The Eyes Have It DQ
The Eyes Have It /The Eyes are not Here /The Girl on the Train
Ruskin Bond [1934——]
DAQ – 6 Marks
1. “They seemed very anxious about her comfort.” Where from has the line been taken? Who are ‘they’ referred to here? Whose ‘comfort’ is referred to here? State what did ‘they’ suggest for her comfort? [1+1+1+3]
👉The above line has been taken from the short-story, “The Eyes Have It” by Ruskin Bond.
Here ‘they’ refers to the probable parents of the girl who came to see her off at the station on her journey to Saharanpur.
Here the blind girl’s comfort is referred to who was going to travel alone.
As the girl was completely blind, the probable parents of the girl seemed very anxious about her comfort on her journey to Saharanpur.
While boarding the train the mother of the girl gave her detailed instructions as to where to keep her things, when not to lean out of windows, and how to avoid speaking to strangers. Finally, the parents of the girl called their goodbyes and the train pulled out of the station.
2. “They called their good byes and the train pulled out of the station.” Where from has the line been taken? Who are ‘they’ referred to here? Which station is referred to here? How did they call their goodbyes? [1+1+1+3]
👉The above line has been taken from the short-story, “The Eyes Have It” by Ruskin Bond.
Here ‘they’ refers to the probable parents of the girl who came to see her off at the station on her journey to Saharanpur.
Here Rohana station is referred to in the above line.
As the girl was completely blind, the probable parents of the girl seemed very anxious about her comfort on her journey to Saharanpur.
While boarding the train the mother of the girl gave her detailed instructions as to where to keep her things, when not to lean out of windows, and how to avoid speaking to strangers. Finally, the parents of the girl called their goodbyes and the train pulled out of the station.
3. “She gave a little exclamation.” Who is referred to as ‘she’? Why does she feel startled? Why does she give a little exclamation? [1+2+3]
👉Here ‘she’ refers to the young blind girl.
As the girl was also blind, she did not notice anyone sitting in the dark compartment of the train. But the narrator took her as a normal person, and so he suddenly asked the girl about her destination and then the girl was startled.
Being blind the girl could not feel the presence of anyone until she heard the voice. As soon as she heard the voice of the narrator, she simply gave a little exclamation as if she faced such situations many a time.
4. “I must have been sitting in a dark corner,” Who is the speaker? Where was he sitting and why? What made him say so? [1+2+3]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the narrator is the speaker of the above line.
While traveling in a solitary train compartment, he was sitting in a dark corner of the compartment, because as he was blind at that time he wanted to hide his blindness from the other passengers of the train compartment.
As the girl was also blind, she did not notice anyone sitting in the dark compartment of the train. But the narrator took her as a normal person, and so he suddenly asked the girl about her destination and then the girl was startled. When the girl was startled, the narrator thought that he must have been sitting in a dark corner of the compartment.
Related Question
“I must have been sitting in a dark corner,” Who was ‘I’ here in this line? Why does the speaker make such a guess? How did the speaker manage to hide the problem? What is revealed at the end of the story? [1+2+1+2]
👉Here in this line ‘I’ refers to the narrator who was travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger.
As the girl was also blind, she did not notice anyone sitting in the dark compartment of the train. But the narrator took her as a normal person, and so he suddenly asked the girl about her destination and then the girl was startled. When the girl was startled, the narrator thought that he must have been sitting in a dark corner of the compartment.
In the story the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind man. So he behaved with the girl like a person with good eye sight, so that the girl could not find his blindness. He talked freely with her like a normal person. In this way, the narrator managed to hide his problem of blindness from the girl with whom he was travelling in a solitary train compartment.
At the end of the story the third fellow passenger who boarded at Saharanpur, after leaving of the girl, revealed to the narrator that though the girl had beautiful eyes, they were of no use to her because she was completely blind.
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5. “I didn’t know anyone else was here.” Who said this and to whom? What was the occasion of this remark? How did the remark impress the narrator? [2+2+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the blind said this to the narrator.
As the girl was also blind, she did not notice anyone sitting in the dark compartment of the train. But the narrator took her as a normal person, and so he suddenly asked the girl about her destination and then the girl was startled, and said that she had not known anyone else’s presence in the compartment.
In this connection the narrator mentioned the difference in the power of perception of a blind person and a person with full eyesight. According to the narrator, it often happens that people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in front of them. They have to too much to take in. Whereas people who cannot see (or see very little) have to take in only the essential, whatever registers most tellingly on their remaining senses.
Related Question
“I didn’t know anyone else was here.” Who says this and to whom? Why does the speaker say so? What was the reaction of the listener on listening this statement? [2+2+2]
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6. “Oh, how lucky you are!” Who said this and to whom? Who is the ‘lucky’ person referred to here? Why is he lucky? Briefly give an account of how the narrator and the girl exchanged their views on their visit to the hills. [1+1+1+3]
👉The blind girl who was travelling in a train compartment with the narrator said this to the narrator in Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It”.
Here the narrator is the lucky person referred to in the above line.
The girl considered the narrator lucky because he was going to Mussoorie, a beautiful hilly town.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger the narrator, in course of conversation, told the girl that he was going to Mussoorie via Dehra.
