The Snake and the Mirror – Additional Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
1. Who is the author of "The Snake and the Mirror"?
Answer: Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
2. What was the narrator's profession?
Answer: He was a homoeopathic doctor.
3. Where did the doctor live?
Answer: He lived in a small rented room.
4. How much money did the doctor have?
Answer: He had sixty rupees.
5. What was the doctor doing before the snake appeared?
Answer: He was sitting before a mirror and admiring himself.
6. What fell on the doctor's shoulder?
Answer: A snake fell on his shoulder.
7. Where did the snake coil itself?
Answer: Around the doctor's left arm.
8. What attracted the snake to the mirror?
Answer: Its own reflection in the mirror.
Short Answer Questions
9. Describe the doctor's room.
Answer: The doctor's room was small and poorly furnished. It contained a table, a chair, a mirror, a few books and some clothes. The room had no electricity and was dimly lit by an oil lamp.
10. Why was the doctor looking into the mirror?
Answer: The doctor was admiring his appearance. He was pleased with his looks and was thinking about improving them further by shaving daily and growing a moustache.
11. What were the doctor's two important decisions?
Answer: He decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. He also decided to marry a rich woman doctor who was fat and would not be able to run after him.
12. How did the doctor react when the snake coiled around his arm?
Answer: The doctor became completely motionless with fear. He held his breath and prayed silently to God while waiting for the snake to leave him unharmed.
13. Why could the doctor not move?
Answer: The doctor could not move because he feared that any movement might provoke the snake and cause it to bite him.
14. How did the doctor manage to escape?
Answer: The snake became interested in its reflection in the mirror and moved towards it. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the doctor jumped up and ran out of the room.
Long Answer Questions
15. Describe the snake incident in your own words.
Answer:
One hot summer night, the doctor was sitting alone in his room, admiring himself in the mirror. Suddenly, he heard a sound and then a snake fell from the roof onto his shoulder. The snake slowly moved and coiled around his left arm.
The doctor was terrified and remained perfectly still. He thought about death and prayed silently. Fortunately, the snake noticed its own reflection in the mirror and moved towards it. The doctor quickly escaped from the room and saved his life.
16. How does the story reveal the doctor's vanity?
Answer:
The doctor spent a long time admiring himself in the mirror. He believed that he was handsome and wanted to improve his appearance further by growing a moustache.
He even dreamed about marrying a rich woman doctor. These thoughts show that he was somewhat vain and proud of his appearance.
17. How does the snake incident change the doctor's attitude?
Answer:
Before the snake appeared, the doctor was proud and self-confident. He was busy thinking about his looks and future plans.
However, when the snake coiled around his arm, he realized how helpless and vulnerable he was. The incident taught him humility and made him understand the uncertainty of life.
Value-Based Questions
18. What lesson do we learn from the doctor's experience?
Answer: We learn that pride and vanity are meaningless in the face of danger. Life is uncertain, and we should remain humble and grateful.
19. Why is humility important in life?
Answer: Humility helps us understand our limitations and keeps us grounded. It prevents us from becoming arrogant and teaches us to respect others.
Important Exam-Oriented Questions
20. Why is the story called "The Snake and the Mirror"?
Answer: The title refers to the two central elements of the story—the snake that creates fear and suspense, and the mirror that reflects both the doctor's vanity and the snake's image.
21. How does humour play an important role in the story?
Answer: Humour arises from the contrast between the doctor's proud dreams and the frightening reality of the snake. His thoughts about beauty and marriage make the story amusing.
22. Why did the snake look into the mirror?
Answer: The snake was attracted by its own reflection in the mirror and appeared fascinated by the image it saw.
23. What happened when the doctor returned to his room?
Answer: When he returned with his friends, he found that a thief had stolen most of his belongings, leaving behind only his dirty vest.
24. What qualities of the doctor are revealed in the story?
Answer: The story reveals that the doctor was young, ambitious, humorous, self-conscious about his appearance and capable of learning from his experiences.
25. What is the central message of the story?
Answer: The story teaches that human beings should not be arrogant or vain. It highlights the importance of humility and reminds us that life can change unexpectedly.
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