Material Sem.

V Text-Silver Lining

A Cup of Tea

B)

A:1 Philip and Rosemary share healthy relationship. They had been married two years and had
no child. But Rosemary was absolutely adored by her husband.

A:2 The enamel box looked exquisite with a glaze so fine it looked as though it had been
baked in cream. On the lid a minute creature stood under a flowery tree, and a more minute
creature still had her arms round his neck. Her hat, really no bigger than a geranium petal, hung
from a branch; it had green ribbons. And there was a pink cloud like a watchful cherub floating
above their heads.

A:3 when Philip praised Ms Smith as beautiful and young lady, Rosemary became furious and
went back to her bedroom . She opened a drawer and took out 5 pounds note and gave it to Ms
Smith. No need to say that she was driven away from home.

C)

A:1 The title describes point of the story is that a rich and self-regarding woman has her
complacency disturbed. On a whim, she makes what she thinks of as a charitable gesture to a
destitute lower-class girl, only to discover (via her husband) that the girl has qualities that she
herself does not possess.

A:2 Rosemary might be dissatisfied with her everyday life and long for some excitement
beyond buying new items. She decides to make helping out Miss Smith an adventure and plays
her charitable act out like a story in her head. Many women still lacked freedom and
independence in the male-dominated world at the time when this story was written.

A:3 In the end, Rosemary sends the girl away with a 5 pounds note. She behaved like this
because she was jealous by her husband‟s admiration of a bagger. She cannot lose her husband
by keeping Ms Smith at home.

D)

A:1 Mansfield introduces Rosemary Fell as “not exactly beautiful”. Yet she was rich and led an
untroubled, luxurious life with an adoring husband. We cannot decipher the character of
Rosemary unless we make allowances for the social hierarchy in which she is rooted. She
belongs to the upper strata of society and is well- informed about the latest happenings. Her
readings of the great writers have made her an imaginative person with a touch of sensitivity. But
regretfully, she has little idea about the realities of the world around her. She was ignorant of the
hard life led by the not- so- fortunate people who have to struggle to have food on their tables.
As you have read in the story, Rosemary is forced to encounter the „other‟ world- the world of
poverty which was in sharp contrast to her „ideal‟ world when she met a ragged creature one
chilly winter afternoon pleading her for a “cup of tea”. This meeting with a stranger with
“reddened hands” and “enormous eyes” prompts her to be a fairy godmother of the kind she has
read in her fictive books. It is ironical that her knowledge of the real world is based on the books
she has read and the plays she had seen. She finds it “extraordinary” that the girl has no money at
all. Rich as she is, she cannot think one could be so poor as not to have any money at all. Her
mind is therefore, filled with good intentions to help this destitute girl and relieve her from her
distress. What I would like to stress here is that the point here is not Rosemary‟s desire to solve
the girl‟s problem, but her total inability to understand the problem itself.

Very enthusiastically, she takes the girl home and she is thrilled to be of help to her. She also
imagines telling her friends later on how she had bestowed her benevolence upon the girl. But all
her passion soon evaporates when her husband Philip comments on the prettiness of Miss Smith
and how he was “bowled over” by her beauty. Philip‟s remarks arouse her jealousy and she
dismisses the girl without much ado gifting her only three pounds. This perverse rejection of the
girl lies at the heart of the story. Thus, her womanly possessiveness and insecurity got the better
of her good intentions and superficial refinements. Her “Am I pretty?” is only a reflection of her
insecurity as Philip‟s wife.

Miss Smith
Miss Smith is a relatively minor character in the story. She is the girl whom Rosemary treats
with affection one moment and dismisses abruptly in another moment. Miss Smith is just a
means for Rosemary to display her artificial generosity. As you read the story you may recall the
moment when Miss Smith first speaks to Rosemary, asking her for a „cup of tea‟. She is
absolutely without money which seems „extraordinary‟ to Rosemary. A sudden decision to
indulge in an adventure makes Rosemary take the girl to her home. Unaccustomed to such kind
of charity, Miss Smith would not believe Rosemary and thought that she was being taken to the
police station. At Rosemary‟s house, she was more surprised to see Rosemary taking every care
to make her comfortable. Too startled at first, she now begins to shed her shyness and takes the
slight meal offered by Rosemary. But Miss Smith was dismissed by Rosemary when she found
that her husband Philip was being „bowled over‟ by the girl‟s beauty.

