Advice to Youth: ISC Class 11 English (Prism) summary, answers
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Summary
“Advice to Youth” by Mark Twain, written in 1882 is full of jokes and funny advice for young people. Twain starts by saying that kids should always listen to their parents when they’re around. This is because parents think they know better, and it’s easier to just go along with what they say.
He also says that kids should be respectful to people who are in charge and to strangers. If someone upsets you, he jokes that you should wait for a chance and hit them with a brick. But he also says that violence isn’t a good idea.
Twain suggests that it’s a good idea to go to bed early and wake up early. He makes a joke about waking up with a bird called a lark. He says you can train the bird to wake up late, so you can still seem like you’re waking up early.
When it comes to lying, Twain says to be careful. If you get caught lying, people might not trust you anymore. He makes a joke that a good lie can last forever, using the example of a man who lied about discovering something important.
Twain also talks about being careful with guns. He tells a story about a boy who pointed a gun at his grandma as a joke, thinking it wasn’t loaded. Luckily, it wasn’t, but Twain uses this story to show that playing with guns can be dangerous.
He tells kids to read good books, and he jokingly suggests a few, including one of his own books.
Twain ends by saying that he hopes kids will remember his advice and use it to build their character. He jokes that if they do, they’ll be surprised to see how much they’re like everyone else.
Workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Which of the following speech is NOT suitable for youth?
(a) Didactic
(b) Instructive
(c) Provocative
(d) Advisory
Answer: (c) Provocative
2. If one does not obey one’s parents
(a) parents are more knowledgeable
(b) parents will force them to do so
(c) parents are superstitious about it
(d) parents know better than their children
Answer: (b) parents will force them to do so
3. If a person offends, intentional or not
(a) hit him with a brick
(b) find his intentions
(c) avoid violence
(d) All of the above
Answer: (a) hit him with a brick
4. In today’s world violence should
(a) be left to the low and unrefined
(b) is replaced by charity and kindliness
(c) be confessed and acknowledged
(d) be acknowledged and forgiveness sought
Answer: (a) be left to the low and unrefined
5. Though authorities say ‘rise with the sun’ Twain prefers the idiom
(a) Early to bed, early to rise
(b) Be up with the lark
(c) Early bird catches the worm
(d) All of the above
Answer: (b) Be up with the lark
6. Twain’s last piece of advice was on
(a) not using guns and ammunition.
(b) reading good books.
(c) being punctual.
(d) respecting superiors.
Answer: (b) reading good books.
7. The figure of speech used in the line, “go to bed early, get up early” is:
(a) Anaphora
(b) Alliteration
(c) Parallelism
(d) Simile
Answer: (c) Parallelism
8. According to Twain, in this age of charity and kindliness, the time has gone by for
(a) telling lies.
(b) using violence.
(c) Being careful about lying.
(d) Going to bed early.
Answer: (b) using violence.
Complete the sentences
1. It is best to target the very young for instructions because________________.
Answer: certain skills, like the art of lying, require a great deal of practice and experience to master, and therefore one should begin cultivating them from an early age.
2. One must obey one’s parents because________________.
Answer: it is the “best policy in the long run.” Parents operate under the “superstition” that they know best, and if you do not obey them, they will make you.
3. In today’s day and age always avoid violence because________________.
Answer: it is an age of charity and kindliness, and violence should be left to the “low and unrefined” members of society.
4. The lark is the best thing to wake up to because________________.
Answer: you can train it to wake you up as late as possible. This allows you to get more sleep while still being considered disciplined for being “up with the lark.”
5. A student should be deeply involved in nurturing the ‘art’ of lying because________________.
Answer: if you are not skillful, you are almost sure to get caught, and once caught, you can never regain the status of an honest person. It is an art that must be practiced to be made graceful and profitable.
7. An awkward, feeble, leaky lie should be avoided because________________.
Answer: such a lie will surely be found out, and a person caught in a lie can never be perceived as ‘good’ or ‘pure’ again, falling from their high pedestal.
