Beehive-The Snake And The Mirror

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why did the doctor have to light the kerosene lamp on reaching his room?
Answer: The doctor had to light the kerosene lamp because the room did not have electricity
and the night was pitch dark. The doctor had limited money and as a result, he could not
afford an any better place.
2. What kind of room did the doctor live in?
Answer: The doctor lived in a small, poorly furnished room which did not have any electricity.
It was an outer room with one wall looking upon the open yard. The roof was tiled and
supported by gables which rested on a beam. The room did not have a ceiling and it was
infested with rats.
3. Why did the doctor lives in a small, poor house?
Answer: The doctor lived in a small, poor house because he had just started his practice and
he was not earning much. He could not afford to rent a better and more comfortable
accommodation with his meager earnings.
4. “The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he
think it was? How many times did he hear it? When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer: The doctor heard the sound made by a snake that was trying to reach the floor. He
thought it was the squeaking sound made by the rats that infested his room. He heard this
sound three times, after short intervals and it stopped when the snake fell down because it
had reached the floor.
5. Why did the doctor look in the mirror again and again?
Answer: The doctor had developed an admiration for his looks and he wanted to appear even
more handsome. Looking into the mirror gave him a chance to assess his looks again and
again. He would comb his hair carefully, and his vanity would get a boost.
6. Which two ‘important’ and ‘earth-shaking decisions did the doctor make as he
looked at his image in the mirror?
Answer: The doctor made two decisions after looking at himself in the mirror. The first was
that he would shave daily and grow a thin mustache in order to look more handsome as he
was still unmarried and was in the reputed medical profession. The second decision was that
he would marry a rich and fat lady-doctor.
7. What did the doctor do when the snake landed on his shoulder?
Or
How did the doctor react when he found the snake on his shoulder?
Or
‘I was turned to stone’. When does the doctor say so? Why?
Answer: When the doctor found a snake on his shoulder, he did not shriek, jump, or tremble.
He held his breath and became as still as a stone. He knew that the snake would strike him if
he made any movement since the hood of the snake was only four inches away from his face.
8. How did the doctor feel when the snake coiled itself around his arm?
Answer: When the snake coiled itself around the arm of the doctor, he felt some pain as if his
arm was being crushed strongly with a rod made of molten fire. His arm lost all strength and
felt very weak.
9. What thoughts crossed the doctor’s mind when he saw the snake looking into
the mirror?
Answer: When the doctor saw the snake looking into the mirror, he thought that perhaps it
too was admiring its beauty or was trying to make some important, actually frivolous
decisions like growing a moustache, or using eyeshadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion
spot on its forehead.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What was the doctor’s opinion about himself? How did this opinion change after
his encounter with the snake?
Or
How did the doctor lose his pride after the snake landed on his shoulder?
Answer: The doctor had a very high opinion of himself regarding both his appearance and
profession. He was conscious of his looks and wanted to look even more handsome. He
repeatedly looked at himself in the mirror to admire his handsomeness. He wanted to be
attractive to women because he was an eligible bachelor. He was also proud of being a doctor
and was arrogant because of his professional qualifications.
But a short encounter with a snake, a full-blooded cobra, cured him of his pride. When the
snake reached his shoulder and coiled itself around his arm, the doctor lost all arrogance and
was reminded of the existence of God. Face to face with death, he realised what a weak and
foolish man he was. When he recalled that there were no medicines in his room to cure him of
a snake-bite, he humbly and meekly regarded himself to be a stupid and helpless person.
Thus, the encounter with the snake transformed the doctor from a vain and foolish person
into a humble and God-fearing man.
2. Why did the snake not strike the doctor although it was so near his face?
Or
Which qualities and values of the doctor saved his life?
Answer: The snake did not strike the doctor although it was so near his face because the
doctor remained motionless even when his life was in danger. Displaying great presence of
mind, the doctor stayed still like a stone which assured the snake that there was no danger to
it. Snakes strike only in self-defense and the doctor patiently let the snake go. He remained
calm and didn’t jump, or tremble or cry out.
He did not try to either catch the snake to throw it away or to loosen its hold on his arm. Fear
had gripped him but he kept his cool. Thus the snake left the doctor unharmed and got busy
admiring its image in the mirror. The doctor’s qualities of patience, presence of mind,
courage, and calmness helped him ward off the danger posed by the deadly snake, and saved
his life.
3. Write a note on the element of humour in the story.
Or
This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes
it humorous?
Answer: Although the story “The Snake and the Mirror” by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is
the narration of a serious incident, it is not devoid of the element of humour. This humour is
generated by way of contrasts employed by the writer. The doctor reveals his pride and
arrogance by telling us how highly he rated his looks and his profession as a doctor. This pride
and arrogance stand in contrast to his admittance that he felt feeble and foolish when
encountered by the snake. Again, his desire to marry a fat and u wealthy lady-doctor who
cannot run after him when he commits some silly mistake stands in contrast to the thin and
agile lady, with the physique of a sprinter, whom he finally marries.
Further, the doctor pokes fun at himself when he tells that the thief did not take away his dirty
vest because he had a sense of cleanliness. His remark about the snake that perhaps it was
making some decision about growing a mustache or using eyeshadow and mascara or
wearing a vermilion spot on its head is also very witty and humorous. Thus, even a serious
incident is made interesting by the doctor’s witty treatment of a very dangerous situation.