On hearing the name of Mussoorie, the girl wondered that the narrator was really very lucky to go to Mussoorie. Then she showed her deep love and interest for visiting the hills of Mussoorie, especially in October. Then recalling his memories, the narrator said that October is the best time to visit the hills of Mussoorie, because at that time Mussoorie appears in quiet beauty. At that time most of the tourists leave the place, the roads remain quiet and almost deserted. The hills cover themselves with wild Dahlias and one can also enjoy the pleasant sunshine at that time. And at night one can enjoy the warmth of log fire with a little peg of brandy. So the narrator thinks that October is the best time to visit Mussoorie.
Related Questions
[I] “Yes, this is the best time.” Who said this and to whom? What time is referred to here? Why is it the best time? [2+1+3]
[II] “Yes, October is the best time.” Who said this and to whom? When did the speaker make this comment? Why is October the best time according to the speaker? [2+1+3]
[III] “Yes, October is the best time.” Who said this and to whom? What time is referred to here? Why is it the best time? [2+1+3]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the narrator said this to the girl with whom he was travelling in a solitary train compartment.
The time of visiting the hills of Mussoorie in October is referred to here.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger the narrator, in course of conversation, told the girl that he was going to Mussoorie via Dehra.
On hearing the name of Mussoorie, the girl wondered that the narrator was really very lucky to go to Mussoorie. Then she showed her deep love and interest for visiting the hills of Mussoorie, especially in October. Then recalling his memories, the narrator said that October is the best time to visit the hills of Mussoorie, because at that time Mussoorie appears in quiet beauty. At that time most of the tourists leave the place, the roads remain quiet and almost deserted. The hills cover themselves with wild Dahlias and one can also enjoy the pleasant sunshine at that time. And at night one can enjoy the warmth of log fire with a little peg of brandy. So the narrator thinks that October is the best time to visit Mussoorie.
[IV] How did the narrator and the girl reminiscence the scenic beauty of Mussoorie in the story, “The Eyes Have It”? [6]
👉While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger the narrator, in course of conversation, told the girl that he was going to Mussoorie via Dehra.
On hearing the name of Mussoorie, the girl wondered that the narrator was really very lucky to go to Mussoorie. Then she showed her deep love and interest for visiting the hills of Mussoorie, especially in October. Then recalling his memories, the narrator said that October is the best time to visit the hills of Mussoorie, because at that time Mussoorie appears in quiet beauty. At that time most of the tourists leave the place, the roads remain quiet and almost deserted. The hills cover themselves with wild Dahlias and one can also enjoy the pleasant sunshine at that time. And at night one can enjoy the warmth of log fire with a little peg of brandy. So the narrator thinks that October is the best time to visit Mussoorie.
[V] “Oh, how lucky you are!” Who is the speaker here? In what context does the speaker say this? Whom does the speaker consider lucky and why? [1+3+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the girl is the speaker of the above mentioned line.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger the narrator, in course of conversation, tells the girl that he is going to Mussoorie via Dehra. On hearing the name of Mussoorie, the girl wonders that the narrator is really very lucky to go to Mussoorie.
The girl considers the narrator lucky because he is going to Mussoorie, a famous hilly town because in October Mussoorie appears in its mesmerizing scenic beauty.
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7. “Then I made a mistake.” Who made the ‘mistake’? What ‘mistake’ is referred to here? Was it really a ‘mistake’? What removed the speaker’s doubts? What did the speaker do then? [1+2+1+1+1]
👉The narrator made the mistake in the story, “The Eyes Have It”.
The speaker, the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind. He behaved with the girl like a man with good eyesight so that she could not realize that the narrator was blind. But, in course of conversation, the narrator mistakenly asked the girl how the outside of the window looked like. After a moment he thought that a man with good eyesight would never ask such a question. Then the narrator feared that the girl would then discover easily his blindness. So the narrator thought that it was a mistake on his part to ask such a foolish question.
Apparently it was a mistake. If a man with good eyesight ask such a question, the listener will try to find out the truth behind it. But the girl being blind did not notice it. Moreover, she remained silent about her blindness. She was also playing the game of deception with the narrator. So, there was no mistake in the question.
Soon his doubts and fears melted away as the girl as the girl asked him to look out of the window. She could hardly know that her fellow passenger, the narrator was also blind.
Then the narrator moved easily along the berth and felt for the window ledge. The window was open and he faced it, making a pretence of studying the landscape.
Related Questions
[I] “Then I made a mistake.” What ‘mistake’ did the speaker make? Why was it a ‘mistake’? What removed the speaker’s doubts? What did the speaker do then? [1+2+1+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2017]
[II] “Then I made a mistake.”
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) What mistake did he make?
(c) Why did he call it a mistake?
(d) How did his co-passenger react to it? [1+1+2+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2024]
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8. “She seemed to find nothing strange in the question.” Who is ‘she’ referred to here? What was the question? What made the narrator anxious? What can we guess about her for not finding anything strange in the question? [1+1+2+2]
👉Here ‘she’ refers to the blind girl with whom the narrator was travelling in a solitary train compartment.
The question asked by the narrator to the girl was “What is it like outside?”
After a moment he thought that a man with good eyesight would never ask such a question. Then the narrator feared that the girl would then discover easily his blindness. Thinking this, the narrator became anxious. But the girl being blind did not notice it. Moreover, she remained silent about her blindness. She was also playing the game of deception with the narrator.
