ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Paper with Solutions Set 01

SECTION A - DRAMA

Answer at least one question from this Section.

The Merchant of Venice: Shakespeare

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Shylock: Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one that I would have him help to waste
His borrow’d purse- Well Jessica, go in:
Perhaps I will return immediately:
Do as I bid you; shut doors after you:
Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

(i) Shylock says, “Therefore I part with him;” From whom does Shylock part? Why does Shylock not bid a tearful adieu to ‘him’? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Shylock parts from his servant, Launcelot Gobbo.
2. Shylock does not bid a tearful adieu because Launcelot is a lazy, sluggish fellow who eats too much and sleeps all day.
3. Shylock is glad to get rid of him and pass him on to Bassanio to help waste his borrowed purse.

Teacher's Note:
a) Shylock considers Launcelot a heavy feeder and a waste of space in his frugal household.
b) Students must remember that Shylock views servants as economic tools rather than emotional companions.

(ii) Where is Shylock going? What does Shylock “bid” Jessica to do prior to these lines? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Shylock is going to dine with Bassanio, who has invited him to supper.
2. Prior to these lines, Shylock bids Jessica to lock up his doors and guard his house carefully.
3. He instructs her not to gaze up at foolish casements or thrust her head into the public street to watch painted fools gaze.

Teacher's Note:
a) Shylock attends the dinner reluctantly, purely out of a desire to feed upon the prodigal Christian.
b) Ensure you mention both the invitation to dine and the specific security instructions given to Jessica.

(iii) Explain the line: ‘Fast bind, fast find;’. What does Shylock want to ‘find’? Bring out the irony in these words. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The proverb means that if you lock things up securely, you will find them safe when you return.
2. Shylock wants to find his material possessions, wealth, money, and jewels secure inside his locked house.
3. The dramatic irony is that despite his tight security and wise proverbs, Jessica elopes with his ducats and jewels, leaving him robbed.

Teacher's Note:
a) Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something the character does not - Jessica is planning to escape with Lorenzo.
b) Mentioning the exact loss of ducats and jewels highlights the irony of Shylock's absolute confidence.

(iv) What reasons does Shylock give for his unwillingness to leave the house? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Shylock states he is not invited to supper for love, but out of courtesy.
2. He is going out to hate the society of the Christians, preferring to avoid their company.
3. He is also uneasy and troubled by a premonition or dream of some ill-brewing event happening at home.

Teacher's Note:
a) Shylock's reluctance foreshadows the betrayal and robbery by Jessica later that night.
b) Students should note his deep-seated hatred for Christian society which contrasts with his greed.

(v) Racial prejudice is a major theme in the preceding scenes. However, Jessica is portrayed as an exception. Use examples from the text to demonstrate how Jessica is shown to be different from her father and others of her community. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. Jessica feels immense shame and guilt for living in Shylock's house, calling her home a hell.
2. Unlike her miserly and revengeful father, Jessica is generous, loving, and willing to embrace Christian culture by marrying Lorenzo.
3. She appreciates art, music, and romance, which Shylock dismisses as 'shallow foolery' and drone-like bagpipe sounds.
4. Her willingness to convert to Christianity and run away with a Christian shows she transcends the rigid boundaries of her community's prejudices.

Teacher's Note:
a) Contrast Shylock's obsession with money and revenge with Jessica's romantic and gentle nature.
b) Support your answer with textual references such as her desire to escape the gloom of Shylock's house.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Arragon: What many men desire! That “many” may be meant
By the fool multitude, that choose by show,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pries not to the interior, but like the martlet,
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Even in the force and road of casualty.
I will not choose what many men desire,

(i) Why is Arragon in this place? What is the inscription that he has just read, and on which casket was it found? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Arragon is in Belmont to try his luck in the casket lottery to win Portia's hand in marriage.
2. The inscription he has just read is, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire."
3. This inscription was found on the gold casket.

Teacher's Note:
a) Prince of Arragon is a proud Spanish nobleman who arrives to test his fortune.
b) Ensure you attribute the correct inscription to the correct casket.

(ii) List the conditions that Arragon had to promise to abide by before he was allowed to choose a casket. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. He must swear before he chooses that if he fails to choose the right casket, he will never speak to any lady afterward in the way of marriage.
2. He must swear never to reveal which casket he chose to anyone.
3. He must immediately depart from Portia's presence without attempting to woo her further if he makes the wrong choice.

