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प्रश्न
Referring closely to the short story, The Singing Lesson, show how the Headmistress’ summons to Miss Meadows eventually brings the latter out from cold despair to a realm of hope, love and joy.
उत्तर
In the initial stages of the short story "The Singing Lesson," Miss Meadows is initially characterized as a distant and stern figure, clearly affected by a letter from her fiancé, Basil. The letter informs her of their broken engagement, causing her to harbor "cold, sharp despair" within her. This emotional turmoil reflects in her demeanor at school, where she withdraws into herself, presenting a facade of coldness. Even the typically cheerful gesture of receiving flowers from Mary Beazley fails to elicit a response.
As the singing lesson unfolds in the classroom, Miss Meadows, lost in thoughts of the letter, attempts to guide her students through a lament song, drawing on the themes of sorrow and grief. However, her mind is predominantly preoccupied with her personal distress.
A turning point occurs when the Headmistress summons Miss Meadows, creating an anticipation of potential tragedy, possibly connected to Basil's letter. However, the telegram she receives brings an unexpected reversal of fortune. Basil has reconsidered, expressing his desire to marry her. This revelation transforms Miss Meadows' emotional state from despair to overwhelming joy.
Returning to the classroom, Miss Meadows undergoes a visible change in attitude. She appreciates the flowers from Mary Beazley, responding positively to the gestures she previously ignored. Encouraging her students to sing a lament from "page thirty-two," she instructs them to infuse the song with happiness, showcasing the shift in her emotional landscape. This transformation underscores the malleability of human emotions, illustrating how a sudden turn of events can bring about a profound change in one's outlook on life.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
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Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Describe the Big House.
The village consisted of less than thirty houses, only one of them built with brick and cement. Painted a brilliant yellow and blue all over with gorgeous carvings of gods and gargoyles on its balustrade, it was known as the Big House. The other houses, distributed in four streets, were generally of bamboo thatch, straw, mud, and other unspecified material. Muni’s was the last house in the fourth street, beyond which stretched the fields. In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of forty sheep and goats and sallied forth every morning driving the flock to the highway a couple of miles away.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What did Muni feed his flock with? When did he come back home? What did he carry home?
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- The children carried the pleading and protesting Margot to the closet and locked her in.
- It was then that they realised with shame that Margot was still locked in the closet; they had deprived her of what she longed for the most-the sun.
- All too soon, the brief summer ended, and the children hurried indoors to escape the heavy rains.
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|
On the way back, she met her mother, out of breath, come to look for her, and scolding. "I did not see till I was home that you were not there. I thought something must have happened to you." And Sibia, bursting with her story, cried, “Something did!" |
- What are the tasks that Sibia was required to perform from a very young age? [3]
- What had delayed Sibia and separated her from the other village women on her way home that day?
What was Sibia doing when she heard the Gujar woman's cry for help? [3] - What were the dangers that the crocodile had to overcome before it could grow into the ferocious creature that Sibia encountered? [3]
-
How does Sibia’s knowledge of the ways of the jungle help her fight the crocodile? [3]
-
Compare and contrast the mother’s mood with Sibia's in the given extract. Give one reason to explain why each one of them was feeling this way. [4]
