Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guide of Class 12 (second year) Alternative English textbook, chapter 5 Bina Kutir by Saurav Kumar Chaliha, which is part of the syllabus of students studying under AHSEC/ASSEB (Assam Board). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
If you notice any errors in the notes, please mention them in the comments
Summary
Narrated in the first person, “Bina Kutir” is a somewhat speculative account of a man’s search for a rented house in Guwahati. The story unfolds through a series of imagined situations. It begins with the narrator entering a neighbourhood filled with concrete constructions, with some buildings at various stages of development. During his search for a suitable home, he discovers a solitary Assam-type house in the lane, standing out amidst the many multi-storey concrete structures. The unoccupied house has a bina flower plant, leading the narrator to speculate that the house might be called “Bina Kutir.” However, this is not its actual name; the narrator uses it for his imaginative purposes. The word “kutir” implies a small house, often viewed as a cottage.
Uncertain about where to gather information, the narrator approaches a vendor-shop facing the house and tries to elicit information from the young man behind the counter. The young man knows little, but through their conversation, the narrator learns, though not with complete certainty, that a small family once lived there. The family head was a Sanskrit teacher, and he lived with his two sons and daughter. The elder son became a teacher like his father, while the younger pursued medical studies in Dibrugarh. The daughter, whom the narrator imagines as named “Bina,” eventually married, and little is known about her current whereabouts. These speculations are part of the narrator’s imagination, yet they contribute to his assessment of the situation.
The narrator concludes that this family represented an old tradition, valuing non-commercial ideals. He believes that after the father’s death, the children kept the house as it was, reflecting their good upbringing and lack of interest in commercial gain. He also imagines that the second son’s decision to go against his father’s wishes created an unresolved rift. However, when the narrator learns that his imagined image of a tradition-loving family uninterested in profit was misplaced, he gets lost in his imagination again.
A close reading of the story reveals life in Guwahati over five decades ago, highlighting the city’s gradual urbanisation. The narrative combines the process of storytelling with the narrator’s fertile imagination, bringing the past to life based on the information he receives and his own visualisations to create his version of the situation.
Video tutorial
Textbook solutions
State whether True or False
1. Bina Kutir is an RCC building.
Answer: False
2. Rehana is the name of the daughter.
Answer: False
3. The narrator sips Coca-Cola.
Answer: True
4. The young man is preparing for an Economics exam.
Answer: False
Answer these questions in one or two words
1. Which car brand is mentioned in the story?
Answer: Ford
2. Mr Mehta’s office is located in which city?
Answer: Calcutta
3. Which alternative location was offered to the narrator regarding a rented accommodation?
Answer: Lachit Nagar
4. Where does the younger son go to pursue medical studies?
Answer: Dibrugarh
5. Who is Brajen Kalita?
Answer: PWD overseer
Answer these questions in a few words each
1. Name the places from Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram mentioned in the story.
Answer: Pasighat and Aizawl.
2. What is the name of the younger son’s wife and in which part of the house are they seen to be engaged in conversation?
Answer: Rehana, in the backyard.
3. Who enquired about the monthly shipment of a product, and what was that product?
Answer: A couple, Glaxo.
4. To which school were classes shifted for six months, and why?
Answer: Bishnuram High School, taken over by the military.
5. What did the girl go to watch when it passed by the gate?
Answer: A horse-driven carriage with film posters accompanied by a band-party.
Answer these questions briefly in your own words
1. What is your impression of the neighbourhood where Bina Kutir is located?
Answer: The neighbourhood where Bina Kutir is located is described as cramped and cluttered with newly constructed concrete buildings. These buildings are characterized by haphazardly propped iron rods, obscured views due to stairs and sanitary installations, and minimal verandas. The area is heavily influenced by trade and commercial activities, with godowns, residential spaces of companies, and shops, creating a noisy and busy atmosphere with diesel trucks, rickshaws, and motor pumps contributing to the cacophony.
