Question 1 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“No, Fernman. You’re a native of London and so is Seales, but you are of different colours. I am a native of British Guiana, and there are thousands of British Guianese who are white-skinned and blonde, red-headed or brunette.”
(i) How had the students expressed their thoughts about the trip to the museum in the Weekly Review?
Answer : The visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum featured largely in the Weekly Reviews given by the students. They commented on it freely and thoughtfully and even on their own conduct. When Mr Florian read the reviews he was delighted and expressed his willingness to help with any other visits that Braithwaite might plan in the future.
(ii) Who is the speaker of these lines? In what context were these lines spoken?
Answer : The speaker of these lines is ER Braithwaite , a teacher at the Greenslade School. They had been discussing about Geography with special emphasis on Africa. To Fernman, all natives were white. It is white he had been taught.
Braithwaite told him that it was not so as there was no relation between the colour of a person and his nationality.
(iii) Why is the speaker having a hard time to explain things to the students?
Answer : Braithwaite was having a hard time explaining to his students that color of the skin did not decide to which part or race people belonged to. He told them even though Seales was black; he was a British like all of them.
However, the students were having a hard time in accepting this fact. They had always read different things in their textbooks and Braithwaite felt that so powerful was the written word that it was hard for them to disagree with what they had read.
(iv) Why did the discussion start? What did it reveal about the thinking of the students in relation to the people around them?
Answer : Braithwaite had started the lesson in Geography with special emphasis on the African continent. Seales asked him if he also belonged to Africa but like always, Braithwaite corrected him by saying that he was born in British Guiana. Their questions were sadly uninformed about the colonial territories, protectorates and dependencies. The discussion revealed that the students considered all the dark skinned people to be different from them; may be even foreign from their country.
(v) How is the speaker feeling? Are his feelings justified?
Answer : The speaker was feeling to hear what the students were saying. He was also a bit agitated at the fact that he had answered most of these questions a lot of times before. He concluded that they were all ill-informed about the colonial territories, protectorates and dependencies. Furthermore, they considered the dark-skinned people to be different from them even if they were of the same nationality. It angered him but he felt happy that his students were ready to hear his explanation and learn from them.
Question 2 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
The address was one of a terrace in a rather dingy street, but the pavement outside the front door was, like its neighbours’ scrubbed white and the brass door knocked and lace window curtains bore testimony to the occupant’s attention to cleanliness. Some of these local folk were as house-proud as duchesses. I knocked and presently the door was opened by a large, red-facing smiling woman.
(i) Who had knocked at the door? Why?
Answer : Braithwaite was often late in reaching the school in the morning. He thought that it would be much better for him if he could find a room nearby. One day, he was returning from the school and enquired from an old tobacconist, Mr Pinkus, about the availability of a room. Mr Pinkus had remembered the request and was able to give him an address where he could stay.
(iii) Who was the red-faced woman? How did she behave with the guest?
Answer : Braithwaite went to the address given by Mr Pinkus. He knocked and the door was opened by a large, red-faced smiling woman. The woman was Barbara Pegg’s mother. When Braithwaite informed her that he had come to enquire about the room, immediately the smile was replaced by the expression of cold withdrawal . She was not willing to lend her room to a black man. She told Braithwaite that she had changed her mind.
(iv) How did the daughter of the red-faced woman behave after getting to know who the guest was?
Answer : Barbara Pegg’s mother had denied letting her room to Braithwaite. The reason was very apparent. She did not want a black man in her house. Then suddenly, Barbara came enquiring about who was at the gate. Her mother replied that it was some ‘darky’. Barbara was shocked to see that it was her teacher. She was totally taken aback by the words that her mother had spoken to Braithwaite.
(v) How did she behave with the guest after this incident? What did the guest decide after it?
Answer : Barbara was embarrassed and shocked by the incident. For some time afterwards poor Barbara avoided Braithwaite and blushed in confusion even if he spoke to her during lessons. The incident had also hit Braithwaite badly. He promised himself that, it was his first and last attempt at finding other ‘digs’. For as long as Mom and Dad Belmont would have him, theirs was his home.
Long Questions
Question 1 : Why had Braithwaite wanted to find a room near the school? How did this experience turn sour? Why do you think Mrs Pegg visited Braithwaite with an apology letter?
Answer : Braithwaite was often late in reaching the school in the morning. He lived far away and had to take the train every morning, which seldom arrived on time. Though Mr Florian had been very understanding about his situation, he thought it would be much better for him if he could find a room nearby. One day, he was returning from the school and enquired from an old tobacconist, Mr Pinkus, about the availability of a room. Mr Pinkus had remembered the request and was able to give him an address where he could stay.
Braithwaite went to the address given by Mr Pinkus. He knocked and the door was opened by a large, red-faced smiling woman. The woman was Barbara Pegg’s mother. When Braithwaite informed her that he had come to enquire about the room, immediately the smile was replaced by the expression of cold withdrawal. She was not willing to lend her room to a black man. When Braithwaite persisted, she told him that she had changed her mind.
Just then Barbara came from inside asking about who was at the door. Her mother replied that it was some ‘darky’. It was apparent that she had said these words to criticise and insult Braithwaite. He was about to leave when he found out that it was the house of his student Barbara Pegg. Barbara was also taken aback by the incident. For some time afterwards poor Barbara avoided Braithwaite and blushed in confusion even if he spoke to her during lessons. The incident had also hit Braithwaite badly. He promised himself that it was his first and last attempt at finding other ‘ding’. For as long as Mom and Dad Belmont would have him, theirs was his home.
One afternoon, Mrs Pegg came to Braithwaite apologising for her conduct. Barbara had been giving a hard time to her mother over the incident. Braithwaite sent her away saying that he would talk to Barbara about it. Braithwaite did not believe that she cared if he found a room or not, but as, was characteristic of many of these women, she would have submerged her prejudices to please her daughter.