VISTAS AT A GLANCE –PART I

VISTAS AT A GLANCE –PART I ( LAST MIN PREP)

 THE ENEMY BY PEARL S BUCK

• Character Sketch of Sadao

– Dedicated surgeon and doctor, has fellow feeling and kindness for

people in distress

– Conflict between duty as a doctor and duty as a Japanese

– prejudiced against the white man, afraid of being called a traitor

– Shelters the enemy and saves his life.

– Out of loyalty to his country, informs the General

– helps the white man escape

• Character Sketch of Hana

– Balanced woman, stands with her husband

– Responsible - washes prisoner, treats him respectfully

– Dignified and graceful about servants leaving the house

– helped Sadao in the operation

– administers anesthesia to the prisoner

• American Soldier – Tom

– Hardly 17, taken prisoner

– Escaped, but shot at the back

– suffered torture and hunger

– Wounded, bleeding was in great pain, lay unconscious

– Strong will-power

– Full of gratitude towards Dr. Sadao

• The General

– Selfish, thinks of only his treatment

– had faith in Sadao’s skill as a doctor

– Promises to send private assassins to get rid of the prisoner

– Careless – forgot to send assassins

• Reaction of Servants

– Don’t agree with the idea of helping an enemy

– Yumi refused to wash the white man

– Gardener felt Sadao should have let the soldier die

– Thought sea and gods would take revenge if Sadao saved the

soldier

– felt Sadao was proud of his skill and used it irresponsibly

– left the house till the time the prisoner stayed there.

• How Sadao helped the soldier escape

– Put food and extra clothing in the boat.

– Directed him to row to an uninhabited island

– Asked him to wait for a Korean fishing boat

– Told him to catch fish but eat it raw

– Gave him his flash light

– Told him to flash the torch twice if food ran out and one flash if he was all right

– Gave him Japanese clothes and covered his hair with a black

cloth.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. (2 Markseach)

1. Why did Sadao wait before falling in love with Hana?

2. Give two reasons why Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops.

3. What do you learn about Sadao’s father from the story ‘The Enemy’?

4. In which condition did Sadao and Hana find the man? How did they

est1ablish his identity?

5. What superstitious beliefs of the servants made them oppose Sadao’s

decision to give shelter to the injured man?

6. Why did Sadao decide to treat the injured man?

7. What did the servants think about Sadao’s sheltering an enemy?

8. What message did the messenger from the palace deliver to Dr. Sadao?

9. How did Hana react to the servants leaving the house?

10. What plan did the General suggest to get rid of the prisoner?

11. Why couldn’t the General’s plan of eliminating the prisoner succeed?

12. What things did Sadao provide for the wounded prisoner on the boat?

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following in 125-150 words. (7 Marks each)

1. Dr. Sadao and Hana rise above man made divisions to serve the nobler

cause of humanity. Discuss with reference to the story.

2. What efforts were made by Dr. Sadao and Hana to save the life of the

injured man?

3. Hana plays an instrumental role in saving the life of the injured prisoner.

Give an account of her role in the light of this statement.

4. How did the servant’s react to the efforts made by Sadao and Hana to

save the prisoner’s life?

5. What conflict of duties does Dr. Sadao f ace? How does he resolve

them?

SHOULD WIZARD HIT MOMMY BY JOHN UPDIKE

• Jack’s Story Telling

– Began two years ago

– to tell stories in the evening for the Sunday naps

– Story telling very tiresome

– no longer takes everything as true

– growing up and questions everything.

• The Story

– a basic story line and a few characters

– the main character – a small creature

– usually named Roger

– when in trouble Roger goes to wise owl

– owl sends him to the wizard

– wizard finally solves the problem

• Roger Skunk’s Story

– smelled very bad

– no one wants to play with him

– teased and called stinky skunk

– meets the owl and tells his story

– owl asks him to meet the wizard

– the wizard asks for 7 pennies

– he had 4 and took 3 from magic wall

– changed his smell like roses

– Friends were happy and want to play with

– But his mother didn’t like his smell

– became angry and took him back to wizard

– ordered to change back to his original smell

– once again smelled very bad

• Jo’s Opinion About the Ending

– not likes the end of the story

– wants to see her character happy

– not wants to smell bad once again

– not likes mommy’s interference

– wants her dad to change the ending

– wants dad to make the wizard hit her

– not convinced at her father’s saying that his mother loved him as

he smelled like her baby

– Jo wants his mommy to understand how his friends used to tease

him and not to play with.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following in about 30-40 words each. (2 Marks each)

1. What made Jack realize that the custom of telling his daughter a story, had

turned futile?

