents the theme by talking of two different and incompatible worlds.
The world of the rich and the ‘civilized’ has nothing to do with the world of narrow lanes
and cramped holes. The gap between these two worlds highlights social disparities and
class inequalities.

Q6. What message does Stephen Spender convey through the poem An
Elementary School Classroom in a. Slum’ ? What solution does he offer?
Ans: Stephen Spender conveys the message of social justice and class equalities by
presenting two contrasting and incompatible worlds. He provides a way out. For
achieving any significant progress and development the gap between the two worlds
must be abridged. This can be done only by breaking the barriers that bind the slum
children in dark, narrow, cramped holes and lanes. Let them be made mentally and
physically free to lead happy lives. Only then art, culture and literature will have
relevance for them.

Q7. Who Ttrd, the ivor/d its world and ho,What does this world contain,?
Ans: The conquerors and dictators change the map of the world according to their
whims and will. They change the boundaries of various nations and shape the ‘map’.
Their fair map is of a beautiful world full of domes, bells and flowers, rivers, capes and
stars.

Q8. Th e poet says. Aria yet. for these Children, these windows, not this map,
their world’. Which world do these children belong to? Which world is irue
ecssihlc to them?
Ans: The world of stinking slums is the world that belongs to these poverty-stricken, ill-
fed, under-nourished children. The narrow lanes and dark, cramped, holes or hovels
make their world. The world of ‘domes’, ‘bells’ and ‘flowers’ meant for the rich is
inaccessible to them. They can only dream of rivers, capes and stars.

Q9. Which images of the slums in the third stanza pr sent the picture of social
disparity, injustice and class inequalities.
Ans: The slum dwellers slyly turn in their ‘cramped holes’ from birth to death i.e. ‘from
fog to endless nights’. Their surroundings are ‘slag heap’. Their children “wear skins
peeped through by bones.’ Their spectacles are “like bottle bits on stones.” The image
that sums up their harsh existence reads : “All of their time and space are foggy slum.”

Q10. So blot their maps with slums as big as do,in;” says Stephen Sp,.meter.
What does the poet want to convex?
Ans: The poet notices the creation of two different worlds—the dirty slums with their
narrow lanes and cramped houses which are virtual hells. Then there are islands of
prosperity and beauty where the rich and powerful dwell. The poet protests against the
disparity between the lives of the people in these two worlds. He wants that the poor
should enjoy social equality and justice. The fair ‘map’ of the world should have blots of
slums as big as doom. The gap must be reduced between the two worlds.

Q11. Stephen Spender while writing about an elementary classroom hi a slum,

questions the value of education in such a milieu, suggesting that maps of the
world and good literature may raise hopes and aspirations, which win never be
fulfilled. Yet the gown offers a solution/hope. What is it?
Ans: The slum children are being imparted education in a room whose walls are off-
white in colour but are decorated with the pictures of ‘Shakespeare’, ‘buildings with
domes’, “world maps’ and ‘beautiful valleys’. The maps of the world and good literature
may raise hopes and aspirations. They may try to steal slyly from their milieu but it is
quite unlikely that their hopes and aspirations may be fulfilled. The only solution/hope
for them is to break the artificial barriers that bind and cramp them. Once free from their
milieu, they can enjoy beauty.

Q12. How can powerful persons viz. governor,inspector,visitor may contribute to

improve the lot of slum children?
Ans: Powerful persons like governors, inspectors and visitors may take an initiative and
start abridging the gap between the worlds of the rich and poor. They can play an
important and effective role in removing social injustice and class inequalities. They
should break and dismantle all the barriers that bind these children and confine them to
the ugly surroundings. They will have their physical and mental development only when
they leave the filthy and ugly slums. All good things of life should be within their reach.
They must enjoy the freedom of expression.

