English Summary

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Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 in English

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Introduction to the Chapter

Reach for the Top Part II is about the world-renowned tennis player, Maria Sharapova’s rise to the top in the world of tennis. The secret behind her phenomenal success lies in the harsh struggle and the immense sacrifice made by her and her parents. Bom in Siberia, Russia, in 1987, Maria Sharapova led a charge of Russian players who came to achieve great success in the women’s game. Her humble background and her temporary loneliness made her mentally tough and more determined. This mental strength, coupled with her competitive nature, hard work and sacrifice won her the number one position in the world in women’s tennis. Maria has also brought her own brand of glamour to tennis by designing her own unique tennis outfits.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 in English

Reach for the Top (Part II) briefly narrates the life and career of Maria Sharapova, one of the world’s best-known tennis stars. Behind her ready smile, disarming manner and glamorous attire lies the hard work and sacrifice that enabled Maria Sharapova to achieve the world number one position in women’s tennis on 22 August 2005. Poised beyond her years, the Siberian bom teenager took just four years as a professional to reach the pinnacle. However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years before with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when her father,

Yuri, brought her to the US to be trained in tennis. Her mother Yelena could not accompany her due to visa restrictions. In the US she missed her mother badly; her father, too, was working as much as he could to pary for her tennis-training, so, she couldn’t see him either. But she knew that the sacrifice was an inevitable price to pay for her big aspirations.

Apart from the pangs of separation from the mother, the child also suffered harassment from her inconsiderate fellow trainees, who were older in age. At the training academy, Maria would go to bed at 8 pm as she was very young. Her fellow trainees, who were older, would return at 11 pm and wake her up and make her tidy the room. Instead of letting this upset her, Maria drew mental strength and determination from this bullying. This mental toughness gradually became a trait of her personality that helped her both as a person and as a sportswoman.

If proved to be instrumental in helping her to reach the zenith of glory in the world of tennis. She bagged the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and became the number one tennis player in the world. However, Maria is not sentimental about her journey and the sacrifices she has had to make to achieve her goal. She says, “I am very, very competitive. I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.”

Hard work, dedication and mental courage paved the way for Sharapova’s rapid rise to success.

Imbued with patriotic sentiments, she feels proud to be a Russian. Though grateful to the US for bringing out the best in her, she would like to represent her own country Russia at the Olympics.

Although Maria is fond of fashion, singing and dancing, she focuses all her attention on tennis. She considers tennis as both a business and a sport, which has poured riches in her life. However, her main aim is to shine as a tennis player. It is this aspiration that constantly governs her mind and motivates her for ceaseless efforts.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Title

Reach for the Top is a very appropriate title for this account of Maria Sharapova’s journey, when at the age of nine, she came from the frozen plains of Siberia to USA with her father to train in tennis to achieving the world number one position in women’s tennis.

The ‘top’ symbolizes the highest point reached by Maria Sharapova. She reached this ‘top’ by the dint of her earnest efforts and diligent work. Thus, the title is apt in that it salutes the courage and strong will-power of this young tennis star who overcame all hardships and obstructions to reach the top.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Theme

This biographical account focuses on the achievements of the tennis player, Maria Sharapova who earned the title of the world number one in woman’s tennis in 2005. The author reveals the heavy price Maria Sharapova had to pay for reaching the top—hard labour, rigorous training, and sacrifice. She had to face separation from her mother and stay in completely unfamiliar and hostile surroundings for years. She also faced humiliation but never let it affect negatively. She had to undergo mental torture and bullying by other players too, but she did not let any of these problems deter her. on her path to success. She took these problems as challenges and with her mental toughness and competitive nature, she succeeded in achieving her goal.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Message

Maria Sharapova’s success story imparts the message that sacrifice, diligence, hard work and dedication do not go unrewarded. Dreams can be realized only if one works earnestly, putting one’s heart and soul in translating them into reality. Nothing can obstruct those who stick to their path with an unwavering devotion.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Character

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova, who achieved world number one position in women’s tennis is admired as much for her game as for her attractive smile and glamorous attire.

From early childhood, Maria was calmer and more composed than other children of her age. She had immense will-power and tenacity that gave her the strength to make sacrifices few people can make—separation from her mother, living alone in a hostile atmosphere in a hostel where she was bullied by senior players, gruelling training schedules and only occasional meetings with her father. She put up patiently with the torment and humiliation perpetrated on her by her fellow trainees. Thus, very early in her life, she learned that excellence comes at a price.

Maria herself claims that she is highly competitive and has always been motivated by her desire to excel. She has always toiled hard to achieve her goals. Her achievements in the world of tennis and her earnings from it are well- earned and most-deserved.

Maria is also a true patriot. Although she has spent many years in the U.S., she takes immense pride in her Russian identity and retains her Russian citizenship, although she remains indebted to the country of adoption for its contribution to her life and career. She wishes to play for Russia in the Olympics if she gets an opportunity.

Maria is as successful a businesswoman as she is as a sportsperson. She has skilfully handled her endorsements and is a fashionista who has a love for sophisticated evening gowns. She loves pancakes and chocolate spread with fizzy orange drinks.

Thus, former number World Champion, Maria Sharapova is an inspiration for everyone, especially sportswomen.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Briefly describe Maria Sharapova.
Answer:
Maria Sharapova, the famous woman tennis player, won the women’s singles at Wimbledon in 2004 and attained the world number one position in women’s tennis in 2005. Though Russian by birth, she got tennis training in United States of America. She loves singing, dancing, reading novels and is very hardworking and dedicated.

Question 2.
How is Maria’s personality a mix of contrasts?
Answer:
The maturity, balanced mind and inner strength of Maria does not appear to be in accordance with her glamorous dress or her charming manner and ready smile. There seems to be some mismatch between her sophisticated outer appearance and her balanced inner-self.

Question 3.
Maria possesses some contradictory characteristics. What are they?
Answer:
Maria appears to be highly fashionable as far as her appearance is considered, but she possesses a charming nature that proves her to be friendly and simple. She appears to be sophisticated and yet warm and approachable. Her love for junk foods like pancakes with chocolate spread and orange drinks appears at odds with her fondness for evening gowns.

Question 4.
Explain: “all this happened in almost no time”.
Answer:
The phrase “all this happened in almost no time” means that Maria’s rose to the top in the world of tennis was very quickly and within a very short span of four years as a professional player she became the world number one in her chosen sport.

Question 5.
What does Maria declare to be her ‘mantra for success’?
Answer:
Maria works really hard to fulfill her dreams. She does not shy away from making any sacrifice. She does not allow herself to be emotional and sentimental. She is very competitive and works hard to be the best in whatever she does. She is driven by her hunger to succeed and the dream of becoming the world number one in women’s tennis. This is her mantra for success.

