THE POTRAIT OF LADY SUMMARY

The author briefly describes how his grandmother used to look when he was a child. He
describes her appearance to be typical of most grandmothers – she was an old, wrinkled woman.
Although he had learned from people that his grandmother had been pretty in her younger days
when she had a husband, he found it hard to believe. He then adds that he regarded his
grandfather as someone who could not have a wife or children but could have only many
grandchildren.

The author had seen his grandmother as an old lady since he was born. He found it against his
nature to imagine his grandmother as a young woman – just like he could not believe her
accounts of childhood when she used to play games. He could not come to terms with his
grandmother being a pretty woman, but he always thought she was beautiful. He compares her to
a winter landscape in the mountains – serenely white with her white outfits and silver hair. He
found her to be the epitome of peace and contentment.

The author now tells us about the dynamics of his relationship with his grandmother over the
years. As a child, his grandmother took care of him since his parents were in the city trying to
earn a better life. His grandmother used to wake him up and prepare him for school. They used to
go to the school together as it was attached to the temple. He attended classes while his
grandmother read scriptures inside the temple. After school, his grandmother would feed stale
chapattis to the village dogs, who would follow them home, fighting for the chapattis.

There came a turning point in the author’s life when his parents called him and his grandmother
to the city where they had finally settled down. The author started attending an English school,
and his grandmother no longer accompanied him to school. There were no dogs in the streets, so
she fed sparrows. Their relationship began to change. She would ask him about his school, and
he would tell her about the different concepts of western science and learning. The grandmother
could not help him with these kinds of lessons at school. It made her unhappy. She became more
disturbed to know that there were no lessons on God, and that music lessons were given at
school. She became less friendly towards the author after learning this.

When the author went to the university, the friendship between him and his grandmother was
broken. He stayed at the university, and his grandmother spent her days sitting at her spinning
wheel, followed by afternoons when she would feed the sparrows. When the author decided to
go abroad for further education, he expected his grandmother to be upset about it. But to his
surprise, she was not. Instead, she accompanied him to the station to see him off and said
goodbye with a silent prayer and a kiss on his forehead. He had imagined this to be his last
physical meeting with his grandmother.

After five years, when the author returned, he found his grandmother looking the same as she
used to years ago – not a day older. She welcomed him with a silent prayer and did not talk. Her
happiest moment on the first day of his arrival was during the afternoon she spent with the
sparrows. In the evening, she collected some women from the neighbourhood and sang songs
about the homecoming of warriors. The author and his family persuaded her to stop, so she did
not overstrain herself.

The next morning the author’s grandmother fell ill with a mild fever. While the doctor informed
them that it would subside quickly, she was sure that her end was near. She expressed her desire
to pray rather than talk to them since she was left with only a few hours of her life. Although the
author and his family were reluctant, she paid them no heed. After some moments of praying,
she passed away. The family mourned, and she was covered with a red shroud as was customary.
Everyone went ahead to prepare for her funeral, and when they returned to her room to take her
body away for cremation, they saw hundreds of sparrows scattered around her from her bedroom
to the verandah.

Everyone felt sorry about the sparrows, and the author’s mother tried to feed some bread crumbs
to the sparrows, but they did not seem to notice the food. When his grandmother was carried
away, the sparrows flew away quietly.

Conclusion of The Portrait of a Lady

The Portrait of a Lady gives us a detailed picture of the relationship between the author and his
grandmother. True to its name, the story draws a character sketch of the grandmother who stays
the same over the years. Her thoughts, way of life and activities do not seem to change. While
the author seems to go through a lot of change owing to his education in India and abroad, the
grandmother just accepts the change. She continues living a life of serenity and simplicity until
her death. She does not talk much to the author in his adult years and seems detached and
emotionless to him at times. But this concept is challenged by the flock of sparrows that mourn
her death.
Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 11 English The
Portrait of a Lady
Q1
What is the theme of the story ‘The Portrait of a Lady’?
The Portrait of a Lady centres around the various emotional and social equations involved in a relationship that
is constantly changing. We can see how the author feels attached to his grandmother and how slowly it turns
into a detached relationship where affection and care are still present. Still, the detached behaviour of the
grandmother towards the author baffles him about her stance on their friendship many times.
Q2
Why is the story called ‘The Portrait of a Lady’?
Khushwant Singh draws a portrait of his grandmother in this story. He does not ignore any details and
describes her as he saw her from his childhood to the day she died.
Q3
What is the significance of the sparrows in the story ‘The Portrait of a
Lady’?
The sparrows play a minor role in the chapter but provide an insightful perspective towards the grandmother’s
character. While the author might have been sometimes baffled by his grandmother’s detached behaviour and
might have considered a decline in her attachment towards him, the sparrows, which pay her last respects with
their silence, symbolise the true depth of her loving and caring nature.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SILK ROAD
The author of the chapter ‘Silk Road’, Nick Middleton, narrates his journey to Mount Kailash
through Tibet. He wanted to perform the holy ritual of the kora and saw it as a motivation for
positive thinking that he wanted to inculcate more in his daily life.

