NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English - Keeping It From Harold

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS (SOLVED)

Q1. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct option.

(a) Mrs. Bramble was a proud woman because _______.

(i) she was the wife of a famous boxer.
(ii) she had motivated her husband.
(iii) she was a good housewife.
(iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy.

Ans : (iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy.

Mrs. Bramble felt pride because of her son Harold's exceptional intelligence, which made him a child prodigy. This is a key source of her pride.

(b) “The very naming of Harold had caused a sacrifice on his part.” The writer’s tone here is ___.

(i) admiring
(ii) assertive
(iii) satirical
(iv) gentle

Ans : (iii) satirical

The phrase "sacrifice" in relation to Harold’s name implies an ironic or mocking tone, suggesting that the sacrifice was unnecessary or trivial. This is typical of a satirical tone.

(c) Harold had defied the laws of heredity by ___.

(i) becoming a sportsperson
(ii) being good at academics
(iii) being well-built and muscular
(iv) respecting his parents

Ans : (ii) being good at academics

Harold defied expectations because his parents were not academically inclined, and yet he excelled academically, which was contrary to the typical hereditary traits one might expect.

(d) Harold felt that he was deprived of the respect his classmates would give him as ________ .

(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.
(ii) his hero, Jimmy Murphy had not won the wrestling match.
(iii) he had not got Phil Scott’s autograph.
(iv) Sid Simpson had lost the Lonsdale belt.

Ans : (i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer ‘Young Porky’.

Harold’s classmates didn’t respect him because they didn’t know that his father was a famous boxer. This lack of recognition of his father’s fame led Harold to feel deprived.

e) ‘It’s hard,’ he said at length in a choked voice. What was hard according to Mr. Fisher?

(i)  To accept the truth.
(ii)  To fight with American Murphy.
(iii)  To control his anger.
(iv) To give up boxing.

Ans. (iii)  To control his anger.

Mr. Fisher was emotionally distressed and was finding it hard to control his anger, which was evident from his choked voice.

(f) What do you gauge about Major Percy Stokes’ character from the story? Select the most appropriate option from the following.

(1) man of wrath
(2) persuasive
(3) argumentative
(4) interfering
(5)  self-important

(i)  (1), (3) and (5)

(ii)  (1), (2) and (4)

(iii)  (2), (4) and (5)

(iv) (3), (4) and (5)

Ans. (i)  (1), (3) and (5)

Major Percy Stokes is described as having a wrathful nature (man of wrath), argumentative traits (prone to conflict), and self-important tendencies (thinking highly of himself). These three aspects align with the character analysis.

Q3. Read the given extracts and answer the questions by selecting the correct options.

(I)

The only drawback was that his very ‘perfection had made necessary a series of evasions and even deliberate falsehoods on the part of herself and her husband, highly distasteful to both. They were lovers of truth, but they had realised that there are times when truth must be sacrificed. At any cost, the facts concerning Mr. Bramble’s profession must be kept from Harold.

(i) His very ‘perfection’ refers to Harold’s

(1) gentlemanly manners.
(2) aspiration to be the best.
(3) exceptional intelligence.
(4) obsession with cleanliness.

A.(1) and (3)
B. (2) and (3)
C. (1) and (4)
D. (2) and (4)

Ans. A. (1) and (3)

Harold's perfection is attributed to his behavior, manners, and qualities that are refined and idealized, suggesting that he is an impeccable gentleman.

 (ii) What was highly distasteful to both Mrs. and Mr. Bramble?

A. Consciously choosing to lie.
B. Harold’s perfection.
C. Mr. Bramble’s profession.
D. Their relationship with each other.

Ans. A. Consciously choosing to lie.

Mrs. and Mr. Bramble had to lie to protect Harold from the truth about Mr. Bramble’s profession, which they both found distasteful because they valued honesty.

 (iii) The facts concerning Mr. Bramble’s profession ‘must be kept’ from Harold because it would make him feel

A. afraid. 
B. ashamed.
C. weird. 
D. angry.

Ans. B. ashamed.

The reason they kept the truth about Mr. Bramble’s profession hidden from Harold was to prevent him from feeling ashamed of his father’s past, which could damage Harold's self-esteem.

(II)

On the faces of three of them consternation was written. In the eyes of the fourth, Mr. Fisher, there glittered that nasty, steely expression of the man, who sees his way to getting a bit of his own back, Mr. Fisher’s was not an un-mixedly chivalrous nature. He considered that he had been treated badly…

(i) Three of them felt anxious because

A. Mr. Fisher was about to hit Major Percy.
B. they suspected Mr. Fisher would take revenge.
C. Harold had heard a part of their conversation.
D. Harold did not like arguments at home.

