Supp. Unit 2 English - FL - Supp. Unit 2

‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.

Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?

The story is divided into pre-war and post-war times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?

‘Have you come back?’ said the woman, ’I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?

“Of all the things I had to forget, that would be the easiest”. What does the speaker mean by ‘that’? What is its significance in the story?

Perhaps I was mistaken, I thought, perhaps it isn’t her. I had seen her only once, fleetingly, and that was years ago. It was most probable that I had rung the wrong bell. The woman let go of the door and stepped to the side. She was wearing my mother’s green knitted cardigan. The wooden buttons were rather pale from washing. She saw that I was looking at the cardigan and half hid herself again behind the door. But I knew now that I was right.
Q.1. Why did the narrator think they might be mistaken?
Q.2. What was the woman wearing that caught the narrator’s attention?
Q.3. How did the woman react when she saw the narrator looking at the cardigan?

‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back. ‘Only me.’ A door opened and closed in the passage behind her. A musty smell emerged. ‘I regret I cannot do anything for you. I’ve come here specially on the train. I wanted to talk to you for a moment.’ ‘It is not convenient for me now,’ said the woman. ‘I can’t see you. Another time.’ She nodded and cautiously closed the door as though no one inside the house should be disturbed.
Q.1. What did the woman say when she saw the narrator?
Q.2. What kind of smell emerged from the house?
Q.3. Why did the woman refuse to talk to the narrator?

Every time she leaves here she takes something home with her,” said my mother. ‘She took all the table silver in one go. And then the antique plates that hung there. She had trouble lugging those large vases, and I’m worried she got a crick in her back from the crockery. My mother shook her head pityingly. I would never have dared ask her. She suggested it to me herself. She even insisted. She wanted to save all my nice things. If we have to leave here we shall lose everything, she says.
Q.1. What did Mrs. Dorling take in one go?
Q.2. Why was the narrator’s mother worried about Mrs. Dorling?
Q.3. Why did Mrs. Dorling take the narrator’s mother’s belongings?

After my first visit in vain to Mrs Dorling’s house I decided to try a second time. Now a girl of about fifteen opened the door to me. I asked her if her mother was at home. ‘No’ she said, ‘my mother’s doing an errand. ‘No matter, I said, ‘I’ll wait for her.’ followed the girl along the passage. An old-fashioned iron Hanukkah candle- holder hung next to a mirror.
Q.1. Who opened the door when the narrator visited Mrs. Dorling’s house for the second time?
Q.2. Where was Mrs. Dorling when the narrator visited the second time?
Q.3. What was hanging next to the mirror in the passage?

As I walked slowly back to the station I thought about my mother, who had given me the address years ago. It had been in the first half of the War. I was home for a few days and it struck me immediately that something or other about the rooms had changed. I missed various things. My mother was surprised I should have noticed so quickly. Then she told me about Mrs Dorling. I had never heard of her but apparently she was an old acquaintance of my mother, whom she hadn’t seen for years. She had suddenly turned up and renewed their contact.
Q.1. Who had given the narrator the address years ago?
Q.2. Who was Mrs. Dorling?
Q.3. Why was the narrator’s mother surprised?

Perhaps I was mistaken, I thought, perhaps it isn’t her. I had seen her only once, fleetingly, and that was years ago. It was most probable that I had rung the wrong bell. The woman let go of the door and stepped to the side. She was wearing my mother’s green knitted cardigan. The wooden buttons were rather pale from washing. She saw that I was looking at the cardigan and half hid herself again behind the door. But I knew now that I was right.
Q.1. Why did the narrator think they might be mistaken?
Q.2. What was the woman wearing that caught the narrator’s attention?

‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back. ‘Only me.’ A door opened and closed in the passage behind her. A musty smell emerged. ‘I regret I cannot do anything for you. I’ve come here specially on the train. I wanted to talk to you for a moment.’ ‘It is not convenient for me now,’ said the woman. ‘I can’t see you. Another time.’ She nodded and cautiously closed the door as though no one inside the house should be disturbed.
Q.1. What did the woman say when she saw the narrator?
Q.2. What kind of smell emerged from the house?

Every time she leaves here she takes something home with her,” said my mother. ‘She took all the table silver in one go. And then the antique plates that hung there. She had trouble lugging those large vases, and I’m worried she got a crick in her back from the crockery. My mother shook her head pityingly. I would never have dared ask her. She suggested it to me herself. She even insisted. She wanted to save all my nice things. If we have to leave here we shall lose everything, she says.
Q.1. What did Mrs. Dorling take in one go?
Q.2. Why was the narrator’s mother worried about Mrs. Dorling?

After my first visit in vain to Mrs Dorling’s house I decided to try a second time. Now a girl of about fifteen opened the door to me. I asked her if her mother was at home. ‘No’ she said, ‘my mother’s doing an errand. ‘No matter, I said, ‘I’ll wait for her.’ followed the girl along the passage. An old-fashioned iron Hanukkah candle- holder hung next to a mirror.
Q.1. Who opened the door when the narrator visited Mrs. Dorling’s house for the second time?
Q.2. Where was Mrs. Dorling when the narrator visited the second time?

As I walked slowly back to the station I thought about my mother, who had given me the address years ago. It had been in the first half of the War. I was home for a few days and it struck me immediately that something or other about the rooms had changed. I missed various things. My mother was surprised I should have noticed so quickly. Then she told me about Mrs Dorling. I had never heard of her but apparently she was an old acquaintance of my mother, whom she hadn’t seen for years. She had suddenly turned up and renewed their contact.
Q.1. Who had given the narrator the address years ago?
Q.2. Who was Mrs. Dorling?