Chapter 16

                                                     THE CROW


Question 1: Who were sitting together in the house at the beginning of the story and what was their relationship?

Answer: At the beginning of the story, an eighty-year-old father and his forty-five-year-old son were sitting together on a sofa in their house. The father was elderly, while the son was highly educated and middle-aged. Their relationship was that of a parent and child, showing two generations living together.


Question 2: What sudden event occurred while the father and son were sitting together?

Answer: While the father and son were sitting together, a crow suddenly came and perched on the window of their house. This simple incident became the starting point of the entire story and led to an important lesson about patience and love.


Question 3: What was the first question asked by the father after seeing the crow?

Answer: After seeing the crow sitting on the window, the father asked his son, “What is this?” This question seemed ordinary at first and the son answered it without any problem.


Question 4: How did the son respond to the father’s question the first time?

Answer: The son replied politely and clearly to his father by saying, “It is a crow.” At this moment, there was no irritation or anger in his tone.


Question 5: What happened when the father asked the same question for the second time?

Answer: When the father asked the same question for the second time, the son replied again that it was a crow, but this time his tone showed slight impatience because he had already answered the same question earlier.


Question 6: How did the son react when the father asked the question the third time?

Answer: When the father asked the question for the third time, the son felt irritated. His reply carried a sense of rebuff, and he answered sharply by repeating, “It’s a crow, a crow,” showing annoyance.


Question 7: What was the son’s reaction when the father asked the question for the fourth time?

Answer: When the father asked the same question for the fourth time, the son lost his temper completely. He shouted at his father and questioned his ability to understand, showing clear irritation and disrespect.


Question 8: Why did the son become annoyed with his father?

Answer: The son became annoyed because his father kept asking the same question again and again. The son felt that his father should have understood the answer after hearing it once, and he lacked patience.


Question 9: Did the father show anger or irritation at his son’s behavior?

Answer: No, the father did not show any anger or irritation toward his son. Instead, he quietly went to his room without saying anything harsh or reacting emotionally.


Question 10: What did the father bring back from his room?

Answer: The father came back from his room with an old, tattered diary. This diary was very important because it contained memories from the time when his son was a small child.


Question 11: Since when had the father maintained the diary?

Answer: The father had maintained the diary since the birth of his son. He had carefully kept records of his son’s childhood, showing his love and dedication as a parent.


Question 12: What did the father ask his son to do with the diary?

Answer: The father asked his son to open the diary and read a particular page aloud. He wanted his son to understand something meaningful from his past.


Question 13: What was written on the page of the diary?

Answer: The diary page described an incident from the son’s childhood when the little boy had asked his father twenty-three times what a crow was.


Question 14: How did the father respond to his son’s repeated questions in the past?

Answer: The father replied patiently to his son all twenty-three times, telling him that it was a crow. He never felt irritated and answered lovingly every time.


Question 15: What emotion did the father feel while answering his son repeatedly?

Answer: The father felt affection and love while answering his son’s repeated questions. He enjoyed the innocence of his child and never felt annoyed.


Question 16: How did the father treat his son during that childhood incident?

Answer: The father hugged his son lovingly each time he asked the same question. His actions showed deep care, patience, and unconditional love.


Question 17: Did the father feel tired or irritated while answering twenty-three times?

Answer: No, the father did not feel tired or irritated at all. Instead, he felt happiness and affection toward his innocent child.


Question 18: What contrast does the story show between the father and the son?

Answer: The story shows a strong contrast between the father’s patience and the son’s impatience. The father answered the same question many times with love, while the son became angry after just four repetitions.


Question 19: Why did the father show the diary to his son?

Answer: The father showed the diary to remind his son of the love and patience he had shown during his childhood and to teach him a lesson about respect and tolerance.


Question 20: What lesson does the diary entry teach the son?

Answer: The diary entry teaches the son that parents deserve patience and respect because they once cared for their children selflessly and lovingly.


Question 21: What does the crow symbolize in the story?

Answer: The crow symbolizes a simple object that becomes a tool to reveal human behavior, emotions, and the difference between patience and impatience.


Question 22: How old was the father in the story?

Answer: The father was eighty years old, showing that he was elderly and possibly forgetful due to age.


Question 23: How old was the son and what was special about him?

Answer: The son was forty-five years old and highly educated, yet he lacked emotional understanding and patience.


Question 24: Was the father deliberately repeating the question?

Answer: No, the father was not repeating the question deliberately. His age may have caused forgetfulness, and he asked innocently.


Question 25: How does the story portray the innocence of childhood?

Answer: The story portrays childhood innocence through the child’s curiosity and repeated questioning, which was met with love and patience.


Question 26: How does the story show the weakness of adulthood?

Answer: The story shows adulthood weakness through the son’s lack of patience and inability to understand his father’s condition.


Question 27: What role does memory play in the story?

Answer: Memory plays a crucial role because the father’s diary connects the past and present, helping the son realize his mistake.


Question 28: What qualities of the father are highlighted in the story?

Answer: The father’s qualities such as patience, love, tolerance, affection, and wisdom are highlighted throughout the story.


Question 29: What qualities of the son are criticized in the story?

Answer: The son’s impatience, irritation, lack of empathy, and disrespect toward his father are criticized.


Question 30: What moral message does the story convey?

Answer: The story conveys the moral message that children should be patient and respectful toward their parents, especially in their old age.


Question 31: How does the father teach without scolding?

Answer: The father teaches his son a lesson quietly by showing the diary instead of shouting or arguing.


Question 32: What emotional impact does the diary entry create?

Answer: The diary entry creates guilt, realization, and emotional awakening in the son.


Question 33: Why is the diary described as tattered?

Answer: The diary is described as tattered because it is old and has been preserved for many years.


Question 34: What does the word “hugged lovingly” suggest?

Answer: It suggests deep affection, care, and emotional bonding between the father and his child.


Question 35: How does the story emphasize parental sacrifice?

Answer: The story emphasizes parental sacrifice by showing how the father patiently answered the same question many times without complaint.


Question 36: Why is the son’s education mentioned in the story?

Answer: The son’s education is mentioned to show that academic knowledge does not always mean emotional maturity.


Question 37: What change might occur in the son after reading the diary?

Answer: The son may feel regret and learn to treat his father with patience and respect.


Question 38: How does the story reflect real-life family situations?

Answer: The story reflects real-life situations where children often forget their parents’ sacrifices and lose patience with them.


Question 39: What role does silence play in the father’s response?

Answer: Silence shows the father’s wisdom and calm nature, allowing actions to teach a lesson instead of words.


Question 40: Why is the story titled “The Crow”?

Answer: The story is titled “The Crow” because the crow becomes the central element that reveals the deeper emotional and moral lesson of the story.

Answer by Mrinmoee