Welcome to “The Home-Coming Workbook Ans : ICSE Treasure Chest (Evergreen),” where we explore the poignant narrative of “The Home-Coming,” featured in the ICSE English Literature Treasure Chest by Evergreen Publications. In this post, you’ll find comprehensive solutions to the workbook questions, designed to deepen your understanding of this emotionally resonant poem.
Through meticulous answers to multiple-choice and contextual questions, we unravel the themes, character dynamics, and literary devices that make “The Home-Coming” a memorable and thought-provoking piece. Each question serves as a stepping stone, guiding you to analyze the poem’s layers and uncover the deeper meanings embedded within.
Contextual inquiries invite you to engage critically with the poem’s exploration of themes like family, belonging, and the passage of time, broadening your perspective and enhancing your literary analysis skills.
Whether you’re a student preparing for ICSE English Literature or a reader with a passion for poetry, “ICSE Treasure Chest: The Home-Coming Workbook Answers” provides valuable insights and guidance. Join us as we journey through this literary work, one workbook answer at a time, shedding light on its profound messages and artistic beauty.
Table of Contents
Summary :
Two Brothers
Phatik Chakravorthi was a fourteen year old Bengali boy whose father had died very early. He grew up lazy, wild and disobedient. Compared to him his younger brother Makhan Chakravorthi was quiet, good and fond of reading. Phatik thought of doing some new mischief everyday. One day he and his friends thought of a new mischief. A wooden log meant to be shaped into the mast of a boat was lying near the river. They decided to push it into the river. Makhan, objecting to it, sat firmly on the log without a word. The boys were puzzled for a moment. Makhan was pushed, rather timidly, by one of the boys. He was told to get up but he remained unconcerned. Phatik being the ringleader ordered the boys to roll the log alongwith Makhan. The log was pushed and Makhan was thrown into water. At home when he was questioned about this, he beat not only his brother but also his mother.
Life in Calcutta
Pathik’s uncle, Bishamber arrived. With the permission of his mother. he took Phatik to Calcutta to educate him. Phatik’s uncle had three sons of his own and his aunt did not like this new addition in their family. She thought that a fourteen year old boy will have his own problems too. He was an unwelcome guest for his aunt and her children.
The School
Phatik was admitted to a school. School was also a miserable experience for him. He could neither blend in nor impress the teachers. He missed the meadows, mountain and river of his native village. No wonder he become a failure at school. He answered no questions, was beaten badly daily at school. He was also ridiculed by all including his cousins. He grew homesick and wanted to return home. One day he lost his book for which he was both insulted and reprimanded by his schoolmates and his aunt.
Phatik Catches Fever
Upon returning home that day Phatik tries to escape back home. However he was caught in a torrent of rain. He caught a severe malarial cold. His uncle lodged a complaint as he found the boy missing. The police brought him back. He was further criticised. Unable to bear it any longer Phatik cried and said that he wanted to go home. His uncle told him that he would be able to go when the holidays come. Then he started asking when the holidays would come.
Phatik’s Mother arrives
In his fever Phatik moved his hands restlessly up and down. His condition seemed critical and his mother in the village was sent for. When the mother arrived moaning and crying he was nearing his death. In his hallucination he begged his mother not to beat him. His last words to his mother were “Mother, the holidays have come.”
Workbook MCQs :
Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate options.
1. Choose the option that lists the sequence of events in the correct way.
1. Phatik became an unwanted guest in his uncle’s house.
2. Phatik’s mother was prejudiced against him and believed the lies Makhan told her against Phatik.
3. Phatik’s calls his mother when he is in a state of delirium at his uncle’s house.
4. He tried to run away from his uncle’s home to go back to his mother.
(a) 4, 2, 3, 1
(b) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) 2, 1, 3, 4
(d) 2, 1, 4, 3
Answer :- (d) 2, 1, 4, 3
2. “What! You little villain! Would you hit your own mother”?
Which of the following words best describes the tone of the speaker?
