Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 1
The Third Level
Number: 7
Page Reading with Insight
1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Answer: Yes, I think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. The third level is an escape for Charley from the modern setting of worry and insecurity. It is an escape from the unhappy contemporary world that is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry. He had always desired to live his life peacefully as he did in Galesburg. Charlie was so upset and frustrated with modern life and the way of living that he wanted to move back into the past. Thus, in his mind, he has forever wanted to go back in time, so he found the third level as a realization of his dream.
2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer: Sam’s letter is a consequence of Charley’s thoughts. Sam’s letter was full of mystery when Charley came across it. This can be understood from the truth that the letter was enclosed in the oldest first-day cover and directed to his grandfather. Usually, the first-day covers have blank papers in them, but this one included a letter. This is made so that the envelope is stamped along with the date and it remains as a remembrance always. So these kinds of envelopes carry just blank letters and should not be opened. In this letter, Sam had notified Charley that he was living on the third level. He had also stated that Charley and his wife keep waiting for the third level. This confirms that Sam’s letter is an outcome of Charley’s complete imagination.
3. ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer: The contemporary world is full of illusion, insecurity, war, fear, worry, tension, and stress. This is because the world is full of competition and people need to pull each other downward. People can overcome this unrealness, anxieties, and insecurities bred by our certain existence in the advanced world by getting involved in useful and practical activities. To overcome such uncertainties, firstly we must believe that both good and bad come our way. Hence, we the people want to create equilibrium among professional, creative, personal, and economic provinces of life. People need to spend a good time with friends and family, be productive in art, poetry, prose, or in enhancing their hobbies.
4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Answer: Yes, some situations in the story show an interaction of time and space. Firstly, the first two levels of Grand Central Station were found in the present time while the third level survived. Charley tries to buy for Galesburg but finds that he has current-day currency. The stairs that guide Charley to the third level are also seen to be the pattern of the 19th-century. Charley opens up the first-day cover from his grandfather’s collection of stamps and assumes it to be Sam’s letter which is supposed to be blank. In certain situations, Charley is brought to a parallel world of thought where everything results according to his desires. This instance makes him completely fulfilled. However, when he experiences the modern world, he becomes tangled.
5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
Answer: Indeed, apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic prediction. Sometimes what appears to be illogical today or at a point in time often turns out to be a reality tomorrow or in the future. This has usually been the trend with scientific discoveries. No one could have tried to accept that man could fly before the Wright Brothers invented the airplane. It was an illogical thought. It later rolled out to be an actuality in the form of planes and parachutes. Likewise, the baseless thought of communicating to people over long distances by Graham Bell made him invent the telephone. Another example of this is the mobile phone which is another version of taking the telephone to its next level. All these discoveries were seeded in absurd thoughts. Illogical thoughts converted to real-time inventions are possible due to time, effort, patience, hard work, and resources.
6. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?
Answer: Besides philately, there are many other ways to help keep the past alive. Holding on to the past alive also means protecting the memories, which can be preserved in numerous ways. Philately is collecting the stamps that transport us into our actual past. In the past, people would maintain a diary to keep incidents recorded. Some people would also safely preserve letters, souvenirs, gifts, and coins that they got from others. In the modern world, as time flies and technology gets developed in people’s lives, they make videos or take photographs to capture the moments.
The ability to fluctuate between the past, present, and future is a great intellectual gift. It is good to make mistakes in our past. We can take beautiful lessons from it and can make today and tomorrow wonderful. Human beings have a good ability to keep events recorded in mind. This enables them to continually go back to any situation in the past and revive it. Hence, we as humans have the power to probe deep into the past, think about the present, and also imagine the future.
7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.
Answer: In both stories, reality and fantasies are interwoven. Jayant Narlikar’s ‘Adventure’ is a complete narration of what happens to a person when his life is stuck between two worlds that is imagination and presence. Professor Gaitonde and Charley both have reached a situation where they are helpless to differentiate between the world of actuality and fantasy. Professor Gaitonde is so engrossed in concepts of the battle of Panipat that he visualizes it happening in front of him during the accident. He rather imagines it to be the chaotic battle of Panipat and molds it in a way that he wished.
