NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 4 Keeping It from Harold
- The sequence of events has been jumbled up. Rearrange them and complete the given flowchart.
1) Major Percy and Bill come to the house.
2) Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer.
3) Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold.
4) Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider.
5) Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world.
6) Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing.
7) Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight.
8) Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock.
9) Harold is alone with his mother in their home. - 4.A. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct option.
(a) Mrs Bramble was a proud woman because
(i) she was the wife of a famous boxer.
(ii) she had motivated her husband.
(iii) she was a good housewife
(iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy.
(b) “The very naming of Harold had caused a sacrifice on his part.” The writer’s tone here is
(i) admiring (ii) assertive (iii) satirical (iv) gentle
(c) Harold had defied the laws of heredity by
(i) becoming a sportsperson.
(ii) being good at academics.
(iii) being well-built and muscular
(iv) respecting his parents
(d) Harold felt that he was deprived of the respect that his classmates would give him as
(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.
(ii) his hero, Jimmy Murphy had not won the wrestling match.
(iii) he had not got Phil Scott’s autograph.
(iv) Sid Simpson had lost the Lonsdale belt.
(e) ‘It’s hard,’ he said at length in a choked voice.
What was hard according to Mr. Fisher?
(i) To accept the truth.
(ii) To fight with American Murphy.
(iii) To control his anger.
(iv) To give up boxing.
(f) What do you gauge about Major Percy Stokes’ character from the story? Select the most appropriate option from the following.
(1) man of wrath
(2) persuasive
(3) argumentative
(4) interfering
(5) self-important
(i) (1), (3) and (5)
(ii) (1), (2) and (4)
(iii) (2), (4) and (5)
(iv) (3), (4) and (5)
4.B. Read the given extracts and answer the questions by selecting the correct options.
1. The only drawback was that his very ‘perfection had made necessary a series of evasions and even deliberate falsehoods on the part of herself and her husband, highly distasteful to both. They were lovers of truth, but they had realized that there are times when truth must be sacrificed. At any cost, the facts concerning Mr. Bramble’s profession must be kept from Harold.
(i) His very ‘perfection’ refers to Harold’s
(1) gentlemanly manners.
(2) aspiration to be the best.
(3) exceptional intelligence.
(4) obsession with cleanliness.
A. (1) and (3)
B. (2) and (3)
C. (1) and (4)
D. (2) and (4)
(ii) What was highly distasteful to both Mrs. and Mr. Bramble?
A. Consciously choosing to lie.
B. Harold’s perfection.
C. Mr. Bramble’s profession.
D. Their relationship with each other.
(iii) The facts concerning Mr. Bramble’s profession ‘must be kept’ from Harold because it would make him feel
A. afraid. B. ashamed. C. weird. D. angry.
2. On the faces of three of them consternation was written. In the eyes of the fourth, Mr. Fisher, there glittered that nasty, steely expression of the man, who sees his way to getting a bit of his own back, Mr. Fisher’s was not an un-mixedly chivalrous nature. He considered that he had been treated badly…
(i) Three of them felt anxious because
A. Mr. Fisher was about to hit Major Percy.
B. they suspected Mr. Fisher would take revenge.
C. Harold had heard a part of their conversation.
D. Harold did not like arguments at home.
(ii) Get a bit of his own back implies _
A. feeling offended.
B. getting his way.
C. being forceful.
D. taking revenge.
(iii) How was Mr. Fisher planning to get his own back?
A. By telling Harold the truth about his father.
B. By persuading Mr. Bramble to change his mind.
C. By hitting Major Percy and Mr. Bramble.
D. By kidnapping Harold and blackmailing Brambles.
(iv) Mr. Fisher felt he had been treated badly because Mr. Bramble had
A. cheated him and lied
B. called off his fight with Murphy.
C. been spending time with Percy.
D. been insensitive and aggressive. - A. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) Why was it necessary to keep Harold’s father’s profession a secret from him?
(b) Describe Mr. Bramble as he has been described in the story.
(c) Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to try and convince Bill to change his mind?
(d) Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity? Give two reasons.
(e) Do you agree with the decision of Harold’s parents of hiding the fact that his father was a boxer? Why / Why not?
(f) Why did Mr. Bramble decide at the last minute not to fight with American Murphy at the National Sporting Club?
(g) ‘There are times when truth must be sacrificed.’ Do you agree? Why / why not?
(h) “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Discuss with reference to Mr. Bramble’s personality.
5.B. Answer in detail.
(a) Did Harold react the way his parents expected him to on finding out about his father’s true profession? Give reasons for your answer.
(b) Assuming you are Harold, write a letter to your father expressing how you have always admired Young Pokey, little realizing it was his Pa.
(c) We often go with preconceived notions which are usually baseless. Do you think this was the case with Mrs. and Mr. Bramble? Give reasons for your answer.
(d) Imagine you are Bill Bramble, write a diary entry expressing how life changed after your son’s birth and how you feel currently after the truth about your profession has been revealed to your son. - Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the characters of these people in it.
