Literature Section

(First Flight- Prose)

Prose Section (First Flight)
A LETTER TO GOD
A) SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS: (3×5)
1. How do you explain the description of the devastation caused by the hailstorm reflects the sadness within
Lencho with the reference to “A LETTER TO GOD?”
2. Explain the qualities of the post office employees?
3. Lencho and his family knew the implications the hailstorm would have on their lives. Write a conversation
between Lencho and his Wife as they watched the downpour turned to a hailstorm.
4. Lencho was very desperate to resolve his situation and finally turned to God. Do you feel that his approach
was justified? Give reason for your opinion.
5. Why would you not agree with Lencho calling the post office employees ‘a bunch of crooks’?

B) LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS: (2×6)

1. Are there people like the post office employees in real world? How did they help Lencho? What would you
do if you were in place of the postmaster?
2. There are two kinds of conflict in the story between humans and nature and between humans themselves.
How do you illustrate these conflicts in your own ways?

VALUE POINTS:
A) 1.The description of devastation caused by the hailstorm reflects the sadness within Lencho.
• The fact that “not a leaf remained on the trees” and “the flowers were gone from the plants” suggests
a sense of emptiness and loss, which mirrors Lencho’s feeling of despair and disappointment.
• The destruction of the corn, that was the source of his livelihood, is completely destroyed for him.
• That emptiness and desolation of the landscape serve as a powerful comparison for Lencho’s inner state
of mind, focusing the magnitude of his disappointment and hopelessness.

2. The post office employees represented the people who believed in helping others. They were kind and
helpful. They cooperated with each other and contributed to their best of the capability just to keep Lencho’s
faith in God alive. They had love, concern, compassion and empathy for Lencho.

3. Lencho: The weather is getting worse now. I have an intuition something bad is going to happen.
Wife: Yes, It has been raining hard for quite a long time. It’ll destroy all our crops.
Lencho: Look! Good Gracious! It’s hailing now. Oh God! Save my crops.
Wife: Don’t worry. God won’t let his children starve.
Lencho: I see no Hope! We are finished!

33
4. Lencho did not explore any other means to resolve his solution because he had a deep faith in God. He
believed that only God could help him to come out of his problem. He was the only one whom he could trust.
All others were a bunch of crooks and they would take undue advantage of his situation. Hence his approach
was justified.

5. Lencho was not at all particular in calling the post office employees ‘a bunch of crooks’ because they helped
him by collecting money and understanding Lencho’s unbreakable faith in God. Each one of them helped with
some money for the act of charity which ‘a bunch of crooks’ would never do.

B) 1.The postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of
charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed by his
faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that this faith in God does not get shaken.
They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho. When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to
count money, he became angry. He again wrote a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos.
He thought that post office employees had taken away the remaining money, and called them a bunch
of crooks, which was not justified. Nowadays it is very rare (difficult) to find such a person like the
postmaster. If I were in place of the postmaster, I would have done that so because it is always pleasing
to help others and to keep their firm faith in humanity. Difficult situations can come to anyone and
everyone wants a helping hand to overcome that condition.

2. Conflict between Humans and Nature:

The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated by the destruction of Lencho’s crop by the hailstorm as
Lencho was expecting a good rain to have good harvest as that was the only hope he had for his earning. He
worked hard to feed his family, but nature turned violent and destroyed everything.
Conflict between Humans:
The story also illustrated another conflict, between humans themselves as the postmaster along with his friends
and staff sent Lencho money that Lencho had demanded from God although they didn’t know Lencho. Lencho
blamed them for taking away some amount of money. He called them ‘a bunch of crooks’. This shows that man
does not have faith in another man, thereby giving rise to this conflict.

NELSON MANDELA-LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

Q.1 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each:
(a) Which race based political system is talked about in this chapter? 3M
(b) What happens to a person in South Africa who tries to fulfill his duty to people? 3M
(c) How the apartheid system affected South Africa and its non white citizens? 3M
(d) What was special about the pledge taken by Nelson Mandela?
(e) Why did Nelson Mandela feel sad after being the president of South Africa? 3M
Q.2 Answer the following in 100-120 word
(a) Explain how the meaning of freedom kept on changing for Nelson Mandela?
(b) What picture do you form of the people of South Africa? Is there anything common 6 M
between South Africa and India?

34
 ANSWER KEY
Q.1 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each:
The race based political system talked about in this chapter is Apartheid. Apartheid’ 3 M
is a political system that divides people according to their race. In this system black-
colored people in South Africa were not free even to discharge their personal and
social obligations of being parents, sons and husbands, etc. It is a very inhumane
system

The treatment which a person receives in South Africa is based on discrimination. 3 M

Whenever a native South African tries to fulfill his duty to his people, he is ripped
from his family and forced to live an isolated life. He is isolated even if he tries to live
as a human being. So, it is very difficult in South Africa to fulfill these obligations.

It has caused a deep and lasting wound in South Africa and in the minds of the 3M
people who are not born with white skin. These people were terrorized and
oppressed by this system. They were the subject to the brutality of white population.

This was a very special pledge for a South African president and for its countrymen
because He pledged to devote his life to liberating his people from all the evils that
existed in the country. He wanted to free his people from poverty, suffering, gender
and other discrimination.

Nelson Mandela felt very sad for not being able to thank all the patriots who fought 3M
for their freedom and sacrificed their lives to bring the day they are witnessing or
enjoying right now.

