Class 11 NCERT English Lesson 2 The Address Supplementary Reader Question and Answers.
Questions and Answers:
1. ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?
2. The story is divided into pre-War and post-War times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?
3. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
4. “The Address; is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.
Answers:
1. ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?
Yes, this statement gives a significant clue about the story. It suggests that the story is set during a post-war period, possibly World War II. The woman’s statement indicates that people were displaced or left their homes during the war and did not return, either because they perished or moved permanently. It reveals a context of loss and separation due to the war, and the fact that the narrator is one of the few to return highlights the emotional and physical devastation caused by the conflict.
2. The story is divided into pre-War and post-War times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?
The girl likely underwent several hardships during the pre-War and post-War times:
- Pre-War Hardships:
- Anxiety about losing possessions and security: Her mother, feeling threatened by the war, had trusted Mrs. Dorling to take valuable possessions to safeguard them. This reflects the fear of displacement and destruction that people experienced.
- Separation from family: The mention of the war suggests the possibility that the girl and her family were separated, and their lives were disrupted by the ongoing conflict.
- Post-War Hardships:
- Displacement and Loss: After the war, the girl returns to find that her family’s possessions are with someone else, and the emotional connection she had with these items has been severed. This suggests a sense of displacement and loss, as she no longer has access to things tied to her past and her memories.
- Psychological Impact: The war and the subsequent return to familiar places that now feel strange (like the house and the objects) would have likely left her feeling alienated. She expresses discomfort with seeing her family’s possessions in an unfamiliar setting, highlighting how the war has created a disconnect between her past and present life.