Teacher's Note:
a) These are the strict oaths imposed by Portia's deceased father to deter unworthy suitors.
b) Memorize all three conditions as they apply to every suitor taking the test.

(iii) Explain in your own words, the comparison that Arragon makes between the martlet and the foolish multitude. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Arragon compares the foolish multitude who choose by superficial outward appearance to the martlet bird.
2. The martlet builds its nest precariously on the outside wall exposed to harsh weather and accidental destruction.
3. Just as the bird lacks wisdom to build a secure home, the foolish crowd lacks inner judgment and relies blindly on external show.

Teacher's Note:
a) A martlet is a swift or house martin that builds its nest on outer walls.
b) Explain both parts of the metaphor clearly - the bird's risky nesting habit and the crowd's superficial choices.

(iv) Which casket does Arragon eventually choose? What does he find inside the casket that he chooses? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Arragon eventually chooses the silver casket.
2. Inside the silver casket, he finds the portrait of a blinking idiot.
3. He also finds a scroll containing mocking verses outlining his foolishness.

Teacher's Note:
a) Arragon rejects gold because he refuses to rank himself with the foolish multitude, but his pride leads him to silver.
b) The blinking idiot symbolizes shortsightedness and unwarranted self-esteem.

(v) How does Arragon respond when he discovers that he had made the wrong choice? What does this reveal about Arragon’s character? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. Arragon is shocked, deeply disappointed, and asks if this is the reward for his merits.
2. However, he accepts his defeat with dignity, honors his oath, and departs promptly without creating a scene.
3. This reveals that he is honorable, respectful of his word, and possesses a sense of aristocratic decorum.
4. At the same time, his choice highlights his excessive pride and self-righteousness, as he believed he deserved better than the common herd.

Teacher's Note:
a) Contrast Arragon's dignified exit with Morocco's dramatic flair.
b) Point out that his pride blinds him into believing he has 'deserved' Portia.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Nerissa: Your father was ever virtuous: and holy men at their death have good inspirations: therefore, the lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead, -whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, - will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love.

(i) What are the terms of the lottery referred to in the above extract? Who devised it? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The terms are that suitors must choose correctly among three caskets made of gold, silver, and lead to win Portia's hand.
2. Anyone who chooses the right casket chooses Portia, but failure means swearing never to marry any woman.
3. It was devised by Portia's wise and wealthy deceased father.

Teacher's Note:
a) The lottery ensures Portia marries a man who values her inner worth over superficial wealth.
b) State both the mechanism of the three chests and the penalty for failure.

(ii) How do you know that Portia was not happy with this lottery? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Portia complains to Nerissa that she cannot choose anyone nor refuse anyone she dislikes.
2. She laments that her large destiny is barred by the capricious will of a dead father who controls her life from the grave.
3. She expresses deep frustration that she is subject to the lottery of her dead father's devising.

Teacher's Note:
a) Portia feels helpless as she cannot exercise personal choice in her marriage.
b) Quote or paraphrase her opening conversation with Nerissa in Act I, Scene 2.

(iii) Name any six suitors who came to woo Portia. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The Neapolitan prince
2. The County Palatine
3. Monsieur Le Bon (the French lord)
4. Falconbridge (the young baron of England)
5. The Scottish lord
6. The young German (the Duke of Saxony's nephew)

Teacher's Note:
a) Portia ridicules all these six suitors to Nerissa for their eccentricities and character flaws.
b) Listing any six of the national caricatures mentioned in Act I, Scene 2 is sufficient.

(iv) What does Nerissa say to comfort Portia? What is Nerissa’s opinion of Portia’s father? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Nerissa comforts Portia by assuring her that her father was a holy and virtuous man inspired by goodness at his death.
2. She predicts that the caskets will only be chosen by someone who truly loves her.
3. Nerissa holds Portia's father in high reverence, believing his divine inspiration will guide the right suitor to her.

Teacher's Note:
a) Nerissa acts as a voice of reason and loyalty, calming Portia's anxieties.
b) Highlight Nerissa's faith in the moral integrity of the casket test.

(v) Which casket does the Prince of Morocco choose? What leads him to make this choice? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. The Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket.
2. He is led to this choice by the inscription on the gold casket, which reads, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire."
3. He reasons that everyone desires Portia from all corners of the earth, and the world values her as a prize.
4. He also argues that no one would dare hazard lead for less than enough, and only gold is worthy of containing Portia's divine image.

