Fog

 Poet:

Carl August Sandburg (1878-1967) was an American poet. He was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes (two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lioncoln).

Poem: Fog is a small poem consisting 2 sentences in 6 lines. The poet writes about the arrival and departure of the Fog into a harbour city. He compares the fog to a cat. 

Summary: 

The poet says the fog is coming towards the city and the harbour just like a cat. It comes very silently and unnoticed. Later the fog covers the whole city and the harbour as if a cat is siting on its hunches. At the end, the fog departs as silently, as unpredictably as a cat.

Literary Devices:

Metaphor: Fog is comapred to a cat.

Personification: Fog is personified. 

Enjambment: The two sentences used in the poem continue to the following line without any punctuation marks at the end of the lines.

Rhyme Scheme: There is no rhymne scheme followed in the poem. It is in free verse.

Answers to the textual questions:

1. What does Sandburg think the fog is like?

Sandburg, the poem thinks that the fog is like a cat that comes silently and unnoticed.

2. How does the fog come?

The fog comes very silenctly like a cat.

3. What does 'it' in the third line refer to?

'It' in the third lilne refers to the fog.

4. Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat.

The poet compares fog to a cat.

The three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat are:

1. The fog comes on its little cat feet meaning that the fog arrivves silently just like a cat.

2. It sits looking over harbour and city on silent hunches meaning that the fog has encompassed the city as it a cat sitting on its hunches is looking all over.

3. ... and then moves on meaning that the fog departs as silently and as unexpectedly as a cat.

The Snake and the Mirror

 Thinking about the Text

(Page 60)

 

1. “ The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?

Ans. The doctor heard the sound of rats. The sound was a familiar one. He heard this sound four times. The phrases are ‘Again I heard that sound from above’, ‘Again came that noise from above, and ‘Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube has fallen’. The sounds stopped after the appearance of the snake.

 

2. What two “important” and “earth¬shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

Ans: The doctor took the following two ‘important’ and ‘earth shaking’ decisions. They are:

(a) He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.

(b) He would always keep that attractive smile on his face.

 

3. I looked into the mirror and smiled,” says the doctor. A little later he says, “I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself.” What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when

(i) he first smiles, and

(ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?

Ans: The doctor thought that he had a good smile when he first smiled. But when he smiled a little later, he laughed at his destiny. His life was in danger. His thoughts got changed because of the snake. He was quite near to death.

 

II. This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous?

(Think of the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality. Some of them are listed below).

 

Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.

 

1. The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)

2. The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)

Ans: The doctor is a poor man. He does not have much money. His house has no electricity. It is a small rented room which has many rats. He has about sixty rupees in his suitcase. Along with some shirts and dhotis, he also possesses a single black coat.

He wants to be a handsome person. So he decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache. He also wishes to accumulate wealth.

 

3. The person he wants to marry

The person he actually marries

Ans: He intends to marry a woman doctor who has plenty of money and good medical practice. He wishes to have a fat wife so that she cannot run after him and catch him when he would make a mistake.

The person he actually marries is a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter.

 

4. His thoughts when he looks into the mirror

His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm

Ans: He thinks that he should look smart. So he decides to shave daily and maintain a mustache. He also wants to keep up his smile. He is happy and content when he looks into the mirror.

When the snake coiled around his left arm above the elbow, he kept sitting there holding his breath. He became motionless. He was afraid of the snake.

The Trees

Summary

The Tree is a short symbolic poem and it focuses on the movement of trees that are initially indoors but seeking to escape to freedom in the forest. The trees represent the nature and womanhood in particular. It is written by Adrienne Rich. Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore USA. She was a famous poet, essayist, and feminist.

This poem presents a conflict between men and nature. The poetess suggests here that the trees and plants used in the interior decoration in cities are as imprisoned. They need freedom. These trees want to move out to the forest where trees decreasing day by day due to cutting. The poetess says that everything has a deep desire for freedom. It is necessary for growth and wellbeing. We must follow the nature of laws.

