Get here the summary, questions, answers, textbook solutions, extras, and pdf of Lesson 1 (seen) “Father’s Help” by R. K. Narayan of the West Bengal Board (WBBSE) Class 10 (Madhyamik) English (second language) textbook “Bliss”. However, the given notes/solutions should only be used for references and should be modified/changed according to needs.
Summary: This is a shortened version of a story that can be found in the book “Malgudi Days.” The story follows a young boy by the name of Swaminathan, whose father makes him go to school. The plot of the story focuses on how Swami’s initial perceptions of Samuel, his teacher, are significantly altered as a result of the subsequent events that take place. Just like any other kid, Swami despises going to class. It’s the beginning of the week, and Swami has already started lying to his mother in order to get a day off. He is successful in obtaining permission from his mother. When Swami complains of having a headache, his father remains adamant about sending him to school regardless of how he feels. From that point on, we see the vivid imagination of a young boy as he devises one story after another, pitting his teacher, Samuel, against him in an effort to avoid being sent to school. But everything goes against him, and now he is on his way to school with a letter from his father that he needs to deliver to his headmaster.
While Swami is walking to school, he has the uneasy feeling that he is about to commit a crime. He has no firsthand knowledge of the cruelties that Samuel has committed against him. In order to validate what has been stated in the letter, he hopes that Samuel carry out some action. Therefore, he makes the decision to deliver the letter before the day is over.
When Swami enters his classroom, Samuel is demonstrating mathematical concepts to the students. Samuel, to his surprise, grants him permission to join the class. This goes against his expectations. After that, Swami continues to make deliberate attempts to provoke Samuel, but they are ultimately fruitless. The time allotted for arithmetic has now expired. When school is over, he makes a beeline for the headmaster’s office, but he finds that the door is locked. When he finally arrives home, his father confronts him and listens to the explanations given by Swami. After that, his father rips the letter to shreds, saying, “You deserve your Samuel.”
The insights that Narayan provides into Swami’s mind are truly remarkable. When Swami considers Samuel, the teacher of his class, his feelings of guilt are exacerbated as a direct result of the lies that are the product of his vivid imagination. It is a trait shared by all great writers that Narayan is able to capture not only the inner turmoil but also the joys and aspirations of any given character.
R. K. Narayan exposes the inner workings of the mind of a child. This short story emphasises the need for communication and understanding between parents and children, as well as the significance of a healthy relationship between a teacher and their class.
Unit I
Swaminathan, the young boy, is aware that it is Monday, and he does not wish to go to school today. He acts as though he is suffering from a headache in order to gain sympathy. His mother accepts his explanation and believes him. The dynamic of the situation shifts when his father makes an appearance. Swami is pressured into going to school by him. Then Swami employs a different tactic; he begins to blame Samuel, his teacher from earlier in the class. He portrays Samuel as a hot-tempered instructor who has zero tolerance for students who are late to class. His father suggests that he file a complaint against Samuel with the headmaster.
U1: Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
1. With a shudder Swami realized that it was
Answer: D. Monday
2. When Swami ought to have been in the school prayer hall, he was lying on the
Answer: A. bench
3. According to Swami, Samuel is especially angry with boys who are
Answer: B. Late
U1: Fill in the charts with information from the text:
| 1 | time when Swami complained of a headache | 9 a.m. |
| 2 | person who ordered Swami to dress up and go to school | Father |
| 3 | name of the teacher mentioned by Swami | Samuel |
U1: State whether the following statements are True or False:
1 Swami said that he had a headache.
Answer: True
2. Swami was lying in his father’s room.
Answer: False
3. According to Swami, the headmaster was not afraid of Samuel.
Answer: False
U1: Extras: MCQs
1. Swami should have been in the school prayer hall at
Answer: half past nine o’clock
2. The name of Swami’s teacher is
Answer: Samuel
3. According to Swami, the headmaster was afraid of
Answer: Samuel
U1: Extras: Questions and answers
1. How did Swaminathan intend to avoid attending school?
Answer: Swaminathan began to cry, complaining of a headache, in order to avoid going to school.
