Rtc of night of scorpion

(Q.)
May the sum of evilbalanced in this unreal
worldagainst the sum of good become
diminished by your pain.a) Who is in pain?
Why?b) Explain unreal world.c) What is
the philosophy referred to in the above
extract?
(
Ans
)
a) The poets mother in is pain. She has been
stung by a scorpion.b) 'Unreal world' is this world
of ours which has been described by
Hinduphilosophers as purely illusory or unreal.c)
The peasants had a simple philosophy. Suffering
was a blessing as it cleansedthe soul. It
decreased our sins and increased the balance of
good acts for the nextbirth.
(Q.)
May the poison purify your fleshof desires
and your spirit of ambition,they saida) Who
are they? What are they doing?b)

What do they hope the poison will do?c)

Identify a poetic device in the given extract.
(
Ans
)
a) They are peasants. They have come to
comfort the poets mother who was stungby
a scorpion.b) They hoped that the poison would
purge the mothers body of all
materialdesires.They wished that it should free
her soul of all taints of ambition.c) Alliteration:
poison purify your flesh
(Q.)
T
hey sat aroundon the floor with my mother
in the centre,the peace of understanding on
each face.a) Where is the poets mother?b)
Explain peace of understanding.c) Why is
there a peace of understanding on each
face?
(
Ans
)

a) The poets mother was on a mat on the

floor.b) The peasants were at peace because
they felt that suffering was a blessing indisguise.
c) The peasants appeared to be wise, peaceful
and contented as they believed thepain would
benefit the mother.
(Q.)
More candles, more lanterns, more
neighboursmore insects and the endless
raina) Why did more neighbors arrive?b)
What was the result of their arrival?c) What
was the mothers condition all this while?
(
Ans
)
a)More neighbours arrived with more lanterns
and candles to trace the scorpion and
comfort the mother.b) They brought in more
candles and lanterns which attracted more
insects.

c) Mother, all this while, writhed with pain. She

cried and twisted and rolled on themat on which
she lay.
(Q.)
My mother twisted through and
throughgroaning on a matMy father sceptic,
rationalist.a) Describe the father.b) Why
was the mother groaning on a mat?c) Is
fathers behaviour of a skeptic later on?
(
Ans
)
a) The father was a rationalist and did not believe
in superstitions and rituals.b) The mother had
been stung by a scorpion and was groaning in
pain.
c) No, the father could not bear mothers pain.
He tried every curse and blessing torelieve her of
the pain.
(Q.)
My father skeptic rationalist,trying every
curse and blessingpowder mixture, herbs
and hybrida) How was father different from

the villagers?b) Why did father try every

curse and blessing?c) What was the
condition of the mother?
(
Ans
)
a) Father was a skeptic and did not believe in
superstitions whereas the villagerswere ignorant
and superstitious.b) Father could not bear
mothers pain and acted contrary to his
nature in order tohelp her.
c) The mother was writhing in agony and twisted
on the mat where she lay.
(Q.)
He even poured a little paraffinupon the
bitten toe and put a match on itI watched
the flame feeding on my motherI watched
the holy man perform his ritesa) Why did
father pour paraffin?b) How did the Holy
man try and cure the mother?c) When the
poet says I watched the flame, is he
merely describing thescene or has he
commented upon it?
(

Ans
)
a) Father burns the mothers toe to burn off the
poison.b) The holy man said some prayers and
performed certain rites.
c) The poet comments upon it by showing that
superstitions did not help. The poetcomments on
the loving husband who made desperate efforts
to help his wife.
(Q.)
After twenty hoursit lost its stingMy mother
only said
T
hank God the scorpion picked on me
And spared my childrena) When did the
pain subside?b) What did mother say?c)
What do you learn about her from these
words?
(
Ans
)

a) The pain subsided after twenty hours.b)

The mother thanked God that the scorpion had
stung her and not the children.c) The mother
does not show any bitterness over her ordeal.
She has immenseselfless love for her children.