THE DOG NAMED DUKE
Q1. Chuck was going great guns before he faced a major setback. How did his life change all of a sudden?
Ans. Chuck was driving home one day when he met with a serious accident. He was then taken to the hospital where it was discovered that his left side was completely paralysed.
Q2. What did the men who came to see Chuck in the hospital say to him?
Ans.The men who came to see Chuck in the hospital asked him to take a year off from work and told him that they would create a desk job for him at the company headquarters
Q3. How did Duke die?
Ans.Duke met with a road accident. Later, he was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Q4. Were the Hoopers’ new neighbours aware of the story of Duke and Chuck? What did they see every day?
Ans.No, the people who stayed around the new house where the Hoopers shifted later did not know the story of Duke and his master. The neighbours just saw a person who looked like a huge mechanical giant being pulled by a fiery dog who acted as if he exercised a right over his master.
Q5. When Duke was brought inside the house after he had met with an accident, Marcy observed something. What did she notice?
Ans When Duke was brought inside after he had met with an accident, Marcy had a look at his breathing and his brown eyes. She saw that the stubbornness in Duke’s eyes was gone.
Q6. When Duke saw his master on returning from the kennel, what did he do? How did his master react and what did those standing there observe?
Ans. When Duke saw Chuck on returning from the kennel, he jumped on him.As Chuck was not physically fit, he struggled to keep his balance. Those present there saw that Duke understood everything immediately. From that day, Duke never jumped on Chuck again and took up a post beside his master’s bed around the clock.
Q7. In 1953, Hooper was a favoured young man. How? Explain.
Ans.In the year 1953, Chuck Hooper was really going strong before he met with an accident. He was highly competitive but had a cheerful countenance. He was quite tall and had represented his university football team during his college days. Later, Hooper worked as a zone sales manager for a chemical company. He was married to a woman named Marcy and everything was going in his favour.
Q8. They said that they would create a desk job for Hooper at headquarters.
(i) Who are ‘they’?
(ii) Why did they decide to do this?
Ans. ‘They’ refers to the men who came to see Chuck Hooper in the hospital. They belonged to the chemical company for which Hooper worked.The men who came to see Hooper decided to create a desk job for him at the company headquarters because Hooper had met with a serious accident. The brain injury had completely paralysed his left side. Hooper could hardly move after the accident.
Q9. Duke was an extraordinary dog. What special qualities did he exhibit to justify this? Discuss.
Ans. Duke was definitely a special dog who had the ability to discern things. When he was brought back from the kennel, he sprang at his master on seeing him, but when he saw that his master was unfit and was struggling to maintain his balance, he never jumped on him again.Duke really cared for Hooper. There were times when Hooper behaved indifferently when Duke tried to nudge or fondle him, but the dog never growled. Finally, it was with Duke’s assistance that Hooper started to move and recover. Duke was a faithful dog who always stood by his master.
Q10. What problems did Chuck present when he returned to the company headquarters?
Ans. When Chuck returned to his company headquarters, the people thought that as he was really struggling so much after his accident, he would not be able to handle his old job. They felt that Chuck could not do much as he was hardly able to move. Moreover, Chuck had decided to work for only an hour a day till then.
Q11. Chuck and Duke complemented each other very well.
Ans. Both Chuck and Duke had great faith in each other. Duke always kept goading his master and Chuck also never disappointed him. Initially, they always did their daily exercise together before Chuck became fit enough to walk himself. After doing a full day’s work, Chuck did not go for the physiotherapy programme. Instead, he completely turned to Duke. Sometimes, Chuck fell down while walking. When this happened, Duke did not show any sympathy. He simply waited for his master to get up. This showed that the two understood each other very well.
1. What are the other breeds of dogs.
Ans: Other breeds are – Terrier, German Shepherd, Bulldog, Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Greyhound etc.
(a) In 1953, Hooper was a favored young man. Explain.
