Question

The rest of the stage lights up, we see the shoddy staffroom of a provincial college. A large, ugly

round table with curved legs dominates the stage centre. The table is bare. The chairs are

straight backed, uncomfortable, of irregular sizes, and placed randomly. There is a smaller

rectangular tale next to one of the chairs, also bare. Upstage left are two, high, steel shelf racks

filled untidily with books, notebooks, ledgers, loose sheets of paper, a large box of chalk and a

bottle of ink. The door to the staffroom is upstage left of centre. It is an old fashioned half door

with two flaps that swing wildly and which cover only the middle of the door space.

Consequently, the head and legs of anyone on the other side can be seen, the legs alone if it is

someone short. Mr. Iyer enters. He is tall, spare but vital, in his late forties, dressed formally in a

light suit and tie, carries a leather case which he places on the round table, then noticessomething on the floor, picks it up. It is a rectangular piece of polished wood, with the words

‘Eng. Dept.’ painted on it in white. It has obviously fallen down or been knocked down from

outside the door. Mr Iyer runs his right palm across it and places it carefully on one of the

shelves. A bell is heard clanging. Enter Miss Sarala in an almighty hurry. She is about twenty

seven, wears a shimmery sari, a fussy embroidered blouse with long sleeves, a good deal of gold

jewellery, she has a large red dot on her forehead, flowers in her hair and carries a cloth bag

stuffed with books. She goes up to one of the shelves and hunts for something.

IYER: Is it your attendance register that you are looking for Sarala?

SARALA: Oh! Yes. Yes sir. I was finding it but . . .

IYER (gently): You mean you were looking for it but couldn‟t find it . . . I believe all the

attendance registers have been taken to the office for calculating the students‟ attendance

records. Were you not aware of this?

SARALA: Yes. Oh yes, yes. Mrs. Nathan told me. But I just forgot. So many things that I have

to remember. And doing detailed plus non detailed this year, I . . .

IYER: Do you find your workload too heavy Sarala? Would you like me to speak to Mrs. Nathan

about it?

SARALA: Sir? No Sir. I . . . so grateful . . . I . . . If I ask you sometimes, some passages that you

can explain...with your experience and knowledge then . . .

IYER (withdraws slightly. Opens his case and takes out a notebook): Certainly. But if you are

meeting the Commerce section for the first hour, you should be on your way. You are already

five minutes behind.

SARALA: Oh yes! Yes sir! (looks into her bag, pulls out a couple of dog-eared books, goes up to

the door, hesitates, then returns to get some chalk) Sir! That book you gave me, Elizabeth Barrett

Browning, her poetry, it is so beautiful sir. So much . . . so much emotion . . . so much . . .

(pause) . . . emotion . . .

Silence

SARALA: I should go sir. The students must be . . . (goes towards the door and almost collides

with Mrs. Nathan who is entering) Oh! I am so sorry. Really sorry. I was going to class . . .

NATHAN: Late. Always late Sarala. Even after three years of being a lecturer.

SARALA: It was just that I did not get a bus and . . .

NATHAN: Then you should start early. What kind of example are you setting the students?SARALA: I am sorry. I . . . (exits quickly)

[600 words]

3. This question has two subparts, A+B. Both have to be answered:

A. Describe and contrast the characters of Mr. Iyer and Miss Sarala based on the information

in the stage directions. Analyse the character of Miss Sarala based on her conversation with

Mr. Iyer. (10 marks)

B. Mr. Iyer has been asked to write a recommendation letter for Miss Sarala. Based on your

assessment of Miss Sarala as a teacher, write an honest but tactful letter of recommendation.

(15 marks)

4. This question has two subparts, A+B. Both have to be answered:

A. What kind of a workplace is described in the dramatic extract in Passage 2? Describe the

setting and the workplace relations between the three characters. (10 marks)

B. Imagine you are Mrs. Nathan from the dramatic extract given in Passage 2. Write a report

on the condition of the staff room recommending appropriate repairs and improvements.

(15 marks]​

Answer 1

Answer:

i dont know any one