Welcome to “A Doctor’s Journal Entry Workbook Solution: ICSE Treasure Chest,” where we embark on a journey through the captivating narrative of ICSE English Literature Treasure Chest Part 1. Within these pages, we meticulously unravel the essence of “A Doctor’s Journal Entry” through comprehensive workbook solutions. This post offers comprehensive answers to multiple-choice and contextual questions, deepening your understanding of this timeless tale. Meet the characters and delve into the nuances of character development and thematic exploration. Each question serves as a gateway to dissecting the text, urging readers to analyze subtle nuances and extract deeper meanings. Contextual inquiries broaden our canvas for exploration, encouraging critical engagement with socio-cultural backdrops and universal themes. Through this examination, readers sharpen analytical skills and develop a profound appreciation for literary craftsmanship. Whether a student navigating ICSE English Literature or an avid reader unraveling beloved stories, “A Doctor’s Journal Entry Workbook Solutions” promises valuable companionship. Join us on this literary journey as we illuminate the path to understanding, one workbook solution at a time.
Table of Contents
Poem Summary :
The Poem In Details
Lines 1-5
The poem is in the form of a journal entry made for August 6, 1945 by a doctor. The poet begins the narration on a peaceful note. He says that when the day dawned, it was calm, beautiful and warm. He was not fully clothed, he got up and stretched himself and saw outside shining leaves and shadows. However, he was suddenly taken by surprise by two sudden flashes. He saw the old stone lantern light up. He wondered whether the flashes were magnesium flares seen during a war.
Lines 6-10
While he was debating about the flares, the roof and the wall of the building collapsed and the debris got scattered all over and the dust swirled around him. Furthermore, his drawers and undershirt disappeared – that is, they got burnt.
Lines 11-14
A splinter protruded from his thigh; his right side bled, his cheek was torn. He removed dispassionately a piece of glass from his body. He wondered what had happened to him.
Lines 15-21
The narrator looked for his wife. Alarmed, he called for her. Meanwhile his blood gushed out. Is it from the artery in his neck, he wondered. Being a doctor he feared bleeding to death if the jugular was cut. Again he called out for his wife. Then emerged Yecko-san holding her elbow-pale, bloodstained and frightened. The narrator assured her that they would be fine and told her that they should go out quickly.
Lines 22-25
When they were walking, they stumbled against the head of a man, who was crushed to death under a gate.
Lines 26-31
There was a house standing before him which tilted, swayed, toppled and crashed. The fire sprang up in the dust and spread widely by the wind. The couple thought of rushing to the hospital. But they needed help for themselves and for their staff. It was a good idea but he wondered how could he help the staff when he himself was injured,
Lines 32-35
His legs were weak and he sat down on the ground. He was thirsty but there was no water to drink. His breath was short; but little by little his strength restored and he got up.
Lines 36-39
The narrator was still naked but he was not ashamed. This situation disturbed him but he kept on walking till he met a soldier, who was standing by the side. He gave the narrator a towel taken from around his neck.
Lines 40-45
The narrator’s legs were stiff with dried blood and they refused to move ahead. He said that Yecko-san must go ahead alone to the hospital. She was unwilling to go, but in their distress, they had no other choice. After his wife’s departure, he felt lonely. His mind was working but his body could not keep its speed.
Lines 46-51
He saw the shadow-like appearances of people, some looked like ghosts, the others, like the scarecrows but everyone was silent as if they were dumb. Some were walking with arms stretched out and a shoulder or a hand dangling loose from their body. It took some time for him to understand the situation. The friction on their wounds caused so much pain when the burnt wounds rubbed against each other.
Lines 52-55
The narrator was stunned to see people walking in a naked parade to the hospital. He saw with deep anguish a woman and child on his way, both naked. He wondered whether they had come out straight after a bath.
Lines 56-59
The narrator ignored them but he did not understand the situation till he saw another naked man. Then he realised that some strange thing had happened because of which people’s clothes got burnt.
Workbook MCQs :
1. The poem begins with morning being:
(a) beautiful and warm
(b) chilly and morose
(c) unpleasant and humid
(d) cold and dreary
Answer: (a) beautiful and warm
2. What did he wonder when he saw the old stone lantern light up?
(a) Whether it was going to be a very hot that day.
(b) Whether there was a short circuit.
(c) Whether it was hit by the magnesium flares seen during the War.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) Whether it was hit by the magnesium flares seen during the War.
3. What was weird around the narrator after the flashes?
(a) His clothes had vanished
(b) The buildings had collapsed
(c) There were soldiers everywhere
(d) People were walking like scarecrows
Answer: (a) His clothes had vanished
4. Why did the poet’s drawers and undershirt disappear?
(a) Someone stole them.
