A Devoted Son (Question/ Answer) Class 12 Compulsory English

 

A Devoted Son

by Anita Desai

Exercise: Questions & Answers

 

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. How did the morning papers bring an ambience of celebration to the Varma family?

→The morning papers displayed the result of Rakesh who scored the highest rank in the country for his Medical Examination which brought ambience of celebration in the Varma family.

b. How did the community celebrate Rakesh's success?

→The community celebrated Rakesh's success by visiting him, congratulating him and his parents and offering gifts like fountain pens and watches.

c. Why was Rakesh's success a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood?

→Rakesh’s success was a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood because he was the first son in the family to receive higher education as well as he topped the course and got chance to go to USA for further education.

d. How does the author make fun with the words 'America' and 'the USA'?

→ The author makes fun with the words "America" and "The USA" by associating them with Verma's nature of dealing with the words as he considered "the USA" as more prestigious than "America". He said that America is the term to be called by his ignorant neighbours.

e. How does the author characterize Rakesh's wife?

→ The author characterizes Rakesh's wife as an old fashioned, traditional and uneducated girl from a village.

f. Describe how Rakesh rises in his career.

→Rakesh rises his career by topping the examination and by being a doctor in the city hospital. He also reaches the top of administrative section as the director. Then, he opens his own private clinic, buys a car.

g. How does the author describe Rakesh's family background?

→ The author describes Rakesh's family background as a man born to illiterate as well as very poor parents. His father works as a kerosene vendor and his mother is a housewife. His grandparents are vegetable sellers.

h. What is the impact of Rakesh's mother's death on his father?

→ Rakesh's father is very sad and depressed with the death of his wife. He is mournful. He becomes weak and ill with such mysterious disease named a peevish whim (sudden irritation in mind) because of the death of Rakesh’s mother.

i. What did Rakesh do to make his father's old age more comfortable?

→ Rakesh brought morning tea to his father in the old man's favourite brass tumbler, and sat very near to him on his bed and read out the morning news to him to make even more comfortable in his old age.

j. Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren?

→The old man tried to bribe his grandchildren by making them bring sweets to eat which were prohibited by his son. But he got them from Rakesh’s son.

k. Are Mr. Varma's complaints about his diets reasonable? How?

→ Mr. Verma’s complaints about his diets are not reasonable from the viewpoint of health worker. They are troublesome to his health. He is old so eating sweets is not good for his health but from the point of view of an old father, Mr. Verma's complaints about his diets may be reasonable to some extent because they are sweet and tasty for him.

 

Reference to the Context

a. How did the Varma couple make sacrifices for their son's higher education?

→ The Verma couple was from a poor economic background. They were illiterate as well. Mr. Varma, Rakesh’s father worked for a kerosene dealer and his mother in the kitchen. They made sacrifice by investing their life, time, money and everything they have for the higher education and medical college of their son, Rakesh.

b. Mr. Varma suffers from diseases one after another after his wife's death. Would he have enjoyed better health if she had not died before him? Give reasons.

→ Mr. Varma suffered from diseases one after another his wife's death. I think all this happen him due to his wife's death as it makes him alone and scattered. If she had not died before him, he would have enjoyed better health. He thinks most of the time about his life partner which leads him stricken with grief. The old father very quickly went to pieces and fell ill.

c. Dr Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health but as a doctor, he is strict on his father's diet and medicine. In your view, what else could Rakesh have done to make his father's final years more comfortable?

→Dr Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health but as a doctor, he is strict on his father's diet and medicine. In my views, Rakesh could have shown polite and respectable behavior to his father. He could have convinced his father not to eat sweets because of their harms to stomach. He should have given more time to his father.

d. What does the story say about the relationship between grandfather and grand children?

→The story shows the good and bounding relationship between grandfather and grandchildren. In this story grandfather spends most of his time with grandchildren. They are also happy to be with grandfather. Grandchildren are also helpful to him. They provide sweets to him which the grandfather likes.

e. Do you call Rakesh a devoted son? Give reasons.

→Yes, I call Rakesh a devoted son because he is very kind and lovable to his parents. He is conscious about father’s health. He also shows a great degree of tender regard for his mother. When he is in America, he is in touch with his parents. Because of his mother’s interest and suggestion, he marries an uneducated, old-fashioned village girl.

For summary of the story CLICK HERE.

For the story 'The Treasure in the Forest' CLICK HERE.