NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English - The Address

Q1: "Have you come back?" said the woman. 'I thought that no one had come back.' Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it? 
Ans: This statement gives us a hint that both the woman and the narrator know each other. The narrative revolves around a girl trying to find her mother’s ancient possessions with an adult lady. This girl’s mother knew about an upcoming war and so had gradually moved all her valuable belongings to the residence of her acquaintance, Mrs. Dorling. As her mother had expired during the war, the woman, Mrs. Dorling, did not expect anyone to come afterwards and claim the precious belongings. When the girl came to collect them, she was shocked. The given statement shows that the lady is selfish and does not want to share the antiques that do not even belong to her. She doesn’t even recognize the girl as her past acquaintance and refuses to even let her inside her home.

Q2: The story is divided into pre-war and post-war times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?
Ans: The account “The Address” is divided into post-war and pre-war times. The girl belonged to a rich family. The girl’s family had a lot of valuable things. There is clear evidence of the difficulties which the storyteller had to experience in these times. During the pre-war times, the girl lived in another place distant from her mother and visited her very rarely. During those times, her mother was worried that her precious things would be lost in the war. They were worried that they would have to leave the house. The girl was in a small hired house with its shutters overlaid with blackout paper. She was unable to see anything outside and the threat of death was also upon them.  
After the war was over things became almost normal. Now the girl was living all alone in a rented house. She wanted to meet Mrs. Dorling and ask for the valuables. When she went to meet Mrs. Dorling she found that Mrs. Dorling was using her mother's things recklessly. Suddenly, she lost interest in the things that had belonged to a connection that no longer existed. She decided to leave it all behind and resolved to move on. 

Q3: Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
Ans: The narrator went to the house of the lady who had kept many valuable items of her mother during the war days. The address of the lady helped her in searching out the house of the lady. But now she wanted to forget the address as after visiting the house of the lady she found how the belongings of her mother were kept in a strange manner. These had lost all their emotional value for the narrator. The narrator now lived in a small rented room. She had no place to keep all these things. The lady treated her very insolently. She even refused to recognise her. She did not let her come into the house. That was why she wanted to forget that address.The narrator desired to forget the address as it prompted her to remember the tender remembrances of her mother, their home and valuable belongings, and her earlier life before the war, which she could never have back. She, therefore, decided to forget the address and move on. 

Q4: 'The Address' is a story of human predicament that follows war. 
Ans: The phenomenon of war brings lot of suffering for human beings. It brings with it death and destruction. It kills the feelings of love and sympathy. The story Address is based on this theme. The story 'The Address' describes a girl’s life in post-war and pre-war times. The war created many obstacles for the narrator both physically and emotionally. She lost her house where they lived. The narrator's mother leaves all her valuable things with an acquintance during the war. The mother dies and many years later, the narrator comes to the woman to have a look at her mother's belongings. But the woman shows no human feelings towards her. Rather, she behaves in a very hard hearted manner. She does not even let the narrator come in and sit a while. The presence of her mother’s possessions in strange atmosphere pained her. Now these valuables had lost all their importance for her as they had been separated from her mother.   Many pre-war post-war perceptions can be seen in the story. Starting from the loss of life to the selfish and cruel nature of a woman, so many varied emotions are portrayed through this short story.