CBSE Class 12 English Going Places Notes Set B

About The Author

A. R. Barton is a modern writer, who lives in Zurich and writes in English. He has authored many stories like “Going Places” which are mainly concerned with the problems and stages of adolescence.

Summary

It is normal for teenagers to dream. They aspire to reach the sky. They feel they can do the impossible. They look upto someone as their role model. This story is about a teenage girl, Sophie, who is a dreamer. She wishes to have the first boutique in the city. She has no money or means as she belongs to a lower middle class family. Her friend Jansie is a practical girl. She is aware of the realities of life. Jansie advises her not to indulge in fantasy. Having a boutique requires a lot of money. However, Sophie thought she would become a manager to have the money. She even dreamt of becoming an actor or a fashion designer. Jansie knows they have no other option but to work in the biscuit factory. Sophie lives in a small house with her parents and brothers, Geoff and little Derek. Though, she voices her feelings and desires, her parents belittle her, because they, unlike her, are more mature and know the harsh realities of life. Sophie has a fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who in her opinion is tall, strong, handsome but reserved.

Geoff is an apprentice mechanic. She envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his life that is not known to her. Sophie wants to meet interesting, exotic people who she thinks are part of her brother’s world. She wants her brother to introduce her to those places and people. However, she knows her father will not allow it. Moreover, Geoff thinks she is too young; Sophie was impatient. She imagines Geoff riding a bike wearing black leathers and she sitting behind him in a yellow dress with a cape.

The whole world is applauding them. Sophie tells Geoff of her meeting with Danny Casey in the arcade. Geoff does not believe her. But Sophie gives the description with such conviction, describing Danny’s physical appearance. Geoff tells the same to their father who waves off the story and discusses Danny’s skill as a player. Her father warns Sophie that cooking up such stories may land her up in some trouble. But Sophie does not give up. She describes it to be a chance encounter at the Royce’s. She asked Danny for an autograph and neither of them had a paper or pen, they discussed clothes and Danny promised her to meet the next week and give his autograph.

Geoff says that it was the most unlikely thing to happen. The family goes to watch the football match. Sophie, her father and Derek sit near the goal and Geoff and his friends sit higher to watch the match. Danny exhibits his Irish genius. Witnessing the crowd’s adulation Danny, Sophie glowed with pride. Jansie comes to know about Sophie’s lie. She asks Sophie about it. Sophie is shocked that Jansie knows about her lie. She admits to Jansie that she met the celebrity but Jansie refuses to believe her. Sophie is happy that Geoff kept her secret and did not tell about her date with Danny. Sophie tells Jansie that it was all incidental. Sophie says as there was no pen or paper, she could not get an autograph.

Jansie said she may trust Sophie and then leaves. Sophie waits for Danny Casey at her favorite spot along the canal as she thought it was a perfect place for a date. She tries hard to maintain a balance between her dream and reality and keeps on contemplating on the prospect of Danny coming or not to meet her. Her own thoughts make her sad. Sophie is frightened what will she go and tell her family about Danny not coming to meet her, especially to Geoff. She is unable to accept the reality. Though she feels sad and miserable she does not want to give up on her dream. Sophie once again dreams of meeting Danny at Royce and asking for his autograph. She dreams of discussing his popularity with her family. She fails to come out of her fantasy and is overwhelmed by the memory of the match as this was the only time when she saw Danny Casey in reality.