Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 4 – The Adventure (Jayant Narlikar) Long Question answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English

Hornbill

Chapter 4 – The Adventure (Jayant Narlikar)

Long Question answers

Question 1:

Justify the choice of the title "The Adventure" for the story.

 

Answer:

The title "The Adventure" is highly fitting for the story. "Adventure" refers to an unusual and thrilling experience, and in this narrative, Professor Gangadharpant Gaitonde undergoes a truly extraordinary experience. As a historian, he ventures to Bombay, possibly his hometown, for the first time since the establishment of British rule. The shocks he encounters are numerous – from seeing the letters 'GBMR' and the Union Jack on train carriages, indicating British control, to the unexpected presence of the East India Company Headquarters. Contrary to historical records, the East India Company persists in this alternate reality.

 

The real jolt for Professor Gaitonde comes when he discovers discrepancies in familiar places, like the 'Forbes Stores' where he once worked. His sense of identity is further challenged when he finds his name absent from the list of employees. The adventure culminates in a peculiar meeting at Azad Maidan, leaving him questioning where he spent two unaccounted days. His physicist friend, Rajendra Deshpande, attempts to rationalize these experiences using scientific theories, adding an intriguing layer to the adventure.

 

Question 2:

Provide a character sketch of Gangadharpant.

 

Answer:

Professor Gangadharpant Gaitonde is a dedicated historian, deeply engrossed in his work. During his visit to Bombay, he demonstrates an unyielding commitment to unraveling historical truths. His passion for knowledge is evident in his extensive exploration of history books at the Town Hall library, where he loses track of time until the librarian reminds him of closing hours.

 

Gangadharpant is meticulous about jotting down crucial points from various historical texts. His absorption in historical musings is so intense that, unknowingly, he slips a book (bakhar) into his pocket. The narrative portrays him as someone who prioritizes intellectual pursuits over personal comforts, as seen when he neglects lodging and meals in his quest for historical understanding.

 

His determination to address the public on historical truths is evident when he disregards invitations and protests from the audience during public meetings. Even in the face of opposition and thrown objects, he persists until he is forcefully removed from the stage. Despite the negative experience, his resolve to seek historical truths remains unshaken.

 

Question 3:

How does Rajendra Deshpande attempt to rationalize Professor Gaitonde’s experiences in Bombay?

 

Answer:

Rajendra Deshpande, a physicist and friend of Professor Gaitonde, endeavors to provide a scientific basis for Gaitonde's extraordinary experiences in Bombay. Gaitonde, having encountered an unresponsive audience and anomalies in historical records, seeks an explanation from Deshpande upon his return.

 

Deshpande employs the Catastrophic theory, associating it with the Battle of Panipat, to explain Gaitonde's hostile audience experience as a mere figment of his mind. Additionally, he introduces the Quantum theory, emphasizing the lack of determinism, which allows a person to imagine multiple world scenarios simultaneously. Deshpande contends that Gaitonde's transition between different worlds occurred due to this lack of determinism, with the observer experiencing one world at a time.

 

Despite Deshpande's scientific explanations, Gaitonde remains unconvinced, maintaining that his experience was real and resolving to abstain from public speaking engagements.

 

Question 4:

Who spoke the words, "You've passed through a fantastic experience"? Explain the context.

 

Answer:

Rajendra Deshpande spoke the words, "You've passed through a fantastic experience." The context arises when Professor Gaitonde shares his peculiar adventures in Bombay with Deshpande. Gaitonde, a historian, is troubled by the unexpected hostility of the public and the alterations in historical records during his visit to Bombay.

 

Deshpande, true to his profession as a physicist, attempts to provide a scientific explanation for Gaitonde's experiences. Using the Catastrophic theory and Quantum theory, he suggests that Gaitonde's encounters were a result of a lack of determinism, with transitions between different worlds occurring due to this quantum phenomenon. Despite Deshpande's attempt to rationalize the experiences, Gaitonde remains steadfast in his conviction that what he lived through was real and not merely a product of his mind.