ENGLISH Answer the Questions [S.U.][2 MARKS]

The war’ creates many difficult and unpleasant situations for human beings. Sometimes it becomes difficult to know what to do. The human predicament that follows war is amply illustrated through the experience of the narrator. The war had caused many physical difficulties as well as emotional suffering to her. She had lost her dear mother. She went to 46, Marconi Street to see her mother’s valuable possessions. How greedy and callous human beings can become is exemplified by the behaviour of Mrs Dorling. She had stored all the valuable belongings of the narrator’s mother, but she refused to recognise the narrator. She did not even let her in. The presence of her mother’s possessions in strange atmosphere pained her. Now, these valuables had lost all their importance for her as they had been separated from her mother. She could get no solace or comfort from them.

The narrator remembered the address her mother had told her only once. It was number 46, Marconi Street. Her mother’s acquaintance Mrs Dorling lived there. She had stored the valuable belongings of the narrator’s mother there. After her mother’s death, the narrator had an urge to visit the place. She wanted to see those things, touch them and remember. She went to the given address twice. She was successful in her second attempt to enter the living room.
She found herself in the midst of things she wanted to see again. She felt oppressed in the strange atmosphere. Everything was arranged in a tasteless way. The ugly furniture and the muggy smell that hung there seemed quite unpleasant. These objects evoked the memory of the familiar life of former time. But they had lost their value since they had been separated from her mother and stored in strange surroundings. She- no longer wanted to see, touch or remember these belongings. She resolved to forget the address. She wanted to leave the past behind and decided to move on.

During the pre-war times, the narrator lived in some other city far away from home and she visited her mother only for a few days. During the first half of the war, the narrator’s mother was always afraid that they might have to leave the place and lose all valuable belongings. The narrator lived in the city in a small rented room. Its windows were covered with blackout paper. She could not see the beauty of nature outside her room. The threat of death loomed large. After the liberation, everything became normal again. Bread was getting to be a lighter colour. She could sleep in her bed without any fear of death. She could glance out of the window of her room each day. One day, she was eager to see all the possessions of her mother, which she knew were stored at number 46, Marconi Street. She went to that address. She felt disappointed when Mrs Dorling neither recognised her nor let her in. She asked her to come again someday. It was evident she wanted to put her off. She was eager to see, touch and remember her mother’s possessions. So, she had to take the trouble of visiting the place again.

Yes, this statement gives some clue about the story. During the early part of the war Mrs Dorling had shifted the important belongings of her acquaintance, Mrs S., from her house to 46, Marconi Street. These included table silverware, antique plates and other nice things such as the iron Hanukkah candle holder, woollen table cloth and green knitted cardigan with wooden buttons. Since Mrs S. had died during the war, Mrs Dorling did not expect anyone to come back and claim her costly belongings as she thought no one else knew her address. The statement indicates the greedy and possessive nature of Mrs Dorling. She did not open the door to the daughter of her former acquaintance nor did she show any signs of recognition. She did not let the girl in. She refused to see her then saying it was not convenient for her to do. The narrator had gone to this address with a specific purpose to see her mother’s belongings. Even when she told Mrs Dorling that only she had come back, the woman with a broad back did not soften a bit. Thus, the clash of interests is hinted at by the aforesaid statement.

‘That’ here stands for the address. The words: number 46, Marconi Street, i.e., the address recur throughout the story. The address is important for the narrator at the beginning of the story. However, at the end of the story, she resolves to forget it as she wants to break off with the past and move on with the present into the future.

The narrator found herself in the midst of things she was familiar with and which she did want to see again. However, she found them in a strange atmosphere where everything was arranged in a tasteless way. The ugly furniture and the muggy smell created the feeling that she didn’t know the room.

In the post-war period, when things returned to normal, the narrator became curious about her mother’s possessions that were stored at Mrs Dor ling’s house. Since she wanted to see them, she took the train and went to 46, Marconi Street. Mrs Dorling opened the door a chink. The narrator came closer, stood on the step and asked her if she still knew her. Mrs Dorling told her that she didn’t know her. The narrator told her that she was the daughter of Mrs S. Mrs Dorling kept staring at her in silence and gave no sign of recognition. She held her hand on the door as if she wanted to prevent it opening any further. The narrator recognised the green knitted cardigan of her mother that Mrs Dorling was wearing. Mrs Dorling noticed it and half hid herself behind the door. The narrator again asked if she knew her mother. Mrs Dorling asked with surprise if she had come back. She declined to see the narrator or help her.

