Textbook Solution: Fight, Manju, Fight! | Class 6 English Alive PDF Download

A. State whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).

1.    Manjula Parelkar knew she would never paint like Hussain.

Answer: True

Explanation: Manjula was aware of her physical limitations due to her hands but aspired to paint well in her own way.

2.     Manjula's father encouraged her to take up painting as a hobby.

Answer: False

Explanation: Manjula's father was skeptical about her painting and suggested she pursue something more practical like cooking or stitching.

3.     Mrs Parelkar gave her daughter a set of artist's water colours on her birthday.

Answer: True

Explanation: For Manjula's birthday, her mother gifted her a set of artist's watercolours, showing her support for Manjula's passion for painting.

4.     There was an On-the-Spot Painting Competition at Amol's school.

Answer: True

Explanation: The story mentions an On-the-Spot Painting Competition at Amol's school, which he encouraged Manjula to participate in.

5.     Rich Belanger played cricket with an artificial hand.

Answer: False

Explanation: Rich Belanger is described as playing football with artificial feet, not cricket with an artificial hand.

B. Read the lines from the story and answer the questions.

1 I didn't know you were this good.

a. Who said these words and to whom?
Answer: Manjula's mother said these words.

b. What was the person good at?
Answer: The person was good at painting.

c. What was the speaker doing at that moment?
 Answer: The speaker was surprised and holding the watercolour painting at arm's length.

2   Look for the next clue under your pillow.

a. What does this line refer to?
a. Answer: This line refers to a playful scavenger hunt that Manjula's brother set up for her as part of her birthday gift.

b. What was kept under the pillow?
Answer: Watercolour brushes tied with a pink ribbon were kept under the pillow.

c. Who had kept it there?
Answer: Manjula's brother, Amol, had kept them there.

3   'It is all Papa's fault,' she wanted to say, but deep inside she knew it wasn't.

a. Who wanted to say these lines and to whom?

 Answer: Manjula wanted to say these lines.

 b. What was Papas fault?

Answer: She was referring to her father's reluctance to support her painting financially.

c. Why does she eventually think that it was not Papa's fault?

Answer: She knew it wasn’t really her father's fault because the family had many financial

4  If Rich Belanger could do it, why not Manjula Parelkar?

a. Who said these words and to whom?

 Answer: Manjula said these words to her brother, Amol.

b. Who was Rich Belanger? What did he do?

 Answer: Rich Belanger was a football player who played with artificial feet.

c. What similarities did Manjula Parelkar have with Rich Belanger?
Answer: Both Manjula and Rich Belanger faced physical challenges but strove to pursue their passions despite them.

C. Think and answer the questions.

Answer: Manjula was aware of her physical limitations due to her malformed fingers, which made her feel she couldn’t paint like the famous painter Hussain. While she might never paint exactly like Hussain, her unique style and talent could still establish her as a successful painter in her own right.

2.    What kind of a man was Manjula's father? Give evidence from the story to support your answer.

Answer: Manjula's father was practical and concerned about financial stability. He suggested Manjula learn something more practical than painting, reflecting his worry about financial issues and practicality over artistic pursuits.

3.   Why does Manjula's mother say, 'Fight, Manju, fight'? What does she want Manju to fight?

Answer: Manjula’s mother wants her to fight against the discouragement and the limitations imposed by her physical condition and societal expectations. She encourages Manjula to persist in pursuing her passion for painting despite the challenges.

4.    Who do you think left the newspaper clipping in Manjula's room with a sentence underlined in red? What does this tell us about the person?

Answer: The story doesn’t explicitly mention a newspaper clipping left in Manjula’s room. However, if such a gesture were to be imagined, it might have been done by someone supportive and motivating, possibly her mother or brother, aiming to encourage her by highlighting inspiring or relevant information. This would show that the person deeply cares about her feelings and aspirations.