MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD/STORY II

                    WE TOO ARE HUMAN BEINGS

“Bama” is the poem name of Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. She has published three main works: an autobiography, ‘Karukku, ’Sangati,’ 1994; and a collection of short stories, ‘ Kissumbukkaaran’ 1996. The following extract has been taken from double-edged swords. By a felicitous pun, the Tamil word ‘Karukku,’ containing the word ‘Karu’ embryo or seed, also means freshness, newness.

Bama till the age of eight had not heard of the word ‘untouchability’. Nevertheless, certain small events of her life had made her feel that she was an untouchable.

The author got to see, feel and experience untouchability while still very young.

v Daily routine of the author

Although the distance between the author's school and home was a barely ten minute walk but quite conveniently she would take somewhere from half an hour to and hour and a half. Leisurely she would walls the distance taking in whatever came her way. As a little girl she would be interested in all the big and small things happening on route. She would be interested in

·       The performing monkey, the snake possessed by the snake charmer.

·       A cyclist pedaling continuously for days and the people pinning rupees onto his shirt egging him on.

·       The Maariyaata temple with its huge bell, the Pongal offerings.

·       Gandhi's statue

·       Shops, streetlights, stalls etc.

·       Political campaigns with their fiery speeches.

·       Street play, puppet show, magic show.

·       Fruits hanging on trees.

·       Coffee clubs in the market place

v Humorous sight leaves deep impression

·       Landlord seated on a stone ledge seeing farm labourers threshing. The peasants were hard at work as they drove their cattle round and round to tread out the grain from the straw.

·       An elderly man came along carrying a small packet with some eatables in it. He held it by the string, so that his hands would not touch the packet. He bowed low and offered the packet with both his hands.

v Author's Description: Realisation dawns

·       The author shared what she thought were comic details of the episode with her elder brother.

·       Annan, the brother, told her that the landlord was an upper caste and the worker, an untouchable was not supposed to touch the contents of the packet or even the packet lest it should be polluted.

·       Now the anecdote did not seem funny at all, she felt provoked and angry at why those people thought so much of themselves simply because they had put together some money. She felt that as human beings they too had self-respect and should not rum such petty errands for these people but only work for them and get wages in return.

The narrator's elder brother who was home for the holidays told her that they would have to work hard for their dignity and respect as they were born in such a community that these things did not come easily for them. Struggle, hard work and education would earn them dignity. He told her to study with care and to learn all that she could. His advice left a deep impact on her mind. She studied hard as her elder brother had urged, stood first in her class and thus made many friends and finally rose to become, a writer.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS TO BE UPDATED SOON.

 

 

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD/ STORY I

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD

Zitkala-Sa'& Bama

The Cutting of My Long Hair

Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, whose pen name is ‘Zitkala Sa’ (Which means’Red Bird’) as an extraordinary talented and educated Native American woman who struggled and triumphed in a time when severe prejudice prevailed towards Native American culture and women. American Policy towards Native American has been an evolving process. In the late 19^th Century reformers in efforts to civilize Indians adapted the practice of educating native Indian Children in boarding schools. The experience in the boarding schools which existed from 1875 to 1928 was difficult for Indian children who were forbidden to speak their native languages and in numerous other ways forced to adopt white cultural practices. In this extract Gertrude Simmons Bonnin remembers her childhood days when she started getting the English education. For her it was cultural shock. Later she dedicated her life to fight against the oppression by the white people.

The two autobiographical episodes are commemorative of struggle and triumph in the face of extreme prejudices, evils of oppression and a life lived in the shadow of being from a marginalised community.

 Zitkala-Sa, the pen-name for G . Bonnin triumphed by surpassing all those barriers that were imposed upon the natural Americans. Although in her childhood' she had to surrender to the high handed attitude of her oppressors but not without expressing her resentment and rebellion against regimentation, bondage and dogmatic existence.

STORY I: Cutting of My Long Hair (by Zitkala-Sa)

 

v Regimentation at Carlisle Indian School:
·       Loud crashing breakfast bell.
·       Tapping of a small bell for pulling out a chair from under the table.
·       Second small bell sounded for being seated.
·       Third one sounded/rung for picking up cutlery and to start eating.

