UNIT - 4, PROSE - THE ATTIC, STUDY MATERIAL

The Attic In Text Questions :

a. When did Aditya leave the local school?
Answer:
Aditya left the local school, after he had passed the matriculation examination.

b. Why did Aditya think that the school would not be recognisable?
Answer:
It would not be recognisable, as it had undergone many changes during the passage of time.

c. Who were Aditya’s ancestors?
Answer:
Aditya’s ancestors were once the Zamindars.

d. How was the landscape through which they travelled?
Answer:
On either side of the road were paddy fields. Harvest was over.

e. What did Aditya visit?
Answer:
Aditya visited his school first. Beyond the iron gates were the playing field and the two-storeyed school building.

f. Where was Nagen uncle’s shop?
Answer:
Nagen uncle’s shop was next to a grocery shop and opposite to a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

g. Besides tea, what did Nagen uncle have in his shop?
Answer:
Besides tea, he had biscuits and savouries.

h. What did Nagen uncle tell about Sanyal?
Answer:
Nagen told them that Sanyal was short of sight and hearing. He had no money to buy spectacles.

i. In what way was Mr. Sanyal’s behaviour strange?
Answer:
Mr. Sanyal suddenly stood up, stretched himself, raised his lean right arm and with eyes wide open, began to recite a poem by Tagore – “Panraksha”. After reciting, he left the place making a gesture of Namaste to nobody in particular.

j. What did Nagen uncle tell about Sanyal’s past life?
Answer:
Sanyal had lost his wife and only son last year. He sold all his lands to get his only daughter married. Since then, he was somewhat changed and not really normal.

k. How did Sanyal show that he had a sense of self-respect?
Answer:
Sanyal had tea and biscuits in Nagen’s tea shop. But he never failed to pay for it. This shows that he had a sense of self-respect.

l. Why was the attic’a favourite place for the children?
Answer:
The attic had been a favourite place for the children because it was in the attic the children seemed to be in a world of their own.

m. What did Aditya do on reaching the attic?
Answer:
He searched for an article and found it on top of the packing case in the attic.

n. What did the jeweller say about the article?
Answer:
The jeweller said that it was an antique.

o. Was Sanyal happy about his visitors?
Answer:
No, he was not happy about his visitors.

p. Why did Sanyal recite the poem in the tea shop earlier?
Answer:
Sanyal recited the poem in the tea shop in order to make Aditya remember the incidents on the prize-giving day. He recited the same poem that he had recited on the prize-giving day.

q. What was engraved on the medal?
Answer:
Sriman Sasanka Sanyal – Special Prize for Recitation – 1948.

The Attic Textual Questions

A. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences.

1. Write a few lines about the owner of the shop.
The Attic Questions and Answer:
The owner of the tea shop was uncle Nagen. His age was over sixty. He was a little rustic in appearance, with his white neatly-combined hair and clean look. He was wearing a dhoti and a blue striped shirt under a green shawl.

Aditya Decided to Collect Question 2. What was the daily routine of Sanyal?
Answer:
Sanyal comes to the tea shop, has tea and biscuits and always remembers to pay for it as he has an acute sense of self-respect.

3. Why was there a sudden change in Aditya’s expression?
Answer:
While leaving the tea shop, Sanyal recited a poem, written by Tagore. It was the same poem Aditya heard at his school, twenty-nine years ago, on the prize-giving day. So, there was a sudden change in Aditya’s expression.

4. Why did Aditya decide to visit his ancestral home?
Answer:
Aditya decided to visit his ancestral house to take the medal from his attic.

The Attic 10th English Question 5. What was the condition of the attic?
Answer:
A portion of a wall of the attic had crumbled down. Through the created window, we could see the sky, the fields, a part of the rice mill, the tall structure of the old temple. In the whole house, the attic had probably been the worst hit by wind and weather. The floor was strewn with twigs, straw and pigeon droppings.

The Attic Story 10th Standard Question 6. When did Aditya heave a sigh of relief? Why?
Answer:
Aditya heaved a sigh of relief, when he had got what he had been looking for in the attic. It was a silver medal belonged to Sanyal. He took it from him twenty-nine years ago and lied that was lost. Now he wanted to return it to him.

7. Why did Aditya and his friend go to the jeweller?
Answer:
Aditya and his friend went to the jeweller to find out the weight of the article.

8. What did Aditya offer Sanyal?
Answer:
Aditya offered Sanyal one hundred and fifty rupees. It was the price of the medal, which Sanyal received in school for recitation.