In the same way, Charley in the third level completely indulges himself in the thoughts of Galesburg. So, he assumes the presence of the Third Level which could help him reach the land of his fantasies – Galesburg. They were extremely unsatisfied with the present scenario and desperately wanted to change it. Thus both stories present fantasy as well as reality.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 2 – The Tiger King
Page Number: 17
Reading with Insight
1. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Answer. The story “The Tiger King” is a satire on the self-admiration of those in power. It is also the best instance of dramatic irony in a situation where the entire significance of a character’s talks is transparent to the readers but is not known to the characters present in it. The Maharaja, because of the prediction that he would meet his death from the hundredth tiger that he killed, screamed a warning to all the tigers. He explained the act of killing tigers as ‘self-defence’. The state banned the hunting of tigers by anyone in the state except the Maharaja. The Maharaja tried his utmost best to distort the prediction of the astrologers since his kingdom astrologer had foretold the Maharaja’s death by a tiger. He was to beware and be more careful from the hundredth tiger. Instead, the courtiers spent their time, living luxuriously and comfortably off the taxes of the people and in foolish pursuits. Even the courtiers took extreme advantage of their power. The story is full of situations of irony that expose the foolishness of dictatorial rulers who neglected nature and bent laws to suit their selfish wishes. The author manipulates dramatic irony in the story by a twist of fortune when the bullet of the Maharaja failed to kill the hundredth tiger and he remains unaware of it. The irony lies in the point that the tiger which caused the death of the Tiger King was a wooden tiger. One of its tiny slivers pierced into the right hand of the king. Infection flared and a suppurating sore spread all over the arm. In vain struggles to prove the astrologer wrong, the Maharaja had killed 100 tigers but by failing to kill the last tiger and celebrating his ‘triumph’ over his fate, Maharaja had invited death as he was ironically killed by a little wooden toy tiger.
2. What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?
Answer. Through this satirical story, the author incorporated some humour in the story and also explained how humans kill innocent creatures or animals just to show their supremacy and desires to fulfill their whims and fancies. The Maharaja’s wild killing of 99 tigers had led to their destruction in many forests, but he was unaware of the severe results his foolish actions would lead to. To save his life and lead a satisfactory one, the Maharaja mercilessly killed helpless animals to extinction just to show his power and legacy and to prove the astrologer wrong. He wished to show his superiority as a human being, strength over nature and his destiny and exercised his power to kill hundred luckless tigers.
3. How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?
Answer. The Maharaja’s minions or his servants were remarkably subservient and loyal to his every order and command. Most of them were terrified of the Maharaja and decided to keep him in good humour by following his rules and orders. They did not dare to resist him as his anger could mean the loss of their jobs or even the loss of their lives. The astrologer was afraid of predicting his death but Maharaja had asked him to talk without any fear. Dewan, who was his close advisor could not stop him from killing tigers, fearing his anger, and he arranged Maharaja’s marriage to a princess as per his wishes. Since he was scared of losing his post, he even planted an old tiger to pacify the King’s anger and please him. Likewise, the hunters chose not to notify him of the survival of the 100th tiger and instead killed it themselves fearing that they might lose their jobs. Finally, the shopkeeper, who sold the wooden tiger to the King, quoted a higher price to avoid a penalty. So it is obvious that the king’s servants were driven by fear rather than by any feelings of justice towards their king.
Yes, today’s political order is very similar to that of the Maharaja’s story. It means there’s no difference. Most of the people these days are occupying various positions of political power based individually on their influence and power.
4. Can you relate instances of game-hunting among the rich and the powerful in the present times that illustrate the callousness of human beings towards wildlife?
Answer. Even in the present time, one can see that game-hunting is as popular as it was in the past among the rich and powerful people across the world. India banned and condemned poaching, hunting, and selling animal body parts across the country. But these laws are not executed properly so hunters and poachers hunt illegally, and trade animal parts across the border to get crores of cash. As a consequence, many species have become extinct and others are endangered. Strict penalties and punishment must be set on the offenders of the laws passed to preserve wildlife. We must join hands to protect those animals and also should spread awareness of crimes inflicted on helpless animals.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 3 – Journey To The End Of The Earth
Page number: 23
Reading with Insight
1. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?
Answer. The world’s geological history is indeed trapped in Antarctica. The study of the region of Antarctica gives us insight into the world’s geological history. This is because the current world is battling with the growing population and the extreme burning of fossil fuels has formed a blanket of carbon dioxide around the earth, which is the main cause of global temperature or warming. Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is relatively ‘pristine’. It is because 650 million years ago Gondwana land existed in the south part of the earth where Antarctica is currently situated. It contains a rich variety of flora and fauna. For 500 million years Gondwana flourished, later landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the globe, much as we know it today. All secrets are embedded in the layers of the ice in the form of 500-million-year-old carbon records. Hence, to study about earth’s past Antarctica is the best place.