2. What treatment did Swami’s father suggest for a headache?
Answer: Swami’s father advised him to loaf less on Sundays to get rid of a headache.
3. Swami described the class teacher, Samuel, in what way?
Answer: Swami says that Samuel was a very irate person who would be particularly irritated by tardy boys. The principal was terrified of him.
Unit II
His father composes a letter to the headmaster and instructs Swami to hand it in on his behalf. Now that there is no other option available to Swami, he has no choice but to go to school; however, on the way there, he begins to experience pangs of conscience due to the fact that he has lied to the teacher. As a result, Samuel begins to manifest in his mind as a nice man rather than an evil. In Swami’s mind, the figure of Samuel stirs up feelings of sympathy.
U2: Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
1. Father decided to send the headmaster a
Answer: C. letter
2. While going to school Swami was bothered by
Answer: A. conscience
3. The colour of Samuel’s coat was
Answer: D. yellow
U2: Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. Father’s behaviour took an _________
Answer: unexpected turn.
2. Swami went to school feeling ___________
Answer: that he was the worst boy on earth.
3. Swami stopped on the roadside to ________
Answer: make up his mind about Samuel.
U2: Answer the following questions very briefly:
1. Where did father put the letter?
Answer: His father placed the letter in an envelope and then sealed it.
2. What did Swami tail to decide about Samuel?
Answer: To determine whether or not Samuel was truly deserving of the allegations, Swami tailed.
3. How did Samuel look?
Answer: Samuel had a dark face, a thin moustache, and cheeks that were unshaven, and he wore a yellow coat.
U2: Extras: MCQs
1. Swami’s father asked him to
Answer: give the letter to his headmaster.
2. Other teachers were not as
Answer: friendly as Samuel
U2: Extras: Questions and answers
1. What was it about Sarami’s conscience that bothered him?
Answer: In retrospect, Swami felt guilty because he wasn’t positive that his description of Samuel was accurate.
2. What made Swami believe he was the worst boy alive?
Answer: Since Swami had lied to his father about his teacher, Samuel, he believed that he was the worst boy in the world.
3. What was Swami’s true opinion of Samuel?
Answer: Swami stopped at the side of the road and began to have second thoughts about Samuel. When compared to the other professors, he was the most approachable.
Unit III
Upon arriving at the school, Swami makes the decision to delay delivering the letter to the headmaster until the end of the school day rather than doing so right away. Swami in the class receives treatment from Samuel, the instructor, that is extremely sympathetic and friendly and he has no reason to blame Samuel for anything. After the classes have ended, he enters the headmaster’s office, where he discovers that the headmaster is on leave for the week. He is overjoyed because he does not want to hand the letter to the headmaster. When he gets back to his house, his father grabs the letter from him and rips it to shreds. Because of this, the boy’s misconceptions about school and his teacher have been dispelled thanks to the unwitting assistance of the boy’s father.
U3: Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
1. When Swami entered the class, Samuel was teaching
Answer: B. Arithmetic
2. Swami was late to school by
Answer: A. Half an hour
3. The headmaster was on a leave for one
Answer: D. Week
U3: Complete the following sentences with information from the text
1. As Swami entered the school gate, ________
Answer: An idea occurred to him
2. Swami stood at ________
Answer: the entrance to his class
3. Father snatched the letter away from Swami and _______
Answer: tore it
U3: Fill in the chart with information from the text:
| 1 | On Sunday, Swarninathan loafed about | Swami did not do his homework. |
| 2 | Swami never met anyone as good as Samuel. | Swami sat down, feeling sorry. |
| 3 | The headmaster had gone on a week’s leave | Swami could not deliver the letter. |
U3: Extras: Questions and answers
1. In the end what did Swami’s father do with the letter
Answer: Swami’s father grabbed the letter and ripped it to shreds.
2. Why did Swami wait to deliver the letter at the end of the day?
Answer: Swami decided to deliver the letter at the end of the day because he thought Samuel might do something during the day that would make its delivery justified.
3. What was it about Swami’s father that made Samuel want more parents like him?
Answer: Swami’s father didn’t like it when his son skipped class. The educational system benefits from this. This is why Samuel wished there were more parents like that in the world.
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