Chapter 8
Childhood
Q:1 At what age did Gandhiji start school in Rajkot, and why did he move there?
Ans: Gandhiji started school in Rajkot when he was about seven years old. He moved there because his father had left Porbandar to become a member of the Royal Court in Rajkot.
Q:2 How does Gandhiji describe his performance in school during his early years?
Ans: Gandhiji describes himself as a mediocre student. He had no exceptional academic achievements, and there was hardly anything noteworthy about his studies.
Q:3 How did Gandhiji behave with his teachers and schoolmates?
Ans: Gandhiji was very shy and avoided company. He never told a lie to his teachers or schoolmates and preferred to keep to himself. His books and lessons were his sole companions.
Q:4 What was Gandhiji’s daily routine at school?
Ans: Gandhiji would arrive at school exactly on time and would run back home as soon as school closed. He literally ran home because he could not bear social interaction or being mocked by anyone.
Q:5 How did Gandhiji feel about people making fun of him?
Ans: Gandhiji was afraid of being mocked or poked fun at. This fear made him avoid company and remain absorbed in his books and lessons.
Q:6 What does the text reveal about Gandhiji’s personality as a child?
Ans: The text shows Gandhiji was introspective, honest, shy, disciplined, and sensitive. He had strong moral principles even at a young age.
Q:7 Describe the incident at the high school spelling exercise involving the word ‘kettle’.
Ans: During a spelling exercise supervised by Mr. Giles, Gandhiji misspelt the word ‘kettle’. The teacher tried to prompt him with his boot to copy from a neighbor’s slate, but Gandhiji refused, believing it was wrong to cheat. All other boys spelled correctly, and Gandhiji alone failed.
Q:8 What was Gandhiji’s attitude towards copying in school?
Ans: Gandhiji could never bring himself to copy from others. He believed the teacher’s role was to prevent cheating, not to encourage it. He preferred honesty over success.
Q:9 How did this incident affect Gandhiji’s respect for his teacher?
Ans: The incident did not diminish his respect at all. Gandhiji believed that even highly placed or wise people could err. To err is human, and he focused on obeying elders rather than judging their actions.
Q:10 What does Gandhiji mean by saying he was “blind to the faults of elders”?
Ans: Gandhiji means that he did not notice or criticize the mistakes of elders. He learned to follow their orders and respect their authority without scrutinizing their actions.
Q:11 How did this incident reflect Gandhiji’s moral upbringing?
Ans: The incident reflects Gandhiji’s commitment to truth and integrity, showing that he valued honesty over worldly success even at a young age.
Q:12 Which book influenced Gandhiji deeply, and what was it about?
Ans: Gandhiji was deeply influenced by Shravana Pitribhakti Nataka, a play about Shravana’s devotion to his parents. The story of Shravana carrying his blind parents on a pilgrimage touched his heart profoundly.
Q:13 How did Gandhiji react to the story of Shravana?
Ans: Gandhiji was moved emotionally and saw Shravana as a role model. He remembered the parents’ lament over Shravana’s death and even played the tune on his concertina, reflecting his deep impression.
Q:14 What did Gandhiji learn from the itinerant showmen’s pictures of Shravana?
Ans: The pictures reinforced the lesson of filial devotion. Gandhiji saw Shravana carrying his blind parents on his shoulders and resolved to follow similar virtues of care and respect for parents.
Q:15 Which play did Gandhiji see that left a lasting impression on him?
Ans: Gandhiji saw a play called Harishchandra, performed by a dramatic company, which captured his heart. He identified strongly with the character and its ideal of truthfulness.
Q:16 How did Gandhiji respond to the story of Harishchandra?
Ans: Gandhiji was inspired to live truthfully like Harishchandra. He reflected on the story constantly, often acting it out to himself and resolving to follow truth even under ordeals.
Q:17 What ideal did Gandhiji derive from Harishchandra and Shravana?
Ans: Gandhiji derived the ideal of truthfulness, filial duty, and moral courage. Both figures became living realities in his mind, shaping his principles from childhood.
Q:18 Why did Gandhiji feel haunted by the story of Harishchandra?
Ans: The story stayed in his mind constantly, making him reflect on the importance of truth. It haunted him because it highlighted moral challenges he wanted to emulate and live by.
Q:19 How did Gandhiji’s early reading habits influence his moral development?
Ans: Though he disliked reading beyond schoolbooks, the stories he encountered, like Shravana and Harishchandra, had a deep moral impact. They cultivated his ideals of truth, duty, and compassion.
Q:20 How did Gandhiji combine emotional response with action in his childhood?
Ans: Gandhiji not only felt emotionally moved by stories but also resolved to act morally, e.g., refusing to copy in school, aspiring to truthfulness, and showing devotion to parents’ ideals.
Q:21 How does Gandhiji’s shyness reflect his personality?
Ans: His shyness shows introspection, sensitivity, and avoidance of superficial social interactions. It reflects a contemplative and disciplined mind focused on personal principles rather than peer approval.
Q:22 How did Gandhiji show obedience to his elders?
Ans: He followed their orders without questioning their actions, even when they made mistakes. He respected authority while maintaining his own moral compass.
Q:23 How did Gandhiji balance obedience with moral reasoning?
Ans: While he obeyed elders, he also maintained personal integrity, such as refusing to cheat. He distinguished between external obedience and internal ethical convictions.
Q:24 What does Gandhiji’s refusal to copy indicate about his ethical development?
Ans: It indicates a strong early commitment to truth and honesty, showing that ethical principles were central to his character from childhood.
Q:25 How did Gandhiji demonstrate sensitivity to suffering in stories?
Ans: Gandhiji was deeply affected by Shravana’s parents’ lament and Harishchandra’s ordeals. He empathized with their pain, showing an early capacity for moral and emotional sensitivity.
Q:26 Why did Gandhiji describe Shravana and Harishchandra as “living realities”?
Ans: Because the ideals and actions of these characters deeply influenced his thoughts and behavior. Their principles were internalized as moral guides in his life.
Q:27 What role did music and the concertina play in Gandhiji’s early life?
Ans: Music helped Gandhiji express his emotional response to stories. Playing the concertina allowed him to relive and internalize the moral lessons he admired.
Q:28 How did Gandhiji’s childhood experiences shape his later principles?
Ans: Experiences like refusing to cheat, empathizing with suffering, and admiring truthfulness laid the foundation for his lifelong dedication to honesty, non-violence, and moral integrity.
Q:29 Why did Gandhiji dislike extra reading beyond his schoolbooks?
Ans: He disliked extra reading because he was introverted and focused primarily on his school lessons. His interest in literature was selective and influenced by stories with moral significance.
Q:30 How did Gandhiji reconcile mistakes by elders with his moral beliefs?
Ans: He believed that everyone can err and that respecting elders did not mean ignoring their flaws. He obeyed them while maintaining personal honesty and moral judgment.
Answer by Mrinmoee
