Table of Contents
Going Places-Summary and question-answers- class 12 |cbse|ahsec
About The Lesson:
In this story (Going Places), Barton explores the theme of adolescent fantasizing and hero worship through the character of Sophie, a young teenage girl from a lower-middle-class family.
Sophie is a daydreamer. Her family and friends try to stop her daydreaming and help her from time to time, but she keeps on building castles in the air. When reality hits her, all her dreams appear to be shattered. The author has thus emphasised the aspirations and ideals of the modern young generation, at the same time highlighting the pain of unfulfilled promises and unrealized dreams.
Sophie is a daydreamer. Her family and friends try to stop her daydreaming and help her from time to time, but she keeps on building castles in the air. When reality hits her, all her dreams appear to be shattered. The author has thus emphasised the aspirations and ideals of the modern young generation, at the same time highlighting the pain of unfulfilled promises and unrealized dreams.
About the Characters
Sophie is a highly ambitious lower middle-class adolescent girl, living in a world of dreams and fantasy.
Jansie She is Sophie’s close friend and very practical about their status. But she is a gossip, according to Sophie.
Danny Casey A talented footballer who is the local hero and idolized by Sophie
Geoff He is the hardworking elder brother of Sophie who is a sports enthusiast and confidant of his sister’s desires and fantasies.
Sophie’s father is hardworking, practical and wanted to provide better facilities for his family.
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Summary Of The Text
SUMMARY IN DETAIL |
The lesson opens with a conversation going on between Sophie and Jannie, who are coming from school: Sophie is saying, “When I leave, I’m going to have a boutique. Sophie and Jansie are best friends. Jansie, who is realistic in her thoughts, looks at Sophie doubtfully. She tells her that opening a boutique shop needs money. Sophie stares far down the street as if visualizing her dream, says, “I’ll find it.”Jansie tells her that it would take a long time to save the required money. Sophie shifts her idea from a boutique to becoming a manager to being with. She is so much full of unrealistic approach towards life that she thinks as if the job of a manager is waiting for her. Jansie keeps on reminding her that it is not so easy in real life. She tells her that they are not going to make her a manager in any bank straight off. Then she utters, ” I’ll be like Mary Quaint”. She meant to say that like Mary Quaint, she had a talent that the people would see from the very beginning as she opened the most amazing shop the city had ever seen
As we know that Jannie was realistic in her approach to life, she knew that both of them were destined to do some menial job in a biscuit factory. So she became sad after listening to her friend Sophie’s fantasies. She wished her friend to change because those things might lead her to trouble.Now they reach Sophie’s street. Jansie said, ” It’s only a few months away now, Soaf, you really should be sensible. They don’t pay well for shop work, you know that your dad would not allow it.”She meant to say that their schooling was going to complete within a few months, so she advised her to become sensible in life.
She also told her that she would not be able to get more money in any way if she joined a biscuit factory or any other shop. Her father would not allow her to do that work. Now they reach Sophie’s street. Jansie said, ” It’s only a few months away now, Soaf, you really should be sensible. They don’t pay well for shop work, you know that your dad would not allow it.”She meant to say that their schooling was going to complete within a few months, so she advised her to become sensible in life. She also told her that she would not be able to get more money in any way if she joined a biscuit factory or any other shop. Her father would not allow her to do that work.
Sophie quickly responded to her friend saying that in being an actress, there was a lot of money. As actresses didn’t have to work for the whole day, she would also open up a boutique as her side business to increase her income. Then she added that both of the jobs were sophisticated. After that, she entered the door of her house that was open in the street, while her friend Jansie stood out in the rain. Sophie’s entering in her house that way suggested that she was lost so much in her daydream that she could not utter even a few words of courtesy to her friend, who came with her up to the gate of her house in.
She entered her house speaking some words, still remaining in her dream. If even I came into money, I’ll buy a boutique.” The moment Sophie was heard of uttering that she intended to pen up a boutique if ever she got money, her brother Derek at once reacted in a satirical way creating a sharp contrast to her world of fantasy. At the time, he was hanging on the back of his father’s chair and her father was busy eating shepherd’s pie (a kind of non-veg samosa.)The author also creates an image of Sophie’s father’s face describing that it was a plump face on which drops of perspiration were clearly visible and it looked serious as if the day’s hard work has snatched smile from his face!
