A devoted son summary and exercise | Class 12 English Notes

A devoted son summary and exercise | Class 12 English Notes | NEB

Before reading

a.Will you be ready to sacrifice your career, status, and economic opportunities for the good of your parents? Why or why not?

Ans. Of course, what I'm today, all goes to my parents except may labour and struggle.

b.In your view, what are the qualities of a devoted son/daughter?

Ans. There are map qualities to have in a son/daughter. They should be with the parents in need and make them happy.

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Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a.How did the morning papers bring ambiance of celebration in the Varma family?

Ans. The morning papers brought ambiance of celebration in the varma family as the son "Rakesh" was listed at the top in this medical examination which was the matter of proud for the family. Also he was the first son to have this level of education in his family.

b.How did the community celebrate Rakesh's success?

Ans. The community people celebrated Rakesh's success by visiting his small yellow house, congratulating the parents, filling his house with sound and color festivals and offering gifts and enjoying garlands and haluwa party.

c.Why was Rakesh's success a special matter of discussion in the neighborhood?

Ans. As Rakesh was the first son in his family to receive an education, and he further topped in the medical examination as well. It became the special matter of discussion in the neighborhood.

d.How does the author make fun with the words 'America' and 'the USA'?

Ans. The author makes fun with the words 'America' and 'the USA' by associating it with Verma's nature of dealing with the words as he considered 'the USA' as more prestigious than 'America'. He said that America is the term to be called by his ignorant neighbours.

e.How does the author characterize Rakesh's wife?

Ans. The author characterizes Rakesh's wife as a pulp and uneducated, old fashioned, so placid, so complaisant, so lazy but too good natured.

f. Describe how Rakesh rises in his career.

Ans. Rakesh worked in the city hospital and rises to the administrative organization and become a director before he left to setup his own clinic. Now he has his own car and known as best as well as richest doctor in the town.

g.How does the author describe Rakesh's family background?

Ans. According to author, Rakesh belong to poor family background, where his father worked for a kerosene dealer and his mother spent her life in kitchen and grandparents worked as the vegetable sellers.

h.What is the impact of Rakesh's mother's death on his father?

Ans. After the retirement from his post and death of this wife, the old father went to pieces very quickly. He developed so many complaints and tell ill so frequently with such myster our diseases named Peevish whim (sudden irritation in mind) that even his son could no longer make it out.

i. What did Rakesh do to make his father's old age more comfortable?

Ans. Rakesh brought morning tea in his father's favorite tumbler. Sat at the edge of his bed, comfortable and relaxed his father's lawn night-shirt, read out the morning news to him, supervised the diet to maintain his health, helped his father to down the steps, took him out in the garden for even in air to make even more comfortable in his old age.

j.Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren?

Ans. The old man tried to bribe his grandchildren into buy in him sweets (jalebi) because he missed his wife, that enerous, indulgent and illiterate cook and his son prohibited his oily fried food.

k.Are Mr. Varma's complaints about his diets reasonable? How?

Ans. It can be seen different from each-other's point of view. From the old father's point of view, Mr. Verma's complaints about his diets, may be reasonable to some extend but in fact, Rakesh as a devoted and obedient son and by profession a doctor is right in his performances and activities because he conducts such activities for the healthy and better life of his sick father.

Reference to the context

a.How did Varma couple make sacrifices for their son's higher education?

Ans. As we know that the Rakesh belongs to the poor family background where his father worked for a kerosene depot and his mother spent her life in kitchen and grandparents worked as vegetable seller. He was the first son in his family to receive an education, so much had been sacrificed in order to send him school and then medical college, and at last the fruit of their sacrifice had arrived, golden and glorious.

Before his great achievement, he was behind of his parents. They were uneducated and wanted his son to be an educated and renowed person. Although they didn't have great source of income, they managed for his school and medical college. His parents worked hard and sacrificed their life, time, money and everything they have for the higher education and medical college of the child, Rakesh.

b.Mr. Varma suffers from diseases one after another after his wife's death.Would he have enjoyed better health if she had not died before him? Give reasons.

Ans. After the retirement from his post and death of his wife, the old father went to pieces very quickly. He thinks most of the time about his wife (life partner) which leads him stricken with grief. He developed so many complaints and feel so frequently and with mysterious diseases. This makes Rakesh really worried about his father and he decides to personally handle his diet and daily routine. Soon, he eliminates all the sweet, oil and all the savoury but unhealthy food. This infuriates his father who just wants to spend his remaining days enjoying the things he loves. Rakesh's control starts to appear ruthless, tyrannical and obsessively controlling to his father. Verma has to consume a range of medicine, too. This makes the situation reaches the final straw. We can conclude that he would have enjoyed better health if his wife had not died before him.

c. Dr. Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health but as a doctor he is strict on his father's diet and medicine. In your view, what else could Rakesh have done to make his father's final years more comfortable?

Ans. Dr. Rakesh have played a great role as a "Devoted son" in this story. He has done all the things as a doctor and as a son. As a son, he cares his father and worries about his weakening health but as a doctor he is strict on his father's diet and medicine. In my view, Rakesh would have been more polite and respectful in his behaviour with his father in the final years. He wouldn't have been so strict and miserable while regulating his father's diet and food. His loud speaking towards his father- "No butter ?" "No oil", "No more bread" makes the old man very troublesome and miserable. Due to this, he was not grateful to Rakesh because of the lifestyle he is forced to live.

d. What does the story say about the relationship between grandfather and grand children?

