प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Class - 12
English Elective
2. Broken Images - Girish Karnad
Q1. How genuine is the love that Manjula expresses for her
sister?
Ans-
Malini, Manjula's sister, suffered from meningomyelocele which reduced her
existence to misery. However, Manjula had nursed her sister throughout as she
confessed that she was childless and Malini, became her child. Her novel. The
River Has No Memories is about her sister and solely dedicated to her. The
author tells us how she was tender to her and watched helplessly as she moved
towards death. Though there had been instances where Manjula felt ignored by
her parents while Malini became "the apple of their eye", yet she
understood the graveness and the need of the situation. Manjula's love for her
sister is really genuine.
Q 2. The sister does not appear in the play but is central to
it. What picture of her is built in your mind from references in the play?
Ans-
Manjula Nayak's bestselling book features her real-life sister, Malini, who was
a victim of meningomyelocele which made her undertake a series of operations,
reducing her existence to misery. We find some glimpses of Malini of how she
was more intelligent, more attractive and vivacious than the author herself and
a very sensitive person. Even Pramod, Manjula's husband, loves her more than
Manjula's herself.
Because
of her sister's brilliance, Manjula lives in her shadow. Manjula confesses
about the intelligence of her sister. Manjula publishes her novel which is
entirely based on Malini's ideas which gives her name, fame and money. Manjula
becomes so popular that she does not need to write another novel. In this way,
the playwright has developed the character of Malini to her highest point.
Q3. When the image says- "Her illness was unfortunate. But
because of it, she got the best of everything."
(i) What is the nature of Manjula's reply?
(ii) How can it be related to what follows in the play?
Ans-
(i) Manjula was highly defensive on her part after hearing "Her illness
was unfortunate. But because of it, she got the best of everything." She
retaliated back by saying that Malini never demanded anything. However, we can
trace a stench of insecurity in Manjula as she fumbles for words and ends up
defining her sister as "the apple of their eye". She understood that
her sister needed to be the priority to her parents but somehow couldn't accept
it fully. But it is also true that Manjula resents Malini's wit and intellect.
She envies her sister. Manjula could not get the facilities which her sister
attained. Somewhere, Manjula is caught up in a comparative analysis between
Malini and herself.
(ii)
Malini is forced by circumstances to live with her elder and married sister
Manjula because she is physically challenged and her parents have died. Pramod,
Manjula's husband, loves her deeply and after her death, goes to America.
Manjula tries to portray her sister as the dependent who is living in her
shadows. But the reality is not as Manjula shows it.
Manjula
herself spends her life in the shadow of Malini because she was extremely
intelligent. Malini receives all the attention for her wit and wisdom not for
her disabilities which is gradually unfolded to the readers. In this way, the
statement serves the purpose of the events that are unfolded later in the play.
The noble cause taken by Manjula for her sister is turned into complete
failure.
Q4. What are the issues that the playwright satirises through
this TV monologue of a celebrity?
Ans-
The playwright is an eminent personality of Indian literature. He has put many
facets of life in the play. Apart from that, he satirises false traditions. He
satirises the conservative traits of Indian society where a writer is supposed
to write in Indian languages. English writing should be discarded. When she
used to write in Kannada, she was always in want of money but as soon as she
started writing in English, she received a huge amount only as advance. Another
issue that the playwright satirises is the truth behind the media. The
statements that Manjula makes on screen presents a picture which is in stark
contrast to the dark realities of her life. Then we come in contact with the
issue of mutual relationship with our near and dear ones. Manjula Nayak
fabricates when she mentions her love for her younger sister. Thus, the
playwright presents the false rosy pictures in the play.
Q5. 'Broken Images' takes up a debate that has grown steadily
since 1947 the politics of language in Indian literary culture, specifically in
relation to modern Indian languages and English. Discuss.
Ans-
When India became free in 1947, it was a general perception that the importance
of English would come to an end but now the importance of English has increased
immensely. So, Girish Karnad has raised the issue once again. The politics of
language in Indian literary culture is in full swing now. The playwright has
put the same issue by portraying the harsh reality of Indian mindset through
Manjula, the protagonist. The playwright observes that Indian people feel free
walking space in the sophisticated society if one writes in English. Malini
expresses her views in English while Manjula does not.