The girl did not find anything strange in the question in which the narrator asked her to look out of the window because she herself was completely blind.
9. “Why don’t you look out of the window?” Who asked this question and to whom? When did the person ask this question and why? [1+1+2+2]
👉The girl asked this question to the narrator in Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It”.
In the story the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind man. So he behaved with the girl like a person with good eye sight, so that the girl could not find his blindness. He talked freely with her like a normal person. But, in course of conversation, the narrator mistakenly asked the girl how the outside scenery of the window looked like, though he was sitting beside the open window. After a moment he thought that the girl now could easily discover his blindness. But, as the girl was also blind, she did not notice anything strange in the question. Then the girl to maintain the situation simply asked the narrator to look out of the window.
10. “I faced it, making a pretence of studying the landscape.” Who was making a pretence of studying the landscape? When and why did the person pretend? What did he actually do instead of studying the landscape? [1+3+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator was making a pretence of studying the landscape.
In the story the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind man. So he behaved with the girl like a person with good eye sight, so that the girl could not find his blindness. He talked freely with her like a normal person. But, in course of conversation, the narrator mistakenly asked the girl how the outside scenery of the window looked like, though he was sitting beside the open window. After a moment he thought that the girl now could easily discover his blindness. But, as the girl was also blind, she did not notice anything strange in the question. Then the girl to maintain the situation simply asked the narrator to look out of the window. Then the narrator moved easily along the berth and felt for the window-ledge. The window was open and he faced it, making a pretence of studying the landscape.
As the narrator was totally blind at that time, he could not enjoy the outside scenery of the window. But he could hear the panting of the engine, the rumble of the wheels, and in his mind’s eye he could see the telegraph posts flashing by.
11. “What is it like outside?” Who asked this question and to whom? What does ‘outside’ refer to here? Is this quote significant in the context of the story? [2+1+3]
👉The narrator asked this question to the girl in the story, “The Eyes Have It”.
Here in the above line ‘outside’ refers to the outside of the window of the train.
In the story the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind man. So he behaved with the girl like a person with good eye sight, so that the girl could not find his blindness. He talked freely with her like a normal person. But, in course of conversation, the narrator mistakenly asked the girl how the outside scenery of the window looked like, though he was sitting beside the open window. After a moment he thought that the girl now could easily discover his blindness. After a moment he thought that a man with good eyesight would never ask such a question. Then the narrator thought that it was a mistake on his part to ask such a foolish question.
12. “That always happens.” Who said this and to whom? What always happens, according to the speaker? When did the speaker make the remark? Comment on the irony of the situation. [1+1+2+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the girl with whom the narrator was traveling in a solitary train compartment, said this to the narrator.
According to the girl, the trees always seem to be moving while one seems to be standing still in a train.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator, in course of conversation, asked the girl if she had noticed that the trees seemed to be moving while they seemed to be standing still in a train.
In the story the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind man. So he behaved with the girl like a person with good eye sight, so that the girl could not find his blindness. He talked freely with her like a normal person. He wanted to continue his conversation with the girl, and, in course of conversation, he asked this simple question to her.
13. “You have an interesting face.” Who said this and to whom? How did the person spoken to react? How did the speaker mend his or her comment? [2+2+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator said this to the girl.
Hearing this compliment from the narrator, the girl like most of the girls accepted the flattery. And then she laughed pleasantly–a clear, ringing laugh and told the narrator that he nicely said that she had an interesting face, because she was tired of people telling her that she had a pretty face.
The blind narrator then got to know that the girl had a pretty face and mended his comment by saying that an interesting face could also be pretty.
14. “You are a very gallant young man.” Who said this and to whom? Why did the speaker say so? [2+4]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the girl said this to the narrator.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator, in course of conversation, praised the girl’s face by remarking that she had an interesting face, and thus the narrator was becoming quite daring.
Hearing this compliment from the narrator, the girl like most of the girls accepted the flattery. And then she laughed pleasantly–a clear, ringing laugh and told the narrator that he nicely said that she had an interesting face, because she was tired of people telling her that she had a pretty face.
The blind narrator then got to know that the girl had a pretty face and mended his comment by saying that an interesting face could also be pretty. And then the girl described the narrator as ‘a very gallant young man’.
15. “I was becoming quite daring, but it was a safe remark.” Who is the speaker? Why was the speaker becoming quite daring? What made the remark safe? How did the girl react? [1+2+1+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator is the speaker of the above line.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator, in course of conversation, praised the girl’s face by remarking that she had an interesting face, and thus the narrator was becoming quite daring.
The narrator thought that it was a safe remark because he knew few girls can resist flattery. Most of the girls accept it.
Hearing this compliment from the narrator, the girl like most of the girls accepted the flattery. And then she laughed pleasantly–a clear, ringing laugh and told the narrator that he nicely said that she had an interesting face, because she was tired of people telling her that she had a pretty face.
Related Question
“I was becoming quite daring, but it was a safe remark.” What was the remark? Why was the remark called ‘safe’? Why was the speaker becoming quite daring? [1+2+3]
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16. “Few girls can resist flattery.” Who is the speaker here? What ‘flattery’ is mentioned here? What led the speaker to think so? How did the person spoken to react? What happened to be the conversation as a result of the flatter? [1+2+1+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator is the speaker of the above line.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator, in course of conversation, praised the girl’s face by remarking that she had an interesting face, and thus the narrator was becoming quite daring.