While leaving a place called Ravu, the author is accompanied by another person named Daniel.
The name of their driver is Tsetan. A local lady from Ravu named Lhamo gifted a sheepskin coat
to the author. It was the general attire of the drokbas (NOMADS). THEY TOOK SHORTCUT
TO GET OFF CHANGTANG. Tsetan knew a route to Mount Kailash in the southwest direction
that would involve passing through several high mountain passes.

Along the way, the author saw vast, open arid pastures with gazelles nibbling on them;
TIBITIEAN WILD ASS called kyang; solitary drokbas looking after their cattle and nomads’
tents guarded by Tibetan mastiffs. The massive and fear-inducing anatomy of these Tibetan
mastiffs made the author realize why they were popular as hunting dogs in China’s imperial
courts. Soon, they encountered snow-capped mountains that were quite difficult to pass through.
The altitude at this place was 5,210 meters above sea level, according to the author’s watch. The
cold affected his physiological functions and he started experiencing a headache.

They reached the top of the mountain pass, which was 5,515 metres above sea level and marked
by a pile of rocks. The author finally started feeling better as they descended to a work camp set
up beside a dry salt lake. By afternoon, they reached a small town called Hor – which the author
describes as ‘miserable’ with no greenery and only rocks and dust. Daniel parted ways here and
went back to Lhasa. The author expresses his disappointment at his expectations of the
Mansoravar Lake on whose shore the town of Hor was situated. There was garbage everywhere.

Finally, they arrived at a guest house in Darchen at night. The author could not sleep, and Tsetan
took him to the Darchen medical college the following morning. Once he was assured that the
author was well and could do the kora, Tsetan returned to Lhasa.

After a good night’s sleep, Darchen did not look so horrible to the author, and he felt relaxed. He
describes Darchen as a dusty and derelict town with a few rudimentary stores. The author could
not see too many pilgrims around and assumed that he might have arrived very early for the
pilgrim season. He did not want to do the kora alone, with the snow blocking most of the way.

As he waited for optimum conditions to do the kora, he met Norbu, who was an academic
researcher working on the importance of it in various works of Buddhist literature at the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. The author got to know Norbu better and found out that
he was there to do the kora as well. Both academicians decided to do the pilgrimage as a team,
and the author felt that his positive-thinking strategy was working again.

Conclusion of Silk Road

Silk Road Class 11 summary shows us the outcomes of resilience and faith in oneself. The
author had to face many challenges, which made him develop a negative attitude towards his
journey many times, but he stayed put and was finally able to find someone as interested in the
kora as him. Both found common grounds in their motivation towards the pilgrimage. The author
ends his travel account on a note of positivity. He finds out that thinking positively does lead to
good outcomes in life.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 11 English Silk

