Going Places Class 12 Extra Questions and Answers

Going Places Class 12 Extra Questions and Answers

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Extra Questions, Notes, Assignment and study material for Class 12th as Per CBSE Syllabus

Chapter-8 English Language and Literature

Going Places Class 12 Extra Questions and Answers

                                                     By- A.R. Barton

 About the Author                                               

A.R. Barton – A Short Biography

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 A.R. Barton is a modern writer, who lives in Zurich and writes in English. His stories are based on problems concerning adolescents. In ‘Going Places’, Barton explores the subject of adolescent fantasising and hero worship. Theme The whole story is about unrealistic dreams that have little possibility of coming true. This is when disappointment makes its entrance into life. The story seems to hint that it is okay to dream, but dream with limits.

Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson. Analysis of Going Places

Theme

going places cbse class xii 6 638 edumantra.net

The story, ‘Going Places’, describes the aspirations and dreams of the youth and the pain of unfilled promises and shattered dreams. It deals with the complexities of human relationships along with the adolescent fantasising and hero-worship.

Justify the title of Going Places

Justification of Title

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The title of the lesson is justified, as ‘Going Places’ is an idiomatic expression meaning `to be successful in one’s career.’ The lesson is about Sophie’s wish and fantasy to come out of the drudgery of belonging to the lower strata of society and to go places. Sophie also goes ‘places’ in her fantasies.

It is a good thing to dream. However, dreams should be realistic. Merely fantasising and daydreaming will cause disillusionment. Unless one is hardworking and persevering, mere dreams will only lead to disappointment.

 CHAPTER  NUTSHELL

Theme

Adolescent fantasizing-hero worship-adolescent on-verge of adulthood often live in world of fantasy-helps-realize what one cannot achieve in reality-easily take-hero worship hoping-make-big in life like-heroes-helps one to think wide-promote creativity-forget their mundane, ordinary lives for a while-escapism in moments of stress and turmoil-when harsh realities of life dawn-becomes frustrating and difficult to come to terms with life. Living in world of fantasy-cannot achieve set goals-at times-fail to differentiate between reality and fantasy-however natural for students-to have unrealistic dreams and to identify with.

Sophie protagonist in ‘Going Places’.

  1. belongs to the weak socio-economic background.
  2. doesn’t have a decent house.
  3. distaste – absurd situation – incongruity.
  4. escapes from her boring, working-class existence.
  5. Sophie – romantic nature.
  6. fond of hero worship and fantasizes meeting Irish player Danny Casey.
  7. so much obsessed with meaning-starts believing her imagination as real.
  8. nobody believes her-feels disappointed.
  9. In her adolescent mind “fantasy and real world merge to an extent – actually goes sits on a bench by canal waiting date to show up.”
  10. despondent and dejected – yet dreams on. Jansie her friend simple – a sharp contrast to Sophie’s romantic nature.
  11. practical-realistic-balanced-honest.
  12. wishes Sophie becomes sensible and practical.
  13. tries to pull her back to reality-earmarked to work in a biscuit factory.
  14. Cannot be trusted with secretes-gossips.

Geoff

  1. Symbolizing freedom for Sophie – brother.
  2. apprentice mechanic.
  3. dresses up shabbily, carelessly-not conscious of his good looks.
  4. understands the harsh realities of life adult.
  5. independent-evasive-reserved-man of few works.
  6. Jansie jealous of his silence.
  7. keen desire to enter into the deep recesses of the mind.
  8. imagines he goes to places she has never been.
  9. meets exotic – interesting people.
  10. Sophie trusts – shares secrets with him. Geoff – big fan of Danny Casey.

 Danny Casey

 Young Irish football prodigy-brilliant player-celebrity-playing for the English club United. Sophie’s hero figure.

Parent’s Outlook and Level of Indulgence

Sophie’s Dad

  1. strong, very practical hardworking.
  2. signs of labour reflected face.
  3. humble living – years to make his family comfortable.
  4. feels helpless due to the paucity of resources.
  5. does not indulge in self-pity.
  6. realistic does not humour Sophie for her concocted stories.
  7. reminds her of their appalling living conditions.
  8. makes the best of his life — weekly pilgrimage to watch United.

Sophie’s Mother

  1. bent-burden of household chores.
  2. oblivious to comfort-needs.
  3. suffers harsh realities of life.
  4. sigh symbolic of suppressed desires.
  5. upset on hearing rows.

Short and Simple Summary of the lesson in English– (Going Places)/ Summary in simple Words/ Critical appreciation of the lesson – (Going Places)

Summary

Going Places is a story written by A.R. Barton that discusses teenagers and their dreams. Far from the real world, the teenage period is all about the desire to reach the sky. Most people, at this age, have role models whom they worship.