Teacher's Note:
a) Morocco is blinded by outward grandeur and his own high estimation of his royal status.
b) Ensure you explain his reasoning based on the inscriptions and his pride in his noble lineage.

SECTION B - POETRY

Answer at least one question from this Section.

A Collection of Poems

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
He plants the forest’s heritage
The harvest of a coming age
The joy that unborn eyes shall see
These things he plants who plants a tree.

(i) Explain how a tree is the ‘forest’s heritage’. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. A tree contributes to the creation and preservation of future forests.
2. Individual trees multiply, shed seeds, and grow together to form vast woodland ecosystems passed down as a legacy to nature.
3. It represents an inheritance of natural wealth for future generations.

Teacher's Note:
a) The poem 'The Planting of a Tree' by Henry Cuyler Bunner emphasizes the altruistic nature of tree planting.
b) Heritage implies something handed down from the past or preserved for the future.

(ii) What is meant by ‘mother-croon of bird’? How do birds sing? When do they sing? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. 'Mother-croon of bird' refers to the gentle, soothing, maternal singing or humming sound made by a mother bird over her nest.
2. Birds sing with tender, melodious, and harmonious notes.
3. They sing during the early hours, in twilight, or when nurturing their young in the branches of the tree.

Teacher's Note:
a) Crooning suggests a soft, comforting, affectionate song typical of motherhood.
b) Connect this imagery to the shelter and nurturing environment provided by trees.

(iii) What is the ‘treble of heaven’s harmony’? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. It refers to the high-pitched, sweet, melodious song of birds.
2. The poet likens the sweet singing of birds in the branches to heavenly music.
3. It symbolizes divine peace and beauty brought to Earth by nature.

Teacher's Note:
a) Treble signifies a high musical voice or part.
b) This phrase elevates the simple song of a bird to a sacred, celestial level.

(iv) How far is a tree ‘the harvest of a coming age’? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. A tree planted today grows slowly over many years to mature in the future.
2. Its benefits, such as wood, shade, fruit, and environmental balance, will be reaped by generations yet unborn.
3. Thus, planting a tree is an investment whose true harvest belongs to coming decades and centuries.

Teacher's Note:
a) The theme highlights foresight and selfless contribution to the future.
b) Emphasize the temporal gap between planting and harvesting.

(v) What stirs the heart of a man who plants a tree? How does a tree planter do civic good? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. The heart of a tree planter is stirred by a sense of love for future generations and civic duty towards his nation.
2. He feels a deep connection with nature and a desire to contribute selflessly to the Earth's beauty and welfare.
3. A tree planter does civic good by enhancing community health, providing shade, purifying air, and fostering neighborhood growth.
4. His act benefits society at large, contributing to the nation's prosperity and environmental balance.

Teacher's Note:
a) Civic good refers to actions that benefit the community and public welfare.
b) Connect personal motivation with broader social benefits.

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The last man of this forlorn group
Did nought except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.

(i) Why does the poet call the group ‘forlorn’? Who were the people who made up this group? What did each of them possess? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The group is called forlorn because they are trapped together in bitter cold, hopeless, helpless, and facing imminent death.
2. The group consists of six humans trapped around a dying fire: a white man, a black man, a poor man, a rich man, a proud woman, and a selfish/greedy man.
3. Each of them possessed a stick of wood in their hands.

Teacher's Note:
a) 'The Cold Within' by James Patrick Kinney highlights human prejudice and selfishness.
b) Forlorn signifies sad, abandoned, and miserable.

(ii) What prevents the woman and the poor man in the group from sharing what they have? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The proud woman refuses to share her log because she sees a black man sitting across the fire from her.
2. Her racial prejudice and bigotry prevent her from giving up her stick to save a man of a different color.
3. The poor man holds back his log out of revenge, seeing the rich man in the group and wanting to spite him for his wealth.

Teacher's Note:
a) Highlight how social biases dictate their fatal lack of cooperation.
b) Each character's specific prejudice is exposed in the poem.

(iii) Why did the rich man sit back? What was his opinion of the poor? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The rich man sat back and kept his log bundled tight in his hands.
2. He thought of his accumulated wealth and worried that the lazy, shiftless poor would idle away his hard-earned money if he shared.
3. He held a prejudiced and disdainful opinion of the poor as lazy parasites.

