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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 13 My Watch Woven Words Essays English

By Mark Twain

Page No: 148

Understanding the Text

1. What was the importance of the watch to the author?

Answer

The watch was important to the author as it showed him the correct time thus keeping him punctual. He had it working properly for 18 months until he let it run down. He had staunch faith on its judgement and its prediction. It worked perfectly until then without gaining or losing any part of it.

2. What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?

Answer

After a possession of 18 months, the author let his watch run down. Devastated, the author went to all possible watch makers starting from the chief jeweller, the very next day. The head of the establishment pushed the regulator of the watch a little too much, which did no good, rather worsened its condition. Then the author went to another watch maker who kept it for a week and slowed it down, however, too much. Then he went to another one who kept it for three days; and then couple of more. Even after having spent thousands dollars, none of the watch makers could fix the watch. Hopeless, the author gave it a last shot and went to a watch maker who turned out to be an erstwhile, not a good, steam-boat engineer. It was now that the author realised that “a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once, and that a good watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it. ”

3. Why did the author finally give up on his watch?

Answer

The author got the watch repaired seven times. By the end, he realised that the watch, with its original cost being two hundred dollars, had cost him two to three thousand on repairs itself. And the watch was still malfunctioning. It was when he reached the seventh watch maker and acknowledged the mechanic to be an old acquaintance, a steam-boat engineer of other days and not a good engineer. He gave his verdict like all other watch makers, the author was not gullible and this time he perceived what his uncle William used to say that a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once, and that a good watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it. So, he finally gave up the repairing and decided to let the watch be.

4. What was Uncle Williams' comment on the 'tinkerers' of the world?

Answer

Uncle William is not a character in the story; however, the author gives a glimpse of him. When the author gave the watch for mending the last time, he reckoned that it was costing him more than the original cost. All the attempts so far have been futile and the verdict of the last watch maker made him remember what uncle William used to say that a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once, and that a good watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it. The author perceived what his uncle had known with all his knowledge and experience. All the unsuccessful tinkers in the world are not specialists. They are the 'Jacks' of all trades and masters of none. Uncle William used to wonder what became of all those gunsmiths, shoe-makers, engineers and blacksmiths who never could be successful in their work sphere. It is important to acquire specialisation at least in one particular field, else one is left being a tinker, an apprentice, and not a specialist.

Page No: 149

5.Explain these lines
(a) 'I seemed to detect in myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and a desire to swap news with him.
(b) Within a week it sickened to a raging fever and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade.
(c) She makes too much steam–you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!

Answer

(a) After being oiled and cleaned and 'regulated' for the second time, the watch came home to the author after a week. However, the watch was slowed down to such a degree that the author missed all his appointments, his dinner. He felt like he was drifted in the past somewhere. Gradually the watch slowed even more, he felt like he was living in the previous week. The author felt like he missed all that was happening in the world. He was solitary and lingered in the past all because of his watch. The author here compares his situation to that of a mummy, who belongs to bygone ages. He felt it ideal to find a fellowship with the mummy in some museum he probably had been to or an imaginary one. He felt travelling in the past just like the mummy due to the slow time projected by his watch.

(b) When the author let his watch run down after eighteen months, he took it to chief jeweller's to set it by the exact time. The head of the establishment however, despite being stopped by the author, pushed the regulator. This gave the watch, probably, a kick and the watch shot ahead of its time. It gained faster and faster, day by day. Post two months, it appeared to be having some sort of a fever with an extremely high pulse rate. It moved 13 days ahead of the actual date and when the year touched October, the author commented, the watch was enjoying the snow fall of November already. This erratic behaviour annoyed the author a lot and so he decided to get it doctored once again.

(c) The seventh time the author took the watch to a watch maker, he reckoned the apprentice to be an old acquaintance, a steam-boat engineer of other days and not a good engineer. Like all watch makers, he diagnosed and gave his verdict. The author observed keenly and judged him at his very verdict when he said, “She makes too much steam–you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve! The author immediately remembered what his uncle William used to say and perceived that a tinker is a tinker after all, this being an unsuccessful engineer and wondered like his uncle what became of all the unsuccessful tinkers.

Apperciation

1. How is humour employed to comment on the pains that the author took to get his watch set right.

Answer

It is funny how the author and his dear watch had to go through all the pain that was delivered by seven watch makers. In the end, it was all futile and no good was done to the watch. The seven episodes with the watch makers are humorous as while all the watch makers tried their hand on the watch, toying it all up and operating and exploring and dissembling and then assembling every inch of it, it all gave sheer pain to the author to whom the watch was so dear. Every time with all the hope and strength he took it to a new watch maker; however, not a single of all the tinkers could put it all back to place to make it function all properly. How strange it is that none of the seven watch makers could mend the watch while they all experimented and did all sorts of research and development on it.

2. 'The author's treatment of the subject matter makes the readers identify themselves with the experience.' Comment on the statement.

Answer

Samuel L. Clemens, Mark Twain, had less than ten years of schooling. He worked as a printer's apprentice, a steamboat pilot, a prospector and a journalist. All this gave him varied experiences and a wide knowledge of humanity. In all his works, he brings in elements from his own experiences and his own life creating a replica of his own self. All his stories have a combination of realistic and make believe world. What he presents are the situations that any ordinary human might face in her/his daily life; thus, making them all appear very realistic and hence the readers easily connect to the story and identify themselves with the experiences. For instance, in the story, the author faced a problem that is so ordinary. Any of us might have a watch that malfunctions and has a simple error. However, the problem rather than being mended, aggravates every time we take it to be doctored. This is a typical example of how an ordinary human faces problems with not just gadgets; it might be a medical condition or as simple as an argument with a known face.

3. Identify some of the improbable images the author has used to effect greater humour.

Answer

There are instances when the author goes on exaggerating the actual situation to add humour to the story. For example, when the watch is repaired for the second time, it slowed down. The description is a hyperbole of the actual happening. No matter how slow a watch is, it will show the time according to 12 hours, it cannot literally travel in the past. However, the way the author describes its watch enjoying snowfall before the season arrives is humorous. Also, the citation of the mummy is funny, plus it describes the mental state of the poor author.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 2 My Three Passions WOven Words Essays English

By Bertrand Russell

Page No: 151

Understanding the Text

1. Why does Russell call the three passions 'simple'?

Answer

The essay actually is the preface to Bertrand Russell's autobiography. Every human is driven by a force, a passion all her/his life. It keeps her/him going. Some desire money, other, fame. There are some who desire simple satisfaction. Bertie's desires that he chased through his life were simple as well. He was driven by passions that any ordinary man or woman might feel for. For one, he wished love and got it too; he believed that it brought ecstasy. He got married four times to tell. Second, he hungered for knowledge and of course we all seek for it. He was a mathematician, a logician, political activist and wrote vastly on philosophy and contributed to literature, for which he received Nobel Prize as well. Third, he shared “an unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind”. He took a stand against World War 1 and Vietnam war. Any human will pity a suffering man or a woman for they have a heart and feel, and so did Russell. Russell was a man who did not lust after materialistic gains; he was born in a prominent aristocratic family of Britain and gave away much of what he inherited. He rose his voice in favour of suffragists and world government. He believed in free thought in religion and morals.

2. Why has he compared the three passions to great winds?

Answer

Russell compared his three passions to great winds as they were the driving force in his life. They directed his life and gave him the reason for his existence. These great winds are: the love, the knowledge and the pity for the suffering of the mankind. He found ecstasy in the first two that took him to heaven while the third brought him back to the earth with the practical reality. It appears from the words of the author, these are essential parts of his life. It was because of his passions, he found his life to be worth living and that he would gladly live it again if the chance were offered to him. So, his passions are like the great winds of his life directing him all along.

3. What, according to Russell, is the importance of love in life?

Answer

Bertrand Russell is of the opinion that love brings ecstasy in one's life. He believes that the bliss that love brings is so magnificent that he could sacrifice the rest of his life for this joy of few hours. It relieves one of loneliness of this world. Russell says that in love he has seen the heaven that the great saints and poets have imagined. Here, Russell has given a spiritual dimension to love. He reached beyond through love and it was pity that brought him back.

4. How does Russell's definition of knowledge differ from what is commonly understood by the term?

Answer

Knowledge is a treasure and Russell was a seeker of it. He craved to know and understood the Pythagorean power by which a number holds sway over the flux. He was a much learned man. He did believe that he achieved a little of it as well and yet he yearned for more. The understanding of the higher subjects, why the stars shine? He beseeched beyond all this and it in turn took him upward toward the heavens.

5. Why is the quality of pity earth-bound while the other two passions are elevating?

Answer

Bertrand Russell had three passions governing his life all through. The first two being love and knowledge, which elevated him and took him higher to the heavens that great poets and saints have imagined. However, he said that the third one, i.e., pity, brought him back to the Earth, the reality. The pain in the echoing cries reverberated in his heart. All the sorrow in the wide world forced him to return to the Earth; the children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people that become a hated burden to their children. Russell was moved by the loneliness and poverty and pain that mocked human life. He imagined the ideal life of a human without any suffering and sorrow. So, he longed to alleviate the evil, however, he too suffered. He yet respected the human life and found it worth living and fought throughout his life against all evils. Bertrand fought against the Vietnam war and supported suffragists. Throughout his life he fought in favour of mankind to make this world a better place to live.

6. How have the three passions contributed to the quality of Russell's life?

Answer

The three passions, the great winds, in the Russell's life contributed immensely to its making. He found his life worth living and had he been given a chance, he would have lived it again. It were not just passions but the three vital virtues governing his life. These gave him directions and were behind all his actions. Bertrand Russell believed in love, knowledge and pity. Whether it was his relationships with women, or fighting against Vietnam war, his stand on Israel, or his support to suffragists it was always these three ideals that ruled all his actions.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 3 Patterns of Creativity Woven Words Essays English

By S. Chandrasekhar

Page No: 158

Understanding the Text

1. How does Shelley's attitude to science differ from that of Wordsworth and Keats?

Answer

Wordsworth in his A Poet's Epitaph looks at science with a critical mind. Even in Tables turned he praises nature and appreciates the beauty it bequeaths to the humanity and is critical of how humans ruin it all with their science and art. Keats in Lamia talks of two facets of human nature: one is sensual and other emotional. Keats calls philosophy destructive and pleasure unreal and calls them inseparable. However, it is not that one must take Wordsworth's and Keat's take as absolute. Shelley, for instance, is of a different opinion. For scientists it is best if they consider Shelley. A. N. Whitehead's testimony called Shelley's attitude to Science, an opposite pole to that of Wordsworth. He loved science, and was never tired of expressing in poetry the thoughts, which it suggests. Science symbolised to him joy, and peace, and illumination.

2. 'It is not an accident that the most discrimination literary criticism of Shelley's thought and work is by a distinguished scientist, Desmond King-Hele.' How does this statement bring out the meeting point of poetry and science?