Road
Q1
What is the summary of Silk Road?
Silk Road tells us about the journey of its author, Nick Middleton, to do the holy ritual of kora at Mount
Kailash. The journey describes various events and geographical elements encountered on the way. It also gives
the reader glimpses of the introspection and self-doubt the author experiences during this journey.
Q2
What is the central theme of the chapter ‘Silk Road’?
The central theme of this chapter is the spirit of a journey and how positivity affects us throughout this
journey.
Q3
Why did the author assume that his positive thinking strategy was
working?
The author was not impressed with the towns of Hor and Darchen or the geographical landscape around
Mansarovar. When he finally settled at a guest house in Darchen, he could not find any pilgrims. This
dampened his spirits more, but when he met Norbu he found a companion in his pilgrimage. This made him
think that his philosophy of positive thinking was finally paying off.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ADVENTURE
The story starts with Gangadharpant Gaitonde – a history professor exploring a different world,
searching for answers to some questions that had altered his understanding of the past and
present. He was travelling to Bombay on the Jijamata Express. He had made a plan – researching
by studying some books at a library and returning to Pune to talk to Rajendra Deshpande about
his findings. He knew Rajendra Deshpande would help him solve his queries. However,
Professor Gaitonde was also uncertain about the existence of his friend Rajendra Deshpande in
this world. As he came out of the station in Bombay, he was shocked to find the headquarters of
The East India Company alive and flourishing – which according to historical records, was
supposed to be wound up after the events of 1857. He reasoned that the time period could be one
of those before 1857. He decided to find out. Meanwhile, when he went to see his son at the
Forbes building, the English receptionist informed him that there was no employee named Vinay
Gaitonde in the building. Gangadgarpant was further shocked. He guessed that there was no
reason for his son to be alive if he himself was dead in this world. Maybe his son was not born at
all.

Professor Gaitonde found a library at the Town Hall and asked the librarian to provide him with
a list of History books, including the ones he had written. As he went through the books, he
looked for the point where history had taken a different turn. Contrary to common knowledge,
the contents of this book presented the outcome of the Battle of Panipat as the Marathas winning
over the army of Abdali. As he read on, Professor Gaitonde noticed that the writing style was
unmistakably his, but the content was completely new to him. The victory established the
supremacy of the Marathas in Northern India, and the East India Company decided to put a halt
to its expansionist agendas.

His book in the new world talked about Vishwarao, the new Maratha ruler, and his brother
Madhavrao using their political acumen and valour to expand their control all over India. They
had made developments in the fields of Science and Technology with the help of the East India
Company. India had become a democracy by the twentieth century, and the position of the
Shahenshah at Delhi was diminished to a figurehead to rubber-stamp the recommendations made
by the central parliament. He went through another book by Bhausahebanchi Bakhar that talked
about the Battle of Panipat in a graphic manner. It talked about how a bullet had missed
Vishwarao, hence, changing the original course of history as we know it. The librarian reminded
Professor Gaitonde that it was time to leave the library. Gaitonde put the book of Bakhar into his
left pocket absent-mindedly when he was putting some notes into his right pocket.

Gaitonde found a guest house to stay in, and after having a frugal meal, went out for a stroll
towards the Azad Maidan. In the maidan, he found that a pandal was organised for a speaker. He
noticed that the presidential chair was unoccupied. He went to occupy the seat, and the audience
revolted against his action. When he went to reason with them by talking about the importance of
a speaker on a presidential chair, the audience grew furious and removed him from the stage by
themselves.

The next scene shows Gangadharpant talking to his friend Rajendra Deshpande. The latter asked
Gaitonde what he was doing before he hit the truck and had an accident. Gaitonde replied that he
was thinking about the catastrophe theory and its implications on history. Rajendra smiled, and
Gaitonde explained that it was not his mind playing tricks on him. To prove it, Gaitonde took out
a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a page torn from the book of Bakhar that he had
accidentally slipped into his left pocket. It talked about how a bullet had missed Vishwarao and
how this event was interpreted as a good omen by the Martha army that led to their victory.
Gaitonde then took out his own copy of Bakhar, which showed Vishwarao getting hit by a bullet.

He went into a deep state of thought and finally told Gaitonde that he would try to solve this
catastrophic experience of the latter using two scientific theories. Rajendra pointed out that the
page that talked about Vishwarao’s victory presented a crucial event gone the other way. He now
started connecting the events to a scientific theory. Reality is not only about things that we can
perceive through our senses. It could have other manifestations as well. It is not easy to predict
the nature of systems comprising atoms and their constituent particles, even if all the governing
principles are known. In different world pictures, an electron might be present at different
positions. Once we find the position of the electron, we can easily determine which world it is.
At the same time, interestingly, alternative worlds with the electron in different positions can
also exist.

Moreover, transitions happen in systems with electrons and their constituents. An electron may
cause radiation while transiting from a higher state of energy to a lower state of energy. Rajendra
speculated that this kind of behaviour could also happen at a macroscopic level. An astonished
Gangadharpant asked Rajendra if it was possible that he had travelled to one world and returned
to his original one. Rajendra explained that catastrophic situations offer radically different
alternatives for the world to proceed, but the observer can experience only one at a time.
Gaitonde had made a transition to another world where he stayed for two days and was able to
experience two worlds at one time. In both the worlds, the bifurcation took place at a certain
point – the Battle of Panipat. Gaitonde had travelled neither to the past nor the future, but he was
in the present, experiencing a different world. There could be many more different worlds
formed by bifurcations at certain points in the timeline.