In the story, Sophie, who comes from a lower middle-class family is a teenager who believes in her dreams. Her dream is to own the finest boutique in the city. But there is no money or means by which she can do it. Her friend and classmate, Jansie, is a practical girl well aware of the realities of life. She asks Sophie not to indulge in such fantasies. In order to have a boutique, one needs a lot of money. Sophie aspires to run a store where she will work as a manager and she will save the money to have her own boutique. She happens to be an incorrigible dreamer. Sometimes she dreams to be an actress and sometimes a fashion designer. Sophie’s hero is a young football player named Danny Casey. She began to believe that she had actually met Danny Casey. Her continuous thoughts of Danny Casey becomes the cause of her hopes and disappointments. Sophie’s father disapproves of her dreams. Sophie’s elder brother Geoff is an apprentice mechanic and an enigmatic character. She reveals her dream of having met Danny Casey. She describes it as a chance encounter. Geoff does not believe her. She tells Geoff not to tell anyone about the fact that Danny Casey had asked her to meet him. The family goes to see the weekly football match. Danny Casey plays exceptionally well. Sophie’s father, Geoff and Derek express their happiness and celebrate the victory. Sophie’s is shocked to find out that Jansie knows of her meeting with Danny. Sophie is evasive, but she finds out that Jansie does not know anything about the date between her and Danny. Sophie is happy that Geoff had kept her faith in him. She explains to Jansie that she had asked for an autograph but Danny could not give it as there was no paper or pen. Jansie assures her that she can be trusted.

Sophie waits for Danny at her favourite spot along the canal. She tries to balance the prospects of his coming with the prospects of his not coming. Her thoughts make her sad. She thinks how she will face her family especially when no one believes what she had said. Sophie once again dreams of meeting Casey at Royces. She fails to come out of her fantasy and is overwhelmed by the memories of the match. This was the only time she had seen Danny Casey in actuality.

Summary (2)

The story revolves around Sophie who is a teenager, about to finish her school. She dreams big to achieve a lot in life. But, on the contrary, her family circumstances are totally different. She belongs to a middle-class family where the father is a prototype of a man of a working class. Her elder brother Geoff is already working and is almost grown-up in the eyes of, Sophie.

Sophie has high hopes for her career. She is not interested in joining a biscuit factory and dreams of opening her own boutique. She thinks herself to be very sophisticated and original and suitable to be either an actor or work as a manager. Jansie, her friend, tries to make her realise her practical position, but Sophie is not ready to come out from her world of fantasy. The only person in whom Sophie seems to have full faith and hope is her brother Geoff. He passed out of school three years back and is working as a mechanic. Though Geoff speaks less and most of the time is busy in his own thoughts, Sophie shares everything with him.

 One day Sophie tells her brother Geoff that she has met Danny Casey, an Irish sports star. Her father is angry with her and calls it her wild dream. He warns her that one day she would get into trouble for all this. The entire family is a fan of Danny Casey and they all go to watch a football match in which Danny Casey scores the final goal.

 Sophie tells Geoff that she is going for a date with Danny Casey. Though Geoff doesn’t believe her he doesn’t stop her. He tells this to Frank who is Janie’s brother and Jansie comes to Sophie to get the details. But Sophie hides it from her. Sophie goes to the wharf to meet Danny Casey in the evening. She keeps on waiting for him but Danny Casey doesn’t come. Finally, the reality begins to sink into her. She returns home disappointed. She knows that nobody will believe her story. In order to give herself strength, she herself has to believe in her own story. It’s so wonderful for her to live in the world of fantasy. The story describes the psychology of a teenager who loves to live in a world of make-believe.

 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

MCQ Based Questions-                                                                

  1. Sophie’s best friend was

(a) Derek                     (b) Geoff                      (c) Jansie                     (d), Danny

  1. Sophie, after leaving school was keen to open an

(a) salon                     (b) boutique                (c) showroom              (d) studio

  1. She wanted to be a designer like

(a) Calvin Klein            (b) Versace                  (c) Armani                   (d) Mary Quant

  1. Jansie and Sophie were both earmarked for

(a) a doughnut factory                        (b) a jewellery store

(c) a biscuit factory                             (d) a food outlet

  1. What was Sophie’s father keen to buy if Sophie ever came into money?

(a) a luxury car (b) a decent house (c) a yacht (d) a shop

  1. Sophie was closest to

(a) her father (b) Derek (c) Jansie (d) Geoff

  1. Geoff had been out of school for a period of

 (a) three years (b) five years (c) one year (d) two years

  1. Geoff worked as a

 (a) director in films (b) musician (c) apprentice mechanic (d) a gardener

  1. Sophie felt bad because of her brother

(a) never spoke much (b) laughed a lot (c) teased her a lot (d) never took her out for dinner