8. Firearms handling requires knowledge and care because________________.
Answer: when used by untrained people, firearms can cause more havoc and destruction than that caused in wars.
9. Young should read good books because________________.
Answer: books are a “great, inestimable and unspeakable means of improvement” that allow young people to think independently and form their own opinions.
10. Twain refers to a particular selection of books because________________.
Answer: his recommendation is satirical. By suggesting religious texts alongside his own travel book, he encourages the youth to explore different interpretations and dissect human nature, rather than just accepting conventional wisdom. It also serves as a humorous self-promotion.
11. Originality and individuality is absent in current society because________________.
Answer: society pressures every individual to conform to a fixed set of expected standards, which results in everyone developing similar personalities and acting in the same way.
12. Advice to Youth is a hidden call for young people to think critically and act independently because________________.
Answer: it uses irony and satire to mock conventional advice and question the authority of the older generation, which encourages the audience to think for themselves.
13. Using a lark is the best way to get up in the morning because________________.
Answer: it provides a clever way to sleep in late while maintaining the appearance of being an early riser and a disciplined person.
14. The author advises students to be careful about lying because________________.
Answer: if one is not careful, they are nearly sure to get caught, which would permanently destroy their reputation for being an honest person.
16. Mark Twain calls telling a lie an art because________________.
Answer: like any art form, it requires significant hard work, practice from a young age, and experience to cultivate and master it properly.
17. Always obey your parents when they are present because________________.
Answer: they operate under the “superstition” that they know better than you, and it is the best policy since they will force you to obey them anyway.
18. If a person offends you hit him with a brick because________________.
Answer: this satirical advice mocks the way people in power often act first and then make a show of apologizing later. The act itself is suggested to be “sufficient” to resolve the matter.
19. Young people must read religious and moral books because________________.
Answer: this advice is given tongue-in-cheek to encourage them to actually explore different readings and passages, which will help them think independently and form their own opinions.
Short answer questions
1. List and explain briefly the heads under which Mark Twain passes down valuable lessons that he learned so far in life.
Answer: Mark Twain passes down lessons under several heads, which are explained as follows:
Obedience to parents: Twain begins with the need to obey one’s parents when they are present, calling it the best policy in the long run. He notes that if children are not obedient, their parents will make them so, and that there is a superstition that parents know best.
Respect superiors: He advises that one should be respectful to superiors and strangers. If offended, one can resort to extreme measures, but it is better to leave violence to the dregs of society.
Punctuality: Going to bed early and getting up early is presented as the best policy. He humorously suggests that youth could train a lark to wake them up as late as possible so they can sleep more yet still be considered disciplined.
Lying: Twain advises to be careful about lying, as once caught, a person can never regain the status of being honest. He calls lying an art that requires hard work to cultivate and suggests that the young should exercise caution while using this weapon.
Ammunition: He warns against handling firearms without the required knowledge or care, as they can cause more havoc when used by untrained people than is caused in wars. He gives an example of old, rusty, unloaded guns that created unnecessary fear.
Good books: He advises young people to read good books, calling them great, inestimable, and unspeakable means of improvement. He recommends specific books like Robertson’s Sermons, Baxter’s Saints’ Rest, and The Innocents Abroad.
2. How does Twain speak out against learned behaviours that adults abide by in the name of cultural conformity.
Answer: Mark Twain uses his essay as a critique of the conformity demanded by adults. He points out that parents often believe they know what is best for youngsters and, in their enthusiasm, thrust their own beliefs, thoughts, and ambitions upon their offspring.
Twain is aware of how adults use presets to produce followers rather than thinkers. He satirically advises obeying parents only when they are present, highlighting the superstition that parents know better. Through satire, he encourages both youngsters and adults to study, think, and interpret things independently. The essay hits at the lack of originality and uniqueness that results from societal pressure, where every individual conforms to a fixed set of expected standards.
