UNIT – 8 Reading – B (Once upon a Time) AND Reading – C (What Is My Name)

 UNIT – 8 (HUMAN RIGHTS)

Reading – B (Once upon a Time)

1. What does the poet mean by “laugh with their hearts” and “laugh with their teeth”?

   Laughing with one’s heart reveals real gladness. Laughing with one’s teeth reveals one’s external showy love.

 

2. What do people’s left hands do while their right hands shake hands with people?

   While shaking hands with their right hands, people send their left hands into their friends’ pockets. It means friendship and intimacy are all for selfish motives.

 

3. What happens to the poet when he visits someone for the third time?

   When the poet visits someone for the third time, they will get fed up and slam the doors shut. In other words, they won’t allow him to come into their house.

Reading – C (What Is My Name)

4. What kind of person was the woman in the lesson before her marriage?

   She was educated, cultured, intelligent, capable, quick-witted, and had a sense of humor and elegance.

 

5. Why do you think the writer decided to focus on the question of married women’s identity?

   The reason for choosing the married woman in the story is that many married women lose their freedom after marriage. The writer wanted them to live with their own identity and self-respect, to be given equal rights and equal respect.

 

6. Write your opinion about dowry which is mentioned in this passage.

   Dowry is an evil man-made system. It is an offense. Demanding dowry is wrong and illegal, and offering dowry is equally wrong.

 

7. Why did she want to go to her parent's village?

   When the woman got married and went to her husband's house, she was busy with her household works. One day she completely forgot her name, so she wanted to go to her parent's village to search for her certificates and inquire about her name.

 

8. Do you really think a woman can forget her name? Why? Why not?

   No, it is highly improbable for anybody to forget their name. It is very rare for a woman to forget her name. The narrator’s intention is to emphasize the importance of identity for women in society through her name.

 

9. "Behind affectionate enquiries of the father and the mother there was a strain of suspicion." Why do you think there was a strain of suspicion?

   The woman's parents were surprised to see their daughter unexpectedly, especially since she never visited without her children and her husband before. Their absence raised suspicion whether there was any quarrel between their daughter and her husband.