Class 9 - Beehive - Chapter 3 - The Little Girl - by Katherine Mansfield, NCERT Solution

Introduction

Famous author Katherine Mansfield Beauchamp was bred and born in colonial New Zealand. When she relocated to the UK at the age of 19, she began writing under the pen name Katherine Mansfield. She connected with well-known UK authors, like D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf. Tragically, she was given a TB diagnosis in 1917 and died at the age of 34. Mansfield made substantial contributions to the short story form with her distinctive literary style, which frequently resembled poetry. Her works are well renowned for their emphasis on psychological tensions and for the oblique narration that frequently resembles Anton Chekhov's plays. During the last years of her life, Mansfield was a prolific writer, but a significant portion of her work remained unpublished until after her death.

Summary

In The Little Girl by Katherine Mansfield, Kezia is a young girl who fears her strict father. She feels relieved when he leaves for work and finds her parents distant even on Sundays. Her grandmother suggests she make a pin cushion for her father’s birthday, but Kezia unknowingly uses his important papers as stuffing. When they go missing, she is harshly punished. Kezia envies her neighbors, the Macdonalds, whose father is fun and loving. However, when her father comforts her after a nightmare, she realizes he also has a caring, gentle side beneath his strictness.

Theme

The story The Little Girl shows how children slowly understand their parents' actions. At first, Kezia fears and dislikes her strict father, but as she grows, she begins to see his caring side. The story highlights how children’s views of their parents change over time. Another theme is control, with Kezia’s father being the main authority in the family. Kezia, her mother, and the servants all answer to him. Kezia fears her father and feels distant from him, having to follow his demands. Like her mother, Kezia has duties when her father is home, showing how the female characters lack independence.

Character sketch of Kezia 'the little girl'

Kezia is a little girl who is very scared of her strict father. Though her exact age isn’t mentioned, she seems to be about four or five years old. She finds her father big, loud, and frightening, and she often stammers when speaking to him. Kezia is happy when he leaves for work and follows her mother’s orders to help him, but she sometimes wishes there were no fathers in the world. She envies the Macdonald children, who are loved by their father. One day, Kezia accidentally tears down her father’s important papers, which leads to trouble. Later, when he comforts her after a nightmare, she begins to see him differently, realizing his love and hard work. This changes her feelings, making her more affectionate toward him.

Character sketch of Kezia's Father

In the story The Little Girl, Kezia’s father appears strict and demanding at first. He is portrayed as an imposing figure who expects complete obedience from his family. His loud voice and serious demeanour make Kezia fear him, and she stammers in his presence. He orders his wife and daughter around, expecting them to meet his needs, like taking off his shoes and bringing his slippers. However, when Kezia's mother is away, he shows a caring side by comforting her during a nightmare, warming her feet and holding her close. This reveals his softer, loving side, contrasting with his usual strictness.

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.

1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
   
   
   Kezia was afraid of her father because he was strict, spoke harshly, and his large figure intimidated her.
   
   
2. Who were the people in Kezia's family?
   
   
   Kezia's family included her father, mother, and grandmother.
   
   
3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine (i) before going to his office? (ii) after coming back from his office? (iii) on Sundays?
   
   
   (i) Before going to his office, he would give Kezia a casual kiss.

   (ii) After coming back from his office, he would demand tea, his slippers, and his newspaper.

   (iii) On Sundays, he rested on the sofa, sleeping and snoring while the mother read.
   
   
4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

   
   Kezia's grandmother encouraged her to talk to her father and even suggested she make him a birthday gift to improve their relationship.

III. Answer the following in two or three paragraphs.

1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
   

   Kezia wanted to surprise her father by making him a pin-cushion for his birthday. She unknowingly tore up his important speech papers to use as stuffing. When her father discovered this, he became furious and punished her harshly, making Kezia feel deeply upset despite her good intentions.

2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers.” What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
   

   Mr. Macdonald was a playful and affectionate father who spent time laughing and playing with his children. He was kind and approachable, unlike Kezia’s father, who was stern and rarely showed affection. This contrast made Kezia realize that not all fathers were as strict as hers.

3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
   

   Kezia's view of her father changed when he comforted her during a nightmare. As he held her close, she realized he wasn't just a strict figure but someone who worked hard and also needed love and care. This moment helped her see his vulnerability and understand his actions better.

Extra Questions with Answers on 'The Little Girl'

1. What was Kezia’s routine when Father returned from office?
   
   
   Upon Father's arrival home from work, Kezia's mother would instruct her to come downstairs and remove Father's shoes, and then take them outside. Father would engage Kezia in conversation, to which she would often stutter in her replies. He would then ask her to place his teacup back on the table, and Kezia would seize the opportunity to leave his presence.
   
   
2. What was Father’s and Kezia’s morning routine?
   
   
   Kezia's father would visit her room and quickly give her a kiss before heading to the office. Kezia would respond with a simple "Goodbye, Father." However, due to her fear of him, she always felt a sense of relief once he had left.
   
   
3. Why did Kezia go slowly towards the drawing room when mother asked her to come downstairs?
   
   
   Kezia was intimidated by her strict father who often scolded her without showing any affection towards his little daughter. She felt so frightened of him that when asked to come downstairs to take off his shoes, she moved towards the drawing-room very slowly.
   
   
4. Why was Father often irritated with Kezia?
   
   
   Kezia's father was often irked by her nervous stuttering, and terrified expression when speaking to him. Her demeanour of wretchedness in his presence made him feel as if she was on the brink of suicide.
   
   
5. What was unusual about Kezia’s stuttering?
   
   
   Kezia could speak fluently to everyone in her household except for her father. When she was in his imposing presence, she could hardly speak and would stutter while attempting to communicate with him.
   
   
6. Why did Kezia stutter while speaking to Father?
   
   
   Kezia's father had a loud and dominating personality, and he often reprimanded her for her behaviour and appearance. His constant criticism and scolding shattered her self-confidence, and his imposing size frightened her. Despite Kezia's efforts to please him, she became tongue-tied and stuttered when she tried to talk to him, which only worsened her fear of him.
   
   
7. Why did Kezia feel that her father was like a giant?
   
   
   Kezia thought her father was like a giant because of his big hands and neck. She noticed that his mouth looked large when he yawned. His voice was loud, and he frequently barked orders. His stern and unfeeling demeanour made Kezia feel like he was a giant.