Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf (Workbook – Beeta Publication/Morning Star) of the story “A Living God” by Lafcadio Hearn which is part of ISC Class 11 English (Prism: A Collection of ISC Short Stories). However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
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Summary
The story is about Hamaguchi Gohei, a respected man in a Japanese village. He lived in a big farmhouse on a small hill overlooking a bay. The hill was surrounded by forests on three sides. The land from the hill sloped down to the water’s edge.
Japan sometimes experiences huge tidal waves called tsunamis, caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanic eruptions. One such tsunami hit Hamaguchi’s village, causing a lot of damage and fear. The village and the fields were destroyed, leaving only two straw roofs floating in the water.
Before the tsunami, Hamaguchi had set his rice stacks on fire. This made the villagers go to the hill to try to put out the fire. This act saved them from the tsunami that hit their village soon after. Hamaguchi lost his wealth, but he saved four hundred people. At first, the villagers were shocked by the loss, but they soon understood why Hamaguchi did what he did and thanked him.
After the disaster, the villagers honored Hamaguchi by calling him a god. They built a temple for him and worshipped him there. Even though they honored him this way, Hamaguchi continued to live simply in his old farmhouse on the hill. Even after he died, his temple still stands, and the people still pray to him when they are scared or in trouble.
The story ends with a thought about the soul. The villagers believed that a person’s spirit could be in many places at once, even while they are alive. This idea is different from Western ideas about the soul. The story suggests that the villagers’ belief might have some truth to it if we think that all minds are connected.
Workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. How many times did the sea strike against its shore with reducing surges?
(a) Twice
(b) Thrice
(c) Four times
(d) Five times
Answer: (d) Five times
2. The only buildings that withstood the tsunami were
(a) Hamaguchi’s house
(b) Two houses
(c) The temple on the hill
(d) Only (a) and (c)
Answer: (d) Only (a) and (c)
3. What did the Choja see after he felt the earthquake?
(a) The sea darkened
(b) The sea apparently moved against the wind
(c) The water ebbed till the horizon
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.
4. What did the monstrous ebb signify?
(a) A tsunami
(b) A freak event
(c) Uplift of land
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (a) A tsunami
5. Taimatsu are kept in coastal houses for use
(a) on stormy nights
(b) at certain Shinto festivals
(c) to set crops afire
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)
6. Which of the following was NOT struck by the Tsunami of June 17, 1896?
(a) Miyagi
(b) Muraosa
(c) Iwate
(d) Aomori
Answer: (b) Muraosa
7. Which of the following was NOT used as an epithet for Hamaguchi Gohei?
(a) Muraosa
(b) Ojiisan
(c) Meiji
(d) Choja
Answer: (c) Meiji
8. Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
(a) Choja : grandfather
(b) Muraosa : headman
(c) Nobori : banners
(d) Ujigami : guardian spirit
Answer: (a) Choja : grandfather
9. How does a Japanese peasant know of an impending earthquake?
(a) Despite the absence of breeze the air is cool
(b) Despite breeze the air seems uncomfortable
(c) The mild tremors that precede the earthquake are felt on hilltops
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (b) Despite breeze the air seems uncomfortable
10. How did Hamaguchi provide financial help to his villagers?
(a) He advised them about their interests
(b) He lent them money
(c) He helped them get maximum profit on sale of their crops
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.
11. How far was Hamaguchi’s house from the sea?
(a) Three miles uphill
(b) Four miles uphill
(c) Three-quarters of a mile uphill
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Three-quarters of a mile uphill
12. The village comprised a Shinto temple and
(a) houses along the bay
(b) ninety thatched houses
(c) houses along the mountain road
(d) nine houses along the white zig-zag road.
Answer: (b) ninety thatched houses
13. Why did Hamaguchi decide to stay at home?
(a) Because he was in poor health.
(b) Because he felt like staying at home.
(c) Because he was tired.
(d) Because his grandson was in poor health.
Answer: (a) Because he was in poor health.