Teacher's Note:
a) The rich man's selfishness is driven by greed and class snobbery.
b) Note how economic prejudice mirrors racial and religious prejudices in the poem.

(iv) Explain how the black man saw in this situation an opportunity for revenge. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The black man looked across the fire and saw the white man sitting opposite him.
2. Harboring deep resentment for decades of oppression and mistreatment by white people, he decided to withhold his log.
3. He saw it as a chance to spite the white man and exact petty revenge for his past sufferings.

Teacher's Note:
a) Racial animosity blinds him to the immediate threat to his own life.
b) Point out that mutual hatred leads to collective self-destruction.

(v) What happens to this group of people at the end of the story? What could they have done to change their fate? Justify the title of the poem, ‘The Cold Within’. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. All of them die in the cold around the dead fire because none of them were willing to share their logs due to hatred and prejudice.
2. They could have saved their lives by putting aside their petty hatreds, prejudices, and greed, and sharing their sticks of wood to fuel the fire.
3. The title 'The Cold Within' is fully justified because the metaphorical coldness in their hearts - hatred, malice, selfishness, and bigotry - was far deadlier than the literal winter cold outside.

Teacher's Note:
a) The poem carries a powerful moral message against discrimination and lack of empathy.
b) Ensure you explain both the literal and metaphorical meanings of 'cold'.

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
For oft, when on my couch I lie.
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude.

(i) Who is the speaker? Describe the sight that greeted his eyes when he was out walking in the countryside. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The speaker is the poet, William Wordsworth.
2. When out walking, he saw a dense crowd of golden daffodils beside the lake, beneath the trees.
3. The flowers were fluttering and dancing in the breeze, stretching in a never-ending line along the margin of a bay.

Teacher's Note:
a) The poem 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' celebrates the healing power of nature.
b) Describe the visual grandeur of the daffodil field clearly.

(ii) Where were the daffodils growing? To what does the poet compare the flowers? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The daffodils were growing beside the lake, beneath the trees, stretching along the bay.
2. The poet compares the continuous line of daffodils to the stars that shine and twinkle on the milky way.
3. He also compares their vast number to the twinkling stars in the night sky.

Teacher's Note:
a) Note the use of hyperbole and celestial imagery ('Milky Way').
b) Mention both the location and the specific simile used.

(iii) What effect does the scene have on the poet? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The poet was filled with immense joy and gaiety upon beholding the breathtaking sight.
2. At that moment, he did not realize the immense wealth or lasting impact the scene had brought to him.
3. Later, the memory of the scene provides permanent emotional solace and happiness during lonely or pensive moods.

Teacher's Note:
a) The poem highlights the recollected joy of nature's beauty.
b) Emphasize the long-term therapeutic effect on the poet's mind.

(iv) What is the ‘wealth’ mentioned in the poem? How do the daffodils outdo the waves? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The 'wealth' refers to the invaluable mental treasure of joyful memories and peace brought by the sight of the daffodils.
2. While the sparkling waves beside the daffodils also danced, the daffodils surpassed them in sparkling glee and joyous energy.
3. The poet could not help but be gay in such a jocund company.

Teacher's Note:
a) Wealth here is emotional and spiritual, not material.
b) Contrast the movement of the waves with the exuberant dance of the flowers.

(v) Compare the poet’s mood at the start of the poem with his mood at the end. What do you suppose causes this change in mood? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. At the start of the poem, the poet's mood is lonely, aimless, and melancholic, wandering like a solitary cloud over vales and hills.
2. At the end of the poem, his mood is ecstatic, cheerful, and at peace, dancing with the daffodils in his heart.
3. This change is caused by the profound memory and recollection of the beautiful daffodils flashing upon his 'inward eye' during moments of solitude.
4. Nature's beauty acts as a powerful restorative force that dispels loneliness and fills the soul with delight.

Teacher's Note:
a) The poem illustrates Romantic ideals of communion with nature.
b) Explain the transition from physical isolation to spiritual companionship.

SECTION C - PROSE

Answer at least one question from this Section.

A Collection of Short Stories

Question 7.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
“What are you doing out here, boy?” asked Mr. Oliver sharply, moving closer so that he could recognize the miscreant. But even as he approached the boy, Mr. Oliver sensed that something was wrong. The boy appeared to be crying. (Face in the Dark- Ruskin Bond)

(i) Who was Mr. Oliver? How did he usually spend his evenings? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Mr. Oliver was an Anglo-Indian teacher teaching at a school in Shimla.
2. He usually spent his evenings visiting the Shimla bazaar or the local cinema.
3. He would walk back to the school premises through the pine forest after dark.