(b) The poet misplaced
(c) The poet forgot about them.
(d) They got burnt.
Answer: (d) They got burnt.
5. What scared the doctor when he felt blood gush out?
(a) His wife was injured too.
(b) They were dying.
(c) The blood was from the jugular vein.
(d) He might have been shot.
Answer: (c) The blood was from the jugular vein.
6. What did the narrator say consoling his wife?
(a) Help would arrive soon
(b) They’ll be fine
(c) They had no other choice
(d) The hospital was near
Answer: (b) They’ll be fine
7. People were walking naked on the road because:
(a) they were protesting.
(b) they were helpless.
(c) their clothes got burnt.
(d) they were shocked.
Answer : (c) their clothes got burnt.
8. What did the poet wonder when he saw a woman and child, both naked?
(a) Whether they got hurt badly.
(b) Whether they were very poor.
(c) Whether they rushed to save their lives and forgot to wear clothes.
(d) Whether they had come out straight after a bath.
Answer : (d) Whether they had come out straight after a bath.
9. Why were people walking with ‘Arms stretched out’?
(a) Because they were burnt.
(b) Because they were bleeding.
(c) Because of the pain when the burnt wounds rubbed against each other.
(d) Because the blood was gushing out of their wounds.
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
10. Why were all the people speechless?
(a) Because their wounds were aching.
(b) Because they all were shocked.
(c) Because they could not cry in spite of their pain.
(d) Because they were not allowed to speak.
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
11. The poem depicts:
(a) Human resilience
(b) Absolute helplessness
(c) Aftermath of War
(d) Personal anguish
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
12. Destruction by bombs signifies:
(a) Humanity deprived of its human nature
(b) Helplessness
(c) Death and destruction
(d) loneliness of man
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
13. Upon seeing the fire spring up from dust what ‘dawned on’ the doctor?
(a) He should go to the hospital
(b) He needed help
(c) His staff needed help
(d) All of the above
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
14. What does the line ‘shuffled in a blank parade’ mean?
(a) Walked involuntarily as if in a trance.
(b) Anguished involuntarily.
(c) Human figures built with sticks and placed in farmlands.
(d) Complaints of pain.
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
Workbook Questions :
Extract 1
The morning stretched calm, beautiful, and warm.
Sprawling half-clad, I gazed out at the form
Of shimmering leaves and shadows. Suddenly
A strong flash, then another, startled me.
I saw the old stone lantern brightly lit…
Magnesium flares?
(i) How is the morning described in the extract? In what mood was the narrator?
Answer : In the extract, the morning is described as calm, beautiful, and warm. The mention of “shimmering leaves and shadows” adds to the sense of tranquillity and natural beauty. The narrator was in a relaxed and peaceful mood after waking from sleep.
(iI) What startled the narrator? What did he think of it?
Answer : The narrator is startled by the consecutive strong flashes of light coming from the old stone lantern. He’s thinking of the magnesium flare that is seen during the wars.
(iII) What was the impact of the explosion on the place and the people?
Answer : The roof and the wall of the building collapsed. Timber and debris are scattered all around and there was dust rising up from the pile. The doctor found himself thrown into the garden and the drawers, and undershirts he had been wearing were burnt off.
(iV) How much did the narrator personally suffer in the explosion?
Answer : The narrator personally suffered significant injuries in the explosion. They experienced a mangled thigh with a protruding splinter, bleeding from the right side, a torn cheek, and dislodged a piece of glass. Additionally, the narrator’s drawers and undershirt disappeared.
(v) Give the meaning of
(a) The morning stretched calm, beautiful, and warm
(b) A strong flash, then another, startled me.
Answer : (a)the morning was calm, beautiful and warm.
(b) two consecutive strong flashes one after another made the narrator surprise.
Extract 2
The artery in my neck? Scared for my life,
I called out, panic-stricken, to my wife.
Pale, bloodstained, frightened, Yecko-san emerged,
Holding her elbow.
(i) What made the blood gush out? Why was the narrator panic-stricken?
Answer : Injuries due to the strong flash made the blood gush out from the artery of the neck.
(iI) What in the extract shows that Yecko-san was badly injured?
Answer : Yecko-san emerged before the Narrator as pale, holding her elbow, bloodstained can be seen on Her and she was frightened. She was equally injured as her husband in the given situation of war and agony.
(iII) What did the narrator tell his wife consoling her? What does it say about the narrator?
Answer : The narrator tells his wife, Yecko-san, “We’ll be fine.” i.e narrator assured his wife that they will be fine very soon for now we have to get out quickly to protect ourselves. It shows that the narrator is trying to remain calm and composed despite the circumstances. The narrator is concerned about his wife and motivating her.
(iV) Describe the object they found on the street. What was the reaction of the narrator after finding the object?
