Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Crime and Punishment Questions and Answers Unit 5 Chapter 3 (Short story)
Read And Respond (Text Book)
Question 1.
Why did the boy try to fool the teacher by repeating his mistake?
Answer:
The boy tried to fool the teacher by repeating his mistake because he did not want to continue with his studies. He was interested in playing and not studying.
Question 2.
Why did the parents give the boy intensive coaching in Mathematics?
Answer:
The parents gave the boy intensive coaching in Mathematics because they wanted him to score 50 in Mathematics and thus get a double promotion to the first form.
Question 3.
How does the teacher react when the boy repeated the mistake several times?
Answer:
The teacher slapped the boy hard on his cheek when he repeated the mistake several times.
Question 4.
What is the boy’s response when the teacher slapped him on his cheek?
Answer:
The boy gazed at the teacher for a moment and started crying.
Question 5.
Why does the teacher ask the boy not to tell the incident to his mother?
Answer:
The teacher asks the boy not to tell the incident to his mother because the mother would get angry and dismiss him from work.
Question 6.
How do the parents consider the boy?
Answer:
The parents consider the boy a little angel. He was their only child and they gave him a lot of love.
Question 7.
What facilities do the parents provide to the boy?
Answer:
They built him a nursery, bought him expensive toys, fitted up miniature furniture sets, gave him a small pedal motor car to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could eat as he wanted.
Question 8.
Why do the parents give half an hour’s class on child psychology to the teacher every day?
Answer:
The father had written a thesis on infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. It seemed they wanted him to treat the boy as if he was made of thin glass. The parents thought that no prohibition or repression should affect the boy’s mind. If you make restrictions and repressions, you will damage the child for life.
Question 9.
Why does the teacher consider the boy a gorilla?
Answer:
The teacher considers the boy a gorilla because he is very mischievous. He does not want to study and he disobeys instructions. The parents thinkthe boy is a little angel, but the teacher knows he is a gorilla difficult to teach and manage.
Question 10.
How does the boy compel die teacher to act as a station master? And what duty does he assign to the teacher?
Answer:
The boy compels the teacher to act as a station master by threatening to tell the slapping incident to his parents. His duty was to blow the whistle when the train reached his station and ask the train driver to stop the train as there are many people who have bought tickets.
Question 11.
When is the teacher relieved of the role of the station master?
Answer:
The teacher is relieved of the role of the station master when the train refused to move. The boy handed it to the teacher and told him to repair it. The teachertumed it around in his hand and said he did not know anything about it.
Question 12.
Why does the teacher become desperate?
Answer:
The teacher becomes desperate because he can’t make the train work. He was absolutely non-mechanical and he does not know what to do to make the train move.
Question 13.
How does the teacher become tired?
Answer:
The teacher becomes tired because he had done six hours of teaching at school during the day. He had lost his breath.
Question 14.
Why does the teacher decide to reveal the matter to the parents?
Answer:
The teacher decides to reveal the matter to the parents because he is tired of the blackmailing by the boy. It is better to tell the truth to the parents and accept whatever punishment they give than stand the blackmailing by the boy.
Question 15.
Why does the boy become so annoyed and slink behind his parents?
Answer:
The boy becomes so annoyed and slinks behind his parents when his father asked the teacher how the boy was preparing for the test in arithmetic.
Crime and Punishment (Story) Edumate Questions & Answers
Question 1.
When the boy obstinately said the same he felt as if his finger were releasing the trigger. He reached across the table, and delivered a wholesome slap on the youngster’s cheek.
What is your opinion about the teacher’s behaviour? What could the teacher have done instead? Express your views in a paragraph.
Answer:
The teacher was wrong in slapping the boy on the cheek. It was a hard slap making the boy’s cheek red. Instead of slapping the boy, he could have asked him a different question or said some interesting things to bring the boy back into the study-mood. Corporal punishment to children is strictly prohibited in many countries. By giving corporal punishment you make the students hate their studies. Studies are done better when the students have a desire to study. I think the best way to teach is to tickle the curiosity in children and motivate them. Let them leam things because they want to learn them and not because they are forced or punished.
Question 2.
Imagine that the teacher decides to confess his crime to the boy’s parents after the class. What will the teacher say? Draft a confession statement for the teacher.
Answer:
Today something bad happened. You had told me that your son should get 50 marks in the class test forgetting a double promotion. I was trying hard to improve his arithmetic. I taught him the table of 16 up to 10.1 was checking if he remembered it. I asked him what is 16 x 3. He said 24.1 corrected him and made him say 48. Again I asked him and again he said 24. I thought he was trying to make me a fool by deliberately giving me the wrong answer each time I asked him. I don’t know what came over me.
I suddenly lost my temper and I slapped him on the cheek. I remember your advice to me to treat your son as if he is made of thin glass. I forgot all that for a moment. I am sorry. But what I did was for the better future of your son and to make your dream about him come true. Now it is up to you to decide what to do with me.
Question 3.
Read the following headlines.
58 percent children suffer from ailment due to heavy school bags
Heavy school bags lead to back pain in children
Thousands of small children are reeling physically under the pressure of studies and heavy bags like the boy in the story ‘Crime and Punishment’. Heavy school bags is a matter of great concern to parents and children. You decide to arouse a public opinion on this matter via a blog entry. How could it be? (6 Mark)
Answer:
Children Are Not Load-Carrying Mules.
Vijayan is 10 year old boy studying in Class V. He has been complaining of severe back pain. He was taken to the hospital. A scan showed that his backbone was bent badly. How won’t it bend? He is carrying 15 kg of books, tiffin carrier loaded with lunch, water and umbrella in his backpack every day, walking to and from school, one kilometre away. A Surgery had to be carried out. The doctor told his parents not to let him carry such weights on his back again!
Why do small children carry so much of weight in their backpacks? I remember my granddad telling me that when he was a primary school student he had only a slate, a couple of text books and notebooks to carry apart from his tiffin carrier. He drank water from the school well. Thus he carried less than one kg to school.
