NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in a Cage

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English

I Want Something in a Cage NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6

I Want Something in a Cage NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

I Want Something in a Cage Comprehension check – I

Question 1.
Write ‘True’or ‘False’ against each of following statements.

  • Mr Purcell sold birds, cats, dogs and monkeys. True
  • He was very concerned about the well-being of the birds and animals in his shop. False
  • He was impressed by the customer who bought the two doves. False
  • He was a successful shop owner, though insensitive and cold as a person. False

Question 2.
Why is Mr Purcell compared to an owl?
Answer:
Mr Purcell used to wear large glasses that magnified his eyes so as to give him the appearance of a wise and genial owl.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in a Cage

Question 3.
From the third paragraph pick out
i. words associated with cries of birds,
ii. words associated with noise,
iii. words suggestive of confusion and fear.
Answer:
i. whispered twitters; squeals, cheeps, and sudden squeaks
ii. constant stir of movement; whispered, sly rustling
iii. frantic, frightened, bewildered, blindly seeking

I Want Something in a Cage Comprehension check – II

Question 1.
Do you think the atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop was cheerful or depressing? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
I think the atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop was depressing because the various animals that were inside the cages kept squealing, twittering and squeaking constantly. These animals were kept on display as if they were things of show, and perhaps they were making so much noise just to be let out of their cages.

The stranger who came to the pet shop was wearing shiny shoes that squeaked. His suit was cheap, ill-fitting but looked new. He had a shuttling glance and close-cropped hair. The man wanted to buy something in a cage.

Question 2.
i. The man insisted on buying the doves because he was fond of birds. Do you agree?
Answer:
No, the man was not fond of the birds. It did not matter to the man whether he was buying doves or any other bird. All he knew was that he wanted to buy birds that were in a cage. It was only when he looked at the doves in the cage that he got the idea to buy them.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in a Cage

ii. How had he earned the five dollars he had?
Answer:
He had earned the five dollars he had by spending ten years in the prison. He had to put in really hard labour to earn these five dollars – that is, fifty cents a year.

Question 3.
Was the customer interested in the care and feeding of the doves he had bought? If not, why?
Answer:
No, the customer was not interested in the care and feeding of the doves he had bought, because he didn’t need to. He had something even more valuable to offer them. The man wanted to free the birds right after he had bought them.

I Want Something in a Cage Exercises Question and Answer 

Discuss the following topics in groups.

Question 1.
Why, in your opinion, did the man set the doves free?
(Encourage the students to express their opinions clearly in groups.)
Answer:
I believe that the man set the doves free because he had begun to understand the real value of freedom after spending ten years in prison. He knew what it felt to be imprisoned and not have the liberty to spread your wings far and wide. He wanted the birds to take their new flight to freedom. He gave the birds what he himself valued the most.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 I Want Something in a Cage

Question 2.
Why did it make Mr Purcell feel “vaguely insulted’’?
Answer:
Mr Purcell felt “vaguely insulted” because he was making money by selling the caged birds and other animals. And here was a man who was willing to give up all his hard-earned money of ten years to buy the birds their freedom. Mr Purcell must have felt very small in comparison to the man. His actions made him think and realize the inherent cruelty of his profession.

In other words, while Mr Purcell was taking away the animals’ right to live freely, here was a man who was ready to give away everything he owned just so he could give the birds back their right.

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