Shri.
Guru Teg Bahadur Public School, Khankot (Amritsar)
Class-11th
Browning Version
Question 1:
Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Answer:
Taplow is respectful towards Mr. Crocker-Harris and likes him for his
principles. He criticises him for being a feelingless person yet regards
him an extraordinary master. He is mortally afraid of him and dare not
cut the extra work even on the last day of the term.
Question 2:
Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
Answer:
Yes, Frank seems to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris.
He shows appreciation for Taplow’s imitation of Mr Crocker-Harris and
asks him to repeat it. On smother occasion, Frank tells Taplow not to
keep a good joke (narrated in the style of Mr Crocker Harris) to himself
but to tell it to others.
Question 3:
What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Answer:
Mr Crocker-Harris appears as a stem master who is a man of principles
and stickler to the rules. He believes in fair assessment of his students
and is not swayed by emotions, as the man is hardly human. He is not a
sadist, but strict in performance of his duties. Even on his last day at
school, when he is over-busy in his own affairs, he does not neglect his
duty towards his students.
Talking About the Text
Discuss with your partners.
Question 1:
Talking about teachers among friends.
Answer:
Commenting on their teachers is something that most students do.
Students are quite intelligent and keen observers. Teachers are their
role models and the students judge their performance not only on the
basis of their mastery over the subject hut also by their method of
teaching, communication skills, interaction with students and their
general nature and behaviour. Teachers must not feel offended to learn
the nick name their dear students have showered upon them. Teachers
may sometimes think that the boys don’t understand anything, but this
is wrong. Talking about teachers among friends is a favourite pastime of
students. They appreciate their virtues and condemn their
shortcomings. Even strict persons win the love and admiration of
students if they are men of principles.
Question 2:
The manner you adopt when you talk about a teacher to other
teachers.
Answer:
We should be respectful and polite when we talk about a teacher to
other teachers.
Normal courtesy requires that we should add ‘Mr’ ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’
before the name of the teacher and use his/her full name. A teacher
should never be mentioned by the nick name he/she has been given. In
other words, our approach should be quite formal. The dignity of a
teacher should not be lowered before another, even if the person being
talked about lacks some qualities you like most. Our remarks should
never be derogatory or rude. It is bad manners to run down our
teachers and specially so if it is done in the presence of other teachers.
We are judged by our actions as well as words. The other teachers may
form a very low and unfavourable opinion about us on the basis of a
lapse on our part. Hence we must be extra cautions during our
interactions with our teachers.
Question 3:
Reading plays is more interesting than studying science.
Answer:
Science is based on the study of some facts, concepts, principles and
their application. It demands cool reasoning and concentration of mind
to solve numerical problems and to balance complicated equations.
One has to be alert, regular, systematic and punctual. If we miss one
class, we miss the link. On the other hand, reading plays provides us
more amusement. Most of the plays contain a beautiful plot and a
number of characters with diverse traits. Their actions, reactions and
interactions provide a lot of fun and laughter and make the reading of
the play quite interesting. Witty dialogues, irony of situations and
intricacies of plots make the plays full of humanity and quite absorbing.
We never feel bored while reading a play. Every dialogue or action
unfolds something new and we eagerly wait for what is to follow next.
The study of science proves dull and cold as compared to the
interesting reading of plays.