Ans: Hooper was fortunate in every way. He was healthy, tall, happy and satisfied with life. Professionally, he was in the top slot, working as Zonal Sales Manager of a chemical company.
e) Why do you think Charles Hooper’s appointment as Assistant National Sales Manager is considered to be a tribute to Duke?
Ans: The manner in which Duke helped Charles Hooper to get over his handicap proved that objectives can be realized, if planned step by step. Dogged determination, ability and perseverance in little measures, one by one, can achieve the impossible. So, in the promotion of Charles Hooper, it was an acknowledgement on the part of Company to recognize the contribution made by Duke.
2. ‘Finally they decided to bring Duke home.’
(a) Who is ‘Duke’ ?
Ans. Duke is their pet dog who had been sent to a kennel after Hooper met with an accident.
(b) Where had Duke been sent ?
Ans. Duke had been sent to a kennel after Hooper met with an accident.
(c) Why was Duke being brought home ?
Ans. Duke was being brought home to give company to Hooper who was bedridden and was all alone at home after his wife left for work.
3. “On January 4, Hooper made a big move.”
(b) What was the ‘big move’ he made ?
Ans. After he met with an accident, Hooper’s ‘big move’ was his first attempt to have walked 200 metres without the assistance of his dog.
(c) Who had been instrumental in helping Hooper to make this ‘big move’ ?
Ans. It was his dog ‘Duke’ who awakened Hooper’s will, which was lying dormant in his mind, to fight back and emerge victorious.
4. Several people jumped to lift the dog. “No please,” she said.
(a) Why did the people want to lift the dog ?
Ans. The dog had met with an accident. It was severely injured and had to be taken to the hospital.
(b) Why did Marcy say “No please” ?
Ans.She said so because Marcy had a deep feeling of gratitude for the dog and she herself wanted to do every possible thing for it.
1. ‘‘It was like lighting a fuse.’’ Explain the context of the above statement.
Ans. One evening, Chuck’s good hand hooked into Duke’s lead of the collar to hold him still. It was like ‘lightning a fuse’ because on the spur of the moment, an idea struck the dog’s mind as to how to help Chuck move about and walk.
2. Why did Chuck feel more lonely at home?
Ans. When Chuck was in the hospital, getting treated for paralysis, there were other injured people too, and so he was not lonely there. But at home, each morning when his wife, Marcy, went out to work, he was left all alone with his thoughts.
3. How did Chuck Hooper happen to take his first step?
Ans. When Chuck’s good hand hooked into the leash of Duke’s collar, Duke moved u-shaped and walked ahead with bigger steps. Chuck struggled for balance and with his good hand he placed the leash in his left, paralyzed hand With Marcy’s help, he moved his right leg out, causing the left foot to drag forward. Duke had helped him take his first step.
4. What was the reaction of the neighbors as they watched Chuck’s progress everyday?
Ans. The neighbors used to watch very keenly and curiously the daily struggle in front of Marcy’s house. On the sidewalk, they saw the dog pull his leash tightly and then stood and wait for Hooper to follow him. They watched every step of progress made by Hooper. When on June 1, Hooper and Duke made it to the intersection, this news spread quite far away.
5. What objectives were set up by Chuck Hooper in his pattern of progress?
Ans. When Chuck was making good progress, he and Duke started making two trips in a day. They lengthened their targets to one-drive-way at a time. Even Duke no longer waited at each step. One day, Chuck Hooper walked to his office without Duke and expressed his willingness to work for an hour in a day in the beginning.
6. What did the people wonder about Charles Hooper after the death of Duke?
Ans. People had observed Duke helping Hooper walk. It was an amazing sight for them. Now when Duke died, and Hooper walked alone day after day, the people wondered how long he would keep up with the walk. They were curious to know how far he would walk, and whether he would be able to walk all alone in the absence of Duke.
7. Discuss the significance of the promotion given by the company headquarters to honour Duke?
Ans. Hooper was appointed as the ‘Assistant National Sales Manager’. His promotion was more of a tribute to Duke as it was only due to the efforts made by Duke that Hooper was able to regain health, his job and his confidence. This was no ordinary promotion but very significant as Duke’s efforts had changed an impossible thing into a possible one.