9. “Your grievances are absolutely justified.” Who says this to whom? Why?
Answer:
Aditya said this to Sanyal, because Aditya was the cause for Sanyals grievances. .

Short Questions & Answer:wers – Additional :

1. From where were Aditya and the narrator returning?
Answer:
They were returning from the site of their new factory at Deodarganj.

2. Where did Aditya continue his studies?
Answer:
Aditya continued his studies in Calcutta.

3. Why did Aditya wish to visit Bramhapur?
Answer:
He wished to visit Bramhapur to revive his old childhood memories.

4. Why did Aditya’s father decide to leave their ancestral home?
Answer:
Aditya’s father decided to leave their ancestral home because he had set up his own business in Kolkata.

5. What was written on the sign board over the tea shop?
Answer:
“Nagen’s Tea Cabin” was written on the signboard over the shop.

6. Was there any other customer, apart from Aditya and the narrator at the tea shop?
Answer:
There was only one customer sitting at a corner table with his head bent down.

7. What did Nagen remind him?
Answer:
Nagen reminded him to go home, as it was already 4 p.m.

8. What does the poem by Tagore ‘Panraksha’ mean?
Answer:
It meAnswer: ‘Keeping of a Promise.

9. Where does Sasanka stay?
Answer:
He stayed with a friend of his father named Jogesh Kabiraj.

10. How long was the medal hidden in the attic?
Answer:
The medal was hidden in the attic for twenty-nine years.

B. Answer in detail the following questions in about 100-150 words.

1. Give a detailed account of all thoughts and questions in the narrator’s mind while accompanying Aditya from the tea shop to Sanyal’s house?
Answer:
There were a lot of thoughts and questions in the narrator’s mind, while accompanying Aditya from the tea shop to Sanyal’s house. First, when they visited Nagen’s tea shop, he was surprised to see the strange behaviour of Sanyal. He noticed a sudden change in Aditya’s expression. When he asked him the reason for it, Aditya did not Answer:wer him. Aditya just collected information about Sanyal from Nagen and left to his ancestral house.

The narrator thought that Aditya wanted to see his house. But when he went there, he found a medal in the attic. He went to a jeweller to find out the weight of the medal. When the narrator questioned him what it was, he simply said that he would get to know about it very soon. Then they went to the house of Jogesh Kabiraj. The narrator was little curious to know. But he didn’t ask him. When they saw Sanyal, the narrator got the clear picture of Aditya’s actions.

2. Man does change with time’-What were the various changes that came about in Aditya?
Answer:
twenty-nine years ago Aditya was a child of a wealthy family. Sanyal and Aditya studied in the same school. Sanyal was always in the first position. Aditya was in the second position. Though he was a fairly good student, he could never beat Sanyal. He was jealous of Sanyal. One day, Sanyal got a medal as a prize for his recitation. Aditya could not bear it. He took the prize from Sanyal to show to his father. But he never returned it to Sanyal.

He told lies that there was a hole in his pocket and it had fallen through it. This attribute of Aditya angered Sanyal and he thought he could never forgive him for his misdeeds. At present, time has changed him. He repented for what he had done to Sanyal. He was the cause for all his grievances. He got a chance to rectify his mistakes. So he gave Sanyal 150 as the price for the medal. But Sanyal refused it, saying that he only wanted his lost glory back, the medal. He got it back.

3. Give a brief character sketch of Sasanka Sanyal.
Answer:
In his childhood, Sasanka Sanyal was a brilliant student. He always stood in the first position. He used to recite Tagore’s poems. Aditya, who studied with him, was jealous of him. Aditya could never beat him. One day, Sanyal received a prize for recitation of Tagore’s poem ‘Panraksha! Aditya could not bear it. He took the medal from him and never returned it. Sanyal was angry but did not show it out. After twenty-nine years, they met again in uncle Nagen’s tea shop. Sanyal led a cursed life. But he did not forget any incident of the past.

He sold his lands to get his only daughter married. He lost his wife and his only son the previous year. Since then, he was somewhat changed. When Aditya offered him 150 as a price for the medal, he refused it. He only wanted his lost glory back – the medal. When he got back the medal, he was happy.

Paragraph Questions & Answer:wers – Additional

1. “Trying to revive old childhood memories may prove disappointing”. Why did Aditya say this?
Answer:
Aditya and the narrator were returning from the site of their new factory at Deodarganj. They were driving along the National Highway 40. They reached a point when the road separated into two paths. If they drove ten kilometres along the road that branched off to the right, they would reach Bramhapur. The narrator asked Aditya whether he was interested in revisiting the place of his birth, which he had left after he had passed the matriculation examination from the local school to continue his studies in Calcutta.