  1. Sophie sometimes felt that her brother was in some

 (a) daydreams (b) depression (c) trouble (d) gay mood

  1. Geoff never took Sophie out with him because he thought she was

 (a) immature (b) badly behaved (c) too young (d) too restless

  1. Sophie often imagined herself with her brother Geoff, riding on a

 (a) motorcycle (b) a bicycle (c) cart (d) a roller coaster

  1. What did Sophie tell Geoff one day that made him look surprised?

(a) she had seen a ghost (b) she had met her principal

(c) she had got a job (d) she had met Danny Casey

  1. Sophie told Geoff that she had met Danny at

 (a) the football ground (b) at the doctor’s clinic (c) at the arcade (d) at the pastry shop

  1. After describing Danny’s appearance, Sophie chose not to tell Geoff about

(a) Danny’s qualification (b) Danny’s address (c) his teeth (d) his car

  1. Sophie and Geoff’s father, when told by Geoff that Sophie had met Danny, reacted with

 (a) anger(b) loud scream (c) expression of disdain (d) a slap on Sophie’s face

  1. The father talked about a man who knew

(a) Pele (b) Beckham (c) Tom Finney  (d) Jeffrey, Archer

  1. The father was optimistic about

(a) Danny being successful

 (b) Danny being thrown out of the team as he was a bad player

(c) Danny scoring maximum goals

(d) Danny being awarded a gold medal

  1. When Sophie told her father that Danny had met her and told her that he was going to buy a shop, father

(a) called her a liar

(b) asked her if it was another of her wild stories

(c) disbelieved her outright

(D) asked Geoff to verify facts

 

  1. Three photographs were seen on the wall of

 (a) Sophie’s room (b) Janie’s room (c) Geoffs room (d) father’s room

  1. Sophie told Geoff that Danny was unable to sign an autograph for her because

(a) his secretary did not allow it (b) he didn’t have paper or pen

 (c) he said he’d do it later (d) he was in a hurry to go home

  1. Danny and Sophie had stood in front of Royce’s window and talked about

 (a) footwear (b) sunglasses (c) clothes (d) movies

  1. Danny Casey was a player in the football team of

(a) Ireland (b) Finland (c) England (d) Denmark

  1. Sophie wished that Geoff would care more about his

 (a) friends and relatives (b) friends and acquaintances (c) his clothes (d) his parents

  1. The match on Saturday was witnessed by

(a) the whole family (b) only father and Sophie (c) Geoff alone (d) Sophie, father, Derek and Geoff

  1. Casey, in the match, scored the

 (a) first goal (b) second goal (c) third goal (d) fourth goal

  1. ‘I wish he was an Englishman’. These words were spoken with reference to

(a) Geoff (b) Derek (c) Danny Casey (d) a passenger in the bus

  1. Little Derek remarked on the way back that

(a) Ireland will win the World Cup (b) Danny Casey is a bad player

 (c) Geoff should also play football (d) Derek wanted to be a soccer player himself

  1. Geoff had told about Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey to

(a) the entire neighbourhood (b) Frank (c) Jansie (d) the teachers in school

  1. Sophie’s reaction when Jansie questioned her about Danny was that

(a) she was happy (b) she was angry with Geoff for letting out her secret

(c) she wanted Jansie to meet Danny (d) she wanted Jansie to tell all their friends

  1. Sophie told Jansie that her father if he got to know about her meeting with Danny would

(a) agree to their marriage (b) murder her

 (c) ask her to call him over for dinner (d) ask to be introduced to him

  1. Sophie went to meet Danny by the

 (a) side of the canal (b) river bank (c) jetty (d) harbour

  1. According to Sophie, the place she had chosen to meet Danny was

 (a) a hidden alley (b) a perfect place (c) behind the walls (d) near the trees

  1. Sophie had a truly

(a) wild imagination (b) bad nature (c) arrogant mannerism (d) casual attitude

  1. While Sophie waited for Danny, she realized that

(a) Danny would come (b) Danny would not come (c) she was hungry (d) she was thirsty

  1. What became a hard burden to carry?

(a) her sadness (b) her worry (c) her studies (d) her creative skills

  1. Outside the pub, Sophie saw something. It was

 (a) her dad’s bicycle (b) her brother’s car (c) her mother’s motorcycle (d) Derek’s tricycle