You can now understand that the whole story revolves around Rosemary and it is the workings
of her mind which Mansfield wants us to see. It is Mansfield‟s understanding of the female
psyche, her concern for human feeling in a concrete situation that arrests our attention. This
genuine concern gives her a delicate and personal insight into the problems of personal
relationships. We are left delighted by the way in which we become intimate with the way men
and women conduct themselves in real- life situations and work out their problems of living.

A:2 In A Cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield we have the theme of jealousy, insecurity,
materialism and class. Taken from her The Doves‟ Nest and Other Stories collection the story is
narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises
that Mansfield may be exploring the theme of class or rather the differences between social
classes. By telling the reader that „they were rich, really rich, not just comfortably well off‟
Mansfield succeeds in not only highlighting to the reader how wealthy Rosemary and Philip are
but more importantly she manages to highlight how different Rosemary is from others.
Something that is a little clearer when Mansfield also tells the reader „if Rosemary wanted to
shop she would go to Paris as you and I would go to Bond Street.‟ Though it may appear to be
insignificant the fact that Rosemary has a car may also be important as by introducing the car
into the story it is possible that Mansfield is further highlighting the class difference that exists
between Rosemary and those around her. At the time the story was written only the very wealthy
(mostly upper class) would have had the resources to buy a car.

The fact that Rosemary is surprised when Miss Smith first speaks to her also suggests that
Rosemary may be different to others. It would have been uncommon (at the time the story was
written) for those considered to be of a lower class (Miss Smith) to engage with those considered
to be upper class (Rosemary). It is also interesting that Rosemary thinks it is „extraordinary‟ that
Miss Smith has no money. This would again suggest that Rosemary is different from other
people. She can‟t imagine that somebody would have no money. By describing Miss Smith as
the „other‟ when Rosemary leads Miss Smith into the hall of her home and Rosemary as being
like „the rich little girl in her nursery‟ Mansfield may be further highlighting the difference in
class between both Miss Smith and Rosemary.

It is also interesting that Rosemary, while Miss Smith is in her bedroom having tea, leaves Miss
Smith‟s hat and coat on the floor. By doing so Mansfield may be suggesting that in Rosemary‟s
eyes, Miss Smith is not her equal. This would further highlight the difference in class (in
Rosemary‟s eyes) between Miss Smith and Rosemary. The reader also doubts that Rosemary
would take the same course of action (leave a hat and coat on the floor) should one of her upper
class friends visit her home. At no stage in the story does the reader feel that Rosemary, by
taking Miss Smith home with her, is doing so for the benefit of Miss Smith rather it serves to
boost Rosemary‟s perception of herself. She does after all consider the taking of Miss Smith
home with her to be an adventure, something she will be able to boast about to her friends.

There is also some symbolism in the story which may be important. The little box that Rosemary
sees in the antique shop, by telling the reader that Rosemary „must have it‟, Mansfield may be
highlighting the importance of material things to Rosemary. Mansfield also appears to be using
the setting, after Rosemary leaves the antique shop, to highlight Rosemary‟s mood after she is
unable to buy the little box. Mansfield tells the reader that the „rain was falling, and with the rain
it seemed the dark came too, spinning down like ashes. There was a cold bitter taste in the air,
and the new-lighted lamps looked sad.‟ In many ways this setting mirrors how Rosemary may
feel about having to leave the shop without purchasing the little box. The flowers that Rosemary
buys may also have some symbolic importance. By telling the reader that Rosemary wanted
„those and those and those. Give me four bunches of those,‟ Mansfield may be further
highlighting how different Rosemary is from other people (due to her wealth) and how
extravagant she is. Rather than just purchasing one bunch of flowers, as most people would and
could only afford to do, Rosemary ends up with several.
Rosemary‟s change of attitude towards Miss Smith after Philip tells her that he thinks Miss
Smith is pretty is also interesting. It is from Philip‟s remark that the reader realises not only is
Rosemary jealous of Miss Smith (because she is pretty) but she also appears to be insecure about
her own physical appearance. It may also be a case that Philip is attempting to manipulate or
control Rosemary, just as she has Miss Smith. By telling Rosemary that Miss Smith is pretty
Philip is aware that it will result in Rosemary not only feeling jealous but it will also ensure that
Miss Smith leaves their home, just as Philip wants her to. If anything Philip appears to want to
disassociate himself (and Rosemary) from Miss Smith. Which would again play on the theme of
class. Philip does not want to associate himself with those (Miss Smith) he considers to be of a
lower class.