Q13. How far do you agree with the statement: “History is theirs whose language
is the sun.”
Ans: This metaphor contains a vital truth. This world does not listen to the ‘dumb and
driven’ people. Only those who speak with confidence, power, authority and vision are
heard and obeyed. Those who create history are people whose ideas and language can
motivate, move, inspire and influence millions of people. In order to be effective, their
language must have the warmth and power of the Sun.

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 enslaved, as long as they 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
language 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
“linguistic 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.

English Lost Spring

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED
THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has
he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He is in the neighbourhood of the
author. Saheb has come from Bangladesh. He Came with his mother in 1971. His
house was set amidst the green fields of Dhaka. Storms swept away their fields and
homes. So they left the country.

Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing
footwear?
Ans. One explanation offered by the author is that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is
not lack of money. He wonders if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual
state of poverty. He also remembers the story of a poor body who prayed to the
goddess for a pair of shoes.

Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

Ans. No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is no longer his own master.
His face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic
bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs
to the man who owns the tea-shop.

THINK AS YOU READ

Q1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans. The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is
engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. Families
have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for the
women in the land.
Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?
Ans. Boys and girls with their fathers and mothers sit in dark hutments, next to lines of
flames of flickering oil lamps. They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles.
Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. They often end up
losing eyesight before they become adults. Even the dust from polishing the glass of
bangles is injurious to eyes. Many workers have become blind. The furnaces have very
high temperature and therefore very dangerous.

Q3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans. Mukesh’s grandmother thinks that the god-given lineage can never be broken. Her
son and grandsons are bom in the caste of bangle makers. They have seen nothing but
bangles.
Mukesh’s father has taught them what he knows—the art of making bangles. But
Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic. He will go to a garage and learn, though the
garage is far away from his home.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

Q1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages
to cities?
Ans. People migrate from villages to cities in search of livelihood. Their fields fail to
provide them means of survival. Cities provide employment, jobs or other means of
getting food. The problem in case of the poor is to feed the hungry members. Survival is
of primary concern.

Q2. Would you agree that promises made to the poor children are rarely kept?
Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Ans. The promises made to the poor are rarely kept. The author asks Saheb half-
joking, whether he will come to her school if she starts one. Saheb agrees to do so. A
few days later he asks if the school is ready. The writer feels embarrassed at having
made a promise that was not meant. Promises like hers abound in every comer of their
bleak world.

Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty?
Ans. Certain forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in
poverty. These include the moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers
of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. Together they impose a heavy burden on the
child.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Q1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. Most of the young men of
Firozabad have no initiative or ability to dream, but Mukesh is an exception. He has the
capacity to take courage and break from the traditional family occupation. He has strong
will power also. He does not want to be a pawn in the hands of the middlemen or
moneylenders. He insists on being his own master by becoming a motor mechanic.
He can realise his dream by joining a garage and learn the job of repairing cars and
driving them. He will have to overcome many hurdles before he succeeds. Then comes
transport problem. Money is the first one. He will have to earn some money himself. The
garage is a long way from his home. He will have to cover it twice everyday anyhow—
by walking on foot.
Patience, hardwork, firm will and the determination to learn will help him realise his
dream.

Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans. The glass bangles industry has many health hazards. It usually employs small
children. It is illegal to employ very young children in hazardous industries, but certain
forces like ! middlemen, moneylenders, police and politicians combine to entrap the
poor workers.
Let us first consider the places where bangle makers work. It is a cottage industry. They
work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures. The dingy cells are without air and
light. Boys and girls work hard during day next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps.
They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more
adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why, they often end up losing their
eyesight before they become adults.
Glass blowing, welding and soldering pieces of glass are all health hazards. Even the
dust from polishing the glass of bangles adversely affects the eyes and even adults go
blind. Thus, the surroundings, prevailing conditions and the type of job involved-all
prove risky to the health of the workers.