(a) sarcastic
(b) frustrated
(c) angry
(d) pleasing
Answer :- (c) angry
3. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between statement (1) and statement (2).
1. It was an immense relief to the mother to get rid of Phatik!
2. Mother considered Phatik a perpetual nuisance.
(a) 2 is the cause of 1.
(b) 1 is an example of 2.
(c) 1 is independent of 2.
(d) 1 is in contradiction of 2.
Answer :- (a) 2 is the cause of 1
4. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Phatik?
(a) Phatik’s mother loves his brother Makhan more than Phatik.
(b) The mother sends Phatik to Calcutta to live with his uncle’s family.
(c) Phatik likes his uncle and aunt very much.
(d) Phatik is ill treated by his aunt.
Answer :- (c) Phatik likes his uncle and aunt very much.
5. When Phatik’s uncle asks him to accompany him to Calcutta and live there it makes Phatik feel…….
(a) surprised
(b) sorrowful
(c) proud
(d) happy
Answer :- (d) happy
6. The log lying near the river was to be used for ………
(a) making furniture
(b) making a boat
(c) making a mast for a boat
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (c) making a mast for a boat
7. Who came and sat on the log when the boys were about to push it ?
(a) Bishamber
(b) Makhan
(c) Owner of the log
(d) One of Phatik’s rivals
Answer :- (b) Makhan
8. Who stepped on shore when a boat came up on the landing?
(a) a man with grey beard
(b) Phatik’s mother
(c) Bishamber
(d) Phatik’s teacher
Answer :- (a) a man with grey beard
9. Phatik’s mother had lost her husband while her brother was still in ………
(a) Calcutta
(b) Bombay doing his business
(c) in a foreign country
(d) studying in London
Answer :- (b) Bombay doing his business
10. Phatik’s mother was happy to get rid of him because ………
(a) She was prejudiced against him
(b) he was a big nuisance
(c) he was wild, lazy and disobedient
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (d) all of the above
11. Phatik’s aunt was displeased with his arrival because ………
(a) Phatik was wild and lazy
(b) Phatik was uncultured
(c) he was a boy of fourteen
(d) she had three sons quite enough to manage.
Answer :- (d) she had three sons quite enough to manage
12. A lad of fourteen becomes ………
(a) suddenly unattractive
(b) painfully self conscious
(c) unduly shy
(d) intentionally mischievous
Answer :- (b) painfully self conscious
13. With chiding and scolding a boy of fourteen becomes ………
(a) extremely shameless
(b) a problem for his parents
(c) like a stray dog that has lost its master
(d) self willed and stubborn
Answer :- (c) like a stray dog that has lost its master
14. Suffocated in Calcutta houses and walls Phatik kept remembering
(a) meadows where he flew kites
(b) narrow brook where he used to swim ………
(c) river banks where he used to sing and shout all day
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (d) all of the above
15. One day at school Phatik lost his ………
(a) school bag
(b) wooden slate
(c) lesson book
(d) notebook
Answer :- (c) lesson book
Comprehension Passages :
Passage – 1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Phatik Chakravorthi was ringleader among the boys of the village. A new mischief got into his head. There was a heavy log lying on the mud-flat of the river waiting to be shaped into a mast for a boat. He decided that they should all work together to shift the log by man force from its place and roll it away. The owner of the log would be angry and surprised, and they would all enjoy the fun. Every one seconded the proposal, and it was carried unanimously.
(I) What new mischief got into Phatik’s head?
Answer :- Phatik, the ring-leader of the village boys, thought of a new plan to make mischief. It was regarding a heavy piece of log.
(II) For what was the log lying on the mud-flat of the river?
Answer :- The log was lying on the mud-flat of the river. It was lying there for future use. It was to be shaped into a mast for a boat.
(III) What did Phatik decide?
Answer :- Phatik decided that all the village boys would work together to displace the log from its original place. Then they would roll it away into the river water.
(IV) What would the boys enjoy?
Answer :- The act of mischief by the village boys would enrage and surprise the owner of the piece of heavy wood. They would enjoy by doing this.
