NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
A HOUSE IS NOT A
HOME
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
Summary: This is a real incident of a teenager Zan Gaudioso the author of the story. In this story he had to face such a situation that it changed his life completely. After leaving junior high, he felt it strange starting over as a freshman. The school was twice as big as his old school, and to make matters worse, his closest friends went to some different high schools. He felt very isolated. He often went to meet his old teachers. They encouraged him to get involved in school activities.
One Sunday afternoon he was sitting at home at his dining-room table doing homework. His little cat was sitting on the table. His mother was stoking the fire to keep the house nice and warm. Suddenly, he smelt something strange and then noticed some smoke pouring in through the seams of the ceiling. The author on to the neighbours to call the fire department, while his mother ran back into the house and then ran out of the house carrying a small metal box full of important documents. His mother again went into house. The author was screaming and trying to go after his mother but the firemen stopped him by holding him tightly. After some time, a fireman emerged from the house with his mom. Five hours later, the fire was finally out. The house was almost completely burnt down. The next day, Monday, he went to school wearing weird clothes and returning from there he went to his burnt and damaged house. They had to borrow money from his grandparents because there were no credit cards, cash or even any identification to be able to withdraw money from bank. Everything had gone up in smoke.
The next day at school, people were acting even more strangely than
usual. He was getting ready for gym class at his locker. People were milling
around him, asking him to hurry up. All his friends, teachers and others had
taken up a collection and had bought him school supplies, notebooks and all
kinds of different clothes. Each new person was introducing, himself to the
author warmly. A month later, the author was at his house watching them rebuild
it. But this time it was different—he wasn't alone. Now the author's life has
changed and he felt gratitude for his life, his new friends, kindness of a
stranger and the loud purr of his beloved cat.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
& ANSWERS
THINK ABOUT IT
Q. 1. What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother's reaction? What does she do?
Ans. The author, while doing his homework noticed the smoke pouring in through the seams of the ceiling. The room was filled with the smoke very quickly. They all ran outside to save their life. His mother ran out of the house with a small metal box full of important documents. She became so crazy that she rushed back to the house just after dropping the box.
Q. 2. Why does he break down in tears after the fire?
Q. 3. Why is the author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and insecurity ?
Ans. The author was full of remorse as he was left with nothing. He didn't have proper dress and study material. He had no backpack. He had the feeling of insecurity. All things appeared strange to him. He was shocked deeply and seemed frustrated. Negative ideas and feelings of despair overwhelmed him.
Q. 4. The cat and the author are very fond of each other. How has this been shown in the story? Where was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back and how?
Ans. The author loved his cat very much. He never considered her far from him. She kept sitting beside him when he did his homework and other household work. When the author finds his cat back, his happiness was beyond the limits. He grabbed her quickly and felt relieved. This proved that they were very fond of each other.
The cat ran over a mile away when the house was on fire. A stranger lady brought it back as there was a phone number written on the collar of cat.
Q. 5. What actions of the schoolmates change the author's understanding of life and people, and comfort him emotionally? How does his loneliness vanish and how does he start participating in life ?
Ans. His schoolmates bought up school supplies, notebooks, all kinds of different clothes for the author in order to help him. It was a matter of surprise and too difficult to believe for him. He got emotional satisfaction. People who had never spoken, introduced themselves one by one. All things seemed new and created his interest in life. Now, he had all the things whatever he used to have. He started enjoying his life as usual.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
Q. 6. What is the meaning of "My cat was back and so was I"? Had the author gone anywhere? Why does he say that he is also back?
Ans. Here the author wants to point out that life without affection is useless. He was depressed after a great loss in all fields. His old school and teachers were always in his mind. The fire had reduced his house to ashes. His cat was also not with him. In such circumstances he considered himself dead and had no interest in life.
In the end as soon as the conditions took the turn he felt relieved. Now he had all the things with him. The author had not gone anywhere. It was his state of mind. He recovered from this gloomy state and started enjoying life.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
TALK ABOUT IT
Q. 1. Have any of your classmates/schoolmates had an experience like the one described in the story where they needed help? Describe how they were helped.
