Going Places
By- A.R. Barton
VALUE BASED QUESTIONS
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.
Want to Read More Check Below:-
Going Places- About the Author
Going Places- Chapter Nutshell
Going Places- Short & Detailed Summary
Going Places- Multiple Choice Questions in Quiz
Going Places- Important Extra Questions Short Answer Type
Going Places- Important Extra Questions Long Answer Type
