Answer any one of the following questions in 150-200 words.
What is the general truth of life ? How do people attach value to their experiences so as to shape their character for a better life ?
OR
Draw a pen portrait of Montmorency, the dog in the book "Three men in a boat."
OR
Elaborate the character of Minister Galbet who wanted Gulliver to comply to their condition.
OR
Why did the ship's crew think Gulliver was mad ?
Answers
The general truth of life is that each person has what he
does not want and other people have what they want. Stivining was the most extraordinary boy at the
narrator’s school. He wanted to win prizes and grow up into a clever man. He wanted to bring
credit to his parents. But he used to fall ill about twice a week and couldn't go to school. If there
was any known disease going within ten miles of him, he had it and he had it
badly. He had to stay in bed when he was ill and ate chickens, custards and hot-house grapes. He lay there in the bed. He
sobbed because he was not allowed to do Latin exercises. On the contrary, the other boys would
have sacrificed ten terms to be ill for a day but nothing could make them ill. The author remembered that
once his friend had gone to a shop in Kingston and that shopkeeper had a lot of beautifully
carved oaks which he found very gloomy and dull. Therefore, he covered it up with blue wallpaper.
This made the author ruminate over the fact that people pay heavily for carved oak and that man had
got so much of it though he did not appreciate it. He went further to remember incidences where
people had eight children and could not take care of them and rich people dying childless.
Therefore, the author felt that life gives things to those people who do not want them and those who
desperately want them do not get them.
OR
Montmorency, though a dog yet the author deals in detail with his character. He had a very troublesome ambition in life - to get in the way and to be sworn at. He loved to be a perfect nuisance, to make people mad and have things thrown at his head. His highest ambition was to be cursed for hours for being the most irritating. He felt conceited if successful at making others lose their nerves. He caused much trouble at the time of packing - he put his leg into the jam and spoiled three lemons. He was a born trouble shooter and he did not need any encouragement for causing troubles to others. He also adds a lot of humour to the story.
OR
Minister Galbet was the Admiral of the Realm. He was very confidential person to his master, the King of the Lilliputians. He was hostile towards Gulliver. He believed in ’leaping and creeping’. He tried everything to stop Gulliver from being freed. He opposed the motion when it was presented in the cabinet. He even suggested the emperor to set fire to Gulliver’s house so that he could die in the fire. He was experienced and knowledgeable but had a sad and morose behaviour. He put certain conditions on Gulliver’s freedom which he had to comply with. Gulliver suspected that Bolgolam (Galbet) had malice in his heart and also that some of his conditions were not very honourable.
OR
Gulliver was found floating in a cupboard (closet) in the
sea. He requested the crew members to pull the ring of the box and take him to the captain’s cabin. He
was surprised to see the crew members as after living with huge people, he found them to be small
and so treated them as pygmies. They laughed at his request to save things found in the box. They
were surprised to hear about the people of Brobdingnag and eagles. It was totally unbelievable. They
thought Gulliver had lost his mind. But when Gulliver showed them things from his cupboard, the
crew members were surprised and speechless.