How insecure Rosemary may feel about her physical appearance is further noticeable by the fact
that after Miss Smith leaves Rosemary‟s home, Mansfield tells the reader that Rosemary „done
her hair, darkened her eyes a little and put on her pearls.‟ This action is important as it suggests
that Rosemary is attempting to make herself pretty, at least in Philips eyes. The fact
that Rosemary asks Philip for the money to buy the little box may also be significant as it would
again highlight the importance of material things to Rosemary. Also by ending the story with
Rosemary asking Philip „am I pretty?‟ Mansfield may be further highlighting how insecure
Rosemary feels about her physical appearance. Despite being wealthy and living a life that the
majority of people at the time the story was written were unable to live, Rosemary is insecure.

Why I Want a Wife

B)

A:1 When Judy Brady‟s one of the friends took divorce and was looking for another wife, the
Speaker thought that I, too, would like to have a wife.

A:2 The intended readers of this essay are male, who dominates the society . Judy Brady writes
in her essay about the demands that are required from wife. She emphasizes the point that the
roles of wife are unfair to the role of husband, and that there is an obvious difference, inequality,
between the roles of husband and wife.

A:3 when the children are sick the wife must arranges to be around and treats the children with
special care she must arrange to lose time at work and she should also arrange and pay for the
care of the children but not to lose the job.

C)

A: 1 The tone in the essay is casual, humorous, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic. She describes
the attitude of men wanting a wife in his life, so he can hinge on her everything and do whatever
he want to do in his life. She is showing how selfish and sexist ideas of men are prevalent.
A: 4 No, a wife cannot be equal to a husband because she has to perform number of duties.
Brady lists many jobs that a wife dose and is expected to do by everyone. She plays a role in her
life doing the same jobs for her husband and her children and now she seems to be sick of them
and wants a wife of her own to help out. Though she describes the behavior of a male wanting a
wife in his life, so he can depend on her for everything and do nothing himself. This shows the
sexist and the selfish viewpoint by men over the role of a wife.

D)

Ans:1 Brady uses irony and repetition to reflect society's view on women and wives. Brady uses
irony in order to show society's view on wives: people who are like robots, servants, and maids.
She mentions that she is both a wife and a mother, yet "it suddenly occurred" to her that she
"would like to have a wife" (para. 1). How does it make any sense that a wife would want a
wife?

Brady argues that she would like one because of the tasks a wife completes. Listing the endless
tasks and desires Brady wants her wife to complete, the wife is no longer seen as a beloved
spouse. Rather, a person that is needed to complete chores and tasks for the benefit of another.
This mentality of a wife is seen when Brady states that "If, by chance, I find another person more
suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my resent wife with
another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh new life my wife will take the children and be solely
responsible for them so that I am left free" (para. 9). The irony creates humor in Brady's piece.
Therefore, the author is able to light-heartedly joke about the expectations of a wife, when it
reality, Brady is revealing society's distorted perspective on wives.

Also, Brady utilizes repetition to emphasize the list of things required and expected in a wife in
order to argue that Brady wants a wife not out of love, but for the work a wife can do.
Throughout the entire essay, Brady repeats "I want a wife". This is seen when she states, "I want
a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean...I
want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them" (para. 4-5). The
repetitive use of "I want a wife" emphasizes the expected version of a wife. The many
characteristics listed that Brady desires in her wife is meant to reflect society's version of the
stereotypical, perfect wife.

Playing the English Gentleman

B)

A:1 when Gandhiji and his friend fired for dinner, Gandhi enquired about whether the soup was
vegetarian. He wondered what it might be made of, so with considerable hesitation he asked the
waiter.

His friend didn‟t like these, and he advised Gandhiji to feed in somewhere else.
A:2 To cultivate accomplishments like dance, elocution, music, language and appropriate attire
of English society, Gandhi decided to become an English gentleman.

A:3 In order to become an English gentleman, Gandhi makes every attempt, tries to follow lot
many accomplishments. For the sake of learning something it is again required Gandhi to learn
some other things. For becoming an English gentleman Gandhi wants to learn the art of dancing.
While this very skill of dancing also pursues Gandhi to learn another art of playing the violin.
That is why Gandhi mentions this fable at that context.

A: 4 Gandhiji decided not to go to any of the classes because he suddenly realised that he had not
to spend a lifetime in England. So there are no needs to learn violin, elocution and dance. He
understood that he should qualify himself to join the inns of court.