The title of the story The Address’ is quite apt. It is the spring wheel of the action. In fact the whole action centres round it. The title is quite suggestive and occurs at the beginning, middle and end of the story. Marga Minco focuses the reader’s attention on it by the narrator’s doubt whether she was mistaken and her self assurance that she had reached the correct address. The middle part of the story reveals how she came to know the address. It was her mother who informed her about the place where Mrs Dorling lived and asked her to remember it. The story ends dramatically with the narrator’s resolve to forget the address. The wheel comes full circle. She had remembered the address for so many years and now since the belongings of her mother stored there have lost their usefulness she finds that forgetting this address would be quite easy.

The narrator leaves a very favourable impression on us about her emotional and intellectual qualities. We find her an intelligent but devoted daughter. She loves and respects her mother, but does not approve of her soft behaviour towards her acquaintance, Mrs Dorling. She puts a pointed question, which her mother thinks impolite. The narrator has a keen power of observation. She notices during her brief stay at home that various things are missing from the rooms. She has a sharp power of judgment. She once sizes up Mrs Dorling. Her persistent efforts to remind Mrs Dorling of her own identity and the latter’s relations with her mother reveal her indomitable spirit. She visits 46, Marconi Street twice to see, touch and remember her mother’s belongings. She is a realist, who doesn’t like to remain tagged to the past. Her resolution to forget, the address and move on shows her grit and forward-looking nature. She has a progressive personality.

The second visit of the narrator to 46, Marconi Street, was different from the first one in one respect. During the first visit, the narrator could not get admittance in the house, whereas during the second one, she was led to the living room, where she could see and touch some of the things she had wanted so eagerly to see. She had visited this place with a specific purpose – to see her mother’s belongings. The touch and sight of familiar things aroused memory of her former life. These objects had now lost their real value for her since they were severed from their own lives and stored in strange circumstances. Thus her mission to see, touch and remember her mother’s belongings was partly successful. She resolved to forget these objects, and their past and move on. This is clear from her decision to forget the address.

Years ago, during the first half of the war, the narrator went home for a few days to see her mother. After staying there a couple of days she noticed that something or other about the rooms had changed. She missed various things. Then her mother told her about Mrs Dorling. She was an old acquaintance of her mother. She had suddenly turned up after many years. Now she came regularly and’ took something home with her every time she came. She suggested that she could save her precious belongings by storing them at her place. Mother told her address, Number 46, Marconi Street. The narrator asked her mother if she had agreed with her that she should keep everything. Her mother did not like that. She thought it would be an insult to*”do so. She was worried about the risk Mrs Dorling faced carrying a full suitcase or bag.

• Mrs. Dorling is an important character of ‘The Address’. She was the mother of a fifteen-year -old girl. Like her daughter, Mrs. Dorling had a ‘broad back’. After the war the narrator came to 46 Marconi Street to meet Mrs. Dorling and collect her mother’s valuables.
• When she rang the bell a woman appeared. She was looking at the narrator searchingly. She refused to recognize the narrator. The narrator felt that she had rung the wrong bell, but soon her doubts were dispelled as she saw that the woman was wearing her mother’s green knitted Cardigan.
• When the narrator introduced herself Mrs. Dorling showed no Sign of affection and told the narrator that it was not a convenient time and she should come later.
• Mrs. Dorling is Selfish, rude and ill- mannered. She only knew how to exploit people and Situations to her own advantage. She exploited Mrs. S‘s fear of the war and walked away with all her ‘nice things’ to 46, Marconi Street. She made no effort to return them when the narrator visits her. She was really deceitful and hard hearted.