 The author was not used to this 'eating by formula' but she had no other choice. Besides there were other things too that came as a surprise' to her. Students were forced to wear the same kind of dress and shoes. Things of comfort (blanket, moccasins) were taken away from them. The worst, however, was yet to come. This would prove to be the hardest trial but the author had planned to give a stiff resistance to it

 v Cutting the author's hair, her resistance

The author had been told by her mother and other people of her community that shingled hair were of
·       Unskilled warriors or prisoners of war
·       Mourners and cowards
·       The author had planned to put up a fight. So she
·       Slipped out unnoticed
·       Entered a room in the dormitory and crawled under the bed in the farthest corner.
·       She did not open her mouth even when she was being hunted.
·       When finally she was located and dragged out, she resisted by kicking and scratching wildly.

v Unbearable/intolerable humiliation
The author was forcibly carried and tied in a chair. She opposed vehemently but in vain. Her thick braids were mercilessly chopped off. She lost the spirit to resist.

v Extreme indignities:
·       Spirit bound in a struggle for liberation
·       Comforts taken away
·       Regimentation while moving, eating sitting etc.
·       Uncomfortable stares by the people around
·       Dealt with as if she was a puppet or an animal herded around.
·       No one to comfort her.

 

Evans Tries an O-Level by Colin Dexter

EVANS TRIES ON 0-LEVEL

Colin Dexter

The story is an escape mystery, a thriller that takes the readers to a crescendo to unearth the escapist's route out of a well-guarded prison where all efforts have been made to thwart attempts of Evans, the jail bird, from breaking away from the high security person. What comes as a great surprise in the plot of the story is Evans' escape no doubt but also the element of mystery that becomes intense as the escape is right under the nose of prison officials. The comic element in the mystery gets highlighted when the officials themselves escort the prisoner out of the jail. At times overdoing things and also overlooking minor details, yet important ones, can backfire and this is what exactly happened in the plot.

On one hand the well-equipped and efficient jail authorities laid out a fool-proof network to keep Evans from breaking away but on the other hand was the prisoner himself who too had meticulously laid out for himself a fool-proof plan that worked out well because of its threadbare handling and above all with the help and involvement of an intelligent team good at befooling others and seeing to the fact that their plan should not go awry.

 v Escape plan/ Evan’s escape strategy.

·       Get a tutor for German (actually a friend and accomplice)
·       Get connected to other accomplices through tutor.
·       Plan made during the night with tutor's help.
·       Sit for 0-Level German examination.
·       Mcleery, an accomplice, comes with escape plan after gagging the real Mcleery (Parson).
·       The fake Mcleery brings an extra set of Parson's clothes by wearing one over the other.
·       Mcleery leaves Evans dressed as him but with blood splattered all over.
·       Injured Mcleery (Evans) says that he knows the escape plan.
·       Detective Carter takes Evans in a chase of Evans himself (ostensibly)
·       Evans feigns having seen Evans on Elsfield way, knows number of car, but says that he lost track at roundabout.
·       Evans tells Carter to move on while he alights near the exam offices. From there he escapes to Hotel Golden Lion.
·       Governor lands at Golden Lion before Evans and nabs him there but only to lose him once again.
·       Prison van in which Evans makes the finals escape has as its occupants Mcleery and the other accomplices of Evans. Together they make good their final escape.

Characters: (In Points)
Evans: Evans, the jail-break was a habitual, congenital Kleptomaniac, a master planner, has intimate and reliable contacts, non-violent with a pleasing personality, practical minded, outsmarts all with his intelligence, analytic character judge, crafty schemer, has an excellent psychological insight, far sighted and jolly natured.

Jackson: Lacks intelligence, credulous, gullible, compassionate, careless: in not recognizing a stranger's voice posing as the Governor's, moron, Evans and Jackson are 'warm enemies'.

Governor: Gullible fool, a greater moron than Jackson, hasty in his approach and actions, fails to verify credentials of tutor, has great regard for Evans' intelligence and presence of mind.

Stephens: Newly recruited into the jail security, devoted to duty, deeply conscientious but not mentally alert, negligent, hasty in actions.