Today when we see school children going to school in the morning, we are reminded of caravans in which we see camels or mules loaded with heavy things on their backs. There is no logical reason why small children should be made into mules. Can’t some of the books be left in the school locker? Can’t they get drinking water in the school itself? I think it is high time we thought of methods of reducing the weight of the bd’c^ack carried by small children.
Somebody jocularly remarked that today’s children carried knowledge on their backs, whereas the children of the earlier generations carried knowledge in their brains. There is a lot of truth in the statement. Parents should ensure that they don’t let their children carry heavy loads on their backs. In the long run these children will become sick with many problems affecting their vertebral column. Let’s all join hands to make the burden of the school children lighter!
Question 4.
Imagine that a debate was held in your class on the topic ‘Corporal Punishment Hampers Child’s Growth.’ The following points were presented against the topic.
1. Corporal punishment is necessary for maintaining discipline.
2. Corporal punishment reinforces positive behaviour.
3. Corporal punishment instils respect towards teachers.
4. Corporal punishment is more effective than any other method.
Write four arguments for the topic.
Answer:
- Corporal punishment makes the student hate the subject and also the teacher who teaches it.
- Corporal punishment is a negative influence. Things learned through such influences are easily forgotten.
- Corporal punishment is violation of children’s right. Children are to be taught through positive ways and not by inflicting pain on them.
- Corporal punishment breeds violence. When a student is beaten, there is a tendency in him to beat others who go against his wishes. Violence breeds violence.
Question 5.
Imagine that an extempore speech competition is conducted in your school. You are asked to speak on the topic ‘Indian Education System’ .You are given three minutes for preparation. You decide to jot down a few points in your notepad. What will you write? List out the points.
Answer:
Indian Education System
- Still based on ‘talk and chalk’ method.
- Overcrowded classrooms.
- No light and fan in classrooms.
- Student-Teacher ratio not good at all.
- Stress is on learning by rote.
- Book-learning is emphasized without any emphasis on practical work.
- In the examination only memory is tested.
- Many schools lack laboratories and libraries.
- Many schools lack recreational facilities.
- Many classrooms are not hygienic; inadequate toilet facilities.
Question 6.
A panel discussion on the topic ‘Student Rights and Responsibilities’ is conducted in your class. You are asked to initiate the discussion. How would you introduce the topic? Prepare an introductory speech.
Answer:
Student Rights And Responsibilities:
Respected Principal, dearteachers and students, In the Panel Discussion today, the topic is the rights and responsibilities of the students. Rights and responsibilities are the two sides of the same coin. Rights involve responsibilities and responsibilities bring in rights. Students have many rights and corresponding responsibilities.
I will not go into the details of the rights and responsibilities of students as they will be done by the panel members. But I will mention a few of them as a starting point. I believe the primary right of the students is the right to be taught properly. They come to the school with the main intention of learning. So they have a right be taught in a way they understand what is being taught.
Students have a right to have recreational and sports and games facilities. There is a well-known Latin saying, “mens sana in corpora sano” which means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Students should have playgrounds and material for various games and sports. Then only they can build healthy bodies. This is especially the case with students in their teens. Students should have a right to assemble and air their views. Thus they have a right for association. They have a right to express their opinions on the various things going on in the campus and the management should be willing to listen to their views.
Students have the responsibility to study well. They should respect their teachers and their classmates. They have the responsibility to keep the campus clean. They should take care of the school properties and no wilful damage should be done. They have the responsibility to pay any fee or charge that is mandatory. They have the responsibility to strictly adhere to the code of conduct for students. They have the responsibility of not doing any un-student like activities in the school, like smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and taking drugs. They have the responsibility not to bring in politics into the school. They have the responsibility of being morally upright. They have the responsibility to work hard and achieve their goals in life.
Well, students have many rights and responsibilities and they do not end with the ones I have mentioned. Our panel members will enlighten us more about them. I am sure we will have a fruitful discussion. Thank you, all!
Question 7.
The teacher in the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ is very much excited after winning the faith of the small boy. He narrates the incident to one of his friends. What would he say? Prepare the narration for him.
Answer:
Teacher: You know, today something very funny happened in the nursery. I am teaching a devil of boy there. The only reason I teach him is the Rs.30 his parents pay me every month. For 30 bucks I have to suffer for 3 hours every evening. First, his parents lecture me on child psychology. The boy’s father had written a thesis in infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. So, both of them tell me almost the same things day after day. They want me to treat their son as if he is made of very thin glass. What the boy needs is beating and not cajoling. He is not a boy but a gorilla. My God! You have never seen such a rascal.
Today I asked him the result of 16 multiplied by 3.1 had taught him the multiplication of 16 up to 10. I am sure he knew the right answer. But he said 24.1 corrected him and asked him again for the correct answer. With a grin, the gorilla says 24. I lost my temper. I slapped him on his cheek, leaving a red mark there. He then wanted me to stop teaching and play with him, pretending as a station master while he drove his train. I refused. He threatened and said he would run to his parents and show the mark on his cheek. That would be the end of my 30 bucks which I heed badly. So reluctantly I played with him. Fortunately the train stopped. And then the devil wanted me to tell stories. I went on saying the usual stories – the bison and the tiger, AN Baba and the 40 Thieves. He wanted me to repeat the bison-tigerstory again. When I said no, he ran home.
I ran behind him. When the parents asked why we were running I told them that I was trying to keep the spirits of the boy up by doing this exercise after his strenuous learning. Then the father asked me about the test. When the boy heard the word test, he went and stood behind his father indicating to me I should support him. I said he was doing well, and I was sure that boy will not tell his parents about the slapping I gave him. My extra income is safe for the moment.
Question 8.
Based on the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ write an expository essay on the topic ‘Role of Parents in Moulding the Character of Children.’
Answer:
Role of Parents in Moulding the Character of Children Moulding their children’s character is a great concern of all parents. Parents are constantly doing something or other to make their child do better in studies, inculcate better discipline, excel in sports, learn social interaction and various other aspects depending on their own vision and capabilities. Whether they are aware of it or not they are constantly shaping their child as moulding is an integral part of parenting. Parenting basically has to do with training, disciplining, moulding and at times forcing children to live as parents dictate. Forcing a child to adapt to what they think is right or what they feel the child should be doing is forceful parenting. Forceful parenting often does more damage to their children than it does good. It can demolish self-confidence and destroy the imagination of children.