The narrator thought that it was a safe remark because he knew few girls can resist flattery. Most of the girls accept it.
Hearing this compliment from the narrator, the girl like most of the girls accepted the flattery. And then she laughed pleasantly–a clear, ringing laugh and told the narrator that he nicely said that she had an interesting face, because she was tired of people telling her that she had a pretty face.
17. “I’m tired of people telling me I have a pretty face.” Who said this, to whom and when? What did the person spoken to reply? [1+1+2+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2015, 2020, 2022]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the girl said this to the narrator who praised her face.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator, in course of conversation, praised the girl’s face by remarking that she had an interesting face, and thus the narrator was becoming quite daring.
Hearing this compliment from the narrator, the girl like most of the girls accepted the flattery. And then she laughed pleasantly–a clear, ringing laugh and told the narrator that he nicely said that she had an interesting face, because she was tired of people telling her that she had a pretty face.
18. “Why are you so serious?” Who asked this question and to whom? Was there any reply? How did the person try to react? Why was the person spoken to so serious? [2+1+1+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the girl asked this question to the narrator.
There was no reply from the narrator. He remained silent.
Then the narrator thought that he would try to laugh for her, but the thought of laughter only made him feel troubled and lonely.
In the story the narrator, though blind, did not want to be noticed as a blind man. He always played a game of deception with others. So, the narrator, during his train journey, was also serious with his co-passenger, the girl.
19. “I answered quite confidently.” Who is the speaker here? Which question did the speaker answer? What was the answer? Why did the speaker answer quite confidently? [1+1+2+2]
👉Here the narrator of Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” is the speaker of the above line.
While traveling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the girl, in course of conversation, asked the narrator if he saw any animals outside the window. In reply to the question, the narrator answered it quite confidently.
The narrator answered the question of the girl, “Do you see any animals?” in negative that he did not see any animals outside the window.
The narrator answered the question in negative quite confidently because he knew that there were hardly any animals left in the forests near Dehra.
20. “Her voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream.” Who thinks so? Whose ‘voice’ is referred to here? Why did the ‘voice’ become so special to the person? [1+1+4]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the narrator thinks so.
Here the voice of the girl is referred to with whom he was traveling in a solitary train compartment.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator had been impressed by the girl at the very beginning. Her voice, the sound of her slippers, and her free conversation with the narrator impressed him so much, and undoubtedly there developed a bond of unspoken love between them.
Later the narrator felt passionate when the girl was about to reach her destination. He was so much fascinated with the girl’s voice that he was prepared to sit there for almost any length of time just to listen to her talking. The narrator could not but praise the girl’s voice by saying that her voice was as lively and delightful as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
21. “But it would stay with me for the rest of the journey, and for sometime after.” Who felt so? What does ‘it’ refer to here? Why does the speaker feel so? [1+1+4]
👉The narrator in the story “The Eyes Have It” felt so.
Here ‘it’ refers to the memory of the brief encounter between the narrator and the girl in a solitary train compartment.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator had been impressed by the girl at the very beginning. Her voice, the sound of her slippers, and her free conversation with the narrator impressed him so much, and undoubtedly there developed a bond of unspoken love between them. He was so much fascinated with the girl’s voice that he was prepared to sit there for almost any length of time just to listen to her talking. The narrator could not but praise the girl’s voice by saying that her voice was as lively and delightful as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
Later the narrator felt passionate when the girl was about to reach her destination. He was so much tempted by the perfume of the girl’s hair, and he wanted to have a touch of her hair, but she moved away. The narrator thought that he would miss much after the girl’s departure. Perhaps the girl might forget their brief encounter ere long, but the memory of that would persist in his mind perhaps long after her departure.
Related Questions
[I] How did the narrator in the story “The Eyes Have It” describe his fascination for the girl? [6]
[II] How did the conversation between the narrator and the girl proceed in the story, “The Eyes Have It”? [6]
[III] Describe how did the girl cast a spell on the narrator. [6]
[IV] How did the narrator of the story “The Eyes Have It” try to impress the girl? [6]
[V] In the story “The Eyes Have It” we find certain hints that the narrator felt infatuated with the girl. Discuss. [6]
👉While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator had been impressed by the girl at the very beginning. Her voice, the sound of her slippers, and her free conversation with the narrator impressed him so much, and undoubtedly there developed a bond of unspoken love between them. He was so much fascinated with the girl’s voice that he was prepared to sit there for almost any length of time just to listen to her talking. The narrator could not but praise the girl’s voice by saying that her voice was as lively and delightful as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
Later the narrator felt passionate when the girl was about to reach her destination. He was so much tempted by the perfume of the girl’s hair, and he wanted to have a touch of her hair, but she moved away. The narrator thought that he would miss much after the girl’s departure. Perhaps the girl might forget their brief encounter ere long, but the memory of that would persist in his mind perhaps long after her departure.
[VI] “Thank goodness, it’s a short journey.” Where from has the line been taken? Who said this and to whom? Describe the journey of the speaker. [1+2+3]
👉The above line has been taken from the short-story “The Eyes Have It” by Ruskin Bond.
