My lost dollar
– Stephen Leacock
My lost dollar Stephen Leacock exercise questions and answers
Semester II
Orient Blackswan SPPU FYBCOM
My lost dollar FYBCOM questions and answers
FYBCOM ENGLISH
COMPREHENSION
I. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below.
My friend Todd owes me a dollar. He has owed it to me for twelve months, and I fear there is little prospect of his ever returning it.
I can realize whenever I meet him that he has forgotten that he owes me a dollar.
He meets me in the same frank friendly way as always. My dollar has clean gone out of his mind. I see that I shall never get it back.
a. Why do you think the speaker believes that Todd has ‘forgotten’ about the dollar?
Ans – The speaker believes that Todd has forgotten about the dollar for several reasons:
1. Todd’s Behavior: Every time they meet, Todd acts completely normal and friendly, without any sign of guilt or hesitation, as if he doesn’t remember borrowing the money at all.
2. Missed Opportunities to Repay: Despite many chances to mention or repay the dollar (like in his letter from Bermuda, their conversation about Bermuda, or the discussion about currency), Todd never brings it up.
3. No Reference to the Loan: Todd never acknowledges the loan—not even indirectly—showing no awareness or memory of it.
4. Casual Attitude: When the speaker subtly hints at the loan by asking questions like what currency is used in Bermuda or discussing debts (such as Poland’s), Todd still doesn’t recall the dollar.
All these clues lead the speaker to conclude that Todd has genuinely and completely forgotten about the borrowed dollar.
b. Todd has owed the money for twelve months. Do you think this adds to the speaker’s frustration?
Ans – Yes, the fact that Todd has owed the money for twelve months definitely adds to the speaker’s frustration, though he expresses it in a humorous and sarcastic way.
He isn’t angry about the dollar — he’s bothered by being forgotten.
By specifically saying “twelve months,” the speaker highlights that a full year has passed without Todd remembering or repaying the dollar.
This long duration shows the speaker has been patiently waiting, but now feels it’s unreasonable. Waiting for a week or two might be excusable — but twelve months feels like being ignored.
The speaker feels forgotten and dismissed, not just unpaid.
The fact that the speaker still remembers such a small amount after twelve months, while Todd seems completely unaware, adds a comic contrast — but also hints at a deeper sense of quiet annoyance or disappointment.
He says he bears no grudge, but the fact that he keeps track of the time and still talks about it shows that it has been bothering him inside — for a whole year. That contradiction is a key part of the humour, but also shows suppressed frustration.
The mention of “twelve months” is not just a fact — it’s a signal of the speaker’s long-standing irritation and the emotional weight he places on being forgotten, even over something as small as a dollar.
c. The speaker describes Todd’s behaviour as ‘friendly’. Do you think their friendship is strong or more casual?
Ans – I think their friendship is more casual than deeply strong.
If the friendship were truly strong, Todd might have remembered the favor, felt guilty or made an effort to repay it. Itshows a lack of attention or emotional investment.
While the speaker says the dollar won’t affect their friendship, he also keeps thinking about it, can’t forget it and adds Todd to a list of people who owe him.
This shows a lack of openness or emotional closeness. In a strong friendship, he might have felt comfortable just reminding Todd.
Todd isn’t particularly thoughtful toward the speaker, which suggests a shallow or distant bond.
The speaker uses humour, but there’s a touch of passive frustration. This suggests that trust or understanding is missing, which are foundations of a strong friendship.
Although the speaker and Todd are friendly, their relationship seems more casual and social than deeply personal.
It’s based on routine interactions (like seeing each other at the club), not on strong emotional bonds or open communication.
d. Why do you think the narrator seems resigned that he will never get his dollar back?
Ans – The narrator seems resigned that he will never get his dollar back because he realizes several things about Todd’s behavior — and about human nature in general.
The narrator says that Todd meets him in the same friendly way as always — showing no guilt or memory of the dollar. So there’s no chance of repayment.
