Chapter- 5 The Snake and the Mirror
1. Question: What was moving on the beam above the doctor’s room?
Answer: There was regular traffic of rats moving to and from the beam.
2. Question: Why could the doctor not sleep that night?
Answer: The doctor could not sleep because of the heat and the sounds of rats moving on the beam.
3. Question: Where did the doctor go for fresh air?
Answer: He went out to the veranda for fresh air.
4. Question: Why did the doctor return to the room from the veranda?
Answer: He returned because there was no wind outside.
5. Question: What book did the doctor take out from the box?
Answer: He took out a book called Materia Medica.
6. Question: Where was the lamp placed in the room?
Answer: The lamp was placed on the table.
7. Question: What objects were lying beside the mirror?
Answer: A small comb was lying beside the mirror.
8. Question: Why did the doctor look into the mirror?
Answer: He looked into the mirror because he admired beauty and liked to look handsome.
9. Question: What did the doctor do with the comb?
Answer: He combed his hair and adjusted the parting to make it look neat.
10. Question: What sound did the doctor hear again and again?
Answer: He heard a strange sound coming from above the room.
11. Question: What important decision did the doctor make while looking into the mirror?
Answer: He decided that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache.
12. Question: Why did the doctor want to grow a thin moustache?
Answer: He wanted to look more handsome.
13. Question: Why did the doctor think he should look handsome?
Answer: Because he was a bachelor and a doctor.
14. Question: What did the doctor think about his smile?
Answer: He thought that his smile was attractive.
15. Question: What decision did he make about his smile?
Answer: He decided to always keep that attractive smile on his face.
16. Question: What did the doctor do after hearing the sound again?
Answer: He got up, lit a beedi, and walked up and down the room.
17. Question: What new thought came to the doctor’s mind while walking?
Answer: He thought about getting married.
18. Question: What kind of woman did the doctor want to marry?
Answer: He wanted to marry a woman doctor with plenty of money and a good medical practice.
19. Question: Why did the doctor want his wife to be fat?
Answer: He thought that if he made a mistake and had to run away, she would not be able to catch him.
20. Question: Where was the doctor sitting while thinking about marriage?
Answer: He was sitting on the chair in front of the table.
21. Question: Did the sounds from above continue?
Answer: No, after some time there were no more sounds.
22. Question: What sound came suddenly afterwards?
Answer: A dull thud sound came as if a rubber tube had fallen.
23. Question: How did the doctor describe himself in the story?
Answer: He described himself as a bachelor and a doctor who admired beauty.
24. Question: Why did the doctor keep looking at the mirror?
Answer: Because he liked to admire his appearance.
25. Question: What does “Materia Medica” refer to?
Answer: It is a medical book that contains information about medicines.
26. Question: What shows the doctor’s vanity in the passage?
Answer: His constant checking of his appearance and making decisions to look handsome shows his vanity.
27. Question: Why was the room uncomfortable?
Answer: The room was hot and there was no wind.
28. Question: What did the doctor do to relax himself?
Answer: He read a book, smoked a beedi, and thought about his future.
29. Question: What kind of personality does the doctor show in this passage?
Answer: He appears humorous, imaginative, and a little proud of his looks.
30. Question: What is the main situation described in this part of the story?
Answer: The doctor is alone in his room at night, thinking about his appearance and future while strange sounds come from above.
Answer by Dimpee Bora
