Class IX: The Man Who Knew Too Much

1.      What is a 'nickname'? Can you suggest another one for Private Quelch?

Answer: A nickname is not one’s real name. It is name people call you or know you by. One nickname I would like to suggest for Private Quelch is ‘Scientist’.

2.      Private Quelch looked like a 'Professor' when the author first met him at the training depot. Why?

Answer: Private Quelch was a lanky, stoop person who used to wear horn-rimmed spectacles. From his appearance anybody would guess that he was an intelligent person. That is why it is said that Private Quelch looked like a 'Professor' when the author first met him at the training depot.

3.      What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggest about him?

Answer: The dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggests that he was a very strict and egoistic person who would not listen to anyone’s comments about him. It suggests that he is a seasoned and hardened person.  He can’t be subdued or overcome easily.  We can’t take him lightly. 

4.      How was Private Quelch's knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant's classes went on?

Answer: The Sergeant had felt insulted and small when Private Quelch showed off his superior knowledge about the speed of the rifle bullet. In order to take his revenge, he asked Private Quencl a number of questions, but to this surprise, Private Qulech answered all the questions with wonderful precision. Thus Private Quelch's knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant's classes went on.

5.      What did the Professor mean by "intelligent reading"?

Answer: By “intelligent reading”, Private Quelch meant reading with understanding, reading more reference materials. It makes no sense if we do not understand intelligently what is written in the books. We should be able to comprehend, analyze the text.

6.      What were the Professor's ambitions in the army?

Answer: As a first step in the army, the Professor wanted to earn a stripe for himself.  And then his ambition was to get a commission.

7.      Did Private Quelch's day to day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make out?

Answer: His day to day physical and academic related practice was taking Private Quelch towards his goal but his habit of showing off his knowledge was making it difficult for him to achieve his goals. Because later, people started getting annoyed and feeling insulted because of his nature rather.

8.      Describe Corporal Turnbull.

Answer: Corporal Turnbull was a young man.  He had come back from Dunkirk(France).  He was a tough and seasoned person.  He was not a man to be trifled with.  Only he was able to outwit Private Quelch and show him his place.

9.      How did Private Quelch manage to anger the Corporal?

Answer: One day Corporal Turnbull was giving a lecture on hand grenades.  He said that the outside of a grenade is divided up into a large number of fragments to assist segmentation.  At once Private Quelch showed off his superior knowledge by saying that the outside had forty-four segments.  And then he further irritated Corporal by saying that he should have started his lecture with the five characteristics of the grenade.  Thus Private Quelch managed to anger Corporal.

10.  Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: No. I don’t think that Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was punished by Corporal Turnbull. Because while doing the cookhouse duties, he kept lecturing the cooks on such petty things as peeling potatoes.  In fact, it was impossible for him to stop showing off his knowledge to others.

11.  At first, Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soilders. Support this observation with suitable examples from the story in about 100 words.

Answer: Private Quelch was undoubtedly a man of knowledge.  He knew almost everything about anything.  Even after talking to him for five minutes, one became impressed with his knowledge.  He knew much more than his instructors even.  Thus very soon he became a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers.  While giving a lecture on musketry, the instructor said that the muzzle velocity of a rifle bullet is over two thousand feet per second.  Private Quelch at once demonstrated his superior knowledge by saying that it was two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second. The surprised instructor asked, “You had any training before?”  Private Quelch proudly replied, “No, Sergeant.  It’s all a matter of intelligent reading.”  Thus there was nothing surprising that Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. 

12.  Private Quelch knew 'too much'. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues in about 100 words.

Answer: There can be no doubt that Private Quelch was a well of knowledge.  But the trouble with him was that he wanted to show off his knowledge too much. He made others feel small in his presence.  He irritated everyone by showing off his superior knowledge. Even his fellow soldiers lived in terror of his approach.  He would keep pointing out their faults and mistakes and giving non-stop lectures.  His instructors felt insulted when he tried to improve upon their statements. Thus, in spite of his deep and wide knowledge, Private Quelch failed to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues.   

13.  You are the 'Professor'. Write a diary entry after your first day at the cookhouse, describing the events that led to this assignment, also express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 175 words.

Answer:

13^th November, 2014

11:00 A.M.

Dear Diary,

It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Our trainer Corporal Turnbull has chosen me for permanent cookhouse duties. Others feel that it is a punishment but I don’t find it as a punishment. I am enjoying my work even in the cookhouse.