The blind girl said this to the narrator.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the narrator had been impressed by the girl at the very beginning. Her voice, the sound of her slippers, and her free conversation with the narrator impressed him so much, and undoubtedly there developed a bond of unspoken love between them. He was so much fascinated with the girl’s voice that he was prepared to sit there for almost any length of time just to listen to her talking. The narrator could not but praise the girl’s voice by saying that her voice was as lively and delightful as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
Later the narrator felt passionate when the girl was about to reach her destination. He was so much tempted by the perfume of the girl’s hair, and he wanted to have a touch of her hair, but she moved away. The narrator thought that he would miss much after the girl’s departure. Perhaps the girl might forget their brief encounter ere long, but the memory of that would persist in his mind perhaps long after her departure.
[VII] “She would forget our brief encounter” — Who said this and about whom? What is the ‘brief encounter’ referred to here? Why did the speaker think so? [1+1+2+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2016]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the narrator said this about the girl with whom he was travelling in a solitary train compartment.
Here ‘the brief encounter’ refers to the memory of the narrator’s travelling and free talking with the girl co-passenger in a solitary running train compartment.
The narrator thought this because he probably had guessed that such casual meetings with strangers during journeys did not leave much impression on their minds.
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22. Describe how the girl left the train at Saharanpur in the story “The Eyes Have It”. What impact of her departure fell on the mind of the narrator? [4+2]
👉As the train approached at Saharanpur, the girl got up and began to collect her things. When the train drew slowly into the station, a high pitched female voice was heard near the carriage door, and that voice must have belong to the girl’s aunt. The girl recognized her aunt’s voice, and after bidding farewell to the narrator, she left the train.
After the girl’s departure, the narrator realized how deeply he was charmed by her. He was so much fascinated by the girl that he thought he would miss much. Perhaps the girl might forget their brief encounter ere long, but the memory of that would persist in his mind perhaps long after her departure.
23. “…the girl got up and began to collect her things.” Who is the ‘girl’? When did she get up? Why did she get up to collect her things? What had the speaker thought about the ‘brief encounter’ he had with the girl? [1+1+2+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2019, 2022]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the girl is the only one co-passenger of the narrator in the solitary train compartment.
As the train approached at Saharanpur, the girl got up and began to collect her things.
The girl got up and began to collect her things as the train approached at Saharanpur, because it was her destination where she was going to get off the train. Her aunt was meeting her there.
The narrator thought as soon as the girl got down from the train, she would forget their ‘brief encounter’. But it would stay with him long after the girl’s departure.
24. “Can you tell me–did she keep her hair long, or short?” Who is the person spoken to? What was the writer’s guess about the girl’s hair? What answer did the writer get from him? [1+3+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator wanted to know about the girl’s hair-style from the third fellow passenger.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the perfume from the girl’s hair tempted the narrator so much that he wanted to have a touch of her hair. He imagined that either she wore her hair in bun, or it was plaited. He was not not sure whether it was hanging loose over her shoulder, or it was cut very short. When he wanted to have a touch of her hair, she moved away.
The third fellow passenger surprisingly replied to the narrator that he did not remember her hair. But he informed him that he noticed her eyes, not her hair. He said that she had beautiful eyes, but they were no use to her. She was completely blind.
Related Questions
[I] “Can you tell me–did she keep her hair long, or short?” Who asked the question and to whom? What was the occasion of the remark? Why did he ask this question? [1+1+3+1]
[II] What did the writer guess about the girl’s hair-style? [6]
[III] Was he able to know anything about this thereafter? [6]
[IV] “Only the scent of perfume still lingered where she had stood.” When did the writer get the smell, and what happened afterward? [3+3]
[V] How was the narrator impressed by the girl’s hair?[6]
[VI] “Can you tell me–did she keep her hair long, or short?”
(a) Who is the speaker? To whom is he speaking?
(b) Who is being referred to? Where did the girl get down?
(c) What was the answer the speaker received in context to his question? [2+2+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2023]
👉The narrator is the speaker of the above mentioned line.
He is speaking to the third passenger who boarded the train at Saharanpur.
Here the blind girl is being referred to.
The girl got down from the train at Saharanpur station.
The third fellow passenger surprisingly replied to the narrator that he did not remember her hair. But he informed him that he noticed her eyes, not her hair. He said that she had beautiful eyes, but they were no use to her. She was completely blind.
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25. “The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie.” Whose ‘reverie’ is referred to here? What is the meaning of the word ‘reverie’? What was the ‘reverie’ about? How did it come to an end? [1+1+2+2]
👉The ‘reverie’ of the narrator of the short-story, “The Eyes Have It” is mentioned here in the above line.
The meaning of the word ‘reverie’ is ‘day-dreaming’.
In the story although the narrator himself was blind and did not know that the girl too was blind, in course of conversation, he was fascinated by her voice, her ringing laugh and the perfume of her hair. So, it was enough to transport him into a world of ‘reverie’ of the girl who had just left the train.
However, the ‘reverie’ was broken when the third passenger entered the compartment and apologized for not being so attractive a travelling companion as the girl who had just left.
