RBSE Solutions Class 11 English Festoon Chapter 14 Voice of the Unwanted Girl

RBSE Class 11 English Festoon Chapter 14 Textual Activities

Activity - 1: Comprehension

A. Tick the correct alternative :

Question 1. I looked like a sliced
(a) Apple
(b) Banana
(c) Pomegranate
(d) None of the options
Answer: (c) Pomegranate
In simple words: The speaker in the poem said she looked like a sliced pomegranate. This compares her appearance to the inside of the fruit.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to similes and metaphors used in poetry to understand the descriptive language.

Question 3. The poem demands for a world in which
(a) gender discrimination does not exist
(b) nature is protected
(c) poor are protected
(d) all of the options
Answer: (a) gender discrimination does not exist
In simple words: The poem asks for a world where boys and girls are treated equally, and no one is treated badly just because of their gender.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the central message or theme of the poem to correctly answer questions about its demands or purpose.

B. Answer to the following questions should not exceed 10-15 words each :

Question 1. To whom is the poem 'Voice of the Unwanted Girl' addressed? कविता 'Voice of the Unwanted Girl' किसे संबोधित की गयी है?
Answer: The poem is addressed to the girl's mother. इस कविता को लड़की की माँ को संबोधित किया गया है।
In simple words: The poem is speaking directly to the mother of the unwanted girl.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding the addressee (who the poem is talking to) helps to grasp the poem's core message and emotional tone.

Question 2. Why is the girl child killed? In which city does the infanticide take place? लड़की को क्यों मार दिया जाता है? यह शिशु हत्या किस शहर में की जाती है?
Answer: The girl child was killed because she was a girl and also a second girl. The infanticide takes place in Mumbai. लड़की को इसलिए मार डाला जाता है क्योंकि वह लड़की थी, दूसरे नम्बर की लड़की। यह शिशु हत्या मुम्बई में होती है।
In simple words: The baby girl was killed because she was a girl and the second girl in the family. This happened in Mumbai.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note key details like the reason for the act and the location as they are crucial for a complete answer.

Question. What does the killed infant smell of? मार दिए गए शिशु में किस चीज़ की गंध आती है?
Answer: The killed infant smells of formaldehyde. मार दिए गए शिशु में फॉर्मेल्डिहाइड नामक गैस की गंध आती है।
In simple words: The dead baby smelled of formaldehyde, a chemical used to preserve things.

🎯 Exam Tip: Specific sensory details, like smells, are important to remember as they add to the descriptive power of the narrative.

Question 5. Describe the scene in the autopsy room. शव-परीक्षण कक्ष के दृश्य का वर्णन कीजिए।
Answer: In the autopsy room, the girl child's head was cut apart and it looked like a sliced pomegranate. शव परीक्षण कक्ष में लड़की के सिर को चीर दिया गया और यह कटे हुए अनार की भाँति दिखाई देने लगा।
In simple words: Inside the autopsy room, the baby girl's head was cut open, and it looked like a pomegranate that had been sliced.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the vivid imagery and the comparison used to describe the scene, as it highlights the harsh reality.

Question 6. Why does the mother want to get rid of the Girl Child? माँ बालिका शिशु से क्यों मुक्ति पाना चाहती है?
Answer: The mother does not want to have a second girl. So, she wants to get rid of the Girl-Child. माँ एक और लड़की को जन्म देना नहीं चाहती है। अतः वह बालिका शिशु से मुक्ति पाना चाहती है।
In simple words: The mother did not want to have another daughter, so she wanted to get rid of the baby girl.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying the mother's motivation is key to understanding the central conflict of the poem.

C. Answer to the following questions should not exceed 30-40 words each :

Question 1. How does the ‘Voice of the Unwanted Girl' question the society? कविता 'Voice of the Unwanted Girl' किस प्रकार समाज से प्रश्न करती है?
Answer: The poem describes the killing of a girl child inside her mother's womb. Both the mother and society show a biased attitude against a girl. The poem sadly comments on how everyone seems happy about the girl's death. ईश्वर की इच्छा यह नहीं थी कि एक अजन्मे बच्चे की हत्या करने की अनुमति दी जाए। ईश्वर लिंग के आधार पर बच्चों में फर्क नहीं करता तथा नर एवं मादा दोनों प्रकार के बच्चों के जीवन की कामना करता था। कविता एक बालिका की उसकी माँ के गर्भ में ही हत्या के बारे में बतलाती है। वह माँ तथा समाज एक बालिका के प्रति भेदभाव भरा दृष्टिकोण रखते हैं। बच्ची की मृत्यु पर प्रत्येक व्यक्ति किस प्रकार प्रसन्न होता है, समाज पर एक दुखद टिप्पणी है।
In simple words: The poem questions society by showing how a girl child is killed even before birth because people prefer boys. It points out how society's unfair views make everyone happy about the girl's death.

