Answer
the following questions:
(a)
Johan Perkins prophesied to himself with gloomy and downtrodden
cynicism the foregone conclusions of the monotonous day’. Make
a list of the things that John Perkins expects to find on reaching
home. Why has he been described as being ‘gloomy and
downtrodden’?
(b)
Why has the writer added the adjective ‘blushing’ to
describe the strawberry marmalade? What is making it blush? Do you
think Perkins enjoyed the dinner? Give reasons for your answer.
(c)
What does the nightly gas leak refer to? Who is responsible for this
leak?
(d)
Quote the sentence from the text that tells us that John’s wife
would become very angry. What would make her so angry? What effect
did it have on their marriage?
(e)
‘To-night John Perkins encountered a tremendous upheaval of the
commonplace when he reached his door’. What upheaval was
Perkins faced with? What was responsible for this extraordinary
occurrence?
(f)
Describe the condition of the flat when Perkins reaches it. What are
the feelings generated in him at this sight?
(g)
How does Perkins learn about the whereabouts of his wife?
(h)
‘Tears:-- yes, tears -- came into John Perkins’s eyes.
When she came back things would be different’. Why is the word
‘tears’ stressed twice? What resolutions does Perkins
make while tidying up his room? Does he stick to these resolutions?
(i)
Why does Katy return so unexpectedly?
(j)
‘The cog-wheels’
of the ‘the Frogmore flats buzzed its machinery back into the
Order of Things’. Who or what do the ‘cog-wheels’
refer to? What was the ‘order of things’?
(k)
‘John Perkins looked at the clock. It was 8.15’ Why is
the time significant?
(l)
‘At a quarter past eight he would summon his nerve.’ Who
had to summon his nerve? Why did he have to do so?
(m)
Do you agree with the title of this story? Why/Why not?
(n)
Why has the room been described as one with its essence gone,
life and soul departed? What are the other phrases used to describe
the empty house?
(o)
The relationship between the man and his wife has been described as
being ‘like the air he breathed; necessary, but scarcely
noticed.’ What is the literary device used here? How does the
device drive home the meaning forcefully?
Answer the following questions:
(a) Johan Perkins prophesied to himself with gloomy and downtrodden cynicism the foregone conclusions of the monotonous day’. Make a list of the things that John Perkins expects to find on reaching home. Why has he been described as being ‘gloomy and downtrodden’?
(b) Why has the writer added the adjective ‘blushing’ to describe the strawberry marmalade? What is making it blush? Do you think Perkins enjoyed the dinner? Give reasons for your answer.
(c) What does the nightly gas leak refer to? Who is responsible for this leak?
(d) Quote the sentence from the text that tells us that John’s wife would become very angry. What would make her so angry? What effect did it have on their marriage?
(e) ‘To-night John Perkins encountered a tremendous upheaval of the commonplace when he reached his door’. What upheaval was Perkins faced with? What was responsible for this extraordinary occurrence?
(f) Describe the condition of the flat when Perkins reaches it. What are the feelings generated in him at this sight?
(g) How does Perkins learn about the whereabouts of his wife?
(h) ‘Tears:-- yes, tears -- came into John Perkins’s eyes. When she came back things would be different’. Why is the word ‘tears’ stressed twice? What resolutions does Perkins make while tidying up his room? Does he stick to these resolutions?
(i) Why does Katy return so unexpectedly?
(j) ‘The cog-wheels’ of the ‘the Frogmore flats buzzed its machinery back into the Order of Things’. Who or what do the ‘cog-wheels’ refer to? What was the ‘order of things’?
(k) ‘John Perkins looked at the clock. It was 8.15’ Why is the time significant?
(l) ‘At a quarter past eight he would summon his nerve.’ Who had to summon his nerve? Why did he have to do so?
(m) Do you agree with the title of this story? Why/Why not?
(n) Why has the room been described as one with its essence gone, life and soul departed? What are the other phrases used to describe the empty house?
(o) The relationship between the man and his wife has been described as being ‘like the air he breathed; necessary, but scarcely noticed.’ What is the literary device used here? How does the device drive home the meaning forcefully?
(a)
On reaching home John Perkins expected to find Katy at the door, who
would kiss him with a kiss flavoured with cold cream and
butterscotch. He would remove his coat and sit upon a macadamized
lounge and read the newspaper.
He
has been described as gloomy and downtrodden because he was cynical
towards
everything occurring in his monotonous day.
