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.
2 Comments
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