3. How does Mark Twain tackle the issue of responsible handling of firearms?
Answer: Mark Twain tackles the issue of responsible firearm handling by warning against their use without proper knowledge and care. He states that these weapons, when used by untrained people, can cause more havoc than that caused in wars.
To illustrate his point, he regales his audience with a humorous story about a battered rusty gun, an immature grandson, and a terrified grandmother. This example of using an old, unloaded gun created unnecessary fear. The deeper meaning is that a young person should gain full knowledge of any field they pursue to earn a living, as half-baked knowledge and training would spell doom.
4. What does Twain say about good books? Why does he suggest the books?
Answer: Mark Twain advises young people to read good books, which he describes as great, inestimable, and unspeakable means of improvement. He specifically recommends works like Robertson’s Sermons, Baxter’s Saints’ Rest, and his own book, The Innocents Abroad.
He suggests these books because they would allow youngsters to think independently and form their own opinions. By recommending Robertson’s Sermons, which were often dictated and interpreted by others, Twain suggests that one should explore different readings and passages. He includes his own book, The Innocents Abroad, not only as self-promotion but also because it is a book that dissects human nature.
5. What does Twain say about parents and superiors?
Answer: Regarding parents, Twain advises to always obey them, but humorously adds the condition of when they are present. He explains this is because parents operate under the superstition that they know better. He suggests that parents need to be open to their children being individuals and require space to blossom.
Regarding superiors, Twain advises being respectful to them, if one has any, as well as to strangers. However, he also humorously suggests that if a superior offends you, you can hit them with a brick and later confess to the error, which is typical of those in power. He then clarifies that it is better to leave violence to the low and unrefined. This advice points out the demand for respect from children, regardless of whether the superior deserves it.
6. Describe the scene of the grandmother and the armed grandson in your own words taking into account Twain’s humour?
Answer: In his advice about firearms, Mark Twain tells a humorous story involving an immature grandson, his terrified grandmother, and a battered, rusty gun. The humour comes from the fact that the gun was old and unloaded, yet the grandson’s careless handling of it created unnecessary fear and chaos, particularly for the grandmother. Twain uses this anecdote to illustrate his point that even harmless-looking firearms can cause great distress when handled without knowledge and care, and that more damage is often done by such irresponsible handling than by actual wars.
7. Write in your own words the issue mentioned about the monument in Boston.
Answer: Mark Twain humorously discusses a monument in Boston that was erected to commemorate the discovery of anesthesia. The issue he highlights is that several different people claimed to be the sole discoverer of it. Faced with this controversy and unable to determine the rightful claimant, the city of Boston chose a clever solution. They built a monument dedicated to the man who discovered anesthesia but did not put any name on it. Twain uses this story to make a satirical point about truth, recognition, and how institutions cleverly sidestep difficult conflicts.
8. What would be the end result of building character on the ‘precepts’ of adults? Does Twain want to encourage such a thing? Why?
Answer: According to Twain, the end result of building one’s character on the precepts of adults is a complete lack of originality and individuality. He concludes his essay with the satirical statement that after painstakingly building your character on these precepts, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else’s.
Twain does not want to encourage such conformity. His entire essay is a hidden call for young people to think critically and act independently. He is aware that adults use these precepts to produce followers, not thinkers. The theme of his essay is the belief in oneself as an individual entity, not as part of a conforming group. He uses satire to encourage his audience to think for themselves.
Long answer questions
1. Imagine you have to deliver a graduation day speech. Write the speech in the same satirical manner as Mark Twain’s Advice to Youth.
Answer: Esteemed faculty, proud parents, and my young friends, the graduates of this fine institution. I have been asked to impart some wisdom to you today, some guidance to light your path as you step into the world. I have never been very good at giving serious advice, but I will try my best to offer some precepts that have served others well.
First, always follow your passion. This is the surest path to success. Find that one thing you love, and then find a way to make a living from it. Of course, most passions do not pay the bills, and you may find yourself quite hungry. In that case, it is best to have a backup passion, preferably one that involves a steady salary, even if it bores you to tears. It is better to be comfortably bored than passionately destitute.
