TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 2A The Dear Departed Part 1

Telangana SCERT TS 10th Class English Guide Pdf Unit 2A The Dear Departed Part 1 Textbook Questions and Answers.

TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 2A The Dear Departed Part 1

Look at the picture and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
What do you understand from the picture?
Answer:
We see a cat being frightened by a rat, using a gun.

Question 2.
Can you recall anything comic associated with these animals ?
Answer:
Tom & Jerry.

Question 3.
Can you imagine, what may be the conversation between the rat and cat ?
Answer:
The rat would be threatening to kill the cat while it is requesting to let him go.

Question 4.
How do people differ in enjoying humour; young and old; rural and urban; literates and illiterates?
Answer:
The young people could enjoy most of the modern humours where as the old could enjoy the old fashioned ones, which may not be to the liking of the new generations.

The rural could be found among the rustic verities of humour rather than the class or standard modals which are found in the urban areas.

The literates will be able to enjoy much standard verities of classical jokes and humour, where as the standard of jokes enjoyed by the illiterates are usually low level, unsophisticated and rude in nature.

Oral Discourse:

Role play – (based on the scene depicted in the picture).

Question 1.
Now let’s read a play in which the characters behave in a humorous way.
Answer:
Students activity – to be done in the class.

Comprehension:

I. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
What qualities of Mrs. Slater have you noticed?
Answer:
Mrs. Slater is vigorous, plump, redfaced, vulgar, greedy, selfish, unscrupulous and mean. Mrs. Slater doesn’t waste even a minute to grab the oldman’s bureau, clock and slippers thinking that he is dead. She gives more importance to the mourning dress.

This shows us that Mrs. Slater is showy. She has no compassion for her father. She wants to grab her father’s things even before his death. She plans to outshine the Jordans in wearing mourning dress. She is impolite and insensitive.

Question 2.
Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from her father’s room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Answer:
Mrs Slater wants to own her father’s bureau as she likes it very much. After her father’s death, she decides to shift the bureau to sitting room before the arrival of the Jordans. She thinks that her sister will lay a claim to it. At first, Henry is shocked at her decision.

He feels that the two sisters should amicably divide their father’s things. Henry suggests her that it is not a good thing pinching her father’s things in an unfair way. Moreover, Henry is worried about the arrival of the Jordans while they are shifting the bureau.

Question 3.
Why do the Jordans take a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters’ attitude towards each other?
Answer:
Jordans don’t have mourning dresses for the occasion. Their arrival is delayed as they have to get them. It shows us that they give more importance to showmanship. The sisters are not grief stricken at their father’s death. For them, grief is to be revealed through mourning dress and not by the feelings in one’s heart. They are showy and mean. They don’t have any love and affection for each other.

Question 4.
Ben appreciates his father-in-law saying, ‘It’s a good thing he did’. Later, he calls him a ‘drunken old beggar’. Why does he change his opinion about his father-in¬law?
Answer:
Ben appreciates his father-in-law saying, ‘It’s a good thing he did’, when he comes to know that he has paid his insurance premium. But when he hears that the old man, has not gone to pay the premium he changes his opinion and calls him a ‘drunken old beggar’ since he has gone to the ‘Ring-o-Bells’. He changes his opinion about the old man because of his meanness and selfishness.

Question 5.
What made Mr. Henry feel shocked to hear Victoria say, “Are you planning to pinch it”?
Answer:
Mr. Henry was shocked to know that even Victoria was able to see through the trickery of her parents in shifting the bureau. He was afraid that she might speak the truth in front of the Jordans. So, he tried to convince her that the bureau was given to her mother before the death of the grandfather.

Question 6.
Why does Mrs. Slater ask Victoria to change her dress?
Answer:
Mrs. Slater rebukes her daughter victoria for wearing the colourful dress. She asks Victoria to change into black as they all have to adapt themselves to the regrettable occasion. Victoria’s grandfather is thought to be dead. Hence she must be in mourning.

Question 7.
Why does Henry doubt the Jordans’ arrival?
Answer:
Mr. Henry doubts the Jordans’ arrival because both the families (the Slaters and the Jordans) have not been in good terms for years. When Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan have quarrelled earlier, Mrs. Jordan has said that she would never set her foot in their house again.

Question 8.
Why is Victoria scared when she returns from Grandpa’s room?
Answer:
Victoria goes into her grandpa’s room reluctantly when her mother asks her to bring the bunch of keys. Her parents have told her that the grandpa is dead. But when she enters the room, she sees grandpa getting out of bed. Hence, she is scared.

Question 9.
How does the Slaters and the Jordans respond to Mr. Abel’s death?
Answer:
The Slaters and the Jordans are excited over the death of Mr. Abel, the father of two women. Mrs. Slater has pinched her father’s bureau, clock and slippers before her sister’s arrival. They wear mourning dress and pretend to be sad but really they are happy as they want to divide the oldman’s things between them.

Question 10.
What are the things done by the Slaters before the arrival of the Jordans?
Answer:
Mrs. Slater is greedy and selfish. She loves her father’s things more than her father himself. Before the arrival of the Jordans, she has grabbed her father’s bureau and his wall clock. She has made her husband make use of her father’s new slippers.