2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?
Answer. Geoff Green took the high school students to one end of the world, to give them the chance to develop respect and knowledge for the earth. He included high school students in the ice expedition because with students on the ice expedition he offered the future policymakers to experience how difficult it would have been for the earth to sustain life by raising its warmth. At a younger age when the process of good values develops in their life, it will also assist them in knowing more about their planet.
3. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?
Answer. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ is a relevant statement to the Antarctic environment. A small environmental change can give rise to dramatic developments. Because of the small biodiversity and simple ecosystem, Antarctica is the best place to study the small changes in the environment that give big consequences. For example, consider the microscopic phytoplankton — these grasses of the sea that feed and support the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain. These single-celled plants use the sun’s energy to absorb carbon dioxide and manufacture organic compounds and the most important of processes is called photosynthesis. Scientists caution that more depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of phytoplankton, which in turn affect the marine life’s food chain. From this example of the phytoplankton, there is a great metaphor for existence: take care of the small things and the big things will fall into place.
4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?
Answer. Antarctica is the best place to understand the earth’s present, past, future because it holds in its ice cores, half a million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. Antarctica gives an idea of how the earth would have been like millions of years ago and how it formed into different masses of earth. Antarctica has a vibrant diversity of flora and fauna is a rich heritage of the past. Therefore, Antarctica is a place to understand the earth’s present, past and future.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 4 – The Enemy
Page Number: 47
Reading With Insight
1. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.
Answer. The story revolves around human values that propel a Japanese doctor, the protagonist, to help an enemy during war. The story is about a doctor who encounters a severely wounded enemy soldier. Being a doctor and as a human being, he observes the white man in critical condition who badly requires the doctor’s help. However, he is afraid of assisting him as the man belonged to the rival country. If he treats the white man, it makes him feel dishonest towards his land. But when he decides to hand over the man to the cops, he feels he is not capable of keeping up his job professionally.
2. Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
Answer. Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana knew that everyone would question their decision to save the enemy soldier. Hana felt sympathetic to him because she completely understood what Sadao was feeling at that time, as she had known Dr. Sadao for a long period of time. She was aware that his duty compelled Dr. Sadao as a doctor but simultaneously felt it might be considered a lack of patriotism on his part. He was hiding the foe in his home, and their domestic staff had also left the job, making the condition even worse. This helpless situation of her husband made her feel sympathy towards him.
3. How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor’s home even when he knew he couldn’t stay there without risk to the doctor and himself?
Answer. The story says that the white man named Tom was very young, nearly seventeen years old and he was admitted into the army. When the American war prisoner came to consciousness and understood that he was rescued by a Japanese family, he worried that he would soon be handed over to their army. When he walked inside the doctor’s home, the treatment which he got from them made him feel affectionate towards them. He knew that although he was a threat to Dr.Sadao’s family, his life might be saved there. Overwhelmed with thankfulness towards them, he finally decided to comply with what the doctor planned for him to escape.
4. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it human consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply self-absorption?
Answer. The general was governed by total self-absorption. He was a patient of Dr. Sadao and when it came to his health, he trusted no one else but him. He couldn’t risk going unprotected if the doctor was executed for treason. He had personal assassins whom he vowed to use to eliminate the wounded soldier. But he sadly ‘forgot’ about his promise to help the doctor. Humans were not his thing. Humans were not his cup of tea.
5. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during wartime, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?
Answer. It is very natural to hate your enemy but more challenging is to accept them and to show love towards them. While hatred against the enemy is logical, particularly during wartime, the sense of humanity makes a human being rise above narrow preconceptions. It is obvious that the countries at war are enemies and hatred is a part of this enmity. It becomes very essential to break the chains and stand aside from the crowd. Here in this story, when the doctor observed the injured enemy he was unable to resist himself to help the man. It is the best example to describe the situation that makes a human being rise above conventional biases.
6. Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the circumstances?