Next, you will be told to work hard and success will follow. This is a noble thought. I advise you to work hard, especially when the manager is watching. When no one is looking, it is a good time to practice the art of looking busy, which is a more valuable skill in the corporate world than actual hard work. It requires great study and diligence, and you should begin your practice early.
You will also be advised to be a team player. This is excellent advice. Always support your team, praise your colleagues in public, and agree with your superiors. This will make you well-liked. It will also ensure that when a difficult or risky project comes along, you can generously suggest that a more capable colleague should take the lead. Your humility will be greatly admired.
So go forth, build your careers thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these instructions. And by and by, when you have built them, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply your career path resembles everybody else’s. I wish you the very best.
2. How does Twain sprinkle each advice with humour? Give the implied meaning of each?
Answer: Mark Twain uses humour in each piece of advice to convey a deeper, often contrary, meaning.
His advice to obey one’s parents is humorously qualified with the phrase ‘when they are present’. This is funny because it acknowledges a common youthful behavior of only behaving when under supervision. The implied meaning is a critique of blind obedience and the ‘superstition’ that parents always know best, suggesting that young people should be allowed to develop their own judgment and individuality.
When advising on respecting superiors, he humorously suggests that if offended, one should hit the person with a brick and then make a big farce of apologising. This is a satirical jab at how people in power often act first and apologize later. The implied meaning is a critique of authority and a warning to avoid violence, which should be left to the ‘low and unrefined’ elements of society.
Regarding the adage to go to bed early and rise early, Twain humorously suggests training a lark to wake them up as late as possible. This plays on the idiom of being ‘up with the lark’. The implied meaning is to encourage youngsters to think unconventionally and question universally accepted wisdom.
Twain discusses lying with humour by calling it an ‘art’ that requires a great deal of practice and should be started young. The humour lies in treating a vice as a sophisticated skill. The implied meaning is a cynical observation that in the real world, truth does not always prevail and that lying can be profitable, but it also serves as a warning about the dangers and consequences of being caught.
He tackles the handling of firearms by regaling the audience with a humorous story of a ‘battered rusty gun’, an immature grandson, and a terrified grandmother. The implied meaning behind this story is that one must gain full and complete knowledge of any field they intend to pursue, as half-baked knowledge and training can lead to disaster.
Finally, when advising the youth to read good books, he humorously and with a ‘tongue in cheek’ manner includes his own book, ‘The Innocent Abroad’. This self-promotion is humorous in the context of giving solemn advice. The implied meaning is that young people should read books that encourage independent thought and provide a dissection of human nature, rather than just accepting prescribed texts.
3. How appropriate is the title of the essay? Give reasons to justify your answer.
Answer: The title ‘Advice to Youth’ is highly appropriate and justified, though in a satirical sense. The essay is structured as a graduation speech, a form in which an idolized person traditionally gives a speech to prepare young people for the realities of life outside school. Twain adopts this form to deliver his message.
The title is fitting because the essay does offer advice on several topics relevant to young people, such as obeying parents, respecting authority, avoiding violence, punctuality, lying, and reading good books. These are the same subjects of conventional advice. However, Twain’s treatment of each subject is what makes the title work on a deeper level. He uses satire, irony, and humour to present a contrarian view on each precept.
For instance, while everyone is taught not to lie, Twain presents it as a ‘beautiful art’. He doesn’t tell youth to lie, but to be careful about it, thus using a humorous twist to expose the ill-effects of lying and the hypocrisy in society. Each piece of advice is explained in a creative way that forces the target audience to think critically about what is being said, rather than simply accepting it. Therefore, the title ‘Advice to Youth’ is apt because it is a genuine, albeit unconventional, attempt to advise the youth to think for themselves and to question societal norms.