Related Questions
[I] “The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie.” What is meant by the word ‘reverie’? Whose ‘reverie’ is being spoken of? What impact did the ‘reverie’ have on the person spoken of? [1+1+4]
[II] “The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie.” What was the cause of the narrator’s ‘reverie’, and how was it broken? [4+2]
[III] “The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie.” When did the man enter the compartment? How did he break the reverie? What was the reverie about? [1+2+3]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” when the girl got off from the train at Saharanpur, the man entered the compartment stammered an apology.
The reverie of the narrator was broken when the man entered the compartment and apologized to the narrator for not being so attractive a travelling companion as the girl who had just left.
In the story although the narrator himself was blind and did not know that the girl too was blind, in course of conversation, he was fascinated by her voice, her ringing laugh and the perfume of her hair. So, it was enough to transport him into a world of ‘reverie’ of the girl who had just left the train.
[IV] “The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie.” Where does the line occur? Whose ‘reverie’ is mentioned here? What was the ‘reverie’ about? How did it come to an end? [1+1+2+2]
👉The above mentioned line occurs in the short-story, “The Eyes Have It” by Ruskin Bond.
The ‘reverie’ of the narrator of the short-story, “The Eyes Have It” is mentioned here in the above line.
In the story although the narrator himself was blind and did not know that the girl too was blind, in course of conversation, he was fascinated by her voice, her ringing laugh and the perfume of her hair. So, it was enough to transport him into a world of ‘reverie’ of the girl who had just left the train.
However, the ‘reverie’ was broken when the third passenger entered the compartment and apologized for not being so attractive a travelling companion as the girl who had just left.
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26. “She had beautiful eyes, but they were of no use to her.” Whose ‘eyes’ are mentioned here? Why were the ‘eyes’ useless to her? Bring out the irony of the situation. [1+1+4]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story,”The Eyes Have It” here the ‘eyes’ of the girl are mentioned in the above line.
The beautiful eyes of the girl were of no use to her because she was completely blind.
Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” has a dramatic ending. It has ended with a moment of revelation through the eyes of the third passenger who entered the train compartment at Saharanpur. It comes to a great shock and surprise to the narrator when he comes to know the fact from the third passenger that his co-passenger, the girl who had just got off the train was blind.
Throughout his journey the narrator had been very careful to conceal the fact that he was blind. It is very interesting to find that the girl did not mention her blindness too. Both of them played the same game of deception.
The climax occurs when the new passenger declared that the girl had beautiful eyes, but they were no use to her because she was completely blind. The new traveller certainly changed the flow of thought of the narrator, and the reader as well. Thus, it provided the final twist to the story because the narrator surely realized that he had vainly tried to hide from the girl the fact that he was blind too, never knowing that the girl was too blind.
Related Questions
[I] Comment on the ending of the story, “The Eyes Have It”. [6]
[II] What provided the final twist to the story, “The Eyes Have It”. [6]
[III] What is the climax of Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It”? How does it occur? [1+5]
[IV] Comment on the tragic climax of the story, “The Eyes Have It”. [6]
[V] What is the ironical twist at the end of the story, “The Eyes Have It”? [6]
[VI] What do you think could be the narrator’s feeling at that moment? [4+2]
[VII] “She was completely blind.” Explain the irony in the given line. [6]
👉Ruskin Bond’s short-story,”The Eyes Have It” has a dramatic ending. It has ended with a moment of revelation through the eyes of the third passenger who entered the train compartment at Saharanpur. It comes to a great shock and surprise to the narrator when he comes to know the fact from the third passenger that his co-passenger, the girl who had just got off the train was blind. Throughout his journey the narrator had been very careful to conceal the fact that he was blind. It is very interesting to find that the girl did not mention her blindness too. Both of them played the same game of deception. The climax occurs when the new passenger declared that the girl had beautiful eyes, but they were no use to her because she was completely blind. The new traveller certainly changed the flow of thought of the narrator, and the reader as well. Thus, it provided the final twist to the story because the narrator surely realized that he had vainly tried to hide from the girl the fact that he was blind too, never knowing that the girl was too blind.
[VIII] “She had beautiful eyes, but they were of no use to her.” Who says this and to whom? Why does the speaker say so? Describe the irony inherent in the above words. [2+1+3]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the third fellow passenger who boarded the train at Saharanpur says this to the narrator.
The speaker says so because though the girl has beautiful eyes, they are of no use to her because she is completely blind.
Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” has a dramatic ending. It has ended with a moment of revelation through the eyes of the third passenger who entered the train compartment at Saharanpur. It comes to a great shock and surprise to the narrator when he comes to know the fact from the third passenger that his co-passenger, the girl who had just got off the train was blind.
Throughout his journey the narrator had been very careful to conceal the fact that he was blind. It is very interesting to find that the girl did not mention her blindness too. Both of them played the same game of deception.
The climax occurs when the new passenger declared that the girl had beautiful eyes, but they were no use to her because she was completely blind. The new traveller certainly changed the flow of thought of the narrator, and the reader as well. Thus, it provided the final twist to the story because the narrator surely realized that he had vainly tried to hide from the girl the fact that he was blind too, never knowing that the girl was too blind.
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27. “It could be a fascinating game, guessing what went on out there.” Who is the speaker? What ‘fascinating game’ did the narrator play with the girl? How could the guessing game help him to keep himself away from hard reality? [1+2+3]
👉The narrator of the story,”The Eyes Have It” says this.
The ‘fascinating game’ the narrator played with the girl was to guess what went on outside.