I am not happy with the way people work in the kitchen. They don’t even know how to peel a potato. I have read in my Class VI Science book that peeling a potato loses its nutritional value. It is high time that I should teach them how to peel potato otherwise soon the entire military training camp would turn malnutrition.

Private Quelch 

Class X: Ozymandias

About the poem:

‘Ozymandias’ is a sonnet (A fourteen line poem) by P.B. Shelly. In this poem, P.B. Shelly focuses on the uselessness of power and materialistic things in the world. It gives us a message that time is the real ruler. No king or emperor can rule time.

Background information:

Once, P.B. Shelly and his friend visited a museum. There they saw the statue of Ramsesse II (the king of Egypt).  The statue was headless and trunk less. It only had legs, and the face was lying down. They both bet to write a poem on the statue, and come up with the same name poem ‘Ozymandias’.

‘Ozy’ means air, and ‘mandias’ means ruler. Thus, Ozymandias means ruler of air, the one who rules everything.

Summary:

Once a traveller from an ancient land comes and tells the narrator that there in the desert, two trunkless legs are standing. The head of the statue was half-sunk in the sand. The expressions on the face are still visible and clear. From the expression, one can guess that he was a tyrant. Also, the expressions are so real; one can say that the sculptor has studied a lot about Ozymandias. On the pedestal of the statue, there was written the following words:

I am Ozymandias; King of Kings

Look at my works; ye might but despair.

The poem ends with a conclusion that nothing leaves for a long whether it is power, strength or wealth.

Text-book Exercise:

1. "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed." Whose hand and heart has the poet referred to in this line?

Answer: The poet referred to the hands of the sculptor who made the statue of Ozymandias. The poet refers to the heart of Ozymandias.

2. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:" Why does Ozymandias refer to himself as King of Kings? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement?

Answer: Ozymandias is the mighty king who has defeated almost all the kings and their empires around him. He is proud of his glory and power. So, he calls himself ‘King of Kings’. From this we come to know that Ozymandias was a powerful but a proud king. He is an arrogant king and contemptuous of others lesser than him.

3. "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Who is Ozymandias referring to when he speaks of ye Mighty? Why should they despair?

Answer: Ozymandias is referring to the kings of his contemporary era. He is also referring to the ones who are watching this statue.

Other kings of his era should be despair to see his endless empire and his achievements as it wouldn’t be possible for them (as they are not as strong as him) to be like him.

He is referring also to the people watching his statue that they should despair as they couldn’t be like him.

4. Bring out the irony in the poem.

Answer: The meaning of the word ‘Ozymandias’ is ‘the ruler of the air. Ozymandias, the king, talks about his power, his empire and tries to show other down. Also, he gets the words written on the pedestal of his statue, ‘I am Ozymandias, King of kings. Look at my works, ye mighty and despair’. But now when we look at the statue and the empire around the statue, there is nothing left but the endless sand. Even his statue, which was made so that people would remember him for a long time, was lying broken and has mixed with the dust and sand. There lies the irony.

5. 'Nothing beside remains.' What does the narrator mean when he says these words?

Answer: The narrator reads the words written on the pedestal ‘Look at my works, ye mighty and despair’. But when he sees, there is nothing left but the endless sand. The narrator here means to say that nothing remains forever, and nobody can defeat time. The achievements and the empires won have all turned into sand.

6. What is your impression of Ozymandias as a king?

Answer: Ozymandias was a great powerful king as he had defeated almost every king in his empire. His achievements could be seen throughout the empire. But his boastful nature, his arrogance, and his nature of showing others down make him a weak person.

7. What message is conveyed through this poem?

Answer: Through this poem, S.T. Coleridge wants to convey the message that time is all powerful. No king or his power can defeat time. All the achievement, in the end, leads to grave as nothing lives in the world forever. So, the pride and the showcase of power are useless. The greatness of a man is known by his good deeds.

8. Imagine that Ozymandias comes back to life and as he sees the condition of his statue, realization dawns on him and he pens his thoughts in a diary. As Ozymandias, make this diary entry in about 150 words. You could begin like this: I thought I was the mightiest of all but...

Answer:

November 30, 2014

11:00 A.M.