Parents should strive to ensure that their children learn to experience and express themselves as free human beings. Now-a-dayswe have parents who, even before the child is one year old, decide to turn him/her into another Virat Kohli or Deepika Padukone. Most of the problems with adolescents can be traced back to an early age when they learned they were to just follow orders.
Children who have to comply rigidly with what is expected of them, develop neither their own vision nor accountability. When not nurtured, their natural lights dim and they just follow their peers or the heroes that are shown to them by the entertainment media.
Some parents, on the other hand, are proud that their children are quiet and polite and that they have done their job very well. They don’t realize that their children are not just quiet but complacent. These children behave that way probably because they have stopped to think. Guiding your child to achieve his/ hertrue potential is good parenting. Real moulding is when your child shows some abnormal behaviour that is either against the norms of society oris affecting his overall growth and development and you correct that.
The question that bothers most parents is: “What is more important: to shower a child with love and let Nature take its course or to provide intellectual stimulation?” Tfieiatest theory maintains that the one complements the other. In the past, it was thought that love could develop a child and compensate for lack of intellectual stimulation. Today we know that to develop a child’s mind and mould his personality mental stimulation initiated by the parents is important.
The bulk of the responsibility for moulding their children’s character rests with the parents. Ideally, parents should rouse their curiosity by giving them plenty of information. When they grow up, they feel free to ask questions about all kinds of things in their environment as their curiosity would have been developed to a keen edge. Parents directly influence their child’s development and behaviour. They must teach their children the importance of honesty, truth, kindness, generosity, hard work and polite behaviour.
There has been a controversy of heredity versus environment. But it is feltthat heredity, environment and good parenting make the children ideal citizens useful for themselves, their families, their society and humanity at large. Thus, parents have a big role to play in the formation of their children’ character.
Question 9.
a) Do you think the title ‘Crime and Punishment’ is an apt one? Justify your views.
b) Write an alternative title for the story.
Answer:
a) I think the title “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is an apt one forthe story. There is crime and then there is punishment. The boy does the crime of repeating the same mistake wilfully and he gets slapped as punishment. Slapping is the crime by the teacher and he gets punishment from the boy. That is why he has to act as a station mater and tell him so many stories ad run after him, all against his will. In fact there is a world famous novel by the same name by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Narayan must have copied the title. But in Dostoyevsky’s novel, the crime is murder and not the small mishiefs in R.K. Narayan’s story.
b) The Plight of a Poor Teacher/The Mischievous Imp and the Poor Teacher
Question 10.
The story ‘Crime and Punishment’ deals with the relationship between a teacher and a small boy. What impression do you get about the teacher? Sketch his character.
Answer:
The teacher in the story “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is a hardworking man. He teaches 6 hours in the school and then he comes to teach the small boy in the nursery for just 30 rupees a month. He has to work for three hours in the nursery teaching a gorilla of a child. This shows the teacher is very poor. Otherwise he would not come to teach such a mischievous imp after his normal school hours.
The teacher suffered at the hands of the parents also. Every day he had to listen to the lectures of the parents on child psychology for half an hour. The father had written a thesis on infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. So, both lectured to him on the same lines. It seemed that the parents of the boy thought he was made of thin glass. They pampered him a lot and they wanted the teacher also to be very kind to the boy and not to annoy him in any way.
The teacher found it hard to manage the boy. The boy had a lot of love and money. His parents built the nursery for him. They bought him expensive toys. They even gave him a small pedal motor to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could eat whenever he wanted. He was a highly pampered, spoilt child. The teacher could lose his temper when tempted too much. He slaps the boy because the boy persisted in making the same mistake in spite of the corrections so many times. The hard slapping made a red mark on the cheek of the boy. The boy used that mark to blackmail the teacher.
He teacher had to play with the boy acting as a station master. Then the train stops running and the boy wants him to repair it. But the teacher is not at all mechanical minded and he can’t do that. Then the boy makes him tell stories. He tells the story of the tiger and the bison and the story of AN Baba and 40 thieves. The boy wants to hear the story of the tiger and bison again. When the teacher refuses the boy runs home, the teacher in hot pursuit.
The teacher has good presence of mind. When the father asks why they are running about, the teacher says they are just playing about to keep up their spirits. The teacher can lie if there is a need! Poor teacher! He has to suffer so much for getting an extra amount of Rs.30 per month! I think he represents many teachers in our society who do not get a decent salary and have to find others ways of making both ends meet.
Question 11.
In ‘Crime and Punishment’ problems start when the teacher slaps the boy. In your opinion, what are the impacts of that punishment on the boy? Write a paragraph.
Answer:
The first impact of the slap was that the boy burst into tears. He is not used to getting such slaps as he is a much pampered boy at home. When teacher tries to make him stop crying and behave like a soldier, the boy retorts saying that a soldier would shoot with a gun if he was hit. The next impact is that the boy becomes stubborn and he wants to blackmail the teacher.
He wants the teacher to stop teaching and play with him with a toy train. The teacher would be the station master. First the teacher refuses and then the boy threatens him by saying he would report the slapping to his parents. The teacher has no way but to please the boy. Soon the train breaks down. And then boy wants to teacher to tell him stories. He tells the stories of the tiger and the bison and the story of Ali Baba and 40 Thieves. The boy wants to the story of the tiger and the bison repeated.
When tbe teacher refuses the boy again threatens him and runs home. The teacher runs behind to catch him. It is obvious that the slapping has no positive effect on the boy. It has only made him more stubborn.
Question 12.
“Good night sir, we finished our lessons early and I was just playing about with the child something to keep up his spirits you know,” says the teacher in the story ‘Crime and Punishment’.
Here the teacher suggests playing as a mode of relaxation for his student. What are the other methods by means of which students can keep up their spirits? Prepare a write-up on the topic ‘Need for Relaxation and Recreation in Academics.’
