CBSE Class 12 English HOTs Poets And Pancakes Set 04

Question. What does the writer mean by 'the fiery misery' of those subjected to make-up?
Answer: The writer describes the make-up department of Gemini Studios in detail. The make-up room looked like a hair-cutting salon that was crowded with mirrors and flooded with incandescent lights at all angles. When the artists sat there to close every pore on the face with Pancake, the heat and the flashy lights were really unbearable.

Question. What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Answer: The make-up department of Gemini Studios boasted of people belonging to all regions of India, castes and communities. It was headed by a Bengali and subsequently by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by, an Andhraite, a Christian, some Tamils and an Anglo-Burmese. The writer terms this phenomena in the Gemini Studios as national integration.

Question. What work did the 'office boy' do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
Answer: The 'office boy' was responsible for the make-up of the players who played the crowd. On the days of crowd-shooting, one could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and "slapping it" on the crowd players. He was in his early forties and had joined the studio years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyric writer. The 'office boy' had not realised any of his dreams. He was also a poet and he deeply felt that his talent was not being recognised. He was doing a job which was much below his actual calibre.

Question. Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
or Why did everybody think of giving the author some work to do? 
Answer: The author's job involved scanning the various news items and articles that appeared in different newspapers and keeping a record of them in files. He was always seen at this desk tearing up newspapers. This gave the impression that he was doing next to nothing at the studios.

Question. Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
or Who was Subbu's enemy? Why? 
Answer: The office boy was highly frustrated and directed all his anger on Kothamangalam Subbu, the number 2 at the Gemini Studios, as the office boy thought of Subbu as being his enemy. He was thoroughly convinced that all his woes, ignominy and neglect were due to Subbu. He gave vent to his anger by denigrating and abusing Subbu in the studios.

Question. Who was Subbu's principal?
Answer: S S Vasan, the founder of the Gemini Studios, was Subbu's principal. Subbu seemed to be close and intimate with him. His loyalty to the Boss led everyone to believe that he was a sycophant. He was always seen with the Boss.

Question. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.
Answer: Four of Subbu's special abilities were
(i) Looking cheerful at all times.
(ii) A sense of intense loyalty to the Boss which made him focus his entire creativity towards benefiting the Boss. Thus, film-making was quite easy as long as Subbu was available to give his ideas.
(iii) He was literally inclined, as he was a good poet, novelist and actor.
(iv) A charitable and loving nature.

Question. Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?
Answer: The legal adviser was a man of cold logic and was close to the Boss. He was disliked by others. His notoriety and malicious behaviour brought an end to the brilliant career of an aspiring talented actress. He had never put to use any of his 'legal' skills. Hence, he was referred to as illegal adviser by others.

Question. What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Answer: In a "crowd of dreamers", the lawyer was a man of cold logic. The Gemini Studios mostly comprised of Gandhiites and Khadiites, but the lawyer had a different political ideology. Moreover, he wore tie and pants, and sometimes a coat which made him stand out in the midst of khadi wearers.

Question. Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer: The majority of people at Gemini Studios wore khadi and venerated Gandhiji. Beyond that they had not "the faintest affectation" for political thought of any kind. They were vehemently against Communism and called themselves Gandhiites.

Question. Why was the Moral Rearmament Army welcomed at the Studios? 
Answer: The Moral Rearmament Army was a kind of counter movement to international Communism. They were welcomed at the Gemini Studios because of their aversion to Communism. The Boss, Mr Vasan, simply played into their hands. This was because they opposed those who spread unrest and violence among the innocent and the ignorant.

Question. Name one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
or How did the people of Madras and those at the Gemini studios respond to the plays staged by the Moral Rearmament Army? Delhi 2010
Answer: ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’, the two plays put up by the MRA, were so impressive that the Gemini family consisting of six hundred people, saw them over and over again. Thus they responded to these play positively by liking them. The scene of sunrise and sunset enacted in the play ‘Jotham Valley’ with a bare stage, a white background curtain and a tune played on the flute were reproduced by Madras and Tamil drama community for years to come.

Question. Who was the Boss of Gemini Studios?
Answer: Mr SS Vasan, the founder of Gemini Studios was called 'The Boss'. He was also the editor of the popular Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan. He had a liking for erudite and scholarly people. He seems to be a gullible man who is surrounded by shallow people and sycophants like Subbu and the lawyer.

Question. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Answer: In the first instance, nobody knew anything about the antecedents of the visitor. Mr Vasan, the Boss made a welcome speech in his honour but that did not dispel any doubts or gave clarifications about the visitor. When the visitor spoke, nobody could comprehend what he talked about. Moreover, his accent could not be understood by the 'dazed' audience.

Question. Why is the Englishman's visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
Answer: The Englishman's visit baffled everybody in the Gemini Studios. They did not know anything about the credentials of the visitor; neither could they comprehend anything from his speech due to his accent. All of them were 'dazed and silent'. They could not understand what an English poet was doing in a film studio which made Tamil films for the masses, who had no taste for English poetry. So, his visit is termed as an unexplained mystery.

