NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 5: The Snake and the Mirror Questions and Answers

 5. The Snake and the Mirror

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30-40 words).

1. "The sound was a familiar one." What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?

2. What two "important" and "earth-shaking" decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

3. "I looked into the mirror and smiled." says the doctor. A little later he says. "I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself."

What is the doctor's opinion about himself when:
(i) he first smiles, and
(ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30-40 words).

1. "The sound was a familiar one." What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?

Answer: The doctor heard a familiar sound of rats moving in the room, which he had gotten used to as he often shared the room with them.
    He heard the sound three times—first when he entered the room, again while combing his hair, and lastly when he was pacing the room.
    The sounds stopped suddenly when the snake fell on him, indicating the presence of the snake had silenced the rats.

2. What two "important" and "earth-shaking" decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

Answer: While looking into the mirror, the doctor made two "important" and "earth-shaking" decisions: first, to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome, and second, to always maintain an attractive smile on his face.

3. "I looked into the mirror and smiled." says the doctor. A little later he says, "I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself." What is the doctor's opinion about himself when: (i) he first smiles, and (ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?
Answer:
(i) When the doctor first smiles, he is admiring his appearance and feels confident and handsome.  
(ii) When he smiles again, it is a feeble smile of irony, as he realizes the foolishness of his earlier vanity. His thoughts shift from pride to humility after facing the danger of the snake, which makes him aware of the fragility of life.

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II. This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous? (Think of the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality. Some of them are listed below.)
1.
(i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition]

2.
(i) The person he wants to marry
(II) The person he actually marries

3. (1) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm

Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.

II. This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous?

1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)  
   The doctor is a simple, struggling professional with modest earnings, living in a small, rented room without electricity. He owns very few possessions, including a black coat, some clothes, and sixty rupees in a suitcase. Despite his humble circumstances, he dreams of a more grandiose life, which contrasts humorously with his reality.

   (ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)  
   The doctor envisions himself as a handsome, well-groomed man, eager to impress others with his looks. He decides to shave daily, grow a thin moustache, and maintain an attractive smile, all in the hope of enhancing his appearance and presence. His ambitions are grand, yet they stand in stark contrast to his actual, unremarkable life, adding a layer of humor to the story.

2. (i) The person he wants to marry  
   The doctor imagines marrying a wealthy, well-established woman doctor who is also fat, believing this would make his life comfortable and ensure he could escape easily if needed. His shallow criteria for a partner, focused on wealth and physical traits, reflect his comical and impractical expectations.

   (ii) The person he actually marries  
   In reality, the doctor ends up marrying a thin, reedy woman who is quick on her feet. This is the opposite of what he had envisioned, highlighting the irony and humor in the contrast between his dreams and the actual outcome.

3. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror  
   While looking into the mirror, the doctor is full of self-admiration and vanity. He imagines himself as a handsome bachelor and a doctor who must look attractive to make a strong impression. His thoughts are lighthearted and full of pride.

   (ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm  
   When the snake coils around his arm, the doctor’s thoughts shift dramatically. Instead of vanity, he is overwhelmed by fear and the awareness of his vulnerability. The contrast between his earlier self-assuredness and his current helplessness is humorous, as it reveals the doctor’s sudden realization of the insignificance of his previous concerns in the face of real danger.

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I. Here are some sentences from the text. Say which of them tell you, that the author: (a) was afraid of the snake, (b) was proud of his appearance.
(c) had a sense of humour, (d) was no longer afraid of the snake.

1. I was turned to stone.
2. I was no mere image cut in granite.
3. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.
4. I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words. 'O God'.
5. I didn't tremble. I didn't cry out.
6. I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
8. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
9. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness...! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water.
10. Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead.

Here are the sentences categorized according to what they reveal about the author:

(a) Was afraid of the snake:
1. "I was turned to stone."
3. "The arm was beginning to be drained of strength."
4. "I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, 'O God'."

(b) Was proud of his appearance:
6. "I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile."
8. "I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!"

(c) Had a sense of humour:
9. "The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness...! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water."
10. "Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead."

(d) Was no longer afraid of the snake:
2. "I was no mere image cut in granite."
5. "I didn't tremble. I didn't cry out."
7. "I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood."

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II. Expressions used to show fear
Can you find the expressions in the story that tell you that the author was frightened? Read the story and complete the following sentences.
1. I was turned _________________________.
2. I sat there holding _________________________.
3. In the light of the lamp 1 sat there like _________________________.

Here are the expressions from the story that show the author was frightened:

1. I was turned to stone.
2. I sat there holding my breath.
3. In the light of the lamp, I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.

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III. In the sentences given below some words and expressions are italicised. They are variously mean that one
is very frightened.
is too scared to move.
is frightened by something that happens suddenly.
makes another feel frightened.

It seems that the instruction is asking to identify the meaning of the italicized words and expressions in sentences that describe fear. Here’s what those italicized expressions typically mean:

1. Very frightened: This would indicate an intense fear, where someone is extremely scared.
2. Too scared to move: This describes a situation where fear paralyzes a person, making them unable to move.
3. Frightened by something that happens suddenly: This refers to being startled or scared by an unexpected event or occurrence.
4. Makes another feel frightened: This suggests an action or expression that causes fear in someone else.

If you have specific sentences with italicized expressions, I can help categorize them based on the meanings above. Could you provide the sentences?

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