Answer:
Need for Relaxation and Recreation in Academics There is a well-known Latin saying, “mens sana in corpora sano” which means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Students should have relaxation and recreation in their academics. There should be playgrounds and material for various games and sports. Then only they can build healthy bodies. This is especially the case with students who are very young. In young children the attention span is very short. You can’t drill into their minds facts, figures and formulae for a long time. Soon they get bored and nothing will entertheir brain.
There are many ways to keep the spirits of the students up. One of the ways is making the children sing in the class. Another way is telling stories. Quizzes and Puzzles can be used for entertainment and relaxation. Things like Antakshari can help. Word building is useful. Asking for synonyms and antonyms is a good pastime. Board games are an excellent way of relaxation. Taking the children out for small walks helps. Short films can be shown to make the children relaxed. Innovative teachers can think of many more ways to give relaxation and recreation to students.
Question 13.
“He was their only child, they had abundant affection and ample money they filled up his cupboard with
all kinds of sweets and biscuits, and left it to his good sense to devour them moderately. They believed a great deal in leaving things that way.”
What does the above excerpt tell us about the attitude of the boy’s parents? Are they right in the method of bringing up their only child? Express your opinion in a paragraph.
Answer:
The excerpt shows that the parents were too indulgent towards their son. They are not right in the method of bringing up their child. A child brought up that way is unable to cope with adverse circumstances. When they have to face a little physical or mental discomfort, they completely lose their mental balance. It is such children that often commit suicide.
We hear so many stories of children killing themselves. One hangs himself because he failed in the exam. Another jumps into the river and kills himself because a teacher shouted at him. A third jumps from the 4th floor because he was asked by the Principal to bring his parents as he was playing truant. Many children become depressed when faced with even small problems. I think children should be trained to face problems of life boldly.
Problems are bound to come in life. So we need children who can stand up and say “Come what may. I’ll see what I can do!” By giving their abundant love and ample money and filling his cupboard with all types of delicacies for him to eat at will is definitely pampering him too much and they are making him unfit to face the challenges of the modern world.
Question 14.
As part of a campaign conducted in connection with the ‘General Protection Mission’, an essay competition was conducted by the Education Department. The topic is ‘Modern Day Classrooms- Expectations and Realities’. Prepare an essay to be sent to the department.
Answer:
Modern Day Classrooms – Expectations And Realities.
It is a pity that even though we got independence 70 years ago, our educational system has not improved much from the days of the British rule here. We still practise the old talk and chalk method of teaching
in congested classrooms with just a blackboard and some pieces of chalk and a few benches and desks for the students. The classrooms are crowded, not properly ventilated’and most classrooms do not have lights and fans. Sitting in the classrooms becomes a boring affair and the atmosphere there is not at all conducive to learning.
These things have to change. We have to improve our classrooms to international standards. Then only the teaching and learning process will become efficient and enjoyable. Teaching and learning should become an enjoyable activity by the teachers as well as the students. To motivate them we should ensure that the classroom offer a conducive atmosphere.
To improve the teaching-learning process, we need smart classrooms. Smart Classrooms are technology enhanced classrooms that foster opportunities for teaching and learning by integrating learning technology, such as computers, specialized software, audience response technology, assistive listening devices, networking, and audio/visual capabilities. Such classrooms will help the students to feel fully engaged in the lessons and understand them better. Science and technology are growing at mind-boggling speed and this growth should be reflected in our classrooms.
Then we have to improve the student-teacher ratio. In some of our classrooms there are often more than 60 students. How can a teacher teach 60 or more students efficiently? He can’t give individual attention to the students. All students are not equally intelligent or motivated. So the student-teacher ratio should be such that all students can get individual attention.
Another thing is changing our teaching methods. We do not have proper laboratories. Even chemistry, and physic and biology are taught in ordinary classrooms through the lecture method. Students learn things by doing, especially in science subjects. But we still teach by saying “Suppose this is a test tube. Suppose I am pouring some sulphuric acid into it. Suppose I put some ………” and it goes on like that. Students hardly,learn by such suppositions. Let the students see the things and practically carry out the experiments. And then they will learn. Practice makes perfect.
For teaching language efficiently, language laboratories are essential. Languages may have different phonemes. In English, for example, we have 44 phonemes, of which 24 are consonant, 12 vowels and 8 diphthongs. Some of these phonemes do not exist in Malayalam. So they ought to be taught very
carefully. In English /v/ and /w/ are two different phones. So are /s/ and /z/. But we Malayalees pronounce them as if there is no difference. For us ‘veil’ and ‘wail’ have no difference in pronunciation. So are ‘vine’ and ‘wine’. So students should be taught to articulate /v/ and /w/ properly. M is a labio-dental sound where was /w/ is a bilabial. The confusion between /s/ and Izl also should be corrected. For that we need a language lab. The problem is more when it comes to certain vowels in English.
Smart classrooms are a necessity of the times. Well lit, properly ventilated classrooms with enough space for each student are essential for learning. In such classrooms, teaching and learning become a pleasant and efficient affair.
Question 15.
Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow.
They lectured to him every day on their theories, and he got more and more the feeling that they wanted him to deal with the boy as if he were made of thin glass. He had to pretend that he agreed with them, while his own private view was that he was in charge of a little gorilla.
a) Who does ‘they ‘refer to in the passage?
b) What mood does the expression ‘as if he were made of thin glass express?
a. indifference b. rudeness
c. carefulness d. contempt
c) Express your views on the attitude of the teacher.
Answer:
a) The boy’s parents.
b) contempt
c) The parents loved the boy too much and pampered him. They wanted the teacher also do the same. The teacher pretended as if he agreed with the parents. But he knew that the boy whom he had to teach was a mischievous imp, a monster, a gorilla, who needed caning and not cajoling.
Question 16.
The interjection ‘as if means ‘in a manner suggesting’ or ‘in mimicry of. Read the following passage from the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ and rewrite the sentences using ‘as if.
The child’s parents lectured to the teacher everyday on their theories like experts in Psychology. They wanted the teacherto deal with the child like delicate glass. But, in truth, the boy behaved like a gorilla.