  1. After leaving the bench on the park, who did Sophie think she met?

(a) Danny’s parents (b) her own parents (c) her brother (d) Danny Casey

  1. Danny had a freckled nose and the colour of his eyes was

 (a) grey (b) green (c) blue (d) brown

  1. The second time Sophie asked for an autograph from Danny, he did not again have

(a) a piece of paper (b) a pen (c) a pencil (d) a sketch pen

 ANSWERS

1.(c) Jansie                                                      

2.(b) boutique

3.(d) Mary Quant

4. (c) a biscuit factory

5.(b) a decent house

6. (d) Geoff

7.(a) three years

8. (c) apprentice mechanic

9.(a) never spoke much

10. (a) daydreams

11.(c) too young

12. (a) motorcycle

13. (d) she had met Danny Casey                

14. (c) at the arcade

15. (c) his teeth

16. (c) expression of disdain

17.(c) Tom Finney

18.(a) Danny being successful

19.(b) asked her if it was another of her wild stories

20. (c) The Geoffs room

21.(b) he didn’t have paper or pen

22. (c) clothes

23.(a) Ireland                                                                      

24. (c) his clothes

25. (d) Sophie, father, Derek and Geoff                                 

26. (b) the second goal

27.(d) A passenger in the bus

28. (a) Ireland will win the World Cup

29. (b) Frank

30.(b) she was angry with Geoff for letting out her secret

31.(b) murder her

32. (a) side of the canal

33.(b) a perfect place                                                         

34. (a) wild imagination

35.(b) Danny would not come

36. (a) her sadness

37.(a) her dad’s bicycle                                                             

38. (d) Danny Casey

39.(b) green                                                                                  

40. (b) a pen

 Short Answer Type Questions  (30 to 40 words)

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS                                                                              

Q1. Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?

Ans. Both the girls, Sophie and Jansie, were earmarked for the biscuit factory. Sophie had a vivid imagination and had wild dreams about an exciting career. Jansie was a realist and was more down to earth.

Q2. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?

 Ans. Sophie, a day-dreamer, enjoyed fantasizing. She wanted to have a boutique someday. She thought her shop would be the most amazing one the city had ever seen. When Jansie discouraged her by saying that they don’t pay well for shop work, she thought she could become an actress instead or even a fashion designer. The reality was that both the girls had to join a biscuit factory after leaving school.

 Q3. Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?

Ans. Sophie knew her father well and also knew that he would not believe it if Geoff told him that she had met Danny Casey. She knew he would get angry. But more importantly, she also knew that she was fantasizing about her meeting. There was no truth in it.

Q4. Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?

Ans. Geoff expressed disbelief when Sophie told him that she had met Danny Casey. He just looked around abruptly and asked her casually, where she had met him. When she said she had met him in the arcade, he said it was not true and repeated ‘I don’t believe it’. He went on to ask her what he looked like and didn’t seem to be convinced by her answer.

Q5. Does her father believe her story?

Ans. Sophie’s father does not believe her story. Even when Geoff declares that Sophie had met Danny, he made an expression of disdain and turned the topic of conversation on someone who had known Tom Finney, another great football player.

 Q6. How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in the fantasy of her future?

Ans. Geoff had always been the first one with whom she shared the fantasy of her future. She told him about her meeting with Danny. She also shared her plan of meeting him the next week. She longed to know more about Geoff and wished that someday he might take her with him. She imagined herself riding behind Geoff one day.

 Q7. Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?

Ans. Though Jansie and Sophie were the closest of friends, Sophie did not want to share her story about Danny because she did not want her secret to being spread in the whole neighbourhood. She did not trust ‘gawky Jansie’ with someone like that. For her, it was ‘a Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing’.

Q8. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?

Ans. No, Sophie did not actually meet Danny Casey. Although, she did go and sit on a wooden bench near the canal, yet in her heart, she knew that she was only imagining things. She imagined him coming, and then imagined her own consequent excitement at his arrival.

 Q9. Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person?

Ans. The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she had gone with her Dad and her brother to watch the soccer match in which Danny was playing. Apart from that, she had never met him in reality.

 Q10. Who are the two girls? What do they talk while coming home from the school?

Ans. The two girls are Sophie and Jansie. They are very good friends. While coming home from school, they were talking about their future plants. Sophie was keen to work as a manager, Jansie was more realistic and sensible of the two and reminded Sophie that they both had already been appointed to work in a biscuit factory.

 Q11. Why does Jansie discourage Sophie about her dream?

Ans. Jansie was more down to earth and realistic than Sophie, the dreamer. She discouraged Sophie about her dream about becoming a boutique owner, by reminding her that the fantasies that Sophie had taken a lot of money and Sophie did not have that kind of money to invest. Even her father would not allow her to work in a shop as a manager.

 Q12. What should be the priority of Sophie when she earns money?

Ans. Sophie’s first priority when she would earn money was to buy a boutique, but friend Jansie said Sophie’s that her father seemed to have different plans for her. He expected that Sophie would buy them a decent house to live in.

 Q13. Who is Geoff? What does he do?

 Ans. Geoff is Sophie’s elder brother. He is working as an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city. He is quiet and reserved by nature and does not talk much.

 Q14. What is the difference between Geoff and Sophie?

Ans. Both Geoff and Sophie had entirely different natures and temperaments. Geoff was quiet, reserved and almost an introvert. It was always difficult to make him talk. He didn’t make friends as easily as Sophie did. She was more outgoing, friendly, even impatient. She was much of a dreamer and fantasized a lot about being at unusual places and meeting people.

Q15. Who is Danny Casey? What does Sophie feel about him?

