CLASS VIII ENGLISH LITERATURE CHAPTER 9: THE SHOEMAKER Note: 1. STUDENTS ARE TO READ THE LESSON FROM THE TEXT BOOK AND UNDERSTAND IT WITH THE HELP OF SUMMARY GIVEN BELOW.DO NOT WRITE THE SUMMARY IN YOUR NOTEBOOK.IT IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. 2. VOCABULARY AND QUESTION ANSWERS GIVEN BELOW IS TO BE DONE IN FAIR COPIES. 3. THERE ARE FEW QUESTIONS WHICH STUDENTS HAVE TO ANSWER BY THEMSELVES IN THE NOTEBOOK. 4. THE NOTEBOOK WILL BE CORRECTED WHEN THE SCHOOL RE-OPENS. Introduction: This story is taken from Charles Dickens famous novel, a tale of two cities. The story is set in the cities of London and Paris. The story tells us about Dr. Manette and the manner by which he is reunited with his daughter. Having been imprisoned for a very long time, Mr. Manette had lost almost all of his memory. When he finally meets his daughter he is taken aback by surprise. His daughter Lucie says that she had come to take him back to England. Summary: Lucie Manette grew up in London believing that she had been orphaned until Mr. Jarvis Lorry, an employee of Tellson’s bank and a guardian of the Manette family, brought her the starling news that her father, Dr. Manette, was alive. He took her to Paris to meet her father. Dr. Manette had been a distinguished doctor in Paris. He had refused to support a cruel French nobleman, and consequently the nobleman had Dr. Manette thrown into the North Tower of the terrible prison. Released from prison after eighteen years, Dr. Manette was in the care of defarge, a man who once worked for him. When Mr. Lorry and Lucie entered the little room where Dr. Manette was, they found that the once brilliant Dr. was a broken man who sat at a bench making shoes. Mr. Manette, aged and weakened by his long years in prison, had not spoken to anyone from a very long time he had become mentally and physically very weak person. He was so weak that when he put up a hand between his eyes and light one can look through the bones of his hand. His voice was like a tired traveller who has lost his way in wilderness (a place where no one lives). Monsieur Defarge informed the shoemaker (Mr. Manette) that the visitor (Mr. Lorry) had come to see him. And Lucie who had come along with Mr. Lorry stood next to the door of the little room. As Monsieur Defarge and Mr. Lorry try to talk to him and asked him about his shoes and shoemakers name he replied ‘one hundred and five North Tower’ and continued with his work. Mr. Lorry tried to help the shoemaker in recognizing him. He asked the shoemaker if he remembers old Banker, old Business, old servant, anything rising in his mind of his old days. But the shoemaker could not recognize Mr. Lorry even though he tried to look for a long time at Mr. Lorry and at Defarge. He also tried to remember the long forgotten memories but could not succeed in recognizing them. Finally Lucie came very quietly near to the bench where the shoemaker sat. The shoemaker stared at her with a startled look and with great effort and difficulty said “what is your name, my gentle angel”? Lucie fell upon her knees before him and put her hand in his. She told her father that his pain is over now and she had come to take him back to England. Vocabulary 1. Monsieur - Form of address used of or to a French- speaking man 2. Faint - Soft 3. Wilderness - A place where no one lives 4. Raggedly - Shabbily 5. Withered - Wasted away 6. Frail - Weak 7. Overcome - moved, affected 8. Laboured - With great effort and difficulty 9. By Degrees - Gradually 10. Fixedly - For a long time without changing QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS EXTRACT 1. [“The Shoemaker………………………………………………………………little more light”] Questions 1. Where did Lucie grow up? What starting news was brought by Mr. Lorry? 2. Why was Dr. Manette thrown to the prison and what happened to him after his release from Prison? 3. What did Monsieur Defarge asked the White haired man and what did he reply? To what has the voice of the white haired man being compared? 4. Describe the physical appearance of the white haired man and also write about the place where he was working? 5. What was the Shoemaker making? Who came to meet him? Answers 1. Lucie Manette grew up in London believing that she had been orphaned until Mr. Jarvis Lorry an employee of Tellson’s Bank and a guardian of the Manette family, brought her the startling news that her father Dr. Manette was alive. 