Beehive - Ch. 3 - The Little Girl (G9)

 

Meanings of words and phrases

• stutter: stammer usually out of fear
• wretched: express anger or annoyance
• brink: on the verge of
• gravely: seriously
• laboriously: in a way that takes considerable time and effort
• hue and cry: a noisy expression of anger
• pacing: to walk at a steady speed
• to and fro: to move constantly backwards and forwards
• clung: to hold on tightly
• nightmare : a frightening or unpleasant dream
• whispery : mysterious sounds
• butcher : a person whose trade is cutting up and selling meat in a shop
• shivering : shake slightly and uncontrollably
• tucked : to make someone comfortable in bed
• snuggled : settle or move into a warm, comfortable position
• crept : to approach slowly

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Story Overview:

• "The Little Girl" by Katherine Mansfield focuses on a father-daughter relationship.
• The little girl, Kezia, is initially so scared of her father that she can hardly meet his eyes.
• Over time, Kezia realizes her father is not as hard-hearted as she thought.

Narrative Perspective:

• The story is narrated from Kezia's point of view.
• Kezia’s views on her father, mother, grandmother, cook Alice, and neighbors the Macdonalds reveal her feelings about those around her.

Theme of Control:

• The story initially explores the theme of control.
• Kezia, her mother, and the servants are all answerable to her father.
• This control negatively impacts Kezia, evident in her fearful interactions with her father.
• Instead of a close bond, Kezia lives in fear of her father.

Theme Shift to Compassion:

• Towards the end, the theme shifts to compassion.
• When Kezia has trouble sleeping, her father carries her to his bed.
• For the first time, he prioritizes Kezia’s feelings.
• This moment is significant for Kezia, leading her to forgive her father and understand that his anger was due to his hard work.

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Thinking about the Text

I. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B.

A	B
1. Fear or terror	(i) Father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss
2. Glad sense of relief	(ii) Noise of the carriage grows fainter
3. A “funny” feeling, perhaps of understanding	(iii) Father comes home
	(iv) Speaking to father
	(v) Going to bed when alone at home
	(vii) Father stretched out on the sofa, snoring

Ans:

A	B
1. Fear or terror	(i) Father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss (iii) Father comes home   (iv) Speaking to father(v) Going to bed when alone at home(vii) Father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
2. Glad sense of relief	(ii) Noise of the carriage grows fainter
3. A “funny” feeling, perhaps of understanding	(vi) Father comforts her and falls asleep

II. Answer the Following Questions in One or Two Sentences.

1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Ans: Kezia had a strict father, and she was afraid of him. He always went around the home commanding everyone. He worked hard at the office and never took out time to play or talk to her. She was terrified by the way he looked at her over his spectacles. Even his appearance terrified her. He had big hands and a heavy face and a big mouth, especially when he yawned. 

2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?

Ans: Kezia had a small family consisting of her mother, father, grandmother, and herself.

3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine

(i) Before going to his office?

Ans: Kezia used to go to her room to give her a casual kiss before going to the office.

(ii) After coming back from his office?

Ans: He needed tea in the drawing-room when he returned back from the office. He asked Kezia to pull off his boot and his mother to bring him newspaper and slippers.

(iii) On Sundays?

Ans: He would sleep comfortably on the sofa on Sundays. He would stretch out on the sofa, cover his face with a handkerchief and put his feet on cushions, and doze off.

4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

Ans: Kezia’s grandmother asked her to improve communication between her parents. She asked her to talk with them in the drawing-room and suggested she make a beautiful pincushion from yellow silk as a gift for her father’s birthday.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

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

Ans: Grandmother advised Kezia to develop her relationship with her father by communicating more. On Sunday, she sent her to the drawing-room but instead of talking her presence would irritate him and he would call her ‘little brown owl.’

For her father’s birthday, her grandmother advised her to make a yellow silk pincushion. When she was done stitching the three sides, she searched around to find something to fill in the cushion and found sheets to fill in. It turned into a disaster since the sheets had an important speech for the Port Authority. He scolded her for touching and rubbing his important papers and hit her with a ruler on her palm.

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?

Ans: Kezia compared her father to another father living next door. He was a gentle father and had a loving and forgiving nature. He treated his kids in a friendly manner and played with them. He had an aura opposite to her own father. He never punished his kids. On the other hand, Kezia’s father was strict and disciplined.