Q.2 Answer the following in 100-120 words

(a) *The meaning of Freedom for Nelson Mandela kept on changing. 6M
*His understanding of freedom was different at different stages of his life
*as a boy to run freely and swim freely was the freedom
*as a student being outside during night and reading according to his own will was
the freedom
*As an adult he felt that basic and honorable freedom must be provided to
everyone.
He believed that freedom is an indivisible part of a human being.
● Elaboration of the above mentioned points and any other relevant point by
the student

35
 (b) *South Africa is a country which has a history of suffering from the ‘Apartheid’
System.
*This system had captivated both the oppressor and the oppressed.
*One strata of the country had endured a lot at the hands of white group.
*People were devoid of basic freedom
*Their circumstances had transformed the people into strong leaders and great
freedom fighters.
*the unity and determination of the oppressed group had defeated the
oppressors.
*South Africa and India have some similarities
*Countrymen of both the countries were oppressed by different groups.
*People of both the countries had shown unity, determination and they also
endured unbearable pain in pursuit of freedom.
*After getting liberty both the countries have shown faith in Democratic system.

TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING

Q.1 What is the message that Liam O′ Flaherty wants to give to the readers through the lesson ‘His first Flight’?
(3m)
Ans. Success can’t be taken for granted. One has to struggle and finally to win it. The story of the young seagull
is the story of overcoming hesitations, doubts, and fears that stand between us and our success. Hunger makes
him take the final plunge. This leads him to make his first flight and soar into space.
Q.2 What message does the story ‘His First Flight’ convey? (3m)
Ans. This is an imaginary story. The story conveys the message that we learn by taking courage and not by
sitting idle. A young seagull is fed lovingly by his parents. But when the time comes for him to fly, he feels
afraid. His parents try many tricks to teach him to fly. But he is so afraid that he refuses to fly.
At last, his mother hits upon a plan. She tempts him with food in her beak. But she only flies near his ledge and
does not land there. In order to get food, the hungry seagull comes to the edge of the rock and falls from it. At
first, he is terrified but then he opens his wings and starts flying. He is happy to note that he did not fall in the
sea. In this way, the young seagull makes the first flight of his life when he takes courage.
Q.3 Do you think hunger was a good motivation for the young seagull in his first flight? Comment. (3m)
Ans. Yes, I do think that hunger played a vital role in the young seagull’s attempt to start flying. He was left
alone on the ledge by his family because he would not try to fly with them. His parents scolded him in a shrill
voice and threatened him of starvation, but he still was afraid to fly. Then they left him alone.
He was so hungry that he had to live on whatever he could find there. When he saw his mother with a piece of
fish in her beak, he begged her for food. Then he uttered a joyful scream when he saw his mother flying across
to him with a piece of fish in her beak. But she stopped when she came opposite to him.
36
 Literature Section
(Poetry)
DUST OF SNOW
1. Read the extract given and answer the following questions.
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
(i) Heart here means the whole body. The poetic technique thus employed here is: 1
a) Transferred epithet
b) metaphor
c) synecdoche
d) oxymoron
(ii) ' Had saved some part of the day ' means: 1
a) had saved money
b) had saved himself from wasting time in repenting
c) had saved herself from disease
d) had saved himself from falling
(iii) I am the medium to change in the thought process of the poet. Guess who I am: 1
a) Crow
b) Hemlock tree
c) Snow
d) Melancholic element
(iv) Identify the poetic device used in the line ' And saved some part'. 1
a) enjambment
b) simile
c) alliteration
d) hyperbole
(v) Rue means: 1
a) happy
b) regret
c) angry
d) Weak

49
 MARKING SCHEME

1. (i) c) Synecdoche
(ii) b) had saved himself from wasting time in repenting
(iii) d) melancholic element
(iv) c) alliteration
(v) b) regret

FIRE AND ICE

1. Read the extract given and answer the following questions.
But if it had to perish twice.
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
(i) ‘It' here means: 1
a) heaven b) world
c) hell d) animal
(ii) Ice symbolises: 1
a) love b) desire
c) hatred d) jealousy
(iii) The central idea of the extract is: 1
a) hatred can destroy the world
b) love can destroy the world
c) ice can cool the world
d ) ice is great
(iv) Ice is also great for destruction. What can we infer here-? 1
a) ice and fire equally capable
b) only ice is capable
c) only fire is capable
d ) both are incapable
(v) The rhyming scheme is:
a) abcba b) ababa
c) bacab d) cabab

MARKING SCHEME
(i) b) World
(ii) c) hatred
(iii) a) hatred can destroy the world
(iv) a) ice and fire equally capable
(v) b) ababa
50
 A Tiger in The Zoo
Multiple choice questions
Q1. What message does the poet want to convey through the poem? 1M
i. It is cruel to keep animals away from their natural habitat
ii. Tigers become ferocious when kept in enclosures.
iii. It is enjoyable to watch tigers when they are in the wild.
iv. Tigers are selective of entertaining visitors who visit the zoo

Q2 Which of these describes the “tiger in the jungle” most aptly? 1M

i. Locked in the cell
ii. Behind the bars
iii. Looking at the sky
iv. Baring his fangs

Q3 The poem talks in parallel about 1M

i. Life of tiger in wild and jungle
ii. Life of tiger in the wild and in a cell
iii. Importance of forests vs benefits of houses
iv. The behaviour of tiger in the wild and in the house.

Q4. Why did the tiger lurk in the shadow? 1M

i. He was adamant to find his escape from jungle.
ii. He wanted to find his prey.
iii. He found the grass to be comfortable.
iv. He had made it his habitat.

Q5. Why does the tiger express his rage quietly? 1M

i. He is helpless and his strength cannot be shown.
ii. He is not interested in trying to escape
iii. He finds that it is a comfortable place even if it’s limited.
iv. He wants to wait patiently and subdue his anger.

ANSWER KEY
1 It is cruel to keep animals away from their natural habitat
2 Baring his fangs
3 Life of tiger in the wild and in a cell
4 He wanted to find his prey.
5 He is helpless and his strength cannot be shown.

51