Advertisements
Advertisements
प्रश्न
With close reference to the short story, To Build a Fire, discuss how the Man's lack of imagination led to his paralysing death while the dog's primitive instincts helped him to survive.
Advertisements
उत्तर
In the short story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London, the central character, an unnamed man, embarks on a journey with his wolf-dog through the frozen Yukon Wilderness. Unfortunately, the man's demise results from his excessive self-assurance and failure to envision the dire circumstances, contrasting sharply with the dog's survival based on primitive instincts.
The absence of imagination in the man is apparent from the story's outset. He disregards the perilous weather conditions he is bound to encounter, dismissing the warnings of the old-timer and obstinately relying on misplaced confidence to conquer the extreme cold. Even the dog's evident unease, signaling impending danger, goes unnoticed. The man neglects essential precautions, such as building a fire, and fails to prepare when faced with an emergency.
As the man proceeds, a series of errors stemming from his lack of imagination unfolds. Ignoring the dog's warning, he falls into a creek, soaking his feet and placing himself in a life-threatening situation. Despite last-minute efforts, he struggles to build a warming fire and ultimately succumbs to death.
In contrast, the dog's reliance on primitive instincts enables it to adapt to changing circumstances. Recognizing the man's demise, the dog instinctively understands the necessity to return to the base camp, where food and fire are available. This quick thinking ensures the dog's survival, highlighting the man's fatal outcome due to his failure of imagination.
The narrative underscores the significance of imagination, thoughtfulness, and adaptability for survival in extreme conditions. While the man's lack of imagination leads to his premature death, the dog's instinctive actions spare it from a similar fate. The story serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the need to respect the formidable power of nature.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Thinking about the Poem
How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
The teacher will read out the story of a young girl about a special day.
One day our teacher announced that there was a surprise awaiting us the next day. We were asked to get whatever little pocket money we could.
The next day our teacher said, 'Today is Grandparents' Day' and you will be meeting many grandparents who do not live with their families. Yes, we were going to an Old Age Home! On the way we bought a nice big cake, chart paper and balloons. We entered an old, big building. Later we were taken into a hall and were allowed to decorate it.
We blew balloons and hung them around the hall. We cut out chart paper, wrote quotes, drew pictures and stuck them on the wall. Then came in all the grey–haired sweethearts, some alone, some couples, some in groups ans settled down.
It was time to welcome them. Robert, who was a good speaker, greeted them and told them that we had come along to make their day a little special. We gathered in front and started singing songs for them. Most of the people were single grandparents whose spouses had expired. The other few were couples; many of them were smiling and singing along too. But there were a few who sat without any expression. While some of us sang the others sat beside them and spoke to them.
Two of us cut the cake into several pieces to be distributed. We were informed by the caretaker that there were diabetic people amongst them and they couldn't have sweets. He said they could have fruit instead the non-diabetics and fruit to those who were diabetic. Many of them missed their grand children. One of them told me that her son was in the U.S. and as he found it difficult to look after her, he had left her at this Home.
While returning home we realized that our grandparents are lonely and insecure. They spend their second childhood in their old age homes. Most of those living in old age homes do not complain. It is left to us to decide how happy their old age can be. We do not need any special day to make them feel their worth. If you have never told them how much you love them, say it before it's too late.
(b) List any three feelings of the old people in this story.
- _____________________________
- _____________________________
- _____________________________
(c) Complete the following :
- We can make our grandparents happy by ________________
- We can avoid constructing more and more Old Age Homes by___________
Notice how ideas are connected in the story.
Write what the following words you just used in 1.1 imply by choosing suitable options from the box.
- and:
- but:
- where:
- while:
- after:
- until:
- so :
connects similar actions, objects
denotes contrast
denotes time.
The words given above are called connectors. Connectors do not simply join sentences together; they also show how ideas are related.
There are many different ways of classifying connectors according to their meaning. We shall start with the ones you are already familiar with.
'All right!' you 'll cry.'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children?Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Read the lines given above and answer the question given below.
According to the poet, what should be done to save children from the hypnotism of television?
The blocks were all lined up for those who would use them
The hundred-yard dash and the race to be run
These were nine resolved athletes in back of the starting line
Poised for the sound of the gun.
The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners all charging ahead
But the smallest among them,he stumbled and staggered
And fell to the asphalt instead.