English
is so popular amongst Indians that Manjula puts such a story and aggressive
character in her novel that it has been able to make differences in the lives
of Indians. English creates jealousy among the sisters and brings up class
struggle almost like the haves and have nots. English has always scored over
all Indian languages. While the truth is that true values can be expressed only
in Indian languages-writers write in English only for monetary purposes. The
debate goes on to further highlights how English conforms only to the Elitist
and minor fragment of the Indian population whereas the southern and eastern
part of the country feel that designating Hindi with the title of
"link" language would fall as a liability to those who do not speak
Hindi at all. On the contrary, English, being a widespread and diasporic
language, is at least comprehensible to a large section of the nation. Besides,
each state has its own linguistic minority groups and the use of an official
language in those areas is again a major controversy.
Q6. The play deals with a Kannada woman writer who unexpectedly
produces an international bestseller in English.
(i) Can a writer be a truly bilingual practitioner?
(ii) Does writing in an 'other tongue' amount to betrayal of the
mother tongue?
Ans-
(i)
The playwright does not consider that any certain language is fit to express
emotions. Writing is an expression of emotions so it does not depend on the
language. Manjula Nayak clearly says that she wrote the novel in English
because it burst out in English. It is true that a writer should have vast
knowledge of his subject. A writer can write in any foreign language as well as
he is able to express his ideas in that particular language. Expression has no
limits in writing. Language is simply a medium through which the writer's
emotions are expressed. Therefore, a writer can certainly be a bilingual
practitioner.
(ii)
This question is often asked whether writing in 'other' language amounts to
betrayal of the mother tongue. But it is not so. Karnad has made it clear in
the initial monologue of the play. If a writer is bilingual and writes in both
languages, it is his ability not a betrayal. No doubt, writers should give
preference to their mother tongue but their writing in English is not wrong
from any perspective. A writer writes in both languages according to his target
audience. Sometimes writers write in English from the point of view of monetary
benefits. It is not wrong. So writing in English or any other foreign language
is not a crime.
Q7. Why do you think the playwright has used the technique of
the image in the play?
Ans-
The image of Manjula Nayak has been depicted by the playwright in the play. The
playwright uses this technique because through her image, he manifests
psychological repressed guilt of Manjula over the years. There have been harsh
realities in her life and the playwright depicts them through her image. There
is a strong confrontation between the image and Manjula.
The
image asks so many questions like a person that reflect what is hidden deep
within the heart of Manjula. Her resentment towards Malini, parental neglect, a
loveless marriage and finally a career which was not truly hers, all seem to
confront her through her image. Images reveal towards the best type of self
evolution. Thus, the technique plays an important role to find out innerself of
Manjula.
Q 8. The play is called a monologue. Why is it made to turn
dialogic?
Ans-
The play consists of only one character. The other character that converse with
her is her own image. Thus, we find a single character in the play. For this
reason, the play is called a monologue. Manjula Nayak and her image are put
together in a long discussion through dialogues. The playwright has wisely
chosen this conversational style because he wants to make the play create a
stronger impact on the audience.
A
monologue may not express one's thoughts and self contemplation as strongly as
one can express through dialogues. So, he has made it dialogic. It is also
considered that a monologue with dialogues becomes more self-explanatory and
interesting. So, the playwright has used this technique.
Q9. What is the posture the celebrity adopts when the camera is
on and when it is off?
Ans-
The playwright has put many facets of Manjula Nayak through a lot of postures
both on screen and off-screen. When the play opens, Manjula Nayak is very
confident and in a very positive frame of mind. On screen, she shows herself a
successful writer. She is enjoying the glory of name, fame and money through
her first successful novel.
She
seems to be very comfortable with the technique of broadcasting. She is
standing on a tall pedestal of her pride. But as soon as she is off-screen,
there is a sea change in her behaviour. When her image comes before her to ask
questions, she begins to lose her confidence. She becomes aghast and fearful.
The playwright very skillfully has presented the hypocrisy of the media through
the depiction. Thus, she changes completely till the end what she was in the
beginning.
Q 10. In which language does Manjula write?
Ans-
Manjula is the protagonist in the play. She is a famous writer. She has a job
of teaching but apart from her teaching she is fond of writing. As she is of
Kannada origin so apparently, she writes in Kannada but she doesn't get
sufficient money by writing in her native language. So she switches towards
English to write. Her first novel in English became extremely successful.
Q 11. What is the image in reality?