2. Dr. Manette had been a distinguished doctor in Paris. He had refused to support a cruel French nobleman, and consequently the nobleman had Dr. Manette thrown into the North Tower of the terrible prison called the Bastille. Released from prison after eighteen years, Dr. Manette was in the care of Defarge, a man who once worked for him. When Mr. Lorry and Lucie entered the little room where Dr. Manette was, they found that the once Brilliant doctor was a broken man who sat at a Bench, making shoes. 3. Monsieur Defarge asked the White- haired man, “you are still hard at work, I see’? He replied, ‘’ I am working.” The voice of White – haired man was compared to a weak echo of a sound made long, long ago. It was like a once beautiful colour faded away into a light stain that could hardly be seen. It was like the voice of a tired traveller who has lost his way in the wilderness. 4. Dr. Manette had a White beard raggedly cut, but not very long, a hollow face, and very bright eyes. His yellow rags of shirt lay open at the throat, and showed his body to be withered and worm. He was so weak and frail that when he put up a hand between his eyes and the light, even the bones of his hand seemed transparent. The old man was working in a garret. It was a dark place and he was sitting on a bench was working with all his lying on the floor. 5. He was working on a lady shoe. Mr. Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette came to meet the old man. EXTRACT 2. [“As the Captive…………………………………………………………..resumed his work”] Questions 1. What question had Mr. Lorry asked Monsieur Manette just before this? What happened when Mr. Lorry asked to remember his forgotten memories? 2. How did the old man responds each time a question was put to him? Why do you think the old man responds in his manner? 3. How did Lucie react when she saw that her father was not able to recognize her? 4. What was the hard history of the old man? 5. Why did Monsieur Manette sit starting at Lucie? And what did she tell him at the end? Answers 1. Mr. Lorry asked Monsieur Manette, “Do you remember nothing of me”? As the captive of many years the old man sat looking fixedly at Mr. Lorry and at Defarge. some long forgotten memories seemed to gradually force themselves through the black mist that had fallen on him. But they were soon clouded over and then they were gone. A gloomy darkness fell on him again with a deep long sigh; he took the shoe up and resumed his work. 2. Whenever a question was put to the shoemaker, he took long pause and then usually he responded in a very weak and slow voice. The old man responded in this manner because he was old and weak. He was also alone for many years and not in the habit of too much speaking. 3. Lucie moved from the wall of the garret, very near to the bench on which he sat. Not a word was spoken, not a sound was made. She stood, like a bright spirit, beside him, and he bent over his work. 4. Dr. Manette had been a distinguished doctor in Paris. He had refused to support a cruel French nobleman, and consequently the nobleman had Dr. Manette thrown into the North Tower of the terrible prison called the Bastille. No one knew what had happened to him. Now he was in the care of Defarge, who once worked for him. 5. Lucie stood; like a bright spirit, beside him, and he bent over his work. Then, as he reached down to pick up an awl, his eyes caught the skirt of her dress. He raised his head, and saw her face. He stared at her with a startled look, as he was not able to recognise her but he felt some special bonding (feeling) for her. When Dr. Manette asked her name she fell upon her feet’s before him and put her hands. Then she told him that she would tell her name some other time. But she could not tell this at this time. she told him that his agony is over and she had come to take him from where they will go to England where he will be at peace and at rest. Extract 3. [“Listen……………………………………………………….remember”] Questions 1. How do you think Lucie felt when she first saw her father? 2. What part did Mr. Lorry play in reuniting Lucie and her father? 3. Give details from the story to show how the years in Prisons had a terrible effect on Dr.