Question 6.
How was Maria different from other children?
Answer:
Maria was calmer and more composed, more confident and tolerant than the other children of her age. She also had inner strength that enabled her to make sacrifices – staying away from her mother, getting bullied by senior players in the hostel – that few children could think of making. Unlike most children, she did not buckle under hardships and adverse circumstances, but toiled hard to achieve success.

Question 7.
Why was Maria brought to Florida in the USA by her father? Why didn’t her mother go with her? How did Maria respond to this separation?
Answer:
Maria was brought to Florida, USA, by her father, Yuri, to get trained as a professional tennis player and reach great heights of success and stardom in this sport. Her mother, Yelena, did not go with her because of visa restrictions. This two-year separation was very painful for the young girl. But Maria endured this sacrifice to pursue her dreams.

Question 8.
How does Maria describe her journey from Siberia to United States?
Answer:
Maria was just nine years old when she had to leave her home, mother and her country to go to the United States. She had to make many sacrifices in a foreign land where she did not even speak the language. She was bullied by senior players and had to face a lot of humiliation and insults. But she did not give in. Her competitive nature and hard work helped her become the world number one in women’s tennis.

Question 9.
What important lesson did Maria learn during the first two years of her stay in the USA, away from her mother?
Answer:
During her first two years in USA, when she was living away from her mother Maria learnt that excellence comes at a price. Since she wished to reach the top in the field of tennis, she would have to make sacrifices and struggle hard. She endured the heart-wrenching separation from her mother for two years to attain her goal. Moreover, she also learnt how to put up patiently with adverse circumstances.

Question 10.
Maria’s father accompanied her to USA but why could he also not see her during her stay there?
Answer:
Maria’s father, Yuri, had brought his nine-year-old daughter to the USA to get her trained in tennis. U Unfortunately, he too could not see her frequently as he had to work very hard to earn to pay for her training.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 in English

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 Introduction to the Chapter

Reach for the Top consists of two biographical pieces—mountaineer Santosh Yadav and Tennis player Maria Sharapova—that depict their persistent endeavours to reach the top. Part I is an inspirational account of the single-minded determination and dedication of an Indian woman mountaineer, Santosh Yadav, who hailed from a small village of Haryana and conquered Mount Everest twice in her life. Her sterling qualities of perseverance, patience, commitment, persistence and strength of purpose make her a role model for others to follow.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 in English

Santosh Yadav, the only woman in the world to have scaled Mt. Everest twice, was bom in an affluent landowning family of Joniyawas, a small village of Rewari District, Haryana. Although Santosh was bom in a conservative society, where sons are preferred over the daughters, she was welcomed in the family as she was the sixth child and the only sister to five elder brothers. When her mother was expecting a baby, a holy man visited and blessed her with giving birth to a son. But to everyone’s surprise her grandmother said that she wanted a girl. The girl was bom and was named Santosh which means contentment.

From the beginning, Santosh was a bit of a rebel right and defied conventions. She neither liked to wear traditional dresses nor followed the traditional course of life. Though Santosh attended the local village school for her early education, she decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. And the right moment came when she turned sixteen. Most of the girls in her village used to get married at sixteen. When Santosh’s parents also put pressure on her to do the same, rather than succumbing to parental pressure to get married early, she insisted on pursuing her studies. Her parents had to give in to her desire to study at a high school in Delhi, followed by higher education at Maharani College, Jaipur.

In Jaipur, she lived in Kasturba Hostel and could see the Aravalli hills from her room. Attracted by the villagers climbing these hills, one day she decided to check the route herself. There she met a few mountaineers, who allowed her to join them and encouraged her to take to mountaineering.

There was no looking back for this determined young girl after that. Before completing her college degree, Santosh Yadav got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. As soon as she completed her last semester in Jaipur, she had to rush straight to the Institute and had no time to visit home. So, she wrote her father a letter apologizing for not having sought his permission before joining the Institute.

During this training, she went for an expedition each year. Her climbing skills matured rapidly. Also, she developed a remarkable resistance to cold and the altitude. Endowed with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing mental toughness, she proved herself repeatedly. In 1992, after training for four years, she became the youngest woman in the world to conquer Mt. Everest at the age of 22. Her physical and mental strength impressed her seniors, while her

team spirit and concern for others endeared her to her fellow climbers. Santosh provided special care to a fellow climber in critical condition at South Col., who unfortunately could not be saved. However, she managed to save Mohan Singh, who too was in distress, by sharing her oxygen with him.

In less than a year of scaling Everest she got a second invitation from an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition to repeat the feat. She was successful in scaling Mt. Everest once again. While unfurling the tricolour on top of the world, Santosh experienced indescribable pride as an Indian. It was truly a spiritual moment for her. Showing exceptional concern for the environment, she collected and brought down about 500kg of garbage from the Himalayas. The government of India honoured her with Padmashri for her unparalleled mountaineering feats.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 Title

Reach for the Top is an appropriate title for the two biographical features – Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova – as both these sportswomen reached for the top, and in the case of Santosh Yadav, the climb to the to was both literal and metaphoric. Santosh Yadav climbed many a mountain peak, including the Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world twice. By doing this she also reached the top of her chosen sport. Her success was due to the sterling qualities of body and mind, and the training and support she received. Reach for the Top, thus, inspires the readers to give their best and strive to achieve excellence and glory in their own area of interest through hard work, persistent efforts, constancy of purpose, strong will and meticulous planning.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 Theme

Reach for the Top is based on the theme that success comes to those who persevere and strive to achieve their goal. Santosh Yadav, who hailed from small village of Haryana and belonged to a conservative family received education, training and success as a woman mountaineer in a society where girls are married off at the age of sixteen. Her single-minded determination and dedication makes her a role model for others to follow. She defied all odds, customs, traditions and prejudices to achieve phenomenal success through hard work, persistent effort, focus on the goal and mental and physical toughness. Santosh has literally climbed to the highest top that a mountaineer could reach, not just once but twice.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 Message

The life and achievements of Santosh Yadav conveys the message that success comes to those who strive hard to achieve their goal. A highly spirited and motivated woman, Santosh Yadav took up a challenging outdoor sport which required immense physical and mental preparation, and braved discouragement from her close relatives. Setting aside all impediments and surging past other barriers, she achieved her goal through hard work, determination, and constant efforts. Instead of complaining against the ills in society, one must dare to change the systems and shape one’s own destiny.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 Character

Santosh Yadav

Santosh Yadav has been portrayed as a strongminded, decisive, courageous and adventurous girl endowed with a rational mind and physical and mental toughness. Though she was bom in a small village of Haryana, Santosh Yadav was a girl with independent views right from childhood. She did not succumb to parental pressure and give in to their conservative views. Instead she was able to convince them to accept her views because she had chosen a rational path.

