Question-Answers of Story "The Child"

 

1)      How does Gangu convince the narrator that it is not wrong to marry Gomti? Is the narrator convinced?

Ans. Gangu tells the writer that he knows everything about Gomti and wants to marry her. He says she left her previous husbands because they did not love her. They loved only her body and not her heart. According to him, a woman wants only love. He says that he will love Gomti from the core of his heart. But the narrator is not convinced.

2)      What is the impression the narrator has of Gangu's married life with Gomti?

Ans. The narrator thinks that Gangu's married life with Gomti will not be happy. He thinks that Gomti will run away from Gangu's house too. After his marriage with Gomti, Gangu starts living in a thatched house. To earn his living, he started to sell snacks from a cart. He earns enough to meet all his needs. Now he always looked cheerful. He seemed to have no worry at all. He looks full of energy. The dignity and joy on his face is a proof of his inner peace. One day he comes across Gangu in the market. He is surprised to see that Gangu is cheerful.

3)      Is Gangu the hero of the story? If so, how does the story make him one?

Ans. Yes, Gangu is the hero of the story. In this story, he acts like a reformer. He knows that Gomti has run away from the houses of her three previous husbands. Even now she is leading a life of illreputation. But Gangu believes that one should love one's heart, not body. So, despite the protest of his master, he marries Gomti. He even adopts Gomti's child which is born to her by her previous husband. Gangu does not believe in outdated conventions.

4)      What is the role of the child in the story?

Ans. The story is appropriately named 'The Child.' The child in the title appears at the end of the story. But it plays an important role. This is the child of Gangu's wife, Gomti. But it is Gomti's child from a previous husband. Despite knowing this fact, Gangu adopts the child. This incident moves the narrator to tears. He realizes that he has been following old and useless conventions. He takes the child from Gangu. He holds the child to his breast.

5)      What did the narrator think about Gangu as a servant?

Ans. Gangu was different from other servants. The other servants bowed to him, but Gangu never greeted him like that. Being a Brahmin, he probably expected the narrator to bow to him. The narrator had not the courage to ask him to fan him in the hot weather. If ever Gangu did it, he behaved as if he were doing the narrator a great favour. Gangu never touched any of the used utensils.

6)      How did the narrator feel when Gangu said that he wanted to leave his job?

Ans. The narrator was shocked when Gangu said that he wanted to leave his job. He was considered an ideal employer. Servants considered it their good fortune to stay on with him. No servant had ever come to him with a request to leave. Naturally, the narrator felt hurt when Gangu came with such a request.

7)      Why did Gangu want to leave his job?

Ans. Gangu had decided to marry a widow named Gomti Devi. She was a woman of a bad reputation. If Gangu married her, people could raise their fingers at his master also. Gangu didn't want his master to get a bad name on his account. So, he decided to leave his job.

8)      How did Gangu feel after Gomti had left him?

Ans. Gangu was very sad after Gomti had left him. He looked completely shattered. He felt sure that he was not good enough for her. While she was educated, he was an absolute illiterate. "I must have been at fault somewhere that she decided to leave," said Gangu very sadly.

9)      Describe Gangu's life after he had married Gomti.

Ans. Gangu had left his job with the narrator. After marrying Gomti, he started living in a thatched hut. He was now always happy. His face had a glow which showed that he had no worry at all. He earned a living as a hawker. He earned about a rupee daily. After buying the stock, he was left with about ten annas. Thus, he lived a life of complete contentment.

10)  Draw a character sketch of Gangu.

Ans. Gangu is completely illiterate, but he towers far above the so-called literates. He may have been old-fashioned but in matters of humanism, no one could be more enlightened. He may not deserve respect as a Brahmin, but as a man, he is the embodiment of goodness. Whatever shortcomings he might have as a servant, he would do proud to any wife as a husband. Gangu is an old-fashioned, illiterate Brahmin. But he shows a better understanding of human character than the narrator. The narrator calls him short-tempered. But nowhere in the story do we see him reacting in that manner. The narrator blames Gomti for leaving her husbands. He never tries to analyse the reasons behind it. But Gangu puts it so rightly when he says, "Where there is no love, we cannot expect a woman to stay on. We cannot win a woman with mere board and lodging." To conclude, we can say that Gangu is an angel of love and compassion.

11)  Narrate briefly the story, 'The Child', in your own words.

Ans. Gangu was one of the narrator's servants. He was completely illiterate. One day, he told the narrator that he wanted to leave his job. He wanted to marry a woman named Gomti Devi. She was a widow and had already married three times. But Gangu found no fault in her. He said, "Where there is no love, you can't expect a woman to stay on." When the narrator saw that Gangu was determined to marry Gomti Devi, he let him go. But he was certain that the marriage wouldn't last more than a few days. And he was proved right. One day he heard that Gomti had run away. Gangu looked completely shattered. He said that he must have been at fault somewhere that Gomti had left him. He called her a goddess. The narrator called Gangu a fool who still had his eyes closed. He asked him to go and find her out if he was so much attached to her. Gangu found Gomti in the Women's Hospital in Lucknow. She had given birth to a male child. That was why she had run away. Gangu brought her back. The narrator knew that Gangu had been married for only six months. He was surprised at Gangu's shamelessness. But Gangu said that he would love the child as his own. The important thing for him was that Gomti should love him. The narrator was deeply impressed by Gangu's sentiments. He took the child from Gangu and kissed it. Then he went with Gangu to meet Gomti at their house.