Answer. The doctor attempted his best to save the injured soldier as a part of his service. But the final question was what to do next. It cannot be said that he betrayed his land as he told the truth to the General. The final decision he made was advantageous to both the white man and the doctor’s family as he treated him very finely. He also presented him with attire and food and asked him to leave for his home place. By doing this he saved himself too. However, when the general remarked that the injured soldier was to be killed not for the advantage of the country but only to save the doctor’s life, he decided to help him flee. In such a condition, the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one.
7. Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?
Answer. Yes, the story reminds me of “BIRTH” by A.J. Cronin. There are many striking similarities between BIRTH and THE ENEMY. Both stories show the gentle character of the doctors towards their patients, irrespective of other circumstances. “BIRTH” describes the very practical nature of the doctor when Morgan calls him for his child. In ”THE ENEMY” the doctor helps the white man because of his injury although he is his enemy. ”BIRTH” shows the patient nature of a doctor when though a baby after birth is lifeless, but the doctor continues to hope to save him/her. And in “THE ENEMY” the doctor has taken care of white sailors for many days till the white man securely goes through the boat. In both the stories the doctors treated their patients with devotion towards their job, whatever the difficulty. For Dr. Sadao, the risk was to give a stay to the white man and for that, they could get arrested while Dr. Andrew risked giving a new life to the ‘stillborn’ baby. Consequently, both the stories deal with humanity’s love, affection, selflessness, and a strong sense of duty.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 5 – Should Wizard Hit Mommy
Page Number: 55
Reading With Insight
1. What is the moral issue that the story raises?
Answer. The story explores ethical issues dependent on various levels of maturity. It also discusses the issue of the relationship of the child-parent relationship deeply. There is a sharp contrast between an adult’s aspect of life and the worldview of a little child. Though Roger Skunk didn’t like the thought of smelling foul again, he agrees with his mom because he loves his mom more than all the other animals. It also shows the kind of trust that Roger had in her mother. This is the kind of trust that Jack had Jo to have in him so that later in life Jo understands how valuable this lesson was for her. Thus, the story proposes the question of whether parents should always be followed blindly.
2. How does Jo want the story to end and why?
Answer. Jo was not satisfied with the ending of the story and persuaded her father to retell the story the next day presenting the story in a predetermined way that she had set. According to Jo, neither Roger skunk nor the Wizard was wrong in the story. She wants this to happen because she cannot see Roger Skunk being left alone by his friends. According to her, Roger is great at smelling like roses and that his friends won’t run away from him anymore. She wanted the story to end with the wizard hitting back the mother skunk with his magic wand on her head.
3. Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother?
Answer. Jack insisted that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother since he wanted Jo to realize that whatever parents do for their kids is for their good. He wanted to make Jo understand that there’s no wizard in practical life. Also, his notable defense for Mommy Skunk made Jo aware that Jack was defending his mother or something really important.
4. What makes Jack feel caught in an ugly middle position?
Answer. Jack believes that he has been caught in an ugly middle position physically, emotionally as well as mentally since both his spouse and his daughter are in his presence. He was aware of his responsibilities as a husband and as a father. But he is incapable to choose between the two. Clare is six months pregnant. She’s painting the furniture alone and expects Jack to help her. She also says “That was a long story” when Jack comes downstairs. Her explanation makes Jack feel guilty because he couldn’t come to help his wife on time. On the other hand, all his struggles to make Jo fall asleep have gone in vain.Moreover, he couldn’t make Jo understand Mommy Skunk was indeed doing what was best for little Roger. Everything that Jack was required to do was left incomplete. He found himself to be in an ugly middle position as he could not wipe out the gap between the old and the modern generation.
5. What is your stance regarding the two endings to the Roger Skunk story?
Answer. Recognizing the young age of Jo, both the endings look a little illogical. Jo will certainly be learning from whatever she listens and visualizes at this age. However, Jo’s preference for how the story should look is very beautiful. If the story ends according to Jack, Jo will never be capable of questioning anything she considers wrong in life since this ending emphasizes that elders are always correct in whatever they do. But I agree with the end that Jack decides. This is because it gives the story a touch of Jack’s personal life and makes us see how Jack was supported by his mother. It becomes a story with a lesson wherein Jo knows how much Jack loves his mother by his way of defending Mommy Skunk.