Answer:
The child’s parents lectured to the teacher every day on theories as if they were experts in psychology. They wanted the teacherto deal with the child as if he were a piece of delicate glass. But in truth the boy behaved as if he were a gorilla.
Question 17.
Imagine that your class is going to dramatise the story ‘Crime and Punishment’. You are asked to write a script for the extinct given below which forms the beginning of the play.
‘What is sixteen and three multiplied?”asked the teacher…….. “Twenty four,” with, as it seemed to the teacher, a wicked smile on his lips at the mention of “Twenty four, “the teacher felt his blood rushing to his head…….. he reached across the table, and delivered a wholesome slap on the youngster’s cheek… “I will tell them,” sobbed the boy.
Prepare the script.
Hints: (characters-stage setting-dialogues-gestures etc.)
Answer:
(A small classroom. There is a small desk and a small chair for a small boy to sit and learn. There is a chair for the teacher. A small blackboard is fixed on to the wall near the teacher. The teacher, a man of around 36, is standing with an Arithmetic Text Book prescribed for Form I. A boy is sitting lazily in the class. There is a fan working. Its noise can be heard. A tuition class is going on.)
Teacher: What is 16 and 3 multiplied?
Boy (smiling wickedly): 24
Teacher (His face shows anger): How many times did I tell you that 16 x 3 is 48? (Pointing his finger at the boy) Do you get it?
Boy: (Nodding his head vigorously) Yes! Yes!
Teacher: Okay! What is 16 and 3 multiplied?
Boy: (With a mischievous smile): 24
Teacher (Very angry.) Yes, 24! You, gorilla! (He rushes to the boy in a rage and gives him a hard slap on the boy’s cheek. The boy never expected such a thing to happen.)
Boy: Aiyo! Aiyo! My teeth are broken, (caressing his cheeks) Oh My God! Oh My God! I will tell my parents you slapped me. I will tell my parents. (He cries loudly. The teacher is confused and he is trying to calm down the boy.)
Question 18.
In the story ‘Crime and Punishment’ we come across the rift among the teacher, student and parents. Consider this story as a satire on the modern education system and prepare a write-up in about 100 words.
Answer:
The rift we see among the teacher, student and parents in the story “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is typical of the modern education system. Almost all parents, especially in Kerala, want even their below-average students to become doctors and engineers. The parents have high expectations from their children. The children want to enjoy their life with all the modern gadgets available to them.
Teachers want to make money. Look at the number of coaching centres we have! What is the only aim of the so-called coaching centres? Students are forced to go there by the ambitious parents. So we have a vicious circle. Teachers tlo not do their real work in their regular class hours because they want to ‘work’ in the tuition centres. In the Exams of 2017 we saw how Coaching Centres and people in charge of setting Examination Question Papers collude to make money, playing with the lives of children.
The modern education system especially in Kerala is in a mess. Education has become a major industry in Kerala. The result? Many students commit suicide as they can’t cope with the strain of studies. We should change all that. The earlier, the better.
Question 19.
Imagine that a servant in the boy’s house is a silent witness to the troubles created by the boy in the class. He feels sad at the plight of the teacher who is helpless in disciplining the boy. One day, he meets the boy’s parents and describes what has been going on in the evening class. What would be his comments? Write a paragraph of about four sentences.
Answer:
Sir and Madam, I want to tell you something about your son’s evening class. I don’t think he studies much there. He makes a fool of the teacher. The other day I saw how he forced the teacher to play with him. As he was playing with the train, he wanted the teacher to become the station master. The teacher had to agree because otherwise the boy would complain to you about the teacher and the poor teacher would lose his job here. When the train stopped, he asked the teacher to tell him stories. He told the story of the tiger and the bison and then the story of Ali Baba and 40 thieves. The boy wanted him to repeat the story of the tiger and bison.
When the teacher refused, he ran home and the teacher was running after him to catch him. That was what you saw the other day. But the teacher, being afraid, told you he was trying to keep up the boy’s spirit. The boy is not learning anything except to make mischief and trouble the poor teacher.
Question 20.
The teacher – student relationship in Crime and Punishment is entirely different from the present day teacher-student relationship. Write your experience/ relationship, with one of your teachers to be published on Teacher’s Day in My Experience page of a Daily.
Answer:
Carmel is my best teacher. She loves me like her son. Being a nun, she has no child of her own, but she knows how to love children. She is my Class Teacher iri,Glass XII. She encourages me to work hard and achieve success in life. I am a bit weak in my English. She gives me special homework and corrects it and explains to me things very clearly. She taught me in Class XI also. In these two years of her teaching she has never scolded me. She teaches with a smile. She has a nice voice and students can hear her distinctly. She is a good disciplinarian, but she is not harsh to anyone. She reasons with the law-breakers and tells them the importance of discipline in life.
She taught me to have strong faith in God. She very clearly told me faith alone would not bring marks in the examinations! We should work hard first and then we must pray God to help us. Well, I believe I have been following her advice. What is interesting about her class is that she tells so many interesting stories to keep the class lively. These stories have real value in the life of the students.
She taught me Robert Frost, the American poet. In his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Frost wrote:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Sr. Carmel explained to me the deeper meaning of the poem. Yes, I too have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. I remember Sr. Carmel everyday and I pray for her health and long life.
Think And Write
Question 1.
Do you think the boy made the mistake purposefully? Why?
Answer:
I do think the boy made the mistake purposefully. He wanted to annoy the teacher and thus force him to stop teaching him. He wanted to stop learning and start playing.
Question 2.
How do the parents try to bring up their child as a healthy citizen?
Answer:
The parents try to bring up their child as a healthy citizen by letting no prohibition or repression affect the boy’s mind. They thought that if they made restrictions and repressions, they would damage him for life. It will need a lot of discipline on the part of the parents. But it is worth it.
Question 3.
How does the boy blackmail the teacher throughout die story?
Answer:
The boy blackmails the teacher throughout the story by telling him that he would tell his parents that he had slapped him on his cheek. There was the red mark on his cheek as the proof.