14. During the calamity what purpose did Hamaguchi’s large farmhouse serve?
(a) To shelter the villagers
(b) To store wheat
(c) To assemble people
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) To shelter the villagers
Complete the sentences
Here are the completed sentences with their corresponding reasons.
1. The author mentions the tsunami of June 17, 1896 because____________.
Answer: …it provides a recent and factual example of the immense destructive power of a tsunami in Japan. This reference helps to establish the reality and severity of such a disaster, setting the stage for the story of Hamaguchi Gohei, which is about a similar calamity that happened long ago.
2. Hamaguchi was liked and respected in his village because____________.
Answer: …he was the village headman (muraosa) who actively helped his community. He would advise the farmers, settle their disputes, lend them money when needed, and use his influence to help them get the best possible price for their rice. For these reasons, the villagers affectionately called him Ojiisan, or Grandfather.
3. Hamaguchi first realised that the earthquake was an unusual one because____________.
Answer: …although it was not strong, it had a “long, slow, spongy motion” that was unlike the hundreds of other shocks he had felt in his lifetime. This queer feeling made him suspect that it was not a local tremor but the distant effect of a much larger seismic event.
4. Hamaguchi called out to his grandson instead of sending a message to the villagers or the priest because____________.
Answer: …he knew there was no time to waste. He understood that the sea would return with devastating force very quickly, and the time it would take to send a messenger down the hill or to have the temple bell rung would be too long to save the villagers.
5. Rice was the staple crop of Hamaguchi’s village because____________.
Answer: …the plateau overlooking the bay was almost entirely devoted to rice cultivation. The entire village was preparing a festival to celebrate the year’s “very fine rice-crop,” and Hamaguchi’s own great wealth was represented by the hundreds of harvested rice-stacks in his fields.
6. Tada was astonished because____________.
Answer: …he saw his respected grandfather deliberately setting fire to the family’s entire fortune—the hundreds of valuable rice-stacks. He could not understand why his grandfather would commit such a seemingly senseless and destructive act.
7. Tada was terrified because____________.
Answer: …he concluded that his grandfather had gone mad. The sight of the old man purposefully burning their wealth was so inexplicable and frightening that the boy ran back to the house in tears, convinced his grandfather had lost his mind.
8. The growing multitude of villagers were in sorrowful wonder because____________.
Answer: …they saw their respected leader’s fortune going up in flames, which made them sorrowful, yet they were filled with wonder because he himself had set the fire and was now preventing them from putting it out. They could not understand his actions.
9. The Choja became almost as poor as the poorest of the villagers because____________.
Answer: …his entire wealth, or “invested capital,” was in the form of his harvested rice. By setting fire to all of his rice-stacks to create a signal, he sacrificed his whole fortune to save the lives of the villagers.
10. After the tsunami the old man wept because____________.
Answer: …he was overcome with emotion for two reasons: he was happy that his plan had succeeded and he had saved four hundred lives, but he was also aged, weak, and exhausted from the terrible strain of the ordeal.
11. The villagers did not give gifts to their Choja as a token of thanks for saving their lives because____________.
Answer: …they felt that material gifts would be a completely inadequate way to express their deep reverence for him. They believed his selfless and wise act proved that the spirit within him was divine, and so instead of giving him gifts, they chose to honour him as a living god.
Short answer questions
1. Hamaguchi Gohei was an important man in the village. List the roles he played in the lives of the villagers before the event that made him A Living God.
Answer: Before the event that made him a Living God, Hamaguchi Gohei was a very important and influential man in his village. He had been the village’s muraosa, or headman, for many years and was also its richest resident, sometimes officially called the Chōja. The villagers, who both liked and respected him, usually called him Ojiisan, which means Grandfather.
He played several key roles in the community. He used to advise the smaller farmers about their interests and would arbitrate their disputes. He also advanced them money when they were in need and helped dispose of their rice for them on the best possible terms. His counsel was regularly sought by the villagers in matters relating to finances, disputes, and the sale of crops.
