Chapter 10
The Lost Child
1. Describe the atmosphere of the village fair as depicted in the story.
Answer: The village fair was lively and bustling. People of all ages, wearing bright and colorful clothes, filled the streets. Some walked, some rode horses, and others came in bullock carts. The fair was full of laughter, music, and the tempting calls of sweet vendors, making it a joyful and festive scene.
2. How did the child react when he saw the toys at the fair?
Answer: The child was fascinated by the toys at the fair and wished to have every one of them. He pleaded with his parents, his eyes shining with excitement. At the same time, he felt unsure because he knew they might say no, reflecting his innocent craving for what was beyond his reach.
3. What was the father’s reaction to the child’s requests?
Answer: The father responded to the child’s requests with anger and strictness. He wanted to enforce discipline and did not give in to the child’s desires, unlike the mother, whose gentle and caring approach provided comfort. This difference in their reactions made the child’s experience at the fair more tense and challenging.
4. How did the mother try to console the child?
Answer: The mother comforted the child with love and care. She held out her finger for him to hold and gently guided his attention to the things around him instead of what he wanted but couldn’t have. Her kind words and actions helped the child forget his disappointment for a little while.
5. List the sweetmeats mentioned in the story that were sold at the fair.
Answer: The fair offered a variety of sweet treats such as gulab jamun, rasgulla, burfi, and jalebi. Among these, the child was especially drawn to burfi, his most-loved sweet.
6. Why did the child refrain from asking for some things he wanted at the fair?
Answer: The child did not ask for everything he wanted because he understood that his parents might say no. He was aware of their rules and discipline, which made him hold back from requesting certain things like balloons or watching the jugglers.
7. What fascinated the child about the juggler’s performance?
Answer:The child was captivated by the juggler playing the flute to a snake that twisted and bent gracefully like a swan’s neck. Although he was amazed, he did not fully enjoy the show because he remembered that his parents had forbidden him from watching such performances.
8. Describe the child’s reaction to the roundabout at the fair.
Answer: The child was fascinated by the roundabout and the laughter of people riding it. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves, he felt eager and asked his parents boldly if he could ride too, showing his excitement to join in the fun.
9. How did the child realize he had been separated from his parents?
Answer: When the child asked to go on the roundabout and turned to look for his parents, he saw that they were missing. He searched all around—ahead, behind, and to the sides—but could not find them. The sudden absence of his parents made him feel scared and anxious.
10. Describe the child’s emotional state when he lost his parents.
Answer: The child felt scared and alone when he lost his parents. He ran frantically in every direction, crying loudly for them. Tears poured from his eyes, and he was overwhelmed with fear and helplessness in the midst of the bustling crowd.
11. How did the crowd at the fair affect the child when he got lost?
Answer: The busy crowd made the child feel even more scared and alone. Despite being surrounded by many people, he felt lost and helpless. The noise and constant movement added to his fear, showing how vulnerable he was in the crowded fair.
12. Who helped the child when he was lost?
Answer: A compassionate man heard the child crying and gently picked him up. He tried to soothe the frightened child and asked about his parents, showing kindness and concern for the lost little boy.
13. How did the man try to cheer the child?
Answer: The man attempted to make the child happy by giving him a chance to ride the roundabout, showing him the juggler’s tricks, and offering sweets and balloons. However, the child could not be comforted, as all he wanted was to find his parents.
14. What does the story reveal about a child’s attachment to parents?
Answer: The story shows that a child feels safest and happiest when with their parents. No amount of toys, sweets, or fun can take the place of the love, care, and protection that parents give.
15. How is the theme of desire portrayed in the story?
Answer:The story portrays desire through the child’s wishes for toys, sweets, and balloons at the fair. Although he is drawn to these things, he knows his parents may not allow them. This shows that while desire can be powerful, learning to cope with not getting everything teaches patience and the value of family.
16. Why did the child ignore the sweets and toys when he was lost?
Answer: After getting lost, the child became so scared and worried about his parents that the sweets and toys he had wanted earlier no longer interested him. This shows that feeling safe and loved by family is more important than enjoying material things.
17. What role does the mother play in shaping the child’s behavior at the fair?
Answer: The mother guides the child with care and affection, helping him focus on the things around him instead of only on what he wants. Through her gentle approach, she teaches him to be content and appreciate the present, highlighting a parent’s nurturing influence.
18. How does the author create a sense of suspense in the story?
Answer: The author creates suspense by showing the child exploring the fair, caught up in toys and attractions. The tension rises when he turns to look for his parents and discovers they are missing. This uncertainty about what will happen to him keeps readers worried and eager to know the outcome.
19. Explain the significance of the title “The Lost Child.”
Answer: The title “The Lost Child” highlights the main event of the story, where the child becomes separated from his parents at the fair. It also reflects his feelings of fear, helplessness, and the longing for parental care, emphasizing the story’s theme of a child’s dependence on family for safety and comfort.
20. How does the story depict the contrast between material desires and emotional needs?
Answer:The story contrasts material wants with emotional needs by showing that the child’s interest in toys and sweets disappears once he is separated from his parents. His longing for their presence outweighs all other pleasures, demonstrating that love and security are more important than material things.