C)

A:1 In England, this shy, retiring young man found himself at sea. He often yearned for home
and the tender affection of his mother. The vow never to touch meat left him half-starved and
caused his friends much embarrassment, owing to a false sense of social decorum, born of
inferiority complex from which most of the Indians suffered in those days. But Gandhiji would
not yield to the importunities of his well-meaning friends. For him "a vow was a vow and could
not be broken". After a long search he discovered a vegetarian restaurant where he had not only
his fill for the first time but also came across literature on vegetarianism. This farther
strengthened his resolve. He was no more a vegetarian because of the vow but because of free
choice.

A:2 In order to mould himself as an English gentleman, Gandhi not only wastes a lot of money
but also valuable time, which he needs to spend on books. His acquired habit of wasting time by
standing himself before mirror to arrange his hair to adjust his hair, his taking lessons in dancing,
French, elocution and the violin makes Gandhi to keep away from serious reading of his subjects
of study.

A:3 Gandhiji had friendly tussle with his fat on vegetarian food, but it did not affect their
relationship. Gandhiji could see and appreciate the love and affection triggered by his friend. His
respect for his friend was all the greater on account of their differences in thought and action.

D)

A-1 For a brief period, Gandhi tried to become 'The English Gentleman' to overcome lack of
confidence and to make up for the 'fad' of vegetarianism. He wanted to become fit for the British
elite society. He got clothes stitched from an expensive and fashionable firm, purchased an
expensive hat and an evening suit and learnt to wear the tie. He became very careful about his
appearance. He even joined a dancing class, but could not go on for more than three weeks. He
purchased a violin and started learning to play it. He engaged a tutor to give lessons in elocution.
But all this was for a brief period of three months only. His conscience awakened him. He
realised that he was not going to spend his whole life in England; he should rather concentrate on
his studies and not waste his brother's money. He then became very careful about his expenses.

With the Photographer

B)

A:1 The photographer was a thin man in a grey suit, with the dim eyes of a natural scientists.

A:2 The Photographer‟s studio was not properly arranged. It had poor lighting arrangement.
Sunlight came through a shit of factory cotton which was fixed on snowy window. There was a
big camera in the middle of the room and a black cloth was attached to the camera.

A:3 The photographer retouched the picture because he did not like narrators head, face, eyes,
ears, eyebrows etc.

A:4 The narrator liked his ears in the photograph but the photographer suggested to retouch the
ears in the print.

C)

A:3 The narrator was not pleased with the photographer because his behaviour was very
insulting. He criticizes the writer‟s features in a very humiliating manner. He uses harsh
language and his manner was also wrong. Moreover the ready photograph had no likeness with
the face of the writer. At this the author became very angry with the photographer.

D)

A:1 The narrator was not pleased with the photographer because his behaviour was very
insulting. He criticizes the writer‟s features in a very humiliating manner. He uses harsh
language and his manner was also wrong. Moreover the ready photograph had no likeness with
the face of the writer. At this the author became very angry with the photographer.

The writer asked in anger and wonders, is it me? He was shocked to see the distorted picture of
his face. The photographer had changed his features completely. His eyes were retouched and the
eyebrow removed. The photo was a complete distortion of his face. Nobody could recognise that
it was his photograph.

A:2 Summary
The writer Stephen Leacock went to a studio and told the photographer to take his photo. The
photographer asked him to wait for his turn. The writer had to wait for an hour and then he was
called in. The machine was brought in the middle of the room. The photographer went behind it.
After some initial efforts of taking the photograph, the photographer remarked the writer that his
face was quite wrong. Then the photographer added that his head was equally wrong. He also
commented on the bad shape of his ears. He twisted the face of the writer many times and asked
him to shift his side again and again.
The writer was disgusted with the behaviour of the photographer and left his seat. That very
moment, the camera clicked and his photo was taken. The writer was asked to come on Saturday
to take his photo. When the writer got his photo on Saturday, he was shocked and puzzled to see
as if it was his photograph. His eyes were retouched, his eyebrows removed, his mouth twisted
but his ears were intact. The photo was a complete distortion of face. It had no likeness with his
face. It seemed as if it was the photograph of any other person. So, the writer asked the
photographer to keep it with himself. Perhaps his friends might like it. For the writer, it was quite
worthless.
Where the mind is without fear

A:1 The” head is held high” means one is confident about oneself, about his goals and dreams
and no amount of superstitions and pressures of the society can repress his spirit and pride in
himself.

A:2 “Knowledge is free” means that a world where knowledge is not restricted on the basis of
class, gender, caste and race. The world of knowledge can be explored by anyone irrespective of
the strata of society he belonged to, and irrespective of any other differences.

