Class 12 English Core Lost Spring Q & A Part 2 #class12English #eduvictors

 Class 12 English Core Lost Spring Q & A Part 2

Q1. Who is Mukesh and what is his dream?

Answer: Mukesh comes from a family of bangle craftsmen in Firozabad, where every household is involved in bangle production. They reside in incomplete dwellings and malodorous alleys. When questioned, Mukesh expresses, "I aspire to become a motor mechanic and learn to drive a car." This desire reflects his ambition to be independent and in control of his own destiny

Q2. Why does the author think Mukesh’s dream seems to loom like a mirage?

Answer: Mukesh's family specialises in crafting glass bangles in a variety of hues, resembling the colours of a rainbow. However, Mukesh harbours no desire to follow in his family's footsteps. Instead, he aspires to become a motor mechanic and acquire driving skills. To the author, his aspirations appear elusive and uncertain, obscured amidst the dusty streets of Firozabad.

Q3. How do the children become the victims of losing the brightness of their eyes?

OR

Describe the working conditions of bangle workers in Firozabad

Answer: Over 20,000 children are working illegally in Firozabad's glass-blowing factories. Exposed to scorching temperatures from furnaces, they weld glass in dimly lit, suffocating conditions. Their eyes, adjusted to the perpetual darkness, struggle with the light outside. Tragically, many lose their sight before reaching adulthood. These children toil away for hours on end.

Q4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Answer: Firozabad is renowned for its diverse array of bangles, displaying many colours reminiscent of a rainbow. Nearly every household is involved in the bangle-making trade, making it the heart of India's glass-blowing industry. Here, bangles are crafted to adorn the wrists of women across the country, symbolising the auspicious marital status known as 'Suhag' among Indian women.

Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.

Answer: Bangle factories can be dangerous places to work. They're often poorly lit and stuffy, with no fresh air. Workers have to bend over furnaces for long periods, which can cause health problems. The dim light and dust from polishing the bangles can also damage their eyesight, sometimes leading to blindness.

Q6. (Reference to Context-based Questions)

“I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, and making bangles for all the women in the land it seems.

(a) Who is 'I' here?

(b) Why does he want to drive a car?

(c) What is Firozabad famous for?

(d) Why is Firozabad the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry?

Answers: 

(a) Here, ‘I’ is Mukesh.

(b) He wants to drive a car because he wants to be a motor mechanic.

(c) Firozabad is famous for its bangles.

(d) See the answer Q4 above.

Q7. The bangle-makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make everyone happy, but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate.

Answer: The bangle-makers in Firozabad live in very poor conditions, which has been the case for many generations. They feel like they're meant to be bangle-makers because that's what their families have always done. Even though they make beautiful bangles for women, their own lives are hard. They have to work near hot furnaces and under dim lights, which hurts their eyes. They live in small huts that are dark inside, and they can't even see outside properly. Many of them go blind early in life because of this. They're stuck in a difficult situation, dealing with loan sharks, middlemen, and politicians who don't really help them. Instead of protecting them, the authorities often take advantage of them.

Q8. What did the writer see when Mukesh took her to his home?

Answer: The writer realised that they were in a very poor part of town, called a slum. The streets smelled bad and were full of rubbish. The houses looked rundown, with walls falling apart and doors that didn't fit properly. Many people and animals lived closely together in these homes. Mukesh's house was like a half-finished hut. Inside, there was a stove with a big pot on it where a weak young woman, Mukesh's brother's wife, was cooking dinner. When Mukesh's dad arrived, she covered her face with her veil. He was a banglemaker who had worked hard for many years but still couldn't fix up their house or send his sons to school. Mukesh's grandmother was also there. Her husband had gone blind from the glass bangle polishing dust.

Q9. ‘Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/why not?

Answer: "Lost Spring" tells a sad story about how many people are stuck in poverty and old ways of living. It's about poor kids who have to live in dirty places and work hard just to survive. The story has two parts. The first part is about the writer's thoughts on poor kids who moved from Bangladesh to Delhi and now live in Seemapuri.

The second part talks about the tough life of bangle makers in Firozabad. These families work hard but still struggle to get enough food daily. They're also treated badly by people in charge and suffer because of old customs that don't help them.

👉See Also:

Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood (Summary)
Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood (MCQs)
Lost Spring (Q & A)