 Ans. Danny Casey is an Irish football player. He was an upcoming player and even Sophie’s father admitted that if he kept his head on his shoulders and if they looked after him properly he would go a long way. Sophie was infatuated with him and kept imagining having met him a few times.

 Q16. What does Sophie’s father think about Danny Casey?

 Ans. Sophie’s father is fond of the game of football. He has heard and knows about Danny Casey, an upcoming Irish footballer. He feels that Danny has a lot of potentials. If he is looked after well and if he keeps his head on his shoulders, he would go a long way. Moreover, he was playing for the best team in the country.

Q17. What happened on one Saturday?

Ans. On one Saturday, Sophie’s family made their weekly pilgrimage to watch United. Sophie’s father always felt that Danny was a good player with great potential. Danny’s impressive play made Sophie glow with pride. Later, she was confronted by her friend Jansie who wanted to know about her meeting with Danny. Sophie was reluctant to tell her because she knew Jansie would spread the news everywhere.

Q18. Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective what did he symbolize?

Ans. Sophie liked her brother Geoff the most as she related to him comfortably. He was tall, handsome and dark. He lived in a world of his own. He was the only one Sophie could share her secrets with. To her, Geoff symbolized a world she often dreamt of and wanted to escape to.

Q19. What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to? What are the indicators of her family’s financial stress?

Ans. Sophie came from a middle-class humble family. Her father had to work really hard to bring up the family and could not afford a decent house for them. Her brother Geoff also worked as a mechanic immediately after leaving school. Even Sophie was earmarked to work in a biscuit factory after she would leave school.

Q20. Describe Sophie’s father.

Ans. Sophie’s father had a plumpy face looking grimy and sweaty. He is a realist who did not believe his daughter’s stories. He loves watching football and goes after the match to be a pub to celebrate the victory. He does not understand Sophie and her dreams.

Q21. Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie?

Ans. Geoff did not keep his promise to Sophie. Geoff told Frank about Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey at the Royce’s. However, Geoff did not reveal the supposed date of Sophie with Danny Casey.

Q22. Why is Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?

Ans. Geoff is almost grown up now. He spoke little. Words had to be extracted out of him like stones out of the ground. She was jealous of him as she believed that when he wasn’t speaking, it was because he was away in a world and places that she had never been. The places attained a special fascination for Sophie because they were unknown to her and out of her reach.

Q23. Why did Sophie choose to walk by the canal? What did she do there?

Ans. Sophie walked by the canal along a sheltered path lighted by lamps from the whorl. It was far away from the noise and crowd of the city. It was a place where she had often played when she was a child. There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm where lovers sometimes come. It was a perfect place for her to meet Danny Casey.

Q24. What was Sophie’s ambition in life? How did she hope to achieve that?     [Delhi 2017]

 Ans. Sophie’s ambition in life was to become rich and important. She wanted to take up some sophisticated professions, like that of an actress or a fashion designer.

 Q25. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from having dreams?                     [All India 2017]

 Ans. Sophie was a girl of unrealistic dreams. On her way home, she told her classmate Jansie that she would open a boutique. She would be like Mary Quant and will be having the most amazing shop this city had ever seen. She had another option of becoming an actress along with her boutique. She also thought of becoming a fashion designer. But Jansie asked Sophie to be sensible Jansie discouraged her because she knew that both were earmarked for the biscuit factory as both belonged to lower-middle-class families of low financial standing.

26. Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person?

Ans. When Danny Casey was playing with the United team in the stadium, Sophie saw him for the first time. She was one of the spectators.

27. Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?

Ans. Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey. She did not trust her for keeping secrets as Jansie was fond of gossiping. Sophie feared that she might gossip about her meeting with Danny Casey. This might enrage her father.

28. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?

Ans. For Sophie, Geoff’s silence symbolised freedom. Geoff used to work as a mechanic. He used to ride his motorcycle and visited places where she had never been to. Sophie believed that he moved into a different exotic world which was far away from home and their reality. She was jealous of his silence which does not reveal that world to her.

29. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey? Why was she always talking about him?

 Ans. No, Sophie did not meet Danny Casey in reality. She was a dreamer. She had developed a liking for Danny Casey and in her world of fantasy, she had imagined herself meeting him. It was just an effect of teenage fantasy and hero-worship that she started hallucinating about football star Danny Casey.

30. Did Geoff keep up his promise? How do you know?

 Ans. Sophie had shared her secret of meeting Danny Carey with her brother Geoff. But her brother Geoff didn’t keep his promise not to share it with anyone. He told this to Frank who was his friend and Jane’s brother. When Jansie came to ask Sophie about Danny Casey, it became evident that Geoff has told that secret to her brother.

31. Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection?

 Ans. Sophie liked her brother Geoff more than any other person. She used to confide in him all her secrets. She was very curious to know about his world. She longed for her brother’s affection so that he would take her into his exotic world which was far away from their own real world.

32. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from living in a world of fantasy?

