Class 9 - Story 4

Treasure Chest

Story 4

The Home-coming 

Extract 1

Ans 1: Makhan was the younger brother of Phatik, the protagonist of the story. He was by the riverside. 'Sauntered up' means walking slowly and silently.

Ans 2: The 'fun' was that Phatk and his companions planned to shift a log into the river. This would make the owner angry and the boys could laugh at the owner. To spoil 'the fun' Makhan sat on the log and it couldn't be moved.

Ans 3: One of the boys pushed Makhan from the log to carry out their plan. Makhan didn't react to it and continued sitting on the log.

Ans 4: Phatik was furious because Makhan spoiled their plan of having fun. He asked his companions to push the log together with Makhan on it.

Ans 5: No, Phatik didn't hit Makhan. He knew that Makhan would run to their mother and he would get into trouble. It reveals that Phatik was quick to anger and he had foresight.

Extract 2

Ans 1: The 'critical juncture' was when Phatik had pushed aside his mother to stop her from hitting him and she was furious. Before this 'critical juncture' Makhan had accused Phatik of hitting him.

Ans 2: The grey-haired man was Phatik's maternal uncle. He had come there to meet his sister. He had been doing business in Bombay since his siter's marriage and came back to Calcutta recently. He wanted to get back in touch with her after he found out that her husband was dead.

Ans 3: Earlier, the stranger had enquired of Phatik where the Chakravortis lived and Phatik had rudely given an unclear answer. This is why Phatik felt ashamed when he saw the stranger.

Ans 4: Phatik was elated at the stranger's offer. It shows his youthful optimism. He believed that his life would be better at Calcutta.

Ans 5: Bishamber was a kind and compassionate man who was concerned about the welfare of his nephews. He offered to take Phatik to Calcutta to help out his sister who had trouble in raising two sons by herself.

Extract 3

Ans 1: 'He' refers to Phatik. Phatik's mother complained that he was a nuisance. She added that he was lazy, disobedient and wild.

Ans 2: According to Phatik's mother, Makhan was the exact opposite of Phatik. She said that Makhan was a good boy whereas Phatik was lazy, disobedient and wild.

Ans 3: Bishamber offered to take Phatik to Calcutta and educate him with his own children. He wanted to help his sister as she had trouble raising two sons by herself, especially as the elder one was quite troublesome.

Ans 4: Phatik was not welcome in Bishamber's family. Bishamber's wife was upset at the thought of having a naughty village boy along with three of her own. Phatik felt lonely and homesick at Bishamber's house. He missed his mother and his friends at the village.

Ans 5: Phatik never got any love or appreciation from his mother. She regarded him as lazy, disobedient and wild. When he went to his uncle's house, he was treated as an unwelcome guest there. In the village he was the ringleader of his friends but at Calcutta he couldn't make any friends and became a victim of bullying. He felt abandoned by his mother, aunt and his cousins. Through these incidents the story explores the theme of abandonment.

Extract 4

Ans 1: Phatik's mother was prejudiced against him as she thought that he was lazy, disobedient and wild. She preferred Makhan as he was obedient and studious. She was also tired of the fights between her sons. She was afraid that Phatik might drown Makhan in the river. So, she agreed to send Phatik to Calcutta.

Ans 2: Phatik was tired of Makhan interfering in his affairs. He was also sick of the thrashings he got when his brother told false complaints to their mother. He wished to escape from this unbearable situation. Thus, he was excited to go to Calcutta. 'He meant it' means that Phatik was serious about going to Calcutta.

Ans 3: According to me, Phatik's mother's decision was incorrect. By going to Calcutta, poor Phatik lost his share of love from his mother forever. He felt as an unwelcome guest at his uncle's house. He was lonely and homesick at Calcutta.

Ans 4: At first, Phatik's mother felt relief, but later felt sad when she saw that Phatik was excited to go to Calcutta. Her relief shows that she was a human being dealing with more than she could handle. Her sorrow shows her motherly love for her son.

Ans 5: Phatik was the ringleader amongst his friends in the village while in Calcutta, he felt neglected like 'a stray dog that has lost its master.' He was once obeyed by his peers, but now he was mocked and insulted. In this way his hopes were dashed on reaching his uncle's house.

Extract 5

Ans 1: 'She' refers to Bishamber's wife and Phatik's aunt. The unnecessary addition her family was Phatik. She didn't want to take care of Phatik as she already had three children of her own.