It was also a proof of the hard work her father has to do to earn bread and butter for the family. Now we come to the main thread of the plot of the story. As Sophie entered the house uttering that sentence “If ever I came into money, I’ll buy a boutique,” her brother Derek at once reacted by saying: “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad?”
The mother also sighed deeply to realize the uncomfortable emotions she had about her daughter in mind. It was evening time and darkness had started spreading its cover in all the directions. She looked in a room that was their kitchen and the room had become steamy due to the stove and it also presented a dirty picture to the onlookers as a pile of unwashed utensils was lying in a corner.
The heavy breathing man in his vest also seemed disgusting to her’. Surely it was her father who might be taking long breaths while dozing off in the chair at the table. The line ‘Sophie felt a tightening in her throat’ shows that she did not like poverty in her house. It seemed that she wished for a sophisticated life. Then she went in search of her brother Geoff.
This is another picture to highlight the fact that Sophie belonged to a family in which a father has to toil to earn the livelihood. Her brother is also shown kneeling on the floor in the next room repairing a part of his motorcycle. He is an apprentice mechanic and has to travel to long distances daily to reach his workplace He is a grown-up boy and his sister is curious to know about his life’s secrets. It seems that he does not share them with his sister knowingly.
Here the author again gives very beautiful desorption to explain that it is very difficult to make Geoff speak something. “Words had to be prized out him like stones cut off the ground.”
The author says that Sophie was jealous of her brother’s silence. The author further says that when he is not speaking, it seems to Sophie as if he was away from the world of reality, the places away from her reach. The places may be of the far off districts or those may be in the surrounding country. Those places always fascinated her because of their remoteness and also for their being unknown to her.
All these facts show that Sophie is very curious to explore the things to know about her brother’s secret’s, to visit the far off places and the people who are very strange and different in their lifestyle and languages, culture and some other ways.
Geoff remained quiet for most of the time, so he was not able to make friends in life. She wished to know about his friends. She wished that someday he would take her outside to get her introduced to his friends. She knew that Geoff always thought that she was too young to meet boys outside. But she was impatient to visit the place just waiting for her in the outside world. She was sure that she would feel at home if she visited those places.
She also imagined herself riding behind Geoff, who wore ‘new shining black leathers and she a yellow dress with a kind of cape’ (a sort of shawl) that flew behind her. She also imagined getting a lot of appreciation for her.
The above description showed how curious Sophie was to walk in the outside world and to meet people. This also shows the desires and aspirations of a girl who has just entered the adolescent period. For whom the world is benevolent and ready to embrace her ……..appreciating her charms………..not knowing the dark forces that operate secretly there.
Now, Sophie is shown watching her brother who sat frowning at the only component he was watching carefully by moving it here and there in his hand. To attract his attention, Sophie uttered met Danny Casey. He responded at once asking ‘Where?”She told him that he met her in the arcade.
Geoff also asked if she had told about it to the father. She refused by shaking her head. Geoff expressed his disbelief to her. After that, she explained to Geoff as to how and where she had met him. She said that she was at Royal’s window (a shop) and looking at some clothes suddenly someone came and stood beside her. When she looked around, she found that it was Danny Casey. Then Geoff asked her as to how he looked like.
She explained that he had green gentle eyes and was not so tall. After that, she hesitated to tell anything about his teeth. In the meantime, their father came out of the washroom and his face and arms looked shiny and pink and there also came a smell of shop he had used while bathing. Then he switched on the television.
As one of Derek shoes were lying on his chair, he tossed it into the sofa sat with grunt Next Geoff told his father that Sophie had met Danny Casey. The author here presents Sophie’s reaction in a very beautiful way when he says.
Sophie wriggled where she was sitting at the table. The word, wriggle’ creates imagery in the reader’s mind. It also shows how she feared her father. This reaction is very common among boys and girls of adolescent age when their secrets become known all of a sudden see how Sophie’s father reacted and said. Her father turned his head towards Sophie on his thick neck in order to look at her.
It was clear from the expression of his face that he did not like it Geoff assured him that it was true. After that, they talked about Casey’s performance. In the conversation, Sophie also took part in telling them that Casey was the best player and he wanted to purchase a shop. The father asked her as to where she had heard of that. She told her father that he himself had told her about it. The father did not believe her and said that it was one of her concocted (made up) tales. Then Geoff supported his sister saying that she had met him in the market. Her father showed his anger by telling her that one day she would put herself in some trouble if she continued thinking that. After that, the author describes Geoff bedroom. A table lamp was glowing showing clearly the large poster of United first squad and some coloured photographs including Casey.
