English subject Class 11 NCERT Book Woven Words Essay Lesson 1 My Watch Questions and Answers.
Understanding the text
1. What was the importance of the watch to the author?
2. What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?
3. Why did the author finally give up on his watch?
4. What was Uncle’s Williams comment on the ‘tinkerers’ of the world?
5. Explain these lines
a. ‘I seemd to detect myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and a desire to swap news with him.’
b. ‘Within a week t sickened to a raging fever and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade.
c. ‘She makes too mush steam-you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!’
Answer:
1. What was the importance of the watch to the author?
The watch was incredibly important to the author. It had worked perfectly for eighteen months without any issues, and the author had come to believe that it was infallible and indestructible. The watch symbolized reliability and precision to him, which is why he grieved when it ran down and required resetting.
2. What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?
The author made several attempts to get his watch repaired:
First, he took it to a jeweler who adjusted the regulator, which made the watch gain time rapidly.
Second, he had it cleaned, oiled, and regulated, but this made the watch slow down drastically.
Third, a watchmaker told him the barrel was “swelled” and fixed it, but the watch developed other issues, alternating between going too fast and too slow.
Fourth, he took the watch to another watchmaker who said the king-bolt was broken and repaired it, but then the watch started to stop and start unpredictably.
Finally, another watchmaker found new problems, and eventually, the author lost faith in the repairs.
3. Why did the author finally give up on his watch?
The author gave up on his watch because, after repeated attempts to get it repaired by various watchmakers, the problems only worsened. Each repair introduced new issues, and despite spending a lot of money, the watch could never be fixed properly. It became a source of frustration and disappointment, leading him to finally give up.
4. What was Uncle William’s comment on the ‘tinkerers’ of the world?
Uncle William’s comment was that a good horse is a good horse until it runs away once, and similarly, a good watch is a good watch until the repairers (or “tinkerers”) get a chance at it. He implied that once something is tampered with by repairers, it never works as well as it originally did. He humorously reflected that no one knows what happens to all the unsuccessful repairers in the world.
5. Explain these lines:
a. ‘I seemed to detect myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and a desire to swap news with him.’
The author is using humor and exaggeration to express how disconnected he felt from the real world due to the malfunctioning of his watch. His watch had slowed down so much that he felt like he was living in the past, as if he had been left behind in time, similar to an ancient mummy in a museum. He imagines sharing this feeling of isolation with the mummy, emphasizing his frustration and detachment.
b. ‘Within a week it sickened to a raging fever and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade.’
This metaphor compares the watch’s malfunction to a person suffering from a high fever. After the jeweler adjusted the regulator, the watch began to gain time rapidly, as if it were burning up with a fever. The exaggerated comparison of the watch’s erratic behavior to a “pulse” going out of control highlights the absurdity of the situation.
c. ‘She makes too much steam—you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!’
This is a humorous statement made by the last repairman, who used to be a steamboat engineer. He uses an engineering metaphor to explain the watch’s malfunction, suggesting that it is producing “too much steam” (energy) and needs to be regulated. The absurdity of the statement, given that a watch doesn’t run on steam, adds to the humor and highlights the incompetence of the repairer. The metaphor suggests that the watch’s excessive malfunctioning is out of control.
Talking about the text
Discuss in pairs or groups of four
1. Replacing old machines with new is better than getting them repaired.
2. It is difficult to part with personal items like a watch which have a sentimental value attached to them.
Answer:
1. Replacing old machines with new is better than getting them repaired.
Discussion Points:
- Pros of Replacing:
- Efficiency: New machines come with the latest technology and tend to work more efficiently and quickly.
- Cost-Effectiveness: In the long run, replacing an old machine may be more economical than repeatedly spending on repairs.
- Durability: A new machine typically has a warranty and is less likely to break down, offering peace of mind.
- Upgraded Features: Newer machines often come with updated features that improve functionality or ease of use.
Cons of Replacing:
- Environmental Impact: Disposing of old machines contributes to electronic waste and environmental degradation.
- Cost: Buying a new machine can be expensive upfront, while repairs may be more affordable in the short term.
- Attachment: Some people are attached to their old machines and prefer keeping them for personal reasons.
Conclusion: Replacing machines is practical for better performance and modern features, but repair may still be the choice for people concerned with cost, attachment, or environmental sustainability.
2. It is difficult to part with personal items like a watch which have a sentimental value attached to them.
Discussion Points:
- Sentimental Value:
- Items like watches are often linked to important life events (e.g., gifts, family heirlooms, or memorable moments), making it emotionally challenging to part with them.
- These items serve as reminders of loved ones or past experiences, creating a deep emotional connection.
Reluctance to Let Go:
- Even if an item is no longer functional, people may hesitate to dispose of it because of the emotional bond.
- Sentimental items may have little monetary value but hold immense personal significance.
Balancing Sentiment and Practicality:
- Some people manage to keep these items while still replacing or repairing them, preserving both their utility and sentimental value.
- However, others may feel burdened by keeping non-functional items, leading them to part with them in favor of practicality.
Conclusion: While it can be difficult to let go of personal items with sentimental value, each person must weigh emotional attachment against practicality.
Language work
Make a list of the expressions that imbue the watch with human attributes.
Answer:
In the story, the author uses various expressions that give human-like qualities to the watch. These are examples of personification, where the watch is described as if it were a living being. Here are some expressions from the text that imbue the watch with human attributes:
- “I had come to believe it infallible in its judgments about the time of day.”
- The watch is described as making “judgments,” a trait typically associated with human decision-making.
- “I grieved about it as if it were a recognised messenger and forerunner of calamity.”
- The watch is compared to a messenger, as if it had the ability to warn the author of impending doom.
- “It sickened to a raging fever and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade.”
- The watch is described as if it were a living organism with a “fever” and a “pulse.”
- “It hurried up house rent, bills payable and such things in such a ruinous way that I could not abide it.”
- The watch is said to be “hurrying” and causing “ruin,” as if it had the power to influence the passage of time and events.
- “All solitary and alone, I was lingering alone in week before last and the world was out of sight.”
- The watch’s malfunction is described in a way that isolates the author in time, almost like the watch has the ability to separate him from reality.
- “She would reel off the next twenty-four hours in six or seven minutes, and then stop with a bang.”
- The watch is given feminine qualities (“she”), and its actions are likened to energetic, unpredictable behavior, much like a human.
- “My watch began to gain. It gained faster and faster day by day.”
- The watch is described as if it is consciously “gaining,” like a person increasing speed or progress.
- “She makes too much steam—you want to hang the monkey-wrench on the safety-valve!”
- The watch is humorously likened to a steam engine, attributing it with the power to generate “steam” and requiring mechanical adjustments.