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प्रश्न
Fiction writers prefer creating grey characters rather than black and white. Analyse this in detail, with reference to both the characters of The Thief’s Story.
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उत्तर
Introduction - Both characters in ‘The thief’s story’ are neither completely black (negative) or white (ideal) as both of them have redeeming qualities as well as those that need improvement. Therefore, the story reveals both their personas as grey. (mix of both black and white). Let us look at the natures of these characters individually.
i. Hari Singh
- He was a thief who was artful and too smart for his age.
- He fooled his victims and police with the help of his mind and wasn’t ashamed of lying and stealing.
- Also, he made no efforts to confess that he had given in to the temptation of stealing the notes.
- However, his nature changed due to love, affection, and Anil's trust.
- Therefore, the character of Hari Singh is not a flat character who is either black or white.
ii. Anil -
- While we can admire Anil for his qualities such as him being helpful and simple, he also had certain negative or ‘not ideal’ qualities such as -
- He was easily trusting and forgave the thief
- He never uttered a word despite knowledge of the theft.
- He was also casual about money and ignored Hari Singh’s pilfering.
- Therefore, even the character of Anil is not a flat character who is either black or white.
Conclusion - Grey characters present a challenge to the readers, allow a sense of unpredictability and present a moral challenge. Hari Singh and Anil are created as grey characters.
Notes
Marking Scheme
Content - 3, Expression - 2, Accuracy - 1
Curriculum document - Questions to assess creativity, imagination and extrapolation beyond the text and across the texts. This can be a passage-based question/ or taken from a situation/plot from the texts.
Note -
- Use the given descriptors to mark the LQs. For Content (refer to Value points) and Expression.
- If the response does not justify all points of a level, the response is marked down.
| Descriptors for Content (with reference to value points) | Marks |
|
• Sustained, clear, well-developed personal response to the task |
3 |
|
• Largely, a reasonably well-developed personal response to the task |
2 |
| • Fairly competent personal response to the task • Justification with restricted arguments/evidence |
1 |
|
• Limited awareness of the task |
½ |
| Descriptors for Expression (Coherence & Cohesion) | Marks |
|
• Carefully structured content with a beginning, middle and end with highly relevant ideas presented cohesively. |
2 |
|
• Ideas are generally well sequenced and related to the given topic maintaining overall cohesion of ideas. |
1½ |
| • Ideas sequenced fairly well and related to the given topic, sometimes maintaining cohesion of ideas. • Range of vocabulary is limited and conveys a basic idea of the overall meaning |
1 |
|
• Poor sequencing of ideas; though related to the given topic, expressed in a disjointed manner exhibiting a lack of coherence of ideas. |
½ |
| Descriptors for Accuracy | Marks |
|
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar are almost always or mostly accurate with occasional minor errors which do not impede communication |
1 |
|
• Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are fairly accurate, with some minor errors that mildly impede communication |
½ |
| • A lot of errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that impede communication. | 0 |
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Does Anil realize that he has been robbed?
Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1. Choose the correct alternatives from the given options and rewrite the sentences :
(appealing, casually, flattery, well-oiled) (2)
(1) I followed ….........
(2) Anil talked about the ….........wrestlers.
(3) I gave him my most ….........smile.
(4) A little …......... helps in making friends.
I was still a thief when 1 met Anil. And though only 15, was an experienced and fairly successful hand.
Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was about 25 — a tall, lean fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence.
“You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making friends.
“So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin.
“Well, I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.”
“What's your name ?”
“Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers.
After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn't have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually.
“Hello again,” he said.
I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you”. I said.
“But I can't pay you.”
I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man. I asked, “Can you feed me ?”
“Can you cook ?”
“I can cook,” I lied again.
“If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.”
He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing.
A2. Complete the following web-chart: (2)
A3. Find the similar meaning words from the passage for the following : (2)
(1) endearing
(2) miscalculated
(3) humbly
(4) awful
A4.