This poem is a voice with a body engaged in the activities and sensing intrusion which are not organic to the conventions of a native poem. This poem is demonstrating the unsuitability of language itself as a greenhouse or container of nature. She knows that once the trees move to the forest area, the house will have complete silence.

In this poem, “I” is the voice of the speaker of the poem Adrienne Rich.  Poem The Trees is the voice with a body engaged in the activities and sensing intrusions that are not organic to the conventions of a nature poem.  This is actually an unnatural poem that narrates the struggle of a population of trees to escape the confined surrounding of a greenhouse.  Through the trees, this poem demonstrates the unsuitability of the language itself as a greenhouse. The poetess is the witness for the trees exodus but making distances herself from participating in the making of something out of the spectacle. She can sit and write too.

Even though the speaker addresses the audience, her own head is full of whispers and she is an audience as well.  We, however, the audience to the poem, are compelled with the command. The speaker reaches across the barrier between the poem and the audience. A transaction that occurs on the page, and says for listening.

Poetess articulates her consciousness of the many levels of inner and outer and the blurring of the boundaries between them.  In the poem, the trees are in the house of the poet. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks of the floor in the veranda. The leaves are making efforts to move towards the glass.  An open door is for the night and the whole moon and the sky is available to the speaker. This tree is at the same time, through this door the smell of leaves still reaches back in.  The speaker’s head is another interior and implicitly entered by the whispers.

The poetess is especially intrigued by the image of the trees similar to newly discharged patients. The poet is making a comparison to the long-cramped branches which are shuffling under the roof with the newly discharged patients from the hospital. As they are moving towards the hospital doors after their long illnesses. The branches have cramped under the gaps with the roof. Therefore they want to get out into the open to spread themselves in the fresh air.

Answers to textual questions:

1. (i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.

Ans: The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest according to Adrienne Rich are – the sitting of a bird on trees, the hiding of insects, and the sun burying its feet in the shadow of the forest.

 (ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: “….. sun bury its feet in shadow…..1′? What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet’?

Ans: The sun’s ‘feet’ refers to the rays of the sun that fall on the earth. When there is no shadow on the ground, because there are no trees, the rays fall directly on the ground. In a forest with trees, the shadow hides the sun's rays as if the sun is burying its feet in the shadow that falls from the trees.

 2. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?

Ans. In the poem, the trees are trapped in the poet’s house. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves try very hard to move towards the glass and put a lot of pressure on it so that it breaks, while the small twigs get stiff with strain.

(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

Ans. The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients of a hospital. The large branches of the trees become cramped due to the roof above them, and when they get free they rush stumbling to the outside world. While doing so, they look half-shocked like the patients, who wait for a long time to get out of the hospital.

 3. (i) How does the poet describe the moon:

(a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and

(b) at its end? What causes this change?

Ans. (a) At the beginning of the third stanza, the poet says that the full moon is shining in the open sky in the fresh night.

(b)At the end of the stanza, she describes that the moon breaks into pieces like a broken mirror and shines on the heads of the tallest oak trees. As the trees move outside, they cover some of the shine of the moon and it can be seen only in parts. So it seems that the moon has broken into pieces.

 2. What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

Ans. When the trees move out of the house, the glasses break and the whispers of the trees vanish, leaving the house silent.

 3. Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about important happenings that are so unexpected that they embarrass us? Think about this again when you answer the next set of questions.)

Ans: The poet hardly mentions about “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters because it is humans, who did not care for nature in the first place. So, maybe, the poet now thinks that nobody would be interested in knowing about the efforts that the trees are making in order to set themselves free. If other men cared about the trees, they would not have destroyed them. It seems that this whole beauty of trees moving back to forests can be seen and felt only by the poet.

 4. Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here are two suggestions. Can you think of others?

 1. Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‘interior decoration’ in cities while forests are cut down, are ‘imprisoned1, and need to ‘break out’?

2. On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings: this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of this particular meaning?