2. What was unique about the story that Jack told?

3. How did the wizard solve as well as create problem for Roger?

4. What was the cause of Roger Skunk’s sadness?

5. What change occurred in the attitude of other animals when the smell of

Roger Skunk changed.

6. How did Roger Skunk’s mother react to his newly acquired smell?

7. Did Jo accept the violence of Roger Skunk’s mother to the wizard? What

did she want?

8. Jo is no longer a passive listener to Jack’s stories. How?

9. How does Jack justify his ending of the story?

10. Why does Jo want a different ending to the story?

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following in 125-150 words. (7 Marks each)

1. Why does Jo want the wizard to hit mommy? Discuss with reference to the

text.

2. Adults should not impose their perspective on kids. Do you agree? Give

a reasoned answer.

3. Bring out the moral issues raised in the story.

4. Jack’s handling of the ending of his story projects him in a poor light as

a father. Do you agree? Why? Why not?

ON THE FACE OF IT BY SUSAN HILL

• Mr. Lamb Welcomes Derry

– in his garden in spite of jumping over the wall

– tries to make him comfortable

– tells him to pick crab apples

– talks to him, without considering his disability

– Derry thinks, pretending not to be afraid of his burnt face

– tells usually people afraid of his face

– Mr. Lamb asks but doesn’t probe

– tells Derry that he has a tin leg

• Mr. Lamb’s advice to Derry

– tells that in Nature shapes differ but quality is the same

– no difference among the plants whether they are weeds, flowers

and others all grow

– inside is important than outside

– accept yourself, not to fear others’ comments.

– calling Lamey-Lamb not bother him

– not to keep thinking of these things

– life offers many more things

– isolation not good

– inspires to look at thing positively

• Derry’s reaction to Mr. Lamb’s advice

– initially, very suspicious of Mr. Lamb

– never had anybody to talk to and understand

– not believe that he does not find him ugly

– later, fascinated by Mr. Lamb’s talk

– motivated and drawn towards him

• Mr. Lamb

– an old man with a tin leg

– lives alone, lonely

– found ways to overcome his loneliness

– keeps his gate open

– never curtains his windows

– imagines kids and people walking all over

– spends time listening to the bees

– has a positive approach to life

• Derry’s Transformation

– had bitter experience in the world

– tells Mr. Lamb about sarcastic comments about his looks

– Even his mother kisses on the other side of face

– not trust people and ignore their comments about his face

– sad that he will have only half a face

– Mr. Lamb’s meeting changes his outlook towards life

– talks to Mr. Lamb about his likes, dislikes and fears

– wants to be loved and appreciated

– wants to break free from the stigma of being disabled

– his going back to Mr. Lamb’s garden shows his changing

personality.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following in 30-40 words each. (2 Marks each)

1. How does Derry enter the garden? What had he thought about it?

2. What had happened to Derry’s face? How do people react when they look at it?

3. What does Mr. Lamb say about weeds and flowers?

4. What did Mr. Lamb tell Derry about his handicap?

5. Why did children call Mr. Lamb ‘Lamey Lamb’?

6. How does Mr. Lamb convince Derry of the uselessness of being a recluse

(Lonely Person)?

7. How does Mr. Lamb spend his time?

8. What did Derry overhear his parents talking about his future? How did this affect him?

9. Why does Mr. Lamb advise Derry to stop having feelings of hatred towards the people?

10. What draws Derry to Mr. Lamb?

11. What did Derry hear the woman at the bus stop say?

12. How is Mr. Lamb’s concept of a ‘friend’ different from that of Derry’s?

13. What, according to Derry, would happen if Mr. Lamb continued his friendship with him?

14. Why is not Mr. Lamb troubled by the people who stare at him?

15. Why were there no curtains in Mr. Lamb’s house?

16. Why did Derry want to go back to Mr. Lamb’s garden?

17. Why does Derry’s mother object to his going to Mr. Lamb’s house?

18. Give reasons to show that Derry is a changed person at the end of the play.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following in 125-150 words. (7 Marks each)

1. The play ends on a tragic note but reaffirms hope. Discuss with reference to the text.

2. Despite his show of Bravado, Mr. Lamb is a lonely man. Do you agree? Give a reasoned answer.

3. How is Mr. Lamb successful in infusing Derry with a zest for living?

4. Derry suffers from a sense of insecurity and alienation. Comment.

EVANS TRIES AN O LEVEL BY COLIN DEXTER

• Evans tries an O-Level

– James Roderick Evans – a prisoner

– earlier escaped thrice from the prison

– therefore titled ‘Evans the Break’

– started night classes in O-Level German

– Govt. arranged to examine Evans for O-Level in his prison cell

– On the exam day he was given time to smarten up

– Unshaven and having a filthy looking hat

– refused to remove the cap that’s lucky

• Examination Arrangements

– removal of razors and nail scissors

– set tables opposite each other and placed two hard chairs in the

cell

– deputed Stephens on D-Wing and newly recruited to visit Evans’

prison

– invigilator Mc Leery left his house at 8:45 am as the exam was to

begin at 9:15 am.