Santosh Yadav had the courage to oppose what she considered to be wrong. When her parents insisted that she should get married on turning sixteen, she put her foot down and made it clear that her first priority was getting educated. Determined as she was, she got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. When the parents threatened that they would not pay her school fees, she told them that she would work part time to pay for her education. Her parents had to finally relent before her determination. Later on, her iron will, physical endurance and mental toughness helped her to first join Maharani College Jaipur and then Nehru Institute of Mountaineering at Uttarkashi.

Her hard work and determination, mental strength and physical fitness equipped her for undertaking the dangerous journey to reach Mt Everest, the ‘top of the world’ successfully, not once, but twice.

Santosh Yadav’s humanitarian attitude and team-spirit was evident when during her expedition she helped her fellow climbers. Her concern for environment was evident when she brought down as much as 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

All these qualities and amazing achievements helped Santosh earn one of the nation’s top awards, Padmashri. Her courage and determination are worth emulating.

Reach for the Top Summary Part 1 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What made Santosh Yadav achieve fame and greatness?
Answer:
Santosh Yadav is the only woman in the world who has scaled Mt Everest twice. Santosh Yadav scaled Mt Everest when she was barely twenty years of age, becoming the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. Within twelve months, Santosh scaled the Everest a second time as a member of an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition. She thus set a record as the only woman to have scaled the Everest twice.

Question 2.
Why was the ‘holy man’, who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings, surprised?
Answer:
The holy man expected that like all other families in the villages, the family would also wish for the birth of a son. However, when he was told by Santosh’s grandmother that they wanted to have a daughter, he was surprised.

Question 3.
What kind of society was Santosh born in?
Answer:
Santosh was born in Joniyawas, a small village in the Rewari District in Haryana. The society in this region wasvery conservative and orthodox. People were rigidly patriarchal and gender-biased. The birth of a girl was generally unwelcome and people strictly adhered to conservative traditions.

Question 4.
The grandmother wished her daughter-in-law give birth to a daughter. What light does this throw on her character?
Answer:
Despite being the member of a conservative family, the grandmother wished to be blessed with a granddaughter. This was because there were already five boys in the family. Hence, the family now wished for a daughter. This also shows her as a woman of progressive views.

Question 5.
What do you know about Santosh’s family?
Answer:
Santosh was bom into an affluent family of landlords in a village, Joniyawas, in the Rewari district of Haryana. She was the sixth child in a conservative family, the only sister to five brothers. Though financially well-off, her family was orthodox and conservative in matters related to the education and upbringing of girls.

Question 6.
Why was Santosh sent to the local school?
Answer:
Santosh’s parents were affluent and could afford to send Santosh to a school in Delhi. But they sent her to the local village school because they strictly followed tradition and it was customary in their society to send girls to the local school only.

Question 7.
How was Santosh different from the other girls of her village?
Answer:
Unlike other girls of her village, Santosh was not content with the traditional way of life. She used to wear shorts and went on to study further at Delhi. She did not get married at sixteen as most of the girls of her village did.

Question 8.
Why was Santosh Yadav not content with a traditional way of life? What path did she choose and why?
Answer:
Right from childhood, Santosh was not content with a traditional way of life and felt that if she chose a correct and a rational path, the others around her had to change, not she. She wanted to chart her own course in life, rather than following the age-old customs and traditions. She wore shorts instead of traditional attire, went to study in Delhi when girls in her village got married. When her parents refused to pay for her education, she got them to agree by informing them of her plans to earn money by working part time to pay . her school fees. She chose the path of excellence through education, rational thinking and hard work and achieved unparalleled success as a woman mountaineer.

Question 9.
When did Santosh leave home for Delhi, and why?
Answer:
Santosh left home for Delhi when she turned sixteen because her parents had begun to pressurize her to get married in keeping with the traditional practice in their community. She decided that it was the right moment to rebel and she quietly got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi to continue her studies.

Question 10.
Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought to light by this incident?
Answer:
At the age of sixteen, Santosh got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. When her parents refused to pay for her schooling in Delhi, she politely informed them that she planned to work part time in order to pay her fees. Her parents realized that their daughter was independent, had a strong will-power and firm self-belief. She could take her decisions and also stand by them. They saw her strong sense of conviction and her passion for education. So, they agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Packing Summary in English by Jerome K. Jerome

Packing by Jerome K. Jerome About the Author

Jerome K Jerome (1859-1927) is a British writer of the Victorian period, best known for his comic novels. Although he faced difficult circumstances and poverty in early life, Jerome developed a passion for literature, politics, and the theatre. He began his writing career in 1885, when he published a memoir about his time working for a low-budget theatre troupe. He then began to publish comic essays in a magazine called Home Chimes. Although Three Men in a Boat was poorly received by critics, it became immensely popular among readers of all social classes. Jerome published a sequel called Three Men on the Bummel in 1898.

Packing Introduction to the Chapter

The extract Packing from Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published in 1889, is Jerome’s most famous and enduring work. Initially intended to be a serious travel guide, the novel with its deceptively simple story of three friends—J, George, and Harris—on a boating holiday on the River Thames between Kingston and Oxford, has been hailed as a classic work of comedy. For these three men on a relaxing holiday, rowing and sailing upstream, seeing the sights, and camping in the boat, anything that can go wrong, does.

On the periphery, there is also the dog Montmorency, a thoroughly anarchic figure whose practical solution to their difficulties usually consists of getting out of the way until all the fuss dies down. This extract is a humorous account of the confusion and mess created by the three friends (and their dog Montmorency) who are inexperienced in the art of packing and have little knowledge about working in an organised manner. Hence, to the great amusement of the reader, the small job of packing is carried out by them with many mishaps.

Packing Summary in English

Three friends—Jerome (the narrator), Harris and George—decided to sail down the Thames. And to set out on their expedition, they had to get on with the important task of packing stuff for it. The narrator volunteered for the task as he believed he was especially good at packing. Harris and George agreed “with a readiness that had something uncanny about it,” meaning the narrator felt something was not quite right. The narrator had of course meant he’d supervise and guide his friends while they packed. However, his friends took his advice seriously and to his great shock, watched him from comfortably lounging positions as he packed. The narrator, though irritated with his friends for sitting about doing nothing when he was working, straight away got busy with packing. The packing took a long time—longer than the narrator had thought it would be; but he finished it at last, and he strapped the bag.

Both his friends had watched him quietly as he packed and it was only when he was done with packing, that Harris asked the narrator if he wasn’t going to pack his boots. The bag had to be reopened again to pack the boots in. The irritated narrator had barely finished packing the boots when he was reminded of his toothbrush. Unsure about having packed his toothbrush, the narrator emptied the bag and hunted through all its contents to locate the brush. Of course every item in the bag had to be turned out, but although he found the toothbrushes of George and Harris, he couldn’t find his own. He rummaged through the bag, till he found it inside a boot. Then the bag was repacked once more.