In the story the narrator was completely blind. And on the other hand, he was travelling all alone upto Rohana. So, the arrival of the girl and her free conversation with him gave him great joy. No doubt, the narrator was deeply impressed by the girl. But when the girl had left the train leaving him alone, he faced the troubles of life. To avoid external problems he engaged himself in the guessing game of what was going on outside the window of the train compartment. It also helped him to escape from hard reality and ruminate over his sweet experiences.
28. “Didn’t you notice?” Who asked the question and to whom? What did not the person spoken to notice? Why could the person spoken to actually notice? What made the speaker ask the question? [1+1+1+1+2]
👉At the very end of the short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the third fellow passenger asked the question to the narrator.
The third passenger asked the narrator if he had not noticed the girl’s beautiful eyes which were of no use to her.
The narrator actually could notice the girl’s eyes because all the way he was travelling with her in the same train compartment.
When the narrator asked the third passenger about the girl’s hair-style, he, though got a bit perplexed, said that he noticed the eyes of the girl, not her hair. He also added that she had beautiful eyes, but they were of no use to her. Then he wanted to know from the narrator if he had not noticed it.
Throughout his journey, the narrator tried to conceal from the girl the fact that he was blind. But when the male passenger revealed the truth, he realized that all his defence mechanism was vainly employed.
Related Question
“Didn’t you notice?” Whose question was it? When was the question asked? What was expected to be noticed? What is the irony implied in the question? [1+1+1+3]
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29. “You must be disappointed.” Who is the speaker? What would disappoint the person spoken to? What information did the speaker provide regarding the girl? [1+2+3]
👉In Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the third passenger is the speaker of the above line.
According to the third passenger, the narrator became disappointed because his attractive fellow passenger, the girl had just left the train leaving him alone.
After the girl’s leaving the train at Saharanpur, the male passenger boarded the train. After boarding the train, the male passenger told the narrator that he must be disappointed because he is not nearly as attractive a travelling companion like the one who just left. In reply, the narrator asked about the girl’s hairstyle. The fellow passenger got a bit perplexed hearing the question and said that he noticed the eyes of the girl and not her hair because she had beautiful eyes and also added that she was completely blind.
Related Question
“You must be disappointed.” Who said this and to whom? Why did the speaker think that the other person would be disappointed? [1+1+4]
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30. “I’m not nearly as attractive a travelling companion as the one who just left.” Who is the speaker of the above quoted line? Whom did the expression ‘the one who just left’ refer to? Why did the speaker say this? Describe the companion who just left? [1+1+2+2]
👉In Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the third fellow passenger is the speaker of the above quoted line.
By the expression ‘the one who just left’ the third passenger refers to the girl with whom the narrator was travelling in the same train compartment.
After the girl’s leaving the train at Saharanpur, the male passenger boarded the train. After boarding the train, he found the narrator sitting in front of the window, staring into the daylight so attentively that he told the narrator that he must be disappointed because he is not nearly as attractive a travelling companion like the one who just left.
The companion of the narrator, the girl who just left, is pretty. The narrator says that her voice has the sparkle of a mountain stream. She is an interesting girl. At the end of the story the third passenger informs the narrator that the girl has beautiful eyes, but they are of no use to her. She is completely blind.
31. “It was her eyes I noticed; not her hair.” Who is the speaker? To whom is he speaking? Whose ‘eyes’ are being referred to here? What speciality lay in those eyes? [1+1+2+2]
👉In Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the third fellow passenger is the speaker of the above quoted line.
He is speaking to the narrator.
Here the ‘eyes’ of the girl with whom the narrator was travelling in the same train compartment are being referred to here.
The third passenger informs the narrator that she has beautiful eyes, but they are of no use to her. She is completely blind.
Related Question
“It was her eyes I noticed; not her hair.” Who is ‘I’ and who is referred to by ‘her’? What was about her eyes? Why did the speaker refer to her hair? [2+2+2]
👉Here ‘I’ refers to the third passenger and the girl with whom the narrator was travelling in the same train compartment is referred to by ‘her’.
The third passenger informs the narrator that she has beautiful eyes, but they are of no use to her. She is completely blind.
While travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger, the perfume from the girl’s hair tempted the narrator so much that he wanted to have a touch of her hair. He also imagined about the girl’s hair-style and wanted to know about it from the third passenger. Then the third passenger informs the above line.
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32. Where did the last fellow passenger of the narrator get into the train? Describe the exchanges between the narrator and his fellow passenger in the train. [1+5]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the last fellow passenger of the narrator got into the train at Saharanpur where the second fellow passenger of the narrator, the girl got down from the train.
After the girl’s leaving the train at Saharanpur, the male passenger boarded the train. After boarding the train, the male passenger told the narrator that he must be disappointed because he is not nearly as attractive a travelling companion like the one who just left. In reply, the narrator asked about the girl’s hairstyle. The fellow passenger got a bit perplexed hearing the question and said that he noticed the eyes of the girl and not her hair because she had beautiful eyes and also added that she was completely blind.
33. “She would forget our brief encounter.” Who said this and about whom? What is the ‘brief encounter’ referred to here? Why did the speaker think so? [1+1+2+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2016]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the blind narrator said this about the blind girl who had been his co-passenger in the solitary train compartment.
