The Great Stone Face – Part 1 Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew

According to the CBSE Syllabus 2023-24, this chapter has been removed from NCERT Class 8 English HoneyDew Notes & Summary textbook.

Summary of The Great Stone Face – Part 1

Chapter 9 of the Class 8 English Main Coursebook – Honeydew, consists of prose – The Great Stone Face – Part 1, which is the story of the quest and experiences of a man named Ernest who tries to find someone resembling the Great Stone Face. Read the summary of CBSE Class 8 English Prose Notes – The Great Stone Face – Part 1 in the form of CBSE English Notes Class 8 to find out if he succeeds in finding that man. We hope this concise summary will help students to get an in-depth understanding of the chapter and prep up for their English exam accordingly.

To prepare for the writing section of the Class 8 English exam, students must practice essays on various topics. By doing so, they can easily score marks in essay writing.

CBSE Class 8 English The Great Stone Face – Part 1 Summary

The Great Stone Face is an interesting story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story is divided into two parts. In this chapter, we shall discuss The Great Stone Face – Part 1. The first part of the story revolves around a young man named Ernest and his fascination with the mountains and hilltops that seem to assume various shapes. When Ernest was a little boy, his mother would tell him tales about the Great Stone Face in the valley that was visible from his cottage. All the people in the valley would talk about the Great Stone Face. Ernest learnt a great deal about it from the people in his neighbourhood. The Great Stone Face was a local mountainside that had huge rocks and hilltops that resembled the features of a human being’s face from a distance. It was very realistic and indeed, a work of nature.

Ernest always felt that the Great Stone Face was looking upon him with a smiling face. His mother had told him a local legend that a man resembling the face of the gigantic mountain would come to the valley someday. That man would be the noblest and greatest person in the valley. This aroused Ernest’s curiosity even further. He would spend hours gazing at the Great Stone Face, recollecting all that his mother told him about it. As a child, he was a happy and helpful child who grew up to be a sedate and quiet man. He had no teacher and felt that the Great Stone Face was like a teacher to him who would often give him a smile of kindness and encouragement.

Many years ago, there was a man, Gathergold, who left the valley to earn a fortune for himself. There was a rumour throughout the valley that this man bore a resemblance to the Great Stone Face. Later, when he returned to the valley after becoming rich, Ernest was eager to meet this nobleman. However, when Ernest saw that man, he turned away sadly from the wrinkled shrewdness of the unpleasant face and looked up the valley at the Great Stone Face in disappointment. He felt as though the Great Stone Face told him that the real look-alike would definitely come someday that would resemble the giant face.

Meanwhile, another man had joined the army and left the valley. He was a famous Commander and was known on the battlefield as Blood-and-Thunder. When he became old and tired, he returned to his native valley. People of the valley treated him with great respect and honour. Most people believed that he had a close resemblance to the Great Stone Face. However, when Ernest saw the General’s face, he couldn’t recognise him and was not content with others’ views. He still believed that the real look-alike of the Great Stone Face was yet to arrive in the valley. He felt that the Great Stone Face silently whispered to him that the man resembling it would come soon. Ernest agreed to wait until the man resembling the Great Stone Face arrived in the valley.

Conclusion of The Great Stone Face – Part 1

The chapter – The Great Stone Face – Part 1 illustrates to students about Ernest’s arduous search to find out the man who would return to the valley one day and resemble the Great Stone Face. Presenting the CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew Prose Summary of The Great Stone Face – Part 1 must have helped 8th Standard students to have an extensive understanding of the chapter.

Besides, BYJU’S offers access to several resources such as CBSE Notes and CBSE study materials. They can also download BYJU’S: The Learning App and explore CBSE sample papers and prior years’ question papers.