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Question
Read the following extract from T.S. Arthur's short story. 'An Angel in Disguise' and answer the questions that follow:
| "What is to be done with the children?' That was the chief questions now. The dead mother would go underground and be forever beyond all care or concern of the villagers. But the children must not be left to starve. |
- Describe the way in which the children's mother died.
What are the factors that led to her death? [3] - How do the people of the village treat the woman before her death?
How does their manner change after she dies?
What does their behaviour tell us about human nature? [3] - Name the woman's three children.
State one fact about each of them that the author mentions at the very beginning of the story. [3] - What happens to each of the children after the mother's funeral? [3]
- Which of the three children can be considered the 'Angel in Disguise'?
What does the term 'disguise' refer to in the context of this story?
How does the child's arrival transform the home she enters? [4]
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Solution
- The mother of three children passed away after falling on the doorstep of her home while intoxicated. Poverty, alcoholism, societal contempt, and impolite behavior are just a few of the things that might have contributed to her demise.
- In the narrative "An Angel in Disguise", the woman who passed away was scorned, ridiculed, and vehemently criticized by most villagers. However, her demise had a profound impact on the community. They now felt empathy and compassion, swiftly arranging a respectable burial for her and providing sustenance for her three undernourished children. This touching scene highlights how sympathy and grief can bring people together, forging a strong connection that surpasses societal biases and distinctions. It serves as a reminder that, during times of adversity, humanity's inherent kindness can prevail, overcoming animosity and apathy.
- In the poignant narrative "An Angel in Disguise", the intoxicated woman met her tragic demise on the initial step, leaving behind her three terrified children. These children comprised John, a robust 12-year-old capable of earning a living with any farmer, Kate, a bright and active girl aged around ten or eleven, and the youngest, Maggie, tragically burdened with a spinal injury. Despite their youthful innocence, these children were compelled to face the harsh realities of life alone and without any means of support following their mother's death. Only through the kindness of strangers and the transformative influence of compassion and empathy did they manage to discover a glimmer of hope and a path forward.
- In "An Angel in Disguise", after the mother's funeral, the community rallied to support the three orphaned children. Farmer Jones adopted John, Mrs. Ellis took in Kate, and for the youngest, Maggie, the villagers initially considered sending her to the poorhouse. However, wheelwright Joe Thompson, moved by Maggie's pleas, decided to bring her to his own home, exemplifying the profound impact of small acts of kindness and compassion.
- Maggie, the youngest among the orphans, despite her frailty, embodied an angelic presence with her gentle spirit and bright smile. Initially hesitant to take in an incapacitated child, Mrs. Thompson's heart softened as she witnessed Maggie's gratitude for the simplest gestures. Maggie's positive demeanour and radiant smile filled the Thompson home with love and light, underscoring the lesson that, despite adversity, love and goodness can triumph. Through her small acts of kindness, Maggie left a profound impact on the Thompsons and the entire community.
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Read the newspaper clipping.
Listen to an interview between the police inspector in charge of the case, the housekeeper, Ms. Lakshmi and the watchman, Ram Singh. As you listen, note down the details of the burglar.
Inspector: Hello, madam. I am Inspector Maan Singh. I am in charge of the burglary
case which occurred in the flat of your employer, Mr. Ravikant. It must have
been a harrowing experience for you.
Lakshmi: Yes, it was a terrible experience. People like that should be locked up in a
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Inspector: If you will cooperate with us, we will catch them in no time. Were you alone
in the apartment at that time?
Lakshmi: Yes, it was 11 :30 in the night and I was alone as my master and his wife had
left for Shimla.
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Lakshmi: He might have come through the balcony and entered my room.
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Lakshmi: He was about 6 ft tall.
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Lakshmi: He was not thin. He was well-built and rather plump.
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Lakshmi: They were of a dark shade -either black or blue.
Inspector: Can you tell me something about his face?
Lakshmi: Unfortunately no. When he entered my room I panicked. But then I
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He struck me with a staff and I really don't remember anything after that.
May be I was knocked out.
Later on, I came to know that he broke into the bedroom and ran off with the
jewellery. But Ram Singh, the watchman, who tried to catch him may be
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Ram Singh you were on duty and you tried to catch the burglar. You may be
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Ram Singh: He had straight black hair.
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Ram Singh: His lips were quite thick.
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Ram Singh: When I heard some noise from inside, I ran in. I tried to stop the burglar and
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You can find more information about Robert Frost at the following websites.
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=1961.
Hear the poet (who died almost forty years ago!) reading the poem at
http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm ?prmID= 1645
To view a beautiful New England scene with each poem on this web site: "Illustrated
Poetry of Robert Frost":
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1487/index.html
The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight.
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.
The last man of this forlorn group
Did nought except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.
Their logs held tight in death's still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn't die from the cold without
They died from the cold within.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
Discuss personification as used by the poet.
It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar's work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
She saw her brother Peterkin
Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet
In playing there had found;
He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
Explain with reference to context.
Then there it lay in her wet palm, perfect, even pierced ready for use, with the sunset shuffled about inside it like gold—?dust. All her heart went up in flames of joy. After a bit she twisted it into the top of her skirt against her tummy so she would know if it burst through the poor cloth and fell. Then she picked up her fork and sickle and the heavy grass and set off home. Ai! Ai! What a day! Her barefeet smudged out the wriggle— ?mark of snakes in the dust; there was the thin singing of malaria mosquitoes among the trees now; and this track was much used at night by a morose old makna elephant—the Tuskless One; but Sibia was not thinking of any of them. The stars came out: she did not notice. On the way back she met her mother, out of breath, come to look for her, and scolding. “I did not see till I was home, that you were not there. I thought something must have happened to you.” And Sibia, bursting with her story, cried “Something did). I found a blue bead for my necklace, look!”
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What all did Sibia not notice as she went home?
Complete the sentence below by appropriately using anyone of the following:
if you want to/if you don’t want to/if you want him to
He’ll post your letter___________________.
What does the phrase, “he ran as still as Water” mean?
Answer the following question:
Why was the shop called ‘Lucky Shop’?
Read the lines given below and answer the following question:
| Iris: Of her society Be not afraid. I met her deity Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son Dove-drawn with her. |
Whom does Iris refer to as ‘her’?
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
| GRATIANO: O learned judge! – Mark, Jew: a learned judge! SHYLOCK: I take this offer, then; pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. |
- Why does Shylock suddenly decide to accept this offer? [2]
- Who has made this offer? Who stops Shylock from accepting this offer? [2]
- Shylock decides to leave the court without even receiving the principal amount. What other crime is he accused of? What further punishment does he face for this crime? [3]
- Later in this scene, how does the Duke show that he is merciful? What does Shylock say in response to the Duke’s act of mercy? [3]