Answer

A Desmond King-Hele, a British physicist, is the author of Shelley: His Thought and Work. He said that Shelley's attitude to science emphasises the surprising modern climate of thoughts in which he chose to live. Shelley describes the mechanisms of nature with a precision and wealth of detail. It is a perfect fusion of poetry and science. A scientist critically reviewing a poet's work on science. S. Chandrasekhar points out two examples from Shelley's poetry in support of what is said about him. He points out that in his poem Cloud, a creative myth, a scientific monograph, and a gay picaresque tale of cloud adventure are fused together. Then he cites an example from Prometheus Unbound, which has been described by Herbert Read as the greatest expression ever given to humanity's desire for intellectual light and spiritual liberty.

3. What do you infer from Darwin's comment on his indifference to literature as he advanced in years?

Answer

Darwin, a great scientist, known for his work On the Origin of Species, enjoyed literature only until he was 30, as he said. He enjoyed poetic works of Byron, Coleridge, Shelley, etc. immensely. Shakespeare's historical plays gave him much pleasure. However, as he advanced in his age to reach the benchmark of 30, the charm faded and he began losing interest in pictures and music that once gave him great delight. He tried reading poetry and Shakespeare; however, he found it so intolerably dull that it nauseated him. It is surprising that the answer to this change is in Darwin's own statement. His mind had become some kind of a grinding machine to process laws out of facts. It caused atrophy of that part of the brain on which higher tastes depended. It was hard for Darwin to infer it as well and, thus, his romance with literature died away.

4. How do the patterns of creativity displayed by scientists differ from those displayed by poets?

Answer

Poets are the bards celebrating the nature surrounding them. While, scientists are the ones to harvest nature and its mechanism and mark inventions. Poets such as Wordsworth and Keats criticise humans of exploiting nature. Whereas, scientists on the other hand utilize the given resources of nature to create and invent. However, it is not that there is an enmity between poets and scientists. Shelley said, undoubtedly the promoters of utility, in this limited sense, have their appointed office in society They make space and give time.Here we have Darwin, who enjoyed literature immensely, however, until he was thirty. He said later,' My mind seems to have become a kind of machine for grinding general laws out of large collections of facts but why this should have caused the atrophy of that part of the brain alone on which the higher tastes depend.Thus, it can be understood, while the poets celebrate the present and arrest it making it all immortal, the scientists create and invent leading us to a tomorrow, thus, marking a difference.

5. What is the central argument of the speaker?

Answer

A In the essay patterns of creativity, S. Chandrasekhar tries to figure out the reason for the difference in the patterns of creativity among the practitioners in the arts and practitioners in the sciences. He did not answer it, rather, he made an assortment of remarks that bore the answer. He cites examples explaining how poets and scientists view each other defining the difference in their views. There are poets such as Wordsworth and Keats who are worshippers of nature, who believe that humans sabotage nature by the technological advancement. However, there are poets like Shelley, who do poetry on science. It is difficult to segregate the views and put them into water tight compartments. Darwin, for instance enjoyed literature immensely as it gave him utmost joy, but only till the age of 30. W. B. Yeats, in praise of Shelley's A Defence of Poetry, called it the profoundest essay on the foundation of poetry in the English language The author of the essay, Chandrasekhar wonders in the end that why is there no such A Defence of Science written by a scientist of equal endowment. Perhaps the answer to the question he knew already.

Talking about the Text

1. 'Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world'.

Answer

Shelley in his famous essay, A Defence of Poetry, made the given statement. In his work, Shelley expressed his view on poetry and poets. The power of poetry and the beauty of it. It is true that poetry makes every thing immortal by arresting its enchanting beauty. It not just reflects, it has the power to ignite minds and bring change. Poetry inspires humanity. Like Shelley said, ? oets are...the mirrors or the gigantic shadows which futurity casts upon the present; the words which express what they understand not; the trumpets which sing to battle and feel not what they inspire; the influence which is moved not, but moves.It is poetry that bears the future and inspire minds. It beholds the past and mirrors the present as well. Poets are the subtle revolutionaries of our society. In fact, not just poets but all the great authors as well. They are the force that drive the society to newness and are moral critics. They participate in the society not just as viewers, but they keep a watch and express their criticism or appreciation through their work.

2. Poetry and science are incompatible.

Answer

There are two perspectives to every issue. While poets like Wordsworth and Keats condemn man of exploiting nature and moving towards science, Shelley is a scientific poet, who even in his poems like his Cloud. Shelley loved science and expressed it in his poetry.? It symbolised to him joy, and peace, and illumination. Charles Darwin, being such a great scientist was immensely fond of literature, especially in his youth. However, another scientist, Faraday, who was absolutely engrossed in his scientific experiments about electricity and made great invention. It is always difficult to conclude whether poets and scientists are compatible or not. There will be many such poets and scientists fond of science and poetry. While there will be many who are only concerned about their subject.

3. 'On reading Shelley's A Defence of Poetry, the question insistently occurs why there is no similar A Defence of Science written of equal endowment.'

Answer

A person who is passionate about her/his subject is bound to praise it profoundly. The only difference might be in the medium of expression. While a poet chooses words to praise his subject, a scientist may choose an invention to express his passion. This is natural. Thus, it is so that Shelley came up with a writing piece and Faraday discovering the laws of electromagnetic induction and his discoveries led him to formulate concepts such as 'lines of force' and 'fields of force'. It is not that scientists do not defend their subject, Faraday did defend his discoveries by answering Gladstone that there was every probability of the government taxing the electricity soon. Just the medium one chooses to defend their subject matters.

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NCERT Solutions for 11th: Ch 4 Tribal Verse Woven Words Essays English

By G.N. Devy

Page No: 172

Understanding the Text

1. Identify the common characteristics shared by tribal communities all over the world.

Answer

The essayist identifies some common characteristics shared by tribal communities all over the world. The tribals live in groups that are cohesive and organically unified. They show very little interest in accumulating wealth or in using labour as a device to gather interest and capital. The tribals accept a world view in which nature, human beings and God are intimately linked and they believe in the human ability to spell and interpret truth. They live more by intuition than reason, they consider the space around them more sacred than secular, and their sense of time is personal rather than objective.

2. What distinguishes the tribal imagination from the secular imagination?

Answer

The tribal imagination is, according to the author, dreamlike and hallucinatory. It admits fusion between various planes of existence and levels of time in a natural way. These characteristics distinguish the tribal imagination from the secular imagination. In tribal stories, oceans fly in the sky as birds, mountains swim in the water as fish, animals speak as humans and stars grow like plants. In tribal imagination, stars, seas, mountains, trees, men and animals, can be angry, sad or happy.

3. How does G. N. Devy bring out the importance of the oral literary tradition?

Answer

G. N. Devy brings out the importance of the oral literary tradition by referring to the richness of the works of the tribals that have been handed down from one generation to the other orally. He tries to bring home the point that though the literary compositions have been transmitted orally yet thematically and ornamentally they are very rich. The stories and songs that have come down to the tribals through oral tradition are unique. These compositions present the exclusive world view of the tribals. He points out that the wealth and variety of these works is very enormous. In order to show the importance of the oral literary tradition, Devy throws light on the various characteristics of the tribal arts. He shows that one of the main characteristics of tribal arts is their distinct manner of constructing space and imagery, which might be described as hallucinatory. Playfulness is another dimension of this tradition. Devy advocates that proper recognition should be given to the oral literary tradition in view of its variety and richness.

4. List the distinctive features of the tribal arts.

Answer

According to the essayist G. N. Devy, the tribal arts display many distinctive features.
One of the distinctive features of tribal arts is their distinct manner of constructing space and imagery, which might be described as 'hallucinatory'. In both oral and visual forms of representation, tribal artists seem to interpret verbal or pictorial space as demarcated by an extremely flexible 'frame'. The boundaries between art and non art become almost invisible. In a tribal Ramayana, an episode from the Mahabharata makes a sudden and surprising appearance; tribal paintings contain a curious mixture of traditional and modern imagery.
The tribal arts follow strict convention. Every tribal performance and creation has, at its back, another such performance or creation belonging to a previous occasion. The creativity of the tribal artist lies in adhering to the past while, at the same time, slightly subverting it.
Playfulness is the soul of tribal arts. The tribal arts rarely assume a serious or pretentious tone. The tribal arts are relaxed and never tense.
The tribal oral stories and songs employ bilingualism in a complex manner.

5. 'New Literature' is a misnomer for the wealth of the Indian Literary tradition. How does G. N. Devy explain this?

Answer

According to the essayist, the tribal Literature should not be called 'New Literature' as this has been in existence for many years. The songs and stories of the tribals have been transmitted orally and as these have not been written down so many people have been unaware of them. The essayist contradicts the views of the western literary critics who have termed tribal literature as 'New Literature'. He says that there is nothing new in this, what might be new is the present attempt to see imaginative expression in tribal language not as folklore but as literature and to hear tribal speech not as a dialect but as a language.

Page No: 173

Talking about the Text

1. 'It is time to realise that unless we modify the established notion of literature as something written, we will silently witness the decline of various Indian oral traditions'

Answer

Literature is usually thought of including those compositions like poetry and prose which are written. But going by this notion, one may miss the aesthetic beauty of the compositions as prevalent in many oral traditions. There is another stream of literature containing compositions which are rich both thematically and aesthetically. But as we have a rigid criteria of regarding compositions as literature only when these are written so these do not get the status of literature. This is the case with many Indian oral traditions. Unless we modify our notions of literature there is every possibility that we will silently witness the decline of various Indian oral traditions.
Another View
Oral literary tradition is not a unique phenomenon in India. Oral traditions have been in existence in all parts of the world. Oral traditions do not die out because of their very nature of being transmitted
orally. So it hardly matters whether we modify our notion about literature or not , the oral traditions will continue to exist. What needs to be done is promotion of oral literary tradition through patronage of the state.

2. “Tribal arts are not specifically meant for sale.” Does this help or hamper their growth and preservation?

Answer

Tribal arts are not specifically meant for sale. This help in their preservation and growth. Tribal arts have a characteristic of their own. The tribal arts employ hallucinatory and dreamlike imagination. They are playful in nature. The tribal arts are thematically and aesthetically very rich. The tribal arts present a unique world view of the tribals. So any attempt to commercialise tribal arts will hamper their growth and preservation. Tribals are simple minded, not influenced by the ills of modern societies which are under the sway of evils of consumerism. The tribal arts are a part of life of the tribals. They perform these arts not for the sake of earning money but with spontaneity to express their imagination and world view.
Another View
The non commercialisation of tribal arts hampers their growth and preservation. Without any kind of commercialisation, the tribal artists cannot be economically sound to carry on their creative works. Endeavours should be taken to commercialise their arts so that the tribals are able to preserve their arts. The tribals suffer from abject poverty and marginalisation in the society. So, their arts need to be commercialised. This will give an impetus to the growth and preservation of their art forms.