Professor Gaitonde was curious to know why he had gone through such an experience. Rajendra
explained that interaction was necessary to cause a transition. Gaitonde was thinking about the
catastrophe theory and its implications for war. Maybe he was thinking about the Battle of
Panipat, and it probably triggered the neurons in his brain. Gaitonde conveyed to Rajendra that
the topic for his thousandth presidential address was going to be about the consequences of the
reverse outcome of the Battle of Panipat itself.

Conclusion of The Adventure

Summary of The Adventure Class 11 English presents an interesting scientific theory through the
lenses of a history professor. The experience experienced by Professor Gaitonde is bizarre and
seems like wild imagination to someone who has never heard of this theory before. This chapter
is a beautiful combination of literature and science to propagate the theory of parallel worlds to
the layman reader. A person who does not have much scientific acumen can also understand this
theory through the story. Rajendra Deshpande’s explanation of the theory through step-by-step
analysis of the event to compare it with the features of electrons in microscopic worlds
demonstrates the basics of quantum physics behind the foundation of this theory.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 11 English The

Adventure
Q1
What is the main theme of the story ‘The Adventure’?
The story deals with a detailed explanation of the theory of parallel worlds. The thrill, excitement and shocking
events experienced by Professor demonstrate what the real-life implications of travelling to a parallel world
could be like. The differences in the parallel worlds take place mostly because of a point of bifurcation in the
timeline of that world.
Q2
How did Gangadharpant feel about the history of the new world he had
experienced?
Gangadharpant was shocked to learn about the consequences of the Battle of Panipat that was won by the
Marathas, and led to a brilliant future for India. He felt excited that India was not subjugated by the British.
Q3
Do you think Profesor made a transition into another world?
Although the explanations by Rajendra Deshpande present it as a possibility, Professor Gaitonde’s unfortunate
encounter with an accident creates possible doubts. As discussed earlier, Rajendra seems to see it as a
psychological trick that took place in his mind during his unconscious state after the accident.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SUMMER OF WHITE HORSE

One morning, around dawn, when Aram was nine years old, his fun-spirited cousin Mourad
tapped on his window. When Aram looked out of the window, he could not believe what he was
seeing – his cousin Mourad was sitting on a beautiful white horse. Mourad asked Aram to come
down quickly if he wanted to ride the horse. Aram stood there in utter awe and disbelief because
there was no way Mourad could possess such a beautiful white horse.

While his family and his whole tribe suffered from poverty, their hallmark was honesty. The
whole Garoghlanian tribe was known for their honesty for many centuries. They were proud,
honest and justice-oriented. There was no way Mourad could have stolen that horse. But given
their financial conditions, it was evident that Mourad had not bought the horse – he had stolen it.
Aram felt both frightened and delighted at the situation. He asked his cousin why he had stolen
the horse. Mourad simply asked Aram if he wanted to go for a ride or not.

As Aram got up to dress, he engaged himself in thoughts – trying to justify Mourad’s actions. He
reasoned that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same as stealing something valuable as
money. It was not stealing at all, given how crazy Mourad and Aram were about horses. It would
be considered stealing if they offered to sell the horse. It was something they would never do. He
leapt down to the yard from the window, and both went riding. The horse went very fast, and
Mourad started singing loudly – almost roaring.

Aram tells us about his cousin Mourad. Like in every family, Mourad was considered to be the
natural descendant of the crazy streak in their tribe – uncle Khosrove. Although Mourad was
considered to be the descendant of Uncle Khosrove, his father, Zorab, was nothing but a practical
man by nature. Uncle Khosrove was a man of furious temper and little patience. He would stop
people from saying anything by just roaring at them. His classic response to any situation was to
tell the person concerned not to bother about it. It so happened that once Uncle Khorove’s son,
Arak, went running to his father in the salon to tell him that their house was on fire. Uncle
Khosrove simply roared at his son, telling him to pay no attention to it.

