प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Class - 12
English Elective
2. The Financial Expert - R.K. Narayan
Q-1 Write a character sketch of Margayya.
Ans-
Margayya had been named after enchanting God Krishna by his parents but the
people did not know his real name and called him Margayya. 'Marg' meant the way
and 'Ayya' meant the man who showed the way. Margayya and his elder brother
were living and sharing their ancestral house in Vinayaka Street. He was
married to Meenakshi and had a son named Balu. He was blindly obsessed with
money.
Margayya
was running a roadside counter opposite to the Co-operative Bank in Malgudi. He
used to charge a fee for writing loan application forms on behalf of illiterate
and ignorant villagers who came to take loans from the bank. He abandoned the
business and entered into an agreement with Madan Lal. The book, 'Domestic
Harmony' was printed in partnership. Then he launched an attractive deposit
scheme and accepted millions of rupees as deposits on interest at the rate of
20% annual interest. Whereas the bank gives only 3% annual interest.
He
neglects his wife and child. Balu turns into a spoiled child and runs away from
the house. We can say that Margayya knows how to mint money. He is an expert
financial manager. But he fails miserably as father and husband. He sits on a
mountain of wealth but life slips from his hands and lands him to the place
where he had started.
Q 2. The Financial Expert is the story of the rise and fall of
Margayya. Discuss.
Ans-
The Financial Expert is the story of the rise and fall of Margayya. It is his
obsession with money that takes him to a great height and ultimately brings
about his downfall. The story of his rise land fall is in five phases.
In
the first phase, Margayya acts as the financial advisor to the farmers. He
charges a modest fee for writing loan application forms on behalf of illiterate
villagers who come to take loans from the bank. In the second phase Margayya
becomes the prosperous publisher of the book "Domestic Harmony' in
collaboration with the printer, Mr. Lal. He earns a lot of money through the
sale of the book and within a short period he becomes well-known for his
riches.
In
the third phase, Margayya becomes financial advisor' and money lender to the
farmers, with his own office in Market Road. He does this after selling his
copyright of Domestic Harmony to Madan Lal. In the fourth phase, he becomes the
financial wizard who receives deposits and 20% interest with the help of Dr.
Pal. His son Balu is married to Brinda, daughter of a rich tea estate owner.
In
the fifth phase, Margayya loses everything on account of the quarrel with Dr.
Pal. He not only files an FIR against him but also spreads rumour that
Margayya's financial position is weak. People come to Margayya to have their
money withdrawn. Margayya declares himself an insolvent. He returns to where he
had started.
Q 3. Discuss the role of Dr. Pal in The Financial Expert.
Ans-
Dr. Pal plays a significant role in the life of Margayya and his family. In
fact, he is responsible for making and marring Margayya's fortune. Margayya is
charmed by his personality. Dr. Pal has written a book named 'Domestic
Harmony'. He gladly gives the book to Margayya for twenty five rupees. Margayya
gets into a fifty-fifty partnership with the printer, Madan Lal. The book is
published and he earns a lot of money through the sales of the book.
Then
Margayya starts his banking business with the help of Dr. Pal as his agent. At
his advice the rich merchants of Malgudi deposit all the money with Margayya.
He earns a lot of money from his deposit-cum-interest scheme. When Balu settles
in his new house with his wife Brinda, Dr. Pal becomes a regular visitor. He
made Balu eat, drink, gamble and enjoy the company of prostitutes. He
instigates Balu to demand his share of the ancestral property from his father.
Margayya beats him up. Dr. Pal lodged an FIR with the police. Next day, he
spreads rumours among Margayya's clients that their money is not safe with him.
The clients take back all their money, making Margayya bankrupt. Thus, Dr. Pal
brings about Margayya's ruin.
Q4. Attempt a character-sketch if Balu.
Ans-
Balu is the only child of his parents Margayya and Meenakshi. He is born after
twelve years of their marriage. But his father is always busy with his
financial affairs. He does not come back home in time to spend a few moments of
leisure with his son. His mother is busy with the domestic chores. Balu grows
neglected in his early childhood. He turns into a stubborn and obstinate child
because of the utter neglect by his parents. He runs away with his father's
account book and throws it into the gutter. Balu hates books, studies, teachers
and schools. He has failed in the tenth standard examination despite tuition
given at home. His father shouts at him and the boy runs away to freedom in
Madras. After he returns to Malgudi, he is married to Brinda only to be
corrected.