  Ans: Since a poem can have different meanings for different readers and the poet can mean two different things using the same imagery, both these meanings can be justified in the context of the poem:

 1. Yes, the poem presents a conflict between man and nature. Man has always caused much harm to nature, without realizing that it actually is harm to the human race. Humans cut down forests for forest goods, which has destroyed a lot of natural beauty. By keeping trees inside walls and denying them their natural home, they are denying them their freedom. So, the trees want to move out. Similarly, in the poem A Tiger in the Zoo, the poet shows that animals feel bound by cages and they want to get free and run wild in the open.

 2. If trees have been used as a metaphor for human beings, then the poem would mean that like the trees, humans too want to break free of the boundaries that life puts on them. Modern life with all kinds of physical comfort has also brought a lot of moral downfalls. Our lives have become busy and we have become selfish and greedy. Man would also want to enjoy the beauty of nature and go out in the open and be free, just like trees.

A Question of Trust

 (Page 20)

1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books.

 

2. Why does he steal every year?

He stole every year so that he could buy the rare and expensive books that he loved to collect. Each year he planned carefully so as to steal enough to last twelve months.

 

(Page 22)

3. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

A lady standing in the doorway is speaking to Horace Danby. She is  young and pretty and is dressed in red. She says that she has come just in time, or else her family would have been robbed by Horace. Thus she pretends to be one of the members of the family living at Shotover Grange.

 

4. Who is the real culprit in the story?

The real culprit in the story is the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at Shotover Grange. She tricks Horace Danby into believing her, and cleverly takes away all the jewels that are kept in the safe.

 

Think About It

(Page 25)   

 

Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so, at what point did you realise this, and how?

Yes, I begin to suspect before the end of the story that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be. She was unusually calm on seeing Horace. This seemed strange. When she did not call the police, and instead asked Horace to take out all the jewels from the safe, even if it meant breaking it open, it seems suspicious. Moreover, it seemed highly unlikely that she would forget the number combination to open the safe. Therefore it was evident, before the story ended, that the lady was not the person Horace had taken her to be.

 

2. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?

Her confident walk, her familiarity with the dog Sherry, her act of touching up her make-up, and the ease with which she picks a cigarette from the right place are the subtle ways in which the lady deceives Horace. They are enough to deceive anybody. Horace is very frightened and cannot think properly, so he doesn’t suspect anything.

 

 

3. Horace Danby was good and respectable – but not completely honest”. Why do you think this description is apt for Horace? Why can’t he be categorised as a typical thief?

Horace is not an ordinary thief. His habits are not usual for a thief. He is fond of books. He seals only once in a year and that too only as per his needs. He is a successful locksmith. He only robs the rich. However, an act of theft is still a crime, no matter how well a thief behaves, so this description is apt for Horace. He can’t be categorised as a typical thief because he is not a regular offender like other thieves.

 

 

4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Horace Danby failed to get enough information about the real occupants of the house. He seems to be too occupied with collecting information about the house map, wiring, and location of valuable items. Although he was smart enough to know the dog’s actual name, he overlooked getting information about the occupants of the house. When he landed in trouble with the appearance of the young lady, his clever mind gave way to carelessness, leading him to open the safe without wearing gloves.

 

Talk About It

 

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

(or)

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished? (CBSE 2013)

Horace Danby deserved what he got. A crime is a crime, no matter if it is committed for the criminal’s own benefit or for somebody else.

 

2. Do intentions justify actions? Would you, like Horace Danby, do something wrong if you thought your ends justified the means? Do you think that there are situations in which it is excusable to act less than honestly?

We cannot go on a wrong way to do a good thing. For their own benefit, we should not harm or cheat others. But the real world is different. We know of many examples of people tricking people for quick gains. These acts should be discouraged and punished.

The Thief's Story

Vocabulary: 

approach [verb] come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance or time.

Usage: The train approached Palakollu railway station with a thundering noise.

flattery [noun] excessive and insincere praise, given especially to further one's own interests

Usage: Some people use flattery to get things done.

modestly [adverb] n an unassuming manner; without vanity or arrogance;.in a humble way:

appealing [adjective] attractive or interesting.

