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.
