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NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 7 Poets And Pancakes
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Poets And Pancakes
Chapter: 7
PROSE SECTION
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS ANSWERS
THINK AS YOU READ
Answer the following questions:
Q. 1. What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to ‘make up’?
Ans. The make up-room of Gemini Studios had the look of a hair cutting salon. It had incandescent lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. They radiated much heat. The dazzling lights were so troubling that it was a fiery misery of those subjected to the make-up there.
Q. 2. What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Ans. The people from different regions and religions working together presented a glimpse of national integration. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. He was assisted by a Kannadiga from Dharwar and Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration in the make-up room of the Gemini Studios.
Q. 3. What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studios? Why was he disappointed?
Or
What made the author pray for crowd shooting all the time in Poets and Pancakes?
Or
Why did the ‘boy’ in the make-up department come to the author? Why was the author praying for crowd shooting all the time?
Ans. The make-up department of the Gemini Studios had an “office boy.” He had a very responsible duty. He was to do the make-up of the crowd on the crowd shooting day. For the crowd shooting he would mix his paints in a huge vessel, and slap it on the crowd players to close every pore on each face.
He joined the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor, or a top screen writer or a director or a lyrics-writer. He was a little poet too. But he was disappointed that his talent was in a such a department which was fit for the barbers and perverts. So the author was praying for crowd shooting all the time.
Q. 4. Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?
Ans. The author was entrusted to cut out news papers clippings on a wide variety of subjects and store them in files. Most of the people at the studios thought that he was doing nothing except to sit at his desk tearing up the news papers day in and day out. They did not think it a work worth an educated man.
Q. 5. Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
Or
Why was the office boy frustrated? Who, according to Asokamitran, did he show his anger on?
Ans. The office was working in the make-up department but he was frustrated. Many years ago he joined the Gemini Studios in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics-writer. But he slapped with paint the players who played the crowd. This work was suitable for barbers and perverts So his talent was being wasted.
For his frustration the office boy always directed all his anger towards No. 2, Kothamangalam Subbu because he was solely responsible for all his woes, ignominy and neglect at the studios.
Q. 6. Who was Subbus principal?
Ans. Subbu was No.2 at the Gemini Studios. He had a sense of loyalty with his principal, the producer. The Boss S.S. Vasan was the founder of Gemini Studios, Subbu used his entire creativity of his principal’s advantage. Subbu made him identify with his principal completely. If the Boss was not satisfied, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives.
Q. 7. What were the positive qualities of Subbu that the writer admired?
Ans. Subbu always worked for somebody. He was very much loyal to his Boss. He used all his energy and creativity to the advantage of his Boss. He was a tailor-made for films and was a very talented actor. He was a poet and chose to address his poetry to the masses. If the producer had some difficulty, Subbu would come out with fourteen more alternatives. Therefore, the writer admired him for his above positive qualities.
Q. 8. Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?
Or
Why did the legal adviser in the Gemini India lose job?
Ans. The Story Department of Gemini Studios consisted of a lawyer and an assembly of poets and writers. The lawyer was also officially known as the legal adviser. In spite of showing his legal skills, he excelled in stupidity He brought a sad end to an extremely talented actress. The lawyer quietly switched on the recording equipment, when the actress paused for breath, the lawyer played back the recorder. When she heard her voice again she was dumbstruck. That brought the end of a brief and brilliant acting career. So others referred to him the opposite.
Q. 9. What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Ans. The legal advisor was a person of cold logic in the crowd dreamers at Gemini Studios. He was a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhijities and Khadities. He looked alone and hopeless. All other of his Story Department wore Khadi shirt and Khadi dhoti, but he wore pants, a tie and sometimes a coat. He always performed his duty of the legal adviser unwittingly and would stand out from the others at the Gemini Studios.
Q. 10. Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Ans. The Gemini Studios was set up in 1940. It had working people from all sects and they exhibited sense of national integration. The Gemini Studios was the favorite haunt of poets and writers. It had an excellent mess. Meeting over a cup of coffee was rather a satisfying entertainment. Most of them wore Khadi and praised Gandhiji. Beyond that they had not the slightest praise for any kind of political thought. They were all averse to communism.
