Short Question and Answers
Why did Gafur and his daughter leave the village? Summary
Gafur protests and resists when the
landlord summons him because he is fed up with all the repression and
historical persecution. Gafur finally severely punishes Mahesh after being
irritated, fatigued, and angry at the horrible inequities of poverty and leaves
the village.
What is the summary of the story drought?
The narrative focuses on the hardships
faced by the villagers as they struggle to cope with the scarcity of water and
food. The drought leads to crop failures, which in turn causes widespread
famine and suffering. The villagers are depicted as desperate and helpless,
trying to survive in the harsh conditions.
Why did Gafur slap her?
Amina was the daughter of Gafur. Gafur
scolded and slapped her because he was very hungry and Amina could not give him
food.
What did Gafur ask God to do?
Gafur asked God never to forgive the
landlord who neither let his bull eat the grass nor drink the water.
Who was Mahesh how did Gafur feed him?
Mahesh was the bull of Gafur. Gafur got
some straw from the landlord for tilling his land. He fed his bull on this
straw.
How does drought affect our lives?
Drought threatens people's livelihoods,
increases the risk of disease and death, and fuels mass migration. Water
scarcity impacts 40% of the world's population and as many as 700 million
people are at-risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030.
What is called drought?
Drought is a long period without rains
leading to a severe shortage of water in the region. The soil continues to lose
water by evaporation and transpiration.
Why did Gafur not let loose Mahesh?
Tarakaratna warned Gafur that the
landlord would flay him alive if the bull died. Gafur replied that he was
suffering from fever. He would not let the bull go alone to graze because the
paddies were still lying in the fields.
What does drought symbolize in literature?
Droughts also symbolize spiritual
dryness and the deep longing for God's presence and renewal.
1. Many a time Gafur was forgiven by the landlord. Why?
Gafur was a poor man. Every time he
would commit some offence, he would apologize to the landlord and he would be
forgiven.
2. Describe the two times one Gafur lost self-control?
For the first time when his daughter
told him that there was no food and water in the house. The second time when
the landlord's messenger spoke in an abusive language.
3. What is penance? Why did Gafur think of doing it?
For your mistake, regret is penance.
Gafur brutally killed his bull Mahesh and took his life. Therefore, Gafur
thought of doing penance.
4. What kind of life did poor Amina lead right from her
childhood?
Amina has lived a life of difficulty,
poverty, conflict and lack of love since her childhood. She was a motherless
girl. Yet she was an affectionate, dutiful, calm girl.
5. Why was there so much scarcity of water in the village?
There was no rain in the village for a
long time. Two out of three tanks had all dried up. The little water that there
was in the private tank of Shibu Babu was not for public.
6. Why did Gafur lose his temper and kill Mahesh?
Gafur had been ill for some days. He had
no work, nothing to eat and even no water. He was quite frustrated. Moreover,
he was punished by the landlord as well. When he saw that Mahesh was drinking
the water brought by Amina, he lost his temper and killed Mahesh.
7. Write a character-sketch of Tarak Ratna?
Tarak Ratna was the village priest. He
was flatterer, selfish, cruel and unfeeling to the poor people like Gafur. He
would not help the needy even if he had enough.
Long Answer Type Questions
8. Giving examples from the story, comment on the relationship
between Shibu and Gafur.
The relationship between Shibu and Gafur
was that of a landlord and a servant. Shibu was cruel to Gafur. He had no
sympathy for the poor state of Gafur. Gafur was to receive his share of straw
but Shibu Babu kept it on account of last year's rent. Shibu Babu gave him
paddy to last only for two months. His share of straw was added to Shibu Babu's
stock. He would often be punished by the landlord. Once, when he refused to
obey Shibu Babu's orders, he was dragged to the landlord and badly beaten by
his men. He was quite insensitive towards Gafur's plight and never helped him
out. Finally, all helpless Gafur had to leave his village.
9. Describe the attitude of Shibu Babu towards the villagers.
Shibu Babu was the Zamindar of a small
village called Kashipur. He was a ruthless person. The villagers dared not
stand up to him. He would care only to extort from the villagers and not help them
in any way as in the case of Gafur, he did not give Gafur his share of straw
rather kept it on account of last year's rent though Gafur had nothing with
him. He had no sympathy and empathy for the poor villagers. He did not allow
the villagers to draw water from his tank even when there was no water in the
other two tanks of the village. He exploited the people of the village.
10. Draw a character sketch of Gafur.
Gafur was a poor cultivator on the farms
of Shibu Babu. He was a widower with only a daughter named Amina to take care
of. He loved his daughter very much but due to extreme poverty, he was unable
to take care of her well. He wanted to be a good father but his circumstances
sometimes compelled him into sudden outbursts of anger. He had a bull named
Mahesh who was like a family member for Gafur but he was unable to feed him
even, once, out of helplessness and poverty, he decides to sell Mahesh but he
could not. When the buyers came to him, he sent them back. But the same Gafur
killed Mahesh in a sudden fit of anger when he saw Mahesh drinking water
brought by Amina. He was an emotionally charged man and could not control his
emotions when compelled by the situations. A t the end of the story again he
makes an emotional decision to go to Fulbere where he refused to go on earlier
occasions on account of certain reasons.
Assignment Questions
Describe in brief the
poverty-stricken life of the Gafur
Explain how the villagers
treated Gaffur's daughter while fetching water
How did Gafur often land
into trouble due to Mahesh?
What forced Gafur to kill Mahesh?
Why did Gafur and his
daughter leave the village?
Sketch the characters of
Zamindar and the Priest.
How did Gafur often land into trouble
due to Mahesh?
What forced Gafur to kill Mahesh?
Why did Gafur and his daughter leave the
village?