Aditya said that he had left his ancestral house almost twenty-nine years ago. The house was almost two hundred years old. He doubted that even the school building would have undergone many changes. It will not be recognisable any more. So he said that trying to revive old childhood memories may prove disappointing.

2. Why was Sasanka Sanyal angry with Aditya?
Answer:
During their childhood days, Aditya and Sasanka Sanyal studied in the same school. Sasanka Sanyal was a brilliant child. He used to recite the poems of Tagore very well. He always stood first in his class. Aditya was a fairly good student. He could never beat Sasanka in his academics. He came from a rich family. Sasanka thought that Aditya was a spoilt child of rich parents and that he used to tell lies. Really, Aditya was extremely jealous of Sasanka.

One day, Sasanka received a prize for his recitation of the poem by Tagore. He was given a medal for it. Aditya could not bear it. He took the medal from Sasanka to show to his father. But he never returned it. He said that there was a hole in his pocket and it had fallen through it. This made Sasanka angry and he never forgave him after that incident.

Summary

The ‘Attic’ is a story that depicts a child’s psychology. While returning from their new factory of Deodarganj, the narrator with his friend and business partner Aditya drove along National Highway 40. At a point, they decided to take the road to the right. The road led to the ancestral house of Aditya at Bramhapur. His father was a landlord there. Later, he shifted to business at Calcutta. Aditya tried to recollect old memories – his two hundred years old big ancestral house, school, schoolmates and the tea stall of Nagen uncle. He feared that they had changed with time and the sweet memories of the past might disillusion him.

They reached the school. The change there was it had another floor now. They had a cup of tea at Nagen’s tea stall. There they met a stranger by name Mr. Sanyal. They were told that Mr. Sanyal was short of sight and hearing. He was a poor man. So he did not have money to buy spectacles. Mr. Sanyal left the tea shop, after reciting Tagore’s ‘Panraksha.

Uncle Nagen told Aditya that Mr.Sanyal was a mysterious person living with his father’s friend Jogesh Kabiraj. He had lost his wife and only son last year. He had sold all his lands to get his daughter married. He almost became a poor man. Aditya wished to meet him. Aditya went to his ancestral house and reached the attic of the house. The attic was damaged by the strong winds and weather. They could see the sky above, the paddy fields and the spire of the old temple.

He searched for something and at last found it. It was an antique. Then they went to meet Mr.Sanyal. Mr.Sanyal told Aditya that in school days, Aditya was jealous of him. He took his medal to show his father. But he never returned it. He lied that it had fallen from the hole in his pocket. Aditya felt sorry for what he did. He wished to give him one hundred and fifty rupees as the prize for the antique. But Sanyal wanted only his lost glory back. He didn’t want any charity from Aditya. So Aditya gave him the medal on which was engraved ‘Sriman Sasanka Sanyal – Special Prize for Recitation – 1948.

Glossary

affluent (adj.) – wealthy
antique – a piece of work of art that has a high value
ascertained (v) – confirmed
attic (n) – the space or room at the top of a building, under the roof
bifurcated (v) – divided into two
charpoy – a small folding bed
crumbled (v) – broken
dilated (v) – widened than usual
overwrought (adj.) – state of being upset
revive (v) – to bring something back to life
smacks (v) – drive or put forcefully into or on to something
soothing (v) – making someone feel calm
rustic (adj.) – typical of the countryside
spire (n) – a tall, pointed structure on top of a building, especially on top of a church tower
unperturbed (adj.) – undisturbed

Words	Synonyms	Antonyms
acute	sharp, smart	blunt, dull
affluent (adj.)	wealthy	poor
ancestral	inherited	–
ascertained (v)	confirmed	unconfirmed
bifurcated (v)	divided into two	united
created	developed, made	destroyed
crumbled (v)	broken	built
cursed	damned, doomed	blessed
dilated (v)	widened	contracted
essential	important	inessential
existed	remained	discontinued
heaved	produced	shrank, compressed
intently	carefully, closely	distractedly
normal	usual	abnormal
overwrought (adj.)	upset	calm, cool
.particular	specific	general
raising	lifting	dropping
reaction	response	question, inquire
recognisable	visible	unrecognisable
reminded	prompted	ignored
revive (v)	bring back, renew	destroy, abolish
rustic (adj.)	rural	urban
smacks (v)	put forcefully	–
soothing (v)	calming	disturbing
stretched	extended	contracted
strewn	scattered	gathered
unperturbed (adj.)	undisturbed, calmed	angry, uneasy
venting	letting out	blocking

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