After letting the horse run as much as he could, Mourad asked Aram to get down. He wanted to
ride the horse alone. Aram asked Mourad if the latter would let him ride the horse alone.
Mourad’s reply was that it would be the horse’s decision. As Aram saw his cousin kick into the
horse and let it burst into a fury of speed, he felt like it was the loveliest thing he had ever seen.
Mourad rode the horse across a field over an irrigation ditch and returned five minutes later
completely drenched in sweat. He got off the horse and asked Aram to ride the horse.

Aram got on the horse and realised that the horse was not moving. He felt scared. Mourad
instructed him to kick into the horse’s muscles. The horse began to run, and Aram did not know
how to guide it. Instead of running across the field, the horse ran into the vineyard of Dikran
Halabian and started leaping over the vines. After going over seven vines, Aram fell off the
horse, and the horse continued running. Mourad and Aram went different ways looking for it,
and the former returned half an hour later with the horse.

Aram discovered that Mourad had been riding the horse for quite some time. But, when asked
about it, Mourad only asked Aram to remember that they started riding the horse that morning.
Mourad took the horse to the barn of a deserted vineyard. He informed Aram that it was not easy
to get the horse to behave nicely in the beginning, but he had an understanding with horses.
Mourad explained that Aram would be able to understand horses when he reached thirteen years
of age.

Uncle Khosrove came to Aram’s house that afternoon for coffee and cigarettes and sat there
remembering the old country. A farmer named John Byro arrived and started talking about his
lost white horse. It was stolen a month ago, and he was still not able to find it. As usual, Uncle
Khosrove told him not to bother about it. John Byro talked about his plight – he could not
operate his surrey without the horse, and his left leg hurt. The horse had cost him sixty dollars.
Uncle Khosrove retorted that he spat on money and stormed out of the house.

Aram ran to Mourad after hearing this and told him all about John Byro and the horse. He
wanted Mourad to return the horse when he had learned to ride properly. Mourad told him that it
would take him at least a year to learn riding the horse. Mourad did not want to keep the horse
that long and decided that they would return the horse after six months. They took the horse for a
ride every morning for two weeks. There seemed to be no improvement in Aram’s riding. One
morning, they ran into John Byro. Mourad wanted to talk to the farmer, saying he had a way with
farmers. John Byro felt that this horse resembled his lost horse and wanted to inspect its teeth.
Mourad agreed. John Byro informed Mourad that he would have definitely claimed that horse to
be his if he did not know about their family’s reputation for honesty.

The next morning, Aram and Mourad took the horse back to John Byro’s. The same afternoon,
John Byro came to Aram’s house in his surrey and showed his found horse to Aram’s mother. He
informs Aram’s mother that the horse is stronger and more well-tempered than before.

Conclusion of The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Summary is a depiction of innocence and curiosity
during childhood. The two Armenian boys – Mourad and Aram – are honest and do not want to
really hurt anyone. But their curiosity and desire to experience wonderful things lead them to
commit wrong things. Aram knows that Mourad has done a horrible thing, but the thrill of riding
the beautiful white horse takes him away from all moral obligations. He even tries to justify the
action by assuming that it is not an act of stealing if they are passionate about riding horses.
However, as soon as Aram learns about the struggles faced by John Byro without his horse, the
two boys return the horse.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 11 English The

Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
Q1
What is the theme of the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White
Horse’?
The story is about staying true to one nature no matter what. Although the poverty faced by the Garoghlanian
tribe was a contributing factor in Mourad stealing the white horse, Aram and Mourad knew it was wrong and
returned the horse back to its owner.
Q2
What is meant by the words ‘good old days’ in the story ‘The Summer of
a Beautiful White Horse’?
These words show the playful and pleasant days of childhood when everything seems wonderful. Feelings and
emotions are not complicated. Children’s perspective towards the world is naive during this stage, and they are
not burdened with the harsh realities of adulthood.
Q3
What made the boys return the horse?
The boys belonged to a tribe that was known for being honest in adverse situations for generations. The quality
had also percolated into them, but living in poverty had made things irresistible to them. They never intended
to keep the horse, but when they saw the farmer struggle without his horse, they realized it was not worth
hurting someone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE TALE OF MELON CITY

There was a king who was considered just and composed. He had announced the construction of
an arch that would run above the main road in his city. It was meant to uplift the spirits of
people. The king wanted to impress his people. So, the workmen started to build the arch without
questions – since it was the king’s order. The city seemed to live by principles based on long-
held traditions of obedience and hierarchy.