Q. 11. Why was the Moral Rearmament Army welcomed at the Studios?
Ans. It was sometime in 1952 when Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament Army of strong two hundred people, visited Chennai. The Gemini Studios stood a warm host for them.
The MRA was a kind of counter movement to international communism. Mr. Vasan, the Boss at the Gemini Studios played into their hands. But the other people at the studios had a natural aversion to communism. So the MRA could not have found a better host in India than the Gemini Studios.
Q. 12. Give one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA?
Ans. Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament Army staged two plays “Jotham Valley” and The Forgotten Factor” in a most professional manner. The Gemini family of 600 and the people of Chennai city watched them time and again.
The message was simple but the sets and the costumes were first rate. It brought a great change from the usual collection of crowd players. They also copied the sets and costumes in the manner of Jotham Valley.
Chennai and the Tamil Drama community were so greatly impressed by the MRA plays that for some years all Tamil plays had scene of sunrise and sunset with a bare white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.
Q. 13. How did the people of Chennai and those at the Gemini Studies respond to the plays staged by the Moral Re-Armament Army?
Ans. The Moral Re-armament Army visited the Gemini Studio in Chennai. It presented two plays named ‘Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ in the professional manner. Its costumes and scenes were praised by the huge crowd of Chennai and the drama community. Even its tunes on the flute were copied.
Q. 14. Who was The Boss of Gemini Studios?
Ans. The Boss of the Gemini Studios was Mr. S.S. Vasan. He founded the Gemini Studios in 1940. It was the favorite haunt of poets and those who had aversion to communism. He was the editor of the popular Tamil Weekly ‘Ananda Vikatan.’ Everyone called him ‘The Boss’ but for Subbu he was his principal.
Q. 15. What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Ans. The Gemini Studios was hosting in 1952 another visitor, a poet (or an editor) from England. The Boss read out a long speech in his honour. Then the English poet spoke. The audience were dazed and silent. No one could understand what the Englishman was talking about.
It was his accent and tone that made the people at Gemini studios understand nothing. His account caused this lack of communication between them. All left baffled including the poet.
Q. 16. Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?
Ans. The Englishman (the poet or the editor) visited Gemini Studios in 1952. The Boss gave him a warm welcome. A long speech was read in his honour. He spoke to the audience but they could not understand what he said. It was because of his accent. After one hour all dispersed completely baffled. The English poet must have felt the imbalance of his talk about the thrills and travails. The purpose of the visit seemed to be lost. That is why, his visit was referred to an unexplained mystery.
Q. 17. Who was English visitor to the studios?
Or
Why did he visit the studios?
Ans. The English visitor to the Gemini Studios was the English poet and the editor, Stephen Spender. He was the editor of the British periodical ‘The Encounter’. He was one of the six eminent men of letters who contributed six essays in the form of the book ‘The God That Failed’. The book described ‘Their journeys into communism and their disillusioned return.’ During his visit at the studios he concentrated on the themes of social injustice and class struggle.
Q. 18. What did the writer in the lesson, ‘Poets and Pancakes’ find out about ‘The Encounter and its editor?
Ans. The writer found out that ‘The Encounter’ was a British periodical. Stephen Spender the English poet was its editor. He was one of the six eminent, men of letters who contributed six essays in the form of the book ‘The God that Failed’.
Q. 19. How did the author discover about English visitor at the studios?
Ans. It was the time when the author Asokamitran was out of the Gemini Studios. He read an announcement in ‘The Hindu’ about ‘a short story contest organized by a British periodical, “The Encounter.’ The periodical was unknown among the Gemini literati. So the author went to the British Council Library where he found copies of “The Encounter.” When he read the editor’s name he heard a bell ringing in his ears. It was the poet Stephen Spender who had visited the Gemini Studios. He felt as if he had found his long lost brother like those of Indian films.
Q. 20. What does ‘The God that Failed’ refer to?
Ans. ‘The God That Failed’ is the name of a book. Six eminent men of letters has contributed their six separate essays in the book. In their essays they have described their journey into communism and their disillusioned return. They worked together but they had to return disillusioned.