• Margo Minco has very aptly and logically titled this short story ‘The Address’. The narrator and her mother were victims of the war. The upheaval forced them to be wanderers. They had no permanent address worth the name, all the ‘nice things’ had gone.
• They were in the custody of a Mrs. Dorling at house No. 46, Marconi Street. When the narrator went to the address Mrs. Dorling refused even to recognize the narrator. During the next visit Mrs. Dorling was not at home. Her fifteen-year old daughter was alone in the house.
• The narrator came in and saw all the ‘nice things’ that once belonged to her mother. All the silver Cutlery, antique plates, and large vases were there. She was pained to note that they were ‘tastelessly’ arranged and shabbily used. No doubt, those articles aroused nostalgic feelings in her. But their true owner was no more in the world. The narrator resolved to forget them. She also resolved to forget No. 46, Marconi Street as an inauspicious ‘address’

• Mrs. S, the narrator’s mother gave her the address of Mrs. Dorling before dying. The narrator came to 46 Marconi Street to Mrs. Dorling’s house to collect all valuables that had belonged to her mother after the war. The narrator rang the bell and Mrs. Dorling herself appeared there.
• She kept staring at the narrator. She even refused to recognize her but she was wearing the green knitted cardigan of her mother. This proved that the narrator was at the right place. Mrs. Dorling didn't even ask the narrator to come inside. She was not happy to see her there and she didn’t mention about the ‘nice things’ which she had taken away from her mother.
• During the next visit Mrs. Dorling was not at home. Her fifteen-year old daughter was alone in the house. The narrator came in and saw ail the ‘nice things’ that once belonged to her mother. All the silver cutlery, antique plates, and large vases were there.
• She was pained to note that they were ‘tastelessly’ arranged and shabbily used. No doubt, those articles aroused nostalgic feelings in her. But their true owner was no more in the world. The narrator resolved to forget them. She also resolved to forget No. 46, Marconi Street.

• After the war the narrator came to 46 Marconi Street to meet Mrs. Dorling and collect her mother’s things the lady had taken to safeguard before the war.
• When she rang the doorbell a woman appeared. She was kind of surprised and shocked to see the narrator. She even refused to recognize her. The narrator felt that she had rung the wrong bell.
• However, when she saw that the woman was wearing her mother’s green knitted cardigan she was sure it was Mrs. Dorling she was speaking to. The woman saw her watching the green sweater and she hid behind the door so the narrator knew that she was at the right address.

• Mrs. S, the narrator's. Mother gave her the address of Mrs. Dorling before dying. The narrator came to 46 Marconi Street to Mrs., Dorling’s house to collect all valuables that had belonged to her mother after the war. T4he narrator rang the bell and Mrs. Dorling herself appeared there.
• She kept staring at the narrator. She even refused to recognize her but she was wearing the green knitted cardigan of her mother. This proved that the narrator was at the right place. Mrs. Dorling-didn’t even ask the narrator to come inside. She was so shocked to see the narrator that she even mentioned that she thought no one was alive after the war.
• She was not happy to see her there and she didn’t mention a word about the things she had taken away from the narrator’s house by befriending her mother.

• During the first half of the war the narrator was home for a few days. One thing struck her immediately that something or the other about the rooms had changed. Various things were missing. Her mother was surprised that her daughter had noticed it so quickly.
• Then her mother told her about a Mrs. Dorling who lived at 46 Marconi Street. She was an old acquaintance and she took things from her house before the war with a promise that she would keep all her belongings safe during the war and return them safely after the war. The mother had faith in Mrs. Dorling but the narrator was skeptical.

• Mrs. Dorling was an acquaintance of Mrs. S, the mother of the narrator. She had come to know the fears of the mother regarding the war. She had befriended Mrs. S and had taken advantage of the narrator’s mother’s fears about the war. She made Mrs. S, the narrator’s mother part with all her nice things.
• She promised to keep them safe until the war was over. I would not justify her behavior because her intention was to take away the things and never give them back. After the war when the narrator went to her house to get her mother's belongings Mrs. Dorling refused to even recognize her leave alone inviting her into the house. She made no effort to return her mother’s belongings.

• The war in Holland devastated the narrator and her mother. Before the war a Mrs. Dorling who was an acquaintance of her mother came to meet her mother often and every time she carried with her bags full of her mother’s belongings like her silverware, cutlery and other items which she promised to keep in safe custody and return them to the narrator’s mother after the was over.
• The narrator didn’t personally know Mrs. Dorling but had seen her once at their house. Before dying the narrator’s mother had given her the address of Mrs. Dorling as 46, Marconi Street and had told to go there and collect their things.