Ans. Desai's story "A Devoted Son" shows loving companionship between grandfather and grandchildren. They have good bonding. But in the story, grandfather is attracted towards his grandchildren to get some sweets like 'Jalebis' from them by using trick as his oily fried food, and sweets were prohibited by his son Rakesh. Anyway, we find innocent, tricky, trusty and bonding relationship between grandfather and his grand children in the story.

e. Do you call Rakesh a devoted son? Give reasons.

Ans. The short story "A Devoted Son" by Anita Desai focuses on a father-son relationship in a traditional family within a small, property-stricken village. With his father, sacrifices, Rakesh is able to pursue and excel in his medical studies. All above, Rakesh is a very devoted and respectful son. Respect and courtesy is a fundamental component to traditional (transitional) culture and having such characteristics is rare in young children. Verma should be grateful from the attention that Rakesh as giving him.

He has done well for his family. It was him who ministered to his mother in her last illness and who sat pressing her feet at the last moment. After the mother's death, his father went to pieces very quickly and his health begin to decline. This made Rakesh really worried about his father and he decided to handle his diet and daily routine personally. He took care of every comfort of his father. He won't let him die if he knows that he can save his life. He tried to make him happy upto the last and took care of his parents. But from the side of Varma, due to ruthless, tyrannical and obsessively controlling behavior of his son, he is powerless and had to be in despair.

Reference beyond the text

a.Write an essay on "The Parents' Ambition for their Children in Nepali Society." You must give at least five examples.

Ans. Ambition means, "Desirous of power, honor, office, superiority or excellence; aspiring; eager for fame; showy; adopted to command, notice or praise". Ambitious parents definitely teach their children to work for what they want and allow them fingered things in life. But ambition is not enough. Parents have great ambition for their children in Nepali society.

Nepal is based on traditional practices. Most of the parents of the children are predetermined and preoccupied by the prejudices that their children would be the best person in the society, such as the best doctor, best engineer, teacher etc. In the context of Nepal, about 66 percent people are directly engaged in farming. So the parents belonging to this type have an ambition that their children do the best in their profession and manage them sufficient land also and help them in agriculture. They expect unique and modem tools and technology to raise their agriculture.

Similarly, business persons wants their children engage in their profession and help them. They want to expand the business with their children's knowledge/ education and earning. If the family (parents) lives in foreign country and have nice status, they want their children also to be there with them. If the parents have done good/fine job in foreign land, they also want there children to do so and earn money, which helps to increase reputation and standard. Some of the parents want their children to be a government employ in good position or any other good job whichcanmaintainor increase their reputation and standard in life. If the family is rich already; the family wants their children do a unique work which make them proud with handling their present business; a source of income. For example a social activist can help the poor background, people or society, a scientist can invent any new things in his technological era.

Similarly, parents belonging to politics, want to their children to be in politics. These are only some examples that are seen in Nepali society predominately. The different parents belongingto different job/profession may have different ambitions from their children. But this type of concept must be changed and let them what they want to be in their future. So, the ambition of parents with their children may vary with their background and their economic status. But the prejudices in this society are demotivatingthe children. They are not being able to do good in their future. They must do the profession as their passion which gives the best manpower to the society as well as the nation.

b.Medicines replace our diets in the old age. What can be done to make old age less dependent on medicine?

Ans. Getting older doesn't necessarily mean we'll have a slow in health conditions or poor quality of life. But it's important to know what's normal for our body as our age and what's not getting older involves changes in all realms of life, from the physical to the mental to the social, emotional, sexual and more. The challange is to maximize the good parts of getting older while taking proactive steps to maintain our health and minimize the negative aspects. Some common bodily changes in old age are: bone become thinner and more brittle, arteries become stiffer, slight forgetfulness, digestive system slows down, sense organs don't function as they were, skin loses its elasticity and so on. We can list following things that can be done to make old age less independent:

Stay physically active for a healthy body and mind.
Stay socially active with friends and family.
Scheduled checkups and stick to them.
Take all medications as directed by the doctor.
Limit or quit alcohol and smoking.
Get sleep as required.
Follow a healthy, well-balanced diet; which include colorful fruits and vegetables, cereals, low fat dairy, egg white, sufficient amount of water etc.

c.Write an essay on "Care of Elderly Citizens" in about 300 words.

Ans. Birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age are the most crucial stage in a man's life. Elderly citizens refer to old people who have crossed the middle age. The old age is the final period of human life, which is a sensitive phase; elderly people need care and comfort to lead a healthy life without worries and anxieity.

For those elderly persons who need assistance in basic activities like walking, eating, bathing and dressing, a home nurse is an invaluable companion. The elderly have social needs, too. Being debilitated by age is no reason for the elderly to be confined to themselves or in their room. We can take them out for recreational activities. We can make time for our parents as much as possible. Different members of the family can help them for their better life. Having less time to spend with one's spouse and children can lead to feel of guilty. So, caring them, and motivating for recreational activities is the best way to make them busy and happy. Beside this, schedule regular doctor visits, emotional supports, maintaining their daily healthy diet, managing their finances also help them for their elderly age.

Getting old is a natural process. During the old age, people need utmost love and care. Caring them is not a responsibility but also a moral duty. They establish us in this world with their immense effort. It is our responsibility to pay them back during their old age.

A devoted son summary and exercise | Class 12 English Notes | NEB