2. Describe how the village was prepared for the festival.
Answer: The village was preparing for a merry-making to celebrate a very fine rice-crop. The peasants planned to celebrate their harvest with a dance in the court of the ujigami, the guardian god.
From his house, Hamaguchi could see the preparations. Festival banners, or nobori, were fluttering above the roofs of the solitary street. There were strings of paper lanterns festooned between bamboo poles, and the shrine of the local deity was decorated. He could also see the brightly colored gathering of the young people who were dressed for the celebrations.
3. Describe in your own words how the fire started and its progress.
Answer: The fire started when Hamaguchi, realizing the impending danger of the tsunami, asked his ten-year-old grandson, Tada, to quickly light a pine-torch. Once the child kindled the torch, Hamaguchi hurried with it to his fields, where hundreds of his newly harvested rice-stacks stood.
He began to apply the torch to the stacks, moving from one to another as quickly as his aged limbs could carry him. The sun-dried stalks caught fire instantly, like tinder. The fire grew rapidly as a strengthening sea-breeze blew the blaze landward. Presently, the stacks burst into flame rank behind rank, sending huge columns of smoke skyward that mingled into one enormous cloudy whirl. Hamaguchi continued setting fire to his rice-stacks until he had reached the limit of his field. The blaze became so large that the acolyte at the hill-temple noticed it and began to boom the big temple bell as a fire alarm.
4. Describe how help arrived at Hamaguchi’s house?
Answer: Help arrived after the villagers were alerted by two signals: the sight of the huge fire on the plateau and the sound of the big temple bell, which the acolyte began to boom. Responding to this double appeal, the people rushed up the hillside from the village and the beach, thinking that their headman’s house was on fire.
The first party of helpers to arrive consisted of a score of agile young peasants. They were soon followed by the rest of the village. All the young men and boys were soon on the spot, along with many of the more active women and girls. After them came most of the older folk, mothers carrying babies on their backs, and even children, who could help pass water. The elders who were too feeble to keep up with the first rush could also be seen making their way up the steep ascent.
5. What happened as soon as the old man shouted, “Say now if I be mad!”?
Answer: As soon as Hamaguchi shouted and pointed towards the open sea, all the villagers looked eastward through the twilight. At the edge of the dusky horizon, they saw a long, lean, dim line that looked like the shadow of a coast where no coast had ever been.As they gazed, this line thickened and broadened with incredible speed. They realized that this long darkness was the returning sea, which was now towering like a cliff and moving more swiftly than a kite flies. The people shrieked, “Tsunami!”. Immediately, all shrieks and other sounds were annihilated by a nameless shock heavier than any thunder. This was the sound of the colossal wave striking the shore with a weight that sent a shudder through the hills and produced a foam-burst that looked like a blaze of sheet lightning.
Long answer questions
1. Hamaguchi Gohei was an important man in the village. List the roles he played in the lives of the villagers before the event that made him A Living God.
Answer: Before the event that made him a Living God, Hamaguchi Gohei was a very important and influential man in his village. He had been the village’s muraosa, or headman, for many years and was also its richest resident, sometimes officially called the Chōja. The villagers, who both liked and respected him, usually called him Ojiisan, which means Grandfather.
He played several key roles in the community. He used to advise the smaller farmers about their interests and would arbitrate their disputes. He also advanced them money when they were in need and helped dispose of their rice for them on the best possible terms. His counsel was regularly sought by the villagers in matters relating to finances, disputes, and the sale of crops.
2. Describe how the village was prepared for the festival.
Answer: The village was preparing for a merry-making to celebrate a very fine rice-crop. The peasants planned to celebrate their harvest with a dance in the court of the ujigami, the guardian god.
From his house, Hamaguchi could see the preparations. Festival banners, or nobori, were fluttering above the roofs of the solitary street. There were strings of paper lanterns festooned between bamboo poles, and the shrine of the local deity was decorated. He could also see the brightly colored gathering of the young people who were dressed for the celebrations.