2. What does the presence of trade and commercial establishments signify regarding the growth pattern of city life depicted in ‘Bina Kutir’?
Answer: The presence of trade and commercial establishments in the vicinity of Bina Kutir signifies a pattern of urban growth where commercial interests dominate, leading to the replacement of residential spaces with commercial buildings. This shift indicates a trend towards economic development and urbanisation at the cost of personal and family spaces, reflecting the changing priorities and lifestyle in the city.
3. How does the narrator use the Coca-Cola bottle to facilitate the flight of the narrator’s imagination in the story?
Answer: The narrator uses the Coca-Cola bottle as a medium to trigger his imagination and create vivid mental images. By staring into the bottle and sipping the drink, the narrator visualizes scenes and characters from the past associated with Bina Kutir. This imaginative process allows him to reconstruct stories and speculate about the lives of the people who once lived there, blending reality with his imaginative interpretations.
4. What plans do the two sons have regarding commercial growth mentioned towards the end of the story?
Answer: Towards the end of the story, it is revealed that the two sons have different plans for commercial growth. The elder son, who is now a professor and has become wealthy, plans to open a press in his own house, finding publishing to be more profitable. The younger son, a doctor, intends to construct a large RCC building, which he will rent out, with his own medical chamber on the ground floor. These plans indicate their inclination towards commercial ventures and making profitable use of their property.
Answer these questions in detail
1. Comment on the significance of the title of the story ‘Bina Kutir’.
Answer: The title of the story ‘Bina Kutir’ holds significant meaning as it reflects both the physical and symbolic aspects of the narrative. “Bina Kutir” refers to a small, Assam-type house amidst a rapidly urbanising neighbourhood. The term ‘Kutir’ implies a cottage, symbolising simplicity and a connection to tradition. The house, with its rare bina flowering plant, stands out against the backdrop of concrete buildings, embodying resistance to commercialisation and modernisation. The narrator’s fascination with the house and its imagined history underscores the theme of nostalgia and the longing for a bygone era where life was perceived as more serene and less driven by profit. The house, therefore, becomes a character in itself, representing the old world values and a sense of identity that the narrator yearns for in the face of encroaching urban chaos.
2. How much of the narrator’s speculation do you think is responsible for the characterisation in the story? Give a well-reasoned answer.
Answer: The narrator’s speculation plays a crucial role in shaping the characterisation in the story. Much of what we learn about the inhabitants of ‘Bina Kutir’ is filtered through the narrator’s imagination. The narrator constructs detailed backstories for the house’s former residents, such as the scholarly father, his two sons, and a daughter named Bina, even though these are not confirmed facts. This speculative characterisation allows the narrator to romanticise the past and imbue the house with a rich, albeit imagined, history. It reflects the narrator’s inner desires and his resistance to the present-day commercialism. By doing so, the narrator not only brings the house and its supposed occupants to life but also critiques the loss of cultural and familial values in the wake of modernisation. Thus, the speculation is not just a narrative device but a lens through which the reader understands the deeper themes of memory, identity, and change.
Extra true and false
1. The house Bina Kutir is surrounded by newly constructed concrete buildings.
Answer: True
40. The house Bina Kutir has a bina plant that is flowering.
Answer: False
Extra questions and answers
1. What type of house is Bina Kutir, and how does it differ from its surroundings?
Answer: Bina Kutir is an Assam type single-storey house, unlike the surrounding newly constructed concrete buildings. It maintains a traditional structure with a grassy frontage, in contrast to the modern buildings that have iron rods propped out and lack open space.
35. What are the narrator’s final thoughts on the house and its current state?
Answer: The narrator’s final thoughts on the house are filled with a sense of melancholy and appreciation for its charm and history. He laments the house’s dilapidated state but finds solace in the idea that there are still people who value tradition and memory over commercial gain, like the imagined characters of Paramesh and the couple Bhabananda-Bina.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
Get notes of other boards, classes, and subjects