Usage: His appealing manners impressed the principal.

cheating [gerund or present participle] [verb – to cheat] act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. -taking away dishonestly,

Usage: I don’t like cheating anyone for my gains.

opportunity [noun] a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something; chance

Usage: The government’s new policy has increased opportunities for export.

crawled [verb] [past tense of crawl] move forward on the hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground

Usage: The thief crawled towards the iron safe like a cat.

hesitated [verb] [past tense of hesitate] pause in indecision before saying or doing something

Usage: Once you have made a decision you should not hesitate.

deserted [adjective] (of a place) empty of people

Usage: All the streets were deserted during the Covid – 19 pandemic.

Summary:

 

The story emphasizes basic human values and relationships. It is easier for a thief to burgle a greedy man. It is difficult even for a thief to burgle a careless and honest person.

 A young boy, a fifteen year old thief, becomes friends with Anil. He finds Anil gullible.  He wants to steal from him. Anil is a freelance writer, who earns off and on. Anil trusts him totally and employs him as a cook though he doesn’t know how to cook.

 The young thief calls himself Hari. He changes his name frequently to stay ahead of the police and old employers.Anil trusts Hari completely and wants to teach him how to read and write. Anil never minds Hari pocketing some money given to buy groceries and vegetables.

 One day, Anil gets a lump sum amount of Rs.600. Hari steals the money and tries to go away on a train. Before hopping into the moving train, he hesitates and changes his mind. He goes back to Anil’s room and keeps the money under the pillow from where he has taken it. He wants to learn how to read and write. He wants to become a respectable person.

Character Sketch:

Hari Singh Or The Thief

Hari Singh was a fifteen-year-old boy, who is an experienced and successful thief. He was clever and intelligent. So he was never caught. He used to change his name as and when he committed a theft. He was a careful planner. He trapped his victims with his appealing manners. He would then ask for some work. Once employed, he used to run away after stealing money or valuables. He got a job as a cook though he could not cook well. He was a greedy boy. He was prepared to rob a simple and trusting man like Anil. He was able to steal six hundred rupees from his house. However, he decided to return to Anil to have a dignified life and receive an education from Anil. 

Anil

Anil was an epitome of goodness in a human being. He was generous and friendly. He could not afford a servant, but he employed Hari Singh as a cook out of compassion. Hari did not know how to cook but Anil did not let him feel dejected. He also taught Hari how to read and write. He never minded Hari’s pocketing a rupee or two when he went out to buy supplies. He trusted Hari and did not hide the money. He evolved goodness in Hari. Hari stole the money but felt guilty. He could have boarded a train but did not. He decided to be with Anil and become an educated and respected man.

Iswaran the Story Teller

 Summary

This is a story about Mahendra, a junior supervisor, and his cook, Iswaran. Mahendra had to keep moving from place to place as ordered by the head office. But he had, fortunately, an expert caretaker, Iswaran who cooked his meals, washed his clothes, and chatted with him at night.

Iswaran was very fond of reading Tamil thrillers during his spare time. As a result, he innovated his own thrillers and would tell them to Mahendra. Mahendra would listen and enjoy them without any criticism.

Iswaran told a story about how he paralyzed a mad elephant that had gone berserk. He told that there were timber logs loaded on trucks. But if an elephant went mad no mahout could control it. The elephant now entered a school ground where children were playing, breaking through the brick wall. Children and teachers ran helter and shelter to save their lives. The elephant was stunned when Iswaran then only a little boy took a cane and hit at the elephant’s third toenail. The secret was if the elephant is hit there, his nervous system gets paralyzed.

Finally, one day talking about spirits of the ancestors, Iswaran began to talk of ghosts. He said that the place where they had their shed was once a burial ground. He also had come across ghosts but he was not scared of them. He told Mahendra about a woman ghost seen only on a full moon night. She moaned and carried a fetus in her arms. This terrified Mahendra so much that he finally thought of that woman ghost on a full moon night. He could hear a low moan outside his window. He peeped from his window and there stood the ghost of the woman. He flung himself down and found that he was often dreaming of that woman ghost. He had forgotten all about it the next morning till Iswaran asked him, “Sir, you were angry with me the other day when I told you about the ghost but didn’t you see her yourself last night?” Mahendra felt that the place was really haunted by ghosts and decided to go away from the place.

