Question

Answer the following from three men in a boat
1) How did the narrator get the notion that he was suffering from liver pill circular? Was it the only one?
2) Why were the narrator and his friends feeling out of sorts?
3) What extraordinary did the narrator refer to?
4) What were the main characters doing when the novel opened?
5) What was the name of the dog that accompanied the three friends?
6) Discuss the changes in the narrator before he entered the reading room and after he came out of it.
7) Why was the chemist unable to provide the narrator with the medicine prescribed by the doctor?
8) Was the narrator happy to heed the doctor’s advice?
9) Why would the medical fraternity be happy to have a patient like the narrator?
10) According to the narrator, what was more efficacious than dispensary stuff?
11) Do you think that the narrator really suffered from liver-pill circular or was it something else? How would the doctors diagnose the disease?
12) Hypochondriac is a person who is extremely anxious about his health. Do you think that the narrator also suffered from this disease? Give examples from the text.
13) Were the old fashioned remedies more effective in case of narrator?
14) ‘The duty done’ -What ‘duty ‘was the narrator referring to?
15) Why did the narrator strongly object to the idea of sea trip?
16) The narrator had some interesting stories about sea voyages. Describe one such incident in your own words.
17) Was there only one reason for avoiding sea trip or the narrator gave another valid reason too?
18) What did the friends unanimously agree upon? Where did they plan to go for vacation?
19) What did Harris think?
20) Why did the three friends gather at the narrator’s house?
21) What was the medical prescription that the family doctor gave to the narrator? Why did the chemist refused to give the medicines?
22) Why was the narrator reluctant to go on a sea voyage? What was finally decided between them?
23) The narrator made fun of his friends but he did not spare himself also. Give example to prove this statement.
24) Give your opinion on the three friends. Which character did you find most interesting?

Answer 1

1) How did the narrator get the notion that he was suffering from liver pill circular? Was it the only one?

Ans: He got this notion because he had just been reading a patent liver-pill circular, in which were detailed the various symptoms by which a man could tell when his liver was out of order. He had them all.
2) Why were the narrator and his friends feeling out of sorts?

Ans: They were feeling out of sorts because of overwork. They unanimously agreed they needed a break and rest.
3) What extraordinary did the narrator refer to?

Ans:
4) What were the main characters doing when the novel opened?

Ans: They were sitting in narrator’s room and talking about how bad they were feeling from a medical point of view.
5) What was the name of the dog that accompanied the three friends?

Ans: Montomorency.
6) Discuss the changes in the narrator before he entered the reading room and after he came out of it.

Ans: Before he entered the reading room he felt he was suffering from hay-fever. However, when he came out, he felt he had all the diseases except housemaid’s knee.
7) Why was the chemist unable to provide the narrator with the medicine prescribed by the doctor?

Ans: Chemist was unable to provide the narrator with the medicine because there was no medicine written on the prescription chit; the doctor had written a regimen of healthy daily routine.
8) Was the narrator happy to heed the doctor’s advice?

Ans: The narrator was quite happy after following the doctor’s advice as he started feeling better afterwards.
9) Why would the medical fraternity be happy to have a patient like the narrator?

Ans: The medical fraternity would be happy as he would prove to be such a rare specimen having all the diseases. Students would have no need to walk the hospitals, if they had him. He was a hospital in himself. All they need do would be to walk round him, and, after that, take their diploma.
10) According to the narrator, what was more efficacious than dispensary stuff?

Ans: Simple, old-fashioned remedies are sometimes more efficacious than all the dispensary stuff.
11) Do you think that the narrator really suffered from liver-pill circular or was it something else? How would the doctors diagnose the disease?

Ans: No, the narrator did not suffer from any disease actually. The doctor diagnosed it to be hypochondria and gave me him a regimen which would give him a change.
12) Hypochondriac is a person who is extremely anxious about his health. Do you think that the narrator also suffered from this disease? Give examples from the text.

Ans: Yes, the narrator was suffering from hypochondria. He did not have any disease. He just had a fear he had all the diseases.
13) Were the old fashioned remedies more effective in case of narrator?

Ans: Yes they were. They healed him immediately.
14) ‘The duty done’ -What ‘duty ‘was the narrator referring to?

Ans: Eating up the supper brought to them by Mrs. Poppet.
15) Why did the narrator strongly object to the idea of sea trip?

Ans: The narrator objected to the sea trip strongly. A sea trip does you good when you are going to have a couple of months of it, but, for a week, it is wicked.
16) The narrator had some interesting stories about sea voyages. Describe one such incident in your own words.

Ans: Once narrator’s brother-in-law went for a short sea trip once, for the benefit of his health. He took a return berth from London to Liverpool; and when he got to Liverpool, the only thing he was anxious about was to sell that return ticket.

It was offered round the town at a tremendous reduction and was eventually sold for eighteen pence to a sick youth who had just been advised by his doctor to go to the sea-side, and take exercise.