Mcleery, the impersonator: Good impersonator, reliable friend, keeps his calm and has a strong presence of mind, unruffled, gives intelligent answers.

 v Precautions taken by the Governor

·       Removal of all incriminating material from Evans, cell (razor, nail-clippers, nail file)
·       Strict vigil, cell bugged
·       Invigilator frisked.

v Facts overlooked
·       German tutor-antecedents left unverified.
·       Private tuition, bobble hat, assistant secretary (examination) and not the secretary gave the call for correction slip but no eyebrows were raised.
·       Stephens taken out of the cell.
·       Stephens notices a thinner Mcleery but does nothing about it.
·       Blanket allowed to Evans.
·       Governor drops Evans outside hotel and he moves away in another vehicle thus giving a second chance on the same day for him to escape.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1.     Who was James Roderick Evans? Why was he put in the Oxford Prison?

Ans.  Evans was a smart young man who had a number of amazing skills to fool anyone and escape any prison. He had a gang of friends who used to make money by imitating other people. Because of his smartness in breaking prisons, Evans was sent to the Oxford prison that was thought to be the most secure prison in England.

2.     How was Evan's presence in the prison felt by the authorities?

Ans. Even though Evans was a prisoner, the whole of the prison seemed to have loved to have him there. He being a smart, tricky, intelligent and the most popular inmate of the prison,  even the authorities admired his skills but were worried only about the possibility of his escape. He had many good friends among the prisoners and even the Governor himself was concerned for him and at times behaved to be Evans’ fan.
3.     Why did the Governor apply for an examination for Evans?
Ans. Evans was a prisoner in the Oxford Prison. He had convinced the authorities that he was genuinely interested in learning German and was tutored for a while. When the tutor announced that Evans was prepared for an O'Level exam, the Governor of the prison applied to the Examination Board for his exam.
4.     Who was Mc Leery? What is his role in the story?
Ans.  Rev. Mc Leery was a parson at St.Mary Mags, a monastery. He was supposed to invigilate Evan's examination at the Oxford Prison. He was about to leave his residence for the prison when two of Evans' friends entered his room and tied and gagged him until Evans had escaped from the prison.
5.     Why was Evans particular about keeping his hat on his head during his exam?
Ans.  Evans wore a bobble hat at the time of his examination. When he was asked to remove that, Evans pleaded to let stay it because he believed it was his lucky charm. In fact he had hidden some of the makeup materials in his hat which was the reason he didn't want to remove it.

6.     Why did the Governor think of frisking Mc Leery?

Ans. Mc Leery was the invigilator of the examination and he was to sit inside Evan's cell while the latter wrote the exam. The Governor had made sure that Evans had been thoroughly frisked and there was nothing to fear about that. But when he thought about the possibility of Mc Leery carrying a paper-knife or that sort, he feared Evans would make use of that and escape by holding the parson his hostage.
7.     Why did Mc Leery's expressions change when he was frisked?
Ans.  While frisking  McLeery,  the prison officers found out a semi-inflated rubber tube in his bag. When he was asked of this Mc Leery's amiable appearance suddenly changed and he turned shy and embarrassed for having made to admit that he was suffering from piles. In fact this was only an excuse to stop the authorities from asking further questions and to allow him to carry the rubber tube that had some blood inside for the escape drama.

8.     What was the intention behind the call from the Examinations Board?

Ans.  It was one of Evans' friends who made the call from the Examination Board. This call was primarily meant for confirming the beginning time of the exam in order to calculate the end of the exam. The equally important reason behind this call was to misguide the Governor into Hotel Golden Lion to arrest Evans from there and thereby to make the escape altogether safer.
9.     The Governor's pride in his little knowledge in German was of great help for Evans to escape. Explain.
Ans. The Governor had acquired a little bit of German earlier and was proud of that. On seeing the correction sheet and faintly recognizing the hidden message that would help him to trace the escaped Evans, he became over enthusiastic and decided to track the prisoner with the assistance of another officer. Later when he trapped Evans so ‘smartly,’ the Governor forgot all caution and went high in the sky of his pride and that gave Evans a great opportunity to escape.
10.            What had 'Mc Leery' brought with him to the prison to help Evans' escape?
Ans. Evans’ friend dressed up like Mc Leery had brought some very useful   
 articles for Evans’escape. He had worn an extra clerical collar and a clerical front. In his bag he had carried a semi inflated rubber tube filled with blood. He had also carried a paper scissors even though it was frisked by the prison authorities.