Q3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Ans. Child labour should be eliminated because the children employed at tender age as
i domestic servants, dish-washers at road-side dhabas and in hazardous industries
making glass bangles, biris, crackers etc. lose the charm of the spring of their life. Their
childhood is stolen. Burdened by the responsibility of work, they become adults too
soon. Most of them are undernourished, ill-fed, uneducated, and poor. They have a
stunted growth.
Child labour can be eliminated only through concerted efforts on the part of government
agencies, NGOs (Non-Government Organisations), co-operative societies and political
leaders. Mere passing of law will not help. Laws should be enacted faithfully. The
children thrown out of work should be rehabilitated and given proper food, clothes,
education and pocket money. Their feelings, thoughts and emotions should be
respected. Let them enjoy sunshine and fresh air.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE

Although this text speaks of factual events and situations of misery, it transforms these
situations with an almost poetical prose into a literary experience. How does it do so?
Here are some literary devices:
•Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better or more
exciting than it really is. For example: Garbage to them is gold.
•A Metaphor, as you may know, compares two things or ideas that are not very similar.
A metaphor describes a thing in terms of a single quality or feature of some other thing;
we can say that a metaphor “transfers” a quality of one thing to another. For example:
The road was a ribbon of light.
•Simile is a word or phrase that compares one thing with another using the words “like”
or “as”. For example: As white as snow.
Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can you identify
the literary device in each example?
1.Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast to what
Saheb is in reality.
2.Drowned in an air of desolation
3.Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.
4.For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival.
5.As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows
the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.
shoulders.
Answers
1.Hyperbole 2.Metaphor 3.Contrast 4.Contrast
5.Simile 6.Contrast 7.Hyperbole 8.Metaphor
9.Metaphor 10.Hyperbole 11.Contrast

THINGS TO DO
The beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad contrasts with the misery of people who
produce them. This paradox is also found in some other situations, for example, those
who work in gold and diamond mines, or carpet weaving factories, and the products of
their labour, the lives of construction workers and the buildings they build.
•Look around and find examples of such paradoxes.
•Write a paragraph of about 200 to 250 words on any one of them. You can start by
making notes.
Here is an example of how one such paragraph may begin:
You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earth movers,
squirreling deep into the hot sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are
banished
to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city
Ans. For self-attempt.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Who was Saheb? What was he doing and why?
Ans. Saheb was a young boy of school-going age. He was looking for gold in the
garbage dumps of the big city. He had left his home in Dhaka, Bangladesh and came to
the big city in search of living. He has nothing else to do but pick rags.
Q2. “But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.” What
promise does the author recall? In what context was it made? Was it fulfilled?
Ans. The author asked Saheb about going to school. Saheb explained that there was
no school in his neighbourhood. He promised to go to school when they built one. Half
joking, the author asked whether he would come in case she started one. Saheb smiled
broadly and agreed to come. After a few days, he ran upto the author and asked if the
school was ready. The author felt embarrassed. She had made a promise that was not
meant.

Q3. What is the meaning of Saheb’s full name? Does he know it? How does he
conduct himself?
Ans. His full name is “Saheb-e-Alam”. It means the lord of the universe. He does not
know it. If he knew it, he would hardly believe it. He roams the streets barefoot with
other rag-pickers. This army of arefoot boys appears in the morning and disappears at
noon.

Q4. How does the author focus on the ‘perpetual state of poverty’ of the children
not wearing footwear?
Ans. The author notices that most of the young children engaged in rag picking are not
wearing footwear. Some of them do not have chappals. Others want to wear shoes.
Some say it is tradition to stay barefoot. To the author it seems lack of money. Poverty
forces them to walk without footwear.

Q5. Explain: “For children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to
their parents. ”
Ans. Small children scrounge heaps of garbage. They expect to get some coin, note or
valuable thing in it. Sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. This gives
the hope of finding more. They search it excitedly. For children, garbage is wrapped in
wonder.
For the elders it is a means of survival. Thus, garbage has two different meanings.

