Short & Long Questions: The Dear Departed | Short & Long Answer Questions for Class 10 PDF Download

Short Answer Type
Q1: “Good gracious, that’s never them.” What does Amelia mean?
Ans: Amelia’s father Abel Merryweather, who stays with her, has died. She wants to take a few things that belong to him for herself before her sister arrives. So she is worried that they may have come already.

Q2: How did Mrs Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
Ans: Mrs Slater is dressed in black, but is not in complete mourning. She has got her husband to wear a black tailcoat, grey trousers, a black tie and a bowler hat. Victoria, her daughter, is wearing a white frock with a black sash. She feels she will outshine the Jordans as Ben and Elizabeth will not yet have thought about mourning.

Q3: Why does Mrs Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather’s room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Ans: Mrs Slater always wanted to have the bureau after grandfather died. She feels she can easily take it before . her sister arrives as it has been bought recently and her sister doesn’t know of it. She says if she leaves it in grandfather’s room, her sister will drive a hard bargain. Henry feels it is not sensitive or becoming to do that.

Q4: “I suppose it’s in the family.” What does Henry mean by that?
Ans: Amelia calls her sister Elizabeth heartless and insensitive. She also feels that as Elizabeth is selfish and greedy, she will soon arrive for her share of grandfather’s property. Henry implies that both the sisters are similar in nature.

Q5: “You must arrange with Elizabeth when you’re dividing things up.” What does this reveal of Henry’s character?
Ans: This shows that Henry is fair. He does not want to cheat Elizabeth out of her fair share by grabbing things for himself. He feels it should be decided who is to take what, after Elizabeth arrives.

Q6: Why wouldn’t Henry care to bring the bureau downstairs?
Ans: Henry feels it is not delicate or sensitive to bring the bureau down. Abel Merryweather has just died and instead of mourning him, they were trying to grab his things?Moreover, he feels that it should be decided who is to take what, after Elizabeth arrives.

Q7: “Elizabeth could have that and welcome.” What does Amelia mean by that?
Ans: Amelia plans to bring grandfather’s new bureau downstairs and put their own chest of drawers in grandfather’s room. This way Elizabeth will look upon it as her father’s property and lay claim to it. Amelia doesn’t mind letting go of it as it is old and shabby and she had always wanted to get rid of it.

Q8: What does Henry tell Victoria when she asks if they are pinching grandfather’s bureau?
Why does Henry want to hide the truth from Victoria? How does Mrs Slater handle the same situation?
Ans: Henry tells Victoria that Grandpa had given it to her mother before he died. He does not want the sensitive young child to think poorly of her parents. So he wishes to hide the truth from her. On the other hand, Mrs Slater who is practical and brusque, tells Victoria to be quiet and not tell her aunt about it.

Q9: “I thought I’d fetch this down as well.” What does Mrs Slater bring down? What does ‘as well’ mean in this context?
Ans: Mrs Slater brought grandfather’s clock downstairs along with his bureau. In this context, ‘as well’ refers to the clock in addition to the bureau.

Q10: What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters’ attitude towards each other?
Ans: The Jordans came late because they bought new mourning clothes and dressed up in them before reaching the Slaters’ residence. This shows that both the sisters were trying to get the better of each other all the time.

Long Answer Type
Q11: Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
Ans: The title The Dear Departed refers to the death of a loved one but Abel Merryweather is neither dearly loved nor departed. The daughters do not mourn his death. They wanted to grab whatever belongings they can after his death. He was not dead but merely drunk.

Q12: Write a character sketch of Mrs Slater.
Ans: Mrs Slater is greedy and wants to take some of grandfather’s things she likes before her sister arrives. She is overbearing and gets the reluctant Henry to help her shift the bureau and also put on grandfather’s slippers. She is straight talking, rude and impolite to her sister. She lacks feelings and hurts grandfather by telling him that Elizabeth did not wish to keep him.

Q13: Write a character sketch of Mrs Jordan.
Ans: Mrs Jordan is greedy and arrives to take her share of grandfather’s things though she had vowed never to enter the house. She is bothered by appearances and comes dressed in new mourning. She is overbearing and dominates Ben. She is rude and impolite to her sister and lacks feelings and hurts grandfather by telling him that Amelia had started stealing soon as she had realised he was no more.

Q14: How does the spat between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth?
Ans: He hears about the spat between his daughters when he gets up. Elizabeth shows him the bureau and the clock grabbed by Amelia. Amelia talks about the gold watch supposedly promised to Jimmy. He realises the truth behind the fight. He knows that Amelia wanted to get rid of him two years ago and Elizabeth didn’t want him either.

Q15: Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidences from the play.
Ans: She is greedy and wants to take some of grandfather’s things she likes before her sister arrives. She is overbearing and gets the reluctant Henry to help her shift the bureau and also put on grandfather’s slippers. She is straight talking, while Henry tells Victoria that grandfather had promised the bureau to them, she just tells Victoria to be quiet and not tell her aunt. She is rude and impolite to her sister and lacks feelings. She hurts grandfather by telling him that Elizabeth did not wish to keep him.
Henry is sensitive and does not wish to take the slippers or the bureau. He has a weaker character and allows himself to be dominated by Amelia. He is evasive and hides from the ugly truth. He tells Victoria that grandfather had promised them the bureau.

Q16: How are the two sisters exposed in the play The Dear Departed?
Ans: They are portrayed as greedy. Amelia is after the bureau and the clock and Elizabeth wants the gold watch. But since grandfather is alive, the truth behind the spat comes out.

Q17: Narrate the story of The Dear Departed from the point of view of Abel Merryweather.
Ans: I went out to the pub and came home and fell asleep. Due to the sudden turn, I couldn’t move or speak. I saw Amelia and Henry come in my room and take the bureau but I couldn’t stop them or ask them why they were doing that. I heard voices and tried to get up but little Vicky came in, saw me and got frightened. Downstairs my daughters and sons-in-law presumed that I was dead and started grabbing my things. I am going to get married and shift out soon, as I do not want to stay with such greedy people.

Q18: Victoria in The Dear Departed is very upset by the behaviour of her parents. She expresses her feelings in a diary entry. As Victoria, write the diary entry.
Ans: My grandfather is dead. The greed shown by my parents as well as by my aunt and uncle under the circumstances is appalling. Each one is more interested in benefits derived from this situation rather than grieving over their father and I am completely saddened by their attitudes.

Q19: In what way is the play The Dear Departed a satirical comment on the nature of human beings?
Ans: In The Dear Departed, the playwright William Stanley Houghton highlights the degradation of moral values and the weakening relationships between the members of the family. He brings out the greed and selfishness of people for whom money is more important than relationships. The drama depicts how present generation is reacting towards the elders. They are more interested in what they will inherit and try to grab the lion’s share.