11.    Why did Evans ask for a blanket while writing the exam?

Ans.  As part of his escape plan, Evans had to dress up him as Mc Leery, the invigilator. To cut his long hair and to dress up, Evans wanted a hiding. Moreover, he had hidden part of the invigilator’s costume under the blanket.

12.  How did Stephens feel when he was asked to accompany Mc Leery out of the prison?

 Ans. Stephens was a new officer at the Oxford Prison and was  naturally  apprehensive about his duties. He was already glad that he was in charge of the invigilator and the examinee. When he was asked by the Governor to accompany the invigilator out of the prison, Stephens felt greatly flattered and proud of himself.
13.   When did the Governor realize that the invigilator was fake?
Ans. The Governor had initially assumed that it was Evans who had run out of the prison after hitting the invigilator. But later, when he made call to the Radcliffe Hospital where detective Carter had admitted the invigilator, he was informed that the hospital had not admitted the invigilator. More confused, the Governor made another call to the invigilator’s residence and confirmed that the parson who had to come as the invigilator had been tied and gagged in his room and the one came as the invigilator was Evan’s accomplice.
14.            Why did Evans want the Governor arrest him at Hotel Golden Lion?
Ans. Evans’ plan had been one very intelligently crafted. He wanted to make sure that his plan had to amaze everyone and the very smart Governor also had to be overtaken. To do this he wanted the Governor arrest him with his ‘own smartness’ and feel ‘elated, proud and over confident and consequently less careful about keeping Evans under high security.

15.  Evans was 'visibly shaken' when he saw the Governor in his room in the hotel. Why was he shaken?

Ans.   It was part of the escape plan that the Governor had to come to the Golden Lion Hotel to arrest Evans from there and take him to the prison. The purpose was to make the Governor believe that he was really intelligent and efficient and thereby let his confidence go loose. It was because of this that Evans pretended that he was really caught.

6.             Why is the Governor called ‘good for a giggle Governor?’
Ans. The Governor was in a way intelligent and smart. Though a little late, he was successful in tracing Evans in the Hotel Golden Lion and in arresting him. But little did he know that it was Evans who wanted the Governor to arrest him. Evans raised the Governor’s confidence level sky high and let him fall from such a height of pride. When he caught Evans,  the Governor thought that he was the most intelligent prison governor in the world and drove to the prison dreaming of the praises and ranks he would be given for his efficiency as a Governor. But in the prison he would know how he was made fool by Evans and the world would only giggle at him.

17.   Do you think that the Governor was really intelligent? Support your answer with instances.

Ans. The Governor was a very intelligent officer but his overconfidence was his weak point. The instances of his intelligence can be seen at various   places   of the story. He didn’t believe that Evans was genuinely interested in learning German when he noticed that Evans didn’t understand the basic German expression, “GutenGluck.”  He was doubtful when the call came from the Examination Board and made a return call to confirm if the call really came from the Board. It was his intelligence that thought of frisking the invigilator and found the rubber tube. It was he who discovered the secret message regarding the assault on the invigilator superimposed at the back of the question paper. Soon he found out that the real McLeery  had never come to the prison and that it was Evans who had escaped from the prison as the injured invigilator. The Governor deserves praises for tracing Evan to Hotel Golden Lion at Chipping Norton and arresting him.

 18.  How far was Stephens helpful for Evans' escape?

Ans.  Stephens was a newly recruited officer in the prison. He was very particular about showing his efficiency in front of the higher authorities and was especially glad that he was in charge of Evans’ examination which was a risky job indeed. Evans complained of Stephens’ breathing and got him naturally out of the cell. Once out of the cell, Stephens kept peeping into the cell but soon found it childish. To show that he was very confident and efficient, he left the cell door to come after short intervals. The short intervals soon became longer and very longer giving time for Evans to dress himself up inside the cell. Stephens was taken to the highest joy when he received the fake call from the Governor to take the invigilator out of the prison. He in his pride took the invigilator out of the prison and made way for Evans’ escape in a wonderful way.

19.             How did Evans escape from Detective Carter?
Ans.  Disguised as the invigilator, hit by the escaped Evans, Evans misguided detective Carter in the pretext of helping the officer to find the escaped Evans. When they reached Radcliff Hospital,  Evans pretended to be most critical and told the detective to admit him in the hospital. Carter wanted to drive the wounded invigilator into the hospital but Evans advised him to call the ambulance and drop him on the roadside to be picked by the ambulance so that the detective could continue his chase after Evans had escaped.

