What kind of a person was Evans?
James Roderick Evans was a young man who was a very clever prisoner. He was famous with the name of ‘Evans the Break’ as he had escaped thrice times from the jail. He didn’t have violent nature but he had a disease called congenital kleptomaniac which means he used to steal things due to this disease. He was very good in mimic the person.
While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft corner for those in custody?
When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even checking the identity of the injured ‘McLeery’. Does this show how hasty conjectures can prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence?
Did the Governor and his staff finally heave a sigh of relief?
Will the clues left behind on the question paper put Evans back in prison again?
Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans’ having the last laugh?
Do you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?
What could the Governor have done to securely bring back Evans to prison when he caught him at the Golden Lion? Does that final act of foolishness really prove that “he was just another good-for-a-giggle, gullible governor, that was all”?
What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the examination?
Will the exam now go as scheduled?
Will the injured McLeery be able to help the prison officers track Evans?
Who is the Tiger King? Why does he get that name?
Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?
Who is Jo? How does she respond to her father’s story-telling?
The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?
What does the third level refers to?
‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?
It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?
What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?
Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does Zitkala-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?
‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarcticenvironment?
What does the third level refers to?
What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?
How would you describe the behaviour of the Maharaja’s minions towards him? Do you find them truly sincere towards him or are they driven by fear when they obey him? Do we find a similarity in today’s political order?
Why is an adult’s perspective on life different from that of a child’s?
What will Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?
The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
What possible plot line could the story continue with?
Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
Does the story remind you of ‘Birth’ by A. J. Cronin that you read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?
What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?