All about a dog A. G. Gardiner Questions and answers. Fy B.COM 2024 sppu
Comprehension
Q I. Read the following extract and Answer the questions given below.
“This bus doesn’t go on until that dog is brought out.” And he stepped on to the pavement & waited. It was his moment of triumph. He had the law on his side and a whole busful of angry people under the harrow. His embittered soul was having a real holiday.
a) Who in your opinion, seems to be in control of the situation here?
ANS – In my opinion, the conductor seems to be in control of the situation here.
b) Does the conductor seem more concerned about the following the rules or exerting his authority?
ANS – The conductor seems more concerned about exerting his authority than following the rules.
c) Do the passengers seem content with the conductor’s decision?
ANS – No, The passengers do not seem content with the conductor’s decision.
Q II. Answer the following questions in a sentence each.
a) How many people get on the bus at the beginning of the story?
ANS – At the beginning of the story three people got on the bus.
b) What did the woman offer the conductor when he told her to take the dog out?
ANS – The woman offered her name and address when he told her to take the dog out.
c) What was the younger woman suffering from?
ANS – The young woman was suffering from cough.
d) What breed was the dog?
ANS – The dog was a pekinese.
Q III. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each.
a) How do the conductor and the lady with the dog react to the rule about the dog being on the top deck?
ANS – The conductor and the lady react in contrasting ways to the rule about the dog being on the top deck.
The conductor reacts strictly by enforcing the rule. He seems to be very determined to ensure that the rule is followed in any case. In spite of the cold and harsh weather conditions and night hour, he kept on insisting to take out the dog. He didn’t care about the inconvenience caused to the passengers. He wanted to assert his authority by rigidly applying the rule. He shows no concern for the dog and the lady who is suffering from cough. He unnecessarily makes a greater issue of the situation causing trouble to the passengers.
On the other hand, the lady reacts by refusing to obey the rule & taking the dog out. She doesn’t believe in the strict application of the rule. She argues with the conductor and challenges the rule which seemed unnecessary and unreasonable for her in such situation. The lady is unwilling to take her dog out in such cold night for her the rule impinges on her comfort.
b) How does the passage “under the harrow” describe the situation for other passengers on the bus?
ANS – The passage “under the harrow” describes what the passengers were going through. There was an unusual state of affairs going on in the bus. The conductor argued with the lady over a very minor issue. It was a bitterly cold night and the conductor’s adherence to the strict implementation of the rule & delaying the bus for such a silly unnecessary argument was a sheer irritation for the other passengers. The passengers had to sit quietly. The passengers were frustrated, angry but helpless. There was nothing that they could do than to remain silent and suffer. They were trapped in an unusual circumstance due to a stubborn conductor who couldn’t even differentiate between authority & common sense.
The metaphor “under the harrow” clearly describes that the passengers became the victims of the conflict who had no choice but to tolerate and witness an unnecessary argument.
c) Does the conductor’s moment of triumph seem justified based on the story?
ANS – The conductor’s moment of triumph does not seem to be justified based on the story “All about a dog”. The conductor’s insistence on getting the dog out and strictly and rigidly enforcing the rule created a lot of inconvenience to the passengers. The passengers had to suffer sitting in the freezing cold night in the bus for a long time enduring the unnecessary conflict over a minor issue. In this situation, the lady getting outside the bus was a moment of triumph for the conductor. This victory was meaningless because it has caused trouble to the people inside the bus. The conductor preferred assertion of his authority over humanity and compassion. He seemed to be more interested in asserting his authority than using common sense and showing empathy and compassion.
Such victory which brings so much trouble and discomfort to the others is a hollow victory. Winning or loosing is not important. What matters is how we make public life betterand comfortable. In this story the conductor’s moment of triumph is not justified because it comes at the expense of comfort and compassion.
d) What lesson can we learn from the story’s conflict between following orders and showing compassion?
ANS – The conflict between following orders and showing compassion in the story highlights the important lesson about the flexibility of the rules. One should always understand that rulesare made for the society and society is not made for the rules. Rules are made for the safety, peace, fairness, order and smooth functioning of the society.
If rules serves the purpose for which it were formulated then it should be followed strictly but if not then either it should be amended or there should be some flexibility and relaxation in following the rules. Rules should not be enforced at the cost of empathy, compassion & humanity.
Q IV. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each.
a) Why did the author have a feeling that there was going to be trouble?
ANS – The author had considered theconductor as a resentful employee which means a person with a general vague grievance against everything. According to the author, this conductor seemed to be having a particular grievance against passengers who came and sat in his bus while he shivered at the door
That day it was a bitterly cold night and the east wind cut like a knife. Three persons got into the bus. The younger lady was carrying a pekinese dog. According to the rule, dogs were not allowed in the bus. When the conductor came in to take the fares his eyes rested on the dog with cold malice. That’s when the author got a feeling that there was going to be trouble.
Because this was the opportunity for the conductor for which he had been waiting. He intended to make most of it. The uncomfortable & harsh weather conditions, the woman taking a dog inside the bus against the rule and the stubborn and resentful nature of the conductor indicated that there was a possibility of conflict in some way.
b) Do you think following rules strictly is the best policy? Why or why not?
ANS – Following rules strictly or not depends on the situation. Strict adherence and flexibility both are equally important when it comes to enforcement of the rules.
There are some fields where strict enforcement of rules is very crucial like in governance, law, medical, defence, safetyand security etc. In these fields most of the rules must be followed strictly. However there are still some exceptions.
Following the rules strictly prevents chaos and indiscipline. It reduces crime, accidents,risks and errors. As rules provide guidance to the public, following it strictly reduces confusion in carrying out the tasks. Strict adherence to the rules increases efficiency, consistency and reliability.
In spite of the fact that rules are need to be followed strictly & rigidly, there are some instances where there is a need of some kind of flexibility & relaxation of rules.
Everything in the life cannot be labelled as right or wrong. There are more than one perspective and many factors involved within it. So, in these cases following rules strictly might lead to inconvenience and discomfort.
Rules are made for a purpose. Therefore it is necessary to understand that to be strict or flexible while enforcing the rules depends on whether it serves its purpose or not.
According to the author Rules should be observed in the spirit & not in the letter.
d) Write a character sketch on the conductor.
ANS – In the story the conductor is depicted as a man who believes in complete obedience of rules and regulations. He is shown strict, inflexible and authoritarian. According to the author he is a person called as resentful employee who carries inside a general vague grievance against everything and a particular grievance against passengers who came and sat in his bus while he shivered at the door. He is the kind of person who strictly adheres to a set of rules and expects others to do the same. He doesn’t seem to be flexible or tolerant when it comes to enforcement of the rules. He likes to get control over a situation. He insisted on going according to the rule despite the harsh weather conditions which brought a lot of discomfort and inconvenience to the passengers inside the bus. It was because of him everyone had to suffer and had to stay longer tolerating his negative attitude. Somewalked out of the bus in the cold night due to his stern and stubborn attitude which not allowed the bus to go until the dog is brought out.
He lacked compassion, empathy, tolerance and emotional intelligence. He found his victory in the strict adherence and implementation of the rule while he neglected the fact that his moment of triumph came at the cost of comfort and humanity. He failed to understand the purpose of the rule.
Also read – The road not taken Question and answers – The link is given below.