Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs
100-150 words)
of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or
worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
How did Montmorency contribute to the packing?
Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it?
(Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is
described.)
Packing / 89
Answers
1) All three friends, Jerome, George and Harris prove to be bad at packing things. However. if we compare them, Jerome is by far the best at packing. Though he is unable to remember whether he has packed his toothbrush; accidentally packs his tobacco pouch and forgets to pack the boots, he is far than the other two.
On the other hand, George and Harris mismanage the whole process. They keep things behind them and then fall to find them; pack heavy things on food items; break and smash things; sprinkle salt over everything; step over food items; etc. This shows their incompetent packing skills.
(2) Montmorency contributed to the packing by creating a ruckus.The packing escapade was already a messy job and Montmorency‘s contribution made it even more tiresome. He did his level best to be a ”perfect nuisance". He came and sat down on things just when they were about to be packed.
Montmorency put his leg into the jam and disturbed the teaspoons. He pretended that the lemons were rats and went into the hamper to kill three of them before being hit with a frying pan by Harris.
(3)Yes, this story is definitely funny. Not only is the way in which the three friends pack for their trip quite mirthful, but the way the author narrates all the incidents is also entertaining.The first humorous element is that he offered to pack, George and Harris leaves the whole matter to him. Consequently, he has to do packing though his real intention was to boss the job.The second humorous element is that George placed the butter on the chair and Harris sat on it and it stuck at his back. When they searched it for packing it was missing. They walk and walk round the room.
At last, George saw it at Harris’s back.The third humorous element is that Montmorency squirms in where he is not wanted. He wants somebody stumble over him and curse him steadily for an hour. He pretends that lemons were rats.