3. Describe in your own words how the fire started and its progress.
Answer: The fire started when Hamaguchi, realizing the impending danger of the tsunami, asked his ten-year-old grandson, Tada, to quickly light a pine-torch. Once the child kindled the torch, Hamaguchi hurried with it to his fields, where hundreds of his newly harvested rice-stacks stood.
He began to apply the torch to the stacks, moving from one to another as quickly as his aged limbs could carry him. The sun-dried stalks caught fire instantly, like tinder. The fire grew rapidly as a strengthening sea-breeze blew the blaze landward. Presently, the stacks burst into flame rank behind rank, sending huge columns of smoke skyward that mingled into one enormous cloudy whirl. Hamaguchi continued setting fire to his rice-stacks until he had reached the limit of his field. The blaze became so large that the acolyte at the hill-temple noticed it and began to boom the big temple bell as a fire alarm.
4. Describe how help arrived at Hamaguchi’s house?
Answer: Help arrived after the villagers were alerted by two signals: the sight of the huge fire on the plateau and the sound of the big temple bell, which the acolyte began to boom. Responding to this double appeal, the people rushed up the hillside from the village and the beach, thinking that their headman’s house was on fire.
The first party of helpers to arrive consisted of a score of agile young peasants. They were soon followed by the rest of the village. All the young men and boys were soon on the spot, along with many of the more active women and girls. After them came most of the older folk, mothers carrying babies on their backs, and even children, who could help pass water. The elders who were too feeble to keep up with the first rush could also be seen making their way up the steep ascent.
5. What happened as soon as the old man shouted, “Say now if I be mad!”?
Answer: As soon as Hamaguchi shouted and pointed towards the open sea, all the villagers looked eastward through the twilight. At the edge of the dusky horizon, they saw a long, lean, dim line that looked like the shadow of a coast where no coast had ever been.As they gazed, this line thickened and broadened with incredible speed. They realized that this long darkness was the returning sea, which was now towering like a cliff and moving more swiftly than a kite flies. The people shrieked, “Tsunami!”. Immediately, all shrieks and other sounds were annihilated by a nameless shock heavier than any thunder. This was the sound of the colossal wave striking the shore with a weight that sent a shudder through the hills and produced a foam-burst that looked like a blaze of sheet lightning.
Additional questions and answers
1. Who is Hamaguchi Gohei?
Answer: Hamaguchi Gohei was an influential resident of a Japanese village. He was the village’s headman, or muraosa, and was well-respected and liked by the people. He was often referred to as Ojiisan, which means Grandfather, but sometimes he was officially referred to as the Chōja, the richest member of the community. He used to advise the smaller farmers about their interests, arbitrate their disputes, advance them money at need, and dispose of their rice for them on the best terms possible.
36. ‘Selfless service is the best’, validate this statement with close reference to the text.
Answer: The story of Hamaguchi validates the statement ‘Selfless service is the best’. When he noticed the signs of an impending tsunami, he did not think about his wealth or the loss he would incur. He set fire to his rice fields, which were his wealth, to gather all the villagers at the higher ground of his field. He made a personal sacrifice for the greater good of the community.
After the tsunami, the villagers realized the reason behind his actions and were grateful for his wisdom and selflessness. They lost their homes and fields, but their lives were saved because of Hamaguchi’s selfless service. In their gratitude and reverence, they declared him a god and built a temple in his honor. His selfless service earned him the respect and reverence of the villagers, validating the statement that ‘Selfless service is the best’.
Additional MCQs
1. Who is Hamaguchi Gohei?
A. A miner
B. A journalist
C. A farmer
D. A riverboat pilot
Answer: C. A farmer
16. What did the villagers do at the temple they built for Hamaguchi?
A. They held annual festivals
B. They worshiped him there with prayer and offerings
C. They held community meetings
D. They kept his belongings as relics
Answer: B. They worshiped him there with prayer and offerings
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ikr
Amazing explanation and questions
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