Ans-
When the announcer asks Majula to come on the stage and address the audience,
she is quite confident. He compares her with many other eminent writers but he
appreciates her first novel, "The River Has No Memories' as superior to
their writings. Manjula addresses the audience confidently and wants to go from
the stage but her image on the screen does not let her go. Thus, the image is
Manjula's own conscience.
Q 12. What method did Pramod adopt to convey his feelings?
Ans-
When Manjula moved to Bangalore, she came into contact with Pramod. He didn't
know how to convey his feelings. So, he wrote a letter to Lucy, a close friend
of Manjula, about Manjula. He also wrote a letter to Manjula about Lucy. When
Lucy found the letter, she became furious and tore the letter into pieces but
Manjula felt sorry for him. Thus, they came closer and tied into the wedding.
Q 13. What is Manjula accused of?
Ans-
Manjula is a Kannada writer. Kannada is her mother tongue. So she is
comfortable writing in Kannada. But it is also true that she does not earn
sufficient money by writing in her native language. So she turns towards
writing in English which gives her not only name and fame but receives huge
amounts as royalty. That’s why she is accused of writing in English for foreign
readers.
Q 14. Who do you think is the real character in Manjula’s novel?
Ans-
Manjula has a younger sister who is physically challenged. She is beautiful as
well as intelligent. Manjula writes in Kannada language but she is not
satisfied. It is her sister Malini who speaks English and Manjula learns
English from her. She is so sweet that even Pramod, Manjula’s husband, loves
her and after her death, goes to America. Thus, Malini is the real character in
Manjula’s novel.
Q 15. Which illness Malini is suffering from?
Ans-
Malini, the younger sister of Manjula, is physically challenged. She is
suffering from an illness called meningomyelocele. Because of this illness her
body below her waist was damaged. It is a nervous system illness which has made
her lower part dysfunctional while the upper part of her body is perfectly
normal. She spent her entire life confined to the wheelchair.
Q 16. “You have managed to upset a lot of people?” Who said this
and why?
Ans-
These words are uttered by the image of Manjula. The image appreciates her for
her speech. Manjula delivered a very marvellous speech when the telefilm was to
be broadcast. This telefilm was based on the novel of Manjula entitled The
River Has No Memories. When she completed her speech, her image greeted her
with complaints and said these words.
Q 17. Which days were the happiest days in Manjula’s life?
Ans-
Manjula was a very active girl. When she completed her college studies, she
wanted a decent job. For this purpose she migrated to Bangalore with her
parents. She lived there with her parents. Pramod also came into her life there
and they got married. It was the time when she had everything-her parents, a
good job, a caring husband. Thus, these were the happiest days in her life.
Q 18. Write a short note on the appropriateness of the title ‘Broken
Images’.
Ans-
Girish Kamad has given the play the title ‘Broken Images’ which conveys the two
meanings of the play. The title appropriately reconciles with the theme of the
play. The whole play is written in the dialogue form between Manjula, a famous
English novelist and her own self image. During their conversation, the image
poses many questions to Manjula Nayak and Manjula Nayak replies the questions.
The
image asks questions which are related to Manjula's personal life as well as
her career at writing. Through this technique, Manjula opens her heart clearly
before her readers or audiences that she could not do directly. The reference
of Malini informs the audience that Malini is the main character and the novel
is based on her. Thus, the title ‘Broken Images’ is quite suitable, appropriate
and true.
Q 19. The childhood of Manjula was a neglected one. What can you
say about it?
Ans-
Undoubtedly, Manjula faced so many phases in her life. She spent a neglected
childhood. She could not get proper love and care from her parents though she
was an active girl. The main reason for her neglect was that her younger sister
Malini was a physically challenged girl. She was more intelligent and beautiful
than Manjula, her elder sister. Manjula shows her indifference towards this
neglect yet it comes again and again on the surface.
Malini
had been suffering from a disease called meningomyelocele which is a disease of
the nervous system. So, she had to remain in her wheelchair because she could
not even move. Manjula’s parents left her with her grandparents and kept Malini
along with them. They lived at Koramangala. Thus, Manjula had to lead a
neglected life.
Q 20. How does Manjula Nayak criticise Indian Television
studios?
Ans-
Manjula Nayak is quite perfect in TV programs but at this time when she is to
deliver her speech, she is not satisfied with the technical aspect of the
studio. She comments on this aspect saying that Indian Television studios are noisy
in comparison to the studios of London and Toronto.