20.   Can you imagine what had happened when the Governor reached the prison?
Ans. While driving to the prison the Governor thought that he was the most efficient and intelligent prison governor in the world. He was very confident, overwhelmed with gratification and was therefore least cautious. But there was the worst news awaiting him in the prison that Evans and his friends had escaped by fooling and disgracing him. He would also realize that he too was one among the idiots like Stephens and Jackson.

On the Face of It

Summary

Derry was a teenager, highly pessimistic and withdrawn from the mainstream society. He developed this attitude after one side of his face was disfigured by acid .He avoided company of others and remained lonely lest he be noticed by other people. He believed that no one loved him and his mother loved him because she was supposed to. Derry cannot be completely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude towards the world around him. Once he heard two women commenting about his monstrous appearance. They said only a mother could love a face like his. On another day Derry heard his parents conversing that he would not survive after their death because he was deformed. The shock he received from these words was big. On another occasion Derry heard his relatives saying that his being put in the hospital where he had been treated after the accident was good for him. In their opinion a deformed boy like Derry could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls. Derry had his ears always open for such comments and used to respond to them in his silent way. He concluded that the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him .One day Derry accidently met a man called Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. After he became lame, Mr. Lamb began to develop a positive attitude with his deformity. He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders. He was happy to be alive and ignored his lameness. He made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and open doors. He welcomed anyone who came to him. While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as Mr. Lamb about suffering. He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected as long as he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his face. After meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe his parents. For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed world in an hour’s time the same of which were shut on him by his parents and therefore  believed that his company with Lamb would make him a perfect person .

 SHORT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1. Why did Derry go into Mr. Lamb’s garden?

  Ans. Derry preferred a lonely life in order to hide his disfigured face from the world. Yet he had love for the world such as a garden and he wished to own one. He thought that Mr. Lamb’s garden and his house were empty and therefore went into it.

 Q2. Why did Derry wish to get out of Mr. Lamb's garden immediately after getting into?

Ans  Derry went into Lamb’s garden because he thought it was empty. But when he saw Mr. Lamb there and that he had been watched by Mr. Lamb, he felt ashamed and wished to get out of the garden.

 Q3. What kind of a man was Mr. Lamb?