Teacher's Note:
a) Ruskin Bond's story 'A Face in the Dark' is a chilling supernatural tale set in the hills.
b) Establish Mr. Oliver's routine as a sensible, brave teacher who was not easily frightened.

(ii) Mention any three facts about the school at which he worked. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. It was an English public school situated in the hills near Shimla.
2. The school resembled Eton or Harrow in its traditions and atmosphere.
3. It was run on strict British lines with mostly Indian boys studying there, and it had a pine forest surrounding it.

Teacher's Note:
a) The setting evokes colonial-era boarding schools in India.
b) Include details about the location, architecture, or student demographic.

(iii) Where did Mr. Oliver find the boy? How could he tell that the boy was ‘weeping’? What made Mr. Oliver feel uneasy? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. Mr. Oliver found the boy sitting alone on a rock outside the school grounds along the pine-fringed path.
2. He could tell the boy was weeping because of the silent, convulsive heaving of his shoulders and muffled sobs.
3. Mr. Oliver felt uneasy because children were not supposed to be out alone after dark, and the boy's silent, isolated grief in the eerie woods created an unsettling atmosphere.

Teacher's Note:
a) The eerie atmosphere builds suspense leading to the supernatural twist.
b) Note the specificity of the physical sign of crying (convulsive heaving).

(iv) What did Mr. Oliver see when the boy finally looked up? What was Mr. Oliver’s immediate reaction? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. When the boy looked up, Mr. Oliver saw that he had no eyes, ears, nose, or mouth - his face was entirely smooth, a round blank head with a school cap on it.
2. Mr. Oliver's immediate reaction was sheer terror; the torch slipped from his trembling hand, and he turned and fled in blind panic towards the school building.

Teacher's Note:
a) This is the climax of the horror story where the faceless apparition is revealed.
b) Describe the featureless face accurately and note the teacher's instinctive panic.

(v) To whom does Mr. Oliver turn for help? What does he discover about this person? Mention any two effective methods that the author has used to create an eerie atmosphere in the story ‘A Face in the Dark’. [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. Mr. Oliver rushes panting to the school watchman standing by the tea stall.
2. He discovers that the watchman also has no eyes, ears, nose, or mouth, revealing that supernatural entities haunt the pine forest.
3. The author creates an eerie atmosphere through the use of desolate, windy pine forests at night and dim, flickering torchlight.
4. He also uses psychological buildup, starting with a lonely walk and escalating into silent crying and a terrifying supernatural revelation.

Teacher's Note:
a) The twist ending with the watchman shows that the supernatural presence is pervasive.
b) Mention two clear atmospheric techniques used by Ruskin Bond.

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
It was my business to cross the bridge, explore the bridgehead beyond and find out to what point the enemy had advanced. I did this and returned over the bridge. There were not so many carts now and very few people on foot, but the old man was still there. (Old Man at the Bridge- Ernest Hemingway)

(i) Describe the old man seated near the bridge. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The old man is seventy-six years old with dusty clothes and weary, tired eyes.
2. He wears steel-rimmed spectacles and sits dully by the side of the pontoon bridge, unable to go any further.
3. He is exhausted, helpless, and deeply worried about the safety of the animals he was forced to leave behind.

Teacher's Note:
a) Hemingway's story highlights the plight of refugees during the Spanish Civil War.
b) Mention his physical appearance and his mental state.

(ii) Describe the scene at the bridge at the beginning of the story. [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The pontoon bridge across the Ebro River is crowded with fleeing refugees, carts, trucks, and men, women, and children on foot.
2. Fascist troops are advancing, causing panic and mass evacuation from the town.
3. Mule-drawn carts are struggling up the steep embankment against the dust and chaos of war.

Teacher's Note:
a) The background of war sets a grim, realistic tone for the narrative.
b) Describe the congestion and movement across the bridge.

(iii) What was the narrator’s duty? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The narrator was an intelligence officer or scout in the Republican army.
2. His duty was to cross the pontoon bridge, explore the bridgehead on the other side, and find out how far the enemy forces had advanced.
3. Having completed his reconnaissance mission, he returned across the bridge to monitor the evacuation.