3. Because India's tribal communities are basically bilingual there is a danger of dismissing their languages as dialects of India's major tongues.

Answer

Most of the tribal communities are bilingual. They have assimilated many vocabulary from the major languages of the country. It may seem to many of us that their languages are dialects of India's major tongues.
Another View
'Most of the tribal communities in India may be bilingual but there seems no danger of dismissing their languages as dialects of India's major tongues. This only shows that the tribal communities are assimilative in nature. Identity of any language is never destroyed simply because it is borrowing words from some other language. Had it been so then even languages like Hindi and other major languages which keep on borrowing words from foreign languages would have lost their identity. The tribal languages have a structural difference from the major languages of India. Simply the presence of some words of other languages will not make them lose their identity and make them identified as dialects of some major Indian languages.

4. While tribal communities may not seem to possess the scientific temper,there are many ideas from tribal conventions that could enrich modern societies.

Answer

Tribal communities may not seem to possess the scientific temper. However, there are many ideas from tribal conventions that could enrich modern societies. The tribals live close to nature. They treat nature as a living being. They consider it to be the mother who nurtures them. The tribals have a very intimate and positive relation with nature. This positive ideas of the tribals towards ecology can help enrich the modern societies. The tribals are very simple minded. They have not been influenced by evils like consumerism. Some tribal communities follow matrilineal system. Tribal societies do not follow dowry system instead some tribal communities fix a bride price that the groom pays to the bride either in cash or in kind. This can be a lesson for the modern societies.

Apperciation

1. How does 'A Munda song' show that the perspective of the tribal mind towards the girl child is different from that of [other ] mainstream communities?

Answer

In 'A Munda Song' the perspective of the tribal mind towards the girl child is different from that of [other] mainstream communities. This song welcomes the birth of a girl child. It celebrates the birth of a girl child. Contrary to the attitude of the mainstream communities, this Munda song regards the birth of a girl child as auspicious. This is beautifully expressed in the lines – A daughter was born, the cowshed filled up. Ironically, in mainstream communities the birth of a boy child is celebrated. The boy child is regarded as the carrier of the baton of the family line. The girl child usually becomes an object of neglect and is looked down upon as a burden.
2. How does 'A Kondh Song' substantiate the tribal urge to gain domination over time by conversing with their dead ancestors?

Answer

The tribals do not have possession over land but they have an urge to gain domination over time. In 'A Kondh Song' this urge is beautifully substantiated by referring to the conversation with their dead ancestors. They request the spirits of their ancestors to accept the offerings of a baby fowl they make. They state that they are offering because they are alive. They request the spirits not to inflict pain on them after the spirits depart.

3. 'Adi Song for the Recovery of Lost Health' is in Miri Agom while Adi Agom is the Adi community's language for routine conversation. How does this reflect upon the high level of language sensitivity of the Adi? Can you think of other parallels in modern languages between the literary variety and the colloquial variety?

Answer

The ' Adi song for the recovery of lost Health' is in Miri Agom. This language is not used in day to day conversation. It is applied in chanting during rituals. Miri Agom is a highly rhythmic language. The existence of these two different languages testify to the high level of language sensitivity of the Adi tribe. We find such parallels in modern languages also. The Hindi language , the Bangla language, the English language all have two variety of languages – one literary variety and the colloquial variety.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 5 What is a Good Book? Woven Words Essays English

By John Ruskin

Page No: 180

Understanding the Text

1. What, according to Ruskin, are the limitations of the good book of the hour?

Answer

According to Ruskin, the limitations of the good book of the hour are that these are not true books but merely letters or newspapers in good print. The good books of the hour are simply some useful or pleasant talk of some person whom one cannot otherwise converse with. These good books are written merely for the purpose of communication to a wider audience. According to the essayist, these good books are rather books of talk which are printed only because their authors cannot speak to thousands of people at once. These are mere conveyance of voice through printed words.

2. What are the criteria that Ruskin feels that readers should fulfil to make themselves fit for the company of the Dead?

Answer

The criteria that Ruskin feels that readers should fulfil to make themselves fit for the company of the Dead are that one must be laborious and meritorious. Ruskin feels that no wealth will bribe, no name will overawe, no artifice will deceive the Dead. Ruskin says that in order to be with their company one has to rise to the level of their thoughts.

3. Why does Ruskin feel that reading the work of a good author is a painstaking task?

Answer

Ruskin feels that reading the work of a good author is a painstaking task as it is not very easy to get into the meaning of the words that the author has written. He says that one has to be prepared to work like an Australian Miner to understand a good book which is born of wisdom. Just as mining is a very painstaking task, so is reading a good book, according to the author. In other words, the essayist means that one has to go through between the lines to understand the pithy words in the good books. Like an Australian miner, one needs patience and hard work to understand the works of the good authors.

4. What is the emphasis placed by Ruskin on accuracy?

Answer

Ruskin emphasised on accuracy by pointing out that the entire difference between education and non education consists in accuracy. Ruskin says a well educated gentleman may not know many languages – may not be able to speak any but his own – may have read very few books. But whatever language he knows, he knows precisely, whatever word he pronounces, he pronounces rightly etc, Ruskin points out that one may chose to read all the books in the British museum and may remain an utterly illiterate, uneducated person but that if one read ten pages of a good book, letter by letter, i.e., with real accuracy that truly is rewarding.

Talking about the Text

1. Ruskin's insistence on looking intensely at words, and assuring oneself of meaning, syllable by syllable – nay, letter by letter.

Answer

Ruskin advises that one should look intensely at words and assure oneself of meaning, syllable by syllable – nay, letter by letter. He means to say that one should go between the lines to get into the core of the text of any good book. This may be time taking and painstaking but very rewarding. This gives accuracy which is the mark of an educated person. A well educated person may read few books but if he or she reads them word by word, syllable by syllable only then can he/she reap the fruit, gather wisdom and transform life.
Another View
Reading between the lines is time taking. So,there is every possibility that in this process one may not develop a wider perspective on various issues of life .This would be so because one will be able to read few books only. One may develop narrow aristocratic attitude by reading few books. To develop a comprehensive view point one should be aware of the perspectives of as many authors as possible. Extensive reading is very valuable. The essayist talks only of intensive reading. Moreover, it is very difficult to categorise book as good or bad. This type of categorisation totally depends on subjective assessment. This is relative in nature; what is good book for some may not be so for the other.

2. Choice of diction is very crucial to the communication of meaning.

Answer

Communication through words may be easy but for effective communication emphasis has to be given on the choice of diction. In fact, the impact of any communication depends on the choice of diction. A set of words may convey almost the same meaning but out of these words only a particular word will convey the meaning effectively.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 6 The Story Woven Words Essays English

By E.M. Forster

Page No: 186

Understanding the Text

1. What do you understand of the three voices in response to the question 'What does a novel do' ?

Answer

The three voices stand for three different types of readers of novels. The first voice represents a good tempered person who is engaged in some other activity but is aware of the merits of literature. He does not have time and attitude to analyse the novel. He only vaguely knows that a novel deals with a story. The second voice represents the attitude of another type of readers of novel. This type of readers are aggressive and brisk. These type of readers treat novels very casually. They do not have time to analyse novels. They just want a story to read and pass time. The third voice is that of novelists like the author himself to whom story is the soul of a novel. All the three voices are unanimous that a novel ultimately tells a story.

Page No: 187

2. What would you say are 'the finer growths' that the story supports in a novel?

Answer

The finer growths that a story supports in a novel are the art of characterisation, the narrative techniques and thematic and plot structures. The story is the backbone, the basic structure without which the rest of the technicalities and structures are meaningless. It is the story line that determines the other features in a novel. The story contains the DNA of the novel.

3. How does Forster trace the human interest in the story to primitive times?

Answer

Forster traces the human interest in the story to primitive times by describing that the art of story telling is immensely old. It goes back to Neolithic times, perhaps to palaeolithic times. He refers to the Neanderthal man's liking of stories by referring to the anthropological evidence of the shape of the skull. To bring home the point further, Forster conjectures a picture of the primitive audience as an audience of shock heads, gaping round the camp fire, fatigued with contending against the mammoth or the woolly rhinoceros and only kept awake by suspense. The novelist drones on and, as soon as the audience guessed what happened next, they either fell asleep or killed him. Forster also refers to the character of Scheherazade who had to tell stories one after another to evade the danger of being killed by her husband. Forster mentions that Scheherazade's talent to tell suspense stories made her survive. In this way, Forster traces the human interest in the story to primitive times.

4. Discuss the importance of time in the narration of a story.

Answer

Forster brings out the importance of time in the narration of a story. He says that time is an integral part of a story. Though its appearance is both unlovely and dull, according to the essayist, yet he exhorts us to consider it first in connection with daily life. Forster says that daily life is also full of the time sense. But in daily life one can think of any situation, even going beyond the time sequence. One can chose to think of any situation in the past or in the future without going by the strict order or sequence. This one does according to the value one attaches to a particular situation. In other words, according to Forster, daily life is practically composed of two lives-- the life in time and the life by values. Our conduct reveals a double allegiance. According to the essayist, the story narrates the life in time. In our daily life one can deny that time exists and act accordingly. But in case of a story, time sense cannot be denied otherwise it becomes unintelligible. The essayist mentions about many experiments made by the story tellers and novelists in which they wanted to narrate events by not following the exact time sequence. But these experiments failed to sway the readers. According to the essayist, the basis of a novel is a story and a story is a narrative of events in time sequence.

Talking about the Text

1. What does a novel do?

Answer

A novel reflects human condition in terms of a narrative involving character or characters.
It basically tells a story that entertains us and even gives us messages. A novel may be realistic based on real life incidents or fictitious.

2. 'Our daily life reflects a double allegiance to 'the life in time' and 'the life by values'.

Answer

We all owe a double allegiance to the life in time and the life by values. Life in time refers to the exact sequence in which events occur in our lives. We often think of life, our experiences in a proper sequence. But in our thinking we may chose to think about events in a sequence of our choice. We may select experiences or events or impressions from any point of time according to their value or importance. This ability on our part shows that we can lead life by values also.

3. The description of novels as organisms.

Answer

Novels are like organisms. They have structure just as organisms have structure. A novel has a solid base in the story line. The story is the backbone of the novel. Just as an organism has birth, growth and decay, so does a novel. A novel is like a system.