Answer : They found a human head on the street. He gasped in shock. He then apologised but realised the person was dead. Then he felt afraid.
(v) By giving two examples, state how an atmosphere of fear was created by the explosion in the minds of the narrator and his wife.
Answer : In the poem, there are many scenarios depicted that state how an atmosphere of fear was created by the explosion in the minds of the narrator and his wife. Everything around them had collapsed only timber and debris are left over. Both were bleeding and their conditions are horrifying. They nearly tripped on a human head. All these examples create an atmosphere of fear due to the explosion.
Extract 3
A gate had crushed him. There we stood, afraid.
A house standing before us tilted, swayed,
Toppled, and crashed. Fire sprang up in the dust.
Spread by the wind.
(i) Who was dead? What had killed him?
Answer : The human being on whose head the narrator and his wife tripped and nearly fell. A gate had fallen on him and crushed him.
(iI) Describe the strange things that happened as stated in the extract,
Answer : A house was standing and like a pack of cards swayed, tilted and collapsed. The swirling dust gave rise to a fire that was spread by the winds.
(iII) Immediately after the extract, what two decisions does the narrator make?
Answer : The narrator makes the decision to go to the hospital for help and also to aid the hospital staff. When he could not get up he asked his wife to go alone and seek help.
(iV) Why couldn’t the narrator aid his staff at the hospital?
Answer : The narrator himself condition is horrifying he is bleeding profusely. His legs gave way and he was forced to sit on the ground.
(v) What physical inconveniences did the narrator suffer after the incidents referred to in the extract?
Answer : The narrator couldn’t walk due to injuries in his thigh, forcing them to sit on the ground in exhaustion. They were thirsty but lacked water, and due to smoke and dust, they feel shortness of breath. Despite being naked, their focus was on survival, not shame.
Extract 4
Seemed to revive, and I got up at length.
I was still naked, but I felt no shame,
This thought disturbed me somewhat, till I came
Upon a soldier, standing silently,
Who gave the towel round his neck to me.
(i) Why was the breath of the speaker short? “But bit by bit my strength/Seemed to the post-war history of Japan, what is the symbolism involved in this expression?
Answer : They were Badly injured and bleeding profusely walking in order to get help makes them tired therefore they feel shortness of breath. The Japanese withstood the calamity, and with their indomitable spirit and hard work rose up (bit by bit my strength/Seemed to revive) and gradually rebuilt their shattered City and their world.
(iI) The narrator was conscious that he was naked. Who helped him? How did the offer help the narrator to have self-confidence?
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iII) Why did he send Yecko-san alone to the hospital? How did he justify his decision to let his wife go alone to the hospital?
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iV) What did the narrator feel when Yecko-san left for the hospital? Explain the symbolism?
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(v) Describe the appearance of the people whom the narrator saw.
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
Extract 5
I saw the shadowy forms of people, some
Were ghosts, some scarecrows, all were wordless, dumb-
Arms stretched straight out, shoulder to dangling hand;
It took some time for me to understand
The friction on their burns caused so much pain
They feared to chafe flesh against flesh again.
Those who could, shuffled in a blank parade
Towards the hospital.
(i) What does the speaker mean by: shadowy forms of people? Why were they looking so?
Answer : They looked like silhouettes against the grey background – bombing caused destruction and buildings collapsed – dust was everywhere.
(iI) Explain briefly the horrifying effect of the bombing on the people, as described in the extract.
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iII) What caused the pain as the victims of the bombing moved? What is the suffering of the narrator as well as his wife in the poem?
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iV) Give the meaning of the following:
(a) feared to chafe flesh against flesh again
(b) shuffled in a blank parade
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(v) How does the poet create an atmosphere of fear, panic and horror in the poem?
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
Extract 6
…Had they come back from the bath?
Iturned my gaze, but I was at a loss
That she should stand thus, till I came across
A naked man and now the thought arose
That some strange thing had stripped us of our clothes.
The face of an old woman on the ground
Was marred with suffering, but she made no sound.
Silence was common to us all. I heard
No cries of anguish, or a single word.
(i) Who are they referred to in the extract? Why does the narrator doubt whether they had come back from the bath?
Answer : People are referred to in the extract who are badly injured and walking towards the hospital to seek help. The narrator doubt whether they had come back from the bath as they were absolutely naked as if they had just had a bath.
(iI) The poem often refers to the nakedness of the body. Figuratively, besides the bomb explosion, who else is responsible for making them naked of clothes as well as human dignity? How?
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iII) What is meant by: “Silence was common to us all?”
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(iV) Describe the physical and psychological sufferings shown in the extract.
Answer : ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
(V) What has appealed to you in the poem? Give two examples to justify your opinion.
Answer: ( For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View )