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

Ans: Kezia was afraid of her father. His physical appearance and the way he looked at her also scared her. But her views towards him gradually changed. Once her grandmother and mother left Kezia at home since they had to visit the hospital. At night she had a nightmare and called for her grandmother. Since they were not at home, his father attends to her in that situation and takes her in his arms, and snuggles her to sleep next to him. He slept before her, and she realized that he works hard and must be so tired from the daily exhaustion. This alters her feelings towards her father and tells him the same by stating that he has a ‘big heart’.

Thinking about Language

I. Look at the Following Sentence.

1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.

(i) She was _____________by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)

Ans: She was thrilled by the news of her brother’s wedding.

(ii) I was ____________ to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)

Ans: I was delighted to be invited to the party.

(iii) She was ___________at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)

Ans: She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter.

(iv) The coach was ___________ with his performance. (satisfied about)

Ans: The coach was pleased with his performance.

(v) She was very ___________with her results. (happy about something that has happened). 

Ans: She was very happy with her results.

2. Study the use of the word big in the following sentence. He was so big− his hands and his neck, especially his mouth… Here, big means large in size.

Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of big in the following sentences. The first one has been done for you.

(i) You are a big girl now. older

(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. _________

Ans: most important

(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. ____________

Ans: innovation

(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. _____________

Ans: popular

(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar. ___________

Ans: great

(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. _____________

Ans: gourmand

(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. ____________

Ans: generous

II.

1. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.

Ans:  He says she will enjoy the ride.

(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.

Ans: Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.

(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.

Ans: No one told us that the shop was closed.

(iv) He answered that the price would go up.

Ans: He answered that the price would go up.

(v) I wondered why he was screaming.

Ans: I wondered why he was screaming.

(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.

Ans: Ben told her to wake him up.

(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party. 

Ans: Ratan apologized for coming late to the party.

2. Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill in the blanks in the following sentences.

were complaining shouted replied       remarked        ordered           suggested

(i) “I am not afraid,” ____________ the woman.

Ans: “I am not afraid,” replied the woman.

(ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother ______________.

Ans: “Leave me alone,” my mother shouted.

(iii) The children _____________ that the roads were crowded and noisy.

Ans: The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy.

(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” ______________ the master.

Ans: “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” remarked the man.

(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” ______________ the sports teacher.

Ans: “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” suggested the sports teacher.

(vi) The traffic police ____________ all the passers-by to keep off the road. 

Ans: The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.

Speaking

Form pairs or groups and discuss the following questions. 

1. This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers, and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country? 

2. Was Kezia’s father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he? You might find some of these words useful in describing him: 

undemonstrative 

loving 

strict 

hard-working 

responsible 

unkind 

disciplinarian 

short-tempered 

affectionate 

caring 

Indifferent

Ans: 

1. This story isn't based in India, but the characters act similar to the individuals we observe in India. They have their cultural hierarchy built upon similar grounds. Men are seen as the leaders of the society and family, who, irrespective of their decisions, must be supported by the obedient women and girls in the house. Their say is final and must be followed diligently. Trustworthy fathers like Kezia’s rule and govern the family for their welfare. 

2. It was necessary to make Kezia realize her mistake and learn her lesson. The father could have acted a bit more supportive and should have tried to understand her problem from her perspective too.

Kezia’s father gives us an image of a strict and emotionless father in the beginning. He ordered everything around the home. He was a short-tempered person and wore anger on his sleeves. He punished Kezia for her mistakes and never had proper communication with her. Once when Kezia tore his speech paper he hit her badly. By the end of the story, we get to know that he had a gentle heart and was actually an affectionate and caring person. 

Writing

Has your life been different from or similar to that of Kezia when you were a child? Has your perception of your parents changed now? Do you find any change in your parents’ behavior vis-à-vis yours? Who has become more understanding? What steps would you like to take to build a relationship based on understanding? Write three or four paragraphs (150–200 words) discussing these issues from your own experience.

Ans: My life experience was similar to that of Kezia when I was a child. Though I was never physically punished by my parents, I struggled with being accepted the way I was. I was always pushed for working harder, gaining better scores, and being an all-rounder. I was never appreciated by them when I worked hard but couldn't get a position in class or in a competition. This made me push myself beyond the zone I was required to and caused a lot of strain between us. Yes, gradually over years I have found them accepting the way I am. We have tried to improve our communication and develop a better understanding of our likes and dislikes. 

To build a relationship based on understanding there should be proper communication. No one should try to change the other based on their perception of how they want the other person to be. This not only disrupts their individuality but also makes them feel unacceptable being their true self. Accept the person the way they are and let them know if there is something about them you find uncomfortable.