Apperciation

1. How does Forster use the analogy of Scheherazade to establish his point ?

Answer

Forster uses the analogy of Scheherazade to establish his point that story telling with an element of surprise is the most important aspect in a novel. He refers to the story of Scheherazade to bring home the point that her survival depended on her ability to tell stories one after another to her husband king. Similarly, the art of novel is dependent on the story line and the surprise and suspense that a story creates. Without this element a novel cannot come into existence nor it can survive.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 7 Bridges Woven Words Essays English

By Kumudini Lakhia

Page No: 196

Understanding the Text

1. How did the author feel about her mother's passion to make her a dancer?

Answer

The author did not feel comfortable about her mother's passion to make her a dancer. The author tells us that her mother discovered in her the innate ability to dance. This motivated the author's mother to make her a dancer. The author tells us that it was the film industry that ignited interest in her mother to make her a dancer. The author says that she never wanted to be a dancer. She describes how troublesome it was for her to travel to her dance teacher's house. The author felt as though she was compelled to learn dance. She felt as if dancing was thrust upon her.
When the author was sent to study in Queen Mary's college in Lahore, she at first thought that she would not have to learn dance. But she considers it to be unfortunate that her mother sent a dance teacher, Radhelal Misra along with her. In a word, the author did not experience anything good about her mother's passion to make her a dancer.

2. What were the lessons of life learnt in her younger days that Kumudini carried into her adult life?

Answer

During her younger days Kumudini learnt many lessons that she carried into her adult life. She relates one incident when she used to stay in Delhi in a sprawling house allotted to her engineer father. Liaquat Ali(later Prime Minister of Pakistan) used to be their neighbour. When one day she saw and her brother were caught by his gardener picking guavas from his tree, Liaquat Ali did not punish them but gave an open invitation to pick the fruits whenever they wished. The author says that it was one of her first lessons in the games that politicians play.
In Queen Mary's college in Lahore, she could learn the value of discipline. She believes that discipline in one's daily routine does bring discipline in thinking. When her mother died she could learn the pangs of hunger. This shows up in her work. She could understand the nature of conflict which she dealt with in a play called Duvidha.
Kumudini could learn to differentiate between sensitivity and sentimentality. In her adult days she created a piece called Panch Paras, the five senses, to explore this realm. Kumudini relates how she learnt a lesson from Ram Gopal that before one begins to experiment, one need to perfect the technique with one experiment.
Kumudini could learn about her own personality touring with Ram Gopal.

3. How did Kumudini react to her mother's death?

Answer

The news of the death of Kumudini's mother was not directly given to her by the Principal of the school where she was studying at that time. She was told that she had to go home as her mother was sick. When Kumudini reached home she saw her mother dead. She felt helpless in this world . She was only 14 years old at that time. Her hands hung loose from her body. She also felt hungry but couldnot express it to anybody. She was afraid of appearing greedy.

4. What were the concepts that Kumudini Lakhia represent through Duvidha, Atah Kim and panch Paras?

Answer

In Duvidha or conflict, Kumudini examined the plight of a middle class woman who is chained to the traditions of Indian life. In Atah Kin, Kumudini uses the concept of the desire for power.
Panch Paras is all about the exploration of spiritual life.

5. How does Kumudini Lakhia describe her guru Ramgopal's influence on her?

Answer

Kumudini Lakhia describes intensely about her guru Ram Gopal's influence on her. She recounts that Ram Gopal was a strict disciplinarian and had a fetish for perfection of line. Kumudini has been influenced by this. She has tried to impart this lesson to her students as well. Kumudini narrates how touring with Ram Gopal enabled her to delve deep into her own personality.

Talking about the Text

1. Exceptionally talented people are born so; talent cannot be cultivated.

Answer

Exceptionally talented people are born so, talent cannot be cultivated. Some genetic scientists opine that talent is determined by the genetic factor. It is inherited genetically. It cannot be cultivated . Had it been so, it would have been possible to produce exceptionally talented people by grooming individuals. But in reality that is not the case.

Another View
There are other group of scientists who believe that talent is not exclusively determined by the genes or heredity. Environment plays a vital role in shaping talent. They call it meme and not gene.

Page No: 197

2. “Discipline and a questioning spirit can coexist in an individual.”

Answer

Discipline and a questioning spirit can go together. There is no inherent conflict between the two. If somebody is disciplined then one will have questioning spirit in a disciplined manner. Every discipline is with an objective. Discipline is not for discipline's sake. So, if one seeks to understand the fundamentals of a discipline there is no harm.
Another View
Discipline and questioning spirit cannot coexist. One cannot stick to any discipline if one does not take for granted the basic assumptions of a discipline. For example, one cannot follow and apply the principles of an art form if one keeps on questioning. Both cannot go together. Some sort of surrendering of the questioning spirit is required to be disciplined.

3. “Before you begin experimenting you need to perfect the technique with which you experiment.”

Answer

There is a tendency among people that they they start experimenting without perfecting the technique with which one experiments. Great exponents of arts, however, often recommend that improvisation should follow perfection of the technique with which one begins with. Otherwise, the experiment becomes an end in itself without bearing any fruit.

4. Kumudini Lakhia's life is an inspiring illustration of the emancipation of women.

Answer

Kumudini Lakhia's life shows the emancipation of women. She started learning dance under the inspiration of her mother. She later on joined an Agriculture course. In the Agriculture college she could experience the behaviour of boys and the American teachers. After the completion of the course, she chose to join Ram Gopal company as a performer. Having led a successful dance career, she settled in a married life. All these show that she was free to chose her ways despite being a woman and the way she could establish her identity in her career is inspiring illustration of the emancipation of women.

Apperciation

1. The significance of reading an autobiography lies in drawing lessons from another life. What is the significance of Kumudini's account for us as readers?

Answer

We as readers can understand many core issues of life by going through the account of Kumudini. Her training in dance in her initial years teach us the lesson that learning any art form requires dedication and hard work. It needs rigour to acquire the skills. Her account of going to the dance teacher's house show her sheer dedication to the art.
We can know about the value of discipline when Kumudini talks of her teachers in Queen Mary's college, Lahore. According to Kumudini, discipline in one's daily routine does bring discipline in thinking. This is really inspiring for the readers.
Kumudini's account of her days with guru Ram Gopal is inspiring. We can learn the lesson that one needs to perfect the technique with which one begins to experiment.
Her account teaches us that one should learn to adjust with a group of different personalities as in a family and a performance on the stage.

2. “I can see clear bridges between my life experiences and my work in dance.” How does Kumudini Lakhia weave episodes from the two realms in her account?

Answer

Kumudini Lakhia in her account shows that her life experiences form the basis of her work in dance. Though she was focussed on dance, yet she tells us that she lived her life. She has taken cues from her life experiences to present these in her dance.
She recounts how in Duvidha or conflict she has examined the plight of a middle class woman who is chained to the traditions of Indian life. In Atah Kim, we can see how Kumudini bases the theme on the desire for power which she experienced after her schooling was over.
Her work Panch Paras is on the spiritual realm of life. Kumudini tells us about her experience on spiritualism, the arguments she used to have with her grandmother regarding the existence of God etc. She has used this bit of experience as theme in Panch Paras.

Language Work

1. Distinguish between the following pairs of words

Incredulous	-	Incredible
Suspicious	-	Susceptible
Sensitivity	-	Sentimentality
Successive	-	Successful

Answer

Incredulous: not disposed or willing to believe, unbelieving
Incredible: beyond belief or understanding
Suspicious: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
Susceptible: yielding readily to or capable of
Sensitivity: the ability to respond to physical stimuli or register small physical amounts or differences.
Sentimentality: falsely emotional in a maudlin way.
Successive: having or giving the right of succeeding to an inheritance, following in order or in uninterrupted course
Successful: having succeeded or being marked by a favourable outcome

2. Interpret these phrases in the context of the essay

Mist of protection

At a crossroads

Answer

Mist of protection: The phrase has been used by the author to signify that her childhood was very protective. Her parents always cared for her and kept watch over her. They tried to influence her in all her activities. She found this protection as something like a mist which covers our vision.

At a crossroads: At a cross roads refers to a situation when some one is not able to decide as to which path to chose. In the text the phrase is used by the author to describe her situation after completing the agriculture course when she was left with few job prospects.

3. 'Kummi', ' ghumar' and 'dandia' are some dance forms mentioned in the text. Make an inventory of folk dance forms in the different regions of the country.

Answer

Arunachal Pradesh: Bardo Cham
Assam: Bihu dance, Jhumur
Chattisgarh: Raut nach, Panthi
Gujarat: Garba, Padhar, Raas,
Himachal Pradesh: Kinnauri Natti
Karnataka: Yakshagana
Kashmir: Dumhal
Lakshwadeep: Lava
Madhya Pradesh:Tertali, Charkula, Jawara, Grida dance
Maharastra: Pavri Naach
Manipur: Thang ta, Dol cholam
Mizoram: Cheraw Dance
Nagaland: Chang lo or sua lua
Orissa: Goti Pua
Pondicherry: Garadi
Punjab: Bhangra, Giddha, Jhumar, Ludi
Rajasthan: Ghoomor, Kalbelia, Bhavai
Sikkim: Singhi Chamm
Tamil Nadu: Kummi, Kolattam
Tripura: Hojagiri
West Bengal: Gambhira, Domni

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 1 The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Snapshots English

By William Saroyan

Page No: 8

Reading with Insight

1. You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?

Answer

It is true that though the story "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse" has neither any breathless adventure nor any exciting action, yet it holds the interest of the readers. It begins in a mood of nostalgia and takes us back to the memories of our own childhood when the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and mysterious dream.

2. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?

Answer

The boys returned the horse because they were conscience-stricken not because they were afraid. Mourad and Aram belonged to the Garoghlanian family which was famous for its integrity and honesty. Due to their passion for riding and fun once, they stole a beautiful white horse.

Page No: 9

4. The story revolves around characters who belong to a tribe in Armenia. Mourad and Aram are members of the Garoghlanian family. Now locate Armenia and Assyria on the atlas and prepare a write-up on the Garoghlanian tribes. You may write about people, their names, traits, geographical and economic features as suggested in the story.

Answer

The Garoghlanian family

This entire concept of the existence of this tribe is said to be fictitious. It's said to be formed by William Saroyan in his book “My name is Aram” (1940). Garoghlanian tribe were famous for their honesty. They were proud of their family. Honesty came next and then they believed in right and wrong. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world. No member of the Garoghlanian family. Hospitality is also an important function in the Armenian culture. Social gatherings revolve around large amounts of food. The religion of most Armenian people is Christianity, which is structured around forgiveness of sins and focuses on the spirit of Tolerance.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 2 The Address Snapshots English

By Marga Minco

Page No: 15

Reading with Insight

1. 'Have you come back?' said the woman.'I thought that no one had come back.' Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?

Answer

Yes, these words by Mrs Dorling to the narrator shows that she least expected such a visit. She had presumed that all of them were dead. This lead to the conclusion that the story is set against the tragic circumstances of a War in which families lost their lives and belongings. The statement tells us that the narrator and her family at one time lived in that area and secondly, the clue that the war has brought about a lot of destruction and it seems that Mrs. Dorling was not expecting anyone to return to her house to claim the belongings.

