Flamingo Book-Most Important Questions-Answers

Qs-Ans-Long

Q1."Importance of freedom or education is understood only when it's felt with intensity."

—Discuss with reference to The Last Lesson and Franz

Ans. The statement means that people often realise the true value of freedom or education only when they are about to lose them. This idea is powerfully shown in Alphonse Daudet’s short story The Last Lesson, especially through the experiences of young Franz.

 

At first, Franz, like many students, shows no interest in studies, especially French grammar. He takes his education for granted and prefers playing outdoors. But when he hears that this is their last French lesson—because the Prussian authorities have banned French in schools—he is shocked. Suddenly, the subject he once ignored becomes precious.

 

During the lesson, Franz feels deep regret for wasting time and not valuing his teacher, M. Hamel. He realises that losing language is like losing one’s identity and freedom. The story proves that the importance of education and freedom is felt most when they are lost or taken away.

Q2. The author Ashokamitran has literary inclinations as we study the lesson "Poets and Pancakes". Give evidences from the text to prove the statement. Contain the answer in 40-45 words.

Ans. Ashokamitran's literary inclinations are clearly visible in his essay Poets and Pancakes. Though he narrates his experiences at Gemini Studios in a light-hearted manner, his observations reflect a writer’s deep sensitivity and insight. He describes people and events with subtle humour and irony, especially the mismatch between the poets and the film studio environment.

 

His language is vivid and descriptive, bringing out the absurdities of studio life—such as the use of pancake makeup, the monotonous work routine, and the strange visit of an English poet. These events are not just told for entertainment but are presented with reflection and wit.

 

Ashokamitran does not criticise openly but gently mocks the lack of creativity in the film world, contrasting it with the intellectual depth of literature. His attention to detail and thoughtful commentary reveal a sharp, literary mind that sees meaning even in everyday situations.

 Value-based Long Answer-type Qs

Q1. (120-140 words) In one’s approach to life, one should be practical and not live in a world of dreams. How is Jansie’s attitude different from that of Sophie? Discuss in the context of ‘Going Places’.

Ans. Sophie and Jansie are classmates and friends. They belong to lower-middle-class families. Jansie thinks that both of them are earmarked for working in a biscuit factory. She is a realistic girl and has also been called the voice of reason.

On the other hand, Sophie is quite different from her. She is a dreamer. She dreams of becoming the owner of a boutique. In one breath, she thinks of becoming a bank manager, an actress, and a fashion designer. Jansie reminds her of her limitations, but she does not pay any attention to her advice. Sophie is a victim of fantasizing and hero-worshipping. Her hero is Danny Casey. She tells her brother that she has met him in the arcade. She adds more about her hero and nobody in her family believes in her wild stories. Even her father is very critical of her crazy stories.

In contrast to her, Jansie is a reasonable girl. At last, Sophie suffers disappointment due to her nature of fantasising about her dreams.

Q2.  Imagine that Mahatma Gandhi visited Mukesh's town Firozabad on his request. Now, supposing yourself Mukesh, write a diary entry mentioning what Gandhiji did for the poor bangle-makers there.

Ans.

Monday

Feb22, 20xx

Dear Diary,

Today, Mahatma Gandhi visited our city Firozahad. First, he talked to the elders of our locality. Then he had a meeting with the young men. We all told Gandhiji about our exploitation by the Sahuhars, the middlemen, and even the policemen. We also told Gandhiji how they bullied us if we ever tried to raise our voices against them. Gandhiji listened to us patiently and assured us of justice. He advised us not to be afraid of anybody. After that, Gandhi ji made a march toward the police station. Hundreds of people followed him in the march.

Gandhiji lodged an FIR against the people who were exploiting and bullying us. The police arrested them. Then Gandhiji announced a scheme for allotting us homes free of cost. The state government also announced a package of financial help to us.

Finally, Gandhiji called me on stage and appreciated my bold decision to raise a voice against the exploiters.

 Q3. A crisis brings out our true capacity for compassion and kindness. Support the above statement using M. Hamel from ‘The Last Lesson’ as an example. State any one detail from the text.

Ans. Indeed, crisis always brings out the best in our capacity for compassion and kindness. In ‘The Last Lesson’, the crisis is that the people of Alsace and Lorraine have come under the rule of the Prussian government. In place of their mother tongue, they will be taught German, a foreign language. In this situation, M Hamel became a totally changed person. He is very mild and humble in his behaviour. Franz is greatly influenced by his way of teaching. The elderly people of the village have also come to show their unity, solidarity, and compassion not only for M Hamel but also for themselves. In the end, M Hamel feels overwhelmed by his emotions. He is unable to speak any further. Thus, when human beings together are in a crisis, they show all types of human values for one another. (Long Answer)

Q4. Edla’s empathic and compassionate behavior changed the life of the rattrap-seller. Do you think that an act of kindness can change a person’s view of the world?