Question 4.
Why does the teacher support the boy at the end of die story?
Answer:
The teacher supports the boy at the end of the story because through looks and gestures he appealed to the teacher not to betray him.
Question 5.
Do you think the story is a satire on over-parenting?
Answer:
Yes, I do think the story is a satire on over-parenting. They have only one child and they think no prohibitions or repressions should affect his mind’. They built him a nursery, bought him expensive toys, fitted up miniature furniture sets, gave him a small pedal motor car to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could eat as he wanted.
Question 6.
Do you think the mischievous nature of the child is the result of his loneliness? Why? (Mark 2)
Answer:
I certainly think the mischievous nature of the child is the result of his loneliness. He does not have any peers to play with or exchange ideas with. He is either with the teacher or with his parents, who all are grown-ups.
Question 7.
Justify the title or the story. Can you suggest a new one? (Mark 2)
Answer:
The title is short, sweet and apt. Still I think the word ‘crime’ is a bit too harsh. After all, the boy is doing only some small mischievous acts natural to kids. A title I would suggest is: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child.
Question 8.
Bring out the humour in the story. (Mark 3)
Answer:
The story “Crime and Punishment” is very humorous. The title itself is funny to me because when I saw it first I was reminded of the novel of the same name by the world famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Here the crime consists of simple antics by a prankster. There is humour when the parents talk of the boy as a wingless angel, with dimples, smiles and sweetness. The most humorous part is when the teacher is acting like a stationmaster and when he is running after the boy in the garden to catch him.
Activity – I (Indirect speech into direct speech)
Look at this paragraph from the story:
His parents said that the boy was a little angel, all dimples, smiles and sweetness – only wings lacking. He was their only child, they had abundant affection and ample money.
In the above paragraph, the words spoken by the parents are merely reported (Reported speech).
Question 1.
Write in direct speech.
Answer:
His parents said: “Our boy is a little angel, all dimples, smiles and sweetness – only wings lacking. He is our only child. We have abundant affection and ample money.”
Now discuss in groups, the differences that you notice between direct and indirect speech, and write down your findings.
a) The boy – our boy
b) Past tense – present tense
c) Their – our
d) They – we
e) The word that is left out in direct speech 0 Change in the punctuations – use of colon and inverted commas.
Question 2.
Rewrite the following sentences into indirect speech.
Answer:
The boy immediately switched on to another demand.
He said to the teacher: “Tell me a story.”
The teacher: “You have not done a sum and it is 8.30.”
The boy: “I don’t care for sums. Tell me a story.”
The teacher: “No.”
The boy: “Appa, Appa!”
The teacher: Why are you shouting like that for your father?”
The boy: ‘I have something to tell him, something important.”
Activity – II (Prepositions)
Question 1.
Read the sentences from the story and the notes on prepositions given on p. 156.
Now, insert suitable prepositions in the following blanks:
Answer:
a. “You must never set up any sort of contrariness or repression in the child’s mind”, declared the parents. “You’ll damage him for life. It no doubt requires a lot of discipline on our part, but it is worth it”, they declared primly. “We shall be bringing ug a healthy citizen.”
b. The teacher was obliged to begin the story of a bison and a tiger, and the he passed on to ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ and ‘Aladdin’s Lamp’. The boy listened, rapt and ordered: “I want to hear the story ofthe bison again. It is good…” The teacher was short of breath. He had done six hours of teaching at school during the day.
A combination of two independent linguistic units, a preposition and a complement is called a prepositional phrase. Read the examples and notes give on p. 156 & 157.
Question 2.
Now read the following sentences and find out the prepositional phrases and identify what type of complementation they involve. Also, identify the structures where complements are not used.
Answer:
a. In one hour
b. In private
c. Went out – no complement
d. Ran off – no complement
a. 1. I will come back in one hour.
2. You can do a lot of work in one hour.
b. 1. I would like to talk to you in private.
2. We should not disclose things we talked in private.
c. 1. After posting the letter he went out.
2. She finished her work and she went out.
d. 1. After the accident, the driver ran off.
b. After committing the theft, the thief ran off.
Activity – III (Using ‘as if’)
Read the sentences a & b on p.157.
Question 1.
Do you think that the underlined words are incorrectly structured?
Answer:
No, they are not. They are correctly structured. (Read the explanation given there.)
Question 2.
Now write as many sentences as possible using such a structure.
Answer: (Three are already in the text)
- He behaved as if he were the Principal of the college.
- He was batting as if he were Sachin Tendulkar.
- She was speaking as if she were Aishwarya Rai.
- The politician was behaving as if he were a pauper.
- Joe was talking as if he were the richest boy in the campus.
- He was dancing as if he were Michael Jackson.
- The boy was fighting as if he were Bruce Lee.
Activity – IV (Essay writing)
Question 1.
“Spare the rod and spoil the child was a dictum prevalent in the past What is your opinion about it? Should there be any type of corporal punishment in a learning environment? If so, what should be the mode? Discuss the topic in groups and prepare an essay.
Answer:
The children nowadays are too difficult to educate. They don’t have much respect for their parents or for other adults. For this reason, parents don’t know what to do with their children and they become desperate. Because of this desperation, they can’t find other ways than beating their children to make them leam and disciplined. I feel this can be useful in some cases if done in a controlled manner. But if you use the rod in excess, it can cause serious problems for the child and also for the family. So the question comes, “Is it really necessary to beat children to educate them?”
Many people think that if you educate a small child using the rod, beating him and punishing him, you can have a good control over him. They feel that they can somehow know that the child will behave well and that he will leam to have respect for his parents and others. They feel it would be easier to teach the child good manners by using the rod.
But rough treatment makes the child also behave in a cruel mannerto others as he thinks cruelty is an approved form of punishing somebody who does not do as you wish. On the other handfish treatment makes him tough. This toughness can be very useful in future because he is sure to face difficulties and problems in life. A child brought up in a loving manner, in comfort and luxury, will feel puzzled when he is faced with realities outside his home.