Sophie asked her brother to give her promise never to tell anyone about what she would tell him. He gave her a promise. She said that her father would murder her if he came to know about it. Geoff told her that he would do it if he found any truth in it.
Geoff also told her that she was just a school going girl and Danny Casey would be having a line of girls. Sophie assured him that he had none because he told her about that. Then she further explained to him as to how she talked to him in the shop. First, she asked him if he was Danny Casey and he admitted that while looking at her in surprise. She said that she believed he would be Danny Casey because he had the same accent as she had listened to him when his interview was telecast on television
She went on describing her meeting with Danny Casey. She said that she also asked him to give his autograph to her for her little brother Derek, but neither of them had a piece of paper or a pen. After that, they talked about clothes in the shop. He seemed lonely and she got a promise to give the autograph next time. Geoff expressed his disbelief on what she explained to him. After that she got lost in her fantasy thinking about Casey, his appearance clothes and his handsomeness and height was Saturday and Sophie her father Derek and Geoff went to watch the match in which Derek took part. Sophie and her father and Derek took a seat near the goal while Geoff sat with his friends at the higher seats. The match started and the author gives the description of the match. The team united won by two-nil and Casey drove in the second goal. The next week, Jansie asked Sophie about Danny Casey. Sophie had not told anything to her. So she was surprised as to how Jansie could know about her secret. Then Jansie told her that Geoff had told her about it to her brother. After a little hesitation. She admitted to Jansie that she had met Danny Casey. But Jansie knew her friend Sophie very well She told her that she had never met him.
Sophie had a sense of guilt in her mind. So she was not able to face Jansie’s eyes, rather she glared at the ground. She cursed her brother for disclosing her secret Jansie’s brother. She thought that Jansie would tell about Danny to all the people in her neighbourhood. So the people would assemble in front of her house and her father also would come to know about all that. Then she told Jansie that she meant to keep it as a secret so that her father would not come to know about it. Her friend also assured her that she would keep it as a secret. Sophie also felt relief when she came to know that Jansie did not know much about her meeting with Danny Casey. She explained to Jansie that there was nothing special between them. She had just requested him for an autograph for her brother but neither of them had paper and pen. Jansie wished that she had been present there.
Sophie also told again to her friend that her father did not want to believe her. He was very much harsh on her in that matter. She also told Jansie that her mother’s condition would become worse if there was any quarrel would in the house.
The scene changed now. Darkness has spread when she walked by the canal. It was a place where she often played in her childhood days. There was a wooden bench lying under a solitary tree. Where some times lovers would come and sit. She sat down there waiting for Danny” arrival Sophie always had a desire to meet someone at such a perfect place where there was a lot of privacy. In the beginning, she was hopeful of Danny” reaching there out of the Shadows. She was even imagining the excitement she would experience at that time. As time passed reasonable thoughts started preventing her from thinking about Casey’ arrival. Such thought about Geoff, when he had the Casey would never come. After some time, disappointment overpowered her mind. The clouds of her fantasy started scattering in her mind. The fog of confusion and dream started disappearing from her mind Then she started imagining her brother Geoff feeling sad to know that Casey did not come to meet his sister. After that she started returning to her house while passing by the pub, she saw her father’s bicycle standing against the wall. The felt relieved to think that her father would not be in the house to watch her sad face. She again visualized the scene where she had met Danny Casey in her imagination She imagined the same situation when she was conversing with Danny Casey. Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey?”
Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark each)
1. Who is the writer of ‘Going Places’?
Ans. A. R. Barton is the writer of ‘Going Places’.
2. Who are the two friends in the story, ‘Going Places’?
Ans. Sophie and Jansie are the two friends in the story.
3. What does Sophie want to have when she grows up?
Ans. Sophie wanted to have a boutique of her own.
4. Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?
Ans. The two girls would find work in the biscuit factory after school.
5. Who is Derek?
Ans. Derek was the younger brother of Sophie.
6. Who is Geoff?
Ans. Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother.
7. Who is Danny Casey?
Ans. Danny Casey was an Irish football player.
8. Which country does he play for?
Ans. He plays for the United.
9. For whom does Sophie ask Danny Casey an autograph?
Ans. Sophie asked Danny Casey an autograph for Derek.
10. Does Sophie really meet Danny Casey?
Ans. Sophie doesn’t really meet Danny Casey but only imagines meeting him.