Ans Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg. Since he was lame, Mr. Lamb began to develop a positive attitude with his deformity. He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk and climb ladders. He was happy to be alive and ignored his lameness. He made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and locked doors. He welcomed anyone who came to him.
Q4. Both Mr. Lamb and Derry had much to suffer yet Derry was the worst affected.Explain.
Ans Mr. Lamb was an old man who had lost one of his legs in a blast while Derry was a teenager with a burnt face. While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child he was not as strong as Mr. Lamb about suffering. He couldn’t take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected as long as he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his face.
Q5.  How does Mr. Lamb explain the dual faces of a weed garden?
Ans.  Mr. Lamb believes in a positive attitude. He always found the better parts of reality. He says that it is people’s perception that goes wrong,  not the realities. Some people consider some plants fit for a garden while some other people consider the same plants as weeds, to be removed from their gardens. Both have leaves and flowers and the beauty of these flowers vary from person to person.
Q6. What does Mr. Lamb teach Derry from his exploring the two types of sounds of the bees?
Ans. Mr. Lamb believes in a positive attitude. He always found the better sides of reality. He says that it is people’s perception that goes wrong, not the realities. Bees produce the very same sound: music for some and irritation for others. If one is happy, the bees sound music and if one is sad, the bees buzz. He explored this dual perception to show Derry that it was important for him to change his attitude.
Q7. What makes Mr. Lamb say that Derry wasn't completely lost?
Ans. When Derry entered Mr. Lamb’s garden, the former appeared to be highly pessimistic and withdrawn. He sounded bitter because the world had been so cruel to him. But at one point Derry said that he loved a garden and a house like the one as Lamb’s.  Mr. Lamb saw his love for the nature and beauty and this gave Mr. Lamb the hope that Derry was not completely lost in his gloomy world.
Q8. Why did Derry's mother warn him to keep away from Mr. Lamb?
Ans. Derry’s mother was very particular about not letting her son mix with other people. She was much stricter about not allowing the boy to go to Mr. Lamb as she had heard that the old man was not good.
Q9. Why does Derry say that he would never go out to the world if he didn't go to Mr.Lamb?
Ans.  Derry’s parents were greatly responsible for making an introvert out of him. They believed that the world was not the place for their son due to his burnt face. They advised him to keep away from people. They convinced him that his life would be impossible after their death. Thus Derry’s parents shut him in a narrow world of his own, inspiring him to hate and avoid everyone. But after meeting Mr. Lamb Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe his parents. For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed world in an hour’s time the same of which were shut on him by his parents and therefore believed that his company with Lamb would make him a perfect person.
Q10. Do you think Mr. Lamb really had a lot of friends? Explain?
Ans. Mr. Lamb claimed to have a lot of friends but in fact he appears to have few. Mr. Lamb is a peculiar person with no complaints about his deformity but his heavy, philosophical talks may bore people who run into him. Even though Mr. Lamb had claimed he had hundreds of friends, he didn’t know of those names and no one showed up while Derry was with him for such a long time. Moreover, Mr. Lamb himself is found telling his bees that human beings do not keep their promise of returning to his garden. From all  these one can conclude that Mr. Lamb had no friends but the bees and the nature around him.
Q11. Mr. Lamb says to Derry: ‘It’s all relative. Beauty and Beast’. What does he mean by that?
Ans. Mr. Lamb believes in the relativity theory of beauty. Quoting the fairy tale, ‘The Beauty and the Beast,’ he said that everyone has beauty inside but people hardly recognize that. The beautiful ones are not always good at heart and the ugly ones can have a beautiful heart.
Q12. Who should be ‘friends’ according to both Derry and Mr. Lamb?
Ans.  Both Mr. Lamb and Derry keep different views regarding friendship and company. Derry thinks that one should know all the particulars of a person before becoming friends. He also thinks that two people who met casually on the way cannot be friends because they are not going to meet again. In contrast, Mr. Lamb doesn’t agree with Derry. He doesn’t know the names of his friends yet he has a lot of friends. For him anyone is his friend, whether he met them just once or so many times.
Q13. “That would do you more harm than any bottle of acids.” Explain the statement of Mr. Lamb.
Ans. Mr. Lamb was a man who tried to look at problems with reduced importance while Derry thought his deformity was the last word of his life and existence. He said that he hated some people for their hatred and sympathy for him. Seeing the burning hatred in Derry, Mr. Lamb warned him that hatred can burn in and out of a person while acid can burn part of the body alone.
Q14. How was the society and family responsible for forming Derry an introvert?
Ans. Derry cannot be solely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive attitude towards the world around him. Once he heard two women commenting about his ugliness. They said only a mother could love a face like his. On another day Derry heard his parents conversing that he would not survive after their death because he was deformed. The shock he received from these words was big. On another occasion Derry heard his relatives talking about his being put in the hospital where he had been treated after the accident. In their opinion a deformed boy like Derry could accommodate himself with other deformed boys and girls. Derry had his ears always open for such comments and used to respond to them in his silent way. He concluded that the world altogether didn’t need a boy like him.
Q15. “And the world is there to look at.” Explain with reference to context.
Ans. In Mr. Lamb’s opinion the world is a perfect example for people with deformity. The earth is full of good and bad things, beautiful and ugly places, inhabitable and uninhabitable places yet we love the earth as a whole, not as a part. Mr. Lamb wants to make Derry think of himself as a whole person with good and bad in him.
Q16. Why does Derry go back to Mr. Lamb in the end?
 Ans. Mr. Lamb was a wizard who could transform Derry into a positive character. Derry realized the importance of a man like Lamb and hoped that he would change completely in his company. Moreover, he knew, he could revert to his old attitude if he lived with his pessimistic mother and father.
Q17. How does Derry claim that his deformity is graver than Mr. Lamb’s lameness?
Ans.  Derry had a burnt face and Mr. Lamb had lost one of his legs. In Derry’s opinion he bore more damage and pain than Mr. Lamb because his burnt face cannot be hidden from others while Mr. lamb could sit somewhere as a normal man. For Derry, the deformed face was his identity. People got away from him because of the face and he believed that no one runs away from a lame man.

(Long Q&A to be contd.)