8. How did January 4, the day, become significant in the life of Hooper? [CBSE 2010 (Term 1)]
Ans:Hooper had been working as a Zonal Sales Manager in a chemical company. One day he met with an accident and was paralysed. Being bedridden he had lost all hopes of his recovery. It was his dog ‘Duke’ who awakened his dormant will to fight back and emerge victorious. The dog was instrumental in helping him take more steps each day. So January 4 was a significant day in his life because he had walked 200 metres, without any assistance, to his office.
9. Which incident transformed Chuck Hooper from a favoured young man to an unfortunate young man ?
Ans:Hooper was fortunate in every way. He was tall, healthy and satisfied man working as a Zonal Sales Manager in a chemical company. Everyone liked him, but good luck did not last long and one unlucky day when he was driving home from office, a car collided head on with his car. He had a brain injury which paralyzed his left side. He became bedridden. In this way from a favoured young man, he was transformed into an unfortunate man.
10. What was the reaction of the staff when Chuck visited his district office? What did he say to the manager Gorden Doule ?
Ans:When Chuck visited his district office, the staff was amazed by his visit. They were further surprised when he told his manager, Gorden Doule, that he wanted to continue work, initially for one hour. Chuck’s move presented tough problem for them because, seeing Chuck’s courage and determination, nobody had the courage to tell him that he wouldn’t be able to handle his old job. Moreover, they didn’t know what to do with his demand to do a desk job just for one hour when his job of a salesman required him to move around all the time.
11.How did Marcy and others react to this fatal accident?
Ans:When Marcy reached the hospital, she was shocked to see that her husband couldn’t talk, he could only breathe and see, and his vision was double. She knew that Hooper was very critical, and that he would have to be in the hospital for a long time, so she sent Duke to the kennel. Secretly, she used to cry, watching her husband’s grin fade away.
12. Is ‘it lrony of Fate’ that Duke who had nursed Hooper back to normalcy, had to meet such a terrible end? Discuss.
Ans. When Chuck was admitted to the hospital after his accident, every effort made by the doctors and others had failed to cure his paralysis. The intelligent effort made by Duke had changed an impossible situation into a possibile one. It is really an irony that he who had nursed Hooper back to normalcy, himself met with an accident. Just like Hooper, he was also hit by a vehicle. It is an irony that he who had been successful in bringing life to Hooper, himself could not survive and met with such a terrible end.
13. “Firm determination and strong will-power can achieve even the impossible.’’ How does this statement prove true in case of Chuck Hooper?
Ans. Tragedy is inevitable in human life. The only variable is what we do about it. Whether we choose to overcome handicaps or wallow in it, it is our choice. So tragedy proves to be the true touchstone of a person’s character. Chuck Hooper could have chosen to remain paralysed and not respond to Duke’s helpful gestures. Duke awakens what was lying dormant in Hooper’s mind, the will to fight back and emerge victorious. Life had ceased to be cakewalk for Hooper. Misery, regret, depression had reduced him to a vegetable. When Duke offers challenges, it is Hooper who rises to meet them. Pain, exhaustion, frustration take their toll but ‘Never say die’ spirit spurs him on. Days and weeks stretch into months. Step by step planning, setting deadlines – all were strategies towards a greater objective. Hooper doesn’t want to remain an object of pity. Instead, he becomes an inspiration for others in his daily trek. Neighbours and passers by became testimony to Hooper’s daily progress towards sanity and normalcy. His attern of progress is painful, stretches too long but in the end yields results. Hooper manages to walk not only to his office but is also ready to resume his duties. But he is not fit for a full day’s work. So he walks through the street, pulled faster and faster by Duke, to step up his endurance and stability. Life takes a full circle and Hooper becomes the Regional Manager. Destiny wishes him to move on in life, even without Duke. Though Duke was not with him in Hooper’s final triumph, but what he had imparted to Hooper had already become an inseparable part of Hooper’s psyche. Firm determination, perseverance and strong will can never be thwarted.