Q6. Where does the author find Saheb one winter morning? What explanation
does Saheb offer?
Ans. The author finds Saheb standing by the fenced gate of a neighbourhood club. He
is watching two young men, dressed in white, playing tennis. Saheb says that he likes
the game, but he is content to watch it standing behind the fence. He goes inside when
no one is around. He uses the swing there.

Q7. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy ? [All India 2014]
Ans. Saheb took up the job at a tea-stall. But he was not happy with it. He was no
longer his own master. His face had lost the carefree look. Although he earned ? 800,
even then he was not satisfied.
Q8. How has “a dream come true” for Saheb but what is “out of his reach?”
Ans. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes. One of them has a hole. Saheb does
not bother about the hole. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is
a dream come true. But tennis, the game he is watching so intently, is out of his reach.

Q9. How does Saheb’s life change when he starts working at the tea-stall?
Ans. Saheb now has a regular income. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals. Thus,
food is no problem. But his face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister in his
hand now seems a burden. He is no longer his own master. He may have to work for
longer hours. The helplessness of doing things at his own will makes him sad.

Q10. Who is Mukesh? What is his dream? Why does it look like “a mirage amidst
the dust?”
Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, where every other family
is engaged in making bangles. His poor father has failed to renovate his house or send
his two sons to school. Mukesh insists on being his own master. His dream is to be a
motor mechanic. He wants to drive a car. Given the conditions of existence, his dream
looks like a mirage amidst the dust.

Q11.What do you learn about Firozabad from this chapter ?

Ans. Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing
industry.
Families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making
bangles for all the women in the land. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in
making bangles.

Q12. “Born in the caste of bangle-makers they have seen nothing but bangles.”
Where do they ‘see’ bangles?
Ans. Children like Mukesh are bpm in the caste of bangle-makers. They know no other
work.
They see bangles in the house, in the yard, in every other house, every other yard,
every street in Firozabad. The spirals of bangles lie in mounds in unkempt yards. They
are piled on four wheeled hand carts.

Q13. What contrast do you notice between the colours of the bangles and the
atmosphere of the place where these bangles are made?
Ans. The bangles are of every colour bom out of the seven colours of the rainbow.
These are sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink and purple. Boys and girls work in
dark hutments, next to the flickering flames of oil lamps around furnaces, blowing glass,
welding and soldering it to make bangles.

Q14. What are most of the bangle-makers ignorant of? What would happen if law
were enforced strictly?
Ans. Most of the bangle-makers are ignorant of the fact that employing children in
bangle making is illegal. This is a hazardous industry. Many children become blind
before reaching tHeir adulthood. If the law were enforced strictly, 20,000 children would
be released from
working hard throughout the day at hot furnaces with high temperatures. *

Q15. Where is Mukesh’s house located? What is he proud of?

Ans. Mukesh’s house is built in a slum-area. The lanes stink with garbage. The homes
there are hovels with crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. These are
crowded with families of humans and animals. Most of these houses are shacks or huts.
Mukesh is proud that his house is being rebuilt. His eyes shine as he volunteers to take
the author to his home,

Q16. What impression do you form about Mukesh ‘s family on having a glimpse of
their ‘house?’
Ans. Mukesh’s house is a half built shack with a wobbly door. One part of it is thatched
with dead grass. There is a firewood stove. Spinach leaves are sizzling in a large
vessel. More chopped vegetables lie on aluminium platters. The eyes of the frail young
woman are filled with smoke, but she smiles. The scene depicts their grinding poverty
but contentment with their lot.

Q17. Give a thumb-nail sketch of the “frail young woman” in the chapter ‘Lost
Spring’.
Ans. The young woman is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Her eyes are filled with
the smoke of firewood. Though not much older in years, she commands respect as the
daughter- in-law of the house. She adheres to customs and traditions. She veils her
face before male elders. She gently withdraws behind the broken wall to do so.

