After climbing the hill with great difficulty, now she had to climb down but by then she got caught by thorny bush with great labour she freed herself and again continued her journey. After sometimes, she came by a creek. She had to cross it. It was not an easy job. She had to cross it through a log. She took it to be a trial. Very carefully, she crossed the creek. She crossed it through a log even with her eyes closed. She again continued her journey but there was another obstacle waiting for her. Now, she had to cross through a barbed wire fence. She crept and crawled through the wire saving herself and her gown. Again, she faced the trouble successfully. Now, she was passing through a cornfield. There she saw a scarecrow. At first, she thought it to be a ghost but very boldly, she talked with it. Finally, when she knew that it was the scarecrow, she even danced with it. After crossing the cornfield as she was going on her way from somewhere, a black dog came before her all of a sudden. She lost her balance and fell down in a ditch there. She raised her hand for help. But, as there was nobody around, she silently remained there.
After some time, a hunter came there. He took her out from the ditch. While talking, a nickel (five-cent coin) dropped down from the man’s pocket. She stole it with a trick. After some time, she reached the town. There she asked a lady to tie her shoelaces. The whole town was decorated with colourful bulbs. But, her eyes were not working properly because it wasn’t a broad daylight. But, depending on her senses, she finally reached the medical clinic. There she even forgot why she had been there. She didn’t remember for a short time. However, while talking with the nurse, she remembers her grandson and her purpose of visit. She took the medicine. While she was going from there, she got a nickel as a gift. She said that she would buy a paper toy for her grandson. After that, she left the clinic.
Understanding (page 82)
1. Trace the various obstacles Old Phoenix comes up against between the Valley where we first pick her up and the wagon track, and describe how she deals with each.
Ans. At first, Phoenix had to climb up a frozen and slippery hill filled with pinecones. Later she faces a path full of thorny bushes. After which she comes across a freezing cold river which had a narrow wooden log where she had to carefully balance herself to make it to the otherside. Next she faces a barbed wire fence and at she comes across a scare crow and a hunter.
* Throughout the journey, she faces these obstacles with courage. At first she carefully moves through the pine forest after which she moves through the thorny bushes avoiding her dress from touching it. Next she carefully balances herself upon the wooden log placed over the freezing cold river and safely makes it across. Next she carefully crawls under the barbed wire fence so that she could prevent her cloth from coming in contact with it. At last she sees a scare crow and mistakens it to ghost, but happily dances off when she realises that it is just a scare crow.
2. What does Old Phoenix do when she is knocked down by the dog?
* Throughout the journey, she faces these obstacles with courage. At first she carefully moves through the pine forest after which she moves through the thorny bushes avoiding her dress from touching it. Next she carefully balances herself upon the wooden log placed over the freezing cold river and safely makes it across. Next she carefully crawls under the barbed wire fence so that she could prevent her cloth from coming in contact with it. At last she sees a scare crow and mistakens it to ghost, but happily dances off when she realises that it is just a scare crow.
2. What does Old Phoenix do when she is knocked down by the dog?
Ans. Phoenix tries to yell out for help after she gets knocked down into a ditch by the dog.
3. In Egyptian mythology the Phoenix was a bird of great splendor that ever five hundred years consumed itself by fire and rose renewed from its own ashes. In what ways is Phoenix Jackson like the bird?
3. In Egyptian mythology the Phoenix was a bird of great splendor that ever five hundred years consumed itself by fire and rose renewed from its own ashes. In what ways is Phoenix Jackson like the bird?
Ans. Everytime she faces a new obstacle, she fearlessly faces it without thinking of giving up. Just like how the Egyptian Mythology Bird `Phoenix' renews its life every five hundred years, the same in the story the obstacles gets renewed everytime and she fearlessly faces it. Hence she is some what relatable to the Phoenix Bird.
4. Why does Phoenix keep talking to herself? What do her monologies add to the total potrait of her?
4. Why does Phoenix keep talking to herself? What do her monologies add to the total potrait of her?
Ans. Phoenix keeps talking to herself because of her old age. As we all know as people get older they all tend to talk more to themself. From her monologues we know more about her. We even get more details about her even though it is not elaborated clearly in the story.
5. What is the meaning of the episode in which Phoenix steals the nickel? Does the act offend our sense of honsety? Explain your answer.
5. What is the meaning of the episode in which Phoenix steals the nickel? Does the act offend our sense of honsety? Explain your answer.
Ans. When the hunter goes to chase the dog, she uses this moment to pickup the fallen nickel. In my opinion, this act cannot be called as stealing as she is old and poor and also it is the eve if Christmas where rich people give gifts to the poor. Hence we can assume that the falling of the nickel was a gift to her.
No it does not offend our sense of honesty as it is not an act of stealing.
6. What significance can you attach to the fact that the journey takes place at Christmas time?
No it does not offend our sense of honesty as it is not an act of stealing.
6. What significance can you attach to the fact that the journey takes place at Christmas time?
Ans. The birth of Jesus is always celebrated as Christmas. On this day, a lady called Maggie walked across the hill only to see him. Similar to what Phoenix had done hence both were somewhat significant in certain aspects.
1. How does Phoenix describe her situation to the man who helps her up?
Rhetorical Strategies (page:82-83)
1. How does Phoenix describe her situation to the man who helps her up?
Ans. Phoenix says that her situation was just like a June bug and she's very old with the chances of her having a tragic death if she wouldn't have been rescued by the hunter.
2. How does she feel about stealing the nickel he dropped?
Ans. When she proceeds to pick up the fallen nickel, the crows above her flies away making her realise that even though the hunter isn't seeing her doing this, there is God who is watching her and she takes the sign of the crows flying as a sign of God telling her to pick it up. Therefore she isn't ashamed of doing it.
3. How does she explain where she was going to him? How do we know how much old Phoenix loves her grandson?
3. How does she explain where she was going to him? How do we know how much old Phoenix loves her grandson?
Ans. After the hunter rescues Phoenix from the ditch, he recommends her to turn back immediately to where she had come from as it was a very cold night and she was very old. But she refused to do as her grandson was sick and needed immediate medications which shows that old Phoenix loved her grandson a lot.
4. How does Phoenix know she is in the doctor's office?
4. How does Phoenix know she is in the doctor's office?
Ans. When Phoenix arrives in town she visits the pharmacy where she sees certain certificates hung up on the wall which makes her believe that she was in the doctor's office.
5. Analyse Phoenix's language. What is conveyed through her speech?
5. Analyse Phoenix's language. What is conveyed through her speech?
Ans. From Phoenix's language we come to know that she has a broken type of language as she is very old, poor and illiterate.
6. Point out some specific insatnce of humour.
6. Point out some specific insatnce of humour.
Ans. Apart from this being a sad and a pity full story, there were also some instances of humor. For instance we can see her yelling at animals saying them to get out of her way. In another scene we can see she dances off with a scare crow and later falls down a ditch after being chased by a dog and her condition becomes like a June bug.
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Tips for exam
* The same above questions are asked in exam but for 5 marks or sometime for 10 marks
You should elaborate the answers.
You should elaborate the answers.
* To Elaborate Every time you write a short summary in 1st paragraph,
* Now give the answer of asked questions in 2nd paragraph,
* If you don't feel bore writing answers you can make it of 3 paragraphs by concluding the main theme of answer in 3rd paragraph.