21. What lesson does the story teach about parental care?
Answer: The story shows that children depend on their parents for protection and guidance. Parental care gives them comfort, confidence, and a feeling of safety—something that toys or sweets cannot provide. Both the father’s strictness and the mother’s kindness play important roles in raising the child.
22. How does the author use descriptive language to depict the fair?
Answer: Mulk Raj Anand paints a lively picture of the fair using detailed descriptions. He describes the colorful crowd, the tempting sweet stalls, the spinning roundabout, and the jugglers’ acts. Through sights, sounds, and smells, readers can imagine the scene and share the child’s feelings of wonder and later fear.
23. What does the child learn from his experience at the fair?
Answer: From his time at the fair, the child realizes that no toy, sweet, or ride can replace the comfort of being with his parents. The story shows that love, protection, and guidance from family matter more than any material enjoyment.
24. How does fear affect the child’s behavior at the fair?
Answer: Fear causes the child to cry loudly, run around frantically, and feel completely helpless. His earlier excitement and curiosity vanish, showing how strong emotions can take over and make him forget his earlier wishes and sense of control.
25. Why does the child hesitate to ask for certain things at the fair?
Answer: The child holds back from asking for some things because he knows his parents might say no. Understanding their rules and fearing punishment, he restrains himself, showing his early sense of discipline and self-control.
26. What role does kindness play in the story?
Answer: Kindness is shown through the man who helps the lost child. His caring actions and gentle attempts to comfort the boy highlight how human compassion can offer support and relief, even though it cannot replace the child’s need for his parents.
27. How does the author evoke sympathy for the child?
Answer: The author makes readers feel sympathy for the child by showing his innocence, his eager wishes, and then his fear when he gets lost. The shift from his joy at the fair to his panic and helpless crying helps readers connect with his distress.
28. What is the effect of the crowded fairground on the child’s emotions?
Answer: At first, the busy, colorful crowd fills the child with excitement and wonder. But once he gets lost, the same crowd feels intimidating and scary. The story shows that the way we feel about something can change depending on our situation.
29. How does Mulk Raj Anand highlight the innocence of the child?
Answer: Mulk Raj Anand shows the child’s innocence through his simple wishes, love for bright colors and toys, and his uncontrolled emotions. His panic and desperate need for his parents when lost further underline his purity and vulnerability.
30. What is the significance of the child’s repeated cries, “Mother, father”?
Answer:The child’s repeated calls of “Mother, father” show how desperate and dependent he is on his parents. They reveal his fear, helplessness, and the natural human need for love, care, and protection from those we trust.
31. How does the child respond to attempts to distract him when lost?
Answer: When people try to cheer him with sweets, balloons, or rides, the child ignores them all. His only concern is to find his parents, showing that emotional security is far more important to him than any material treat.
32. What role does discipline play in the child’s behavior?
Answer: Discipline, reflected in the father’s strictness, helps the child learn self-control and patience. It stops him from demanding everything he wants right away and teaches him about limits and rules, even though it also makes him cautious about asking for certain things.
33. How does the story reflect human attachment to loved ones?
Answer: The story highlights that the bond between a child and their parents is powerful and cannot be replaced. No matter how many toys or fun activities are around, the child feels truly happy only when his parents are near, showing the deep need for emotional attachment.
34. What emotions does the story evoke in the reader?
Answer: The story brings out different feelings in the reader—happiness and excitement as the child enjoys the fair, worry and fear when he gets lost, compassion for his helplessness, and relief when he is finally safe. It also makes readers think about the innocence of children and the value of parental care.
35. How are sensory experiences depicted in the story?
Answer: Anand describes the fair using the senses—what the child sees (bright balloons, toys, the roundabout), hears (music from jugglers, calls of sweet vendors), and tastes (sweets). These sensory details help readers feel the child’s initial excitement and later his fear when he gets lost.
36. How does the story show the contrast between childhood innocence and harsh reality?
Answer: The story contrasts the child’s innocent joy and curiosity at the fair with the frightening reality of getting lost. His innocence makes him vulnerable, turning his excitement into panic when he realizes he is alone and unsafe.
37. Why did the child find all attractions meaningless when he was lost?
Answer:When the child got lost, his longing for his parents became stronger than any desire for toys or sweets. All the fair’s attractions seemed unimportant because he needed the comfort and safety only his parents could give, showing that emotional security matters more than material things.
38. How does the story illustrate human empathy?
Answer: The story shows empathy through the man who helps the lost child. By recognizing the boy’s fear and trying to comfort him, the man demonstrates that people can care for others, even strangers, and that kindness can ease someone’s distress.
39. How does Mulk Raj Anand build tension in the story?
Answer: Mulk Raj Anand creates suspense by slowly showing the child exploring the fair, enjoying its attractions, and then suddenly realizing his parents are gone. The detailed depiction of the busy fair and the child’s panic makes the reader anxious about what will happen next.
40. What is the main moral or lesson of “The Lost Child”?
Answer: The main lesson of “The Lost Child” is that real happiness comes from the love and care of family rather than from toys or sweets. It highlights the innocence of children and shows how essential parents are for providing safety, comfort, and guidance.
Answer by Mrinmoee