 Ans. Jansie was a realistic and practical girl. She knew very well about her socio-economic background and accepted it. Being a good friend of Sophie, she often reminded her of the reality of their lives. She knew that Sophie lived in the world of her fantasy. But she always used to discourage her from living in that world because she knew that it would be heartbreaking for Sophie.

33. What is unrealistic about Sophie’s dreams of her future life?

Ans. Sophie belonged to a poor family. Her parents were managing the basic necessities of life with great difficulty. But Sophie had high dreams. She had plans to set up her own boutique. She would like to be a manager or an actress. But she was not ready to accept the reality that she could not get any work except that in a biscuit factory.

34. Why, according to Sophie, couldn’t she take the autograph of Danny Casey when she met him?

 Ans. According to Sophie, she couldn’t take the autograph of Danny Casey when she met him because neither she nor Danny Casey had a pen.

35. Why did Sophie choose Royce’s Arcade to meet Danny Casey for a date?

Ans. Sophie selected Royces’ Arcade to meet Danny Casey for a date because it was a lonely place. It was a beautiful garden with low lights and a perfect place for a romantic date. Sophie knew the place very well as she used to go there as a child.

36. How did the evening “blackened the window of Sophie’s mood too”?

Ans. Sophie was a daydreamer who had carried her fantasy too far. She had imagined her meeting with football star Danny Casey for a date. All this imagination gave her a lot of pleasure. But she met with the reality when Danny Casey didn’t come to meet her at the arcade, she felt pain. This made her sad and despondent and blackened her mood like the black sky.

37. How is the title ‘Going Places’ most appropriate?

Ans. In literary terms, going places refers to achieve success. The title ‘Going Places’ is most appropriate as it very clearly describes the protagonist Sophie. She is deeply enthusiastic about her successful life and fantasises all good and successful things for her. In her imagination, she fantasises her to be an actor or a manager and then finally a boutique owner. She also fantasises to have met the football star Danny Casey as her close friend and going for a date with him. The title of the story clearly depicts the exotic journey of Sophie into the dream world.

 Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each Value based questions-

ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS                                                          

Q1. The story ‘Going Places’ draws a beautiful contrast between fact and fiction. Comment.

Ans. Barton’s story ‘Going Places’ takes us into the world of fantasy which offers an escape from reality. Sophie’s character is a vivid portrayal and beautifully brings out the contrast between fact and fiction. In reality, this young girl belongs to a lower middle-class family that is struggling for survival. In her dreams and fantasy, she becomes a part of a ‘glamorous world’.

 Sophie is basically a dreamer who finds an escape route in her fantasies. She dreams of buying a boutique one day and shares the thought with her friend Jansie. Jansie is practical and realistic. She tries to make her see reality but Sophie refuses to accept it and thinks that it would be easy for her to earn a lot of money. She dreams of becoming a manager or an actress or a fashion designer. In her dreams and fantasy world, Sophie dates Danny Casey, an upcoming Irish football player. She tells her family about her imaginary meeting with Danny making it seem so realistic and true. So much so, she even makes them believe that she would be meeting him again.

 In her dream world, she forgets her humble background, her small house; Sophie ‘goes places’ only in her dreams that are far removed from reality. She is a symbol for all adolescents who undertake a journey to the world of dreams.

Q2. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie highlighting their temperament and aspirations.

Ans. Sophie and Jansie are good friends. They also study together in school. Both the girls belong to very humble and not very ‘well-off families. Both aspire to become something in life. They are earmarked for work in a biscuit factory as soon as they finish school. But both the girls are in sharp contrast as far as their thoughts and temperament are concerned. While Sophie dreams of big and beautiful things, Jansie has her feet firmly planted on the ground. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not try to think beyond reality, but Sophie does not listen. She wants to be a boutique owner, a fashion designer, an actress and a manager, all in the same breath. She is a romantic dreamer who fantasizes about the young Irish footballer Danny Casey.

 Sophie in her dreams hero-worships Danny and describes her imaginary meeting with him very vividly and looks forward to another meeting with him shortly. She shares her secret with her brother Geoff, whom she is close with. Jansie is a sharp contrast. She is practical and a realist. She has no far-fetched dreams and remains close to reality. In the end, it is Sophie who gets a jolt but that does not make her wiser. She becomes a victim of her own dreams and disappointments.

3. What were Sophie’s plans for the future? Why would you call her dreams unrealistic?

Ans. Sophie was a school girl who would pass out in a few months. She came from a humble background but was untouched by the harsh realities of life. She was lost in her world of fantasies. She planned to open a boutique after she passed out of school. She thought she would work as a manager or an actress in order to earn money for the boutique. She didn’t realise that she belonged to a family that didn’t have the sources to finance her dreams. Her dreams had no ground of reality. With the kind of socio-economic background that Sophie belonged to, it was completely unrealistic to have such dreams fulfilled.