6. Why is an adult’s perspective on life different from that of a child’s?
Answer. An adult’s perspective on life is different from that of a child’s. This is because a grown-up or adult is an experienced personality. He has more knowledge of life since he has existed for a long time and has seen the harsh facts of life. A child’s mind is real, simple, and without any fraud or double-mindedness. So, an adult’s perspective is always separate from that of a child’s.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 6 – On The Face Of It
1. What is it that draws Derry towards Mr Lamb in spite of himself?
Answer. Derry notices Mr. Lamb is different from others. Mr. Lamb shows fearlessness on seeing Derry’s burned face. Rather he lovingly talks to him. Derry was thinking that his problem is big enough to make him the saddest person in the world. But later hearing from Mr. Lamb, he finds his problem to be a small one and starts managing Mr. Lamb. I believe that the unusual conversation between Mr. Lamb and Derry has pulled him towards Mr. Lamb notwithstanding himself.
2. In which section of the play does Mr Lamb display signs of loneliness and disappointment? What are the ways in which Mr Lamb tries to overcome these feelings?
Answer. It is midway in the first scene of the story that Mr. Lamb exhibits signs of loneliness and disappointment. Although the solitude of Derry controls the play, there are evident shades of Mr. Lamb’s loneliness during the first view of the play. Mr. Lamb shows signs of separation when Derry says that he had listened to a lot of passive things about Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb decides to overcome those emotions by listening to the song of the bees in the beehive on the tree in his garden. These are the ways in which Mr. Lamb tries to overcome his loneliness.
3. The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that the person expects from others?
Answer. A person with physical impairment can live life with honour and respect if he is not exposed and punished with ruthless pity. He expects compassion rather than sympathy. Being with a weakness doesn’t mean one is not human. It is an individual with just a tiny defect. There is no necessity for the alienation of disabled people. Helping them in improving their skills, notwithstanding their inabilities, by acting ordinarily with them would be a great thing to do. That is something they would expect from us.
4. Will Derry get back to his old seclusion or will Mr Lamb’s brief association effect a change in the kind of life he will lead in the future?
Answer. No, Derry will not get back to his privacy. The small association of Derry with Mr. Lamb raised his self-assurance and encouraged him to respect himself. I think Mr. Lamb’s brief association would bring a difference in the life of Derry that he is going to lead in his future. It’s because within a short period Mr. Lamb made him satisfied and comfortable. He has also taught Derry the wish to work for something rather than thinking about his broken face. This will definitely change Derry’s approach towards other people and will surely have an impact on the life that he is going to lead in the future.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 7 – Evans Tries An O-Level
Page Number: 92
1. Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans’ having the last laugh?
Answer. Evans smartly devised and executed the plan of his escape. He managed to fool everyone till the end of the story. It was Evan who had the last laugh. He gave false clues to misguide the officials following him. The story describes how criminals are one step ahead of prison officials. As earlier said, Evan smartly executed the plan of release after all, providing strict care for the smooth handling of the Examination. Evan made all the arrangements to escape by just sitting in jail. His friends joined and Mc Leery helped him in escaping by deceiving the governor. They arranged the car where Evan could change his makeup and clothes. With his victorious escape, Evans definitely had a well-earned last laugh.
2. When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even checking the identity of the injured ‘McLeery’. Does this show how hasty conjectures can prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence?
Answer. Evans was a perceptive and smart criminal. He had evaluated the vulnerabilities of the prison staff successfully. Stephen was a new recruit to the prison setup. When he noticed the wounded McCleery in the cell he was so overcome that he did not verify who he was and neither did anyone else. It did not happen to anyone to ask how there could be two persons, one of them in the cell and the another who had been accompanied out by Stephens. It was for this reason that buddies of Evans, who, acting as the Governor on the telephone, addressed Stephens that he should accompany the person done with his exams. The Governor and his officers lead Evans out of the jail. The question paper was left behind to deceive the Governor. This proves that Evans the convict had sufficient time to analyze the behaviour of the jail officers and prepare their strategy well.
3. What could the Governor have done to securely bring back Evans to prison when he caught him at the Golden Lion? Does that final act of foolishness really prove that “he was just another good-for-a-giggle, gullible governor, that was all”?
Answer. The Governor took all the forethought to assure that Evans should not have any risk to escape from the prison. He even traced and caught him at the Golden Lion after his magnificent release from jail. His cocksureness once again showed that he was no equal to the smart and cunning Evans. The Governor, after getting proof from the question paper, traced Evans at the Golden Lion. When he entered the room he was stunned to see the Governor. Evans gave no action and was imprisoned. The innocent Governor rejoiced over his victory and said goodbye to him. Evans was made to sit in the police van. The Governor did not check the identity of the driver, the officer, and the van. A little more diligence could have avoided the escape of the sinner. If the Governor had taken Evans to the jail cell with the arrangement of police the criminal would not have disappeared. Their carelessness showed that he was “just another good-for-a-giggle gullible governor”.