Dear Diary

I thought that I was the mightiest of all but I was wrong. Today, when I look at my own statue lying half-broken in the desert, I repent on my deeds. Whatever I did in my life was just to prove that I was strong. I was so blind in the power that I did not even think of my subjects. I forced them to salute me and call me next to God. But I forgot that I was mere a human being who was neither respected by his subjects nor loved by his own people.

Looking at my statue, I feel that, if given me one more chance, I would like to work for my subject, and prove by my work, that I am actually a good king.

But time never comes back. Time never waits for anyone. Time is the actual powerful one.

Ozymandias (the loser king)

9. 'Ozymandias' and 'Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments' are on Time. Compare the two sonnets in terms of the way in which Time is treated by the poets. Write your answer in about 150 words.

Answer:

In both the sonnets, ‘Ozymandias’ and ‘Not Marble Not the Gilded Monuments’ time is presented in different way by the poets. In ‘Ozymandias’, S.T. Coleridge presents time more powerful than the most of the powerful king. On the other hand, in ‘Not Marble Not the Gilded Monuments’, Shakespeare present time as powerful but not as powerful and long lasting as his words for his friends. In ‘Ozymandias’ it is seen that even a great king is forgotten in the course of time if his deeds are bad. But if you love someone more than anything else in the world, as mention in ‘Not Marble Not the Gilded Monuments’, your love for that person lives forever. In such case, one doesn’t need to make a statue to make the memory live forever. Time can be won only by love not by hate. 

Figures of speech in Ozymandias:

Alliteration:

-        Cold command

-        Boundless and bare

-        Lone and level sand

-        Remains round

-        Stone stand

Metaphor:

The entire poem is a metaphor for the foolishness of a man who thinks that anyone can harness time.  Ozymandias boasted of his accomplishments, which now are nothing but fodder for the sand and the wind.

Synecdoche:

The hand that mocked and the heart that fed

Imagery:

-        Two vast and trunkless1 legs of stone

-        Half sunk, a shattered visage2 lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip

-        Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

Class VIII: The Feeling of Power

Answer the following questions:

1.      Who were the people at the special meeting in the lounge of the New Pentagon?

Answer: Jehan Shuman, General Weider, Myron Aub, Congressman Brant and the President were the people at the special meeting in the lounge of the New Pentagon.

2.      Who was Myron Aub? Was he of any importance at the meeting? Why?

Answer: Myron Aub was an aging low grade technician who had long failed all the tests designed to find the gifted ones among mankind, and had settled into the rut of unskilled labour.

Myron Aub was an important person at the meeting because he was the one who would be showing the President and the Congressman his skills of computing without using computer. This skill was ‘graphitics’ (mental mathematics) which was very strange for everyone present there.

3.      What special skills did Aub have? Why did the others find it so remarkable?

Answer: Aub have special skills compared to others. He could calculate any given number only with the help of pen and paper by doing mental mathematics. On the other hand, others present in the New Pentagone special lounge, used to do it using computer and technology. So, others find it so remarkable.

4.      Why were the members of the committee excited by Aub’s gift? What advantage did they think it would give them?

Answer: The members of the committee were excited by Aub’s gift i.e. the graphitics (metal mathematics). They thought that they would use graphitics for making manned missile as it would be accurate. They also thought of using it for replacing computers in the warzone.

5.      What is ‘graphitics’? Who was the inventor of ‘graphitics’? Why did he take his own life?

Answer: ‘Graphitics’ means mental mathematics. Aub invented ‘graphitics’ as it was his hobby. He wanted it to be used for some peaceful purposes better for human race. But the President decided to use the same for more destructive purposes. Aub blamed himself for inventing such a destructive method, and kills himself.

6.      Do you think that the reinvention of mental mathematics would affect the course of human life in any significant way? Why/Why not?

Answer: Yes. I feel that reinvention of mental mathematics would affect the course of human life in any significant way because it will help them in doing simple and somewhat advance calculation without using any calculator. They will save time and mentally, they will always be active.

7.      Justify the title of the story, especially in the context of the last line?

Answer: The title ‘The Feeling of Power’ is apt (suitable) for this story. The setting of this story is of 500 years ahead from now. In that era, human being is completely dependent on technology. They are having a war with some alien planet named ‘Deneb’. They are trying to win the war with the help of power of computers. When they experience Aub’s mental mathematics ‘graphitics’, they thought of using the same for being more ‘powerful’ compare to Denebians. So, throughout the story, we see people trying to more powerful than each other. This feeling leads to destruction of the world. So, I feel the title of this story is very apt.