Question. Who was the English visitor to the studios?
Answer: The identity of the English visitor was a mystery for all. Nobody was clear about his identity or profession (poet or editor). Many years afterwards, the narrator visited the British Council Library to enquire about a British periodical, 'The Encounter'. He wanted to check the antecedents of the periodical for sending the entry to a short story contest advertised in it. It was then that he discovered that it was Stephen Spender — the editor of 'The Encounter' who had visited the Gemini Studios.

Question. How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
Answer: The identity of the English visitor was revealed to the author only when he read the editor's name in 'The Encounter'. The author knew that once an English poet had visited the studio and it was Stephen Spender who had visited the studios, but his visit was unfortunately a flop.

Question. What does 'The God that Failed' refer to?
Answer: ‘The God that Failed’ refers to a book that was a compilation of essays by six eminent essayists. It was a low-priced student edition, an American paperback, that was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. It dealt with the authors’ disillusionment with Communism.

Question. The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make the piece interesting?
Answer: ‘Poets and Pancakes’ has instances of gentle humour interspersed in it. They highlight human foibles without pointing fingers or having malice against anyone. In the beginning itself the author brings into focus Robert Clive's restless nature by saying, “for his brief life and an even briefer stay in Madras, Robert Clive seems to have done a lot of moving, besides fighting some impossible battles.... and marrying a maiden....” The author repeatedly pokes fun at the office boy's bitterness and bragging about his great literary genius which was being wasted. He ridicules the 'virtue' of Subbu being a Brahmin and thus getting better opportunities and exposure. Subbu's inefficiency and dependence on others is highlighted by the author's comment, “He always had work for somebody — he could never do things on his own”. Subbu's 'creativity' is shown in his knack for offering instant and countless solutions to problems. Subbu's talent for writing poetry is mocked by Asokamitran when he says, “...though he was certainly capable of more complex and higher forms, he deliberately chose to address his poetry to the masses.” Subbu's sycophant nature is highlighted when his house is referred to be a permanent residence for many people. Subbu's flattering nature is brought about by the author's question, “....Was it his general demeanour that resembled a sycophant's?” Another instance of gentle humour is the reference to the lawyer as the 'illegal adviser'. The 'Boss', Mr Vasan's weakness for being seen amongst erudite and scholarly people and the resultant invitations to unknown poets and editors is hilarious. The author's comment on himself that anything at a reduced price attracted his attention makes us laugh at the apparent idiosyncrasies of human nature. Thus, the author showcases humour in every situation and almost every character, but this is only meant to make the piece a gripping one.

Question. Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered number 2 in Gemini Studios? 
or Account for Subbu's importance in Gemini studios. 
or What were the positive qualities of Subbu that the writer admired? 
Answer: Subbu had many positive qualities that the writer admired; thus he was a man of importance in Gemini studios. Although he was neither brilliant nor out-of-the-ordinary, but he had an inherent smartness in him that led him to outwit everybody. He was a sycophant and always close and intimate with the Boss. He always had ready and instant solutions for problems and had the knack of getting the work done from others.

Question. How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini Studios?
Answer: The audience could not make any sense of what the poet or editor was speaking. His accent made him unintelligible. There was a communication gap between the dazed audience and the even baffled speaker. Nobody could understand the link between the English poet's thrills and travails and the studio which produced Tamil films for the masses, who had no sense of English poetry. He too felt baffled for he might have felt the incongruity of his speech to a dazed audience.

Question. What do you understand about the author's literary inclinations from the account?
Answer: The author seems to be an educated young man whose job is to keep scanning the newspapers. He is interested in creative writing and so keeps sending his entries to short story writing contests. Reading seems to be his favourite pastime. He buys books even when he is short of money. Undoubtedly the author was very strongly inclined towards literature of all kinds.

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. “Greta Garbo must have used it. Miss Gohar must have used it. Vyjayantimala must also have used it but Rati Agnihotri may not have even heard of it.”

Question. What is 'it' referred to in these lines?
(a) Movies
(b) Pancake-make up material
(c) Hair conditioner
(d) Brush for hair
Answer: (b) Pancake-make up material

Question. Who were Greta Garbo and Miss Gohar?
(a) An editor and makeup assistant
(b) A fashion designer and her assistant
(c) Famous Swedish actress and Indian artists
(d) Co-owners of Gemini Studios
Answer: (c) Famous Swedish actress and Indian artists

Question. Why Rati Agnihotri may not have heard about this makeup material?
(a) She is a new actress
(b) Now this makeup material has been replaced with better one
(c) It has disappeared from the studios
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. Who is the speaker of these lines?
(a) The narrator, Mr Asoka Mitran
(b) One of the staff of Gemini Studios
(c) Music director who kept visiting Gemini Studios
(d) One of the visitor to Gemini Studios
Answer: (a) The narrator, Mr Asoka Mitran

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. The players who played the crowd were the responsibility of the office boy—on the days when there was a crowd shooting, you could see him mixing his paint in a giant vessel and slapping it on the crowd players.