The Dear Departed 1 Summary in English

Stanley Houghton’s ‘The Dear Departed’ is a social play which reveals the pathetic condition of the elderly and how they are ill treated, neglected and deserted by their own children. It is a satire that criticizes the degradation of moral values in the modern.

It shows the hollow relations between two daughters and their father. This play reveals the breaking of human relationships in the modern world. The two daughters and their husbands have waited for the Oldman’s (Mr.Abel’s) death. They don’t show any concern for the old man. They only want his belongings, but never love him.

Mr. Abel Merryweather, an old man had two daughters – Amelia and Elizabeth. Amelia is married to Henry Slater and Elizabeth to Ben Jordan. Victoria is the Slater’s only daughter. Abel is a widower and since the death of his wife, he has been living by turns with his daughters.

At present Abel stays with the Slaters. One morning when Mrs. Slater takes up a bit of something on a tray and goes into the old man’s room, Finding the man in deep sleep, she feels that he is dead. Without checking if the old man is really dead, the Slaters send a telegram to the Jordans revealing the much awaited death.

Mrs. Slater asks her daughter Victoria to change her dress before her aunt Elizabeth and uncle Ben come. She tells her that they are coming to talk over grandpa’s affairs. Henry wonders if they will come at all as Elizabeth has said she would never set her foot in their house again. But Mrs. Slater says that Elizabeth will come fast enough after her share of what their father has left.

Mrs. Slater asks her husband to wear grandfather’s new slippers so that those could be theirs. Then she tells him that she always wanted to have grandfather’s bureau after his death. She says that they could put their shabby chest of drawers upstairs where the bureau is. So she asks her husband to help bring down the bureau. Mrs. Slater fastens the front door and they carry old chest of drawers upstairs.

In the meantime Victoria comes there after she changes her dress according to her mother’s instructions. Henry is shocked when Victoria asks him if they are planning to pinch the grandpa’s things. Henry and Mrs. Slater put the bureau where the chest of drawers is. Mrs. Slater carries the grandpa’s clock under her arm and puts it on the mantlepiece. Then there is a knock at the door and Victoria ushers in Ben and Mrs. Jordan. Mrs. Jordan says that finally their father has been dead.

Mrs. Slater replies that he is severty-two a fortnight the previous Sunday. She also tells her that her father has been merry that morning and has gone to pay his premium. Then he is found dead on his bed. Then Mrs. Slater asks them if they will go up and look at him. Mrs. Jordan prefers tea. Then they think about the announcement in the papers. They want to look through the oldman’s bits of things and make a list of them.

Mrs. Jordan tells that father has promised his gold watch for Jimmy. Mrs. Slater is amazed to hear this. Ben talks about the insurance money. He asks if they have got receipt for the premium paid by the old man. VRtoria informs that grandpa hasn’t gone to pay his insurance that morning. At this, Ben calls the old man as ‘drunken old begger’. Mrs. Slater says that it is nothing short of swindling after she has kept him for three years.

Mrs. Slater tells Victoria to run upstairs and fetch the bunch of keys that’s on her grandpa’s dressing table. At first Victoria doesn’t want to go into grandpa’s room. She goes out reluctantly. Then both the sisters talked about the bureau. After sometime Victoria returns very scared and tells her mother that grandpa is getting up. They are transfixed with amazement because they all think him to be dead. The door opens revealing the old man Abel Merryweather. They can’t believe their eyes.

Glossary:

get her own way (id.) = persuade other people to allow you to do what you want;
D’ye = Do you (used in awkward situations);
precocious (adj) = intelligent/ gifted/ talented;
bureau (n) = a writing desk with drawers;
drive a hard bargain = work hard to negotiate agreements in one’s own favour;
daft (adj) = stupid / silly;
pinch (v) = steal;
mantlepiece (n) = a shelf projecting from the wall over the fireplace;
usher(v) = lead/show the way/welcome;
complacent (adj) = self-satisfied/unconcerned;
chirpily (adv) = cheerfully and actively;
snug (adj) = warm and comfortable;
overdue (adj) = not paid by the expected time;
swindling (n) = cheating somebody for property or money;
transfixed (v) = became motionless in fear;
chuckling (v) = laughing quietly out of mild amusement or satisfaction;
clad (adj) = wearing a particular type of clothing;
malicious (adj) = harmful;
vigorous (adj) = strong, active or emergetic;
plump (adj) = having a full rounded shape, fleshy;
vulgar (adj) = rude and offensive;
amazed (adj) = surprised or wondered;
for ages (n) = for a long time;
stooping (adj) = bending forward and down;
drooping (adj) = bending or hanging downwards through tiredness;
worn out (adj) = too old or damaged to be used;
trifle (n) = thing, question or activity that has little value;.
stupefied (adj) = so surprised, bored or tired that one can’t think clearly;
shabby (adj) = in poor condition through much use or being badly cared for;
stagger (v) = walk unsteadily;
mourning (n) = feeling of sadness owing to somebody’s death;
annoy (v) = cause slight anger, irritate;
reluctantly (adv) = unwillingby;
obviously (adv) = clearly;