Class 11 English Snapshot Chapter 2 – The Address (Margo Minco) Short Question Answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English

Snapshot     

Chapter 2 – The Address (Margo Minco)

Short Question Answers

Question 1:

What were the two reasons the narrator provided to explain her potential mistake?

Answer:

The narrator speculated that the woman might not be Mrs. Dorling, considering she had seen her only once, briefly, many years ago. Additionally, she considered the possibility of having rung the wrong bell.

 

Question 2:

How did the narrator reach the conclusion that she was correct?

Answer:

The woman was wearing the green knitted cardigan belonging to the narrator's mother, with the wooden buttons appearing faded from washing. When the narrator observed the woman's reaction to her scrutiny of the cardigan, particularly her attempt to conceal herself behind the door, she became convinced of her correctness.

 

Question 3:

What was the outcome of the interaction between Mrs. Dorling and the narrator?

Answer:

The interview proved unsuccessful for the narrator, as Mrs. Dorling consistently refused to see or engage in conversation despite the narrator's repeated requests.

 

Question 4:

Who provided the narrator with the address, when, and under what circumstances?

Answer:

The narrator's mother disclosed the address during the first half of the war, years ago. This revelation occurred when the narrator, visiting home for a few days, noticed changes in the rooms and inquired about missing items. Her mother then informed her about Mrs. Dorling and shared the address.

 

Question 5:

What information did the narrator learn about Mrs. Dorling from her mother?

Answer:

Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance of the narrator's mother, with several years having passed since their last meeting. She had unexpectedly reappeared and resumed their connection. The narrator's mother mentioned that every time Mrs. Dorling left their place, she took something with her, including table silver and antique plates.

 

Question 6:

What reason did Mrs. Dorling provide for taking away the precious belongings of the narrator's mother?

Answer:

Mrs. Dorling suggested to the narrator's mother that she should store her belongings in a safer place to prevent the loss of these valuable items in case they had to leave their current residence.

 

Question 7:

What impression do you form of the narrator's mother based on her conversations with (i) Mrs. Dorling and (ii) the narrator?

Answer:

The narrator's mother appears kind-hearted, generous, and liberal. In her conversation with Mrs. Dorling, she expresses concern for Mrs. Dorling's physical well-being, emphasizing that it would be an insult to ask her friends to keep the belongings forever. This indicates her compassionate nature. The narrator's questions suggest that she may not fully agree with her mother's perspective.

 

Question 8:

Did the narrator feel convinced about her mother's views regarding Mrs. Dorling? How do you know?

Answer:

The narrator did not feel entirely convinced about her mother's views on Mrs. Dorling. This is evident from Mrs. Dorling's keen interest in moving the precious possessions to her house, which the narrator seems to disapprove of. The questions posed by the narrator indicate her skepticism about her mother's stance.

 

Question 9:

What does the narrator remember about Mrs. Dorling from their first meeting?

Answer:

During their first encounter, the narrator observed that Mrs. Dorling was a woman with a broad back, wearing a brown coat and a shapeless hat. Mrs. Dorling picked up a heavy suitcase from under the coat rack and left their house. The narrator also learned that Mrs. Dorling lived at number 46, Marconi Street.

 

Question 10:

Why did the narrator wait a long time before going to the address, number 46, Marconi Street?

Answer:

Initially, after the liberation, the narrator had no interest in her mother's belongings stored at number 46, Marconi Street. She was also hesitant, fearing a confrontation with items that once belonged to her now-deceased mother.

 

Question 11:

When did the narrator become curious about her mother's possessions?

Answer:

The narrator became curious about her mother's possessions as life returned to normalcy in the post-liberation period. Realizing that those belongings must still be at the address her mother had given her, she wanted to see, touch, and remember them.

 

Question 12:

"I was in a room I knew and did not know," says the narrator in the story 'The Address.' What prompted her to make this observation?

Answer:

The narrator found herself surrounded by familiar things that she desired to see again. However, the arrangement of these items in a tasteless manner, coupled with the presence of ugly furniture and a muggy smell, created an atmosphere that seemed unfamiliar, prompting the observation.

 

Question 13:

"I just looked at the still life over the tea table," says the narrator in the story 'The Address.' What does she mean by 'the still life'? What prompted her to make this remark?

Answer:

By 'the still life,' the narrator refers to the items arranged over the tea table, such as the tablecloth, tea pot, cups, and spoons. The presence of an antique box and silver spoons prompted her to make this remark.

 

Question 14:

How was the narrator able to recognize her own familiar woollen tablecloth?

Answer:

The narrator recognized her own familiar woollen tablecloth by staring at it and following the lines of the pattern. She remembered that there was a burn mark somewhere on the tablecloth that had not been repaired. Eventually, she located the burn mark, aiding her in identifying her own article.

 

Question 15:

"You only notice when something is missing." What does the speaker exactly mean? What examples does she give?

Answer:

The speaker means that people become accustomed to the presence of their lovely things in the house and tend not to pay much attention to them. It is only when something is missing, either needing repair or lent to someone, that its absence becomes noticeable. The examples provided include instances when the narrator's mother asked her to help polish the silver cutlery, and when the narrator noticed missing items during her brief stay at home.

 

Question 16:

How did the narrator come to know that the cutlery they ate off every day was silver?

Answer:

The narrator learned that the cutlery they ate off every day was silver when her mother asked her to help polish the silver. The narrator, unaware of which silver her mother was referring to, asked for clarification. Her mother then specified that it included the spoons, forks, and knives—the everyday cutlery.

 

Question 17:

Why did the narrator suddenly decide to leave?

Answer:

The narrator decided to leave abruptly as she realized that the objects, once meaningful and belonging to her mother, had lost their value in the strange surroundings of Mrs. Dorling's house. The disconnect from their original context made the possessions irrelevant to her present life.

 

Question 18:

How did the narrator reconcile herself to the loss of her mother's precious belongings?

Answer:

The narrator reconciled herself to the loss by considering that her mother had only lent those belongings for safekeeping, and Mrs. Dorling was not meant to keep everything permanently. Although memories of her former life were stirred upon seeing the objects, she found no place for them in her current life and accepted her fate.