(V) Who posed an obstacle in carrying out the plan? How?
Answer :- It was Phatik’s younger brother Makhan who posed an obstacle to carrying out the mischievous plan. He walked up to the log and sat down silently on the log.
Passage – 2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Phatik wiped his face, and sat down on the edge of a sunken barge on the river bank, and began to chew a piece of grass. A boat came up to the landing, and a middle-aged man, with grey hair and dark moustache, stepped on shore. He saw the boy sitting there doing nothing, and asked him where the Chakravortis lived. Phatik went on chewing the grass, and said: “Over there,” but it was quite impossible to tell where he pointed. The stranger asked him again. He swung his legs to and fro on the side of the barge, and said; “Go and find out,” and continued to chew the grass as before.
(I) What had happened a little earlier for which Phatik had to wipe his face?
Answer :- As all the boys pushed the log into the river water, Makhan fell into the mud. As they shouted with delight, Makhan got up, scratched Phatik’s face, kicked him and went away home, crying.
(II) Who was this middle aged man who stepped on the shore?
Answer :- A middle aged man, with grey hair and dark mustache, stepped on shore. Phatik came to know later on that this man was in fact his maternal uncle.
(III) What did the ‘man’ ask the boy? What reply did the boy give? What was wrong with the answer?
Answer :- The ‘man’ asked Phatik where the Chakravortis lived. The boy pointed in one direction vaguely as he continued to chew grass. No, his reply “over there” wasn’t satisfactory.
(IV) What can you say about Phatik’s rude behaviour with the stranger?
Answer :- Phatik was of the opinion that everybody at home was biased against him. So his behaviour was rude with the members of his family and he repeated it with the stranger too although it was uncalled for.
(V) Who came soon after this incident? Where did he take Phatik? How?
Answer :- It was a servant who came down from home. He told Phatik that his mother wanted him but he refused to move. The servant, a strong man, was forced to pick him up roughly and carry him away.
Passage – 3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It was just at this critical juncture that the grey-haired stranger arrived. He asked what the mall his as. Phatik looked sheepish a grey-haired s
But when his mother stepped back and looked at the stranger, her anger was changed to surprise. For she recognised her brother, and cried: “Why, Dada! where have you come from? “As she said these words, she bowed to the ground and touched his feet. Her brother had gone away soon after she had married, and he had started business in Bombay. His sister had lost her husband while he was in Bombay. Bishamber had now come back to Calcutta, and had at once made enquiries about his sister. He had then hastened to see her as soon as he found out where she was.
(I) Who is the grey haired stranger referred to here? What did he ask?
Answer :- The grey haired stranger referred to here is Bishamber, the maternal uncle of Phatik. He wanted to know what the matter or the cause of the problem was.
(II) Why was Phatik’s mother angry? How did her anger change to surprise?
Answer :- Phatik’s mother was angry because of Phatik’s behaviour. He had beaten Makhan and pushed her aside when she tried to stop him. Her anger changed to surprise on finding her brother Bishamber in front of her.
(III) How did she welcome ‘the stranger’?
Answer :- She welcomed her brother warmly. She bowed to the ground and touched his feet respectfully.
(IV) Which tragic incident had taken place in the absence of the stranger?
Answer :- While the stranger i.e. Bishamber was in Bombay, his sister i.e. Phatik’s mother had lost her husband.
(V) What shows that Bishamber was a caring brother?
Answer :- As soon as Bishamber came back to Calcutta he made enquiries about his sister. When he learnt that she had lost her husband, he came to meet her. This shows that he was a caring brother.
Passage – 4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
When they reached Calcutta, Phatik made the acquaintance of his aunt for the first time. She was no means pleased with the unnecessary addition to her family. She found her own three boys quite enough to manage without taking any one else. And to bring a village lad of fourteen into their midst was terribly upsetting Bishamber should really have thought twice before committing such an indiscretion.
(I) Who are ‘they’ referred to in the first line ? From where had they come?
Answer :- ‘They’ referred to in the first line are Phatik and his maternal uncle Bishamber. They had just arrived from the village.