This time the query came from George who wanted to know whether the soap had been packed. The narrator was so irritated by this time that he did not care a hang whether the soap was in or whether it wasn’t; and he slammed shut the bag and strapped it. That was when he found that he had packed his spectacles too and had to re-open the bag. Eventually, it was past ten when the packing was finally done.

After the expertise displayed by the narrator to pack the bag, George and Harris decided to pack the hampers themselves and show the narrator the real art of packing. However, they were equally clumsy and broke a cup at the very outset. Then Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and the squashed tomato had to be picked out with a teaspoon. And as the narrator sat on the edge of the table and watched, they trod on the butter and smashed the pies by putting heavy things on them. Meanwhile, salt flew all over while they packed. After peeling the butter off George’s slipper, they tried unsuccessfully to squeeze it into the kettle. They finally scraped it out and put it down on the chair. Harris sat on it and the butter stuck to him while both of them went about searching for it all over the room. George spotted it behind Harris’s back and it was packed in the teapot.

Montmorency, their pet dog, got in everyone’s way and was sworn at. He came and sat down on things, just when they were being packed, climbed into the jam, scattered the teaspoons and crushed lemons as though they were rats, Harris was so angry that he tried to hit him with a frying pan.

Finally, by 12.50 at night, the packing was done. This was followed by a discussion on the “wake up’ time but George, who was to wake everyone up, was so tired that he slept off even before the time was decided upon.

The narrator and Harris decided that 6.30 in morning would be the right time to get up and then they too went off to sleep.

Packing Title

In the given extract Packing from Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) the narrator, Jerome, and his two friends, George and Harris, pack for their planned sailing expedition on the Thames. Although all three of them think they are experts in the art of packing, they end up creating total confusion. The narrator, who believes he is an exceptionally efficient packer, volunteers to pack the clothes. However, he keeps forgetting items, and then has to unpack the stuff in order to fit them in. Harris and George watch him pack with great amusement, and when he finally finishes packing the bag, volunteer to pack the food hampers. They are no better at it they constantly forget items, squash the pies and Harris steps in the butter. Throughout it all, they keep tripping over Montmorency, who creates further confusion. After some bickering, and a lot of confusion and blaming each other, they finish packing their bag and the hampers. Thus the title Packing is appropriate.

Packing Setting

The novel Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) from which thie given extract Packing has been taken is set in England in the 19 Century. In the present extract, the three friends – the narrator, Jerome, George and Harris – are packing for their trip on the Thames. They are in the house shared by the narrator and George. Harris is to spend the night with them as the plan to set out early next morning.

Packing Theme

Packing is based on the theme that routine tasks are not as easy as they are thought to be. Moreover, even a task as mundane as packing requires meticulous planning and foresight. Otherwise the results may be disastrous.

As the three friends, Jerome, George and Harris, pack for their river trip the task takes longer and is made more complex by the chaotic methods of the packers. The narrator, who packs all their clothing discovers when he is done, that he has forgotten to put the boots in. He also can’t remember if he packed his own toothbrush. So he has to rummage through the bag to make sure. He eventually finds it in one of the boots.

Harris and George pack the food and cooking utensils into two hampers. It takes them two hours. They break a cup, put heavy items on top of things that can get squashed – like a tomato and pies – and then have to clean the resulting mess out of the hamper. Harris sits on the butter and it sticks to him, and the two men have a difficult time finding it again. Montmorency, the dog, gets involved by putting his leg into the jam. Thus, the writer emphasises the need for planning and foresight even in mundane tasks like packing for a journey.

Packing Message

The lesson Packing conveys the message, albeit humorously, that even a task as mundane as packing should not be taken lightly. It requires planning, concentration and deftness otherwise the results are disastrous as well as time-consuming.

Packing Characters

The Narrator, Jerome

Jerome, the narrator of the story, is the one who narrates the happenings from his point of view. The narrator is overconfident and rates his packing skills a bit too high. He volunteers to pack their personal belongings as he prides himself on his packing. As he says, “Packing is one of those many things that I feel I know more about than any other person living.”

He is also arrogant and expects to sit back as boss as his friends carry out the tedious part of packing. He imagines sitting back and passing orders as Harris and George pottered about under his direction, “really teaching them, as you might say”. His friends, however, do not take him seriously and finally he has to struggle while trying to pack the bag by himself, as his friends lounge about offering suggestions.

Jerome is both clumsy and forgetful. He first forgets to pack the shoes and then can’t recall if he has put in his toothbrush or not. He unpacks the bag twice clumsily to accommodate the missing items. ‘

The narrator also comes across as a person with a good sense of humour. Though he boasts about his skills of packing, he also recounts the way he packs, which is disorganised and chaotic. He has to pack and repack the bag as he forgets, or cannot find, various items – including his boots and his toothbrush. He also portrays his two friends in a humorous light. They all come across as somewhat lazy and awkward which gives rise to most of the comedy.

When his friends fumble while packing the hamper, he sits at the edge of the table and watches them because now it is his turn to have fun at their expense. However, he is a carefree person and ignores the clumsiness of his friends in the same way as he ignores his own.

George and Harris

George and Harris are the friends of the narrator, Jerome. As they start packing, they, like their friend Jerome, are very sure of their prowess as packers. Both start packing cheerfully wanting to show the narrator how to go about the task. However, according to narrator they are the worst packers in the world. That they are rather incompetent we realise as they get to packing the food hampers. They begin by breaking a cup. Harris packs the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed it. George steps on the butter, Harris sits on it. They pack the pies at the bottom and squash them by putting heavy objects over them.

When the narrator comes over and quietly sits on the edge of the table, this irritates them as narrator had known it would. It makes them nervous and excited. They are even more clumsy and aren’t able to find what they want. However, like the narrator, the two men are carefree and good-natured. In spite of making fools of themselves, while packing for the trip, they don’t criticise or blame each other and ignore each others’ mistakes.

Montmorency

Montmorency is the pet dog of the three friends – Jerome, George and Harris. He is a well-loved pet and, therefore, knows no restraints. He is a high-spirited animal and instinctively rushes to probe everything, and in doing so creates a nuisance for his masters.

Montmorency had a tendency to get underfoot and be more of a general hindrance than of any help. He disrupts the packing in umpteen ways because he would like to be a part of all the activities going on in. He doesn’t mind being shouted at and does not even respond when they try to move him away from the packed stuff. In fact, no amount of scolding can dampen his enthusiasm.

He may be ill-trained, temperamental, destructive and meddlesome but he is loved as much by the readers as much as by his masters. His presence in the story makes it more interesting and amusing.

Packing Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them.
Answer:
Jerome, George and Harris are the three human characters in the narrative. Jerome is the narrator of the story. Their pet dog, Montmorency too is an important character, who participates as enthusiastically in the packing as his masters.

Question 2.
Why did the narrator have to pack for the journey?
Answer:
As soon as the narrator offered to pack for the journey, his two friends, George and Harris accepted the offer with readiness and sat back to let him do it all. He had expected his friends would work under his guidance and directions rather than doing the task himself.

