Class 11 Alternative English Chapter 6 How It Happened answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters Assam Board Class 11 Alternative English Chapter 6 How It Happened, Class 11 Alternative English Question Answer, HS 1st year Alternative English and select needs one.
Class 11 Alternative English Chapter 6 How It Happened
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How It Happened
Chapter: 6
1. Who was Perkins?
Ans: Perkins, is the chauffeur of the whom he meets at the beginning of the story by, at half – past eleven at the “little country station”while coming back from London.
2. What is the name of the vehicle mentioned in the story?
Ans: The narrator refers to the vehicle as his new thirty – horse – power Robur.
3. What did Stanley die of?
Ans: Stanley had died of enteric at Bloemfontein many years earlier in the Boer War in South Africa.
4. Where did the car crash?
Ans: The narrator and his chauffeur Perkins “were just over the brow of” Claystall Hill, “one of the worst hills of England”, when he lost all control on the speed of the car.
5. How many sharp turns did Claystall Hill have?
Ans: Claystal Hill is one of the worst hills in England with three fairly sharp turns.
6. What was whirring like a high wind?
Ans: As the narrator and his chauffeur were just over the high brow of Claystall Hill, where the grade was steeper, the trouble with his new car had begun. But as he got helpless while driving the car, at a point, the wheels were whirring like a high wind.
7. Why is Perkins said to have been ‘splendid’ in his behaviour?
Ans: Perkins was perfectly cool and alert as he could read the narrator’s intention when the narrator had thought at the very beginning of taking the bank. He keeps his calm even though he knows that his master is not driving well.
8. What are the brakes of the vehicle known as?
Ans: The brakes of the vehicle are known as footbrake and side – brake.
9. Where did the narrator meet Stanley a few years prior to the incident?
Ans: The narrator met Stanley at college a few years prior to the accident. The narrator had a really genuine affection as he believed that there was always something peculiarly sympathetic to him in Stanley’s personality and he was proud to think that he too had some similar influence upon Stanley.
10. Why did the narrator feel no pain?
Ans: The narrator felt no pain after the car accident as he died in the incident.
11. Why did the narrator feel that he was ‘like a man in a dream’?
Ans: As the car went out of control and crashes into the pillar of the gate, the narrator was flung into the air. Everything happened very fast and before he could make he becomes aware about his existence, he sees a man standing near him. He recognizes that the man is Stanley, his old college friend with whom he had been quite close. He is taken aback to see Stanley but he was in a dream ‘like a man in a dream’ which makes him feel that Stanley’s presence is not out of place.
12. Give a brief description of the vehicle as mentioned in the story?
Ans: The narrator describes his vehicle as the big motor having glaring headlights and glitter of polished brass, waiting for him outside the platform. He calls if his new thirty – horse – power Ranger, which had only been delivered that very day. Robur is the car maker from Germany whose three little 28 horsepower car is the particular type manufactured by the company between 1912 and 1919. Throughout the story, the narrator refers to the car as ‘she’s giving to it a feminine connotation. He insists on trying the car himself and climbs into the driver seat.
13. What is narrator’s view about foolishness?
Ans: The narrator’s heightened confidence to show off his car, which in many ways may be interpreted as a symbol of wealth, demonstrates his misogynistic ego when he feminises the car This is representative of the attitudes of the upper class in Doyle’s society, as their irresponsible behaviours fail to see how their actions have an impact on others. The narrator’s reckless attitude is further observed when he shares how ‘one often does foolish things, but does not always have to pay the full price for it’.
14. What did the narrator and Perkins do when they realised that the open gate lay in front of them?
Ans: When the narrator and Perkins realised that the open gate lay in front of them, the narrator whirled round the wheel of his car with all the strength of his wrists. Both Perkins and the narrator threw out their bodies across and then the next moment, they were going at fifty miles an hour. His right from wheel struck full on the right – hend pillar of his own gate and then they could hear the crash. Thus, the car car crashed into the pillar of the open gate and the narrator was flung into the air.
15. Why was the narrator amazed when the actual status of Stanley dawned upon him?
Ans: As Stanley laid his hand upon his shoulder, the narrator found his touch to be inexpressibly soothing. The narrator felt light and happy, in spite of all the seeming pain. Stanley asked him if he could feel any pain and the narrator says that he could feel none. Stanley asserts that there is no pain after death which makes the narrator remember about Stanley’s death many years earlier in the Boer War. This symbolises the moment of anagnorisis in the speaker in that he finally comes to terms with what has happened and how ‘it’ happened, rather than being in his usual state of obliviousness and carelessness. When he tells Stanley that he was long dead, Stanley tells him that he too is dead.
