The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand - Q&A Solved

Summary of the Story 'The Lost Child'

The story "The Lost Child" by Mulk Raj Anand depicts a young boy's experience at a village fair. Enthralled by the various attractions like toys, sweets, flowers, and balloons, the boy repeatedly lags behind his parents. Each time he asks for something, he anticipates his parents' refusal and moves on without waiting for their response. As the fair's excitement heightens, the boy suddenly realizes he has lost his parents. Overcome with fear and anxiety, he cries out for them and runs around in a frantic search. A kind man finds him and tries to comfort him by offering the very things he desired earlier. However, the boy now only wants his mother and father, having lost interest in everything else. The story ends with the boy still yearning for his parents, leaving readers with hope for their eventual reunion.

THINK ABOUT IT (Q&A)

1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

   • The child sees toys, a mustard field, insects, flowers, doves, sweets, garlands, balloons, a snake-charmer, and a roundabout. He lags behind because he is fascinated and distracted by these sights.

2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

   • The child wants burfi, a garland, balloons, and a roundabout ride. He moves on without waiting because he knows his parents will refuse, considering his desires greedy, the items cheap, or him too old.

3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

   • He realizes he is lost when he cannot find his parents after asking for a roundabout ride. His anxiety is shown through his cries, tears, panicked running, and desperate calls for his mother and father.

4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

   • The child loses interest in previous desires because his main concern becomes finding his parents. The need for safety and reunion with them outweighs his earlier wants.

5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

• The story ends ambiguously, but the kind man comforts the child, suggesting he is in safe hands. It is hopeful that with the man's help, the child will eventually find his parents.

Additional Questions and Answers

1. What distracts the child while walking with his parents?

   • The child is distracted by toys, flowers, insects, sweets, garlands, balloons, a snake-charmer, and a roundabout.

2. How does the child react when his father refuses to buy him a toy?

   • The child moves on, knowing his father would refuse, but he remains eager and hopeful for other attractions.

3. What sights at the fair excite the child the most?

   • The child is most excited by the sweetmeats, garlands, balloons, and the roundabout ride.

4. How does the child feel when he realizes he is lost?

   • The child feels scared, anxious, and desperate, crying and searching frantically for his parents.

5. What does the kind man do to help the lost child?

   • The kind man tries to comfort the child by offering him a ride, showing him balloons, and offering sweets and flowers.

6. Why does the child refuse all the offers made by the kind man?

   • The child refuses all offers because his only concern is finding his parents; nothing else matters to him anymore.

7. What lesson does the story "The Lost Child" teach?

   • The story teaches the importance of parental love and security, showing that a child's greatest need is the presence and comfort of their parents.

Elective English - Woven Words - L02 - A Pair Of Mustachios by Mulk Raj Anand

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

1. What do you understand of the natures of Ramanand and Azam Khan from the episode described?
   
   ANSWER:
   
   
   Ramanand, the grocer and the money lender, is quiet cunning and possess a servile nature that is fit for his business of selling groceries and money lending. He never gets angry but prevails on his customers like Azam Khan with cleverness and by provoking the so called pride. It is also evident that Ramanand regards his customers as always right at least in principle. So he always keeps his business first and pride secondary.
   
   
   Azam Khan on the other hand is a victim of so called pride. He is still lost in the past glory of his forefathers. He is arrogant, full of anger and short sighted. He is ready to sell all his property for the sake of keeping Ramanand's mustaches down, which was suitable to his(Ramanand) class. Obviously Azam Khan is living in his past. He is impractical, short tempered and doesn't know what is good or bad for him.
2. Identify instances in the story that show the business acumen of Ramanand.
   
   ANSWER:
   
   
   Ramanand is a good businessman. His business acumen is evident from the fact that he readily agrees to lower his mustache on Azam Khan'request. But he lowers only one tip of his mustache just to cleverly provoke Khan to bring in more of his property for mortgage. Unlike Khan he never gets angry and keeps his business interests above all his priorities.
   
