Living or dead converted (1)

Story by Ravindra Nath Tagore, Questions & Answers

1. LIVINGORDEAD
RabindaranathTagore
RS Nagar
Arts and Commerce College,
Kheda
15 November 2020
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2. 1. WHOSECHILDDOESKADAMBINIFOSTER?
Ans.: The child of her brother-in-law
Saradasankarwas her darling. For a
long time after his birth, his mother
had been very ill, and the widow,
Kadambini, his aunt, had fostered him.
# Kadambinifostered the child of her
brother-in-law, Saradasankar. She
liked her.
15 November 2020
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3. 2. WHYDOSETHEBODYOFKADAMBINI
DISAPPEARFROMTHEBURNINGGHAT?
Ans.: In fact, Kadambiniwas alive and
she just became unconscious. But she
was taken to the burning ghat. When
she got conscious, she tried to guess
the situation. She remembered the
last moments of her being
unconscious. She thought, she is
dead. She slowly got up and moved
away from the ghat.
15 November 2020
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4. 3. WHYDIDKADAMBINIDECIDETOGOHER
FRIEND’SHOUSE?
Ans.: Kadambinithought that she was dead
not living.
“I am dead. How can I return home? That
would bring disaster on them. I have left
the kingdom of the living; I am my own
ghost!"
Surely she was no member of earthly
society! Surely she was a creature of
horror, of ill-omen, her own ghost!
Furthermore, she felt freedom. Hence,
instead of going to Saradasankar, she
decided to go to her friend’s house.
15 November 2020
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5. 3. WHYDIDKADAMBINIDECIDEDTOGOHER
FRIEND’SHOUSE?
Ans.: She felt that she had marvellous
strength, endless freedom. She could
do what she liked, go where she
pleased.
Furthermore, she felt freedom. Hence,
instead of going to Saradasankar, she
decided to go to her friend’s house.
15 November 2020
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6. 4. WHYDIDJOGMAYAWANTKADAMBINITO
LEAVE?
Ans.: Jogmayathought that Kadambini
must leave because she stayed for a
long time at her home and it was
difficult for her to explain the
detention of a woman belonging to
another house. Sripati, Jogmaya’s
husband, believed that their guest had
deceived his wife all the time by a
pretended acquaintance, and Jogmaya
thought that she was a prostitute.
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7. 5. HOWDIDTHEHUSBAND ANDWIFEFINDOUT
ABOUTKADAMBINI?
Ans.: Sripatiwent Ranihatand returned
perplexed with the information that she
was considered dead there.
15 November 2020
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8. 6. HOWDIDTHEFAMILYREACTONKADAMBINI’S
RETURN?
Ans.: The family was shocked on the
return of Kadambini.Her sister-in-
law could endure no longer, and fell into
a faint. Saradasankarhimself entered
the zenana. With folded hands, he
asked piteously for mercy.
15 November 2020
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9. 1. THECHAINOFEVENTSTHATFOLLOW
KADAMBINI’SSUPPOSED DEATH?
Ans.: After the supposed death of
Kadmbini, four of the zemindar
Sardasankar’sbrahminservants took
away the body, without ceremony, to
be burned. But while they were waiting
for the wood, her consciousness
returned. The servants thought, she
became ghost and they ran away. She
was confused and wondered whether
she was dead or alive.
15 November 2020
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10. 1. THECHAINOFEVENTSTHATFOLLOW
KADAMBINI’SSUPPOSED DEATH?
Ans.: Hence, in stead of going to her
house, she decided to go to her
childhood friend, jogmaya’shouse.
15 November 2020
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11. 2. ROLEOFDEATH?
Ans.: Living or Dead is a mysterious or
surreal story. By narrating a bizarre
incident of chance unconsciousness of
Kadambani, was taken by all the people
as dead, even she herself thouhgtthat
she was dead, the writer highlighted
the plight of widows in the society of
Bengal during Tagore’s era. The ‘death’
was used to throw light on the
condition of ‘widow’ who lived a life of
‘shadow’, half alive; half dead.
15 November 2020
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12. 2. ROLEOFDEATH?
Ans.: The stark reality was mingled with a
‘bizarre’ situation when One night, in
Sraban, for some reason Kadambini’sheart
stopped beating and she was considered
dead. Instead of going to her in-laws,
thinking she is dead. She reached her
childhood friend Jogmaya’shouse. For
almost one month she lived like a ‘shadow’,
feared of herself. A worried Jogmaya
couldn’t bear her stay. She left her home
and again came to her in-law’s house.
15 November 2020
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13. 2. ROLEOFDEATH?
Ans.: Her long and mysterious stay led
her to suspicion. Her husband found out
that she was ‘dead’ as per her in-laws.
