UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English SHORT STORY Chapter 3 A DROUGHT all question and answer free pdf

Table of Contents

Long Answer Type Questions

Answer each of the following questions in about 150 words:

1- Where does the story ‘Drought’ take place and what was the effect of drought there?
Ans: Introduction: Ours is an agricultural country. Our farming depends on rains. When it does not rain there is drought and famine. Place: The story ‘Drought’ took place in Kashipur, a small village of Bengal. Effects of the drought:
1- That year paddy crop was very poor. Small farmers could not get enough rice to eat and straw to feed their cattle.
2- There was no rains, hence there was scarcity of drinking water. Two of the three tanks in the village had all dried up. The little water left, was still in the private tank of Shibu Babu and was not for the public.
3- Gafur was a poor small farmer. He could get a little rice which could not last even two months. His share of straw was taken against the rent by the Zamindar, Shibu Babu.
4- There was no grass where Gafur could graze his bull.
5- Gafur suffered a lot on account of the bull.
6- When Gafur was hungry and thirsty, he could get neither food nor water. He lost control and killed his bull who made the pitcher of water tumbled over.7- Gafur had to leave the village on account of drought. .

Conclusion: The drought caused inhuman situation. It proved a tragedy for the small farmers like Gafur.

2- Gafur killed Mahesh, a bull, but why? Was Gafura cruel man?

Ans: Gafur killed Mahesh, a bull because Mahesh was the constant cause of trouble to Gafur. Mahesh had eaten the landlord’s flowers many times. Every time Gafur had to pray to the landlord to forgive him. One day he had gone out to seek work, but in vain. He returned home at noon. He was hungry, thirsty, tired and everything was dark before his eyes. Amina went out to bring water. Meanwhile, the landlord’s messenger shouted for Gafur, and dragged him to his master. He was beaten mercilessly because Mahesh had hurted the youngest girl of landlord. He bore all the tortures without any protest and returned home. He heard the shriek of Amina. She was prostrate on the ground. The pitcher was tumbled over and Mahesh was sucking up the water. At this Gafur was completely out of his mind. He seized his plowhead and with both hands struck it violently on the bent head of Mahesh. Mahesh fell dead.

Conclusion: No, Gafur was not a cruel man. Cruel and inhuman situations made Gafur to kill Mahesh. He loved his bull and therefore he repented. Circumstances had made him mad for a moment.

3- What part does the bull Mahesh play in the story? How does the tragedy deepen?

Ans: Troubles of Mahesh: The bull, Mahesh had given trouble to Gafur many times. He had eaten the landlord’s flowers many times. Every time Gafur had prayed to the landlord to forgive him. The priest Tarakaratna had scolded Gafur for the bull. Manik Ghose had sent him to the police pen. Gafur had pawned his brass plate to free him. Gafur always loved Mahesh. WWW.UPBOARDINFO.IN

The tragedy deepens: But one day Gafur was mad with anger. He was hungry, thirsty and tired. He was called by the master. The messenger called him ugly names. He said that he was nobody’s slave. He paid rent to live there. He was beaten for it. It was because Mahesh had entered the landlord’s grounds. He had eaten the flowers and hurt the landlord’s daughter. And now Mahesh had spilled the water and hurt Amina. Gafur could bear no more. He lost control and hit hard on the bent head of Mahesh. He was dead. This deepened the tragedy still more. Finally at the end, Gafur left the village with his daughter Amina as he felt a deep guilt in his heart for killing Mahesh.

UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Short Story Chapter 1 Pen Pal all question and answers free pdf

4- Describe the helplessness of Gafur in sustaining his family?

Ans: Gafur was a weaver. He was poor muslim. He was resident of village Kashipur. His landlord’s name was Shibu Babu. He was very cruel man. Gafur’s life was a story of tragedy. He was abused by the priest. He had to pledge his brass plate for the discharge of his bull Mahesh. He was beaten by the servants of the landlord. He lost his bull Mahesh. This bull was very dear to Gafur. At the end of the story he has to leave his village Kashipur for ever. The cause of all this was his bull. This is a fact that this bull was continuously main source of his troubles. Although the bull’s activities were not unnatural. It was only due to severe drought. There was no food and water in the village Kashipur. Gafur’s bull entered in the field of Manik Ghosh. He ate up all the flowers of the landlord. He also hurt the landlord’s youngest daughter. He attacked Amina also and drank all the water which she had brought. At this event Gafur lost his self-control. Seizing the plough-head he struck it so violently on the bent head of the bull Mahesh. As a result he died then and there. It was only due to drought. So the drought was fully responsible for the evil fate of Gafur. WWW.UPBOARDINFO.IN

5- Narrate the story ‘Drought’ in your own words.

Ans: Gafur was a poor muslim weaver who had no land of his own. He used to cultivate others land and was sharecropper. He lived with his daughter Amina of ten years and his pet buffalo “Mahesh”. Due to two years continuous drought the condition of Gafur and his dependents became very bad. They could not get their daily food but Gafur was very particular about feeding Mahesh. One day, when the village priest was passing by Gafur’s house, he warned Gafur about the deplorable condition of Mahesh and told him that the landlord of the village would not spare him if Mahesh die of starvation as the hindus worship cows and buffalo as goddess. Gafur requested for some crop-loan but the village priest refused.

One day Mahesh had gone to the garden of the landlord and destroyed some saplings. The landlord called the poor man and abused and beated him badly. Gafur’s condition became worse day by day and as he could not feed his pet animal properly. Gafur actually did not want to sell off Mahesh but one day, when Gafur came from outside and wanted some water from Amina, she replied that there was no water in the house, Gafur became very angry with Amina and slapped her. After sometime, he could hear the shout of Amina. On coming outside, he saw that Amina is lying on the ground and pot has been broken by Mahesh and whatever water was left, Mahesh is drinking it vigorously.

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Gafur was so angry that he hit his plowhead on the head of Mahesh, as a result of which it died. In the night, Gafur left the village with his daughter and went to work at the Jute mill at Fulbere. Before leaving his house, he asked God that He can punish him (Gafur) in any way but also should not forgive those people including the landlord who did not give any food to Mahesh and were actually responsible for Mahesh death.

UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Short Story Chapter 1 Pen Pal all question and answers free pdf

6- Why did Gafur scold Amina? Was he justified in doing so?

Ans: Gafur was a wever of village Kashipur. He was very poor. He went to seek some work. He was so much weak due to his illness and old age. There was not any job in the market and village Kashipur for Gafur. So he returned home at noon. When he came back, he was too much hungry and thirsty. He was tired also. There was too much darkness before the eyes of Gafur due to his weakness. He asked his daughter Amina to provide something to eat. Amina told her father that there was nothing to eat in the house. Then he asked her to give him some water drink. Amina again told him that there was no water in the house as well, because two of the three tanks had dried. Hearing the answer of his daughter Gafur lost his self control. He slapped her on face and Amina began to weep. But this action of Gafur’s was not good, because he was familiar with the condition of his house. So we cannot justify Gafur’s action. He must have thought peacefully before slapping her daughter because she was motherless daughter.

7- Give a character sketch of Gafur.

Ans: Introduction: In the story ‘Drought’, Gafur is the only important character. His landlord is very cruel and pitiless. Drought has added to his hardships.
A poor tenant:– Gafur lives in a small village Kashipur in Bengal. He was a farmer. He tills about four Bighas of land for the landlord. So he was a poor tenant. There was a severe drought. The tanks have dried up. There was not a blade of grass anywhere for the cattle to graze. He lives in dire poverty. He had neither rice in the house nor straw to feed his bull.

His affection for his daughter: Gafur had only a daughter. Her name was Amina. She was motherless. So he had great affection for her. One day he was hungry and thirsty. He finds no water and food in the house. He loses his self-control and slaps her. But soon he repents and his eyes are filled with tears.

UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Short Story Chapter 1 Pen Pal all question and answers free pdf

Fondness for his bull: Gafur has a bull. He lovingly calls him Mahesh. He loves him as his son. When his share of straw has been taken by the landlord, he feeds the bull with old straw of his roof. When the bull is sent to the police pen, he pawns his brass plate for one rupee with Banshi, and brings back the bull. Once he decides to sell the bull. But the thought of selling the bull in unbearable for him. So he refuses to sell Mahesh.

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His tortures and beatings: One morning his bull Mahesh enters the grounds of the landlord. Mahesh eats up the flowers and upsets the corn drying in the sun. It then hurts the daughter of the landlord. As a result of it, Gafur was beaten. His face and eyes are swollen. He bears the beatings and tortures helplessly.

Anger and repentance: After his beating, Gafur hears a shriek of his daughter. He sees that the girl was lying on the ground. The pitcher has dropped down her head and Mahesh was sucking up the water. Having filled with anger, Gafur strikes plowhead hard on Mahesh’s head. Mahesh dies at the spot. Then, he feels very sorry.

Conclusion: He leaves the village for Fulbere with his daughter to work at the jute mill.

Short Answer Type Questions

Answer each of the following questions in about 30 words:

1- Who was Gafur? What was his daughter’s name?
Ans: Gafur was a poor farmer. His daughter’s name was Amina.

2- Who was Mahesh? How did Gafur feed him?
Ans: Mahesh was Gafur’s bull. Gafur fed him with straw that he received from the landlord. During the drought he sometimes pulled the straw from his roof and fed Mahesh.

3- What made Tarakaratna leave hurriedly?
Ans: Tarakaratna was holding bundle of rice and fruits in his hand which to got from landlord home and Mahesh wanted to eat it. Tarakaratna thought Mahesh wanted to harm him by his horns so he hurriedly left from there.

4- How did the drought effect the Kashipur village? Comments in the light of the story ‘Drought’.

Ans: Kashipur was a small village in Bengal. It was the end of May month which is known for blazing heat of sun. At this time the severe drought hit the village. The poor like Gafur suffered the most beacause the Paddy was very poor. There is no blade of grass left for the cattle and two of the three water tank had dried up.

5- What did Gafur ask God to do? WWW.UPBOARDINFO.IN

Ans: Gafur said, “Allah, punish me as you wish. But never forgive the landlord because he never let Mahesh eat grass nor drink the water which you have given. Never forgive the sin of the landlord.” .

6- Why did Gafur kill the bull Mahesh?

Ans: Gafur was abused and beaten because of the bull. Now the bull spilled the water and attacked Amina. Gafur was angry and hit him hard. He did not want to kill him. But the bull died as a result of heavy stroke and its weakness.

7- What for did Gafur come to Banshi’s shop secretly?
Ans; Gafur came to Banshi’s shop secretly because he was in need of a rupee for the release of his bull which was in the custody of police pen for eating plants and vegetables in the garden of Manik Ghosh.

8- “Amina, dear, come let’s go.” Who said?
Ans: Gafur says these words. He is unable to stay in the village. He decides to go to work at the jute mill at Fulbere. This is why he said these words.

9- Despite of being very poor Gafur threw away a ten-rupee note why.
Ans: Although Gafur was very poor but in spite of being poor he threw away ten-rupee note. Gafur got that money from the butcher and he loved his bull Mahesh very much. He did not want to sell it to a butcher. Appreciating the Story A. WWW.UPBOARDINFO.IN

Choose the most suitable option:

1- The name of Gafur’s bull was:
(i) Suresh (ii) Ritesh (iii) Mahesh (iv) Hridyesh
ans– iii) Mahesh

2- Gafur came to Banshi’s shop secretly:
(i) to borrow rice to pacify his hunger.
(ii) to borrow one rupee to get Mahesh released from the pen.
(iii) to complain against the injustice done to him by the Zamindar.
(iv) none of the above.
ans — (ii) to borrow one rupee to get Mahesh released from the pen.

B. Answer each of the following questions in about 150 words:

1- Could Gafur be said a cruel man? Yes or no; justify your answer.

Ans: Gafur cannot be said a cruel man because he feels guilty after held striking plowhead hard on Mahesh’s head. Moreover, he ask God to punish him for the crime. On the day when he killed Mahesh he was in great pain. He could get no work. He was hungry and thirsty. He had hit Amina whom he loved. He was so sorry for it that there were tears in his eyes. Just then the landlord’s messenger came to call him. The Bull gave him troubles: When he reached the landlord, he was called by ugly names and dragged away.Hungry and thirsty, he was beaten too. His face and eyes were swollen. This was because of the bull. This bull had given him trouble many times. That day was the worst. And now the bull attacked Amina, spilled the water and sucked the water that she had brought. Gafur was extremely angry. Conclusion: He hit the bull hard. It was not to kill the bull. But his starving and lean body could not bear it and he died. He repented. So Gafur was not a cruel man. He loved Amina. He loved his bull too. He did not sell him to the butcher. Circumstances had made him mad for a moment.

2- What do you think of the title? Suggest any other tittle that may suit the story ‘Drought’.

Ans: The title of the story ‘Drought’ is appropriate. As it clearly indicates the consequences of the drought. Due to the drought, the poor farmers have nothing to feed their family nor their pets. The high class people of the society like the landlord continuously torture the poor farmers. The story also shows how there are certain evils which prevail in our society like even in the harsh condition of drought, Gafur’s daughter Amina could not brought water from the tank herself because two of the three tank had dried up. The other title that may suit the story ‘Drought’ can be ‘Mahesh’ because the whole story revolves around the bull Mahesh. Gafur was beaten and abused because Mahesh ate the saplings in landlords garden. Finally, when Mahesh died Gafur was so sad at heart that he left the village. He left all his belongings there and ask God to punish him for killing Mahesh and also to punish the landlord.