   
3. Both Ramand and Azam Khan seem to have very fixed views. How does Ramanand score over Azam Khan towards the end of the story?
   
   ANSWER:
   
   

   Ramanand and Azam Khan have a fixed view regarding themselves and each other. They are part of the social milieu that believes in the categorization of people on the basis of their mustaches. Ramanand belonged to goat class while Khan sahib belonged to tiger class mustache. They are both in harmony with the fact that they should not trespass into each other's boundaries.
   
   

   Ramanand scores over Azam Khan at the end of the story by turning up the tip of his goat mustache so that it looked like a tiger mustache. This enrages Azam Khan and he is tricked into selling all his property to Ramanand.
   
   

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

1. The episode has been narrated in a light vein. What social mores does the author seem to ridicule?
   
   ANSWER:
   
   
   The author has mocked the society and its people who live in false pride of their community or lineage. How a fool who knows not of the practical matters and just to feed their image they go ahead auctioning their actual possessions. And such people are fooled by the smarter ones like Ramanand who bend but do not break. They alter their values according to the need of the situation but do not compromise entirely on their pride. They are the cunning ones who take advantage of fools who are stuffed with their worn out social status and forsake the present to protect the past. The author has ridiculed such people who weave their fall with their insensibilities.
   
   
2. What do you think are the reasons for the references made to the English people and the British monarchy?
   
   ANSWER:
   

   
   

   Indian society, unfortunately, is the one that takes pride in the language and culture of their rulers and not in their own rich and vibrant history. The nabobs and babus that were in British Raj are still looked up and are respected. Though the truth is that these are the people that ensured English Queen's authority on our land. The reference in the story of Mulk Raj Anand makes it clear. He cites an example of how the nabobs and generals in English army are to wear the prestigious lion mustache, which is worn by resplendent rajas and maharajas  of our land. This makes clear how we Indians take pride in being slaves of Britishers.
   
   
3. What do you think is the message that the author seems to convey through the story?
   
   ANSWER:
   
   
   The author has tried to make a point that how people living by age old impractical values weave their own fall and create unnecessary disturbance in the society. One should evolve as the time advances and the society grows. Sticking to false pride is not what will bring prosperity to one. One must be cautious and keep a wide eye to see if one is taking advantage of their virtues.

APPRECIATION

1. Comment on the way in which the theme of the story has been introduced.
   
   ANSWER:
   
   
   The theme of the story-mustachios has been introduced in a scientific but light manner. In the beginning, it seems that it might be an essay on how Indians take pride on their style of mustaches. It is only later the reader realizes the significance of the introduction. The author wisely served the reader with the detail description of the object around which the whole story will revolve. How men rise and fall by altering and sticking to their status symbols, such as mustachios.
   
   
2. How does the insertion of dialogue in the story contribute to its interest?
   
   ANSWER:
   

   
   

   Inclusion of dialogues in a story enables the writer to express things in their actual perspective. It allows him to include words and expressions which a writer normally would not write on his own. For example when Azam Khan gets angry he says to Ramanand: "You know what I mean, seed of a donkey!" or & "I tell you, turn that tip down" or "I shall wring your neck."

LANGUAGE WORK

1. Nouveau riche and bourgeoise are French words. Collect from newspapers, magazines and other sources some more French words or expressions that are commonly used in English.
   
   ANSWER:
   
   Following are few popular French words frequently used in English:
   - Salade
   - Soupe
   - Omelette
   - Restaurant
   - Depot
   - Genre
   - Voyeur
   - Souvenir
   - Bouquet
   - Boutique
   - Entrepreneur
   
2. Locate expressions in the text which reflect the Indian idiom, for example, the pride of the generations of his ancestors.
   
   ANSWER:
   
   Here are a few Indian idioms reflected in the text.
   
   Seed of a donkey,
   To become a mere worm,
   Oily lentil-eaters
   
3. We ‘draw up a deed’. Complete the following phrases with appropriate words 

a. To give one’s word
b. Carry out one’s will
c. To make ends meet
d. To owe a loan
e. Give a deaf ear to