Balu
comes under the evil influence of Dr. Pal. He indulges himself in drinking,
gambling and smoking. He remains away from home till midnight. He demands the
share of his property in a threatening way. Balu is aimless. He has no
achievements except his father's unbound wealth that too he loses towards the
end.
Q5. Write a note on Margayya's attempt at educating his son.
Ans-
When the book 'Domestic Harmony' was published, Margayya's days changed. He
became rich. Balu had become six years old. Margayya was very keen about the
education of his son. He took him to the Town's Elementary School and admitted
him there. He made it a grand show. He took the young boy in a decorated motor
car with pipes and drums through the Market Road; he walked in front of the car
with a few people.
Next
day they celebrated the schooling ceremony of his son and so the family of his
brother too graced the occasion. Balu was not performing well in the school and
at the end of the term he returned home with his progress card marked zero.
Margayya decided to take charge of the school and became its secretary. Now
Balu has a special standing in the school, Margayya provided all the facilities
to the boy for studying. He even puts a framed picture of Goddess Saraswati in
his study room. But Balu fails to pass the S.S.L.C. examination. Thus, all
efforts of Margayya to educate his son goes in vain.
Q6. Attempt a character-sketch of Meenakshi in the novel The
Financial Expert.
Ans-
Meenakshi, the wife of Margayya, is a lovable character. She is a typical
Indian housewife in a middle class family. She represents the loving, faithful,
submissive and practical middle class women of India. Her home is all her world
to her. Her sole duty is to look after her son and her husband.
Meenakshi
is a devoted and faithful wife. Her husband often scolds her but she remains
calm and silent. Even when Margayya has enough money he does not employ any
servant and Meenakshi continues to do all the household work herself. When Balu
runs away to Madras she sheds tears constantly, eats very little and asks her
husband to go out in search of the son. It is she who forces her husband to go
to Madras and find him. Meenakshi is a practical woman. She knows that money is
important in life but it is not everything. She is satisfied with what she was
given and does not crave for more. In short, Meenakshi is a typical homely,
Indian housewife. Her field of activity is confined to the four walls of her
house. She suffers a lot in her life without any complaint.
Q7. How was Balu's School Ceremony organised by Margayya?
Ans-
When Balu was six years old, he was admitted to Town Elementary School. He was
taken to the school in a decorated motor with pipe and drums through the Market
Road. Margayya, his elder brother and some rich people of the city were walking
in front of the car. The traffic was held up for half an hour when Balu's
admission procession was passing. Margayya's brother presented young Balu with
a silver box. Margayya asked his son to prostrate himself before his uncle and
receive his blessing.
Q8. What was Margayya's interest in Dr. Pal?
Ans-
Margayya meets Dr. Pal, when he goes to a pond beyond Sarayu river to get a red
lotus for his puja. Dr. Pal helps Margayya to get the red lotus. Margayya
thanks him for his service. They become good friends. Dr Pal says that he
writes books. He shows Margayya his book "Domestic Harmony'. Margayya
feels interested in the contents of the book.
Q 9. Why does Margayya's Red Book have special importance for
him?
Ans-
The red book has great importance for Margayya. It contains all the details of
the loans given by him to many of his clients and they cannot deny the return
evidence. It's impossible for him to carry business without it. He makes all
his efforts and within fifteen days, manages to collect two hundred from his
clients.
Q 10. How does Margayya feel at the loss of his Red Account
Book?
Ans-
While writing accounts in his red book, Balu was in his lap. Balu refuses to
leave him. He promises to leave his father only if he buys him a white elephant
toy just then. Margayya becomes angry, Balu kicks away the register and the ink
pot. He picks up the red book, runs away and throws it in the flowing gutter.
Margayya's blood boils and slaps him in front of everyone. Margayya tries to
search for the lost book with a stick in hand. But all in vain. He feels
desperate at the loss of the red book and goes back home.
Q 11. Write a few sentences on Brinda, the wife of Balu.
Ans-
Brinda is Balu's young wife. She belongs to a rich family of landed
aristocracy. She is made to live separately immediately after her marriage.
Brinda has not tasted the love and affection of her father-in-law and mother-
in-law. In the end Brinda discloses to her father-in-law Balu's behaviour. She
is a suffering wife like her mother- in-law. She did not get any marital
happiness from Balu.
