Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The next man looking ‘cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And could not bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in the tattered clothes.
He gave his coat a hitch
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?
(i) What character traits does the next man portray? Why?
(ii) What does ‘tattered clothes’ mean? What do they symbolize?
(iii) Explain the views of the third and the fourth man in terms of prejudice as is common
in society?
(iv) Give the reason for the third one not to part with his log of wood.
(v) What did the third man achieve by withholding his log? Was the outcome favourable?
Answers
Answer:
(i) The character trait of the next man is that he is religiously pioused. He saw that there was no one from his church.
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(ii) 'Tattered clothes 'mean that the man who was wearing it was poor and his clothes were torn. This symbolises the rich and poor classes.
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(iii) Both the third and fourth man did not want to share their log because if they would give their logs in fire it would their enemies too, therefore they prevented themselves from doing so.
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(iv) He didn't want to give his log as he had seen that one person among them was rich . He thought that the rich are idle, lazy and treated the poor badly so he thought if he would put his log in fire it would give warmth to the rich too so he didn't do so.
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(v) The third achieved nothing but death. He fed his grudge against the rich, nothing else. No, the outcome was not favorable as at last he died due to cold within.
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Explanation: