Grade 12 Major English Encounter Question and Answers

THE USE OF FORCE

1) What is the nature of conflict in the story?

The story presents physical as well as psychological conflict. There is physical conflict between the doctor and child (Mathilda) and psychological between the doctor and parents. The girl is suffering from sore throat but she is hiding her pain from her parents by telling lie. The doctor however attacks the little girl to find out the disease. He has used force so that he could know the cause and treat the disease.

When the doctor was trying to look in the throat, the mother said that the doctor won’t hurt her. The statement makes the doctor angry. So there is conflict between the doctor and the mother internally. The doctor has to treat the disease as it is his social responsibility. The doctor’s mind is full of conflict.

2) Do you think the use of force is justifiable in the story?

The doctor was called for the treatment of the little girl. She had been suffering from fever for last three days. Her parents don’t know the cause of her fever. They are frightened. The doctor fears that she might die of the disease because there were many children suffering in her school. She had also suffered from. So he tells to open the girl’s mouth but she refuses. So the doctor uses force. At first he wasn’t able to open her mouth. He becomes furious and angry. At last he becomes successful. He finds that she was suffering from diphtheria. The doctor used the force for good purpose.

AN EPISODE OF WAR

1)    The author has taken pains to indicate how the wound has set the lieutenant away from his fellow. How do the men regard him? How do his fellows regard him? The doctor? Do all these themes help to define the theme?

The story presents a very grim picture of inhumane of war in the front in the barrack and in the hospital. Though the lieutenant was serious in the task of distributing, they were in the war. The lieutenant was shot by a bullet on his right arm. He was seriously wounded. The sound of pain was audible. During all these moment all his fellowmen looked at him with surprise. They had not expected it at this moment. After the break from the surprise, they crowded forward with sympathy. There were many who came for the help but the lieutenant didn’t accept the help from anyone. He walked ahead towards the hospital. The strangers reported of the dead bodies (corps).

Several officers came out to him injured concerning the things which he didn’t know. One of them noticed his wound but he tied the wound without any treatment. When the lieutenant reached the hospital, the doctor looked at him as he was a criminal. When the doctor looked the wound, he told that the arm of the lieutenant has to be cut off. At first he refused but he lost his arm finally. He found relief nowhere.

2)   What are the implications of Crane’s comparison of the actual battle with a historical painting?

By the comparison of the actual battle to a historical painting, the writer probably suggests that the present event becomes later a historical event. The respect and medals are given after death. In his serious injured condition, the lieutenant has been experience inhumane treatment. He sees the vision of his present condition on the background of a historical background. In this vision the lieutenant sees a general on a black horse looking over the lines of blue infantry in the jungle (wood) assistance gallops away angrily, drags his horse to stop salutes and presents a paper. Probably the paper is the document of honor sent to the lieutenant.

THE JAR

1)   How do you define the interplay between the story of Zi-Dema and that of Zollo? What is the meaning that is defined by this interplay?

Zi-Dema is the man of skill. He is the only man who could mend and make the jar new. He has invented new cement made of some composition and keeps it secret. On the other hand Lollo Zirafa is a landlord who always goes to court for the solutions of his problems. Here the interplay is about the jar which is broken. Lollo Zirafa gets angry for it. He beats one of the workers in confusion. He orders Zi- Dema to mend the jar with rivets (nails).But Zi- Dema wants to use his new cement. Lollo Zirafa does not agree. Both of them are obsessed on their behaviors.

Both the characters are obstinate in their demand and actions. Zi- Dema loses his labour and wages and Lollo Zirafa goes to his lawyer for legal advice. The meaning of this interplay is that one loses rather any gain by the obstinate and obsessive behaviors.

2)  What is the tone of the story? Humorous and indulgent? Ironical? Sarcastic? Detached?

The tone of the story is humorous and sarcastic. There are some ironical remarks. The satirical purpose of the story is to ridicule weakness that we can see in both characters Zi- Dema and Lollo Zirafa. Their obsessive ansd obstinate behaviors have been ridiculed. Sufferings and loses are cused by weakness. Zi- Dema won’t tell anyone about his newly invented cement.  Lollo Zirafa demands to join the jar with rivets though cement works. Zi-Dema is trapped in the narrow mouthed jar.

It is humorous that Lollo Zirafa goes to see his lawyer even for minor problems. The present case is different from others. Lollo Zirafa demands compensation (pay for damage) with Zi- Dema who is inside the jar. It is very humorous to see that Zi-Dema wants to prefer inside rather than to come out and pay compensation. Because of being angry and impatience Lollo Zirafa breaks the jar. All the events show the condition of humorous and sarcastic.

IN ANOTHER COUNTRY

1)  Why does the major return to the machine?

The doctor would have got those photographs of hands of those who were wounded at all. He did so just to make the patients feel better. The machines were new and they were the first users. The doctor would come to hospital regularly although he did not believe in machines. He believed that machines were like theory. After telling the speaker not to marry, the major does not come to office for three days. Then he came after as he was a dutiful soldier.

I think that it is the story of a boy. The American soldier has been the dominant figure from the beginning to the end. When the major returns to the machine, it is the boy who notices all the activities of the major. The openly says that he is afraid to die and he was awarded because he was an American. The major is not close with other soldiers and does not like to walk to café with them.

2)  What does the story tell us about how a man should behave?

The story tells us that a man should not marry .After marriage he will lose her as the major lost his young wife. So if he does not marry, he will have to lose nothing. Similarly, the story tells us that a man should fight and earn medal as the three soldiers have earned. But the story also tells us that he should not get medal as the speaker who got just being an American.

THE VALIANT WOMAN

 1)  How would you like to treat the story in terms of exposition, complications and denouement?

We would like to treat the story in terms of exposition, complication and denouement. Father Naulty in the beginning has been invited at the 59 birthday party of Father Firman. Mrs. Stoner is the central character of the story and the complication is that she is moral and practical quandary (difficult condition) of the catholic life especially Father Firman. The denouement of the story of the story is the realization of Father Fir man that human life is important after family and productive life.

The story breaks up into three divisions. The conflict of the story lies in the soul of the man. Fir man’s life has been turned into two parts: towards catholic rules regulation and towards the ladies lovely behaviors.

2)  Comment on the few selected examples of comic elements in the story.

   The story is titled with a lot of comic elements. Mrs. Stoner has made out of the weakness of the priests which are the comic elements of the story. The remarks of Mrs. Stoner about the bishop. If the bishop does not eat any more than he did last year .Father Naulty adds “he never eats much anywhere.” Father Fir man adds that he takes Mrs. Stoner to movies on Sunday night. Mrs. Stoner selects friends of Father Fir man.  Furthermore, Mrs. Stoner selects friends of Father Fir man are also a comic element.  She receiver pension though bishop cuts out of the will. Another example of comic element in the story is Father Fir man’s struggle to kill a mosquito.

 3)  Is the story disrespectable to the Catholic Church and the priesthood?

The story deals with the conflict and soul. A priest is also a human being. He has heart and mind. Sexual instinct is inherited since birth. Conviction and priesthood cannot resist his human desire. We know from our own mythology even hermit gives up his contemplation at the site of nymph (angel). A critic translated the Bible and criticized the church and the priests.

The great revolutions in Christians by the protestant were also cause of corruption. This story points out and criticizes the weaknesses that are seen in the church. So, it is disrespectable to the Catholic Church and priesthood. The fathers are looking women in their service. Father Firma sees Mrs. Stoner’s underwear hand down beneath her dress. His sexual desire and problems are stuck to her.

ENEMIES

 1)  Why does Dr. Kirilov use grief to assort his dignity? And to what effect?

The sudden death of the doctor’s son really put the doctor in grief. The doctor’s wife is depressed. Aboguin has come to call the doctor to see his wife. Aboguin insists that life of his wife is more grief than his. Then the doctor refuses to go in such a condition and treat his wife. The doctor says that his son has just died of diphtheria. However the inner feelings urge the doctor to save the life of alive. He moves with Aboguin with his sorrowful heart to see his wife.

2)  Chekov says that unhappy men are selfish. How does it apply it to Dr.Kirilov and Aboguin?