4. While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft corner for those in custody?
Answer. The reason why the jail officer develops a soft corner for those in imprisonment is that regular communication brings people closer. There is increased perception between them. They may not be in a position to justify the action but can explain it. Our opinions change when we see a criminal accepting his punishment. This is what happens with the jail officer. By seeing the criminal suffering in the jail, they accidentally generate a soft corner for him in their hearts. They gaze at him as a human being and not as an illegal character. They start seeing and appreciating their mental skills rather than just retrieving their sin. In this story, it is said that buried somewhere in Jackson, the senior police officer, beneath all the bluster, was a tiny core of kindness and Evans knew it. Evans knew of the sensitive side of Jackson and so hit it straight through his talk about “lucky charm”, and managed to fool the strict and efficient staff. Even the Governor could not help seeing his brain power when he found him in the hotel. Thus, he was not bitter or stern with Evans, and regrettably, carried off with him leniently.
5. Do you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?
Answer. In every fight, the more powerful side wins, and this power could be mental or physical. However, after seeing the story we can terminate that punishment and crime, it is chiefly a battle of wits. The side which defeats the other successes. It is not always that a culprit gets punished. Here in the story, the police officers, though well-trained, were easily deceived by the smart Evans who tried to escape from right under their nose. The Governor and Evans, both tried to outwit each other. The Governor took all the forethought like bugging the cell during the exam. He sent Stephen to accompany Mc Leery and got the hotel exactly. Evans was also taken aback when he got to know that the receptionist in the hotel was an informer. These are examples of the battle of wits between crime and punishment.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 7 – Evans Tries An O-Level
Page Number: 92
Reading With Insight
1. Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans’ having the last laugh?
Answer. Evans smartly devised and executed the plan of his escape. He managed to fool everyone till the end of the story. It was Evan who had the last laugh. He gave false clues to misguide the officials following him. The story describes how criminals are one step ahead of prison officials. As earlier said, Evan smartly executed the plan of release after all, providing strict care for the smooth handling of the Examination. Evan made all the arrangements to escape by just sitting in jail. His friends joined and Mc Leery helped him in escaping by deceiving the governor. They arranged the car where Evan could change his makeup and clothes. With his victorious escape, Evans definitely had a well-earned last laugh.
2. When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even checking the identity of the injured ‘McLeery’. Does this show how hasty conjectures can prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence?
Answer. Evans was a perceptive and smart criminal. He had evaluated the vulnerabilities of the prison staff successfully. Stephen was a new recruit to the prison setup. When he noticed the wounded McCleery in the cell he was so overcome that he did not verify who he was and neither did anyone else. It did not happen to anyone to ask how there could be two persons, one of them in the cell and the another who had been accompanied out by Stephens. It was for this reason that buddies of Evans, who, acting as the Governor on the telephone, addressed Stephens that he should accompany the person done with his exams. The Governor and his officers lead Evans out of the jail. The question paper was left behind to deceive the Governor. This proves that Evans the convict had sufficient time to analyze the behaviour of the jail officers and prepare their strategy well.
3. What could the Governor have done to securely bring back Evans to prison when he caught him at the Golden Lion? Does that final act of foolishness really prove that “he was just another good-for-a-giggle, gullible governor, that was all”?
Answer. The Governor took all the forethought to assure that Evans should not have any risk to escape from the prison. He even traced and caught him at the Golden Lion after his magnificent release from jail. His cocksureness once again showed that he was no equal to the smart and cunning Evans. The Governor, after getting proof from the question paper, traced Evans at the Golden Lion. When he entered the room he was stunned to see the Governor. Evans gave no action and was imprisoned. The innocent Governor rejoiced over his victory and said goodbye to him. Evans was made to sit in the police van. The Governor did not check the identity of the driver, the officer, and the van. A little more diligence could have avoided the escape of the sinner. If the Governor had taken Evans to the jail cell with the arrangement of police the criminal would not have disappeared. Their carelessness showed that he was “just another good-for-a-giggle gullible governor”.