2. The story is divided into pre-war and post-war times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?

Answer

The story, “The Address” is divided into pre-war and post-war times. There are clear indications of the hardships which the narrator, a young girl, had to undergo during these times. The girl came from a rich family. The family had a lot of valuable belongings. Then the war broke out. Mrs. Dorling renewed her contact and started visiting their house. She took away all their possessions on the ground that she wanted to save all their nice things in case they had to leave the place. After the war was over. Things became almost normal. Now the girl was living all alone in a rented house. She wanted to meet Mrs. Dorling and ask for the valuables. When she went to meet Mrs. Dorling she found that Mrs. Dorling was using her mother's things recklessly. Suddenly, she lost interest in the things that had belonged to a connection that no longer existed. She decided to leave it all behind and resolved to move on.

3. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?

Answer

The narrator was disappointed and disillusioned when she was allowed to enter Mrs. Dorling’s house during her second visit. She realised the futility of feeling attached to her mother’s belongings that were kept so distastefully. She just left without taking anything back and felt like forgetting the address because she would only remember the past.

4. 'The Address' is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment

Answer

The war creates many difficult and traumatic situations for human beings. Civilian life faces tremendous upheaval due to war. The human predicament that follows is amply illustrated through the experience of the narrator. The war had caused many physical difficulties as well as emotional sufferings to her. She had lost her dear mother. She went to 46, Marconi Street to see her mother’s valuable possessions. Mrs. Dorling was a true opportunist who had used the narrator’s mother’s belongings on the pretext of storing them for safekeeping. She refuses to recognize the narrator and does not even let her in. The narrator gets another chance to visit the house. The presence of her mother’s possessions in a strange atmosphere hurted her. Now these valuables had lost all their importance for her as they had been separated from her mother. She could get no solace or comfort from them. She resolved to forget the address. She wanted to leave the memories of her mother and the war behind. She decided to move on.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 3 Ranga's Marriage Snapshots English

By Masti Venkatesha Iyengar

Page No: 24

Reading with Insight

1. Comment on the influence of English – the language and the way of life – on Indian life as reflected in the story. What is the narrator's attitude to English?

Answer

The story 'Ranga's Marriage' is set in a village Hosahalli, which was in the erstwhile Mysore state. In those days, there were very few people in Hosahalli who knew English. Like today, even during those days, English occupied a very prominent place in the hearts and the minds of people. The village accountant mustered enough courage to send his son, Ranga, to Bengaluru for higher studies. When Ranga returned home, it became almost a festive occassion for the entire village.
People had a lot of respect for Ranga because he knew English, which was a very precious commodity, but very few people in the village knew English. Even a simple word in English like 'change' was not heard of. When Rama Rao's son uses this word, even the narrator could not understand. He had to ask Ranga the meaning of the word. The author, in his narration, shows that he has a positive attitude towards English, but he also asserts that learning a foreign’ language or .knowing it need not affect our tradition and culture. This is evident by the emphasis on Ranga wearing the sacred thread and doing 'namaskars' to the elders.

2. Astrologers' perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture than what they learn from the study of the stars. Comment with reference to the story.

Answer

In today's India and India of yesteryears, there is not much of a difference as far as the belief in astrology is concerned. People believed in astrologers then and now. What we do not understand is that no one can predict God's design. The astrologers like Shastri, themselves, do not really know the correct calculations of the planets, but they pretend to do so. Most of these predictions are based upon the information supplied earlier by someone. In the story, 'Ranga's Marriage', the Shastri is very well tutored by the narrator in advance. He tells Ranga exactly the same thing what the narrator asks him. He pretends to do all the calculations and moves his lips but these are all pretentions.

3. Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.

Answer

In the story 'Ranga's Marriage', the entire process of choosing a bride for Ranga is based upon the system, which was followed long back in our country. Now the scenario has changed completely. Rarely, marriages happen at a young age. People have become conscious about the fact that if the marriage has to last, a certain sense of maturity is required and this maturity can be obtained through education only. When the boys and the girls decide to get married, they always make a conscious decision. Now-a-days in India, marriages take place after the girl and boy consent to do so. Sometimes, the parents and the society do not approve but the Indian law supports this decision. In the story, 'Ranga's Marriage', the initiative for Ranga and Ratna's wedding was taken by the narrator. However, these days, we see a lot of changes taking place as far as the marriage scenario is concerned in India.

4. What kind of a person do you think the narrator is?

Answer

Shyama, a person who is too attached to his soil and his village, is the narrator of Ranga's Marriage. According to the story,he is a very simple and kind hearted person. He seems to have a lot of admiration for his village and knows the smallest tit-bits about his place.
The narrator seems to have a clever perception and is a good judge of people. He realises that Ranga is a good groom for Ratna. He, then wastes no time and does everything for their marriage to be solemnised. His efforts culminate in a happy ending, for which he earns a lot of respect. This is evident when Ratna and Ranga name their son after him.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 4 Albert Einstein at School Snapshots English

By Patrick Pringle

Page No: 31

Reading with Insight

1. What do you understand of Einstein’s nature from his conversations with his history teacher, his mathematics teacher and the head teacher?

Answer

Einstein’s behavior seemed to be extremely unruly. He didn't believe in the then prevailing system of education. His nature was a spontaneous one. He found memorising facts and dates quite useless. Ideas lured him more than facts because of which he had a heated argument on education with his history teacher. He was so restless and indifferent to the importance of attending school that he didn't mind not attending it at all. From his conversation with the Maths teacher, we come to know that he was a student who actually had some interest in mathematics, that being the only class in which he paid a lot of attention and never wasted his time. He wasn't open and outright in front of his Mathematics teacher. His behavior had turned mild before his teacher which showed his level of respect and obediance for elders. Later, when he confronts the headmaster, we find him defensive at the beginning and carefree at the end of the meeting.

2. The school system often curbs individual talents. Discuss.

Answer

School nowadays is about memorizing a bunch of facts and spitting them back out on a test or exam. There is no learning involved, just memorization. Students should be taught things of importance. The grading system is messed up too. How can you grade something on creativity? You can't. Albert Einstein said "Everyone's a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid"

3. How do you distinguish between information gathering and insight formation?

Answer

Information gathering refers to collection of data and facts. It means knowledge of specific events or situations that has been gathered or received by communication. Insight formation, on the other hand, refers to the perception one has of things through his deep understanding of a subject. Insight refers to the capacity to discern the true nature of a situation. Thus, it might differ from person to person, depending on everyone's ideas and concepts.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th:Ch 5 Mother's Day Snapshots English

ByJ.B. Priestley

Page No: 52

Reading with Insight

1.This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the mother in the family.

(i) What are the issues it raises?
(ii) Do you think it caricatures these issues or do you think that the problems it raises are genuine? How does the play resolve the issues? Do you agree with the resolution?

Answer

(i) Mother's Day is a comical satire. The story is a simple one, yet it strongly condemns the position of women in society. Our mothers and wives work hard daily, turning our houses into homes. They receive no wages and have no weekends off and work all day long, round the clock. Little do we realise the hard work they put in to make it all perfect. We take them for granted and never appreciate them or stop by to drop a word of 'thanks'. The story very clearly states that our mothers and wives have equal right to relax, enjoy their lives and deserve acknowledgement and appreciation. They sacrifice their whole lives building ours'. Husbands stay busy at work and kids are occupied in their own lives. Amidst all this women lose their self trying to contain our world.

(ii) The problems that play raises are serious. The treatment is of course comic. In the story the major complaint of Mrs. Pearson is that her family does not spend time with her. The author has tried to highlight the fact that how lonely can a woman feel when all the members of her family leave early morning to work and then return in the evening just to get the supper and then leave again to socialise outside home. They pay her no time or attention. She selflessly makes the home and asks nothing in return. However, little do we realise that they also yearn for company and wish to spend time with their loved ones.
In the play, Mrs. Fitzgerald, a determined lady who lives in the neighbourhood and a fortune teller, helped Mrs. Pearson by exchanging body with her and dealt with Mrs. Pearson's family. She made the Pearsons understand that Mrs. Pearson is a human after all and that even after working 24x7 she receives no acknowledgement and appreciation from her family members. She did not prepare the supper and did not iron the clothes and made George, Doris and Cyril realise that how dependent they are actually on Mrs. Pearson. She is the sole pillar who keeps their lives in place and keeps everything ready for them before even they have asked for it. Finally when the three receive such harsh treatment and see Annie sitting back and not doing household chores, they feel helpless and find it all difficult to manage on their own. They realise that their lives are absolutely incomplete without Mrs. Pearson.
The resolution was perfect and very well decided. The Pearsons needed the harsh treatment after all else they would have never realised the blunder they were going on committing. After what all happened and when Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Pearson exchanged the bodies back to the original ones, Annie tells George, Doris and Cyril to stay back and play cards with her and proposed that kids would do cooking while she could sit back and relax while talking to her husband, to which the three approved merrily.

2. If you were to write about these issues today what are some of the incidents, examples and problems that you would think of as relevant?

Answer

No matter that time has changed and women in today's society have become confident and aware about their rights. However, they still continue to be dominated in conservative societies like ours. Even in western world, one may find many such families, like Pearsons, where the lady of the house alone manages all for the rest of the members. They work round the clock, doing the house hold chores all by themselves without complaining and do not even receive appreciation. Our mothers take little liberty to enjoy or have their own leisure time. A woman is accepted only in the avtar of a home maker, we never can accept our mothers or wives going out with her friends. We all stereotype a woman as a lady who is going to cook food for us, iron our clothes, sit back at home all day cleaning our room and anxiously waiting for us to return in the evening. We behave as if she can not have a life and is liable for our our work. We must always keep it in mind that that woman in our house needs our attention and appreciation and we must be greatful to her.

Page No: 53

1. Is drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.

Answer

Drama or theatre is a perfect media to deliver social messages to the society. Now that we are in the digital era, we have various kinds of media, print, electronic and cyber. However, in the times when there were no TVs, the only media was theatre. Media not just reflects the society but also revolutionises the society. Jean Genet has made it very clear from his plays that the society dwells on images. Hence, what we show affects the society largely. So, in Drama or Theatre, when the characters come alive and equivocally make their point in front of the whole society, they raise questions, very strong and vital issues are highlighted, which otherwise remain ignored. People heed to what is displayed and learn and not just relate and get emotional.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 7 Birth Snapshots English

By A.J. Cronin

Page No: 70

1. “I have done something; oh, God! I've done something real at last.” Why does Andrew say this? What does it mean?