Ans. Two years ago, my friend Raju visited the market to buy some household things. It was a crowded market and a shop caught fire due to short circuit. The panic-stricken people rushed here and there. My friend too was trying to leave that place. He with three people got himself locked in a nearby shop to escape from smoke. But the shop was filled with smoke within a little span of time. They felt suffocated by the fumes. They considered that their end was near. In the meantime, a team of an NGO broke open the shutter and took them out of the shop. They were hospitalised quickly. I could get my friend back because of the team and the grace of God. In this way their life could be saved.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
SHORT ANSWER TYPE
QUESTIONS
Q. 1. What did the author and his mother do on seeing the fire?
Arcs. Both of them got worried and rushed here and there. The author requested the neighbours to call the fire department. His mother rushed into house and brought out important household things and docuents.
Q. 2. Why did the mother rush back to the house again ?
Ans. She was so crazy that without caring about her life she entered the house. She was very much devoted to her husband so she wanted to collect letters and pictures of her dead husband. She did not like to lose all these things. So, she rushed back again.
Q. 3. Why did the author keep visiting the remains of his house?
Ans. The author was shocked when he lost his cat in the fire. He could not believe that his cat was not there. He kept visiting the remains of his house in order to find his cat. He hoped to get her.
Q. 4. What did the author get from his new schoolmates?
Ans. His new schoolmates gave many things to the author. They had a lot of sympathy for him. They had taken up a collection and provided the author with school supplies, notebooks and all kinds of clothes. Moreover, he got new friends that day.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Chapter 8 A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME | English Moments
II. LONG ANSWER
TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 80 words)
Q. 1. Describe how the author and his mother react to the fire in their house.
Ans. One day the author noticed smoke coming out of his house. His house was on fire. The room was filled with smoke. The author with his coming ran outside the house. The fire spread quickly. He ran to the neighbours to ring the fire department. His mother went back into the house. She carried a small metal box full of important documents. She dropped the box and rushed back into the house to bring the pictures and the letters of her dead husband. The author asked her mother not to go back but she did not stop. He tried to catch her but the fireman did not allow him to run after her. The fireman brought her mother out of the house. Both of them were worried because they had lost everything.
Q. 2. Describe the role played by the author's friends in rebuilding his life.
Ans. The author's friends played a vital role in rebuilding his life. He was a fatherless house boy. His mother looked after him. He had a cat with him and he loved caught fire, they lost everything. The author, in new school, did not feel good. He kept visiting his old, school and teachers. His life had become dull. He had lost all hopes to live. When he visited his new school the next day, he found atmosphere strange. His new friends provided him with all the necessary items. They invited him to their homes. All this contributed a lot for the author. He lost the feelings of isolation, dejection and insecurity. He started leading a happy life again.
Q. 3. How did a 'wonderful' women bring happiness back in the life of the author?
Ans. The author loved his cat very much. He lost his cat when his house caught fire. He wanted his cat with him. He tried to find the cat but got nothing. After a month, a woman came to him with his, cat. He could not believe it. He grabbed his cat and started jumping. The wonderful woman somehow handed over his cat to him. She tried her best to find the owner of the cat. On seeing the collar and phone number written on it, she decided that the cat was loved and missed. She was a good lady. She realized the feeling of the owner of the cat. The author called her wonderful as getting his cat back was no less than a wonder for him.
Q. 4. Describe the author's love for his cat.
Ans. The author loved his cat very much. He never considered her far from him. He had rescued her when she was a kitten. She kept sitting beside him when he did his homework and other household work. When his house caught fire, he lost everything including his cat. His life seemed ruined. He started crying for his cat and left no stone unturned to find his cat. But he could not find her. He kept visiting the remains of his burnt house with the hope that he would find his cat there. He missed his cat all the time. When the wonderful lady brought the cat back to him, his happiness knew no limits. He grabbed her quickly and felt relieved.
Q. 5. Describe the title 'A House is Not a Home'.
Ans. Life without love is not life. Human relationship is based on love. The title itself indicates it clearly that a house is not a home without love. The author had to face adverse circumstances in his life. He was a fatherless boy. He led a satisfactory life with his old friends and teachers. But when he changed his school, he could not adjust himself in the new environment. He felt himself alienated. Later on his house caught fire and he lost all the things including his cat. He started feeling dejected and isolated. Life had no interest for him any more. They started building a new house. But it was not a home, as a house is a home only when there is love and happiness. The author did not have any attachment to the new house. His reunion with his cat, his new friends and the new house made his house a home.