Class VIII: Water Watch

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How did Deepak prepare for the annual elocution competition?

Answer: Deepak prepared his talk thoroughly and he organized all his arguments in place. He was paying proper attention towards what other participants had said and noted the same. He also remembered the guideline given by his elocution teacher (i.e. to maintain eye contact with the audience)

2.      What examples did Deepak give to describe the effects of water shortage?

Answer: To describe the effects of water shortage, Deepak gave many examples. He shared the story of Gagron for which was unbeatable by was defeated by Mahmud Khilji by cutting down the water supply for the people on the fort. Deepak also gave the examples of difficulties farmers are facing in getting the underground water in Punajb and Haryana. Deepak gave examples of the disappeared water springs in Uttarakhand.

3.      Why did the Principal interrupt him?

Answer: During Deepak’s speech, the Principal experienced that all the students were listening to him quietly. The Principal interrupted Deepak because she wanted know some views of the audience o that she would know that they had been thinking independently.

4.      What did the other three boys say about the problems of water shortage?

Answer: Sukumar of Class VIII A said that he knew about the water shortage, so in summer, his mother allows him only half a bucket of water for bath. He uses it for his bath and his dog’s bath. The second student Arvind Joshi of Class IX C mentioned that every year we talk about shortage of food and importing food which results in increased prices of grains. Instead of that we should manage water scarcity, and make our country agriculturally independent. Bharat Bajpai  of Class VIII D talked about controlled water usage of water by modifying our needs.

5.      What are the steps that were suggested to solve the problem?

Answer: A society named ‘Water Watch’ was formed to solve the problem of water shortage. This society consisted of student members who would draw up a programme of action.

6.      Why do you think Deepak was told to maintain the eye contact with the audience?

Answer: When we maintain eye contact with the audience, the audience gets connected to us as they feel that we are talking to them personally. They listen to us carefully. That is why Deepak was told to maintain the eye contact with the audience.

7.      Why do you think Deepak began his speech with a story? What effects did he wish to achieve through the story?

Answer: Deepak started his speech with a story. Story telling is the best form of getting the attention. Also, the story concludes with a statement that water is most important to save each of us. He wished that audience will get connected with the story and would understand the problem of water scarcity in a better way.

8.      What, in Deepak’s opinion, was the most difficult problem the country would have to face? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Answer: According to Deepak, the most difficult problem the country has to face is of water scarcity or water shortage. I agree with Deepak’s opinion because day by day, the underground water level has been going down. The season pattern has changed over the years. The average rainfall over the years has gone down. The increasing population demands more water which can only be managed by saving water and not wasting it.

9.      What do you understand by the word ‘nationalist’? Who is a true nationalist? Do you agree with Deepak’s definition of a ‘true nationalist’? Why?

Answer: The word ‘Nationalist’ means the one who loves his country and defends his country at any cost. A true nationalist is the one who cares for his country and would do at least something in order to solve his or her country’s problems. I agree with Deepak’s definition of ‘true nationalist’ because his idea of true nationalist i.e. the who would use water wisely would help the country to solve the problem of water shortage, and it will help in country’s growth.

10.  Why was ‘Water Watch’ formed? What do you think its activities would be?

Answer: ‘Water Watch’ was formed to create awareness amongst students regarding water shortage, and to draw up an action plan for the same.

I think there would be many activities in ‘Water Watch’ as given below:

·         Meeting up every Friday and discuss the local water problems

·         Discussing the possible ways of saving water at personal level

·         Organizing programs to make people in the locality aware of water shortage problem

Class X: Patol Babu : Notes

Questions – Answers:

1.      What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh gave Patol Babu?

Answer: The news that Nishikanto Ghosh gave Patol Babu was that his youngest (Nishikanto’s) brother-in-law who was in the production department in the film business had been looking for a scene where they had needed an actor to play the character of fiftyish, short, bald-headed man just like Patol Babu. Nishikanto would like Patol Babu to play that character in the movie. Nishikanto Ghosh also mentioned that Patol Babu would be paid for that.  

2.      How did Patol Babu react? Why?

Answer: Patol Babu when heard of Nishikanto’s offer for working in a movie, he didn’t show any excitement. He was quite pleased. On the other hand, he desired to talk to Nishikanto’s brother-in-law. It is because Patol Babu had not expected in his wildest dreams that he would be offered a role in a film at the age of 52. Also, he used to perform in theatres long back.