Answer

Andrew, the protagonist of the story Birth, utters these words as he is able to bring a still born child back to life which seemed impossible in the beginning. The child is born still to the wife of Joe Morgan. But after feverish efforts Andrew is able to bring the child back to the life. He utters these words out of deep satisfaction on achieving the seemingly impossible task. It means that Andrew has been able to do something wonderful. He has been able to apply whatever he learnt in the medical textbooks and even beyond that. It is really a great achievement for Andrew. The above words mean that a doctor is a medium through which God or Almighty grants life to the patients. Andrew acknowledges this fact in the above quoted words.

2. There lies a great difference between text book medicine and the world of practising physician. Discuss.

Answer

There lies a great difference between text book medicine and the world of practising physician. Text book medicine is purely a Science whereas treating a patient is an art. The world of practising physician requires a different set of skills and knowledge. Text book medicine no doubt provides the conceptual framework for treatment but no doctor can treat a patient without the use of his or her intuitive practices. In the story Birth the way Andrew brings back life in the still born child is a testimony to this fact. The nurse at first dumps the child thinking it to be dead. But Andrews takes a chance and the miracle happens. He in the beginning applies his text book knowledge but the child does not recover. He doesn’t lose heart. He applies his own method and the miracle then happened. Treatment is Science and beyond. It is both a science and an art. The story Birth is a realistic fiction. In other words, the elements of the story has been taken from real life experiences and woven in the fabric of fiction.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 6 The Ghat of the Only World Snapshots English

By Amitav Ghosh

Page No: 64

Reading with Insight

1. What impressions of Shahid do you gather from the piece?

Answer

Shahid Ali was a multi faceted personalityand appears to be sensitive soul. He was born in Srinagar and had studied in Delhi. Later, he migrated to America and served in various colleges and universities. Shahid was a fine scholar and and brilliant teacher. His students loved and respected him. Sahid was a profund lover of good poetry, music, clothes and food. He always thought of Kashmir and was hurt by the mounting violence in the valley. Though he was not a political poet his finest work relates to writing about Kashmir. Shahid outlook was ecumenical. He did not believe in mixing of politics and religion. He never lost the courage in the face of misfortune. Even dreadful disease of cancer colud not break his spirit. He refused to take the help of the wheelchair in the hospital.

2. How do Shahid and the writer react to the knowledge that Shahid is going to die?

Answer

“Oh dear! I cant see a thing...I hope this doesn't mean that I am dying,” The fear of death was very vividly visible in Shahid's tone of voice and usage of words. He got scared when he felt for the first time that he was dying. When his occasional memory lapses became more serious with passage of time, the realisation of death drawing nearer becomes stronger. When he was in a conversation with Amitav Ghosh, he said in a clear ringing voice- “When it happens, I hope you will write something for me.” The writer could think of nothing to say on such a topic. At last, he had to promise, “I'll do the best I can.” From that day, the writer started keeping a record of all the conversations and meetings he had with Shahid. This record helped him to fulfil his promise.

3. Look up the dictionary for the meaning of the word ‘diaspora’. What do you understand of the Indian diaspora from this piece?

Answer

The word 'diaspora' means a dispersion of an originally homogeneous entity, such as a language or culture. With reference to the context, Indian diaspora becomes more prominent in Ghosh's writings.
From this text, we come to know that a number of Indians have settled in different countries of the West, especially England and America. Agha Shahid, his brother and two sisters, Suketu Mehta and the writer form part of the Indian diaspora in America. Shahid belonged to Kashmir and migrated to America in 1975. his elder brother was already settled there. His two sisters also joined them later. These people, though living in another land, never forgot about their roots. These Indians feel a sense of unity and keep meeting each other on various occasions.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11th: Ch 8 The Tale of Melon City Snapshots English

By Vikram Seth

Page No: 76

Reading with Insight

1. Narrate 'The Tale of Melon City' in your own words.

Answer

‘The Tale of Melon City’ runs like a folk tale. The city is called Melon City because its ruler is a melon. There is a curious tale about it. Once a fair and easygoing king ruled over a state. He got an arch built across the thoroughfare. As he passed under the low arch it struck his head and he lost his crown. He thought it a disgrace and ordered the chief of builders to be hanged. The chief lay the blame on the workmen. The workmen were surprised. They said that the bricks were made of wrong size. So the masons were thought guilty. The masons shifted the blame on the architect. The architect put the blame at the king’s door as he amended his original plan. The king sought a wise man’s counsel. He held the arch guilty and ordered it to be hanged. A councillor objected to it as it had touched the king’s head. The people became restless. They wanted to see someone hanging. Only the king’s head could fit the noose. So he was hanged. It was now announced that the next man who passed. The city gate would choose the king. An idiot happened to pass the City Gate. He suggested ‘A Melon’. The ministers crowned a melon and placed their Melon King reverently at the throne.

2. What impression would you form of a state where the King was 'just and placid'?

Answer

A state where the king was Just and placid enjoyed peace, liberty and justice. The king was titular and symbolic. The citizens enjoyed freedom of all kinds. The real governance of the country was in the hands of the citizens. In the poem 'The Tale of a Melon City' the king had to be hanged as the citizens ultimately wanted someone to be hung. The king could not defend himself. Even though the wisest man gave the verdict that the arch was the real culprit but the citizens wanted someone to be hanged. Ultimately, the king was hanged. This shows that in such a state where the king was just and placid the citizens influenced the fate of a king.

3. How, according to you, can peace and liberty be maintained in a state?

Answer

(Answers vary with person own opinion.) Peace and liberty can be maintained in a state by good governance. Whatever is well administered is most fruitful for the citizens as well as rulers. There should be a happy balance between state interference and citizens rights. Narrow consideration based on religion, region caste etc. should be discouraged becuase these are potent threat to internal security. Only then one can expect peace and liberty to be maintained in a state.

4. Suggest a few instances in the poem which highlight humour and irony.

Answers

The poem is full of humour and irony. The decision of the king to hang the chief of the builders for constructing a low arch when his crown struck against it evokes laughter among the readers. It is an example of humour. The way the king got convinced that actually the labourers who constructed the arch were responsible is also humourous. The king wanted to hang the labourers but the labourers were able to defend themselves. This situation is humorous as it evokes laughter among the readers and ironic as the readers find that the labourers are able to shift the responsibility to the architect. Ironically, the architect is able to shift the responsibility to the king himself. The selection of the wisest man who would give the verdict as to who was the real culprit evokes laughter and is, therefore, humorous. The old man ultimately blamed the arch and declared that the arch must be hanged. Ironically, one of the ministers pointed out that the gathering wanted a man to be hanged. As the noose fitted the king's neck, so, he was hanged.'

The choice of a successor is humorous as an idiot is consulted in selecting the successor. The idiot chose a melon who became the symbolic head of the state.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 1 The Third Level Vistas English

By Jack Finney

Page No: 7

Read and Find Out

1. What does the third level refer to?

Answer

The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station that takes passengers to Galesburg, Illinois. The third level on the station was a medium of escape for Charley, the narrator from the harsh realities of modern life. It provided him a base where he could interweave fantasy and reality.

Page No: 5

2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?

Answer

No, Charley would never go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife because third level was his imagination.

Page No: 7

Reading with Insight

1.Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Answer

Yes, I think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. Life in modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worries and stress. Man has to confront them all the times. The harsh realities of life make living quite unpleasant and even unbearable. So he wants to escape into a wishful world. Charley talks to his psychiatrist friend about the third level at the Grand Central Station. His friend calls it “a walking-dream wish fulfillment”. Charley possesses an escapist tendency. Even his stamp collecting is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’.

2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

Answer

The way Charley came across Sam’s letter was surrounded in mystery. Among his oldest first-day covers, he found an envelope. The envelope containing the letter bore the address of his grandfather. It was written on July 18, 1894. The postmark showed the Picture of President Garfield. Generally the first day covers have blank papers in them, but this one contained a letter. The letter was addressed to Charley. In the letter Sam had informed Charley that he was living on the third level. He had also told Charley and his wife to keep looking for the third level. Clearly, the letter was a product of Charley’s imagination.

3. ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?

Answer

We can overcome the anxieties and insecurities bred by our inevitable existence in the modern world by getting involved in some practical and beneficial activities. Cultivating hobbies, spending time with family and friends, going on trips and excursions, pursuing meditation and exercises help us live a balanced and healthy life. Reading good books is equivalent to having good friends with great insight. They not only enrich us with the vast store of knowledge but also help us to learn from other’s experience and stay rooted to some basic qualities of humanity. Joining hobby classes or gym, attending social events like birthdays and weddings, going for outdoor games, interacting meaningfully through social-networking sites and writing diaries etc can also help us relieve our worries and stay focussed and disciplined in life. Simple activities like listening to music, playing with pets, an occasional dinner out, watching cinema or plays or going to places like parks etc can go a long way in helping us get rid of stress, boredom and insecurities.

4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

Answer

Yes, there are certain instances in the story that show an intersection of time and space. Firstly, the first two levels of Grand Central Station were located in the present time while the third level existed in the 1890s. Secondly, Charley and his wife, Louisa, live in the present time yet he rushes to get old currency to buy two tickets to go to the Galesburg of 1894. Further, the old architecture of the platform at the third level is different from the modern platforms of the first two levels. Besides, the archaic manner of dressing by the people, and the newspaper, The World, dated June 11, 1984 also overlaps with Charley’s real time world and existence. Lastly, the letter that was mailed to Charley’s grandfather on 18th July, 1894 highlights the intersection of time and space as the sender (Charley’s friend Sam) and receiver (Charley himself) belong to the present time.

5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.

Answer

It is true that apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection. Before the Wright Brothers invented the first aeroplane, nobody could have dared to believe that man could fly. Before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, it would have been impossible to believe in long-distance talks happening in the real-time interface. Moreover, there are examples of inventions, like that of inventing a modern-day sewing machine with a needle that has hole on its wrong end, which were conceived in dreams but now are part of our everyday reality.
All this emphasises that fantasies of one point of time that seem illogical may turn out to be revolutionary things that change the future of the mankind. Similarly, it would not be far-fetched to think about railway stations fitted with time-machine devices that would make travel from one era to another just a matter of time.

6. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?

Answer

Besides philately, there are numerous other ways to help keep the past alive. Collecting historical artefacts, paintings and inscriptions in a museum, collecting and reading books (including autobiographies, bio-sketches, letters and diary entries) written in different eras, collecting and viewing documentaries and other videos are all a few ways of revisiting history. Besides, we can keep our culture and traditions alive when we follow the rituals in ceremonies, treasure memories in the form of videos, photographs and audio collections. Also, reviving old monuments, buildings and other artefacts may prove a huge learning opportunity to those visiting such places, and promote tourism at the same time.
The capacity to oscillate between the past, present and future is a great intellectual gift. This human tendency enables him to plan for the future in the present by reaping benefits from the past. Consider a very simple example of adopting a study technique for board exams. Considering the past result (of class test or half yearly exams) a student makes a strategy plan to address the weak areas more and score better in the future. Thus, such a tendency helps in ensuring acceptance of the impact of important decisions taken at any point of time and learning from them.