Narrator’s brother-in-law, pressing the ticket affectionately into his hand said to him that he would get more exercise, sitting down on that ship, than he would be turning somersaults on dry land.

He himself his brother-in-law came back by train. He said the North-Western Railway was healthy enough for him.

17) Was there only one reason for avoiding sea trip or the narrator gave another valid reason too?

Ans: There were many other reasons; one of them was sea-sickness.
18) What did the friends unanimously agree upon? Where did they plan to go for vacation?

Ans: They unanimously agreed to go on a river trip. They decided to go on a river excursion in a hired boat. Harris and Jim would start from Kingston and row up to Chertsey, where George would join them.
19) What did Harris think?

Ans: Harris thought George should not do anything that would make him sleepier as he already slept most of the time.
20) Why did the three friends gather at the narrator’s house?

Ans: To discuss to do something that would give them a change from their boring, monotonous life.

Answer 2

Answer:

1) How did the narrator get the notion that he was suffering from liver pill circular? Was it the only one?

Ans: He got this notion because he had just been reading a patent liver-pill circular, in which were detailed the various symptoms by which a man could tell when his liver was out of order. He had them all.

2) Why were the narrator and his friends feeling out of sorts?

Ans: They were feeling out of sorts because of overwork. They unanimously agreed they needed a break and rest.

3) What extraordinary did the narrator refer to?

Ans:

4) What were the main characters doing when the novel opened?

Ans: They were sitting in narrator’s room and talking about how bad they were feeling from a medical point of view.

5) What was the name of the dog that accompanied the three friends?

Ans: Montomorency.

6) Discuss the changes in the narrator before he entered the reading room and after he came out of it.

Ans: Before he entered the reading room he felt he was suffering from hay-fever. However, when he came out, he felt he had all the diseases except housemaid’s knee.

7) Why was the chemist unable to provide the narrator with the medicine prescribed by the doctor?

Ans: Chemist was unable to provide the narrator with the medicine because there was no medicine written on the prescription chit; the doctor had written a regimen of healthy daily routine.

8) Was the narrator happy to heed the doctor’s advice?

Ans: The narrator was quite happy after following the doctor’s advice as he started feeling better afterwards.

9) Why would the medical fraternity be happy to have a patient like the narrator?

Ans: The medical fraternity would be happy as he would prove to be such a rare specimen having all the diseases. Students would have no need to walk the hospitals, if they had him. He was a hospital in himself. All they need do would be to walk round him, and, after that, take their diploma.

10) According to the narrator, what was more efficacious than dispensary stuff?

Ans: Simple, old-fashioned remedies are sometimes more efficacious than all the dispensary stuff.

11) Do you think that the narrator really suffered from liver-pill circular or was it something else? How would the doctors diagnose the disease?

Ans: No, the narrator did not suffer from any disease actually. The doctor diagnosed it to be hypochondria and gave me him a regimen which would give him a change.

12) Hypochondriac is a person who is extremely anxious about his health. Do you think that the narrator also suffered from this disease? Give examples from the text.

Ans: Yes, the narrator was suffering from hypochondria. He did not have any disease. He just had a fear he had all the diseases.

13) Were the old fashioned remedies more effective in case of narrator?

Ans: Yes they were. They healed him immediately.

14) ‘The duty done’ -What ‘duty ‘was the narrator referring to?

Ans: Eating up the supper brought to them by Mrs. Poppet.

15) Why did the narrator strongly object to the idea of sea trip?

Ans: The narrator objected to the sea trip strongly. A sea trip does you good when you are going to have a couple of months of it, but, for a week, it is wicked.

16) The narrator had some interesting stories about sea voyages. Describe one such incident in your own words.

Ans: Once narrator’s brother-in-law went for a short sea trip once, for the benefit of his health. He took a return berth from London to Liverpool; and when he got to Liverpool, the only thing he was anxious about was to sell that return ticket.

It was offered round the town at a tremendous reduction and was eventually sold for eighteen pence to a sick youth who had just been advised by his doctor to go to the sea-side, and take exercise.

Narrator’s brother-in-law, pressing the ticket affectionately into his hand said to him that he would get more exercise, sitting down on that ship, than he would be turning somersaults on dry land.

He himself his brother-in-law came back by train. He said the North-Western Railway was healthy enough for him.

17) Was there only one reason for avoiding sea trip or the narrator gave another valid reason too?

Ans: There were many other reasons; one of them was sea-sickness.

18) What did the friends unanimously agree upon? Where did they plan to go for vacation?

Ans: They unanimously agreed to go on a river trip. They decided to go on a river excursion in a hired boat. Harris and Jim would start from Kingston and row up to Chertsey, where George would join them.

19) What did Harris think?

Ans: Harris thought George should not do anything that would make him sleepier as he already slept most of the time.

20) Why did the three friends gather at the narrator’s house?

Ans: To discuss to do something that would give them a change from their boring, monotonous life.

Explanation: