Important Question Answers Class 10 Footprints Without Feet

Important Question Answers for CBSE Board Examination

Class 10

English Literature (Footprints Without Feet)

Q1. “Education is that which liberates.” How did the education make a big difference in the life of Bholi and Hari Singh enabling them to take right decision in their life?

Ans. Right education imbibes the children with values and awareness towards their rights and follow righteousness in life. The teacher of Bholi has done a great job by educating Bholi in right sense. She was able to realise her duties towards her parents and, happily ready to undertake them. Besides, she became aware of her rights that nobody can force her to accept a wrong match and she showed great courage to go against it. 

Anil also played the same role to make Hari Singh differentiate between the right and the wrong. He could realise his mistake and correct it by changing his ways and returning the money which tempted him to do a wrong thing. The prospect of getting education enabled him to see Anil as a happy, trusting and respectable person who Hari Singh also desired to become, eventually.  

Hari Singh and Bholi have been presented as real examples that education is that which liberates.

Q2. Fiction writers prefer creating grey characters rather than black and white. Analyse the statement with reference to both the characters in ‘The Thief’s Story’.

Ans. White refers to hero or noble characters, black refers to villain or evil characters and grey refers to mixed personalities having their strengths and weaknesses. 

Both Hari and Anil are a reflection of real life characters. They have their good points as well weaknesses. Hari who robbed people, eventually changed to be an honest person desiring to get education.
Anil also is not a heroic character. He earns and spends, borrows and lends without thinking of his future. They both are very simple people leading life of ups and downs.

Video on The Thief's Story

Q3. How does Noodle very smartly put up his ideas before his boss without offending him or hurting his sentiments?

Ans. Noodle is very smart, clever and manipulative. He knows how to put in his ideas or opinions without offending his boss, Think Tank or without letting him know that his ideas are not so good. Noodle flatters Think Tank by highlighting his brilliance and using high salutations such 'mighty', 'your brilliance', etc. He also uses the words like insignificant idea, trifling mind or cloudy piece of data for his suggestions even when his ideas are brilliant as he doesn’t want to be condescending towards his boss as well as retain his job with dignity.
 

A Question of Trust

Q4. How is Horace different from other thieves? Why can't he be categorised a stereotypical thief?

A. Horace conducted one big robbery in a year after meticulous planning and research. He had love for exquisite and expensive books. He was afraid to be imprisoned. But, he wasn’t greedy.

Horace can't be categorised as a stereotypical thief because he was not a professional who earned his bread by robbing people. He was running a successful business of making locks. He robbed affluent people. He did not harm anyone and neither took any weapon ever. He used to steal some money once a year to satisfy his hobby to buy and read rare and expensive books with the stolen money.

Q5. How does the story 'Bholi' highlight social evils prevalent in Indian Society?

A. The story 'Bholi' highlights many social evils prevalent in Indian society such as stereotypes related to having a girl child, her marriage being a burden, money and property involved in marriage, and compromise with the objectives of love, perfect match and happiness for the prospects of estate and social status. Due to such stereotypes many social evils take birth in the society, naming a few gender bias, girl education, early marriage, dowry, etc.

Bholi's father sent his sons to schools and colleges for education but not his daughters. Villagers think that an educated girl is difficult to get married. Bholi’s marriage was the greatest concern as if a girl without marriage is unacceptable in the society. A girl’s physical and facial beauty is a major concern and a matter of worry for a family as if a girl is an object of beauty and without physical beauty she is worthless and such girl's father has to pay the price by giving dowry.

Bholi

Q6. A lot of fiction writers have glorified grey characters such as cons and thieves. Justify the statement with reference to 'The Hack Driver'.

A. A lot of fiction writers have glorified clever cons like Lutkins in the story who with his gift of gab and remarkable talent of making stories impressed gullible lawyer. Other fiction writers have done the same in their creations i.e. Open Window, Dusk and movies like Bunty Aur Bubli and Dhoom. Hack driver was a liar and an unlawful person who doesn't obey the court's order. But he was presented as a smart, clever and pleasant personality who impressed the lawyer with his cheerfulness. On the contrary, lawyer who is a law abiding and simple man was described as a fool and gullible person.

Q7. Who is responsible for Matilda's loss? How could she have avoided this tragic turnout in her life?

A. Matilda herself was responsible for her loss. Her greed and strong desire to lead a lavish and luxurious life led her to the tragic end of the story. In order to satisfy her desires, she had to borrow the necklace which was lost. She could have chosen something within her husband’s budget and given more importance to real happiness, and a loving and caring husband. Even her own beauty was a great asset, If she had told truth to her friend when necklace was lost, she could have avoided this tragic end.

The Necklace

Q8. "Mother is a child's first school". Elaborate the statement in the light of Richard H. Ebright's mother's contribution in making him a scientist.

Ans. "Mother is a child's first school." This statement is truly justified. The role of Richard Ebright’s mother is immense in making him a scientist. She bought all the necessary equipments such as microscope, telescope, camera, mounting material, etc. She brought friends for him and gave him tasks if he didn't have anything to do. She discussed things with him on dining table and played with him just like a friend. Most importantly, she brought a magazine 'Travels of Monarch X' which was a turning point in making him a scientist. She was a mother who truly was his first teacher and true companion, and played a pivotal role in shaping his career as a successful scientist.

Video on Triumph of Surgery

Q9. How does Mrs. Pumphrey and her pampering and uncontrolled love led Tricki to obesity and sickness?

Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey loved and treated Tricki like her own son. Her uncontrolled love, over protectiveness, pampering attitude made her weak and she could not maintain strict regime for Tricki, She used to overfeed Tricki providing extra food, chocolates, Horlicks, wine, eggs etc. Tricki being greedy could never say no to food which led to its obesity and sickness. Most of the time, Tricki didn't want to go for walks due to its lethargy, but Mrs. Pumphrey perceived it as malnutrition and stuffed Tricki with more food. She maintained entire wardrobe for the dog and provided different bowls for meal, different beds for day and night, and separate coats for different seasons which were actually were not very much required for Tricki's well being and happiness. Mrs. Pumphrey failed to understand this and led Tricky to sickness and obesity. 

The Midnight Visitor

Q10. How was Ausable successful in fooling Max and get rid of him?

Ans. Ausable who was a clever and intelligent secret agent, described the balcony so minutely and confidently as if it has always been there. He told Max that his room was a part of an apartment, which was later divided into smaller units. He further explained that the room next to his, used to be the living room of the apartment, and is connected to the balcony which extends to his room. He also added that using the balcony someone had entered his room earlier, too. He was expecting Harry, a waiter at the gate, so hearing the doorbell he created a story that police was at the gate, and added that he had called the cop for security of papers. Out of fear Max jumped down in the balcony which was never there, and thus fell down from sixth floor. He made a good use of intelligence, maturity, patience, confidence and presence of mind and got rid of Max.

Q11. What does H. G. Wells convey through the story 'Footprints without feet'?

Ans. The writer, H. G. Wells conveys through the story that science is a double edged weapon which may be highly dangerous if not used carefully and wisely. Science is a great blessing that can work miracle and can make this world more advanced and more beautiful when put to use with wiser, logical and wider perspective.

The story also conveys the message that all the advancements and progress should be used for the good of mankind in general as well as in particular. Griffin used his invisibility to terrorise and hurt people, and satisfy his selfish purposes, thus faced tragic death and wasted his achievements and brilliance with himself only.

Video on Footprints Without Feet

Q12. How could a book save the earth from Martian invasion?

Ans. ‘Mother Goose’, the book of nursery rhymes frightened the Martian invaders as Think Tank wrongly decoded the meaning of its rhymes concluding that earthlings have already planned to invade Mars and are far ahead in terms of scientific and technological advancements. They transcribed from the rhymes that the people on earth had developed the technology to grow shells and rare metals like silver and they had taught their cows to go on moon and, thus cows could be sent on interplanetary invasion. This wrong interpretation by Think Tank scared him so much that he called his invasion fleet back and ran away from Mars to Alpha Cetauri. Finally, the earth evaded the invasion due to a book of nursery rhymes, ‘Mother Goose’.

Q13. How would the story have ended if Madame Loisel had confessed to her friend about what had happened to the necklace?

Ans. If Madame Loisel had told the reality to her friend and confessed about her losing the necklace, she would have paid only few hundred francs in place of forty thousand francs. It's quite possible that she didn't have to pay anything as it was not diamond necklace and wasn't worth much. Then, she would have not suffered the way she did. She would have been living a comfortable life. Honesty always rewards us but very few unlike Matilda understand the significance of honesty and truthfulness.

Q14. “Everyone deserves a chance”. How did Anil work upon this principle and succeed?

Ans. Anil believes that Hari like everyone else deserves a chance. As Hari has come back and returned the stolen money, this action proved that he wanted to change his ways and become a sincere and honest person. His decision may get shaky if not supported by the society. Anil did not handover Hari to police and decided to teach him how to write sentences. Anil, unlike regular employers has the courage and is ready to take the risk for bringing a change in the society.

Video on A Letter to God

Q15. The lady in red convinced Horace to open the lock and similarly Max was convinced by Ausable. Compare and contrast the two characters.

Ans, The lady in red dress tricked Horace, and was able to convince him to believe her to be the land lady of the house. She made him believe this by touching things in the house in a casual manner as if they belong to her for example, using mirror to adjust her jewelry, talking about leaving them in the safe and forgetting the code of safe convincingly. Ausable described balcony so minutely and confidently as if it has always been there. He expressed his anger at the Management for not blocking it and conveyed his frustration about the thieves entering his room so genuinely that Max trusted him every bit. He also believed his fake news about the police knocking at the door and fell from the window in order to save him from police. Both Ausable and the lady acquired an amazing sense of maturity, patience, confidence, sensibility and presence of mind.