Q 12. What details do you get about Margayya's ancestry ?
Ans-
Margayya belongs to a very low caste. There was a time when his father's
grandfather and his brothers were corpse-bearers. Whenever an animal died they
were called to carry the corpse. After some years they acquired a piece of land
and became agriculturalists. In Malgudi Margayya now lives in Vinayaka Street
at house number 14-D and has collected a lot of wealth. Margayya and his
brother share their ancestral house. It is a single home situated on the fringe
of the cremation ground.
Q 13. How was a suitable match for Balu traced?
Ans-
Balu has grown up but he wastes his time, money and health on drinking and
smoking. Margayya plans to marry Balu off so that his life becomes regular and
he becomes responsible. There were hundreds of marriage proposals but he was
looking for some girl with a suitable status. Finally he selects Brinda, the
daughter of a rich tea estate owner of Memphi. He bribes the astrologer who
declares Brinda to be suitable for Balu.
Q 14. Describe the role of Arul Doss in the play.
Ans-
Arul Doss is the head peon of the Co-operative Bank at Malgudi. Margayya calls
him the worst blackguard under the sun. Arun Doss plays an active role in
throwing out Margyya from his workplace. Arul instigates the bank secretary to
punish Margayya. He collects all the forms from the tin box of Margayya under
the instructions of the Secretary. He feels proud while doing so.
Q 15. How can you say that Murti the school teacher is a
helpless person?
Ans-
Murti is an arithmetic and English teacher at the school where Balu studies. He
has the reputation of a great teacher and strict disciplinarian. Margayya
engages him as Balu's tutor to teach him and tell him to use cane fearlessly.
He gets ten rupees a month for home tuition in addition to twenty rupees a
month from the school job. Murti tries to keep Balu happy. He gave him gifts of
pencils, rubbers, sweets and solved all his aims. Murti is a helpless teacher
and he performs his duty as a formality without his heart in it.
Q 16. Write down the duties encrusted to Shastri, the Accountant
of Margayya?
Ans-
Sastri is Margayya's accountant. He is a retired government servant. He is
honest and sincere in his work. Margayya is a hard task master and he does not
like Shastri to waste a minute in the office. He has a very difficult and tight
schedule in the office. He has to write down the mortgage that are left with
him by the villagers who come to Margayya for financial help. He gets fifty
rupees a month. He does not ask his master to raise his salary for fear of
losing his job. Sastri suffers for his master without a word of complaint.
Q 17. Why does the secretary of the Co-operative Bank become
against Margayya?
Ans-
Margayya gets his business under the banyan tree in front of the Co-operative
Bank. Arul Doss, the peon, provokes the secretary to throw Margayya from his
working place. He first sends Arul to call Margayya in the bank premises.
Margayya answers him rudely. The secretary comes and charges Margayya with
illegally possessing loan applications. Arul snatches the form. He through Doss
warns Margayya to put in jail if he is found working in that place.
Q 18. How did the police inspector help Margayya in searching
Balu?
Ans-
Margayya meets the Police Inspector in a train on his way to Madras. He tells
him that he is going to Madras in search of his son Balu. The Police Inspector
was very kind, friendly and cooperative. He examines the postcard and finds out
that it has been posted from Park Town. He tells Margayya the happy news that
his son is not dead. Then he takes Margayya to the house of the rich man who
wrote the postcard bearing the fake news of his son's death. He also takes
Margayya to the theatre where he finds his son alive.
Q 19. Who is Madan Lal and how does he help Margayya in his
business?
Ans-
Madan Lal is a businessman from Bombay settled in Malgudi. He seems to be an
honest businessman with the work of printing. He gives due welcome to Margayya
who comes to him to talk about the publication of Dr. Pal's book. He looks at
the manuscript most patiently before committing anything.
Madan
Lal is very hospitable towards his clients and he invites Margayya to have
lunch with him in the restaurant. Margayya is highly impressed by his
hospitality. After seeing the entire manuscript Madan Lal declares to seek the
opinion of his lawyer. Margayya doesn't come forward to spend anything on the
production of the book. Even then, Madan Lal agrees to pay Margayya a share in
the profits. The title of the book is changed to "Domestic Harmony".
The book proves to be a roaring success. Margayya earns a lot from the sale of
this book.
Q 20. How can you say that Meenakshi is a silent sufferer in the
house?
Ans-
Luxmi is Margayya's wife. Her real name is Meenakshi. She is a tortured woman.