Question and Answers

1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

A. Iswaran is an asset to Mahendra as he accompanies him everywhere without complaining. He cooks food for him, washes his clothes, cleans the living place, and entertains him with his unique stories.

2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?

A. Iswaran would describe the uprooted tree dramatically by raising his eyebrows and making animated gestures with his hands. He would describe it as a huge beast lying on the road. Only after going near to it he realized that it was a fallen tree. He would say that its branches appeared to be the beast’s limbs that had spread out onto the road.

He wanted to create a scene in the listener’s mind so that he would get captivated in the story.

3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?

A. He gave an introduction that his village was surrounded by a dense forest. The wood was processed at the timber yards and the logs of timber were transported onto the lorries by elephants. He added that the beasts were huge and in case one of them went mad, it could not be controlled even by an experienced mahout. He told about a tusker that had gone mad. He would get so caught up in the excitement of his own story that he would get up from the floor and jump about, stamping his feet in emulation of the mad elephant.

No. The story doesn’t appear plausible.

4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?

A. Iswaran seemed to more than makeup for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters because his stories were so entertaining that every night they made up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living place. Mahendra would enjoy these stories which were full of adventure, suspense and horror.

5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full moon night?

A. Mahendra scolds Iswaran and says that ghosts do not exist. On a full moon night, he woke up from his sleep as he heard someone crying. At first, he thought that it was a cat that was hunting mice but as the sound grew louder and harsher, he was tempted to peep out of the window. In the white moonlight, he saw a dark, shady figure holding a bundle in its arms. Initially, he got scared but overcame it as he felt that his subconscious mind had played a trick on him. The next day, the presence of the ghost was confirmed by Iswaran and Mahendra realized that he actually saw a ghost the previous night. He did not want to live at a haunted place and so, resigned from the job.

6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?

A. The story proved the narrating abilities of Iswaran. I think it would be interesting if both the characters Iswaran and Mahendra did some more investigation into the matter before coming to a conclusion. After all, the presence of the ghost was confirmed by the storyteller, Iswaran himself. There was no other proof. 

Rain on the roof - Slides

Prepared by Master Praneeth Surya Datta

 

Tiger Poems from First Flight

 A Tiger in the Zoo

The Tiger

The Tiger-2

Photos used here are by Efe Yağız Soysal, Keyur Nandaniya, Joshua Lee, by Sam, and Mohamed Elsayed, and these are downloaded from Unsplash.

The Making of a Scientist

 Read and Find Out (Page 32)

1. How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?

The book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ opened the world of science for Richard. After reading it he became interested in tracking the migration of butterflies. This interest led to his other projects and experiments. Finally, he became a great scientist.

2. How did his mother help him?

Richard’s mother proved to be a great help. She took him on trips and bought scientific equipment for him. She spent all her time in setting up challenges for him. This helped him to learn a lot. She presented him with the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. The book changes Richard’s life forever.

Page 34

1. What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?

Ebright exhibited slides of frog tissues at a science fair. He did not get any prize. He learnt an important lesson that science is not just about display. It is about projects and experiments. He began conducting experiments from that day onwards.

2. What experiments and projects do he do then undertake?

He undertook many projects and experiments. He worked on viceroy butterflies to show that they copied monarch butterflies. He studied bright spots on the monarch pupa and discovered a new hormone. Also, he found out how cells read their DNA.

3. What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist?

There are three essential qualities that make a scientist. The first is a first rate mind. Next is the presence of curiosity. Last but not the least, it is the will to do the best and win.

Think About It (Page 38)

1. How can one become a scientist, an economist, a historian …? Does it simply involve reading many books on the subject? Does it involve observing, thinking and doing experiments?

Reading many books on a subject is not enough. One must develop the skill of observation and thinking. Experiments need to be done. One needs to have the curiosity to explore and find new things. Above all, one must work hard and not get upset by failures.