Question 3.
Why did the narrator volunteer to do the packing?
Answer:
Jerome, the narrator, prided himself in his packing skills. He wanted to show off his skills to his friends so he volunteered to do the packing. However, he had expected that his friends would work under his guidance and directions. He expected that under his guidance even poor packers like Harris and George could accomplish this task with great efficiency.

Question 4.
The narrator took pride in his packing skills. Comment.
Answer:
The narrator felt that packing was one of those things that he felt he knew more about than any other person living. This made him develop a sense of superiority about his ability as the best packer and he took pride in his packing skills. However, he was disorganised and bungling. First, he forgot to pack the boots and had to reopen the bag. Then, his frantic search for his toothbrush resulted in a complete mess. Later, he had to reopen the bag to take out his spectacles.

Question 5.
How did George and Harris react to Jerome’s offer to do the packing? Did Jerome like their reaction?
Answer:
George and Harris, who were rather lazy, agreed readily to Jerome’s offer to do the packing because both – took it as an opportunity to sit back and relax while someone else did the work. George sprawled over the easy-chair while Harris cocked his legs on the table. Jerome did not at all like this reaction because he had actually wanted to supervise and instruct them on how to do the packing instead of doing it himself.

Question 6.
What did Harris and George do while Jerome was packing the bag? How did Jerome react to their behaviour?
Answer:
When Jerome told George and Harris to leave the job of packing to him, they accepted his suggestion at once. They settled themselves comfortably, George on the easy-chair and Harris with his legs on the table and watched Jerome packing the bag all by himself. As they watched, they smoked and found faults with Jerome’s packing and also made fun of him. They made him reopen the packing by inquiring about items he had forgotten to pack. All this irritated Jerome.

Question 7.
When he offered to pack Jerome’s real intention was not to do the packing himself. Elaborate.
Answer:
Jerome’s real intention was not to pack himself but to make his friends George and Harris work under his directions and supervision. He would guide and direct and, pushing them aside every now and then, showing them the right way of packing things in – really teaching them, as you might say.

Question 8.
What kind of a man did the narrator once live with?
Answer:
The narrator lived with a man once who used to annoy him. He would loll on the sofa and watch the narrator doing things by the hour together. He said it did him real good to look on at the narrator, messing about.

Question 9.
“I lived with a man once who used to make me mad that way.” How did he do that?
Answer:
The man, with whom the narrator once stayed drove him mad by lolling on the sofa and watching him constantly as he went about messing the tasks at hand. The man said he really enjoyed that sight and felt good.

Question 10.
‘Now, I’m not like that.’ What does the narrator intend to convey by this statement?
Answer:
By this statement, the narrator intends to convey his dislike for sitting idle and watching someone else work hard, like the man he lived with did. He preferrs to walk around and supervise work in his natural energetic way. However, this actually means that he, too, was not interested in toiling but liked to boss over others.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

My Childhood Summary in English by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

My Childhood by APJ Abdul Kalam About the Author

APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Kalam was bom and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was intimately involved in India’s civilian space programme and military missile development efforts and thereby earned the title of Missile Man of India. He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. After 5 years as President, Kalam returned to teaching, writing and public service. He was honoured with several prestigious awards including India’s highest civilian honour “Bharat Ratna” in 1997. Abdul Kalam’s writings are very inspirational for the young.

My Childhood Introduction to the Chapter

My Childhood is an extract taken from the autobiographical novel, Wings of Fire by APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr Kalam, who was one of the greatest scientists of India and also the 11th President of India gives an account of his childhood days. He talks about the people, the incidents and the experiences that he had during his childhood which shaped his adult life. Although he was bom in a conservative society, his family, his teachers and his friends influenced Dr Kalam in his childhood and he imbibed values of secularism, honesty and discipline. Written in a very modest tone, the extract is very inspirational.

My Childhood Summary in English

Kalam was bom in a middle-class Tamil family in Rameswaram. Although he had three brothers and one sister, they had a secure childhood both materially as well as emotionally. His parents, Jainulabdedn and Ashiamma, despite their limited means, were very generous people and Kalam inherited the values of honesty, self-discipline, goodness and kindness from his parents. Though Kalam came from a large family, but their kitchen fed far more outsiders than all his family members put together.

They lived in their ancestral house, a fairly large pucca house, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. Though they did not have any inessential comforts and luxuries but Kalam’s father made sure that all necessities like food, medicine and clothes were provided to the family.

In 1939, Kalam was only 8 years old when the Second World War broke out. There was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds in the market. Kalam collected these seeds and sold them to a provision shop on Mosque Street to earn an anna which was a big amount for a small boy like him. His brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell him stories about war which Kalam would try to trace in the headlines of Dinamani. Rameswaram was an isolated place and while the war didn’t have a direct impact on life there, the train’s halt at the station was stopped. As a result, the bundles of newspapers were now thrown off running trains. Kalam’s cousin Samsuddin, who used to distribute these newspapers in Rameswaram, sought Kalam’s help to catch the bundles. Thus, Kalam earned his first wages which gave him immense self-confidence and a sense of pride.

Kalam’s three friends—Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan—were very close to him. Though the boys came from different religious backgrounds—Kalam as a Muslim while the other three were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families—yet their religious differences and upbringing did not stand in the way of their friendship. Later in life, the boys adopted different professions. Ramanadha Sastry took over the priesthood of Rameswaram temple from his father, Aravindan took up the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims, and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

Kalam’s family used to arrange boats with a special platform during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony. The platform was used for carrying idols of Lord Rama from the temple to the wedding site ‘Ram Tirtha’ which was a pond near Kalam’s house. Kalam grew up listening to the stories both from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet from his mother and grandmother at bedtime.

Certain incidents of his childhood left a deep impression on Kalam’s young mind. When he was in fifth standard, a new teacher did not like Kalam, a Muslim boy, sitting next to Ramanadha Sastry, a Brahmin. He sent Kalam to the back seat simply in accordance with the social ranking of Muslims. Both Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry felt sad at this action of their teacher. Sastry wept and this had a deep impact on Kalam. When Sastry’s father heard of the incident, he summoned the teacher and told him not to spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in young minds. He told the teacher to either apologise or leave the school. The teacher regretted his action and he was reformed by this incident.

Another memorable incident of his childhood was when Sivasubramania Iyer, Kalam’s science teacher, invited him home for a meal. Sivasubramania Iyer was an orthodox Brahmin and his wife was very conservative. She was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy dining in her ritually pure kitchen. When she refused to serve Kalam, Iyer did not lose his cool and not only served the boy with his own hands but also sat and ate with him. He invited Kalam the next weekend as well. Noticing Kalam’s hesitation in accepting his invitation, Iyer told the child to be prepared to face such situations if he wished to change any system. When Kalam visited Iyer’s house again, his wife took him to her kitchen and served him food with her own hands.