A
number of men and women continuously keep running. They shout orders to one
another. Big lights can be seen everywhere which cause too much light in Indian
Television studios, a number of headphones and cameras can be seen lying
scattered here and there. This is the picture in Manjula’s mind about the
Indian Television studios.
Q 21. Discuss the motive of Girish Karnad behind writing Broken
Images, a soap opera form of T.V. stage drama.
Ans-
The motive of Girish Karnad behind writing ‘Broken Images’, a soap opera form
of T.V. staged drama is that it weaves in issues like the hegemony of English
over Indian languages and the hollowness of media which bestows greatness on a
work that lay unnoticed in its original language but when translated into English
becomes the toast of the global literary world. The central character Manjula,
now the successful Kannada turned English writer has a handicapped, wheelchair
bound sister, Malini. But it is disabled Malini who turns out to be a really
healthy and whole person. It is Malini who not only wins the love of Manjula’s
husband Pramod, but is far more centred and happy than her caretaker sister,
Manjula.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Who is the writer of the play 'Broken Images'?
a.
Rabindranath Tagore
b. Girish Karnad
c.
GB Shaw
d.
Mahesh Dattani
2. Girish Karnad was the recipient of-
a.
Padma Shri
b.
Padma Bhushan
c.
Jnanpith award
d. All of the above
3. Which writer has been quoted at the beginning of the play?
a. T.S. Eliot
b.
W.B.Yeats
c.
Rabindranath Tagore
d.
None of the above
4. The play starts in a .......
a.
market
b.
theatre
c. television studio
d.
mansion
5. Who is the protagonist of the play?
a.
Malini
b.
Pramod
c. Manjula
d.
the announcer
7. Manjula was a .......
a.
English lecturer
b.
Kannada short story writer
c.
English novelist
d. All of the above
8. Who is Manjula's younger sister?
a.
Rekha
b.
Sulekha
c. Malini
d.
Madhu
9. Name the English novel written by Manjula.
a.
The Rose and the Thorn
b. The River has no Memories
c.
The Sacred River of South India
d.
My Little Sister
10. According to a pandit, "For Indian writers, English is
a medium of ..........."
a.
Honesty
b. Dishonesty
c.
Loyalty
d.
Disloyalty
11. A response is good. But a meaningful response is better.'
This is a/an .... proverb.
a.
English
b.
Hindi
c. Kannada
d.
Malayalam
12. Who is physically challenged in the play?
a.
Manjula
b. Malini
c.
Pramod
d.
the announcer
13. What is a cardinal sin that Manjula talks about?
a.
marrying Pramod
b.
neglecting Malini
c. writing a novel in English
d.
none of the above
14. In the later half of the novel we find Manjula talking to
.......
a.
Malini
b. her own image
c.
Pramod
d.
the announcer
15. Where did Manjula's parents live?
a. Koramangala
b.
Varthur
c.
Lingarajpuram
d.
Narayanpura
16. With whom Manjula spent her childhood?
a.
her father
b.
her mother
c. her grandparents
d.
all of the above
17. What was the first question asked to Manjula?
a. Why did she write in English?
b.
Why did she write in Kannada?
c.
Why did she come to Bangalore?
d.
None of the above
18. The novel 'The River has No Memories' is based on the life
of-
a.
Manjula
b.
Pramod
c. Malini
d.
Manjula's mother
19. Who was Pramod's and Manjula's common friend?
a.
Malini
b.
Girish
c.
Cathy
d. Lucy
20. Who is the software wizard in the drama and has moved to Los
Angeles?
a. Pramod
b.
Manjula
c.
Malini
d.
none of the above
21. In the play, was Pramod faithful to Manjula?
a.
Yes
b. No
c.
maybe
d.
none of the above
22. In which language does Manjula write?
a. Kannada
b.
Hindi
c.
Tamil
d.
Malayalam
23. The image in the play actually is …..
a.
Pramod, Manjula's husband
b.
announcer of studio
c. Manjula's conscience
d.
Malini
24. How did Pramod convey his feelings for Manjula?
a. by writing a letter
b.
direct proposal
c.
through a friend
d.
on telephone
25. Pramod worked as …….
a.
a banker
b.
a chartered Accountant
c.
an actor
d. a software engineer
JCERT/JAC English Elective प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
English Elective Contents
Short Stories | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
Poetry | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
7. | |
8. | |
Non-Fiction | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
Drama | |
1. | |
2. | |
Novel | |
1. | |
2. | |