Ans. C. Harold had heard a part of their conversation.

The anxiety stemmed from the fear that Harold had overheard something he was not supposed to know, which could lead to complications.

(ii) Get a bit of his own back implies _____________

A. feeling offended.
B. getting his way.
C. being forceful.
D. taking revenge.

Ans. D. taking revenge.

"Get a bit of his own back" means to seek revenge or retribution for a perceived wrong.

 (iii) How was Mr. Fisher planning to get his own back?

A. By telling Harold the truth about his father.
B.By persuading Mr. Bramble to change his mind.
C.By hitting Major Percy and Mr. Bramble.
D. By kidnapping Harold and blackmailing Brambles.

Ans. A. By telling Harold the truth about his father.

Mr. Fisher was planning to take revenge by revealing the truth about Harold's father, Mr. Bramble, and the situation that had upset him.

 (iv) Mr. Fisher felt he had been treated badly because Mr. Bramble had

A. cheated him and lied
B. called off his fight with Murphy.
C. been spending time with Percy.
D. been insensitive and aggressive.

Ans. B. called off his fight with Murphy.

Mr. Fisher was upset because Mr. Bramble had canceled the fight with Murphy, which was an important event for Mr. Fisher, and he felt personally wronged by this decision.

Q2. Answer the following questions :

(a) Why was it necessary to keep Harold’s father ’s profession a secret from him?

Ans. Harold was too perfect, a model of ideal behavior, and gave an inferiority complex to his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Bramble felt that if Harold discovered that his father was a professional boxer, he would fall in his esteem. Harold might feel that boxing was ‘uncultured’, ‘shady’ or for people of ‘wrath’. So they kept this a secret from him.

(b) Describe Mr. Bramble as he has been described in the story.

Ans : Mr. Bramble was thirty-one years old, of athletic build, and weighed eight stone four. There was no one whom he could not defeat in the twenty-round contest of boxing. Very famous, and his feats in the ring were well-known. But by nature, he was too timid and could never have his way with his wife. He was a very devoted and overprotective father.

(c) Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to convince Bill to change his mind?

Ans. Jerry Fisher was Bill’s trainer and he had been working hard at White Hart to train Bill for the boxing match, scheduled next week. Jerry tried to tempt Bill with the prize money and when he failed then he tried to emotionally blackmail him. If Bill withdrew, even Jerry’s career and reputation as a trainer would suffer. All the hard work they had put in together would go down the gutter.

(d) Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity? Give two reasons.
Ans.  Harold was very hurt to know that his parents kept such a secret from him.
Harold felt that he had missed a golden chance of winning respect and being the subject of envy of his classmates if they had known that his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.

(e) Do you agree with Harold’s parents decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer? Why/Why not?
Ans: Harold’s parents’ decision to hide from him the fact that his father was a boxer was not correct. They thought that Harold would die of disgrace if he came to know that his father was a man of wrath and called ‘Young Porky’. The truth was the other way around. Harold was deeply interested in boxing. He had betted two shillings that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds against ‘Young Porky’. It was a dramatic irony that his parents hid from him the fact that he could swank like anything.

(f) Why did Mr. Bramble decide at the last minute not to fight with American Murphy at the National Sporting Club?
Ans. Mr. Bramble decided at the last minute not to fight with American Murphy at the National Sporting Club. He received several letters and tracts from Percy which let him change his mind about participating in the last match. He got influenced by what Percy had written about Harold and decided to quit boxing and become an instructor.

(g) ‘There are times when truth must be sacrificed.’ Do you agree? Why / why not?
Ans. No, I do not agree with this statement. Many people believe that it is okay to lie to other people, especially children because if they would know the truth, they would develop negative feelings like anxiety and shame. However, lying just makes more trouble, as one has to hide the truth from the person. What people fail to realise is that the truth will come out someday, so it is better, to tell the truth now.

(h) “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Discuss with reference to Mr. Bramble’s personality.
Ans. We see that Mr. Bramble’s profession is in total contrast with his looks. Although he has a sturdy body, he has a genial smile and he is one of the mildest and most obliging men of all. Although he was a man of wrath, he could be easily persuaded, and in private life, he did not seem to be a violent man. When most people meet boxers, they think that the person will be very violent. However, this was not true in case of Bill Bramble, hence proving that the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is valid.

Q3. Answer in detail. 

Q4. Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the characters of these people in it.

 Ans.