The freedom of India was in the offing when the Second World War ended. Following Gandhiji’s plea, the entire nation was hopeful of building their country themselves. Kalam too sought his father’s permission to go and study further in Ramanathapuram. His father permitted him willingly because he wanted his son to grow. He even convinced Kalam’s mother by telling her that parents should not thrust their ideas upon their children as they have their own way of thinking.

My Childhood Title

In this autobiographical extract My Childhood Abdul Kalam, talks about his childhood. He describes his family, his house, his childhood experiences and his childhood friends. In addition, he highlights those incidents that left an indelible impression on his young mind. That makes the title My Childhood very apt.

My Childhood Setting

The setting of this extract is Rameswaram, especially in the pre-war, during the War and post-war years. On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was highly stratified and very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. Yet, there was communal harmony and co-operation. People who spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance were not well tolerated.

My Childhood Theme

In the given extract from his autobiographical novel Wings of Fire Abdul Kalam reveals how our life is shaped by our experiences and the people around us. Kalam’s secure childhood, inspiring parents, supportive friends and honest teachers instilled great values in him that gave him the strength to travel from his modest beginnings to the President’s House.

My Childhood Message

The message Dr Kalam conveys to his readers in My Childhood is one of communal harmony, tolerance, acceptance, broadmindedness and brotherhood. While our society is infected by prejudices of religion, caste and status, it is essential to confront such discrimination and put an end to it. Despite being orthodox Muslims, Kalam’s family provided boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony. His mother and grandmother told him stories from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet. Even the orthodox Brahmans fought against barriers of religion and caste as done by Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer.

My Childhood Characters

Abdul Kalam

A boy of ordinary looks, Abdul Kalam had many sterling qualities right from his childhood. He had immense affection and respect for his parents. He inherited the values of honesty and self-discipline from his father and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

Kalam was an enterprising and a hard-working child. He collected tamarind seeds, when they were in demand, and sold them to earn small yet significant amounts. Very confident of himself, he did every piece of work assigned to him with full dedication. He helped his cousin to catch bundles from the running trains when the train-halt at Rameswaram was suspended during the Second World War.

Despite being bom in a Muslim family, Kalam was a liberal secular. He imbibed this quality from his father who gave his boats with a special platform for carrying idols of Lord Rama from the temple to the wedding site ‘Ram Tirtha’ during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony. His mother and grandmother told stories from the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet to the children at bed time. Kalam’s three friends—Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan—were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. However, their religious differences and upbringing did not stand in the way of their friendship.

He was a sensitive child and leamt valuable lessons from his experiences. He leamt early in life that caste-based segregation is a poison that must not be allowed to thrive. Kalam was also progressive and took decision at the right time to leave his hometown to study further and grow in life.

Jainulabdeen

Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, was a tall handsome man. He had neither much formal education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit.

Jainulabdeen was an austere man who avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, he provided all necessities in terms of food, medicine or clothes for his family. He ensured he provided a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally to his children.

Despite being a Muslim, Jainulabdeen provided his boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony.

Although Jainulabdeen was not very highly educated himself, he was keen his son got a good education. When Abdul Kalam expressed a desire to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram, but was a little hesitant, Jainulabdeen advised his son to go away to grow. He asked, “Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?” With deep wisdom he advised his wife to let their son go to get a good education. “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.”

Ashiamma

Abdul Kalaam’s mother, Ashiamma, was a tall, good-looking woman, were tall and good looking. Ashiamma was a good, kind person and she passed on these qualities to her children. Though they did not have abundant resources, both she and her husband were very generous and fed a lot of outsiders along with their own family-members.

Ashiamma was a secular person and brought up her children on stories from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet. She thus instilled good values and principles in her children.

Sivasubramania Iyer

Sivasubramania Iyer was Kalam’s science teacher in school. Although he was an orthodox Brahmin, he was a very tolerant and broad-minded person. He was a rebel who wished to bring about a transformation in the society and was well prepared to confront hindrances during this process. He faced challenges even from his own family when his wife refused to serve food to Kalam who had been invited by Iyer himself. But, without losing faith in his belief that caste and religion do not segregate people, he served the child himself. Thus, he

reformed his wife not by force but by setting an example.

Iyer was also a dedicated teacher who established a good rapport with his students. He encouraged and inspired them as he taught and spent long hours with them. He encouraged Abdul Kalam to study further and to develop so that he could be “on par with the highly educated people of the big cities.”

My Childhood Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What were the qualities that Abdul Kalam admired in his parents?
Answer:
Kalam’s parents were noble and generous people. Though his father was an austere man, hd provided his family with all necessities, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. He admired his father’s honesty and self- discipline and his mother’s faith in goodness and kindness. He admired his parents for respecting all religions.

Question 2.
Kalam’s childhood was a secure one both materially and emotionally. Illustrate.
Answer:
APJ Abdul Kalam called his childhood a secure one because he had loving and caring parents who gave love and guidance to their children and took care of their emotional and physical needs. They provided their children with all necessities, in terms of food, medicine or clothes.

Question 3.
How does Kalam show his father was a simple man?
Answer:
Kalam’s father was a simple self-disciplined man. He neither had formal education nor much wealth and he avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries.

Question 4.
What kind of a person was Kalam’s father?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, was a tall and handsome man. Although he did not have much of a formal education, he was progressive and valued education. He was an austere man and didn’t have much wealth, however, he was a generous man and provided both material and emotional security to his family. He was a very practical man with a vast store of wisdom and never obstructed the progressive ways of his children.

Question 5.
How does Abdul Kalam describe his mother?
Answer:
Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma, was tall, good looking and very attached to her children. She was an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a gentle and kind lady with faith in goodness and deep kindness. Like her husband, she was very generous and fed a number of outsiders daily. Kalam inherited the values of kindness and generosity from her. Kalam inherited the values of kindness and generosity from her.

Question 6.
How was Kalam’s appearance different from that of his parents?
Answer:
Kalam did not take after his tall and handsome parents. He was a rather short boy with average looks. Unlike his parents who had quite striking features, his appearance was undistinguished.

Question 7.
Briefly describe Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house.
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house was situated on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. It had been built in the middle of nineteenth century and was a fairly large, pucca house made of limestone and brick.

Question 8.
How did the Second World War give Abdul Kalam the opportunity to earn his first wages?
Answer:
When stoppage of trains was cancelled at Rameshwaram because of World War II, Kalam’s cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram, asked him for help in collecting newspaper bundles which were thrown from the moving train. This helped Abdul Kalam earn his first wages.

Question 9.
What are Kalam’s views about his first jobs?
Answer:
As a young boy, Kalam earned his first wage by helping his cousin, Samsuddin, collect papers thrown from a moving train for distribution. Half a century later, Kalam would still feel the surge of pride in earning his own money for the first time.