7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.

Answer

In 'Adventure' Jayant Narlikar expressed that many world exist simultaneously though they appear to be separated by time. He expressed that the other world also existed and prospered with the world we are aware of. On the other hand, In the third level, Charley a young new york commuter wandering Grand Central Station by accident finds a gateway that leads to a real past of 1894Seizing the oppurtunity Charley attempts to escape the rat race by buying a one way ticket to his childhood town of Galesburg. Not having proper currency for that period, he forced to postpone his plan to escape to the past.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 2 The Tiger King Vistas English

By Kalki

Page No: 8

Read and Find Out

1. Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?

Answer

Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, the king of Pratibandapuram, is known as the Tiger King. At the time of his birth the astrologers declared that the prince would have to die one day. The ten-day-old prince asked the astrologers to reveal the manner of his death. The wise men were baffled at this miracle. The chief astrologer said that his death would come from the tiger. The young prince growled and uttered terrifying words: 'Let tigers beware!' He decided to kill one hundred tigers. He thus got the name 'Tiger King'.

Page No: 10

1. What did the royal infant grow up to be?

Answer

The royal infant grew up to be the king of Pratibandapuram who was obsessed with the idea of killing one hundred tigers. He wanted to do so to disprove the prophecy which said that his death would come from the hundredth tiger. This made him kill all tigers of Pratibandapuram. He even married for the sake of this ambition. He came to be known as the Tiger King.

Page No: 13

1. What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?

Answer

To get the required number of tigers to kill, the Maharaja asked his dewan to find a suitable girl for him to marry. A suitable girl for matrimonial alliance would be one who would not only come from a royal family but also belong to a state with a large tiger population. As Pratibandapuram had no more tigers left, a province that belonged to his father-in-law would certainly provide him with an opportunity to kill more tigers and reach his aim of killing one hundred tigers.

Page No: 14

1. How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to decide his fate?

Answer

The Maharaja wanted to be extremely careful while dealing with the hundredth tiger which was supposed to be the reason for his death. On encountering the hundredth one, he took a careful aim at the tiger and shot it. When it fell in a crumpled heap, he was overcome with joy and left the place hastily.

Page No: 15

1. What will now happen to the astrologer? Do you think the prophecy was indisputably disproved?

Answer

The astrologer dies before the king of Pratibandapuram gets an opportunity to kill one hundred tigers. Disproving his prophecy seems to be the sole reason for the king's existence. Except for killing hundred tigers, everything else takes a back-seat for the king.
The prophecy cannot to be indisputably disproved as the king was ultimately killed by a tiger, though neither by a real one nor by the hundredth one. Looking at the weak, old and almost lifeless tiger that was the hundredth one, no one would have thought that it would escape the king’s bullet by fainting at the shock of the bullet whizzing past. It was the “tiny little wooden tiger” from the toy shop that caused the death of Tiger King.

Page No: 17

Reading with Insight

1. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?

Answer

The story "The Tiger King" is a supreme example of dramatic irony. The character acts in a way grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances or expects the opposite of what fate holds in store for him'. Kalki has used a very dexterous use of dramatic irony in the story. After killing the first tiger the King flaunts its dead body before astrologer to show that he is more powerful than the tiger. However, the astrologer warns the king that he should be "careful with the hundredth tiger". The king chooses to prove the astrologer wrong once again and makes frantic efforts to kill hundred tigers. Thus, having shot at the old tiger, the Tiger king believes he has killed the hundredth tiger. But the reader as well as the king's officers and minions soon come to know that the emaciated tiger does not get killed but only faints. The king gets happy of killing the tiger but in actual ignorant of this ironical fate the prediction proves to be right and mere sliver on wooden tiger's body causes his dramatic death. Quite ironically the hundredth tiger kills the king instead and astrologer's predictions stands vindicated.

2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?

Answer

Through this satirical story the author has rightly portrayed how human beings have subjected innocent animals to untold torture and death, merely to fulfill their own whims and fancies. The maharaja’s indiscriminate killing of tigers led to their extinction in some states, but the maharaja was oblivious to the grave consequences his action was leading to. In order to prove an astrologer wrong the maharaja went on a killing spree proving his dominance over the hapless animals.

3. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?

Answer

Maharaja’s minions were subservient and sycophantic. Most of them were scared of Maharaja and tried to keep him in good humour by obeying his orders. They did not dare to disobey him as his displeasure could mean loss of their job or even loss of their lives.
The astrologer was afraid of predicting his death , till Maharaja told him to “ speak without fear”. Dewan who should have advised the king not to kill the tigers did not dare to go against his wishes and aided his marriage to a princess whose father’s kingdom possessed a large number of tigers. Being afraid of losing his job, he presented an old tiger to satisfy the whims of his Maharaja. Likewise , the hunters chose not to inform him of the survival of the 100th tiger and instead killed it themselves fearing that they might lose their jobs. Even the shopkeeper, who sold the king a cheap wooden toy tiger, quoted a higher price lest he should be punished under the rules of emergency.
So ,it is evident that the king’s minions were driven by fear rather than any feelings of sincerity towards their ruler.
Today’s political order is no different. We know too well that many of the people in power are not there because of their ability but because of their influence and power. Moreover, others pander to them for their own vested interests rather than for the good of the country.

4. Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife?

Answer

There have been some instances of game hunting in the present times. Even the affluent have been involved in instances that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife.
Salman Khan – Black Buck poaching case.
Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi - Antelope case.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 4 The Enemy Vistas English

By Pearl S. Buck

Page No: 24

Read and Find Out

1. Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?

Answer

Dr Sadao Hoki was an eminent Japanese surgeon and scientist. He had spent eight valuable years of his youth in America to learn all that could be learnt of surgery and medicine there. He was perfecting a discovery which would· render wounds entirely clean. Dr Sadao's house was built on rocks well above a narrow beach that was outlined with bent pines. It was on a spot of the Japanese coast.

Page No: 27

1. Will Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?

Answer

Dr Sadao knew that they would be arrested if they sheltered a white man in their house. The wounded man was a prisoner of war who had escaped with a bullet on his back. Since Japan was at war with America, harbouring an enemy meant being a traitor to Japan. Dr Sadao could be arrested if anyone complained against him and accused him of harbouring an enemy.

Page No: 31

1. Will Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?

Answer

The wounded American was in a very bad state and needed to be washed before being operated on. Hana did not want Dr Sadao to clean the dirty and unconscious prisoner, and so asked their servant, Yumi, to do so. However, Yumi defied her master’s order and opted out of it. As a result, Hana had no other option but to wash him herself. Although this act was impulsive and dipped in a sense of superiority over her servant, Yumi, she did it with sincerity.

Page No: 35

1. What will Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?

Answer

Dr Sadao and Hana found an unconscious wounded war prisoner who posed a huge threat to their own safety. However, Dr Sadao decided to go with his gut feeling and operate on him. He saved his life even though it was for the time being. Though half heartedly, both took good care of the patient’s health and other needs. Hana even washed and fed him with her own hands. Although they knew that they would have to hand him over to the army sooner or later, they did their best to help the injured man.

Page No: 39

1. Will Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy?

Answer

Dr Sadao, on humanitarian grounds as well as professional grounds, tended a wounded war prisoner which was officially a serious crime. However, he did not get punished for this offence as it was never revealed to anyone, except his wife, loyal but timid servants, and a General who was too self-obsessed with his own treatment that he would never let the doctor leave him.

Page No: 43

1. What will Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?

Answer

With the injured American's health gradually improving, Dr Sadao and Hana were in a fix as to what should be done with him. Their loyal servants had left them and keeping him in their house could pose a threat to their lives. As Hana’s impatience and distress grew, Dr Sadao revealed the matter to the General who decided to send assassins to kill the young American in his sleep. Keen on getting rid of the escaped war prisoner, Dr Sadao agreed. However, the matter could not be resolved because the assassins never came.
Dr Sadao then planned another way to get rid of him which was overpowered with sympathy and a distant gratitude towards the people he had been linked to in America. He decided to save his patient one more time. He secretly sent him to an isolated island with food, bottled water, clothes, blanket and his own flashlight on a boat from where he boarded a Korean ship to freedom and safety.

Page No: 47

Reading with Insight

1. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.

Answer

Dr. Sadao encounters with the dilemma-to live as private individual whose moral and ethical responsibility is to save the soldier & second is a Japanese to make the soldier arrest.
So as a doctor and as an individual his first job is to save man-takes ethical responsibility, he risks his life, fame and social status- takes him to his house and makes efforts to save him.
But his other side-sense of patriotism as well as nationalism also involves a report to police, takes the general in confidence and plans to make him killed but later on again helps the soldier in escaping off. Thus Dr. Sadao personality is displayed.

2. Dr Sadao was compelled by duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?

Answer

Dr Sadao and Hana knew that their decision to save the enemy soldier would be questioned by everyone. However, they firmly followed their sense of duty. For Dr Sadao this sense of duty came from the profession he was in; but for Hana, the duty was purely humanitarian. From bearing the unrest in her domestic staff to being forced to do all the chores of house-hold herself, she does all with grace and dignity. Hana’s loving, considerate and sympathetic nature shines out. She washed and fed the soldier although it was not her job. Her care helped recuperate the soldier fast. It is also apparent from the story that she respected her husband, and as a sense of duty towards him, did the needful. This explains why she, even after feeling sick, comes back to the room and readily does whatever is told by her husband during the operation.

3. How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor’s home even when he knew he couldn’t stay there without risk to the doctor and himself ?

Answer

When the American war prisoner came to consciousness and realized that he was saved by a Japanese family, he feared that he will be soon handed over to the army. However, as he noticed the amount of concern and care given to him by the family, he understood that he was in safe hands. He knew that although he was a threat to the doctor’s family, his own life might be saved there. Burdened with gratitude towards the family, he ultimately decides to comply with what the doctor planned for him - the escape.

4. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it human consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply self absorption?

Answer

The General was totally governed by self absorption. He was a patient of Dr Sadao and did not trust anyone except him when it came to his health. He could not take the risk of living unprotected if the doctor was executed for treachery. He had personal assassins whom he promised to use for killing the injured soldier. But ironically, he ‘forgot’ his promise to help the doctor. Human consideration was not his cup of tea.

5. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during war time, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?

Answer

News of war is fast becoming a way of life. The moment one picks up a newspaper, one is bombarded with news of wars between different countries, directly or indirectly. It is obvious that the countries at war are enemies and hatred is a part of this enmity. However the success of humanity comes when we rise above this enmity and show our love towards the civilization as a whole. Dr Sadao did the same. He did whatever he could to save the life of a man whom he knew was a war prisoner. The instant he saw the injured man, he was filled with concern. Ignoring the fact that he was the enemy of his country and must have killed so many Japanese and may kill even more, if alive, he saved him.

6. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?