16. Comment on the significance of the ending of the story.
Ans: In the short story ‘How It Happened’, Arthur Conan Doyle carefully builds up the plot and presents the shocking revelation of the protagonist’s death in a powerful and compelling manner through a soliloquy. The incredible moment of discovery in the story occurs at the end of the story, when the readers discover that the protagonist has perished in the crash. As he talks to his friend Stanley in the aftermath of the crash, he realises that Stanley has already died, and Stanley replies: ‘so are you. ’ This anagnorisis – recognition of the character’s true identity which shocks us. However, it is not only the suddenness of the event that makes it a powerful moment, but also the build – up of tension throughout the beginning of the story. Doyle writes: ‘great, golden, roaring death’.
The use of repetition and triplets emphasises the seriousness of this situation, which heavily clashes with the joyful, light – hearted tone of the story – giving rise to a sense of contradiction and feeling that something will go wrong. The alliteration of ‘great, golden’ glorifies the protagonist, as if he is unafraid of death and even enjoying the idea of being a ‘majestic sight’. It lends tension to the atmosphere, as readers are anxious and agitated by the seemingly serious situation. The tension is exacerbated by the protagonist’s cavalier attitude towards the prospect of death – and his nonchalant tone suggests his pride and ridiculous self – confidence and ignorance.
This tension, as well as the build – up of the plot, contributes heavily to the powerful effect of the discovery of his death later. Throughout the story, the protagonist speaks with an affable and amiable tone, making the suddenness of this death very powerful and shocking. He speaks in first person, frequently saying ‘I’, talking about himself in light – hearted self – retrospection – making readers feel close and familiar with him. Writing in first person makes it more personal, emotional, and gripping – and readers become more emotionally invested in the story – the convivial, friendly tone through which Doyle imparts his story makes his death and unfortunate passing very surprising and affecting. At this moment of revelation, we feel somewhat of a pang of pity for the protagonist and perhaps a sense of injustice: all these emotions feed into the powerful impact of that the protagonist could have avoided this fate, our sympathy and pity for him morphs into angst and discontent.
If the main character had not been as impulsive and arrogant as to try his new car out close to midnight – ‘No, I should like to try her’, the accident would likely have been avoided. He demonstrated a wilful, hegemonic masculine pride as he feminised the cay: ‘try her’, and also showed a defiance of Perkins as he rejected his offer of driving the car. Through this, this the protagonist exhibits both gender and class divide – he tries to assert his own dominance of perkins, which subsequently depicts the distinct indication of class and corresponding arrogance and ignorance of the upper class. The protagonist was at fault for the accident because of his overwhelming confidence, bringing across the very powerful message about the detrimental consequences of bourgeoisie supremacy. Through the tone of the writing, and the nature of the message he is trying to bring across, Doyle makes the revelation of his protagonist’s death an extremely powerful and affecting one.
17. Describe the drive undertaken by the narrator from the station to his home.
Ans: The narrator hed owned a brand – new luxury car, which was usually driven by his chauffeur. Doyle carefully builds up the plot and presents the shocking revelation of the protagonist’s death in a powerful and compelling manner through a soliloquy. The incredible moment of discovery in the story occurs at the end of the story, when we discover that the protagonist has perished in the crash. As he talks to his friend Stanley in the aftermath of crash, he realises that Stanley has already died, and Stanley replies: ‘so are you. ’ This anagnorisis i.e. ,the recognition of the character’s true identity shocks the readers. Throughout the story, the protagonist speaks with an affable and amiable tone, making the suddenness of his death very shocking and powerful.
How speaks in first person, frequently saying ‘I’, talking about himself in light – hearted self – retrospection – making readers feel close and familiar with him. Writing in first person makes it more personal, emotional, and gripping – and readers become more emotionally invested in the story, the convivial, friendly tone through which Doyle imparts his story makes his death and unfortunate passing very surprising and affecting.
As the narrator returns, he is received by his chauffeur. He wonders whether he could get home before midnight. He describes the car as the big motor, with its glaring headlights and glitter of polished brass, It was his new thirty – horse – power Robur, which had only been delivered that day. He asked Perkins, my chauffeur, how the car works and his saying that he thought she was excellent. He insists on trying the car himself and gets into the driver seat. “The gears are not the same, ”said he. “Perhaps, sir, I had better drive. ” As the reached Claystall Hill which is one of the worst hills in England, a mile and a half long and one in six in places, with three fairly sharp curves. The narrator says that the park gate stands at the very foot of it upon the main London Road. As they were just over the brow of this hill, where the grade is steepest when the trouble began.
By the time the car was moving at a great rate, so he clapped on both brakes, and one after the other they gave way. As they got round the corner with one wheel three feet high upon the bank, he thought the they were surely over, but after staggering for a moment she righted and darted onwards. The park gate was right in front of them. It was about twenty yards to the left up the main road into which they ran.. As the steering – gear had been jarred when we ran on the bank but the wheel did not turn easily. He whirled round his wheel with all the strength of his wrists. Bout Perkins and he threw their bodies across, and then the next instant, going at fifty miles an hour, his right wheel struck full on the right – hand pillar of his own gate. Finally he could hear the car crash.
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