Unit-1: Sense of Self, Lesson-1: “Mr. Moti” by Rahad Abir
and Unit-5: Problems Around Us, Lesson-4: The Story of Lipi
(গত ৩০ জুলাই প্রকাশের পর)
9. Answer the following questions from stories (any 5) 2 x 5 =10
a. Why is the rooster called Mr. Moti?
b. Is the writer trying to compare the son with the rooster? What are the reasons for doing so?
c. “She puts Moti to rest beside her husband’s grave.” What do you understand by the sentence?
d. How can you understand that Sonabhan’s son has already left home for the battlefield?
e. Who do you think helped Lipi from behind the scene succeed in cancelling her early marriage?
f. Describe Tara Mia’s father as a character in the story.
g. What is the familial condition of Lipi?
h. Why did Lipi’s father want to marry her off at an early age?
Answers: 9. a. The rooster is called Mr. Moti as the writer wants him to personify as a human character. He is directly connected with the plot-development of the story and deeply involved in daily affairs of all the characters of the story. Both Sonabhan and Ameen seem to treat the rooster as a family member. Moreover the end of Mr. Moti’s life results in a tragic end of the story.
b. Yes, the writer is trying to draw a similarity between Ameen and the rooster, Mr. Moti. Both characters exhibit a sense of innocence and vulnerability. Just as Moti is cherished and protected by Sonabhan, Ameen is also her beloved son who she fears losing to the war. Sonabhan gets furious when she receives a warning from a neighbor about Moti’s safety. She calls the rooster her son. Besides, Moti’s burial beside Sonabhan’s husband’s grave also proves the son-like treatment.
c. The given sentence indicates the burial of Moti, the rooster. After death, Moti is buried beside the grave of Sonabhan’s husband. She looks upon Moti as her son and so Moti should be left to lie forever beside his father. This sentence also heightens the tragic atmosphere of the story.
d. The repeated use of the word ‘empty’ in phrases like ‘empty yard’, ‘empty veranda’,, ‘empty home’, and ‘empty bed’ indicate that Sonabhan is alone in the house which means Ameen has already left.
e. I do think none but Lipi’s mother helped her from behind the scene succeed in cancelling her early marriage. It is clearly evidenced by the statement “Her mother stood by her, though secretly.” We can also find the evidence in the fact that it was only Lipi’s father who wanted to marry her off.
f. Tara Mia’s father was an influential but inconsiderate person in the village, who possessed a few acres of land. In the meeting, he opposed others’ opinion and argued that they were trying to deprive Lipi of the opportunity of having wealth and status in the society. In a word, he was injudicious in character.
g. Lipi hails from a poor family. There are seven members in the family including three daughters and two sons. Her father is a day labourer and her mother is a part-time worker at other people’s homes. The small income of her father is not sufficient to manage the large family.
h. Lipi’s father had a small income with which it was challenging for her parents to raise five children. Hence, her father probably wanted to lessen the burden of the large family by marrying her off.
লেখক : সিনিয়র শিক্ষক, ইংরেজি
লেক সার্কাস গার্লস হাই স্কুল, কলাবাগান, ঢাকা
কবীর