2. You must have read about cells and DNA in your science books. Discuss Richard Ebright’s work in the light of what you have studied. If you get an opportunity to work like Richard Ebright on projects and experiments, which field would you like to work on and why?

DNA carries the blueprint of life and heredity. They pass information from one generation to the other.

If I get an opportunity to work like Richard Ebright, I would choose to study diseases. By studying the DNA, I may find ways and means to cure many illnesses.

From the Diary of Anne Frank

 Oral Comprehension Check Page 51

3. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

Writing in a diary was a strange experience for Anne Frank as she never had a diary. It was a gift on her 13th birthday. She considered it her best friend. She shared everything with it.

4. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

Anne always feels lonely and distressed.  She wants to keep a diary to get off all the burden and pain. She finds a true friend in her diary as she has hardly any real friends.

5. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

Anne felt that paper had more patience than people to listen to her plight. So, it was easier for her to write all kind of thoughts. Her personal diary was not meant for anyone else to read.

6. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?

By providing the brief sketch of her life, Anne wants to give an introduction of her family. This is to help the reader to develop a connection with the author.

7. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

Anne lived with her grandmother for some time while her parents moved to Holland. She was very close to her Grandmother. She writes in her diary. “No one knows how often I think of her and still love her”. On her 13th birthday by lightening up one candle for Grandmother, she shows her love for her.

Page 54

8. Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she was very talkative. He punished her by giving her extra homework to write essays. The topics were related to her nature.

9. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

Anne explained in her essay that her mother was very talkative and she had inherited the trait from her mother. She also wrote that talking is a right of a student. Thus she justified her being a chatterbox.

10. Do you think Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher?

No, Mr. Keesing was not a strict teacher. Any teacher would be annoyed if children keep on talking in the class. He had laughed at Anne’s funny arguments. At last he allowed her to herself in his class.

11. What made Mr. Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

Anne’s last essay in the form of a poem showed Mr. Keesing the lighter side of a naughty child. He took it as a joke and laughed. From then onwards, he allowed Anne to talk in his class.

Thinking about the Text (Page 54)

1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a 13 year old girl?

Yes, Anne was right when she said so because most of the people don’t want to give importance to a child’s perspective toward the world. It is because they are too immature for the world. But Anne Frank has become one of the most discussed of all holocaust victims. Her ‘diary’ has been translated into many languages.

2. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s diary different?

Anne’s diary was entirely different from most of the examples given before the text. It was somewhere closer to the memoir in which the name of Raj Kapoor has been mentioned. It was originally written in Dutch language. It has informal tone and it brings out the careful nature of a teenager.

3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?

Anne gave an introduction of her family in the ‘diary’ because it was hard to make others realize that a 13 years old teenager could write about her loneliness. Kitty was an ‘outsider’ which was gifted by her parents on her 13th birthday but she considered it her best friend and treated it as an insider.

4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus and Mr. Keesing? What do these tell you about her?

Anne has fond of memories of her father, grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus and Mr. Keesing, who have left indelible impressions on her mind and affected her life a lot. The way she represents all of them in her diary reveals that Anne was very good at understanding people and at developing interpersonal relations.

5. What does Anne write in her first essay?

Mr. Keesing asked her to write an essay on the topic ‘A Chatterbox’ as punishment. In the essay, she accepted the drawbacks of being talkative but argued that it was in her genes as her mother was also very talkative. It was difficult to give up the habit and it was also a student’s trait.

6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr. Keesing unpredictable?

Initially, Mr. Keesing took Anne’s talkativeness seriously and gave her punishment. The punishment was to write an essay on a chatterbox. He laughs after reading the essay. His asked her to write another essay. When she wrote the essay in poetic form. He had taken it as a joke and he let her talk in her class.

7. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?

1. We don’t seem to be able to get any closer and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other.

2. I don’t want to write down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.

3. Margot went to Holland in December and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

4. If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on Earth.

5. Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.

1.A. Anne is reserved.

2.A. She is self-confident and inventive.

3.A. She is humorous as well.

4.A. Anne is intelligent.

5.A. She has a sense of propriety and convincing attitude.