Question 10.
Had Kalam earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer:
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds in the market. Kalam collected these seeds and sold them to earn an anna a day which was a big amount for a small boy like him in those days.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Snake and the Mirror Summary in English by Muhammad Basheer

The Snake and the Mirror by Muhammad Basheer About the Author

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1908-1994) was a Malayalam fiction writer. He was a humanist, freedom fighter, novelist and short story writer. He is known for his path-breaking, disarmingly down-to-earth style of writing that made him equally popular among literary critics as well as the common man. He is regarded as one of the most successful and outstanding writers of India. Translation of his works into other languages has won him world – wide acclaim. Basheer is fondly known as the ‘Beypore Sultan’. Basheer is known for his unconventional style of language. He did not differentiate between literary language and the language spoken by the commons and did not care about the grammatical correctness of his sentences. He was awarded with Padma Shri in 1982 for his overall contributions to the nation as a freedom fighter, writer, and as a political activist.

The Snake and the Mirror Introduction to the Chapter

An astute observer of human character, Vaikom Mohd Basheer skilfully combined humour and pathos in his works. Love, hunger and poverty are recurring themes in his works. The Snake and the Mirror presents a contrast between dreams and reality. This contrast has been depicted in a humorous manner.

Into the lonely and dull life of a young homeopathic doctor, who has just started his practice comes a venomous and life threatening visitor – a snake. The doctor is a great admirer of beauty and when he looks into the mirror, he is full of appreciation for his good looks. The seemingly dangerous situation of the snake coiling round the doctor’s arm turns him to stone in fright. However, the snake spares him and is itself attracted towards a mirror.

The Snake and the Mirror Summary in English

The Snake and the Mirror is a story about a doctor, who had only recently commenced his practice. His earnings were, therefore, meagre. He lived in a small rented room – an outhouse – with two windows and a tiled roof. The tiles were supported by gables which rested on the beam and there was no electricity. He had only sixty rupees in his bag. Apart from a few shirts and dhotis, he had one solitary black coat. The room was infested with rats. However, his dreams and ambitions were in contrast to this.

One hot summer night, he had his meal at the restaurant and returned home. He lighted the kerosene lamp, took off his coat and shirt and opened the two windows. He settled on the chair and took out a medical book to read. There was a large mirror on the table on which stood a lamp. Since it was too hot to sleep, and he had nothing better to do, he sat down in front of the mirror, admiring himself, admiring his looks and smile and planning that he should do to look more presentable. He was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making himself handsome. He also laid great emphasis on the fact that he was unmarried and a doctor. Pleased with his appearance, he decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. The manner in which he decided that this decision was an ‘important’ one, and his ‘earth-shaking decision’ to always keep smiling in order to look more handsome bring out the contrast between the kind of person he was and the kind of person he wanted to be and make the story humorous.

Gradually, his thoughts shifted from self- admiration to planning his future marriage. He wanted to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice because he did not have either. He wanted a fat wife so that whenever he made a mistake, he would run away and his wife would not be able to catch him.

He was so engrossed in his daydream that he did not give much importance’to the sudden silence. The rats had stopped scampering and there was a sound of something falling behind him. He brushed it aside, but even before he could turn around to have a look, a snake had slithered over the back of the chair and perched itself on his shoulder. The doctor was extremely frightened as the snake was only a few inches away from his face. Horrified, he sat turned to stone. The snake slithered along his shoulder and coiled around his left arm above the elbow. The doctor felt a crushing force on his arm. Moments ago, the doctor who had been feeling so proud of his looks and his profession, was weak with fright. He thought of various medicines he had and if any was good enough to save him if the snake did bite him. In this moment of fear of death, he realized that he was but a mere human, a poor man, nothing to boast about.

At this moment, he felt the presence of God near him. In his imagination, he tried to write ‘O God’ in bright letters outside his heart. He felt pain in his left arm where the snake was coiled. He realized that if the snake struck him, he did not even have any medicines in his room for the same. That was when he thought that he was a poor, foolish, and stupid doctor. In this way, his thoughts changed from calling himself a handsome, unmarried doctor to calling himself a poor, foolish, and stupid doctor. This sequence of events also provided humour to the story.

The moment he accepted his true worth, the Gods appeared pleased and the snake of its own free will left him and sat on the table in front of the mirror. The doctor got up silently and rushed out of the door. Next morning when he came back, all his belongings had been pilfered but for his dirty vest which was too dirty even for the thief.

The Snake and the Mirror Title

The Snake and the Mirror is a very apt title for this frightening tale presented in a very humorous manner. The story narrates a young doctor’s encounter with a snake. The doctor is sitting on a chair, looking at himself in the mirror when a snake lands on his shoulder and coils itself around his left arm, its hood only three or four inches away from his face. The doctor sits turned to a stone, but reprieve comes when the snake turns its head, and looks into the mirror. It sees its reflection and is so enamoured with its image that is slithers across to the mirror, sparing the life of the narrator.

Thus, the story revolves round the snake and the mirror. The vain narrator, who has been at the centre of the narrative until the snake appears, turns into an unimportant spectator. It is the snake who is so enamoured of its own reflection that it spares his life. Had the snake not moved to the mirror, and had bitten him, he would have surely died for there was no medicine in his room for snake-bite.

The Snake and the Mirror Setting

The setting of the story is a hot summer night; about ten o’clock. The young writer returns to his room after a meal. The room is a small rented one and is not electrified. There are two windows in the room. It has a tiled roof with long supporting gables that rest on the beam over the wall. There is no ceiling. The room is infested with rats.

The Snake and the Mirror Theme

The humorous narrative is based on the theme of human vanity and fears and how they affect people. The young doctor is a homeopath, struggling with his poverty and a fledgling practice.

However, he is vain about his looks and as he admires himself in the mirror, he thinks of ways in which he can look more handsome – by smiling more, or by growing a moustache. He also hopes to marry a fat woman doctor with a large practice and lead a happy life. The sudden arrival of a snake on the scene turns him to stone, but fate intervenes, when the snake, attracted by the mirror, decides to ignore him. The narrator takes this opportunity to make good his escape. The snake seems to be almost as vain as the doctor himself, and is too busy gazing at itself in the mirror to bother about the escaping prey.

An additional theme in the story is how crises make people turn to God for help.

The Snake and the Mirror Message

The Snake and the Mirror gives the message that faith in God and humility in thoughts are what make a person strong enough to face any adversity. The doctor in the story is cured of his arrogance after a close brush with death. He is young, arrogant, lull of himself, because he is unmarried and is a doctor. As he sits admiring himself, his only thought is of improving his looks.

However, faced with death, he realizes the futility of worldly possessions as he prays to God as he feels “the great presence of the creator of this world and this universe.” He feels maybe he was being taught a lesson for his arrogance and his pride in his appearance. Thus, the lesson learnt by the narrator is the writer’s message – one should never be proud of one’s beauty, strength or achievements.