3.      Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in Calcutta?

Answer: Patol Babu had lost his first job in Calcutta due to sudden retrenchment in his office due to the war cost him his nine-year-old job.

4.      How does Patol Babu reconcile to the dialogue given to him?

Answer: Patol Babu reminded of his mentor Gogon Pakrakshi who always used to tell him that any small role offered to an actor, shouldn’t be considered below his dignity. A true actor should play any role given to him with sincerity and honesty.

5.      Who was Mr. Pakrashi? How do his words help Patol Babu in enacting his role?

Answer: Mr. Pakrakshi was Patol Babu’s mentor. He was a wonderful actor without a tract of vanity in him. For Patol Babu, he was a saintly person, and an actor in a million.

6.      How do we know that Patol Babu was a meticulous man?

Answer: Patol Babu was given only a single word ‘Oh!’ as a dialogue. He thought of different ways to enact that word in the most effective manner. He uttered the exclamation a number of times with a different modulation each time. He rehearsed the same a number of times. All his efforts show that Patol Babu was a meticulous man.

7.      Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu's request for a rehearsal?

Answer: Mr. Mullick was a director. He wanted to shoot the shot in the sunlight. But clouds could have already begun to appear in the sky. So, he turned down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal.

  

8.      What were the special touches that Patol Babu gave to his role to make it more authentic?

Answer: Patol Babu thought that a newspaper in his hand would make his role look more authentic. He suggested the same to the director and director got agree. Patol Babu also mentally counted the steps to reach the spot of collision. He decided the pace at which he would have to take his steps. All his plans helped him in making his role more authentic.

9.      'I hope the part calls for some dialogue?' Who says this? Why does he /she ask this question?

Answer: Patol Babu says, “I hope the part calls for some dialogue.” When Naresh Dutt offered the role, Patol Babu thought of ‘a role with some dialogue’. Patol Babu was a well-known stage actor in his town. Naresh Dutt told him everything about the role but not about the dialogues. Patol Babu asked him about the dialogues so that he could rehearse and memorize the dialogues.

10.  'Were these people pulling his legs? Was the whole thing a gigantic hoax? A meek, harmless man like him, and they had to drag him into the middle of the city to make a laughing stock out of him. How could anyone be so cruel?' Why does Patol Babu have these thoughts?

Answer: Patol Babu, since he had been on the shooting place, had been treated not as an actor but as a common man. He wasn’t given the dialogues after asking for it for many times. He was made to stand in the sun. No special treatments were given to him. On the other hand, he was respected a lot for his theatre performances. But here, he wasn’t given the respect.

11.  Patol Babu is an amateur actor for whom walk-on part in a movie turns into an ultimate challenge. Discuss.

Answer: Patol Babu was a very good actor in theatre. There, one is supposed to rehearse a lot and then perform. But he was completely stranger to movie acting. He was completely new to the pre-worked movie process. He was not a spontaneous actor who would act anyhow for any shot. He had his own ethics and practices for playing a character. Movie making was a completely new arena for him. So, acting in a movie was a challenge for him.

12.  Do you agree with the statement that Patol Babu is a practical man who comes to terms with whatever life has to offer? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: I agree with the statement that Patol Babu was a practical man. His life was full of struggle which enabled him to lose his jobs and his passion ‘acting’. He did whatever job was offered to him irrespective of his dignity in the past. He also showed his agreement to work in a movie for a small scene though he was a well-know theatre artist of his town. This shows that Patol was practical man.

13.  Why does Patol Babu walk away before he can be paid for his role? What does this reveal about his character?

Answer: Patol Babu wasn’t happy with the way people (actors) were treated on the set of the film. He had his own reasons to accept the role i.e. to earn money and to enjoy his passion ‘acting’. But the way, he saw film-making, where a true actor is not treated properly, where there are no rehearsals, where people work so busily without even looking for creativity, made him think that the job he way he had portrayed the character is far satisfactory than anything else. He didn’t wait to take the money because he was satisfied with his performance but wasn’t happy with the way people make films.

It reveals that Patol Babu was a true actor and a genuine person. He was a person who believes in doing best in whatever is given to him. He wasn’t the person who loves money more than his passion.