Question

1) Give a short sketch of the Ramsay Family.

2) How do you understand the expression "a black sheep"? Why is it applied to Tom?

3) What was the "decent" beginning of Tom's life?

4) What did Tom announee one day?

5) What was the point of his life according to his words?

6) How did he spend his time?

7) Why did George give Tom considerable sums of money not once?

8) What did Tom do with the money?

9) In what way and why did Tom blackmail his brother?

10) Describe Tom at the age of forty-six.

11) Was his brother much older than him? Describe his way of life.

12) Why was George glad that he was growing older? What were his plans?
13) What news did George break to the author?
14) What was the author's reaction?

IV Discuss the following:
1) Why does the author make such an introduction to the story? Who is the "ant" and who is the "grass-hopper" in the story? Give your grounds.

2) When the author was a small boy and heard the fable for the first time his sympathies were with the grasshopper. Did he remain stick to his sympathies throughout his life? Prove it by the text.
3) What did "causing trouble" mean to the Ramsays? Why?
4) Why couldn't people help liking Tom in spite of everything? He was an idler, wasn't he? How would you explain such a contradiction?

5) Compare the two brothers. Tom's life was pleasure and entertainment. George's life was honesty and labour. Is the end of the story fair? Whom are your sympathies with? Why?

6) All his life George had to help his brother. What did he get in exchange? Could you suggest any other way of behaviour on the part of George?
V Retell fhe story on the part of 1) George, 2) Tom, 3) one of the Ramsays, 4) one of Tom's friends.

Answer 1

Answer:

q.4. What did Tom announee one day?

ans. One day Tom announced that he did not like work. He had decided to give up his work and family life. He wanted to pass a carefree life.