Chekov says that unhappy men are selfish, bad and less able to understand each other than fools. Unhappy people are equally trapped in unwanted and difficult problems. Mental and physical tortures are part of their life. Dr Kirilov is tortured by the grief of his son’s death. He does not like to go with Aboguin at first but later he goes after much convincing. Aboguin also faces problem of his wife elopement (run away) by deceiving him. Aboguin becomes unhappy because his wife ran away with a man named Papchinsky. When he tells the secret to doctor about his wife the doctor becomes angry. The doctor takes it as an insult. It is quite natural that if men are unhappy they become selfish. In this way the writer’s

3)   What is the moral of the story?

The writer says that unhappy men are selfish. Really it is the essential part of the story. Dr. Kirilov and Aboguin both are selfish in their own way. Dr Kirilov is selfish because of his son’s death and his wife is depressed. Aboguin is selfish because his wife is dying. Aboguin thinks that the doctor will understand his problem better than others. The pain is terribly painful. He rightly thinks that “One man loves his nearest when there is risk of losing them.”

But unknowingly Aboguin turns to be more selfish than the doctor because he thinks that the doctor could cure his wife. He calls the doctor in a tragic moment for his wife who is not really dying but preparing for running away. Therefore humanity acts in both ways. One unhappy man should understand other unhappy man’s feeling.

DUCHOUX

1)  What is the main theme of this story?

The long separateness of the father from the son which haunts the mind of father is the main theme of this story. This is a story about a generation gap. Baron Mordiane is running his life in his own way is not satisfied and runs away. He wants to get back but in reality it isn’t possible .He regrets for not getting what he wants. Our desire for the things which we haven’t seen and its negative result that comes later on in reality is the another theme of the story.

  2) Does the story imply that modern civilization has alienated man from his true self or nature?

Yes, the story implies that modern civilization has alienated man from his true self or nature. Sense of humanity is absent nowadays. Modern technology has made the people busier than before. They have become artificial in the name of gaining happiness. People are adopting others culture and forgetting their own culture an tradition. The mistakes are often made during the youth. But the realization comes very late. Baron kept his son away from him at the beginning but goes later on asking love to his son. The very word “Father” has a panic effect on him because of his civilization. He wanted to go away from his family and spend his rest of his life in pubs and clubs. The absence of love, identity, technology and relationship has brought generation gap in the family.

3)  Would the story be different if Baron Mordiane were a landlord looking after his farm in a village?

Yes, the story would be different if Baron would be in village looking after his farm. He was rich and went to clubs and pubs. He was lonely and for need of friends. If he had been in the village, he might have a lot of friends (companions).He would not dislike the smell of garlic. He would not be feeling bad about the cleanliness of his son’s clothes and room. He would understand family relations and problems. He would share love and affection. He might not deceive his beloved and his son. He would not be sent to the south of France. He would enjoy with family than living alone.        

THE DAY OF THE DEAD

What factors contribute to the popularity of fiestas in Mexico, especially in relationship to the Mexican national character, as described by Paz?

Fiestas are popular in Mexico especially in relation to the Mexican national character. The Mexicans are silent all the time. They are in the walls of loneliness. They have tense and melancholic life. So, they love freedom, luxury and public gatherings. On the other hand there is deep religious importance in fiestas. They worship god in the name of fiestas. As Mexican people are poor, they are deprived from cocktail parties, theatre, Mediterranean Café and big receptions. They need some kind of environment to express their repressed desires and needs. These are the factors to help contribute to the popularity of fiestas in Mexico.

In what ways are the people’s experiences of time different during the fiestas qualitatively different from their experience during the rest of the year?

The people’s experiences of the time during the fiestas are different from experiences of time during rest of the year. In fiestas they are very open and free to do whatever they like. They can eat, dance, sing, fire guns, drink and even fight. They can cry and shout at the top of their voice during fiestas but they remain silent rest of the time of the year. There is no boundary between rich and poor, master and slave during the fiestas. Men can dress up like women and poor people can dress up like rich people. They can express their desires in any way they like because everything is allowed during the fiestas.

What are the Mexicans attitudes towards the celebration of life and death?

