NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in the Cage is part of NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in a Cage.
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in a Cage
text question
comprehension check
(page 38)
Question 1.
Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.
(I) Mr. Purcell sold birds, cats, dogs, and monkeys. ,
(ii) He was very concerned about the welfare of the birds and animals in his shop. ,
(iii) He was impressed by the customer who bought two pigeons. ,
(iv) He was a successful shop owner, although insensitive and indifferent as a person. ,
Answer:
(I) Truth
(ii) Truth
(iii) false
(iv) Truth
Question 2.
Why is Mr. Purcell compared to an owl?
Answer:
Mr. Purcell wore big glasses. Due to this his eyes became bigger and started looking like those of an owl. That is why Mr. Purcell is compared to an owl.
Question 3.
Select from third paragraph
(I) Words related to chirping of birds,
(ii) words related to noise,
(iii) A word indicating confusion and fear.
Answer:
(I) Words related to chirping of birds: chirping, chirping and squeak.
(ii) Words related to noise: stir, rustle, stampede. ,
(iii) Words indicating confusion and fear: screaming, bewildered, scared.
Question 4.
“…Mr. Purcell heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock.” (Read the paragraph beginning with “It was a hard day…”)
(I) What does it mean ?
(ii) Why can’t Mr. Purcell hear ‘it’ clearly?
Answer:
(I) ‘It’ refers to the sounds and noises made by caged animals.
(ii) Mr. Purcell did not hear it clearly because he was used to it.
comprehension check
(page 42)
Question 1.
Do you think the atmosphere in Mr. Purcell’s shop was pleasant or depressing? give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The atmosphere in Mr. Purcell’s shop was depressing. There were probably many beautiful animals there. However, they cannot give any happiness to a sensitive person. The reason was that these beautiful creatures themselves were sad and unhappy. Constant noise can drive a thinking person crazy. That’s why the strange customer asked Mr. Purcell, “Don’t you understand this?”
Question 2.
Describe the stranger who came to the pet store. What did he want? (small ghost)
Answer:
The stranger who came to the pet shop was coming straight from jail. He spent ten years there. His total earnings in those ten years were five dollars.
He had shiny shoes. His suit was cheap. Her dress was ill-fitting but new. He had close-cropped hair and unsteady eyes.
The stranger was not very clear about what he wanted. He tasted independence after ten years. Now he just wanted to share it with someone else. This ‘someone else’ could be any creature. He just wanted to feel the joy of freedom in his heart. So he said he wanted something in a cage but able to fly.
Question 3.
(I) The man insisted on buying a pigeon because he loved birds so much. Do you agree?
(ii) How did he earn the five dollars he had?
Answer:
(I) No, that man did not love birds. That man tasted freedom after ten years. He wanted something more to taste the same freedom. He wanted to see and feel it. So he chose pigeons. His flight could give him a sense of freedom.
(ii) After working hard as a prisoner for ten years he earned five dollars.
Question 4.
Was the customer interested in the care and feeding of the purchased pigeons? If not, then why not?
Answer:
No, the customer was not interested in the care and feeding of the pigeons. This was because he had no interest in keeping pigeons. His intention was to free them.
Practice
(page 42)
Discuss the following topics in groups.
Question 1.
Why do you think the man set the pigeons free? (small ghost)
Answer:
The man set the pigeons free to taste freedom. The joy of freedom cannot be felt only through one’s own freedom. We can feel this happiness when we see silent animals becoming free. The man was released from jail after ten years. It was also his way of saying ‘thank you’ to God. He did this by freeing two of God’s creatures. The cost was very high. It took away all the money he had earned after ten years of hard work in prison.
Question 2.
Why did this make Mr. Purcell feel “inexplicably insulted”? (small ghost)
Answer:
Mr. Purcell felt slightly humiliated by the actions of his strange customer. For financial gain, he imprisoned many of God’s creatures. Still he considered himself a gentleman. Here was a poor man, all his earnings for ten years in prison were five dollars. He spent these five dollars in giving freedom to the pigeons. Thus, by his act, the stranger had shown his contempt for Mr. Purcell’s profession. So it was natural for Mr. Purcell to feel a little insulted.
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