🎯 Exam Tip: When discussing societal questions, clearly state the problem presented in the poem and how society reacts to it.

Question 3. The girl compares herself with many symbols. What are they? कविता में लड़की स्वयं की तुलना कई प्रतीकों से करती है। वे प्रतीक क्या हैं?
Answer: The girl compares herself to many symbols like a flower, a butterfly, and a song. All these symbols represent small, innocent children. Children are as beautiful as flowers and butterflies and bring joy, like songs. लड़की स्वयं की तुलना कई प्रतीकों से करती है जैसे-फूल, तितली तथा गीत। ये सभी प्रतीक छोटे बच्चों का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं। बच्चे फूलों एवं तितलियों की भाँति सुन्दर होते हैं तथा वे प्रसन्नता के विषय होते है जिसे गीतों में व्यक्त किया जाता है।
In simple words: The girl sees herself as a flower, a butterfly, and a song. These symbols show the innocence and beauty of young children.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify all comparisons and explain what each symbol means in the context of the poem's themes, like innocence or beauty.

D. Answer to the following questions should not exceed 60-80 words each:

Question 1. Why is the mother not concerned with the voice of the Unwanted Girl? माँ को अनचाही लड़की की आवाज की परवाह क्यों नहीं है?
Answer: The mother in the poem is influenced by the society she lives in. This society dislikes the birth of a girl and only wants boys to survive. Because of this, girls are killed either through abortion before birth or other methods after birth. Society does not care about these murders. The mother believes what she did was not wrong because society also praised her action. इस कविता में माँ उस समाज का उत्पाद है जिसकी वह सदस्या है। समाज लड़की के जन्म को नफरत की निगाह से देखता है तथा केवल लड़कों के अस्तित्व को पसन्द करता है। इस कारण लड़कियों को जन्म से पूर्व गर्भपात के द्वारा तथा जन्म के बाद अन्य तरीकों से मार दिया जाता है। समाज ऐसी हत्याओं को लापरवाही से देखता है। माँ सोचती है कि उसके कृत्य में कुछ भी गलत नहीं था। समाज भी तो उसके इस कृत्य की प्रशंसा करता है।
In simple words: The mother doesn't care because society teaches her to value boys over girls. She thinks her actions were right because society agrees with killing unwanted girl babies.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining character motivations, link them to broader societal influences or beliefs shown in the text.

Question 2. Articulate the feelings of the victim girl child in your words.
Answer: The victim girl child feels that the world is a loveless place. No one, not even her mother, wanted to touch her. She was tragically cut into pieces like a pomegranate. Despite her mother leaving her after wearing a green sari, the girl still hopes her mother will listen to her prayers and look for her. इस कविता में दो पात्र हैं, माँ तथा उसकी अजन्मी लड़की जिसे डॉक्टरों द्वारा माँ की सहमति से मार दिया गया। लड़की को आश्चर्य होता है कि उसकी माँ इतनी आसानी से उसे मरवाने को तैयार हो गयी जब डॉक्टर ने उसे बताया कि 'मैं एक लड़की होऊँगी।' लड़की मरने से पूर्व बाहर की घटनाओं को सुन सकती थी। लड़की को ऐसा लगा कि यह दुनिया एक प्रेम से विहीन स्थान था जहाँ कोई भी उसे छूना नहीं चाहता था, उसकी माँ भी नहीं। उसे अनार की भाँति टुकड़ों में काट डाला गया। माँ ने अपनी हरे रंग की साड़ी पहनी और चली गयी। फिर भी वह (मृत लड़की) अपेक्षा करती है कि उसकी माँ उसकी प्रार्थनाओं को सुनेगी तथा उसकी तलाश करेगी।
In simple words: The girl feels abandoned and unloved, seeing the world as a harsh place. Even after being killed, she still hopes her mother will eventually care for her and listen to her pleas.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on expressing the emotions of the victim (sadness, abandonment, hope) and specific details that illustrate these feelings.

RBSE Class 11 English Festoon Chapter 14 Additional Questions

Short-Answer Type Questions (around 10-15 words) :

Question 1. Who is addressing the mother and why? माँ को कौन तथा किसलिए संबोधित कर रहा है?
Answer: The unwanted girl is addressing the mother. She wants to talk to her mother who got her killed for being a girl. न चाही गई लड़की माँ को संबोधित कर रही है। वह अपनी माँ से बात करना चाहती है जिसने उसे इसलिए मरवा दिया क्योंकि वह एक लड़की थी।
In simple words: The baby girl who was unwanted is talking to her mother because her mother had her killed for being a girl.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the speaker and their relationship to the addressee, and briefly state the main reason for their communication.