The Snake and the Mirror Humour

The story presents a contrast between dreams and reality. This contrast has heen depicted in a humorous manner. The young doctor has just started his practice and, so, his earnings are meagre. He lives in a small rented room, which is not electrified and is full of rats. He has only sixty rupees in his bag, he has few clothes, and a solitary black coat. However, his dreams and ambitions are in contrast to this.

He admires beauty and he believes in making himself handsome. He lays great emphasis on the fact that he is unmarried and is a doctor. He decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. He describes this decision as an ‘important’ one. Later, he also makes an ‘earth-shaking decision’ to always keep smiling in order to look more handsome. This contrast between the kind of person he is and the kind of person he wants to be makes the story humorous.

He has thought about the kind of person he wants to marry. He wants to marry a woman doctor who has plenty of money and a good medical practice because he did not have any of those. He wants a fat wife so that whenever he runs away making a mistake his wife is not able to catch him. However, the woman he marries is a thin and slender person who can run like a sprinter. This contrast between the kind of wife he wanted and the kind of wife he ends up marrying adds to the humour of the story.

Ironically, the snake too is as narcissistic as the doctor. It coils itself around the petrified doctor’s arm, and spreads its hood, just inches from the doctor’s face, when it suddenly turns its head and sees its reflection in the mirror. It unwinds itself from the doctor’s arm and slowly slithers across his lap, onto the table towards the mirror to enjoy its reflection at closer quarters. The fact that the snake also wishes to admire itself in the mirror, like the narrator, and leaves the narrator alone also creates humour.

The fact that the thieves decamp with the narrator’s meagre belongings, but for a dirty vest is also funny.

The Snake and the Mirror Characters

Doctor

The young homeopathic doctor has been portrayed as a person who is vain and arrogant. He admires beauty and he believes in making himself handsome. He lays great emphasis on the fact that he is unmarried and is a doctor. He decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. He describes this decision as an ‘important’ one. Later, he also makes an ‘earth-shaking decision’ to always keep smiling in order to look more handsome. However, in contrast to the preoccupation with the external appearance, is the dirty vest that even the thieves leave behind.

The doctor, however, can assess himself critically and humorously. He honestly admits that as a new practitioner of medicine, he could not earn much and had to rent a poor, rat-infested house without even the facility of electricity. He is materialistic and admits that he wanted to marry a rich lady-doctor. He is opportunistic enough to want his wife be fat as it would help him run away without getting caught when he would make some silly mistake.

The doctor is a chauvinist, who has a poor opinion .of women. He is not above marrying a woman for her money, and running away from her, when he has done something wrong.

The young doctor has presence of mind to sit still without panicking when the snake crawls on him. He doesn’t jump or cry out but keeps his cool and casts his mind around to remember if he has any anti-dote to snake-venom in the room. He makes the most of the opportunity when the snake is absorbed in its reflection in the mirror and makes good his escape.

However, his ability to admit his follies and laugh at himself makes him quite endearing. The encounter with the snake helps him realise that to be alive is more important than to look good. His arrogance turns into modesty after his encounter with the snake. This witty side of the doctor is seen again at the end of the story when he remarks that the thief did not take away his dirty vest because he had a sense of cleanliness.

Similarities between Doctor and Snake

Both the Doctor and the Snake display a narcissistic trait that renders them hot oblivious to their surroundings. The Doctor admires beauty and he believes in making himself handsome. He lays great emphasis on the fact that he is unmarried and is a doctor. He decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.

He describes this decision as an ‘important’ one. Later, he also makes an ‘earth-shaking decision’ to always keep smiling in order to look more handsome.

The Snake is coiled around the Doctor’s arm, with its hood spread out, its head hardly three or four inches from his face, when it looks into mirror. So enamoured is it by its looks that it slithers off to look at its reflection. It forget the reason why it was there, probably hungry and chasing some rats.

The Snake and the Mirror Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Who narrated his encounter with a snake? To whom? Why did he narrate the incident?
Answer:
The narrator of the incident was a homeopathic doctor. One day, when the narrator and some others were discussing snakes, the doctor was reminded of his own encounter with a snake and he narrated the incident.

Question 2.
When and where did the incident with the snake take place?
Answer:
The incident took place in the narrator’s room after he had taken his meal in a restaurant and had returned to his room at about ten o’clock in the night.

Question 3.
Why did the narrator have to light the kerosene lamp on reaching his room?
Answer:
The narrator had to light the kerosene lamp because it was ten o’clock and it was very dark. The room did not have electricity and the narrator had limited money and could not afford a better place.

Question 4.
Describe the narrator’s room?
Answer:
The narrator lived in a small, poorly furnished rented room infested with rats. It was an outer room, its one wall facing the open yard. The room had two windows and its tiles were supported by gables that rested on the beam over the wall. There was no ceiling. The room was not electrified. Outside the room there was a veranda. The room was meagrely furnished; among the few pieces of furniture, there was his bed, a chair, a table with his medical books, usual accessories, a kerosene lamp and a mirror on it.

Question 5.
What circumstances prompted the doctor to live in a small, poor house?
Answer:
The doctor had just started his practice and his earnings were meagre. Therefore, he lived in a small, poor house because he could not afford to rent a better and more comfortable accommodation. Besides, he was not married at that time so he could manage in a small rented room until the time he got married.

Question 6.
The doctor was not a man with many material possessions. Elaborate.
Answer:
The doctor had just started his practice. Therefore, his earnings were meagre. He lived in a small rented room, which was not electrified. He had only sixty rupees in his bag. Apart from a few shirts and dhotis, he had one solitary black coat. His room was full of rats.

Question 7.
Why was the narrator awake despite the lateness of the hour?
Answer:
It was about ten o’clock on a hot summer night when the narrator reached his room. He made his bed and lay down on it, but he could not sleep due to the heat. He got up and went out to the veranda for a little air, but there was no wind. So, he went back into the room and sat down on the chair.

Question 8.
What did the doctor do after coming back inside?
Answer:
The doctor sat on the chair and, opening the box beneath the table, took out a book, the Materia Medica. He opened the book at the table on which stood the lamp and a large mirror. At once he was tempted to look into the mirror and he set about making himself look handsome.

Question 9.
“The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the narrator hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer:
The narrator heard the familiar sound of movement of some animals on the beam. He thought that the sound was being made by the scampering of rats as always. He heard the sound thrice. After the third time, the sound stopped. This was probably because of the appearance of the snake and the disappearance of the rats in fear.

Question 10.
What were the narrator’s feelings as he looked into the mirror?
Answer:
At that time the narrator, who was unmarried and a doctor, was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making himself look handsome. He felt he had to make his presence felt by improving his appearance.

He began to comb his hair, adjusting the parting so that it looked straight and neat in order to appear more handsome.