Extracts Based Answer Questions.
Q 1. "In a world swayed by hunger and love, Mrs. Packletide was an exception, her motives were largely governed by ..."
(a) How was Mrs. Packletide an 'exception'?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide was an exception because, unlike most people whose actions are driven by basic needs or affection, she was chiefly motivated by spite and a wish to humiliate Loona Bimberton. Her primary aim was social one-upmanship rather than any genuine appetite for adventure or compassion.
(b) What were Mrs. Packletide's motives?
Ans: Her motive was to stage a tiger hunt solely to gain fame and publicity. She wanted an exploit that would be reported in magazines so that she could eclipse Loona Bimberton and attract public admiration.
(c) What governed her 'motives'?
Ans: Her motives were governed by jealousy and personal rivalry with Loona; she sought social prestige and recognition and wanted to derive that by outshining Loona in the public eye.
Q 2. 'Favoured rendez vous of an animal of respectable antecedents'.
(a) Explain 'rendez vous'.
Ans: It means a meeting place - here, the spot where the tiger was expected to appear for the staged hunt.
(b) Point out the humour in the above statement.
Ans: The humour comes from treating a wild tiger as if it had social standing and family background. Calling the tiger an animal "of respectable antecedents" is absurd; the writer humourously ascribes human social values to a beast, creating irony.
(c) What were the qualifications of the animal mentioned?
Ans: The villagers pointed to an old, sick tiger that had a record of killing livestock; this history made the animal seem suitably "notorious" for Mrs. Packletide's purposes while still being safely predictable.
Q 3. Mothers carrying their babies home through the jungle after the day's work in the fields hushed their singing lest they might curtail the restful sleep of the venerable herd-robber.
(a) What were the steps taken by the mothers for the animal?
Ans: The mothers walked quietly, suppressed their songs and hushed their children so that they would not disturb the tiger's rest and thereby avoid provoking or frightening the animal.
(b) Point out the literary device in 'venerable herd robber'.
Ans: This phrase is an oxymoron. It places a respectful adjective "venerable" beside "herd-robber" (a thief), combining contradictory notions to create irony and gentle humour.
(c) How did all this care benefit the animal?
Ans: Their careful behaviour kept the tiger calm and undisturbed, prolonging its life and ensuring it would still be available on the appointed day for the staged hunt and photograph.
Q 4. Louisa adopted a protective elder sister attitude towards money in general.
(a) Explain 'protective' elder sister attitude.
Ans: It means Louisa guarded money jealously, refused to part with it unnecessarily and treated every rupee as something to be kept safe - much like an elder sister protecting a younger sibling.
(b) What does the above reflect about Louisa's character?
Ans: It shows she was miserly, cautious and self-centred about finances; she prized accumulation and careful management of money over generosity.
(c) How did she manipulate this quality of hers?
Ans: She used her stinginess to profit whenever possible - economising on expenses, avoiding unnecessary payments and ensuring that small savings added up to greater personal benefit.
Q 5. The luncheon party she declined, there are limits beyond which repressed emotions become dangerous.
(a) Explain 'repressed emotions.'
Ans: Repressed emotions are feelings that people hold back instead of expressing openly; these suppressed sentiments remain bottled up within a person.
(b) Why did Loona decline the invitation?
Ans: Loona declined because she was jealous and could not bear to attend an event that celebrated Mrs. Packletide's staged triumph - she avoided being part of the public spectacle that would flaunt Mrs. Packletide's success.
(c) How do such emotions become dangerous?
Ans: If left unexpressed for too long, suppressed emotions can erupt later as spite, resentment or vindictive behaviour, leading to public embarrassment, damaged relationships and prolonged conflict.
Short Answer Questions
Q 1. What was precisely the motive for Mrs. Packletide to shoot a tiger?
Ans: Mrs. Packletide's motive was publicity rather than adventure. She wanted to outshine Loona Bimberton by staging a daring exploit that newspapers and magazines would report, thereby increasing her social prestige.
Q 2. What was Loona's adventure? How did Mrs. Packletide react to it?