(1) “I want to work for you,” I said. (1)
(Change it into indirect speech)
(2) I can’t pay you. (1)
(Rewrite making it affirmative)
A5. “We should learn from our own mistakes.” Explain. (2)
Pick out from the story 3 or 4 examples of Code-mixing (Indian words used in English).
Read the story carefully and complete the table:
| Total no. of characters | Names | Ages | Physical appearance |
Earned money by |
Qualities |
Complete the given sentence.
Hari was grateful ____________
Complete the given sentence.
Hari continued making money ____________
Complete the given sentence.
The moral of the story is ________.
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
Why didn’t Anil hand over Hari to the police? What effect would it have had on Hari?
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
Do you feel Anil’s way of handling a thief like Hari was effective? Justify your answer.
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
What tact had Anil used to change Hari’s dishonest ways?
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
‘And the smile came by itself without any effort.’ Say why. When do people give fake smiles?
Write a character sketch of ‘Hari Singh’ with the help of the following points, using the paragraph format.
- Hari Singh's background
- His dishonesty
- His aspirations
- His courage to change himself
Read the following passage and do the activities.
|
I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I was an experienced and fairly successful hand. Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was about 25- a tall, lean fellow - and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn't had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man's confidence. "You look a bit of a wrestler yourself," I said. A little flattery helps in making friends. "So do you," he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin. "Well," I said modestly, "I do wrestle a bit." "What's your name ?" "Harl Singh," I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers. After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn't have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually. "Hello again," he said. I gave him my most appealing smile. "I want to work for you." I said. "But I can't pay you." I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man. I asked, "Can you feed me ?" "Can you cook?" "I can cook," I lied again. "If you can cook, then may be I can feed you." |
A1. Complete the given boxes with who said to whom: (2)
| Statement | Who | To whom | |
| (i) | You look a bit of a wrestler yourself. | ||
| (ii) | If you can cook, then may be I can feed you. |
A2. Complete the cluster diagram mentioning the characteristics of the main character of the passage: (2)
A3. Choose the correct meanings of the following words from the given options: (2)
- Flattery -
- insincere praise
- appreciation
- creating false impression
- unfaithful behaviour
- Appealing -
- good conduct
- attractive
- charming
- beautiful
A4. Do as directed: (2)
- I took a new name every month.
[Frame 'Wh' question to get the underlined part as an answer.] - I was an experienced hand.
[Underline the determiners from the given sentence.]
A5. Why do you think Hari Singh gave his most appealing smile? (2)
Read the following passage and do the activities.
A1. Relate the following qualities with the two characters of the story:
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Narrator | Anil | |
| (1) | ||
| (2) |
| He took to his room over the Jumna Sweet shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn't help laughing. Later, he patted me on the head and said never mind, he'd teach me to cook. He also taught me to write my name and said he would soon teach me to write whole sentences and add numbers. I was grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve. It was quite pleasant working for Anil. I made the tea in the morning and then would take my time buying the day's supplies, usually making a profit of about a rupee a day. I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind. Anil made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one week, and lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque, but as soon as it arrived he would go out and celebrate. It seems he wrote for magazines a queer way to make a living! One evening he came home with a small bundle of notes, saying he had just sold a book to a publisher. At night, I saw him tuck the money under the mattress. |
A2. State whether true or false:
- Anil liked what the narrator cooked.
- Anil taught the narrator to write his name.
- Anil was a wealthy person.
- Anil made money by fits and starts.
A3. Match the words to their meanings.
| (1) Pleasant | Strange |
| (2) Fits and starts | Satisfactory |
| (3) Queer | Give |
| (4) Lend | Irregular bursts of activities |
A4. Do as directed:
Frame 'Wh' questions with reference to the phrases underlined below. (Change the first person pronouns to second person)
- He taught me to write my name.
- I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.
A5. Give a brief description of Anil and the narrator's characters.
Answer the following in about 100-120 words:
Trust and compassion can reform a person. Justify this statement in the light of the lesson 'The Thief's Story'.