Both husband and wife had a quarrel
about Kadambini’s‘living or dead’
status. Ultimately, Kadambinniwas to
leave Jogmaya’shouse.Kadambinispoke:
"Friend, I am your Kadambini, but I am
no longer living. I am dead."
15 November 2020
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14. 2. ROLEOFDEATH?
Ans.: The word ‘aunty’ uttered by her
brother-in-law’s child, whom she
fostered made her realisethat she was
not dead but alive. But the tragedy
was that all the family members took
her as dead and the ghost of herself.
Ironically, in order to prove herself
‘alive’ she plunged into the well and
died. Hence, her death proved that she
was alive.
15 November 2020
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15. 3. JOGMAYA
Ans.: Jogmayawas Kadambani’schildhood
friend. They used to exchange letters. She
lived in Nisindapurwith husband Sripati. She
lived with them.Kadambinihad come, but she
was not at one with her friend: death was
between them.
She would think: "She has her husband and
her work, she lives in a world far away from
mine. She shares affection and duty with the
people of the world; I am an empty shadow.
She is among the living; I am in eternity."
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16. 4. KADAMBINI’SSEMI-CONSCIOUS STATEOFMIND
Ans.: When consciousness returned, Kadambinisaw
dense darkness on all sides. It occurred to her that
she was not lying in her usual place. She called out
"Sister," but no answer came from the darkness. As
she sat up, terror-stricken, she remembered her
death-bed, the sudden pain at her breast, the
beginning of a choking sensation. Her elder sister-
in-lawwas warming some milk for the child, when
Kadambinibecame faint, and fell on the bed, saying
with a choking voice: "Sister, bring the child here. I
am worried." After that everything was black, as
when an inkpot is upset over an exercise-book.
Kadambini'smemory and consciousness, all the
letters of the world's book, in a moment became
formless.
15 November 2020
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17. 5. THETHEMEOFTHESTORY
Ans.: Basic theme of the story ‘Living or Dead’
was Life and Death as the title suggests along
with a parallel theme, the state of a widow in
the society. Kadambini, a widow, lives with her
brother-in-law,Saradasankar, his wife and
child. Her existence is trivial. She fosters
Sardasankar’schild and loves him. But her life
is ‘half living and half dead’ like shadow. Her
supposed death shows this. No family member
attend the last rites. Only four Brahmin
servants took the ‘dead’ body to the Burning
Ghat. At her childhood friend Jogmaya’shouse
she stay as a ‘dead’ person afraid of herself.
15 November 2020
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18. 5. THETHEMEOFTHESTORY
Ans.: Her real life and the life after the
supposed ‘death’ has many similarities.
At Jogmaya’shouse she considers
herself ‘a shadow’ ‘no longer living but
dead’. At her in-laws’ house she tries
to prove that she was alive but they
believe her ‘dead’.
It is deeply tragic story of the social
status of the widows and the prevailing
superstitions.
15 November 2020
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19. 1. HOWISSARADASANKAR RELATEDTO
KADAMBINI?
1.Father
2.Brother
3.Husband
4.Brother-in-law
15 November 2020
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20. 2. WHEREDOESKADAMBINI’SHUSBAND’S
FAMILYLIVE?
1.Ranighat
2.Ranihat
3.Ranibagh
4.Ranipur
15 November 2020
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21. 3. WHATDIDBANMALIWANTTOGOANDFETCH?
1.Water
2.Wood
3.Tobacco
4.lantern
15 November 2020
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22. 4. WHATDIDTHEFOURMENSEEOUTSIDETHE
HUTATTHEBURNINGGHAT?
1.A jackal
2.A woman’s foot print
3.wood
4.nothing
15 November 2020
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23. 5. WHEREWASJOGMAYA’SHOMELOCATED?
1.Nisindapur
2.Nisandpur
3.Nisondpur
4.Nissanpur
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24. 6. JOGMAYAISKADAMBINI’S……………… ?
1.sister
2.mother
3.aunt
4.childhood friend
15 November 2020
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25. 7. WHATDIDJOGMAYATHINKKADAMBINIHAD
BECOME?
1.spinster
2.mad woman
3.mistress
4.Prostitute
15 November 2020
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26. 8. WHATWASSARADASANKAR ’SWIFEDOING
WHENKADAMBINIRETURNED TOTHEIRHOUSE?
1.Attending to the child
2.Boiling milk
3.Playing cards
4.Sleeping
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27. 9. WHATDIDTHESERVANTDROP?
1.Milk
2.Kheer
3.Sago
4.Water
15 November 2020
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28. 10. WHATDIDKADAMBINIHITHERHEADWITH?
1.Brass pot
2.Glass
3.Knife
4.Spoon
15 November 2020
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29. LIVINGORDEAD
15 November 2020
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