4. Comment on lying as an art form and its usage as well as utility, as listed by Mark Twain in his ‘Advice to Youth’.
Answer: In his essay, Mark Twain presents lying as a complex ‘art form’ that requires skill, practice, and caution. He advises the youth to be very careful about lying, because if one is caught, they can never regain the same status of being an honest person. He humorously calls it an art that requires a lot of hard work to cultivate and suggests that one should begin practicing early to master it and make the process graceful.
The utility of lying, as suggested by Twain, is that it can be profitable in the real world. He implies that the ‘might of truth’ is yet to prevail, and in such a world, a well-told lie can be a useful tool. He refers to lying as a ‘weapon’ that the young should use with ‘caution’. He even uses hyperbole to express his own regret that he had not begun to practice lying earlier, so that he could have mastered the art by now.
However, this portrayal is satirical. While he calls it a ‘beautiful art’, he also warns that a person caught lying would no longer be perceived as ‘good’ or ‘pure’, falling from their high pedestal. An ‘awkward, feeble, leaky lie’ should be avoided. Through this contrarian and humorous approach, Twain is not truly advocating for dishonesty but is instead making a satirical commentary on a society where appearances are often valued over truth, while also exposing the inherent dangers and negative consequences of deceit.
5. Do you agree with the advice given by Mark Twain? Why or why not? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: Yes, I agree with the advice given by Mark Twain, but I agree with the implied, underlying advice rather than the literal, satirical words he uses. His essay is a hidden call for young people to think critically and act independently, and this is a message I find very valuable.
I agree with his message because he is not genuinely telling us to be disobedient, violent, or dishonest. Instead, he uses humour and irony to challenge the conventional, and often hypocritical, advice that young people receive from adults. His work is a critique of conformity. For example, his advice to ‘Always Obey your Parents’ is humorously modified with ‘when they are present’. This does not encourage disrespect but cleverly points out that blind obedience is not wisdom and that we must develop our own judgment.
Similarly, his discussion on lying as an ‘art’ is not an endorsement of it. It is a satirical commentary on a world where truth can be inconvenient and appearances matter. It serves as a powerful warning about the skill required to deceive and the permanent damage to one’s reputation if caught, thus ultimately discouraging dishonesty in a more memorable way than a simple command to ‘not lie’.
The most important reason I agree with Twain is his final point. He concludes that if one follows all the standard precepts, they will be shocked to find they have built a character that ‘resembles everybody else’s’. This is a powerful warning against conformity. He encourages his audience to study, think, and interpret things independently. This belief in oneself as an individual, and not just as part of a group that follows fixed standards, is the most important piece of advice a young person can receive.
Additional questions and answers
1. Why has the author to give an advice to the youth?
Answer: The author, Mark Twain, was expected to give a talk suitable for youth, something didactic, instructive, or something in the nature of good advice. He believed that it is in one’s tender early years that such advice will best take root and be most enduring and most valuable.
41. How does Twain use humor and satire to critique societal norms and expectations in “Advice to Youth”?
Answer: Twain uses humor and satire to critique societal norms and expectations by presenting them in a way that highlights their absurdity or contradiction. His advice about obeying parents only when they are present, waking up with the lark at half past nine, and the artful practice of lying all serve to humorously challenge the conventional wisdom of his time. His satirical approach encourages the reader to question these societal norms and expectations rather than accepting them at face value.
Additional MCQs
1. According to Twain, what is the best policy in the long run when it comes to obeying parents?
A. Always obey your parents, even when they are not present.
B. Always obey your parents, when they are present.
C. Never obey your parents.
D. Obey your parents only when they ask you to do something you agree with.
Answer: B. Always obey your parents, when they are present.
25. What types of books does the author recommend?
A. Adventure
B. Fictional
C. Comical
D. religious
Answer: D. religious
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I am scoring full in my test thanks
thanks:) i have an exam tomorrow,hope this helps me enough.
The answers are well written. Well done.Keep it up.
Very nicely written. I would love to review other poems/ prose/ Macbeth questions and answers.
Neville Albequaid Reay, Don Bosco School, liluah.