11. Which is the only occasion that Sophie gets to see Casey in person?
Ans. The only occasion that Sophie gets to see Danny Casey is in the field when they watch the match every Saturday.
Short Questions – 2 marks
1. What does Sophie want to do after she passes out of school?( 2013, 2015, 2017)
Ans. Sophie had a bundle of big deams,she wants to have a amazing boutique the city has ever seen. Besides, she desires to become an actress or a fashion designer. She can run boutique as side business.
2. What was it most-likely that the two girls would find work after school?
Ans. Sophie and Jansee belonged to lower middle class families. Sophie dreamed of big and beautiful things which were beyond her reach and mean. Jansee was more practical and realistic. Jansee knew that they were both earmarked(to keep or intend something for a particular purpose , fix, निर्धारित ) for the biscuit factory.
3. What job is Geoff engaged in? Does he entertain would dreams like his sister? (2012, 2017)
Ans. Geoff was engaged as an apprentice mechanic. He has to travel to his work place each day to the far side of the city. He is not a day-dreamer like his sister. Perhaps he knows his and his family’s limitations better than her.
4. How does Sophie’s father react when Geoff tells him about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans. Geoff breaks the news to his father that Sophie met the Irish prodigy Danny Casey. Her father turns his head at her in disbelief. His expression is one of disdain. He completely ignores the news. He goes on to talk about Tom Finny and Danny Casey. “This is another of your wild stores,” he declares.
5. How does Sophie describe her imagined meeting with Danny Casey to Geoff? Does Geoff believe her?
Ans. Sophie tells Geoff that she met Danny Casey in the arcade. They met at the Royce’s window for the first time. It was she who spoke first and asked if he was Casey. He looked surprised. He was certainly Danny Casey. Before going he promised to give his autograph if she cared to meet him next week. No, Geoff doesn’t believe her.
6. Why was the visit of Sophie’s father and his family to watch United equal to ‘their weekly pilgrimage’?
Ans. Sophie’s father was a football fan. He was taking a lot of interest in the growing career of the young Irish genius Danny Casey. Geoff too was interested in football. Sophie was mad after Danny Casey. The celebrity was her personal hero. Watching Casey playing for United was like a religious or holly weekly ritual for the family.
7. Why did Sophie Curse Geoff? Why did she say “Damn that Geoff, it was not a Jansie thing”?
Or
Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans. Sophie didn’t want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey. Sophie knew that her classmate and friend Jansie was ‘nosey’. She took especial interest in knowing new things about others. She came to know of her story of meeting with Danny Casey through Geoff. She cursed Geoff because Sophie didn’t believe Jansie. She could spread the rumour in the whole neighbourhood.
8. How did Jansie react at Sophie’s story of her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans. Jansie was a classmate and friend of Sophie. She knew her quite well. She was also aware of her day-dreaming habit. She exclaimed: “You never did!” But when Sophie continued telling her how she asked him for an autograph, she relented a bit. She said, “Jesus, I wish I’d have been there.”
9. Sophie would sit for hours wishing Danny would come. What made her sad and despondent in the end?
Ans. Sophie would sit down on a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm tree. She imagined Danny Casey’s coming. She could realize the time passing. Pangs of doubt stirred inside her. She would become sad and despondent. Danny wouldn’t come at all. She feared that people would laugh at the story of her meeting with Casey.
10. “Sophie dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.” Discuss.
Ans. It is true that Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind. She is crazy and lets her lose in Danny Casey’s dreams. She imagines her meeting with Casey. She hopes against hopes. Her day-dreaming leads to despondency. So Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are not real. They are merely the products of her mind.
11. What theme does the story, ‘Going Places’ explore?(2014)
Ans. The story ‘going places’ explores the theme of adolescent fanaticizing and hero worshipping. Sophie a young girl fanaticizes her meeting with a Danny Casely and becomes responsible for her own sadness and disappointment.
12. What kind of a person is Geoff?
Ans. Geoff was a quiet boy and kept his views to himself. He spoke little and did not share his views with others. He was the first person with whom Sophie shared all her secrets. She was jealous of his silence and for her it seemed that when he was quiet he was in those places where she had never been.
13. Why is Sophie ‘jealous of his silence’?
Ans. Sophie was ‘jealous of his silence’, Geoff spoke little and she envied his silence. To her it seemed that when he was quiet, he was in those places where she had never been.
