1. How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather's room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
3. What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters' attitude towards each other?
4. What does Mrs. Jordan describe as 'a fatal mistake'? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater's defense?
5. Ben appreciates grandfather saying 'its' a good thing he did'. Later he calls him a 'drunken old beggar'. Why does he change his opinion about grandfather?
6.What change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
7.What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next?
Answers
to know this. They
as daughters.
ers
as his decision of marrying is a slap on them
here it shows M
Jordan's concern for father's life.
0CcaSIon. They have ordered theirs,. They dont faney to buy ready ly-made dresses.
4. Mrs. Jordan describes
2, Mrs. Slater decides to shift: the hureau from randathes rom as she has had an
1. Mr Slater plans to outshine the Jordans in wearing mourning dress. This attitude
due to his selfishness and meanness.
6. Grandfather makes a change in his will that he won't give a penny to either of his
Mirs. Sater's not going to another doctor than Dr. Pringle
n. His eyes are on grabbing as
of dhe fathe as is posible. He changes his opiaion ab bout grandfather
This shows that they give more importance to showmanship than the real thing. The
real thing is that they must be ideal relatives and not mean ones.
3. The reason behind this is that the Jordans don't have mourning dresses for th
eye on it. She wants to grabit before the arrivalsof the iordans, Onherwise i wl be
subject to being divided. Henry doesn't like it. He advises her to arrang it with
Elizabeth when she comes.
reveals that she is an inconsiderate and unscrupulous woman. For her, human
relationships and being a daughter carry no meaning.
5. Ben like his wife is a mean and unscrupulous perso
about father is a fatal mistake'. The irony is that they want their father 'dead'. But
1. How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
Answer: She plans to outshine by putting on their mourning clothes; though they don’t have new mourning, yet she feels even their old mourning will surprise her sister. She is an ungrateful, selfish, materialistic and unethical woman. Firstly, she is not sad and upset over her father's death. Secondly, she is only concerned about her share of property of her deceased father.
2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather's room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Answer: She decides to shift the bureau from grandfather's room before the arrival of the Jordans because she wants to keep it secure for her. Her sister, Elizabeth might claim it at the time of division.
Henry considered bringing the grandfather’s bureau down highly unethical and immoral. He even suggested to his wife, Amelia that she could arrange with Elizabeth while dividing things up, but Amelia was so much obsessed about it that she forced Henry to bring it down and act though they had bought it. Poor Henry had to give in to his domineering wife.
3. What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters' attitude towards each other?
Answer: The Jordans were taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters because they were waiting for their new mourning dress to arrive. This shows they also were selfish, materialistic, and superficial human beings.
4. What does Mrs. Jordan describe as 'a fatal mistake'? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater's defense?
Answer: Mrs. Slater’s act of not sending for another doctor after Dr. Pringle’s unavailability was termed as ‘fatal mistake’. It turned out to be a fatal mistake as if any other doctor would have been called, he would confirm Mr. Merryweather had not died; and the Slaters and Jordans would not have to lose their share of the property.
5. Ben appreciates grandfather saying 'its' a good thing he did'. Later he calls him a 'drunken old beggar'. Why does he change his opinion about grandfather?
Answer: He changed his opinion about the grandfather because he became angry on knowing that the latter had not paid his insurance premium.
6.What change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
Answer: Makes Mrs. Shorrock the new nominee of his property. Both his daughters lose their shares of property and they become sad.
7.What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next?
Answer: The three things that the grandfather planned to do on Monday next were: he had got to go to the lawyer's and alter his will; and he had got to go to the insurance office and pay his premium; and he had got to go to St. Philip's Church and get married to Mrs. John Shorrock.