Teacher's Note:
a) The narrator bridges the military conflict with civilian tragedy.
b) Keep the explanation concise and factually correct based on the text.

(iv) Why did the old man have to leave his home? Why was he the last one to leave town? [3 Marks]

Answer:
1. The old man had to leave his home because artillery fire from the advancing fascist forces threatened the town.
2. He was the last one to leave because he lingered behind to take care of his beloved animals - two goats, a cat, and four pairs of pigeons.
3. His deep attachment to his pets made him reluctant to abandon them until soldiers forced him to leave.

Teacher's Note:
a) The old man symbolizes innocent civilians uprooted by war.
b) Ensure you list the specific animals he left behind.

(v) How does Hemingway show us the effect of war on the lives of common people through the story of the Old Man at the Bridge? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. Hemingway uses the old man as a symbol of all helpless civilian refugees displaced and dispossessed by war.
2. The war strips the old man of his home, livelihood, and his beloved animals, leaving him disoriented and hopeless.
3. The contrast between military strategy and human tragedy is highlighted, as the narrator worries about enemy advances while the old man worries only for his animals.
4. The open-ended conclusion emphasizes that ordinary people have no political stake in war yet suffer its most devastating consequences.

Teacher's Note:
a) Hemingway's minimalist style underscores the tragedy of war without melodrama.
b) Focus on how the old man represents the broader civilian cost of political conflict.

Question 9.
Answer the following questions with reference to T.S. Arthur’s short story, ‘An Angel in Disguise’:

(a) How did the children’s mother die? What did the villagers decide to do about the children? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. The children's mother, Mrs. Gray, died suddenly from acute intoxication (intense drunkenness) after falling across the threshold of her door.
2. Following her death, the villagers gathered to discuss the fate of her three orphaned children: John, Kate, and Maggie.
3. Being poor and burdened, they decided to separate the children and distribute them among different families in the parish to be cared for as pauper apprentices or charity cases.

Teacher's Note:
a) The mother was an abusive, wretched alcoholic, yet her death leaves the children entirely destitute.
b) Note that the villagers separated the healthy children (John and Kate) first, leaving crippled Maggie behind initially.

(b) What did Joe see when he looked in through the brightly lit window of his home later that evening? Why does this scene fill him with a sense of relief? [4 Marks]

Answer:
1. Joe Thompson saw his usually cold, stern, and childless wife, Jane, sitting by the fire with crippled little Maggie on her lap, gently nursing and feeding her with immense tenderness.
2. He saw his wife smiling softly, completely transformed from a bitter, sharp-tempered woman into a loving mother figure.
3. This scene filled him with relief because he had feared his wife's fierce anger and refusal when he brought the crippled orphan home against her wishes.
4. He realized that Maggie's presence had melted his wife's heart, bringing love and warmth into their desolate home.

Teacher's Note:
a) This is the emotional turning point of the story where Maggie acts as the 'angel in disguise'.
b) Contrast Mrs. Thompson's initial harshness with her sudden maternal tenderness.

(c) How does the author describe Mrs. Thompson initially? Trace the change in Mrs. Thompson’s nature from the time that Maggie enters the Thompsons’ home. [8 Marks]

Answer:
1. Initially, Mrs. Jane Thompson is described as a harsh, cold, bitter, and discontented woman.
2. She is childless, unloving, sharp-tongued, and views the world with chronic resentment, making her home cheerless and devoid of warmth.
3. When Joe brings crippled Maggie home, Mrs. Thompson reacts with bitter anger, complaining that she cannot take on the burden of a sickly, paralyzed orphan child.
4. However, as Maggie lies helpless and patient in their house, her gentle, uncomplaining demeanor begins to work a silent spell on Mrs. Thompson.
5. When Mrs. Thompson attempts to undress Maggie and discovers her severely diseased spine and fragile, wasted body, profound pity overtakes her anger.
6. The physical helplessness of the child awakens long-dormant maternal instincts in Mrs. Thompson's hardened heart.
7. By evening, she is found tenderly nursing Maggie, feeding her, and showering her with affection.
8. Ultimately, Maggie transforms the barren, cold household into a warm, loving home, proving to be a true blessing in disguise for the couple.

Teacher's Note:
a) This is a character-sketch and thematic question requiring a detailed answer covering the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
b) Emphasize how love and vulnerability can soften even the hardest of hearts.