Q18. How would you regard Mukesh’s father’s life and achievement?
Ans. Mukesh’s father was bom in the caste of bangle-makers. His father went blind with
the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. He is an old and poor bangle-maker. He
has worked hard for long years, first as a tailor and then as a bangle-maker. He has
failed to renovate a house or send his two sons to school.

Q19. “Savita is a symbol of innocence and efficiency.” Comment.

Ans. Savita is a young girl. She has put on drab pink dress. She is soldering pieces of
glass. Her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine. She is innocent as
she is ignorant about the sanctity of the bangles she helps to make.

Q20. What do bangles symbolise? When, according to the author, will Savita
know “the sanctity of the bangles she helps make?” How is the Indian bride
dressed? 
Ans. Bangles symbolise auspiciousness in marriage for an Indian woman. Savita will
come to know “the sanctity” of the bangles when she becomes a bride. The head of a
bride is draped with a red veil. Her hands are dyed with red henna. Red bangles are
rolled on to her wrists.

Q21. “She still has bangles on her wrist but no light in her eyes.” What exactly
does the author want to convey through this?
Ans. ‘She’ is an elderly woman who became a bride long ago. Since her husband, an
old man with a flowing beard is still alive, she still has bangles on her wrist. She has,
however, not enjoyed even one full nteal in her entire lifetime. So, there is no light in her
eyes. This is just a comment on the abject poverty and helplessness of the bangle-
makers.

Q22. “The young men echo the lament of their elders. ” What do you think is the
common complain t ? How has it affected their lives?
Ans. The bangle-makers of Firozabad are quite poor. They do not have enough money
to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles. Some even do not have
enough to pacify their hunger. Building a house for the family is an achievement for
them. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.

Q23. Why do the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a cooperative?

Ans. Most of the young bangle-makers have fallen into the traps of the middlemen.
They are also afraid of the police. They know that the police will haul them up, beat
them and drag to jail for doing something illegal. There is no leader among them to help
them see things differently. Their fathers are equally tired. They can do nothing except
carrying on their i inherited business.

Q24. Which two distinct worlds does the author notice among the bangle-making
industry ?
Ans. The families of the bangle-makers belong to one of these worlds. These workers
are caught in the web of poverty. They are also burdened by the stigma of the caste in
which they are bom. They know no other work. The other world is the vicious circle of
the moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of the law, the
bureaucrats and the politicians.

Q25. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad? [Delhi
2014]
Ans. Mukesh is quite different from other bangle makers of Firozabad because he has
the courage to take initiative and break from the traditional family occupation. He has
strong will power also. He insists on being his own master by becoming a motor
mechanic.

Q26. What do you think is the plight of the children born in the families of bangle-
makers?
Ans. The vicious circle of the middlemen and their allies have entrapped the poor
bangle- makers in their nets. The stronghold is suffocating. They have imposed a heavy
burden on little children. They can’t put it down. Before they are able to think, they
accept the baggages as naturally as their fathers.

Q27. What do you think is the theme of ‘Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen
Childhood’?
Ans. The theme of the chapter is the grinding poverty and the traditions which condemn
poor children to a life of exploitation. The two stories taken together depict the plight of
street children forced into labour early in life and denied the opportunity of schooling.
The callousness of the society and the political class only adds to the sufferings of these
poor people.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1.What are the dreams of the poor like ‘Saheb-e-Alam’ and Mukesh? Could
these be realised? What is the reality of the situation?
Ans. Poor rag-pickers like Saheb spend the early years of their lives looking for gold in
garbage dumps. The parents of these street children have no fixed income. They wage
war against poverty and hunger. They have no dreams except finding the means of
survival. Garbage to them is gold. It is the source of their daily bread and provides a
roof over their heads. He ends up as a servant at a tea-stall and loses his freedom.
Mukesh, the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, has a dream of becoming a
motor mechanic. He wants to learn to drive a car. He thinks of joining a garage to fulfil
his dream. He knows that the garage is far away, yet he has decided to walk. He
realises the reality and is willing to overcome the obstacles. His daring to rise and
decision to get free from the trap laid by vicious moneylenders and middle men arouse
a sense of hope.Deprived of education, proper food and upbringing, these children are
forced into labour early in life.

