Long Answers - Chapter - 2, Three Men in a Boat | English Class 9 PDF Download

SHORT AND LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

DETAILED QUESTION

Q.1 Why did the three friends not want to stay outside on the trip? Give a brief account of their arguments
Ans.- The three friends did not want to stay outside on the trip by giving a number of arguments as they feel that there are several possible misfortunes.
First of all rain will definitely become a spoilsport in the pleasure of camping trip. It would be difficult to go outside and explore the area nearby. They themselves admit that-
“You are wet through, and there is a good two inches of water in the boat, and all the things are damp.”
The task of pitching tent is a lot of struggle in the rainy weather. It is rather irritating. Instead of helping you, it seems to you that the other man is simply trying to make a fool of you by not working. Everything is soaked and heavy, and tumbles down on you, and clings round your head and makes you mad. Making wood fire is another difficult task and creates a lot of problems. They think that they cannot go on with it so the methylated spirit stove has to be lighted and they had to crowd round that. Another major problem is this that whenever you feel like smoking you find that your tobacco is damp. You wish to eat you find that edibles like the jam, the butter, the salt and coffee all are mingled with water to make a delicious soup. One can neither enjoy smoking nor eating. There are several other problems like one feels restless in bed. One can catch cold and quarrel with one another. In such a situation one is most likely to curse oneself , fight with friends or work for small things harder than required.

Q.2 Do you agree with the writer’s opinion about civilization? What harm has civilization done to man?

Ans. The writer is lost in poetic imagination. He dreams of man’s early life when he used to live in forests near rivers. He lived a happy and contented life in the company of nature. But now civilization has taken him far from the beauty of nature. Man has made cities where there is no natural beauty. The writer curses and abuses man’s follies for being civilized. He laments that civilization has separated man from his real and natural happiness which he used to relish in the company of nature.

Q.3 How is the sweet and romantic world of dreams contrasted with the real practical world?

Ans. The writer becomes romantic during his trip to the world of nature. He imagines as lulled by the lapping water of the river and the rustling trees. He sleeps and dreams that the world has become young again as it used to be when man lived by nature. But he is shocked to know that civilization has drifted him away from the soothing touch of nature. Man has become materialistic and he has no time to enjoy the beauties of the nature. Man has been so over taken by worldly anxieties that he feels no attraction for nature. Though nature takes us to the sweet and romantic world of dreams, but we are bound to our worldly duties.

Q.4 How can rain play a spoil sport in the camping trip?

Ans. Everything gets wet in the rain water. The tent is fixed somehow. Being soaked it is heavy and soon it tumbles down. To fix a wet tent creates tension between those who are fixing it. When one fixes it at one point, it tumbles down at the other. And the persons fixing it get engaged in a hot argument blaming each other for not fixing it properly. It becomes difficult to make a wood fire. All the eatable articles are water-soaked. The jam, the butter, the salt and coffee all are mingled with water to make a delicious soup. One cannot enjoy smoking because tobacco and pipes are damp. Everybody feels restless in bed. They catch cold and quarrel with each other. Thus the rain plays a spoilsport.

Q.5 Describe the mood of the three friends after a restless and peace less wet night.

Ans. After a rest less wet night all the three are speechless because of having severe cold. All of them feel very quarrelsome. They involve in a hot argument blaming each other in hoarse whisper during their breakfast time. All the three are so much disturbed and sick that they decide to stay in an inn or a pub like respectable people where they could feel a change and sleep quietly.

Q.6 How does the writer describe Montmorency and his antics?

Ans. Montmorency is a fox-terrier dog in their company on the trip. He looks like an angel, behaves in a noble way. When the author first saw him, he was not sure that he would survive. He rescued him from street fighters. He had to pay for dozens of chickens he had killed and ate. Montmorency led a gang of most notorious dogs and enjoyed fighting other gangs in the slums. All the three friends give due respect to his valuable opinion on important matters. He is not happy with their decision of sleeping in open but he hails the decision of sleeping in an inn or a pub. He is adventurous and responds to every challenge.

Analysing the Characters:

Q1. What character of writer is casted on your mind after reading this chapter?

Ans. After reading this chapter we conclude that he has a great sense of humour. The description of camping out in the open, the narration of rain spoiling their food, their ridiculous remarks are all full of humour. Gradually we find the writer to be poetic and romantic in the description of nature. The description of falling night, the sun, the moon, the personification of the river and the singing of birds are all described in a poetic and romantic way. Though he seems to be lazy, yet he is sensible, practical and imaginative. He also touches the main weakness of man and abuses him for being materialistic.

Q2. How is Harris different from the writer? What traits of Harris’s character are shown in this chapter?

Ans. Harris is quite different in nature from the writer. The writer becomes poetic and romantic in a favourable situation. He becomes lyrical and beautifully paints the picture of the nature. He is sensible and humorous. He has a great sense of humour that we can see in the description of their camping out in the open. On the other hand Harris is a practical person. He is fond of drinking and knows where a pub can be found. He is aware of the problems which can occur while sleeping in the open if it rains. That is why he is not in favour of sleeping in the open.

Q3. Give a brief character description of Montmorency as it is treated\ as an equal with a separate personality.

Ans. Montmorency, the dog, is portrayed not as a mere dog but as a human personality of rowing party. He is a fox-terrier who are supposed to be clever, adventurous and fighters. He looks like an angel sent upon the earth. When the author first saw him, he was not sure he would survive. But the writer rescued him from several street fights, paid for dozens of chickens he has killed and was rebuked for killing a neighbour’s cat and thus he was sure of him to live. Montmorency led a gang of most notorious dogs and enjoyed fighting other gangs in the slums. He gives valuable opinion on import matters. He approved the idea of staying in an inn, pub or a hotel. He has been described as equal to humans having different personality.