The Mexican people love fiestas they have nothing others o celebrate like North Americans and Europeans. The Europeans and North American are mostly individualized and don’t share their happiness and problems with others. But the poor Mexicans live in community and become inseparable part of it. To the Mexican people ritual death leads to rebirth. The modern world has different concept about life and death. The analysis of Paz makes the attitude of the Mexicans and the European quite clear.

THE TIME FACTOR

How do you explain the differences between the terms “class” and “caste”?

The class is a social group who has the same social, political and economic rank and position. These groups can be divided into rich class, middle class and lower class. Steinem has divided into the rich class, the middle class and the poor. The rich and the middle class have money and they can plan for their future but poor cannot plan about their future.

Caste means a social system based on differences of origin, rank, wealth, family etc. According to the Hindu culture there are four major castes: Brahmin, Chhetris, Vaisyas and Sudra. In this essay the writer has defined caste as unchangeable marks of “sex” and “gender”.

How does Steinem differentiate the future planning which is ‘culturally masculine habit of planning,’ to the women’s plans for future in the essay “The Time Factor”?

Steinem criticizes the culturally males’ habit of planning ahead, living in future, reacting to the present because they are all waste of time. Females are self generated, open and flexible. They can bear live in present. These positive attitudes should be learnt by men and make their plans together.

She wants women to make very practical plans with the help of practical and visionary futurists. She even suggests one Five Year Plan if possible. The women need to extend their time sense to move forward. They should have the plan of their own.

How do you interpret Steinem’s thesis that your sense of time is partly a function of power, ore lack of it?

Steinem’s opinion is that future plans depend upon power especially economic power. Those who are rich economically plan for the future generation but working class people can hardly plan for the next week. If any class has power, they can make future plans and understand time well. Therefore, women in male dominated society and black people have no plans. So here her thesis is “our sense of time is partly a function of power and lack of it “is true.

WHAT IS POVERTY?

Is there such a thing as smell as poverty? If so what is it?

Parker asks to the reader’s senses in creating this real and graphic account. She creates a unique and graphic condition in which she makes the abstract things real. She presents poverty like some objects that smells bad.

Reader’s senses like ears and eyes are appealed by her account. According to her the smell of poverty is the problem of poor people. They cannot manage their daily life, they cannot clean themselves, they cannot even fulfill their basic need, which smells bad.

What is Parkers purpose in defining poverty as she does?

The purpose of defining poverty is to present realistic picture of poverty. She presents the actual account of poverty. She also wants to show how much humiliation, immoral and shameful is being poor. By describing the poverty she focuses on the point that it is more realistic than the images in the newspaper.

Why did parker quit her job? Why did Parker not have the operation that was recommended for her?

She quit her job because there was nobody to care of her children when she was at work. Her mother was not a reliable person.  She would not look after them properly. Moreover, her wage was not high enough to admit her children in nursery school and support four them.

Parker did not have the operation that was recommended to her because it would cost too much money and long time to be fine.

THE HUNTER GRACHHUS

What is the most terrible thing about story “The Hunter Gracchus?”

The loneliness and the sorrows of the dead person is the most terrible thing in the story. The dead body is alone and no one is ready to help even at his last moment. The thought of help has become a kind of illness. The illness has to be corrected by taking to the bed and show him the right path to heaven or hall. Such kind of loneliness and being passive to help is really terrible.

Discuss the Hunter Gracchus as a bizarre (strange) story of human existence.

The Hunter Gracchus is really a strange story of human existence. Human existence is meaningless. The world outside is meaningless. People are misguided and selfish. In the way to search for existence they will be lost in the strange condition. The life is not meaningful and it is like a dead body. The hunter Gracchus is the victim of meaninglessness. The story presents the meaninglessness if human existence in the modern world.

DI GRASSO: A TALE OF ODESSA

How was the young narrator able to retrieve his watch?

The narrator had pawned his father’s watch without his permission to Nick Schwarz. Even after paying his money back nick was not ready to ready to return his watch. His father was not wise. So he got ready to run away to Constantinople. He had made all arrangements but wanted to say good bye to Di:Grasso. Nick had come to the theatre with his wife. After the show was over, Madame Schwarz was wet with tears. She was very much moved by the drama. The narrator was sobbing and following them. When Madame Schwarz heard this she orders Nick to return the boy’s watch. The watch was given back.