When the construction was over, the king rode to the thoroughfare to inspect the arch and
interact with the spectators. The archway was not built high and toppled off the king’s crown.
The ‘just and placid’ king called it a disgrace and ordered the chief of the builders to be hanged.
As the builder was brought to the gallows to be hanged, he shouted to the king that it was not his
fault and the workers were to blame. The king paused the proceedings and ordered all the
workers to be hanged. In turn, the workers protested and blamed the incorrect size of the bricks.
The king called for the masons to be brought in. The masons passed it on to the architect. The
king then summoned the architect.

Now, the architect made a bold revelation. He reminded the king that the latter had made
amendments to the plan. The king was alarmed to learn about this and did not know what to do.
So, he decided he needed some counsel and ordered the wisest man to be brought to the court.
The wise man was brought to the court on the king’s orders. He was a very old man who could
hardly walk or see. The old man decided that the true culprit was the arch that removed the
crown from the king’s head. The arch was now being taken to the scaffold when a councillor
protested that it was not wise to hang something that had touched the king’s head. The king
admitted that this was true. But, by now, the crowd had grown restless.

The king understood the public was impatient. And to appease them, he announced a hanging.
The hanging could be of anyone. It just had to be an execution. A noose was prepared, but it was
quite high. As a result, each man was measured to identify someone whose height matched that
of the noose. However, only one man fit the particular height, and he was the king. Thus, the
king was hanged by royal decree.

The ministers felt relieved at their ability to find a suitable match for the noose. They were
worried about the consequences if they could not hang someone. The public would have turned
against the Crown. They hailed the king’s death and proclaimed in the name of the dead king that
whoever passed through the city gate next would be chosen as the ruler of their state. And the
coronation would be observed ceremoniously, as was the custom.

The next person to pass by the city gate was a man. He was an idiot who only liked melons. His
standard answer to any question was ‘melon’, and he did the same when asked to decide on a
king for the state. The melon was crowned and carried to the throne with respect.

This event happened long ago. Whenever people of the state are questioned about their present
ruler being a melon, they explain that they chose their king according to the state’s customs.
Interestingly, they did not mind their king being a melon as long as the people were given
freedom of choice and were left in peace. The principles of laissez-faire are well established
here.

Conclusion of The Tale of Melon City

The Tale of Melon City Summary shows us how a lack of good political leadership can pose
threats to the members of the administration and government. A leader has to be clear-headed
and wise while making decisions. Not having a good grip on one’s state affairs can quickly
weaken a leader in the eyes of the general public and create reasons for revolt and agitation in
their fellow citizens. Also, sticking to archaic rules and traditions might not always help the
development and progress of a state. The king’s decision to punish just about anyone for the arch
being low, that too because of the king’s own fault, demonstrates his vain and rigidly orthodox
nature. The poet also shows us the dynamics involved in a government based on laissez-
faire where the ruling authority does not interfere much in the ways of people’s businesses,
economic conditions and working lives. The king ordered the arch to impress his fellow citizens,
but he was triggered by the low height of the arch. He planned to punish the builder, but due to
his poor insight and weak leadership skills, he could not make a decision. Things took an ugly
turn when the king himself was hanged to satisfy the angered public gathered there. Ultimately, a
melon was crowned as a king. Here we can again see blind loyalty toward customs and
traditions. The melon represents the lack of a functional ruler who can take decisive actions. The
citizens are happy as long as they are peacefully left to their state of affairs.

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 11 English The

Tale of Melon City
Q1
What does the melon city symbolize?
The melon city symbolizes a state with a non-functional government that is present merely as a name and
nothing else. It results from a strong laissez-faire policy and corrupt politicians who are vain and concerned
mostly about their ego and social status rather than performing real work to elevate the condition of their state.
It is a political satire on bureaucracy.
Q2
What do you understand by laissez-faire?
Laissez-faire is a policy that dictates government officials to refrain from business, finance or the conditions of
working people’s lives.
Q3
What is the irony in the poem The Tale of Melon City?
The king in the poem is described as ‘placid and just’ but he seems to exhibit none of these qualities as we can
see that he is triggered by the smallest of events, and has a hard time deciding whom to punish. He announces
a hanging for something as insignificant as the arch touching his crown, but the irony is that he ends up being
the victim of this punishment, and is executed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------