Ans. Yes, I think that an act of kindness can change the heart of even a hardcore criminal.  People always treated him coldly. He was a poor vagabond, who wandered about here and there in search of food and shelter.  The rattrap seller had a very critical view of the world. It was for the first time, that he received a warm welcome from the crofter. For the second time, the ironmaster’s daughter Edla Willmanson forced her father to allow him to stay and share Christmas food with them. She not only entertained him with delicious food but also spoke kindly to him. It all moved the tramp’s views about the world. In the ironmaster’s house, he was made to feel like a captain. Edla’s kind behavior caused a big change in the rattrap. So, he left behind a small rattrap, in which lay three wrinkled ten kronor notes with a letter of thanks for being so kind to him.

Q5. What did the rattrap seller write in his letter to Edla?

Ans. First of all, the peddler thanked her for being so kind to him and raising his status to that of a captain. He wrote that he did not want to embarrass her by showing himself as a thief. So he put the stolen money of thirty kronors in the small rattrap. He requested her to return it to the old crofter who lives in a cottage by the road and hangs his money pouch as bait on the window frame as bait to the poor wanderers. Finally, he disclosed that since he was raised to the status of a captain, he felt empowered to clear his conscious of the guilt of the theft he made at the crofter’s house. If she had not behaved with him so kindly, he would have never come out of the world’s big rattrap.

   Book Flamingo: Short Answer-type Value-Based Qs

 B. Answer in 4O-50 words:

Q1. What were strategies that helped the narrator overcome his fear of water that one can apply when facing any major fear? Explain any two.

Ans. William O Douglas adopted some strategies to overcome his fear of water and finally came out as a perfect swimmer. First, he did not allow fear to overpower his mind. He did not allow himself to lose his consciousness. Second, he engaged an instructor to teach him the skill of swimming systematically. These two strategies were adopted by William O Douglas. 

Q2. Imagine that John Keats meets someone who is feeling sad. What advice would he give to such a person? State any one feature of beauty from ‘A Thing of Beauty’ and relate the advice to it. 

Ans. If John Keats meets a person, who is feeling sad, I think, he would advise that person to go into the lap of nature to relax his mind and forget about his sadness. He will also mention that nature has a healing power. It is always ready to soothe the human heart with its beautiful objects. Nature never disappoints human beings. With the power of imagination, a person can enjoy the permanence of beauty.

Q3. What kind of person is William O Douglas? 

Ans. William Dongles is a bold and have type of person. In the beginning, there grew a strong aversion to water in his mind. When he was just three or four years old, he had a bad experience at a California beach. After that, a misadventure took place at the YMCA pool. But, gradually, he overpowered it. It proves that he is a man of strong willpower and determination.

Q4. Douglas uses sensory details to create a vivid image of the unfortunate experience in the pool. What might be the impact on the reader if the narration were more informative than sensory?

Ans. The writer has excellently used his narrative skills while describing the unfortunate experience that he had at the YMCA pool. He creates a vivid image that appeals to the senses of sight, smell, and even touch. The reader shares the same feelings of awe, hope, despair, and life and death. If the narrative style had been only factual, the story could not have moved the reader’s heart.

Q5. What inference can you draw from Dr Rajendra Parsad’s consultations with lawyers at Motihari?

Ans. The lawyers at Motihari had a discussion among themselves. They decided to leave for their home in case Gandhiji was arrested. But, Dr. Rajeder Prasad made them understand that it would be very shameful for them if they left Gandhiji alone in his struggle for the peasants of Bihar. It shows Rajender Prasad’s convincing power and Gandhiji’s quality of leadership.  

Q6. How does the setting of the remote forest location in The Rattrap contribute to the overall tone and mood of the story?

Ans. The minute detail of the forest in the story “The Rattrap creates a sense of awe and wilderness that resides in the remote corners of every human heart. This is the reason why the Rattrap feels scared and miserable about being caught in the labyrinth of the intricate forest. The writer has successfully used the device of parallelism. The reader also gets lost in the deep of the forest along with the tramp.

Q7. What doubts did Edla have in her mind about the tramp?