4. While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft corner for those in custody?
Answer. The reason why the jail officer develops a soft corner for those in imprisonment is that regular communication brings people closer. There is increased perception between them. They may not be in a position to justify the action but can explain it. Our opinions change when we see a criminal accepting his punishment. This is what happens with the jail officer. By seeing the criminal suffering in the jail, they accidentally generate a soft corner for him in their hearts. They gaze at him as a human being and not as an illegal character. They start seeing and appreciating their mental skills rather than just retrieving their sin. In this story, it is said that buried somewhere in Jackson, the senior police officer, beneath all the bluster, was a tiny core of kindness and Evans knew it. Evans knew of the sensitive side of Jackson and so hit it straight through his talk about “lucky charm”, and managed to fool the strict and efficient staff. Even the Governor could not help seeing his brain power when he found him in the hotel. Thus, he was not bitter or stern with Evans, and regrettably, carried off with him leniently.
5. Do you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?
Answer. In every fight, the more powerful side wins, and this power could be mental or physical. However, after seeing the story we can terminate that punishment and crime, it is chiefly a battle of wits. The side which defeats the other successes. It is not always that a culprit gets punished. Here in the story, the police officers, though well-trained, were easily deceived by the smart Evans who tried to escape from right under their nose. The Governor and Evans, both tried to outwit each other. The Governor took all the forethought like bugging the cell during the exam. He sent Stephen to accompany Mc Leery and got the hotel exactly. Evans was also taken aback when he got to know that the receptionist in the hotel was an informer. These are examples of the battle of wits between crime and punishment.
Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 8 – Memories Of Childhood
Page Number: 100
Reading With Insight
1. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?
Answer. Both the autobiographical passages, based upon two different cultures, represent the lives of two ladies from marginalized communities who look back at their childhood and think about their relationship with mainstream culture. ‘Memories of childhood’ plays autobiographical scenes by two women from culturally marginalized regions in two separate cultures of the world. The thread of commonality that appears in both stories is the feeling of sadness and insult felt by both the women of marginalized societies. One highlights the evil practice of racial prejudice while the other talks about the hierarchical Indian caste system and untouchability. The first account is by an American Indian woman. The second account is characterized by a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer. The mentioned women relate to two different cultures. Pain and sorrow are experienced by both women in their early life. Native Indians don’t get importance and respect for dignity in America. They are obliged to follow their tradition, whims, and trades. The poor Indian lady was pulled out and tied to a chair and her long and dark hair was shingled. Bama, on the other hand, awakened early to the dehumanization of having been born in a community of untouchables and hence directed all her power into fighting the prejudice of such a system. Both of them fight and protest against injustice and discrimination.
2. It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?
Answer. Yes, indeed, injustice in any form can’t escape being noticed even by children. The world is full of inequality. While the adults have grown used to this, the innocence of childhood does not understand hate and prejudice. Innocent-looking children have their knowledge of the world and its people. In the case of the two extracts given in Memories of Childhood, this is evident.
Zitkala-Sa understood as soon as she entered the school run by the whites that they meant to transform her into a distinct person than what she had been before. In the story ‘The Cutting of my Long Hair’ the author describes the emotional torture she has to go through because she is discriminated against based on her race. She wants to have long and heavy hair, it is the culture of a society. Only cowards have shingled hair among them. She struggles and says she is defeated.
In the other extract “We too are human beings”, the writer addresses how she and her community is neglected by society under the appearance of untouchability. Bama has a first-hand experience of untouchability in India. The people of high castes don’t think of the low castes even as human beings. She had seen an elder conquered by a landlord on a street and she observed how even the elders in her society are disrespected and despised.
3. Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does Zitkala-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?
Answer. While Bama was subjected to untouchability and caste discrimination, Zitkala-Sa was a victim of racial prejudice. Zitkala-Sa was packed off to a European missionary school where, being a local tribal, she was looked down upon. Bama and Zitkala-Sa highlight the humiliation and exploitation of the defeated people. They write about women from marginalized societies. Zitkala-Sa belongs to the community of native Americans and she is expelled from her community and separated from its culture. She feels robbed of her name and dignity. The poor girl struggles till she is defeated.
On the other hand, Bama, who saw the violation of untouchability, decided to blur the difference of castes with the knowledge of education. The people who belong to a low caste have to fight against the higher caste. She is motivated by the terms of her elder sibling, now works hard, and stands first in the class. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama fought with courage against the humiliation they were subjected to.
