What does courage mean to Mandela?
For Mandela courage means to be brave and not the absence of fear but victory over it . He considered men to be strong when they had the courage to overcome fear but did not want a condition where the men would become fearless in the society.
What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?
How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country
(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade of the twentieth century?
What does Mandela thank the international leaders for ?
Why were two national anthems sung?
Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument ?
Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/why not?
Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration ? What did it signify the triumph of?
What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student ? How does he contrast these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honourable freedoms”?
Which does Mandela think is natural, to love or to hate?
At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious human achievement” he speaks of at the end?
Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?
What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
What did Lencho hope for?
When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?
Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may
look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)
A B
(i) Journal – A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your and feelings or what has happened on that day
(ii) Diary – A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day
(iii) Log – A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)
(iv) Memoir(s) – A written record of events with times and dates, usually official
Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?
What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
“They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?
Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love?