Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each: 3x4=12
(a) What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the economic condition of the rag pickers?
(b) What do we learn about the crofter’s nature from the story, ‘The Rattrap’?
(c) How is ‘Shakespeare wicked and the map a bad example’ for the children of the school in a slum?
(d) What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’?
(e) How did the Governor, Oxford Prison describe Evans to the Secretary Examination Board?
(f) At the dining table why did Zitkala-Ca begin to cry when others started eating?
Answers
What does the reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tell us about the economic condition of the rag pickers?
The reference to chappals in ‘Lost Spring’ tells us about the poor economic condition of the rag pickers. The rag pickers live in perpetual poverty; they have to do rag-picking in order to earn their meagre livelihood.
What do we learn about the crofter’s nature from the story, ‘The Rattrap’?
The crofter was an old man who lived alone in his village cottage. When he was young, he used to work at Ramsjo Ironworks. He was quite amiable fellow. He welcomed the peddler warmly, and gave him food to eat, tobacco to smoke, and a bed to sleep.
How is ‘Shakespeare wicked and the map a bad example’ for the children of the school in a slum?
The classroom is decorated with the donated pictures of Shakespeare, buildings with domes, world maps, and beautiful valleys. These pictures are of no help and use to the poor children. Their actual world is the squalid surroundings of the slum. These pictures might do them more harm than good. As the poor students might feel tempted to live life as depicted in the pictures. They might take to criminal activities.
What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’?
The poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers insightfully describes the oppression of married women. In the name of marriage women have to lead an oppressed and suppressed life. Man dominates woman in married life. All the house hold duties are done by women. Man enjoys his freedom.
How did the Governor, Oxford Prison describe Evans to the Secretary Examination Board?
The Governor of the HM prison, Oxford described Evans as a pleasant sort of chap, with no previous record of violence. He further described him as a star at the Christmas concert and compared him to Mike Yarwood. He made it clear to the Secretary that Evans was just a kleptomaniac.
At the dining table why did Zitkala-Ca begin to cry when others started eating?
Zitkala Sa began to cry because by now she was quite afraid, nervous, and uncomfortable. She had been quite uneasy at the new boarding school. Everything there was being done using a bell; she had not quite understood the system.