Question 2. What did the doctors do to kill her? डॉक्टरों ने मारने हेतु क्या किया?
Answer: They gave her an injection to kill her. उन्होंने उसे मारने के लिए इंजेक्शन दिया।
In simple words: The doctors killed the baby by giving her an injection.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note the specific method used for the killing, as it's a factual detail from the poem.

Question. डॉक्टर तथा उसके दल के लोगों ने लड़की को पहली बार कब छुआ?
Answer: They touched her for the first time after her body had stopped making any movement. उन्होंने प्रथम बार उसे तब छुआ जब उसके शरीर ने कोई भी गति करना बंद कर दिया।
In simple words: The doctors and their team touched the girl only after her body had completely stopped moving.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the sequence of events and how it highlights the lack of care or human touch for the child.

Question 5. What did the girl's head look like when it had cut apart? लड़की का सिर चीर देने के बाद कैसा दिखाई दे रहा था?
Answer: It looked like a sliced pomegranate. यह टुकड़े किए हुए अनार की भाँति दिखाई देता था।
In simple words: After being cut open, the girl's head looked like a sliced pomegranate.

🎯 Exam Tip: Recall the specific simile used to describe the appearance, as it's a key visual detail in the poem.

Question 6. Why did the mother send away the girl? माँ ने लड़की को क्यों विदा कर दिया, अर्थात् मार दिया?
Answer: The mother sent her away because she did not want a second girl. माँ ने उसे विदा कर दिया क्योंकि वह एक और लड़की नहीं चाहती थी।
In simple words: The mother got rid of the girl because she did not want another daughter.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the mother's motivation, which is often a central theme in poems about gender discrimination.

Question 7. What did the mother do after everything had been over? सब-कुछ निपट जाने के बाद माँ ने क्या किया?
Answer: She put on her grass-green saree and did her hair and went away as if nothing had happened. उसने घास के समान हरे रंग की साड़ी पहनी, बाल ठीक किए और वहाँ से इस तरह चल दी जैसे कुछ हुआ ही न हो।
In simple words: After everything was done, the mother calmly got ready, put on her green saree, did her hair, and left as if nothing bad had occurred.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note the mother's indifferent actions, which highlight the poem's theme of societal apathy towards girl children.

Question 8. Why did everyone smile? प्रत्येक व्यक्ति क्यों मुस्कराया?
Answer: Everyone smiled to show that the act of killing the girl was successfully completed. प्रत्येक व्यक्ति इसलिए मुस्कराया कि वह दिखा सकता कि लड़की को मारने का कार्य सफलतापूर्वक पूरा कर लिया गया था।
In simple words: Everyone smiled to show that they had successfully killed the girl.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to ironic details like smiling after such a tragic event, as it underscores the poem's critique of societal values.

Question 10. Why won't the girl become a flower or a butterfly? लड़की फूल अथवा तितली क्यों नहीं बन पायेगी?
Answer: As she was killed prematurely, she would not become a flower or a butterfly. चूँकि उसे परिपक्क होने से पूर्व ही मार दिया गया था, अतः वह फूल अथवा तितली नहीं बन पायेगी।
In simple words: The girl cannot become a flower or a butterfly because she was killed too early, before she could grow and live.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the symbolism; flowers and butterflies represent growth and beauty, which the girl was denied due to her early death.

Question 11. Why is the girl not a part of anyone's song? लड़की किसी के भी गीत का हिस्सा क्यों नहीं है?
Answer: As she has left no memories of hers behind, she cannot become a part of anyone's song. क्योंकि उसने पीछे कोई स्मृतियाँ नहीं छोड़ी हैं, अत: वह किसी के गीत का हिस्सा नहीं है।
In simple words: The girl cannot be part of anyone's song because she left no memories behind.

🎯 Exam Tip: Connect the lack of memories with the inability to be celebrated in a song, emphasizing the girl's forgotten existence.

Question 12. What is the girl talking about when she says, "this is not God's will'? लड़की किस चीज के बारे में बोल रही है जब वह यह कहती है कि यह ईश्वर की इच्छा नहीं
Answer: The girl is talking about her killing by the doctors in her mother's womb. लड़की डॉक्टरों द्वारा माँ के गर्भ में की गयी उसकी हत्या के बारे में बात कर रही है।
In simple words: The girl is saying that her death, caused by doctors inside her mother, was not something God wanted to happen.

🎯 Exam Tip: This phrase highlights the moral and ethical conflict, contrasting human actions with divine will.