(b)
The writer has added the adjective ‘blushing’ to
highlight the red colour of the strawberry marmalade.
The
certificate of chemical purity is making it blush.
Perkins
does not enjoy his dinner. This can be inferred from the short,
monotonous
description of the dinner.
(c)
The nightly gas leak refers to the gas leaks from the heating
systems. Faulty joints and piping are responsible for this.
(d)
“…ready to melt in the crucible of her ire…”
She
would get angry at John for going to McCloskey’s while she was
left all alone in the flat.
It
strained their marriage.
(e)
The ‘upheaval’ was the disorder in the house and the
absence of Katy.
Perkins’
mother-in-law’s sudden sickness was responsible for this.
(f)
When Perkins reached the flat, he saw portentous disorder. Katy’s
things lay all about the flat. He felt dazed at this sight.
(g)
Perkins learns about the whereabouts of his wife by a note she hung
on the gas jet.
(h)
‘Tear’ is stressed twice to highlight the fact that even
a cynical person felt remorse for a moment. Perkins resolved to make
things different. He would make up for all his neglect.
No,
he does not stick to his resolutions.
(i)
Katy returned so unexpectedly because her mother was not very sick.
(j)
The cog-wheels refer to the roles played by Katy and Perkins in the
domestic sphere of their life.
The
‘order
of things’ was that Katie stayed at home, while John went to
McCloskey’s every night.
(k)
The time is significant because John went to McCloskey’s at
this time everyday.
(l)
John had to summon his nerve. He had to do so because Katie did not
like his visits to McCloskey’s.
(m)
Yes, the title of the story is apt.
John’s
behaviour
in Katy’s presence is shown to be entirely different from his
behaviour in her absence. His behaviour swings between two extremes
just as a pendulum swings between two extremes.
(n)
The room has been described as one with its essence gone, life and
soul departed because Katy—who was its life and soul, and who
made the household function—was gone.
Other
phrases used for
describing the empty house are: ‘dead remains’,
‘withdrawn blessings’ and ‘home was dismantled’.
(o)
The literary device used here is the simile.
It
drives home the meaning by relating the importance of the
relationship to something which is essential for existence.
(a) On reaching home John Perkins expected to find Katy at the door, who would kiss him with a kiss flavoured with cold cream and butterscotch. He would remove his coat and sit upon a macadamized lounge and read the newspaper.
He has been described as gloomy and downtrodden because he was cynical towards everything occurring in his monotonous day.
(b) The writer has added the adjective ‘blushing’ to highlight the red colour of the strawberry marmalade.
The certificate of chemical purity is making it blush.
Perkins does not enjoy his dinner. This can be inferred from the short, monotonous description of the dinner.
(c) The nightly gas leak refers to the gas leaks from the heating systems. Faulty joints and piping are responsible for this.
(d) “…ready to melt in the crucible of her ire…”
She would get angry at John for going to McCloskey’s while she was left all alone in the flat.
It strained their marriage.
(e) The ‘upheaval’ was the disorder in the house and the absence of Katy.
Perkins’ mother-in-law’s sudden sickness was responsible for this.
(f) When Perkins reached the flat, he saw portentous disorder. Katy’s things lay all about the flat. He felt dazed at this sight.
(g) Perkins learns about the whereabouts of his wife by a note she hung on the gas jet.
(h) ‘Tear’ is stressed twice to highlight the fact that even a cynical person felt remorse for a moment. Perkins resolved to make things different. He would make up for all his neglect.
No, he does not stick to his resolutions.
(i) Katy returned so unexpectedly because her mother was not very sick.
(j) The cog-wheels refer to the roles played by Katy and Perkins in the domestic sphere of their life.
The ‘order of things’ was that Katie stayed at home, while John went to McCloskey’s every night.
(k) The time is significant because John went to McCloskey’s at this time everyday.
(l) John had to summon his nerve. He had to do so because Katie did not like his visits to McCloskey’s.
(m) Yes, the title of the story is apt.
John’s behaviour in Katy’s presence is shown to be entirely different from his behaviour in her absence. His behaviour swings between two extremes just as a pendulum swings between two extremes.
(n) The room has been described as one with its essence gone, life and soul departed because Katy—who was its life and soul, and who made the household function—was gone.
Other phrases used for describing the empty house are: ‘dead remains’, ‘withdrawn blessings’ and ‘home was dismantled’.
(o) The literary device used here is the simile.
It drives home the meaning by relating the importance of the relationship to something which is essential for existence.
