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प्रश्न
Who do you think exhibits true friendship–Baldwin or Gresham? Justify your answer.
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उत्तर
This is a typical question for which much can be said on both sides. Both Baldwin and Gresham exhibit true friendship from their respective sides. Baldwin is rich in great virtues like loyalty, honesty, frugality, and valuing human relationships. He is loyal to Gresham with a thirty-five-year-old friendship. But the moment Gresham parts ways with honesty, Baldwin would part ways with him. The greatest compliment ever paid to Baldwin is not from Martha, Evie, or John but Gresham. Gresham meets Marshall and confesses that Baldwin is an honest man whose honesty cannot be purchased even with one hundred thousand dollars.
He is poor earning just 60 dollars a week, now even that is gone as the bank is closed. He is richer than Gresham in terms of uprightness and honesty. Baldwin, being a friend, shows Gresham the right path even when he realizes that his friends would be at stake. Thiruvalluvar says, “Friendship is not meant for just laughing and having fun but to criticize a friend when he is wrong.” Likewise, it is Baldwin who compels Gresham to close the bank and ensure the deposits through honest means. He doesn’t want to support friendship when a friend parts ways with honesty. He doesn’t openly articulate his unwillingness to accept the bait but his uncomfortable silence says it all. Thus both exhibit true friendship towards one another.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
What is the importance of Aksionov’s wife’s dream?
What made Aksionov leave the inn before dawn?
Did Makar feel guilty when he heard Aksionov’s story?
What made Aksionov think that Makar was the real murderer?
What was Aksionov’s realization by the end of the story?
Pick out the clues that convey that Makar Semyonich recognized Aksionov.
Describe Pi’s struggle to find drinking water.
Describe the lifeboat.
We judge people around us, based on their qualities and actions. We brand some people as good and some bad. What qualities, do you think, characterise a gentleman? Some of them may be merely external and some others internal
When we see a few coins scattered on the ground, we would probably pick them up on the sly or walk away ignoring them. What if it was an envelope full of ` 2000 bills? How are people likely to react in such a situation?
Discuss with a partner and share your views.
Rearrange the following sentences in a meaningful sequence and write the summary of the play.
| a) Baldwin who returned home after meeting Gresham, informed his family that Gresham had offered a hundred thousand, if he would utter the words ‘I don’t remember’ in court, during the trial. |
| b) The family members tried to justify Gresham’s act and enticed Baldwin into accepting the money. |
| c) Thus ‘The Hour of Truth’ had dawned relieving Baldwin of the heavy burden and guilt. |
| d) Baldwin was an honest and upright man, working under John Gresham, in a bank. |
| e) To save Baldwin, Mr. Marshall, President of the Third National, visited him and informed him that Gresham had confessed his crime, in order to free him from betraying his trusted friend and testifying painfully against him. |
| f) Gresham and Baldwin had been thick friends for over 30 years and Baldwin had even named his son after Gresham. |
| g) Baldwin felt disgusted with himself and the attitude of his family members. |
| h) Gresham had been arrested for misappropriation of money at the bank and Baldwin was to testify against him. |
| i) Mr. Marshall also offered Baldwin a job in his Bank, to reward him for his honesty and integrity. |
| j) The family members who were initially against Gresham, changed their mind on hearing the huge sum offered by him. |
What made Martha withdraw her money from the bank?
John feels Gresham deserves punishment. Why?
Sketch the character of:
i) Robert Baldwin
ii) John Gresham.
What was Ausable waiting for?
Fowler was thrilled when he entered Ausable’s room. Why?
Was Ausable really waiting for the police? Give reasons.
What makes the earth the one and only living planet?
Name a few things that make the earth a unique planet.
What do children get ready for at the beginning of the story?
Why does Margot wish to return to the earth?
Based on your understanding of the story, complete the story map.
Now read the sentence below. Complete them appropriately with the word you identified from the grid.
The children are getting ready for the ______event.
How did Lord Weston describe himself?
Do you think that Lady Weston did not care about the threat to her husband? State reasons.
Compare the character traits of Lord Weston and his wife.
Group Work
The play revolves around a ‘perceived threat’ and how Lord Weston and Lady Weston react to it. Let’s reverse their roles. Imagine a panic-stricken Lady Weston and a frivolous Lord Weston. Read the following piece of dialogue from the play and rewrite it to suit the changed roles.
| WESTON | My dear, your husband’s life is in grave danger. |
| LADY WESTON | The last time it was in danger you had been eating game pie. What is it this time? |
| WESTON (annihilating her flippancy with one broadside) | Assassination! |
| LADY WESTON | Well, well! You always wanted to be a great man and now you have got your wish! |
| WESTON | What do you mean? |
| LADY WESTON | They don’t assassinate anybody. |