Punishment has its negative sides. It kills the initiative and curiosity in children. It makes them less adventurous. They will grow into shy and withdrawn persons and they won’t be respected by others. They will lose confidence and they will be always worried if their actions will be approved by others.
Scholars and even psychologists differ in their views regarding using the rod on children. The fact is it is a highly controversial issue and there is no definite answer to the question “Should the rod be spared?” I remember a story. A criminal was about to be hanged and the judge asked him what his last wish was. He said he wanted to see his mother. She was brought. The criminal embraced the mother, and as he was embracing her he bit off the tip of her nose. All were appalled at this heinous act. He explained: If this woman had used the rod when I did small mistakes, I wouldn’t have grown into a criminal and reached this stage! I want this to be a warning to parents who give their children freedom to do what they want!”
I am sure he had a point.
Activity – V: Spelling
Read the 3 sentences on page 158. There are some words in them with ‘ie’and ‘ei’ combinations (thieves, relieved, mischievously). (Mark 3)
Find more words with re and ‘ei’ combinations:
Answer:
‘ie’ words:
‘ei’ words”:
ceiling
receipt
receive
deceive
conceive
perceive
conceit
deceit
The rule to be followed is: i before e except after c.
Activity – VI (Let’s edit)
Question 1.
The following letter contains some prepositions that have been used incorrectly. Identify the errors and edit the letter.
Answer:
To: Mehas Mehta June 6,2015
Sub: Recommendations for smart phone purchase.
Last week, Marisol asked me to provide you with a comparison of the top ‘smart’ phones. He explained that Ad Tech might purchase smart phones for all 25 sales representatives and service technicians.
I have studied product capabilities and published reviews of the three smart phones that received the highest rating of PC World Magazine: Palm Treo 600, T-Mobile Sidekick and Blackberry 7210.
All the three provide high quality phone service. They key criteria for selection are ease for use and the ability to meet potential needs created by possible expansion of our business.
I shall send the recommendations to you, to youre-mail. With regards,
Kenneth Abvey
Activity – VII (Script writing)
Question 1.
Your class has decided to stage a play during the School Day celebrations. Prepare a script for the play based on the story‘Crime and Punishment”. (Mark 8) Read the sample script given on page 159.
Answer: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
(It is late afternoon. A nursery near a school.)
(A TEACHER, looking tired, but stem, is standing. He has a small book in his hand. A STUDENT, quite mischievous looking, is toying with his pen. He is looking at something outside.)
Teacher: What is sixteen and three multiplied? (The student just blinks.)
Answer me! What is sixteen and three multiplied?
Student: (Promptly) Twenty-four. (He has a wicked smile on his lips.)
Teacher: (Angrily) How much?
Student: I said twenty-four.
(Teacher slaps the boy hard on the cheek. The boy looks at him and bursts into tears. Teacher is appalled.)
Teacher: Dont’ cry, little boy! You mustn’t
Student: I will tell them.
Teacher: No, no, no, please don’t.
Student: I’ll tell my mother.
Teacher: You mustn’t cry for these trifling matters. You must be like a soldier!
Student: A soldier? A soldier will shoot with a gun if he is hit. (The teacher laughs taking it as a joke. The student also laughs.)
Teacher: Go and wash your face.
Student: I’ll wash my face if you close the lessons today.
Teacher: No. I can’t do that.
Student: Then I will go and tell my mother.
(The student tries to get up and go. The teacher forces him to sit down.)
Teacher: My dear fellow, I’m to be here for another hour.
Student: Alright. Watch me put the engine on its rails.
Teacher: If your father comes in ….
Student: Tell him it is an engine lesson.
(He goes to his cub-board, opens it, takes out his train set and starts assembling the track. He winds the engine and puts it down and it moves round and round.)
(To the teacher) You are the station master.
Teacher: No, no. You have yourteststhe day aftertomorrow.”
Student: (With a wicked smile) Will you be a station master or not?
Teacher: (Angrily) I won’t be a station master.
Student: Oh, oh, is that what you day? (He gently touches his cheek.) It’s paining me here awfully. I must see my mother. (He moves towards the door.)
Teacher: Don’t boy. You want me to be a station master? What shall I have to do?
Student: When the train comes to your station, you must blow the whistle and shout, “Engine Driver, stop the train! There are a lot of people who have bought tickets.” (The TEACHER sits in a corner. The STUDENT continues playing. After 30 minutes the teacher gets bored and the boy is unhappy. Fortunately for the TEACHER, the train suddenly refuses to move. The boy picks it up and gives it to the teacher.) Repair it, sir.
Teacher: I can’t. I know nothing about it.
Student: It must go.
Teacher: (Tries to do something to it. But does not succeed. The boy stamps his foot angrily, waiting like a tyrant.) I can’t and I won’t.
Student: Okay then. Tell me a story.
Teacher: Story? You haven’t done the sum. It is already 8.30.
Student: I don’t care for sums. Tell me a story.
Teacher: Appa! Appa!
Teacher: Why are you shouting like that for your father?
Student: I have something to tell him, something important…
Teacher: Okay, okay. I will tell you stories.
The teacher told the stories of A bison and a Tiger, Ali Baba and 40 Thieves and Aladdin’s Lamp.
Student: I want to hearthe story of the bison again. It isgood …
Teacher: I’m tired, boy. I’ll tell you tomorrow. I’ve lost all my breath.
Student: Oh! Alright. I’ll go and tell…
(He runs towards the house, the teacher after him. The teacher is soon tired and sits on the portico step. The parents come out of the house.
Father: (To the teacher) What’s the matter? (To the boy) Why have you been running in the garden at this hour?
Teacher: (Tired of the boy’s blackmailing) I will explain
Father: How’s he preparing for his test in arithmetic?
(Hearing the word ‘test’ by the boy is sad. He hides behinds his parents and gestures to the teacher not to betray him. The teacher feels sorry for him.)
Teacher: Only please let him mug up the 16th table a little more. He is alright. He will pull through. Good night, Sir; we finished our lessons early, and I was just playing about with the child … something to keep up his spirits, you know!