He gave out a cry in frustration and anguish
His dreams ands his efforts all dashed in the dirt
But as sure I'm standing here telling this story
The same goes for what next occurred.
Read the lines given above and answer the following question:
Did all hope to win? How do you know? Why did the eight runners pull up on their heels?
The horse was nearly life-size, moulded out of clay, baked, burnt, and brightly coloured, and reared its head proudly, prancing its forelegs in the air and flourishing its tail in a loop; beside the horse stood a warrior with scythelike mustachios, bulging eyes, and aquiline nose. The old image-makers believed in indicating a man of strength by bulging out his eyes and sharpening his moustache tips, and also decorated the man’s chest with beads which looked today like blobs of mud through the ravages of sun and wind and rain (when it came), but Muni would insist that he had known the beads to sparkle like the nine gems at one time in his life.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Describe the horse.
At Denver there was an influx of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank countenance and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together.
As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only vacant seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard.
“Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, 1 suppose 1 must. Don’t vou ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?”
The younger man roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.
He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining “bracelet” to the left one of his companion.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What is strange about the way the two men are travelling? Why do you suppose they are like this?
I was in for a surprise. When the time came for the broad-jump trials, I was startled to see a tall boy hitting the pit at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps! He turned out to be a German named Luz Long. 1 was told that Hitler hoped to win the jump with him. I guessed that if Long won, it would add some new support to the Nazis’ “master race” (Aryan superiority) theory. After all, I am a Negro. Angr about Hitler’s ways, 1 determined to go out there and really show Der Fuhrer and his master race who was superior and who wasn’t. An angry athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes, as any coach will tell you. I was no exception. On the first of my three qualifying jumps, I leaped from several inches beyond the takeoff board for a foul. On the second jump, I fouled even worse. “Did I come 3,000 miles for this?” I thought bitterly. “To foul out of the trials and make a fool of myself ?” Walking a few yards from the pit, 1 kicked disgustedly at the dirt.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
I was in for a surprise. When the time came for the long jump trials, I was startled to see a tall boy hitting the pit at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps. What do these words mean?
Which race does De Levis mention later? What is his opinion about society?
Answer the following question
Whom does Golu ask, “Why don’t you ever fly like other birds?”
Match items in List A with their meanings in List B.
Use any three of the above words in sentences of your own. You may change the form of the word
A B
wounded got up from sleep
awoke give back
forgive small patches of ground for plants
faithful severely injured
pity pardon
beds loyal
return feel sorry for
Read the following sentences.
(a) If she knows we have a cat, Paati will leave the house.
(b) She won’t be so upset if she knows about the poor beggar with sores on his feet
(c) If the chappals do fit, will you really not mind?
Notice that each sentence consists of two parts. The first part begins with ‘if’. It is known as if-clause.
Rewrite each of the following pairs of sentences as a single sentence. Use ‘if’ at the beginning of the sentence
Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination
Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph.
Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I_________ (go) out, I__________ (miss) the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I_________ (stay) for lunch, I_________ (miss)the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I'll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.
Notice how in a comic book, there are no speech marks when characters talk. Instead what they say is put in a speech ‘bubble’. However, if we wish to repeat or ‘report’ what they say, we must put it into reported speech
Change the following sentences in the story to reported speech.
(i) Why is your face half-shaven?Gopal’s wife asked him______________________.
Name five ancient things collected by Mr Wonka.
Describe Mr Wonka.
Which was the toughest part of the bicycle that the author’s friend found the toughest to fix?
Why did the other governors grow jealous of the shepherd?
If you were a baby crocodile, would you tell Makara that he was wrong? What would you say to convince him?
What was it that made Prem leave his village?
Why did Vijay Singh say “Appearances can be deceptive”?
What lesson does the young child narrator learn from his mother?
Fill in the blank in the sentence below with the words or phrases from the box. (You may not know the meaning of all the words. Look such words up in a dictionary, or ask your teacher.)
Who stole the diamond is still a ____________.
Make noun from the word given below by adding –ness, ity, ty or y
Great ___________.
Talk to your partner and say whether the following statement is true or false.
Most snakes are harmless.
What does the word ‘bake’ in the above passage mean?
What does the word ‘chasing in the extract mean?
Use the word “rebel” in a sentence of your own.
The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you.
find a good …………..
Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.
In the short story, Atithi, Motilal Babu and Annapurna choose Tarapada as a prospective groom for their daughter because ______.