Q2. Firozabad presents a strange paradox. Contrast the beauty of the glass
bangles of Firozabad with the misery of the people who produce them.
Ans. Firozabad, the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry, is famous for its bangles.
Spirals of bangles of various colours can be seen lying in mounds in yards or piled on
four wheeled push carts. These bangles have shining bright colours: sunny gold, paddy
green, royal blue, pink, purple-in fact, every colour bom out of the seven colours of the
rainbow.
The banglemakers lead a miserable life. They know no other work than bangle making.
They have neither courage nor money to start another trade or job. they have spent
generations in the clutches of middle men and moneylenders. Extreme poverty forces
them to remain hungry and yet work all day. The elderly woman,who works with Savita,
has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime. Her husband has made a
house for the family to live in. He has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime.
Mukesh’s father has failed to renovate a house or send his two sons to school. Young
boys are as tired as their fathers. Their work at hot furnaces makes them blind
prematurely.
Q3.(i) “Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.”
(ii) “Garbage to them is gold.”
(iii) “For the children it (garbage) is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a
means of survival.”
In the light of the above remarks write an account of the life and activities of the
ragpickers settled in Seemapuri (Delhi).
Or
Give a brief account of the life and activities of the Bangladeshi squatters like
Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Ans. Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles away from it
metaphorically. Squatters who came from Bangladesh way back in 1971 live here.
Saheb’s family is one of them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no
longer empty. Nearly 10,000 ragpickers live there in structures of mud, with roofs of tin
and tarpaulin. These shanties are devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. These
people have lived there for more than thirty years without an identity or permit. They
have got ration cards that enable them to buy grains and get their names on voters’
lists. For them food is more important for survival than an identity. The women put on
tattered saris. They left their fields as they gave them no grain. They pitch their tents
wherever they find food. Ragpicking is the sole means of their survival.
It has acquired the proportions of a fine art for them. Garbage to them is gold. It
provides them their daily bread and a roof over the heads. Most of the barefoot
ragpickers roam the streets early in the morning and finish their activities by noon. They
seem to carry the plastic bag lightly over their shoulders. They are clothed in
discoloured shirts and shorts and denied the opportunity of schooling.

Q4. “The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of
making bangles, not even enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men
echo the lament of their elders. Little has moved with time, it seems, in
Firozabad.” Comment on the hardships of the banglemakers of Firozabad with
special emphasis on the forces that conspire against them and obstruct their
progress.
Ans. The bangle-makers of Firozabad are bom in poverty, live in poverty and die in
poverty. For generations these people have been engaged in this trade—working
around hot furnaces with high temperature, welding and soldering glass to make
bangles. In spite of hard labour throughout the day, the return is meagre. Some of them
have to sleep with empty, aching stomachs. Others do not have enough to eat.
Whatever they do get is not delicious or nourishing.
The stinking lanes of their shanty town are choked with garbage. Their hovels have
crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. These are overcrowded with humans
and animals.
Poverty and hunger, social customs and traditions, stigma of caste and the intrigues of
powerful lobby that thrives on their labour combine to keep them poor, uneducated and
hungry. The moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the
bureaucrats and the politicians—all are ranged against them. Children are engaged in
illegal and hazardous work. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and
ability to dream. They are unable to organise themselves into cooperative due to lack of
a leader and fear of ill-treatment at the hands of the police. They seem to carry the
burden that they can’t put down. They can talk but not act to improve their lot.