Crime and Punishment (Short story) About The Author
R.K. Narayan (1906-2001) is a famous Indian writer in English. He was born in Chennai and educated at Mysore. His novels and stories are set in the imaginary town of Malgudi. His stories are noted for their irony, humour, romance, energy of life and freshness of themes from everyday life. He writes with simplicity. He has written many books. One of his famous books ‘The Guide’ was made into a famous movie with Dev Anand and Wahida Rahman in the lead roles. It ran to full houses for months.
Crime and Punishment (Short story) Summary in English
Page 150: The teacher asked the boy to tell the result of 16 multiplied by 3. The boy blinked. The teacher repeated the question. The boy promptly answered ’24’. The teacher felt that there was a wicked smile on the lips of the boy when he gave the answer. The boy, he felt, was trying to fool him. He had corrected this mistake many times. Then why is the boy persisting in saying 24? How could this fellow get 50 in the class test? The boy’s parents wanted him to have a double promotion and go to the first Form. To get double promotion he should get 50 in the class test. The teacher felt very angry with the boy for giving the wrong answer. He repeated the question, as a last chance. The boy repeated the same answer. The teacher slapped the boy on the cheek. The boy looked at the teacher and burst into tears. The teacher was surprised by his own action and asked the boy not to cry. But the boy said he would tell his parents. The teacher appealed to him not to inform his parents. He was worried. Fortunately this nursery was a little away from the main building.
The boy said that he would tell his mother. His parents had once said that the boy was a small angel all dimples, smiles and sweetness. He lacked only the wings. He was their only child.
Page 151: They had a lot of love and also money. They built a nursery, bought him expensive toys, fitted up miniature furniture sets, gave him a small pedal motor car to move about in the garden. His cupboard was filled with chocolates and biscuits which he could – eat as he wanted.
The parents thought that no prohibition or repression – should affect the boy’s mind. If you make restrictions and repressions, you will damage him for life. It will need a lot of discipline on the part of the parents. But it is worth it. They wanted to bring up a healthy citizen.
The teacher agreed outwardly. He felt more and more convinced that what the boy needs was not cajoling but beating. The teacher had a very hard life. The only relief for him was the 30 rupees they paid him every month. It took him 3 hours every evening. The first 72 hour he had to listen to the parents who would talk to him on child psychology. The father had written a thesis on infant psychology for his M.A. The mother had studied a good deal of it for her B.A. Both of them lectured to the teacher. It seemed they wanted him to treat the boy as if he was made of thin glass. The teacher had to agree with them although he knew he was managing a little gorilla.
The teacher did not know how to quieten the boy who was still sobbing. He told the boy that he should not cry for small things, but should behave like a soldier. The boy said that a soldier would shoot with a gun if he was hit. The teacher took it as a joke and laughed. The boy also laughed. The teacher then asked the boy to go and wash his face. There was a fine blue porcelain closet attached to the nursery. The boy disobeyed and commanded the teacher to close the lessons for the day. The teacher said no.
Page 152: The boy then threatened to tell his mother. He got up from the chair. The teacher held him down saying that he was to be there for another hour. Then the boy said that he should watch him put the engine on its rails. The teacher was worried if the boy’s father came in there would be problems. The boy gave a suggestion: the teacher should say it is an engine lesson. He then went to the cupboard and took out a train set. He started assembling the track. He wound the engine and put it on the track and it went round and round. He wanted the teacher to be the station master. The teacher refused telling him that the boy had his tests after two days. The boy again asked him to be a station master.
The teacher got angry. He said he did not want to be a station master. The boy touched his cheek and said it was still paining him and he wanted to see his mother. He moved towards the door. The boy’s cheek was still red. So the teacher asked what he should do as a station master.
The boy told him that when the train reached his station he must blow the whistle and ask the train driver to stop the train as there are many people who have bought tickets. The teacher obeyed. He grew tired of the game in 30 minutes. He got up. The boy was unhappy. Luckily for the teacher, the train refused to move. The boy handed it to the teacher and told him to repair it. The teacher turned it around in his hand and said he did not know anything about it.
The boy insisted that the train must go. The teacher did not know what to do as he was not a mechanical minded man. He did not know even to turn a screw even it was to save his life. The boy stamped his foot and was waiting like a tyrant. The teacher put it away saying he could not do it. The boy then wanted the teacher to tell him a story.
The teacher told the boy that it was 8.30 and he still had not done the sum.
Page 153 : The boy insisted on hearing a story. When the teacher said no, he boy started calling his father. When the teacher asked him why he was calling his father, he said he had something important to tell him. The teacher began the story of a bison and a tiger. Then he moved on to Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Then he proceeded to Aladdin’s Lamp. The boy was listening intently. He said he wanted to hear the story of the bison again. The teacher was out of breath. He had done 6 hours of teaching at school during the day. He told the boy that he would say that story the next day as he had lost all his breath.
The boy then threatens to tell his parents about the slapping. He starts running towards the house, the teacher following him. The boy was too fast for him and made the teacher run round the garden three times. The teacher looked beaten. The boy took pity on him and stopped near the rose bush. The moment the teacher reached near him, the boy again ran off. The boy enjoyed the ‘game’ immensely. The teacher was out of breath. He felt a darkness swelling up around him. He sank down on the portico step.
At this time the Father and Mother came out of the house. They asked him what happened. The teacher got up, still panting. He could not talk. He had already decided to tell everything and suffer the consequences. He did not want to stand the blackmail by the boy. They asked the boy why he was running round the garden at this time. The boy looked mischievously at the teacher. The teacher was fumbling for words to start his explanation. Suddenly the father asked how the boy was preparing for the test in arithmetic. On hearing the word ‘test’ the boy’s face fell. He went behind his parents and by look and gestures appealed to the teacher not to betray him. The teacher said that the boy was alright; he had only to study the 16th table a bit more. The boy looked relieved. The teacher saw the boy was grateful for his support. He knew he would not tell his parents about the slapping. After wishing the father Good Night, he told him that they had finished the lessons early and they were just playing to keep up the spirits of the boy.
Crime and Punishment (Short story) Summary in Malayalam
Crime and Punishment (Story) Glossary