 Ans. On seeing the peddler, Edla, at once, had some doubts about the peddler. She could not believe that he had been a captain. He did not seem to be an educated person. She thought that either he had stolen something or he had escaped from jail.

 

 Q8. What kind of two contrasting worlds have been created in the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich?

Ans. Adrienne Rich creates two worlds in this poem. One is of beautiful tigers moving proudly and confidently in the world of green. The second one is Aunt Jennifer’s. She is shown as a weak, old, and terror-stricken woman. The tigers are bright and yellow against the green background. They are the symbols of power and fearlessness. But, the woman in the poem in the man-dominated world is old timid, suppressed dependent, and unconfident.

Q9. Why does Sophie’s father look at her with disgust, when Geoff says, ‘Sophie’s met Danny Casey’?

Ans. Geoff told his father that Sophie had met Danny Casey. Then he looked at her in disgust. Actually, he disliked Sophie’s wild stories. He thought that it would be her other fantasy. He  also warned her that her habit of cooking wild stories would one day land her in trouble

Q10 Why did the poet suppress her pain in the presence of her mother at the airport?

Ans. While travelling with her mother in her car to Cochin airport, she noticed her mother's face very closely. It looked pale like the face of a dead person. She was shocked and afraid that her mother would not live for more time. But she suppressed her worry. She does not want to show her sad face to her mother. So, she gave a broad smile to her mother.

Q11. Why was the peddler surprised when the crofter opened the door with a smile?

Ans- The peddler was never welcomed as a guest at any door whenever he knocked it for shelter. But the crofter opened the door with a smile and allowed him to enter the cottage. It was a big surprise for the peddler. He was duly entertained and served with food by the crofter.

Q12. What did Gandhiji do for the social and cultural upliftment of the people of Chapman?

Ans. After solving the problems of the peasants in Champaran, Gandhiji, worked for the social and cultural upliftment of the people there. He engaged teachers and doctors to serve the people. The health conditions were very bad there. His team of volunteers taught women about their personal hygiene. They were also taught how to keep their surroundings clean.

Q13. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from having dreams?

Ans. Jansie was Sophie’s true friend. So, she always guided her and discouraged her from having unrealistic dreams. She knew very well that her fantasies would end up only in frustration and disappointment. She did not like her friend to fall into any kind of trouble.

Q14. Why was the English poet, who once visited the Gemini studios, as baffled as the audience?

Ans. The English poet addressed a large gathering at the Gemini studios. He used his British accent while speaking to the audience. No one could understand what he was saying. The poet was also baffled as he did not receive any response from the audience.

Q15. Why did aunt Jennifer created tigers so different from her own character?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer finds solace and some relief in her artful creation of the tigers. It shows her yearning for a free, confident, fearless, and independent life. So, unlike her real life, she depicts a different world of green in the tigers, who walk in a proud, certain, fearless and determined manner.

Q16. What is the irony in the poem The aunt Jennifer’s Tiger?

Ans. The irony lies in the fact that aunt Jennifer would not feel liberated from the oppression done to her by her husband even after her death. This is symbolized by her finger that is ringed by the uncle’s wedding band. On the other hand, the tigers would always be free to walk in the forest fearlessly and confidently.

Q17. What is Aunt Jennifer's death symbolic of?

Ans. Aunt Jennifer’s death would be a terrific message for the womankind to do something solid to liberate themselves from the age-long oppression done to them by their counterparts men. It would be a tragic end to the life of a women, who served her family without any selfish motive, but received only maltreatment.

Q18. What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?

Ans. The text of the poem shows that Aunt Jennifer lived a life full of ordeals and fulfilling the demands of her husband. It seems that she never did anything for her happiness except creating the images of beautiful tigers on the panel. The harsh treatment given to her by her husband made her dummy, timid and fearful type of a woman. The only relaxing moments she must have had were when she worked on the panel.

Q19.Do you think Aunt Jennifer's tigers is a tragic poem? Why or why not?

The poem reflects the harsh reality of the miserable conditions under which married women live in different parts of the world, depicting Aunt Jennifer as a victim of patriarchy. The tone of the poem is cheerful while describing the tigers, and sad while portraying Aunt Jennifer's life, dreams, and aspirations.

How would you describe the tiger created by aunt Jennifer?

unt Jennifer's tigers are a bright topaz colour that gives the tigers attention to their prominent presence. The tigers are grand and fearless in their natural surroundings. Here 'chivalric certainty' represents the power and virtue with confidence and conviction of the tigers.