Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

The photographer beckoned me in. I thought he seemed quieter and graver than before. I think, too, there was a certain pride in his manner. He unfolded the proof of a large photograph, and we both looked at it in silence. “Is it me?” I asked.

1. Where was the narrator asked to come and by whom? (Understanding)
2. What was the photographer proud of? (Understanding)
3. Both the photographer and the narrator looked at the proof of the photograph in silence. Why do you think both were silent? (Analysis)
4. What was the narrator’s reaction on seeing his photograph? (Understanding and Analysis)
5. What other changes did the photographer want to make in the final finish of the photograph? Why? (Understanding)

Answer 1

1. The narrator was asked to come into the photographer’s studio by the photographer. The photographer beckoned him into the room to show him the proof of his photograph.
2. The photographer was proud of the work he had done on the narrator’s photograph. He believed that his retouching and technical skills had improved the narrator’s appearance considerably.
3. They were silent because the photograph looked very different from the narrator’s actual appearance. The photographer was probably admiring his own work, while the narrator was surprised and confused because he could hardly recognise himself.
4. The narrator was shocked and surprised on seeing the photograph. Since the photographer had altered his features so extensively, he could hardly recognise himself and asked, “Is it me?”
5. The photographer wanted to make further changes to the narrator’s features, including adjusting the eyes, mouth, chin, ears, and other facial details. He wanted to make the photograph conform to his own idea of an attractive and well-balanced face.