Q5. Compare and contrast the two families of bangle-sellers portrayed in ‘Lost
Spring.’ Comment on the roles of individuals in highlighting the issues raised by
the author.
Ans. One of the families is that ofMukesh’s. It comprises three males and two females:
Mukesh, his brother, their father, their grandmother and the wife of Mukesh’s elder
brother. The grandmother had watched her own husband go blind with the dust from
polishing the glass of bangles. Mukesh’s father is a poor old bangle maker, who has
failed to renovate a house and send his two sons to school. Mukesh and his brother
make bangles. The wife of Mukesh’s brother is a traditional daughter-in-law who follows
the customs and cooks food for the family. The grandmother believes in destiny and
caste. Only Mukesh shows some sparks of fighting the system and declares that he
wants to be a motor mechanic.
Savita, the elderly woman and her old, bearded husband form the other family. Young
and innocent Savita works mechanically. The elderly woman highlights the plight of
bangle makers who fail to enjoy even one full meal during the entire lifetime. The old
man has an achievement to his credit. He has made a house for the family to live in. He
has a roof over his head.
The lifestyle, problems and economic conditions of the two families are similar. There is
only a difference of degree but not of kind in their existence and response to life’s
problems.

VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1.Hunger knows no friend but its feeder. The downtrodden lead a miserable life.
Elucidate the dictum keeping in mind the following lines:
“survival in Seemapuri means ragpicking. Through the years, it has acquired the
proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread a roof
over their heads, “
Ans.                                                        Poverty: A Vicious Circle
It is a well known saying that poverty is the root cause of all evils. Corruption, loot,
begging and incidents of theft are the offspring of abject poverty. The destitute lead a
pitiable and miserable life. They do not get sufficient food. Lack of funds constrain them
to take recourse to illegal activities. Slum dwellers always feel themselves dejected.
They recognise only those beings who help them and feed them. Political leaders take
undue advantages of their poverty. They are misused to win elections. Humanity,
mankind, honesty, trust and love become significant when an individual succeeds in
satisfying his hunger. Hungry people need only food. There is a dearth of people who
are capable of converting obstacles into opportunities. These poor people are exploited
ruthlessly by industrialists, politicians and other middlemen. They scrounge for gold in
the garbage dumps to earn their livelihood. The hiatus between the rich and the poor
seems difficult to be bridged. It is increasing day by day. The poor are becoming poorer
and the rich richer. There is no human being who would like to work for their welfare.
Their plight is pitiable and horrible. The residential areas of these people are packed
with filth. They become habitual of foul smell. Poverty is a vicious circle. It never comes
to an end. The unemployed youth are heading towards destruction. They do not
remember anything except the help they receive from the opportunistic people who feed
them to materialise their vested interests.

Q2. There is no denying the fact that ‘Life is action and not contemplation.’ Those
who shirk work and waste their time in thinking about bitter consequences never
achieve greatness. They lack enthusiasm. Substantiate the aphorism keeping in
mind the following lines:
“I will be a motor mechanic’’ “I will learn to drive a car”. His dream looms like a
mirage amidst the dust of streets…”
Ans.                                        Life is Action and not Contemplation
Initiation is the law of nature. Success depends on the actions taken by an individual.
One has to take actions without wasting time. Dreams give us directions. But it should
not be forgotten that a man cannot become influential by only dreaming . One who does
not utilise time fails to do anything significant in life. Actions shape the destiny of the
beings. Contemplation destroys happiness. Aimless thinking aggravates woes and
worries. It leads to nowhere. Such thinkers never get pleasure in this world of mortals.
Those who believe in taking actions attain their long cherished goals with an astonishing
ease. They never feel confused or perplexed. They never become a victim of
depression. All the human beings are to perform their duties on the earth.
Contemplation leads to idleness. Life is a judicious blend of contemplation and action.
Contemplation transformed into action is of utmost importance. Action without
contemplation may be disastrous. Contemplation without action is a sin. One should not
waste time in thinking only. We should always remember that life is short and time is
swift. Procrastination is the thief of time. One should not forget that there’s a time for
everything. One should grab this opportune time to get success in life.