4. Has Sophie met Danny Casey? What details of her meeting with Danny Casey did she narrate to her brother?

Ans. No, Sophie never met Danny Casey. It was one of her wild imaginations that she met Danny Casey, of the football star. She told her brother, Geoff, she met Danny Casey at the market place at Royce’s window. When Geoff showed his disbelief, she gave him Danny’s description. She told him that Danny Casey had green gentle eyes and was not very tall. She said she wanted to have his autograph but unfortunately none of them had a pen. She had a conversation with Danny and found him to him very lovely. Sophie said she was going for a date with Danny, the next week.

Sophie’s imagination is so vivid that she creates each and every minute detail and describes it to her brother so as to make him believe her.

5. Sophie was a dreamer. The lesson ‘Going Places’ reminds us that mere dreams will not help us to accomplish anything? What qualities, do you think, would help Sophie to realise her dream?

Ans. Sophie represents a teenager who is lost in the world of imagination. She was fond of daydreaming and, as a result, she lost her touch with the reality of life.

 She dreams to own a boutique, whereas she has no financial background. She doesn’t accept the reality that she came from a poor background. There is no harm in aiming high. One should be ambitious in life. But along with aspirations, we must have clear planning to achieve that goal. Sophie needs to be practical in her life and analyse her situation. She should be hardworking and determined to achieve what she wants in life. But only dreaming doesn’t help. To succeed in life, actions are required. Sincere and continuous efforts, along with a proper action plan, bring the desired result. Sophie needs to be practical and patient to have her dreams materialised.

6. It is normal for adolescents to fantasise and indulge in hero-worship. How far is it true of Sophie?

Ans. Teenage is the time of hero-worship and fantasising. When one finds a celebrity one starts admiring that person so much that the celebrity becomes one’s hero and one starts fantasising about him/her. A similar thing happened with Sophie. She liked Danny Casey, the Irish football star. She used to go with her family to see his match and was attracted by his personality. She liked Danny Casey to the extent, she started fantasising about him. Her wild imagination got converted into hallucination and she started imagining to meet Danny Casey in person. She enjoyed this fantasy so much that she went to the extent of going for a date with Danny, who was her hero.

 Sophie, in fact, represents an adolescent lost in the world of fantasies and hero-worship.

7. Sophie lives in a world full of dreams which she does not know she cannot realise. Comment.

Ans. No doubt Sophie lives in a world of dreams which she cannot realise. She dreams of opening a boutique which requires a lot of money. But the kind of family background she has, it is not possible for her to have that many finances. Moreover, she has high aspirations and very high esteem about herself. Despite her poor socio-economic background, she doesn’t accept the idea of working in a biscuit factory which is obvious for a girl of her qualifications and background. Rather she believes that she would get a job not less than that of a manager or would become an actress.

 Sophie, like any adolescent, indulges in daydreaming and fantasy to the extent that she completely ignores the reality of her life.

8. Describe Sophie’s so-called meeting with Danny Casey.

Ans. As per Sophie, she met with Danny Casey in the arcade outside Royce’s while she was doing window shopping. Sophie narrated her meeting to her brother Geoff and said that besides her. She could not take his autograph as none of them had a pen. She talked to him a little bit, Sophie said that Danny seemed lonely and promised to give her autograph if she would care to meet him next week. Sophie not only imagined her meeting with Danny Casey but also believed a date with him.

9.”There was the sound of applause as the world rose to greet them.” What is the world that Sophie is dreaming about? Why?                                                                                                                              

 Ans. Sophie always dreamt of a life of sophistication and elegance. Her brother Geoff was very close to her and she used to confide in him. Geoff used to speak less and Sophie believed that he had his own world in which he was moving and which was far away. She wanted to be part of that world. She imagined being introduced to that glorious world by her brother as she believed her to be most suited for that. She believed that one day she would accompany Geoff to the world which was waiting for her. Geoff in his black leather and she in her elegant yellow dress would be welcomed by the people in that world with a standing ovation and applause.

Sophie, as per her habit, is dreaming of a world of elegance and sophistication for which she believed herself to be most suitable.

10. What made Sophie imagine her meeting with Danny Casey? What does it tell us about her life and her relationship with her family?

Ans. Sophie is a young girl who lives in her world of imagination. Like adolescents, she dreams of unbelievable and far-fetched things. Though she belongs to a lower middle-class family, she fantasises a world of sophistication. She has seen Danny Casey playing and has started hero-worshipping him. She not only imagines talking to him but also goes all the way to have an imaginary date with him. In fact, it was her longing and dreaming to be part of an exotic world. Her family knows very well about her imaginary world and always tries to draw her away. Her father never believed in her stories and says, ‘One day you are going to talk yourself into a load of trouble’. Even her younger brother Derek says She thinks money grows on trees when Sophie is fantasising about opening a boutique. Her elder brother Geoff also does not believe in her story about Danny Casey initially. This clearly shows that except for her elder brother Geoff, Sophie doesn’t connect well with her family.