(II) How did Phatik’s aunt react to his arrival? Did Phatik expect this reaction?
Answer :- Phatik met his aunt for the first time. She wasn’t pleased to see him. It meant unnecessary addition to her family. Phatik had not expected this treatment from her.
(III) Why was Phatik’s aunt unhappy with his addition in the family?
Answer :- Phatik’s aunt thought she was already burdened with the responsibility of her own three sons. The addition of another boy terribly upset her. So she was unhappy.
(IV) According to Phatik’s aunt what should Bishamber have done?
Answer :- Phatik’s aunt thought that it was an act of indiscretion to bring him to Calcutta. He should have thought carefully before taking such a step.
(V) What impression do you form of Phatik’s aunt from the above passage?
Answer :- The impression the reader gets regarding Phatik’s aunt is that she seems to be of an irritable nature. She is not ready to adjust herself to the new situation of looking after the fourth boy of fourteen. It is impossible to shower affection on a grown up boy than on a little boy.
Passage – 5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
In this world of human affairs there is no worse nuisance than a boy at the age of fourteen. He is neither ornamental, nor useful. It is impossible to shower affection on him as on a little boy; and he is always getting in the way. If he talks with a childish lisp he is called a baby, and if he answers in a grown-up way he is called impertinent. In fact any talk at all from him is resented. Then he is at the unattractive, growing age. He grows out of his clothes with indecent haste; his voice grows hoarse and breaks and quavers; his face grows suddenly angular and unsightly. It is easy to excuse the shortcomings of early childhood, but it is hard to tolerate even unavoidable lapses in a boy of fourteen. The lad himself becomes painfully self-conscious. When he talks with elderly people he is either unduly forward, or else so unduly shy that he appears ashamed of his very existence.
(I) According to Tagore what is the biggest nuisance in the world of human affairs? Why is it so?
Answer :- The biggest nuisance is a boy at the age of fourteen. It is so because he is neither ornamental nor useful.
(II) Why is the boy of fourteen criticized when he talks like a grown up person?
Answer :- When a boy of fourteen talks like a grown up person, he is called impertinent. He is asked not to meddle with the affairs of grown up persons.
(III) What are we told about physical growth of a boy at the age of fourteen?
Answer :- At the crucial age of fourteen he grows out of clothes with indecent haste i.e., his clothes become tight. His voice becomes hoarse and he breaks and quivers. His face too becomes unattractive, suddenly growing angular.
(IV) How is people’s attitude different towards a boy of fourteen from their attitude towards children?
Answer :- The attitude of the grown ups is different towards a boy of fourteen as they believe that the shortcomings of a boy of fourteen cannot be excused because he is expected to behave like a grown up person. Since he grows up physically, he is also expected to grow up mentally at the same pace.
(V) What does a young lad’s heart crave for most at this age?
Answer :- At this age a young lad’s heart most craves for recognition and love. If anyone shows him consideration, he becomes his devoted slave.
Passage – 6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
For a boy of fourteen his own home is the only Paradise. To live in a strange house with strange people is little short of torture, while the height of bliss is to receive the kind looks of women, and never to be slighted by them.
It was anguish to Phatik to be the unwelcome guest in his aunt’s house, despised by this elderly woman, and slighted, on every occasion. If she ever asked him to do anything for her, he would be so overjoyed that he would overdo it; and then she would tell him not to be so stupid, but to get on with his lessons.
(I) What happens if a boy of fourteen is continuously scolded? Is it true of Phatik also?
Answer :- If a boy of fourteen is continuously scolded, he feels insulted. It becomes torture to live in a strange home with strange people. It is true of Phatik also. His behaviour in the story shows this.
(II) What is the height of bliss for a boy of fourteen?
Answer :- For a boy of fourteen, the height of bliss is to live in his own home. Moreover, receiving the kind looks of women in new home is like living in paradise.
(III) How did Phatik feel in his uncle’s house?
