THE LITTLE GIRL (BEEHIVE).pdf

WELL EXPLAINED

1. Katherine Mansfield

14. In the

15. Reference to the Context
1.“Mother, go up to her room and fetch down the damned thing –see that the
child’s put to bed this instant.”
(a) Who speaks these lines and to whom?
Kezia’sfather speaks these lines to his mother.
(b) What is the mood of the speaker in these lines?
The speaker, Kezia’sfather, is in a very angry mood while speaking these lines
because Keziahad torn his important speech to pieces.

16. c) What does the speaker refer to as the ‘damned thing’?
The ‘damned thing’ referred to by the speaker, Kezia’sfather, is the pin-cushion
Keziahad made for him.
(d)Who is the ‘child’ here? Why does the speaker wish the child to be put
to bed immediately?
The‘child’hereisKezia.Herfather,thespeaker,wisheshertobeputtobed
immediatelybecauseheisfuriousatthedamagecausedbyher.Hedoesnot
wanttolosehisangerfurtherduetoherpresenceinfrontofhim.

17. 1.What is the lesson the little girl about?
ThetitleofthestoryreferstothemaincharacterthatisthelittlegirlnamedKezia.Thethemeofthestoryisthe
relationshipbetweenchildrenandtheirparents.
ThewriterKatherineMansfieldwantstotellusthatchildrenshareaveryimportantbondoflovewiththeir
parents.
Answer the following briefly:
2.How did the girl feel when her father left for work?
Keziahad afeelingof relief whenher father leftfor office because she was terribly scared of him and
thought of him as a monster/giant who would always scoldheranddidnot care aboutherno matter what
happens.
3.Why did Keziastutter while speaking to father?
Kezia’sfather had a loud and domineering personality and he frequently admonished her for her behaviour and
appearance. His constant criticism and scolding shook her self-confidence. Moreover, his large size frightened
her. Though Keziatried her best to please him, she found herself tongue-tied while talking to him. This made
her stutter in his presence.