Q3. Dedication, determination and devotion are the factors responsible for
phenomenal suc¬cess. Substantiate the above quoted statement in the light of
the following lines:
“I want to be a motor mechanic,’ he repeats. He will go to a garage and learn. But
the garage is a long way from his home. 7 will walk’, he insists.”
Ans.                                                             Key to Success
Hard work is the key to success. Dogged determination and strong will power are the
essential ingredients of success. Industrious people never feel disheartened. They bum
the mid night oil and strive hard to achieve the desired goals. It is said that between two
stools one falls on the ground. Thus, one has to dedicate one’s life to a specific field.
The long term goals and aims of life must be set thoughtfully and not whimsically. The
capricious nature of a fellow does not allow him to reach the heights. Devotion always
brings good results and rewards. The essence of devotion is trust or faith. If one has
trust in performing the actions, one is able in winning the battle of life. Trust gives
strength and strength gives birth to determination which leads to dedication. Devoted
and dedicated people never become a part of a problem. They remain a part of the
solution. They do not do different things but they do things differently. Their devotion to
the field encourages them to have indepth knowledge. Those who dare to climb the hill
conquer Mount Everest. Dedication has no substitute. It is the only way to great
accomplishments.

Q4. Health plays an important role in the life of a mortal. But the destitute fail to
get nutritious food and do not remain healthy. It is said that health is wealth.
People believe that a sound mind lives in a sound body. Elucidate it taking ideas
from the following lines:
“Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin Khaya.”
Ans.                                                           Health and Food
One has to accept the fact that if wealth is lost, something is lost and if health is lost,
everything is lost. The proverb A sound mind lives in a sound body’ is apt. A healthy
man can enjoy the beauty of this world. An unhealthy man misses one of the greatest
boons given by the Almighty. A healthy beggar is better than an unhealthy king. A
person who accumulates enormous wealth and suffers from chronic or fatal diseases
cannot relish life.
He wastes his time in clinics and hospitals. Health is essential to have positive thoughts.
One should wake up early in the morning and take exercise. Nutritious food is
indispensable for good health. Junk food must be avoided. The destitute suffer because
they do not get : sufficeient food. They do not have any source of income. Undoubtedly
good health plays a pivotal role in the life of a mortal. Pecuniary gains are of utmost
importance but a strong and sturdy body free from ailments is of paramount importance.
It has no substitute. A mortal cannot endure the loss of health. Creativity, productivity
and innovation get enhanced if a man is healthy. Thus, one should be in the best of
health so that one can lead a happy and contented life.

Q5. Child abuse is a very serious problem in our country. Children are forced by
circumstances to work in various factories. Write an article, on the topic ‘Child
Abuse’. Take ideas from the following lines:
“None of them knows that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass
furnaces 1 with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the
law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot
furnaces where they slog their daylight /hours, often losing the brightness of their
eyes.”
Ans.                                                             Child Abuse
Child abuse is a grave problem in India. Many children work for dhabas, factories and
tea stall owners. These are those unfortunate children of this country who don’t get
even . meals three times a day. It is a blemish on our nation. It is the duty of the
governments to make arrangements of education for these children. Child labour is
common in the fields of agriculture, domestic service, sex industry, carpet and textile
industries, quarrying, bangle making and brick making. These children are forced to
work in horrible conditions. There are no set working hours for these children. They are
given low wages.
In some cases poverty of the household and low level of parental education are
responsible , for child labour. Employing children in factories implies that the nation’s
future is in dark. These children never feel happy. They become devoid of human
emotions. They adoptillegal ways to earn their bread and butter when they become
able-bodied. It gives rise to .violence and corruption. Child labour should be stopped
and the governments should educate these children free of cost. At least elementary
education should be given to all children.