Answer :- Phatik, being a sensitive boy of fourteen, soon realised that he was unwelcome in his aunt’s house. It was insulting for him to be rebuked repeatedly by an elderly lady.
(IV) How did Phatik react whenever his aunt asked him to do something?
Answer :- Whenever his aunt asked him to do something, he would overdo it. Then his aunt would tell him not to act foolishly. He should rather pay attention to his lessons.
(V) Does Phatik succeed in pleasing his aunt ? How do you know?
Answer :- Phatik does not succeed in pleasing his aunt despite his sincere efforts to do so. Instead of feeling pleased, she would ask him not to be stupid, and get on with his lesson only.
Passage – 7
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
There was no more backward boy in the whole school than Phatik. He gaped and remained silent when the teacher asked him a question, and like an overladen ass patiently suffered all the blows that came down on his back. When other boys were out at play, he stood wistfully by the window and gazed at the roofs of the distant houses. And if by chance he espied children playing on the open terrace of any roof, his heart would ache with longing.
One day he summoned up all his courage, and asked his uncle: “Uncle, when can 1 go home?”
(I) How did Phatik fare at school?
Answer :- Phatik was the most backward boy in the school. He could never reply teacher’s questions. He patiently suffered blows on his back like an overladen ass.
(II) How did he endure the punishment?
Answer :- Just as an ass suffers silently when his master puts extra weight on its back without eliciting any protest, similar was Phatik’s way of enduring punishment.
(III) “… he stood wistfully by the window and gazed at the roofs of the distant houses”
What light does this line throw on Phatik’s state of mind?
Answer :- The above line clearly shows that Phatik was deeply disillusioned with city life at his aunt’s house. He constantly thought of his village by standing wistfully by the window and gazed at the roofs of the distant houses.
(IV) “Looking at the children playing on the open terrace filled his heart with a longing”. Which longing is being referred to here?
Answer :- While the other children played on the open terrace of any roof, Phatik’s heart was filled with deep pain. On such occasions, he longed for his village, home and friends with whom he indulged in acts of mischief.
(V) What did Phatik ask his uncle one day? What was his uncle’s reply?
Answer :- Gathering all his courage one day, Phatik asked his uncle when he could go home. His uncle’s reply was that he would take him there during holidays.
Passage – 8
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Phatik heard her words, and sobbed out loud: “Uncle, I was just going home; but they dragged me back again.”
The fever rose very high, and all that night the boy was delirious. Bishamber brought in a doctor. Phatik opened his eyes flushed with fever, and looked up to the ceiling. and said vacantly: “Uncle, have the holidays come yet? May I go home?”
Bishamber wiped the tears from his own eyes, and took Phatik’s lean and burning hands in his own, and sat by him through the night. The boy began again to mutter. At last his voice became excited: “Mother,” he cried, “don’t beat me like that! Mother! I am telling the truth!”
(I) What had the aunt said that Phatik heard and began to weep?
Answer :- Phatik’s aunt said that he had brought a lot of trouble for the family. It would be appropriate if he was sent home. On hearing this, he began to weep.
(II) Who are they’ referred to in the second line? Why did they bring Phatik home? Where had he gone?
Answer :- “They referred to in the second line are the two constables who brought Phatik back to his aunt’s home. Phatik had tried to run away to his village on his own.
(III) Tears came into Bishamber’s eyes. Why?
Answer :- Phatik had high fever and a doctor was called in. He opened his eyes, looked towards the ceiling and asked his uncle if holidays had come. He was restless to go home. Bishamber was moved and tears came into his eyes.
(IV) Bishamber sat by Phatik through the night. What light does this throw on this character?
Answer :- Bishamber sat by Phatik through the night, holding his lean and burning hands in his own. It shows his attachment and affection for his sister’s son.
(V) Why does Phatik begin to mutter …”don’t beat me like that mother…”? What does it show about his state of mind?
Answer :- Phatik was half-conscious because of high fever. He had become delirious due to it. In such a state, he dreamt of his mother who was always ready to beat him although not without reason. It shows that he was delirious at that time.