11. ‘I can see the future and now I will have to live with this burden’, says Sophie. What is the burden being referred to? What light does it throw on Sophie’s life?

Ans. Sophie lives in her world of imagination. She tells her brother that she met football star Danny Cassey in the arcade outside Royce and would be going for a date with him. Her father does not believe that she has met Danny Casey. Geoff though believes in her meeting, warns her that Danny Casey is a popular star and has many girlfriends.

 Sophie has probably meet Danny Cassey and exchanged a few words and asked for an autograph. It is just the imagination that Sophie fantasises to have a date with Danny Cassey. When Danny Dag does not show up for the date, Sophie faced a dilemma of having to uphold the fact that she has really met Danny Casey. She is aware that nobody would believe her. She is deeply sad at the realisation that her life was not going to change. Her life of poverty would not change into the glamorous world of her dreams. This is a heavy burden for her. She finds it very difficult to cope with her reality.

 VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions.                                                             (6 Marks Each)

Q1. Sophie lives in her fantasies. Many girls today daydream and their daydreaming merges into reality. Write an article of 120-150 words on the dangers of daydreaming.

Ans. Going Places is a story of unrealistic dreams and how we love to indulge in them knowing all the while that they have little possibility of coming true. Sophie goes places in her dreams. Sophie merges her reality with her dreams. She makes up a story of how she met Danny Casey, an Irish football player, whom she had seen playing in a lot of matches. Sophie gets so involved in the story that it merges with reality and she starts waiting for the Irish player. Obviously, he does not arrive and then reality hits her. Fantasy is a pleasant relief at times but when it takes a serious turn it may prove disastrous. Dreams help us aim higher and they must be pursued. Hard work and a touch of reality can help each one of us move closer to achieving what we dream. However, if we merely dream as Sophie does, we will only face disappointment.

 Q2. Sophie’s dreams are all connected to the world of glamour. Many children today aspire for things beyond their means. What values need to be inculcated in children so that they learn to be better human beings and not purely materialistic?

 Ans. Going Places recounts the pangs of a growing adolescent girl Sophie. Sophie dreams of opening a boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. Her friend Jansie reminds Sophie that she would need money for all that and saving for something like that would take a long time.

Sophie is very fond of her brother Geoff who is reticent and carries an air of mystery which intrigues her. She felt that when he was silent, he was journeying through unknown exotic and unknown places which were beyond her reach. Geoff symbolises a pathway to a world of sophistication and excitement, a world which was beyond her. She wants to be a part of that world.

 Many youngsters are drawn to the world of materialism and glamour, thanks to the media and sometimes peer pressure. It is important to be practical and to be realistic. If we run after things that we cannot afford, it will lead to disillusionment. We should work hard and strike a balance so that we are able to achieve what we aspire for.

3. The theme of the story ‘Going Places’ is adolescent fantasy and hero-worship. Every teenager has some or the other hero in his/her life. Based on your reading of the story, write an article on the topic: ‘Are teenagers justified in their act of hero-worship’.

Ans. Hero-worship’ is a very common phenomenon in teenagers. They idolise, even literally worship their herds or role models. A huge crowd gathered outside the studios and stadia to take pictures or autographs of the celebrity film stars or sports stars. No doubt it is good to admire and appreciate these achievers, but there must be some limit. The fans should not waste their time because adolescence is the time when the foundation of the success of life is laid in the form of career. Moreover, aping and doing what they see their stars doing is not to give them any benefit. In that way, adolescents just waste their time and resources. In fact, teenagers should select their role model very carefully and should have self-control and determination. They should imbibe all the good qualities of these heroes and try to be like them by putting in their sincere efforts. They should plan out their career and set their priorities. They must have some inspiring people as their role models to make their lives meaningful.

4. All of us, like Sophie, look up to people who then become our role models. These role models have a positive impact on our lives and possess those qualities that we would like to have.

 As head boy/head girl of your school, you have to address the students in the morning assembly telling them about the kind of people, they should adopt as role models and seek inspiration from them. Write this speech in 100-150 words.

Ans. Dear friends

It is said that every successful person has a role model in his life. This role model is the one who changes our life. Role models guide us in our quest for success and make the world a better place.

 We need to be very careful in choosing our role model. A role model is one who is an embodiment of all virtues. A person is selfless and truthful, one who is sincere honest and straightforward. Depending upon our field of interest, we can have many legendary personalities to make our role models, personalities like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Vivekananda, the list is exhaustive. These are the people who have enlightened the lives of others, they have lived their life much above the selfish pursuits. We must idolise someone who has the virtues which should be followed to be a good human being.

There are such inspiring people even in our surroundings, in our society, at home or in school. Our teachers are the best examples. They are our best role models who have taught us to differentiate between right and wrong. To conclude, I would just like to say that we should make an honest, sincere It and inspiring person our role model.

 

 

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