Answer

The doctor tried his best to save the injured soldier as a part of his duty. But the ultimate question was what to do next. It cannot be said that he betrayed his country as he told the truth to the General. However when he noticed that the soldier was to be killed not for the benefit of the country but only to save the doctor’s life, he decided to help him flee. In such a situation, the doctor's final solution to the problem was the best possible one.

7. Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?

Answer

The story definitely reminds one of “Birth’ by A. J. Cronin. There is a striking similarity between both the stories. Both revolve around doctors who try their level best to save the lives of nearly dead human beings. In the story ‘Birth’, Dr Andrew saves the life of an almost still born baby boy with lot of effort, while ‘The Enemy’ deals with the story of Dr Sadao who saves an American soldier from the enemy troops during the times of war. Both the stories deal with humanity, love, affection, selflessness and a strong sense of duty.

8. Is there any film you have seen or novel you have read with a similar theme?

Answer

The story ‘The Enemy’ is built on the pillars of selflessness, sense of duty, kindness and generosity. There have been many films and novels based on this theme. One such example is the film ‘My Name is Khan’, where the protagonist, with a sense of duty and generosity, goes to the flooded Georgia to save the lives of his friends, Mama Jenny, Joel and other natives. He selflessly works to save the town without thinking twice about the possible dangers to his own life.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 3 Journey to the end of the Earth Vistas English

By Tishani Doshi

Page No: 19

Read and Find Out

1. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?

Answer

The geological phenomenon of separating various continents and water bodies from one compact landmass tells us about the age of existence of human race on the earth. Six hundred and fifty million years ago, no human race existed on the earth because the environment was not favourable. After the time when the dinosaurs were wiped out, the Mammals started existing and after the separation of landmass, the human race started flourishing on the earth.

Page No: 20

1. What are the indications for the future of humankind?

Answer

The future of the humankind can get in danger if the emission of carbon- dioxide and other poisonous gases go on in the same manner. These gases deplete the ozone layer and allow the ultra-violet rays of the sun to enter the earth’s environment. This causes the rise in temperature of the earth and giving rise to the phenomenon called global warming. Increased temperature can melt the ice of the Antarctica, and cause other environmental problems, thus jeopardizing the future of human kind.

Page No: 23

Reading with Insight

1. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?

Answer

The study of this region of Antarctica gives us insight into the world’s geological history. It gives an idea, how the earth was like, before it drifted into continents and countries. It shows how slight changes in the climate can change the shape of the region. It gives the explanation how the climatic conditions of the earth were not favourable for life before and how slowly rising temperature made earth a place to sustain life. All secrets are embedded in the layers of ice in the form of half million year old carbon records.

2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

Answer

Geoff Green took the high school students to one end of the world, to provide them the opportunity to develop the respect and understanding for the earth. He wanted to make the future policy-makers to experience how difficult it would have been for the earth to sustain life by rising its temperature. He wanted them to understand that any interference in nature can cause drastic mishappenings in the future when the students see the ice shelves melting and collapsing, they can estimate the kind of environmental troubles ahead in their future.

3. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?

Answer

This statement has great relevance in the context of the Antarctic environment. A small change in the environment can give rise to drastic developments. Antarctica has a small biodiversity. The example of small grass called phytoplankton can be studied in this context. These microscopic grasses undergo the process of photosynthesis and serve as food for number of marine birds and animals. The author says if there is further depletion of the ozone layer, it will affect the phytoplanktons and the carbon cycle on the globe. This whole process can jeopardize the existence of all the marine birds and animals. So if we take care that processes carried over by these small grasses are carried out properly, the bigger animals and birds will fall into the place on their own.

4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?

Answer

Antarctica gives us an idea, how the earth would have been like millions of years ago and how it got divided into various earth masses. The melting and colliding ice masses also give us an insight into how our future is going to be, if we continue with interference in the working of the nature. Moreover, Antarctica holds into the depths of its ice half-million year old carbon records, which are helpful in understanding the past, present and future of the earth. Therefore, Antarctica is the place which reveals our past, shows our present and visualizes our future.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 5 Should Wizard Hit Mommy? Vistas English

By John Updike

Page No: 48

Read and Find Out

1. Who is Jo? How does she respond to her father’s story telling?

Answer

Jo is the shortened form of Joanne. She is the four year old daughter of Jack and Clare. For the last two years, her father, Jack, has been telling her bed-time stories. Since these stories are woven around the same basic tale and have the same characters and turn of events,
She was an intelligent and inquisitive child. Her mind was bubbling with queries regarding whatever she heard or saw. Her responses to the stories were a curious mixture of emotions caught in recognition of the known and eagerness to explore the unknown aspects woven in the basic tale by her father. An impatient Jo wanted the story to move with a fast pace and yet cannot proceed with conflicting ideas or unresolved queries in her mind. She was also a very observant listener and corrected her father wherever she felt he faltered. The intensity of her engagement with the story was apparent from her body language and facial expressions. She empathized with the protagonist and rejected whatever did not fit in her own narrow world. The eagerness to understand and the restlessness to assert her point of view kept her awake. She was even willing to fight with her father and to coax him to end the story according to her standpoint. Her responses indicate that she had started developing a personality of her own.

Page No: 53

1. What possible plot line could the story continue with?

Answer

From the perspective of Jo, the story should have ended with a happy note of Roger Skunk getting rid of the foul smell forever and being able to play with all other children. However, from the perspective of Jack, the story may not have such an innocent fairy tale ending. In the process of story telling, it was evident that Jack got nostalgic about his own childhood and his mother. Thus, he brought in his own perspective. His sense of belongingness to his mother and his experience of dealing with reality resulted in a mature and compromising end where the reality limited the scope of fiction. As he associated himself with Roger Skunk of his story, he avoided getting into the problematic situation of identity crisis and of blaming his mother.

Page No: 54

1. What do you think was Jo’s problem?

Answer

Little Jo had been accustomed to the happy ending of the stories of Roger, where the wizard was helpful to him in fulfilling his wish. At the request of Roger Skunk, the wizard had changed his awful smell to that of the roses. Other small animals liked it and played with Roger Skunk happily. She could not digest the ending of the extended story where Roger Skunk's mother hit the wizard on the head and forced him to change Skunk's smell to the earlier foul one.
Jo could not accept that mother's stubbornness-hitting the well wisher of her son, Roger Skunk. Jo insisted that her father should tell her the same story again the next day with changed ending. The wizard should hit that unreasonable mummy on the head and leave Roger Skunk emitting the pleasant smell of roses. In the beautiful world of a child's imagination, fairies and wizard's are more real than reality itself. She could not digest the harsh realities of life. She did not like the unfeeling mother who hit the benefactor of her son.

Page No: 55

Reading with Insight

1. What is the moral issue that the story raises?

Answer

The story examines moral issues dependent on different levels of maturity. There is a sharp contrast between an adult’s perspective of life and the worldview of a little child. Children represent innocence. Hatred and injustice have no place in the their world. In the story, the baby skunk was able to make friends only after he smelled of roses. In Jo’s perspective, the happiness of being able to make friends surpassed any other thing. As a result, she is unable to assess the reason why the mother skunk pressurized her child to get his original foul body odour restored.
On the contrary, Jack tried to justify the skunk’s mother and wanted Roger to listen to his mother even if it means smelling bad again. Jack, a typical father, wanted his daughter to believe that parents are always correct and they know what is best for their children. Thus, the story raises the question of whether parents should always be followed blindly.

2. How does Jo want the story to end and why?

Answer

Jo was not convinced with the ending of the story and coaxed her father to retell the story the next day giving the story a predetermined path that she had set. According to her, neither Roger Skunk nor the wizard was wrong in the story. Jo refused to accept the end where Roger Skunk's mother hits the wizard and that too without being hit back. She wanted the story to end with the wizard hitting back the mother skunk with his magic wand and chopping off her arms 'forcely’.

3. Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother?

Answer

Jack has the typical parental attitude. He is of the opinion that the parents know what is best for their children. He asserts the parental authority tiroe and again to quieten Jo and stifle her objections and amendments to the story of the foul smelling Skunk related by him.
He defends the attitude of Roger Skunk's mother. She does not approve of the unnatural, unskunk like smell that Roger has. She calls the sweet smell of the roses an awful smell. Earlier the little skunk smelled the way a little skunk should. She wants the natural characteristic-the foul smell-restored. He says that she knew what was right. Secondly, the little skunk loved his mommy more than he loved all the other animals. That is why, he took his mommy to the wizard. She hit the wizard and forced him to change the smell of roses to his earlier bad odour. He insisted on this ending to emphasise the concern of the parents for children and their role in bringing them up on proper lines.

4. What makes Jack feel caught in an ugly middle position?

Answer

Jack feels that he has been caught in an ugly middle position physically, emotionally as well as mentally. The woodwork, a cage of mouldings and rails and skirting boards all around them was half old tan and half new ivory.
He was conscious of his duties as a father and as a husband. Little Bobby was already asleep. His efforts to make Jo fall asleep proved quite fatiguing. She kept on interrupting him, asking for clarifications, pointing errors and suggesting alternatives.
Jack did not like that women should take anything for granted. He liked them to be apprehensive. So he extended the story, though he was in a haste to go down stairs and help his pregnant wife in her hard work of painting the woodwork. The result of the extension to the story proved unfruitful and unpleasant for Jo, Jack and Clare. Jo wanted him to change the ending of the story. Clare complained that he had told a long story. Jack felt utter weariness and did not want to speak with his wife or work with her or touch her. He was really caught in an ugly middle position.

5. What is your stance regarding the two endings to the Roger Skunk story?

Answer

Considering the tender age of Jo, both the endings seem a little irrational. It is certain that she will be learning from whatever she hears and visualizes at this age. If the story ends according to Jack, Jo will never be able to question anything she considers wrong in life since this ending stresses that elders are always right in whatever they do. In addition, the story shows the skunk’s mommy hitting the wizard for no fault of his. The wizard had only done what he was asked to. This may scare the four-year-old Jo, as it teaches that mothers, being elders, have the right to hit anyone, even if they are not at fault.
On the contrary, if the story ends as Jo wanted it to, it will stop her from believing in and respecting her elders. She may even start believing that there is nothing wrong in hitting elders.
A balanced view may be given in an apt ending, where the mommy either does not hit the wizard at all or realizes her mistake soon.

6. Why is the adult’s perspective on life different from that of a child?

Answer

A child’s speech and line of thought, his actions and reactions, are natural and not guided by any outward influence. He speaks from his heart in accordance with what is ethically right in his perspective. On the other hand, an adult has many things to consider before speaking or reacting. Thus, the influence of society governs and dominates his thoughts.
In this chapter, Jo speaks what she considers correct. But Jack, an adult caught in a dilemma, kept thinking on the consequences of accepting his daughter's ending to the story and what the society has made him learn over time.

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