Ans: Loona had flown eleven miles in an aeroplane with an Algerian pilot and appeared on magazine cover pages for that feat. Mrs. Packletide reacted with jealousy and resolved to stage a more sensational exploit - a tiger hunt - to reclaim public attention.
Q 3. How did circumstances prove favorable ?
Ans: Circumstances were favourable because there was an old, sick tiger in the vicinity and villagers willing to cooperate for a payment of one thousand rupees. These factors made it possible to arrange a safe, staged hunt that would produce the desired publicity.
Q 4. Why is Mrs. Packletide compared to 'Nimrod'?
Ans: Nimrod is a legendary hunter. The comparison is used ironically because Mrs. Packletide is not a true hunter; the simile mocks her pretensions and vanity by likening her to a famous hunter when in fact her hunt is staged and superficial.
Q 5. How did Mrs. Packletide plan to celebrate after hunting the tiger?
Ans: She planned a lavish luncheon at Curzon Street with the press present, to display the tiger skin and make the event the focus of society. She intended that the occasion would be talked about and reported widely, enhancing her reputation.
Q 6. What were the two reasons for which the villagers agreed to help Mrs. Packletide?
Ans: They agreed because they would be paid one thousand rupees and because the event would provide excitement and entertainment, breaking the monotony of village life.
Q 7. Why was the tiger called 'herd-robber' and 'venerable'?
Ans: The tiger was called a herd-robber because he preyed on goats and livestock. He was called venerable mockingly because he was old; the villagers accorded him an ironic respect due to his age and past record of killings.
Q 8. What was the greatest worry for the villagers?
Ans: Their greatest worry was that the old tiger might die before the scheduled hunt; if it died, they would lose the promised payment and the spectacle would be ruined.
Q 9. "I suppose we are in some danger." Why does Louisa make this remark and what does it reflect about her nature?
Ans: Louisa makes this cautious remark because she is primarily concerned about her safety and the money she expects; she prefers to avoid unnecessary risk. This reflects her timid, money-minded and self-preserving disposition rather than bravery.
Q 10. Louisa had a 'protective elder-sister attitude' towards money. How?
Ans: Louisa guarded every penny carefully - she planned tips, kept close accounts of her salary and earnings, and used frugal habits to ensure money was never wasted. She was reluctant to spend unless it was necessary.
Q 11. Why did Loona avoid looking at the newspapers? How did she react to the tiger-claw brooch and the invitation to the luncheon party?
Ans: Loona avoided the newspapers because her jealousy made it painful to see Mrs. Packletide's publicity. She accepted the tiger-claw brooch reluctantly to avoid appearing petty, but she declined the luncheon invitation as a deliberate protest against celebrating Mrs. Packletide's supposed achievement.
Q 12. Bring out the similarities in the characters of Mrs. Packletide and Loona Bimberton.
Ans: Both women are vain, jealous and eager for publicity. They compete for social recognition, care greatly about appearances and social status, and allow rivalry to dictate their actions.
Q 13. How much money did Mrs. Packletide pay to the villagers and why?
Ans: She offered one thousand rupees to the villagers as payment and incentive for their co-operation in arranging a safe, staged hunt so that she would have the desired photo and publicity.
Q 14. How did Miss Mebbin exploit Mrs. Packletide?
Or
How did Miss Mebbin blackmail Mrs. Packletide into gifting her a cottage?
Ans: Miss Mebbin discovered that the tiger had died of heart failure and that Mrs. Packletide's bullet was not the direct cause. She threatened to reveal this truth to Loona and the public, and so extorted hush money from Mrs. Packletide. With that money she bought the weekend cottage.
Q 15. Depict the instances of humor in the chapter, Mrs. Packletide's tiger?
Ans: The narrative creates humour through irony and comic situations: a wealthy socialite staging a hunt merely to upstage a friend; the insistence on a tiger with "respectable" antecedents; villagers pampering the tiger to keep it alive for the spectacle; the accidental role of a goat in the tiger's death; Miss Mebbin's opportunistic blackmail; and mock-heroic comparisons such as calling Mrs. Packletide "Nimrod". These absurdities and the contrast between pretence and reality produce the story's comic effect.
