Very Short Answer Type Questions
- What was the special sign which reminded Soapy of the approaching winters?
Ans. Dead leaf falling on Soapy’s feet was a sign of approaching winters.
- What did the richer New Yorkers did during winters?
Ans. The richer New Yorkers made their plans to go to Florida or to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea each winter.
- For how long did Soapy wish to be put into the jail on Blackwell’s Island?
Ans. Soapy hoped to be put into the jail on Blackwell’s Prison for three months; that would take care of food and bedding during the winters.
- In the absence of sufficient warm clothes, what way did Soapy device to keep himself warm?
Ans. Soapy would stuff three big newspapers under his coat and some under his legs to keep himself warm.
- Where was the big and brightly lighted restaurant situated?
Ans. The big and the brightly lighted restaurant was situated at a point where the great street called Broadway and Fifth Avenue met. Only the rich people came to this restaurant.
- Why was Soapy happy considering his dinner at the big restaurant?
Ans. Soapy was happy considering his dinner at the big restaurant to not be very expensive. So, the restaurant people would not be very angry. At the same time, the dinner would leave him filled and happy.
- In his miserable state, what did Soapy compare the Blackwell Island with?
Ans. In his miserable state, Soapy thought of Blackwell Island as a far away and distant star.
Short Answer Type Questions
- What reason did Soapy give to convince himself that he would be entertained in the big restaurant?
Ans. Soapy thought that his face was clean and he looked alright above his legs. Also, his coat was good enough. Even though his trousers and shoes were shabby, Soapy believed that once he got a table, the waiter could see only the upper portions of his body, above the table and therefore he would be entertained.
- Why did the head waiter not allow Soapy to enter the big restaurant?
Ans. The moment Soapy entered the big restaurant, the head waiter saw Soapy’s broken shoes and torn clothes that covered his legs.
Since, only the rich people came to that restaurant, the head waiter did not feel Soapy a befitting customer at his restaurant. He, therefore, quietly and quickly turned him out.
- What was Soapy’s plan regarding the shop with a wide glass window?
Ans. Soapy saw a shop with a wide glass window at the corner of the Sixth Avenue. He decided to throw stones on it, expecting the cops to arrest him. However, because Soapy chose not to run after having stoned the shop, the cop did not believe that he was the culprit.
Long Answer Type Questions
- What did Soapy see as he was thrown out of the second restaurant? Why did his heart grow miserable?
Ans. After being thrown out of the second restaurant, Soapy walked a little and came near a place which had several theatres.
In that part of the city he saw rich people in warm clothes happily moving around the city and enjoying the winter air, Soapy’s heart grew miserable thinking that the cops won’t arrest him and he would have neither food nor bed to sustain himself during the winters.
- Describe the umbrella episode.
Ans. After several failures it being arrested by the cops, Soapy stole a man’s umbrella thinking that finally he would succeed in his attempts. For the same reason, he asked the man to call the cop since, he was running away with that man’s umbrella.
However, the irony of the situation was that the umbrella did not belong to that man. The umbrella man had picked up the umbrella from a restaurant and therefore was afraid to call the cops. Soapy failed yet again.
- How different was Soapy’s past life from the current one?
Ans. Soapy looks at his past life with fond and happy memories. His past life had important relations like mothers and friends; it contained things like flowers, pleasant music, high hopes, clean thoughts and clean clothes.
His current life, however, was marked by acute absence of all these. He neither had family members nor friends.
He neither had food nor shelter. His clothes were dirty and his mind was full of wrong desires and dead hopes. In place of a house he now had a seat in parks.
Value Based Question
“He would make a man of himself again.” Comment.
Ans. Soapy realises that his life was full of wrong desires, worthless thoughts, dead hopes and spirits. It was a meaningless life that he was leading. It was no better than the life led by animals.
At that moment, Soapy decides to change his life; pull himself out of the mud and make himself a man again. The phrase means to rekindle the lost hopes and desires and make one’s life meaningful and worthy. Soapy decides to give up on wrong deeds, search for a job and lead a better life.