Answer the following questions.
a. How did the morning papers bring an ambiance of celebration in the Varma family?
Ans: The morning papers had published the result of medical examination in which Rakesh stood first in the entire country. This brought an ambiance of celebration to the Varma family.
b. How did the community celebrate Rakesh's success?
Ans: After Rakesh's success, the community members gathered in his small yellow house for a celebration. They congratulated him and his parents for this achievement filling the house and garden with the colors of a festival. They also enjoyed the halwa along with other delicacies and offered gifts to Rakesh.
c. Why was Rakesh's success a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood?
Ans: Rakesh's success was a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood because it was a huge achievement for a person like him who had illiterate parents and came from a shabby little colony at the edge of the city. Besides, he was the first person from his family to go to school and also stood first in the medical exam.
d. How does the author make fun with the words 'America' and 'the USA'?
Ans: The author makes fun with the words 'America' and 'the USA' by portraying Varma's way of dealing with these words. Mr. Varma learns to call it "the USA" and teaches the entire family to do it because, for him, the neighbours who call it "America" are ignorant.
e. How does the author characterize Rakesh's wife?
Ans: The author characterizes Rakesh's wife as a plump and uneducated girl who is simple, traditional, and seemingly lazy but pretty and good-natured. She is an obedient wife who blindly follows her husband, too lazy to make him leave home and set up independently.
f. Describe how Rakesh rises in his career.
Ans: Rakesh wins a scholarship because of his thesis in M.D. and pursues his career in the prestigious of all hospitals in the USA. After returning from there, he works in the city hospital for a few years and quickly rises to the post of director. But he leaves to start his own clinic and soon becomes a famous as well as the most prosperous doctor in the town.
g. How does the author describe Rakesh's family background?
Ans: The author mentions that Rakesh came from a family with illiterate and poor parents. He belonged to the shabby middle-class colony, and he was also the first in his family to attend school. His father had worked in a kerosene depot for forty years, his mother had been a housewife all her life, and his grandfather had been a vegetable seller.
h. What is the impact of Rakesh's mother's death on his father?
Ans: After Rakesh's mother's death, his father was broken down physically and mentally. He developed so many complaints and fell ill so frequently with several mysterious diseases. He also developed an exasperating habit of stretching out suddenly and pretending to be dead.
i. What did Rakesh do to make his father's old age more comfortable?
Ans: To make his father's old age more comfortable, Rakesh supervised his father's food allowing him to eat only the healthy ones. He used to bring the morning tea in the old man's favorite tumbler and read the news for him. He would persuade him to take the evening air out in the garden, making all the arrangements in the corner of the open verandah.
j. Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren?
Ans: The old man tried to bribe his grandchildren because he was banned from having the foods he craved, fried and sweet ones, at home. Therefore, he asked his grandchildren to buy jalebis for him.
k. Are Mr. Varma's complaints about his diets reasonable? How?
Ans:(Various responses are expected from students): No, Mr. Varma's complaints about his diets are not reasonable because Rakesh does everything to ensure his health and long life. If he was allowed to eat the foods he craved he would have suffered more.
(Alternative Answer)
Yes, Mr. Varma's dietary complaints are reasonable because he does not allow his father the food he craved. Rakesh just wants his father alive like a living corpse. He can have arranged something that is both tasty and healthy.
Reference to the context
a. How did Varma couple make sacrifices for their son's higher education?
Ans: Several sacrifices were made by the Varma couple for their son's higher education. Mr. Varma worked in the Kerosene dealer's depot for forty years in order to send his son to school and then medical college. His mother spent her life in the kitchen to feed the family. They had been living in a small yellow house in the dirty colony. It was extremely hard for a middle-class family to manage expenses to send their son, Rakesh, to a medical college. However, they somehow managed for Rakesh's higher education even by sacrificing their own desires.
b. Mr. Varma suffers from diseases one after another after his wife's death. Would he have enjoyed better health if she had not died before him? Give reasons.
Ans: I think Mr. Varma would have enjoyed better health if his wife had not died before him because he quickly went to pieces after losing her. Most of his diseases were the outcomes of his stress, anxiety, and isolated life. His son took a good care of him but failed to grasp his emotional state. If his wife had not died before him he would have got rid of these problems. Due to the old age, he still would have some health issues, but he would definitely be better than how he lived after his wife's death.
c. Dr. Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health, but as a doctor, he is strict on his father's diet and medicine. In your view, what else could Rakesh have done to make his father's final years more comfortable?
Ans: Dr. Rakesh is indeed divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health, but as a doctor, he is strict on his father's diet and medicine.
However, he could have done several other things to make his father's final year more comfortable. He could have been very polite while dealing with his father and could have made other family members and servants do the same. Likewise, he could have asked for his father's consent for the foods and medicines he was provided. Similarly, he could have arranged foods that are both healthy and tasty for his father. In addition, he should have spent more quality time with his father and should have taken him to visit parks, zoos, cinema halls, and nursing homes. Through these behaviors, his father's final years would have been more comfortable.
d. What does the story say about the relationship between grandfather and grandchildren?
Ans: This story depicts a close and robust relationship between grandfather and grandchildren. Mr. Varma's grandchildren were empathetic towards him as they helped him buy jalebis despite Rakesh's prohibition. Even the grandson lies to Rakesh after he was caught to cover his grandfather's fault. This shows that the relationship between grandfather and grandchildren is much closer and affectionate than the father-son relationship.
e. Do you call Rakesh a devoted son? Give reasons.