– Mc Lerry came, having a brown suitcase, semi-inflated rubber ring,

needed for haemorrhoids?

• The Exam Begins

– asked Evans to write index No., centre No, 313 and 271

– at 9:40 a.m. Mc Leery asked for correction slip

– Evans hardly understood anything, kept his pen between lips and

staring towards the door.

– at 10:15 Evans requested for a blanket

– The exam got over at 11:20

– Hearing the Governor’s order at 11:22 a.m. accompanied McLeery

to the prison gate

– Stephens obeyed the orders

– On the way asked Mcleery about Evans

– McLeery’s answer made him feel, his broader scots accent, to be

slimmer due to long black overcoat.

• Evans Escapes

– After seeing McLeery off, wanted to go for coffee, must take one

last look at Evans

– he saw McLeery sprawled in Evan’s chair slipping the blanket and

blood dripping through the beard.

– instead of calling ambulance McLeery low moaned and asked for

police to call

– he knew where Evans was

– opened the German Q. Paper and found a photocopied sheet

carefully and cleverly super imposed over the last page of Q. Paper

– instructions and the plan written in German as Make your way to

Neugraben

– Governor was furious, not made any call to see off McLeery at the

prison gate

– Governor wanted to know about the false beared, spectacles and

other things

– Later the Governor was puzzled Mcleery was not in the hospital

– The ambulance sent to Elsfield to pick, Mc Leery but just vanished

– after a quarter and half an hour they found McLeery bound and

Gagged

– Now they understood it was not Evans impersonating as McLeery

who had walked out but it was Evans, impersonating Mc Leery

who stayed in

• Final Escape

– reached his hotel at Golden Lion

– very happy for his successful plan

– able to hide his closely cropped hair due to lucky hat

– as he reached the reception, found the receptionist not the same

girl

– collected the keys, asked for early morning call at 6.45 am.

– as entered the room, shocked to see the Governor sitting on the

narrow bed

– finally spoke that was the correction slip which he left behind,

given the clue about

– Index No. 313, Centre No. 271 the six figures 313271 got him there

– Governor wanted to know where the blood came from, answered

that was pig’s blood in ring

– told about his German friend, helped him

– winked at receptionist and get back

– hand cuffed and clambered into the back seat of prison van, As he

turned right, unlocked hand cuffs and asked to drive fast

– on the driver’s query, suggested Newbury

– prison officer was Evans’ own man and the Governor was fooled

once again.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. (2 Marks each)

1.What was unusual about the request received by the examination board?

2. How is Evans not a typical criminal?

3. What is the nickname that Evans has got and why?

4. The prison authorities were not taking any chances with Evans’. What precautions did they take?

5. How did Evans convince Jackson to allow him to wear his hat?

6. What reason did McLeery give for bringing the rubber ring with him?

7. What did the governor instruct Stephens to do after the exam got over?

8. What did Stephens discover in Evans’ cell after McLeery had left?

9. Who had impersonated whom in the plan to escape?

10. Mention two changes that Stephens notices in McLeery when he was leaving after the exam?

11. How did Evans exploit the soft corner Jackson had for him?

12. How did Evans manage to procure the things that had helped him in his escape?

13. What was Evans actually doing when the pen was stuck in his mouth?

14. How did Evans manage to get blood? How was its clotting prevented?

15. How did the governor manage to track down Evans to the hotel where he was hiding?

16. How is Evans able to manage his escape in the absence of visitors and letters?

17. Why did Evans leave the question paper with German written on it in the cell?

18. How did the correction slip help in Evan’s escape?

19. What fate did the real McLeery meet?

20. How did Evans manage to give a slip to the governor at the end?

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following in about 125-150 words. (7 Marks each)

1. What steps were taken by the prison authorities to prevent any escape attempt by Evans?

2. How was Evans able to turn the table on his captors?

3. “The Governor was just another, good for a giggle, gullible governor.” Do you agree? Give a reasoned answer.

PAGE 137

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