Do you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?

The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?

What makes Jack feel caught in an uglymiddle position?

Why is an adult’s perspective on life different from that of a child’s?

Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.

Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?

What is the moral issue that the story raises?

There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.

What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?

Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?

‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?

What is the author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals to the willfulness of human beings?

How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor’s home even when he knew he couldn’t stay there without risk to the doctor and himself?

Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.

Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?

The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?

Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?