Ans: Yes, Rakesh can be called a devoted son. It is because he does his best to serve his parents. He touches the feet of his father almost every day and also reads news for him. He can have a better future in the USA; however, he sacrifices his career in order to stay with his parents. Despite being a doctor, he marries an ignorant plump girl in order to make his mother happy. His mother dies with a satisfied sigh because he ministers to her in her last illness and sits pressing her feet at the last moment. After his mother's death, he continues to look after his father and starts supervising his diet for his better health. He loved and cared him persistently even after receiving hatred from him. All of his efforts are examples of devotion towards his parents. Therefore, I can surely call Rakesh a devoted son.
Reference beyond the text
a. Write an essay on The Parents' Ambition for their Children in Nepali Society. You must give at least five examples.
Ans:
The Parents' Ambition for their Children in Nepali Society
Nepali society mainly embraces the strong bond between parents and children. The parents consider their children as the support for their old age. This is the reason they carry enormous ambitions for their children. Parents to do everything for their children, and children too are expected to serve their parents till their death. The societal structure in Nepal and strong family bonds instill high ambition in the parents for their children.
The parents-children bonds in our society are the outcome of our culture. It has taught that parents-children relationship is permanent and they owe certain responsibilities towards each other. During the early age, parents are supposed to nurture the children for their the physical, emotional and social development. And, during their old age the children have the responsibility to take care of their parents.
Parents believe that it is their duty to frame the career of their children. They want to see them in a respectable position in society. This kind of attitude has both positive and negative impacts on the children. On the one hand, it encourages the children to be successful in their life. On the other hand, it may add burdens on them as their area of interest might be different from their parents.
Here are some examples of the parents' ambition for their children in Nepali society:
i. Nepali parents want to send their son or daughter to the best school, hoping he/she would be a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer, a government officer, or a person having a prestigious career in the future.
ii. Parents would sacrifice their careers for the better future of kids. For example, if a mother gets an opportunity to pursue a job, and if she has to choose it over her children, she would most probably go for the latter.
iii. Nepali parents are always ready to sell all their property to send their children to a foreign university, considering they can be prosperous.
iv. Parents impose their dreams on their children. For example, if they had an aim to be a doctor but could not achieve it because of various circumstances, they would want their children to be a doctor.
v. They compare their kids with relatives and neighbors. And they start pushing their kids to be better than them.
These are some common examples that represent the parents' ambition for their children in Nepali society. The structure of Nepali society where family bonds carry a greater significance creates high ambition among the parents for their children. And it is justifiable too to think about the good future of their children. However, they must understand that it is more important to be happy in life than to be wealthy and successful. They also should consider their children's interests and find a meeting point with their own ambitions.
b. Medicines replace our diets in old age. What can be done to make old age
less dependent on medicine?
Ans: It is said that our lifestyle in our childhood and adulthood determines our health during old age. Therefore, to make old age less dependent on medicine, one must follow healthy habits from the beginning. At a young age, one should be vaccinated to stop exposure to vulnerable diseases. He/she should consume a healthy balanced diet and should do physical exercises regularly.
With the growing age, the consumption of protein-rich food, fruits, and vegetables should be increased. Besides, a regular medical check-up is also considered necessary. Other than that, one should take care of anxiety and stress too. Sugary, high fat, and cholesterol-rich foods should be minimized to make old age more comfortable. Drinking sufficient water and sound sleep too is required from an early age.
During old age, the family needs to be polite and friendly in treatment. Older adults need companionship to interact and enjoy. They must keep following healthy behaviors. The entertainment factor, too, is very significant during this time. In this way, old age can be made less dependent on the medicine.
c. Write an essay on "Care of Elderly Citizens" in about 300 words.
Ans:
Care of Elderly Citizens
Old age is inevitable. Generally, it is assumed that a person aged 60 years and above is a senior citizen. With the growing age, elderly citizens fall prey to several physical and mental illnesses, weakness, and social stigma. They cannot work like the adults; instead, they need assistance and care even to lead a simple life. Elderly citizens deserve to be well cared of in their old age because all their lives, they contribute to their family, society, and the nation through their skills and effort.
Society and the government have their own responsibilities in caring for elderly citizens; however, the children should carry the topmost liability in their nourishment. It is because they are the ones who have made a lot of sacrifices throughout their lives to ensure a better future for their kids. Besides, they are the stems of family heritage who can pass cultures and traditions to the newer generation. In addition, as a human being, it is the right thing to take care of them.
While taking care of elderly citizens, there are certain things the children can do. They should always be made involved in the family celebration and other significant affairs. They also need continuous interaction with their family members regarding their daily affairs. They also need to be taken care of for their excellent health and hygienic diet. Good elderly care, with the help of professionals, can stop them from feeling lonely and depressed. At this age, they can develop irritating and irrational behaviours, but the children should deal with them politely.
Elderly citizens hold the family firmly at all times and make them strong. They come handy in terms of solving disputes in the family or community. From the experiences throughout their lives, they can easily judge a situation and can suggest their children to handle tough situations. They even are important members of any society and therefore have the right to live in dignity in later life
Old age cannot be stopped, but it can be made joyful. The parents invest their time, wealth, and effort for the kids in their adulthood. And, during their old age, the children should take it as pay them back. They are the ones whose life is uncertain. Therefore, the care of elderly citizens must be given higher significance because it is them who have once contributed to their family, society, and the nation through their skills and effort.
THANK YOU, SIR
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