Question. Who was the office boy?
(a) A young boy of 20 years
(b) A man is his early forties
(c) He wanted to become a star actor or director but could not
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

Question. In which department did the office boy work?
(a) In story department
(b) In music department
(c) In makeup department
(d) In camera department
Answer: (c) In makeup department

Question. What was the responsibility of the 'office boy'?
(a) To do makeup of senior actors
(b) To do make up of extras or 'crowds' in a crowd shoot
(c) To provide food to everyone in the makeup department
(d) To help the chief camera man
Answer: (b) To do make up of extras or 'crowds' in a crowd shoot

Question. Why was the office boy disappointed?
(a) As he could not become a star
(b) Could not become a lyric writer
(c) Could not succeed as a director
(d) All of the options
Answer: (d) All of the options

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. “The ‘boy’ in the make-up department had decided I should be enlightened on how great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and perverts. Soon I was praying for crowd-shooting all the time.”

Question. What was the responsibility of the narrator while working in the Gemini Studios?
(a) To shoot the film
(b) To help the legal department
(c) To cut newspaper clippings and store them in files
(d) To help in the make up department
Answer: (c) To cut newspaper clippings and store them in files

Question. What was everyone's opinion about the narrator's work?
(a) His work was crucial
(b) Very demanding
(c) His work was not important
(d) None of the options
Answer: (c) His work was not important

Question. Why did the office boy want 'to enlighten' the narrator?
(a) Narrator appeared to be sitting idle
(b) Narrator always listened to the office boy's complaints
(c) Narrator was at number-1 position in the studios
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. Why did the narrator pray for 'Crowd-shooting' all the time?
(a) Very exciting
(b) Office boy will be busy and get no time to complain
(c) This brought more money
(d) Narrator liked crowd shooting
Answer: (b) Office boy will be busy and get no time to complain

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. “Even in the matter of education, especially formal education, Subbu couldn’t have had an appreciable lead over the boy. But by virtue of being born a Brahmin - a virtue indeed! - he must have had exposure to more affluent situations and people.”

Question. Who was Subbu?
(a) Chief makeup man
(b) No. 2 boss at Gemini Studios
(c) Owner of Gemini Studios
(d) Film Director at Studio
Answer: (b) No. 2 boss at Gemini Studios

Question. Why was office boy always angry with Subbu?
(a) Subbu had attained No. 2 position due to his caste and smartness
(b) Subbu had insulted the office boy
(c) Office boy was at par with Subbu in education
(d) Thought Subbu to be very clever
Answer: (a) Subbu had attained No. 2 position due to his caste and smartness

Question. Why according to the narrator 'born a Brahmin' is a virtue?
(a) Brahmins are the highest caste
(b) treated with reverence in Tamil Nadu
(c) Brahmins have more brains
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. The office boy appears to be a ............ man as he could not acquire any good position in Gemini Studios?
(a) Unhappy
(b) Excited
(c) Frustrated
(d) Desperate
Answer: (c) Frustrated

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. “While every other member of the department wore a kind of uniform - khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt - the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail.”

Question. Which department is referred to in this extract?
(a) Makeup department
(b) The story department
(c) The camera department
(d) The legal department
Answer: (b) The story department

Question. This department comprised people such as and ............ .
(a) lawyer, writers
(b) writers, directors
(c) camera man, writers
(d) writers, poets
Answer: (d) writers, poets

Question. What was the uniform of this story department?
(a) Coat and trousers
(b) Kurta-pyjama
(c) Khadi dhoti and khadi shirt
(d) Any casual dress
Answer: (c) Khadi dhoti and khadi shirt

Question. Who is the one man in this department whose uniform is different?
(a) Office boy
(b) Subbu
(c) The Legal Advisor
(d) The dialogue writers
Answer: (c) The Legal Advisor

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. “He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience - no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying.”

Question. Who is 'he' referred to here?
(a) The boss Mr Vassan
(b) Stephen Spender, an English poet
(c) Mr Kothamanglam Subbu
(d) The Legal Advisor
Answer: (b) Stephen Spender, an English poet

Question. Why was the audience silent and perplexed?
(a) Speaker's accent was unfamiliar
(b) His topic of speech was not understood by the audience
(c) His voice was very faint
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. The word 'stupefied' can also mean ............ .
(a) silent
(b) dazed
(c) disoriented
(d) None of the options
Answer: (b) dazed

Question. What was the topic of visitor's speech?
(a) English as second language in India
(b) Problems with democracy
(c) Problems with communism
(d) Monarchy and its problem
Answer: (c) Problems with communism