Ans 2: Phatik was a naughty village boy. His addition to the family would add more trouble for her as she already had three children of her own. It would also mean more expenditure for her family.

Ans 3: Sending a village lad of fourteen to unknown people in an unknown place was terribly upsetting because it involved the separation of a young boy from his family and community. The theme involved in Phatik's mother's decision is sacrifice or the struggles faced by families in making difficult choices in hopes of providing better opportunities for their children.

Ans 4: Bishamber's decision proved to be wrong. He wanted to help his widowed sister and nephew but Phatik became even more isolated in Calcutta. Phatik tried to run away, fell seriously ill and died.

Ans 5: In Calcutta, Phatik was bullied and insulted in school. His cousins did not support him. His aunt didn't show him any affetion. Phatik felt isolated and homesick. He longed to go back home. He ran away from his uncle's house. He fell sick after getting wet in train. Although his mother came to see him after getting the news of sickness, he did not survive.

Extract 6

Ans 1: Phatik summoned up all his courage. He wanted to go home because he felt isolated and unloved. He missed his village life where he was the ringleader among the boys.

Ans 2: When Phatik's uncle told him to wait, he felt sad, as the holidays would come in November. His uncle did not take him to his home immediately because it would be in the middle of the school term and his studies would be affected. His uncle also wanted Phatik to settle in.

Ans 3: Phatik's uncle, Bishamber, was kind hearted and paternal. He understood that Phatik was feeling homesick and told him that he would take him home during the holidays.

Ans 4: No, Phatik didn't wait for the holidays. He ran away from his uncle's house, got wet in heavy rain and fell seriously ill.

Ans 5: The theme highlighted in the extract is homesickness. Phatik, with great courage, asks his uncle when he can go back home. However, his uncle tells him to wait until the holidays in November. This extract shows Phatik's strong desire to return home and his impatience due to the long wait ahead. The theme of longing for home and the emotions are depicted in these lines.

Extract 7

Ans 1: It was difficult for Phatik to prepare his lesson because he was from a village where the level of studies was lower. He was more interested in mischief so he must have struggled with studies in his village itself.

Ans 2: Phatik was the most backward boy in studies at his school. Yes, the teachers treated him according to that image as he was brutally beaten with canes by them.

Ans 3: Phatik was an outcast in the school. He was the most backward boy in studies at the school. He was mocked by his classmates. His teachers regularly beat him with cane. Due to these reasons his cousins were ashamed to own him.

Ans 4: Phatik could not study without the lesson-book, so when he lost one book he was caned by the teacher. He was forced to ask his aunt to get him a new lesson-book. His aunt got angry and called him a great clumsy village boy. She said that she could not buy him a new lesson-book.

Ans 5: Phatik's aunt and mother both display similar traits in their treatment of Phatik. They were both harsh. His mother blindly believed in the lies told by Makhan and thrashed Phatik. His aunt felt that he was burden thrust upon her. She was rude, abusive and uncaring towards him.

Extract 8

Ans 1: Phatik had a headache and shivering. He was afraid that if he told his aunt about this, she would scold him for causing her inconvenience. So, he ran away, got wet in heavy rain and became very ill.

Ans 2: Delirious means unable to think or speak clearly because of fever or mental confusion. Phatik was delirious because of high fever.

Ans 3: Phatik was delirious due to high fever. He was having illusions about his village life. He had earlier asked his uncle to take him to village and his uncle promised to take him to village in the holidays. Due to these reasons he asked his uncle if 'holidays have come'. Yes, he got the holidays as his mother came to him and hugged him lovingly.

Ans 4: In the story, the term "holidays" refers to the break from school when students are allowed to return home to be with their loving families. The protagonist, Phatik, desperately desires to go home and be part of the festive atmosphere that accompanies the holidays. His desire was fulfilled in a sense, as his mother came to him when he fell seriously ill and showered him with affection.

Ans 5: At this juncture, we feel bad for Phatik and feel empathy towards him. He did not get the love he wanted either at his home or at his uncle's home. Similarly, he didn't get acceptance from his classmates, who insulted him and beat him up. This made him totally frustrated and angry. He became desperate for love and to return to his village. His desire was partially fulfilled as his mother showed affection towards him on his deathbed.

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