A:3 The dreary desert sand means that dry place where clear stream is not found.in those days
India was under suppression with all the social evils like racial discrimination caste system etc.
This implies to the dreary desert which is dry, hence the poet asks the people of India to be free
from all suppression and oppression and use scientific thinking reasons to achieve their way and
goals, where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way.

A:4 The poet addresses the God as „Father‟. He asks him to awaken his country into such a
„heaven of freedom‟ where the above conditions meet. To make it clear, the poet prays to the
Almighty (my Father) to raise or lift (awake) his country to such heights where freedom would
be realised at its best (a heaven of freedom)

C)

A:1 It should be a nation where the words of truth come out from the depths of the heart and are
spoken out courageously in the open for the world to hear. People should work for perfection in
the clear light of reason leaving aside all superstitious rituals, beliefs and narrow-
mindedness. Rabindranath Tagore loves his country a lot and wishes for its welfare and growth.

A:2 Tagore‟s only prayer to the Supreme Ultimate is leading the nation to such an ideal state of
heaven. It is only by the universality of outlook and an abiding passion for the realization of
great human ideals that India will achieve her true freedom.

A:3 The qualities that the poet wants to see in his countrymen are fearlessness, self dignity,
knowledge, truthfulness, diligence, rationality and a broad-mind. These qualities are required if
they are to enjoy their country‟s freedom to the fullest.
D)

A:1 Tagore's poem, "Where the mind is without fear" is a pre-independence poem, where the
poet earnestly prays to God to awake his countrymen (Indians) to the realization that they need to
live in a free and united country. He wants his countrymen to enjoy being citizens of a free
nation, where they can lead their lives with honour. He dreams of a nation where people would
not be superstitious or believers of blind faith; rather they would be enlightened and
knowledgeable. He wants the people to be honest and hard-working. Only then, the nation can
hope of achieving success. Reason has to overpower blind faith. People must open-up
themselves to accepting new thoughts and ideas and work upon them. Thus the nation would be
successful.

Up-Hill

B)

A:1 Up-hill has a conversational tone as it recounts the dialogue between the traveller and the
guide. By not including speech marks, Rossetti incorporates the conversation into the poem itself
and structures the poem around it.

A:2 The one who answers the traveller's questions refers to speaker as „my friend'. This gives
rise to the interpretation that it is Jesus who speaks and comforts. Here, Jesus tells his followers.
So we can assume that one speaker is Jesus and the other is the traveller.

A:3 The journey is the prominent symbol in this poem, and is open to a few different
interpretations. The first interpretation is that the poem symbolizes the journey from birth to
death. The darkening sky foreshadows the end of life, and the inn represents the final resting
place. Considering Rossetti‟s religious background, this final resting place could be interpreted
as Heaven. On the other side ,there is a slight possible variation on the interpretation that the
road represents the journey of life. Already careworn, the weary traveler wonders if life grows
easier as she grows older.

C)

A:1 Over the course of a journey, the narrator asks her guide eight questions about the road
ahead. The narrator asks if the roads are all up-hill and if the journey will take all day. The guide
replies in the affirmative. Next, the narrator asks if there is a place to rest for the night and if the
darkness will obscure said resting-place from their view. The guide assures the narrator that there
is an inn and they will not be able to miss it. The narrator's fifth question is about which other
travelers will be on the road. At the inn, the narrator asks if the other travelers would prefer for
her to knock or call out. The guide tells the narrator that someone will open the door. Lastly, the
narrator asks if there will be a bed for her. The guide tells her that there are beds for everyone.
A:3 Christina Rossetti's poem "Uphill" is written using questions and answers. Readers are not
told who each of the voices are--they remain unnamed. The poem is metaphorical in nature
(meaning that one thing is compared to another). In regards to this poem, life is compared to a
journey uphill. What this means is, given walking uphill is challenging, life is challenging.

D)

A:2 Throughout her poetry, Rossetti draws on the imagery of flames, mountains, stairs and
hills to emphasize the upward progression of the spiritual journey. She suggests that the journey
to heaven is one of continuous upward movement in that the soul is moved upwards away from
the earth and its pleasures as it learns more of God and of heaven.

In Up-hill, Rossetti emphasizes the idea that the upward progression of the soul is not a simple
and easy process. Lots of distractions, concerns and doubts can weigh a person down and the
upward movement can turn into one of struggle instead of one of joy.

The speaker's questions all arise from a sense of uncertainty and doubt. S/he is unsure what the
journey holds and what will be found at the end of it. The incessant questioning is short and
simple and the answers received often serve to create more questions. It is not a poem which
expands on certain doctrines or ideas.