14. 2. What is incongruous about the ‘delicate bow which fastened the apron strings of Sophie’s mother?( 2016)
Ans. Sophie’s mother was wearing an apron and its strings were fastened with a delicate bow(झुकना) which displayed the status of their family and the busy mother in managing the household. This also explains the character of Sophie, why she likes to lead a sophisticated life.
15.How dies Danny Casey look like?
Ans. Danny Casey was a short stature man who had green eyes. Sophie visualized his appearance as having gentle green eyes.
16. Why doesn’t her father believe her?
Ans. Sophie’s father also refused to believed his daughters’ claim. No doubt, he is crazy and a great fan of young Danny Casey. But when Geoff tells him that Sophie met Danny Casey his father turns his head to look at her. His expression is one of ‘disdain’. He ignores her totally. He thinks that his is another of her ‘wild story’.
Long Questions
1. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie highlighting their temperament and aspirations.
Or
Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie.
Ans. Sophie and Jansie are class-fellows and friends. They belong to lower middle class families. Jansie understands his limitations well. She knows that both of them are earmarked for the biscuit factory. But Sophie is totally blind to the harsh realities of life. She dreams of big and beautiful things. She wants to have a boutique. She also entertains the idea of becoming an actress. She loves to be nice, grand and sophisticated. All her dreams are beyond her reach and resources.
Sophie and Jansie are poles apart in thinking and temperament. Sophie is all lost to herself and her dreamy world. There is only one person who first shares her secrets. He is her elder brother Geoff. Jansie is ‘nosey’ and takes interest in knowing new things about others. Sophie knows she will spread the story in the whole neighbourhood. Sophie is an incurable escapist. She adores the young Irish footballer Danny Casey. She remains what she always in-a dreamer.
2. Who was Geoff? How did he share Sophie’s secrets though he had a temperament and thinking different from that of his sister?
Ans. Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother. He was an apprentice mechanic. He travelled to his work each day to the far side of the city. He spoke very little. Words had to be prized out of him. Sophie was jealous of Geoff’s silence. Geoff never dreamt of big and beautiful things beyond his reach or means. He was mature enough to understand his limitations and those of his family.
Geoff was always the first to share Sophie’s secrets. He knew that Sophie’s story of meeting with Danny Casey was not true. Still he listened to her. Sophie had confidence in him. Like an elder brother Geoff tried to reason with Sophie. He warned her that Danny Casey was a celebrity. He must have many girls like her running after him.
Geoff and Sophie shared a common trait. That was their fascination for the Irish prodigy Danny Casey. But Sophie entertained romantic fascination of Casey.
3. Describe Sophie’s father highlighting his passion for football, his strange habits and his attitude to Sophie.
Ans. Sophie’s father is a dominating personality. He is a typical representative of the lower middle class family. He lacks refined manners or sophistication. The way he eats the pie exposes his rough eating habits. Watching football on the television is his favourite pastime. He goes to the pub quite often.
Sophie’s father has passion for football. He is an old admirer of Tom Finny, a great footballer. He adores the upcoming young footballer Casey as all his children. He is sure that one day Danny Casey may prove even better than Finny. He wishes he would “keep his head over his shoulders”. Casey plays for United. So he makes a ‘weekly pilgrimage’ to watch United and Casey in action.
Sophie’s father doesn’t seem to be very sympathetic towards his daughter. He often looks at her in disdain. He ignores her completely. But he understands his daughter will. He doesn’t believe in her meeting with Casey. He considers it another of her “wild stories”.
4.Why does Sophie feel close to her brother Geoff more than anyone else in her family? What does he symbolize to her?
Ans. No one except brother Geoff could know and understand Sophie well. Sophie likes her brother Geoff more than any other person in the world. She can open her heart to him. She knows that Geoff is the person who can listen to her ‘wild stories’. Her father is too bossy and aggressive. He hates Sophie’s fantastic stories. Jansie is her classmate and friend. But Jansie is ‘nosey’. She can’t be trusted. But Geoff can be trusted to keep all Sophie’s secrets to himself.
Sophie likes and loves Geoff very much. She is eager to share even those areas of his life about which she knows nothing. She is jealous of his silence. Words have to be prized out of him. Geoff is the only one she can talk to about Danny Casey. Geoff is always the first to share her interests. In his own way he tries to tell her that ‘Casey must have strings of girls’. He would never show up again. But he does so in a manner that may not break the young heart of a day-dreamer.
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