The narrator was going to Mussoorie by train, and he was all alone in the train compartment upto Rohana station. At Rohana station a girl got into the compartment. The narrator freely talked with her about many things for sometime and became curious about her looks especially her hair. Then the girl got down at Saharanpur. This short meeting with the girl is referred to as ‘brief encounter’.
The narrator thought this because he probably had guessed that such casual meetings with strangers during journeys did not leave much impression on their minds.
34. “She was an interesting girl.” Who said this to whom and when? What else did the person say? What reply did he get? [3+1+2] [WBCHSE H.S. 2018]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story “The Eyes Have It” the blind narrator said this to the second fellow passenger who boarded the train at Saharanpur when the new passenger remarked that he was not at all so attractive as the passenger who had just left. The narrator then asked about the hair of the girl and wanted to know whether her hair was long and short.
The new passenger replied that he noticed the eyes of the girl, not her hair. He also added that she had beautiful eyes, but they were of no use to her because she was completely blind.
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Extra DQ
35. “…….the woman gave the girl detailed instructions as to….” Where has this excerpt taken from? Who is the ‘woman’ referred to here? Where was the ‘girl’ going to? What were the instructions given to the girl? [1+1+1+3]
👉This excerpt has been taken from Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It”.
Here the ‘woman’ refers to probably the girl’s mother.
The ‘girl’ was going to Saharanpur where her aunt was meeting her.
The woman probably the mother of the girl gave her detailed instructions as to where to keep her things, when not to lean out of windows, and how to avoid speaking to strangers.
36. “It would take me sometime to discover something about her looks.” Who is the speaker? Who is referred to as ‘her’? How did the quoted line end? Why? What did the speaker like about her? [1+1+2+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator is the speaker of the above mentioned line.
The girl with whom the narrator was travelling is referred to as ‘her’ here.
The quoted line ended with the narrator’s possibility that he never would discover something about the girl’s look with whom he was travelling in a solitary train compartment.
The narrator thought that because he was completely blind at that time.
But from the very beginning the speaker liked the sound of the girl’s voice and even the sound of her slippers.
37. “Are you going all the way to Dehra?” Who is the speaker and who is the person spoken to? When did the speaker say this? What is the reaction and reply of the person spoken to? [2+2+2]
👉In Ruskin Bond’s short-story, “The Eyes Have It” the narrator is the speaker of the above mentioned line and he speaks to the girl with whom he was travelling in a solitary train compartment.
The narrator said this when he was travelling in a solitary train compartment with a girl co-passenger. When the probably parents of the girl bade ‘good bye’ to her, the train pulled out of the station. And after sometime the narrator asked her that question and started his conversation with her.
As the girl was blind and besides this the narrator suddenly started his conversation with her by asking this question, she, at first, startled at the voice of the narrator, but she maintained the situation tactfully as she was also playing the same game of deception. She, after giving a little exclamation, said that she had not known else had been in the compartment.
38. “Well, it often happens that people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in front of them” Who said this and in which context? What did the speaker say about the ‘people who cannot see’? [3+3]
👉After giving a little exclamation, when the girl said in reply to the narrator’s query about her destination that she had not known anyone had been else in the compartment, the narrator, in this context, said the above mentioned line.
The narrator in this context said about the ‘people who cannot see’ that people who cannot see or see very little have to take in only the essential, whatever registers most tellingly with their remaining senses.
39. “…..people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in front of them.” What is the context of the remark? What do the people in contrast do? Give the irony lying in the remark. [2+2+2]
40. “I wondered if I would be able to prevent her from discovering that I was blind.” How did the narrator try to conceal his blindness? What rude shock did he get at the end? [4+2]
41. “But her next question removed my doubts” Who made this remark about whom? What were the doubts of the speaker? What was the next question? How did it remove the doubts? [2+1+1+2]
42. “Didn’t you notice?” Who is the speaker? Whom does he ask the question? What is the significance of the word ‘notice’ and how is it related to the theme of the story from which the above mentioned line has been taken? [1+1+4]
43. “You must be disappointed” Who said this and to whom? Why did the speaker say so? How did the person spoken to reply then? [1+1+2+2]
44. “I found the window and sat in front of it, staring into the daylight that was darkness for me” Who says this? What was the occasion? Why was ‘daylight’ darkness to the speaker? [1+2+3]
45. “……..My voice startled her” Who is the speaker here? Who is mentioned as ‘her’? Why was she startled by the voice of the speaker? What did she say afterwards? [1+1+2+2]
46. “It could be a fascinating game, guessing what went on out there.” Who is the speaker? What was the ‘fascinating game’? How could the guessing game help him to keep himself away from ‘hard reality’? How did it come to an end? [1+1+3+1]
47. Why was there some confusion in the doorway? What did the narrator come to know from from the newcomer? What do you think the narrator’s feelings were on hearing it? [1+2+3]
48. “She was standing very close to me.” Whom does ‘she’ refer to? When and why was ‘she’ standing very close to the narrator? What was the feeling of the narrator then? [1+2+3]
49. How was the blind narrator impressed by the girl? How did he feel when she left the compartment? [3+3]
50. “But I heard you come in” Who are referred to as ‘I’ and ‘you’? Where had the person spoken to come in? What did the speaker advise to remember? [1+1+4]
51. Comment on the use of irony in the story ‘The Eyes Have It’.
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