She has lived in misery all her life. Meenakshi works like a beast. She never
complains because her husband is a mad bull. She is sad at her husband's plan
to become a millionaire overnight. She begs from neighbours her daily
necessities. Her son Balu acts like a mischievous monkey, still she pampers
him. She has no female companion. She cannot share her grief with her
sister-in-law though they are sharing the same house, as the brothers are
hostile to each other.
Even
when Margayya becomes rich and prosperous she lives in terror. She has no peace
of mind when Margayya is a worker under the banyan tree and when he is a rich
man she is still the same. In short, we can say that Meenakshi is a typically
tame, tolerant, meek, self-surrendering and patient Indian housewife. She
always obeys, never contradicts and bears everything calmly. Thus, Meenakshi is
a silent sufferer in the house.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Who is the author of the novel 'The Financial Expert'?
a. R.K.Narayan
b.
Mulk Raj Anand
c.
Rajarao
d.
Anita Desai
2. R.K.Narayan was awarded ……….
a.
Sahitya Akadami Award
b. Padma Bhushan
c.
Both (a) and (b)
d.
Neither (a) nor (b)
3. The fictional town where the story takes place is ……….
a.
Erode
b.
Salem
c. Malgudi
d.
Hosahalli
4. Who is the protagonist of the novel 'The Financial Expert'?
a. Margayya
b.
Dr. Pal
c.
Balu
d.
Brinda
5. The novel is divided into …….. parts.
a.
two
b.
three
c.
four
d. five
6. Margayya was named after enchanting God ……….
a.
Vishnu
b.
Shiva
c. Krishna
d.
Ram
7. The proudest building in Malgudi is ……….
a.
Margayya's house
b. Central Cooperative Mortgage Bank
c.
Government School
d.
Malgudi's theatre
8. Who is the financial wizard in the novel?
a. Margayya
b.
Balu
c.
Dr. Pal
d.
Madan Lal
9. Where is Margayya's ancestral house?
a.
Angappa Street
b. Vinayaka Street
c.
Narayana Street
d.
Sirdi Street
10. Who was Margayya's wife?
a. Meenakshi
b.
Brinda
c.
Lakshmi
d.
Ratna
11. Who was Arul Doss?
a.
publisher
b. bank peon
c.
writer
d.
Margayya's son
12. Margayya wrote all the accounts of his clients in the ........
Book.
a.
orange
b.
yellow
c.
green
d. red
13. What is the name of Margayya's son?
a. Balu
b.
Shashtri
c.
Madan
d.
Murti
14. The priest narrated to Margayya the story of ……… From The
Mahabharata.
a.
Krishna
b.
Dronacharya
c.
Arjun
d. Kuber
15. The priest advised Margayya to worship Goddess ………..
a.
Durga
b.
Kali
c. Lakshmi
d.
Saraswati
16. Balu threw the red book in the .........
a. gutter
b.
river
c.
fire
d.
pond
17. Margayya went to the bank of the Saryu to collect …….
a.
fishes
b.
shells
c. red lotus
d.
all of the above
18. Whom did Margayya meet near the river?
a.
Madan Lal
b. Dr. Pal
c.
Murti
d.
Shashtri
19. Why Dr. Pal used to come near the river?
a.
to get red lotus
b.
for fishing
c.
for boating
d. to write books in a peaceful environment
20. Who helped Margayya to get the red lotus?
a.
Meenakshi
b.
Balu
c. Dr. Pal
d.
Brinda
21. Margayya became rich after :
a.
he robbed the bank
b. the publication of the book
c.
he won a lottery
d.
Brinda brought a lot of dowry
22. At what age Balu was sent to school?
a. six years
b.
five years
c.
four years
d.
three years
23. What happened on the first day when Balu was sent to school?
a.
the motor car was decorated
b.
pipes were blown and drums were beaten
c.
the traffic was held for half an hour
d. all of the above
24. Who was Balu's tutor?
a. Mr. Shashtri
b.
Mr. Murti
c.
Dr. Pal
d.
Madan Lal
25. After failing his exam Balu ran to .......
a. Madras
b.
Calcutta
c.
Mysore
d.
Hyderabad
26. Which character in the novel was responsible for making and
marring Margayya's fortune?
a.
Madan Lal
b.
Balu
c. Dr. Pal
d. Brinda
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. | |