He can’t bring It up . He feels it’s socially awkward or petty to mention such a small amount — so he chooses to remain silent, even though it bothers him.
Even indirect reminders don’t work.
It’s been twelve months since the loan. The narrator likely realizes that if Todd hasn’t remembered it by now, he probably never will.
The narrator says Todd has simply joined a list of people who owe him a dollar and have forgotten.
He sees it as something common, not personal — and chooses to accept it rather than stay angry.
In short the narrator seems resigned because Todd clearly forgot and won’t remember, it’s too awkward to bring up, too much time has passed, it’s a small amount, not worth ruining a friendship and he’s accepted it as a common human flaw.
II. Answer the following questions in a sentence each.
a. Why does the speaker take his dollar, borrowed by his friend Todd, to be lost?
Ans – The speaker considers his dollar lost because, despite many opportunities, Todd never remembers the dollar, and the speaker feels unable to remind him.
b. Is Todd forgetful or unreliable?
Ans – Todd seems forgetful because he doesn’t remember borrowing the dollar and he doesn’t seem to avoid paying it back deliberately.
c. Why does the speaker relate the circumstances of the borrowing with such accuracy?
Ans – The speaker relates the borrowing with such accuracy to subtly remind Todd of the exact moment, show how clearly he remembers the unpaid dollar and how strongly he feels about the unpaid dollar, even though he pretends it’s not a big deal.
III. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each.
a. Why does the speaker/author suggest a taxi ride when he meets Todd at the train?
Ans – The speaker suggests a taxi ride when he meets Todd at the train because he is trying to jog Todd’s memory about the borrowed dollar.
The dollar was originally lent to Todd to pay for a taxi when he was leaving for Bermuda.
By suggesting they take a taxi again, the speaker is creating a similar situation in hopes that it will make Todd remember the original event and realize that he still owes him money.
The taxi suggestion is a polite, indirect strategy to bring up the borrowed dollar without actually saying it out loud.
b. Why does the speaker/author want to initiate a ‘Back to Honesty’ movement?
Ans – The speaker wants to initiate a ‘Back to Honesty’ movement because his experience with Todd makes him realize that forgetting small debts—like borrowing a dollar—might be more common than he thought, and he might be guilty of the same.
While he is frustrated that Todd forgot to repay the dollar, he also begins to reflect on his own actions and wonders if there are people he might have unknowingly borrowed from and never repaid.
This self-awareness leads him to suggest that everyone should take responsibility for even the smallest debts, not just big ones.
He believes that such forgotten transactions, although minor, reflect a lack of everyday honesty, and by acknowledging and repaying them, people can help build a more honest and responsible society.
His tone is humorous, but there is a sincere message: true integrity includes remembering and returning even the smallest things.
So, the ‘Back to Honesty’ movement is his way of calling for a return to simple moral values, like honesty, responsibility, and self-awareness, in everyday life.
c. What does Todd write about in his letter from Bermuda?
Ans – In his letter from Bermuda, Todd writes only about the temperature, mentioning that it had gone up to nearly 100 degrees.
The speaker initially misunderstands the number, thinking it might refer to the dollar he was owed, but quickly realizes that there is no money enclosed—just a casual note about the weather.
This detail shows how completely Todd has forgotten about the dollar.
Instead of thanking the speaker or mentioning repayment, he focuses on something trivial and unrelated, like the heat in Bermuda.
This reinforces the speaker’s belief that the dollar has been completely forgotten by Todd and will never be returned.
d. How is the speaker/author able to keep his friendship with Todd and yet take him to task for his lack of credit worthiness?
Ans – The speaker is able to do this because he is a gentle, thoughtful, and humorous person who values social harmony and doesn’t want to create awkwardness or damage his friendship over a small amount like one dollar.
Moreover, the speaker admits that he himself might have borrowed money from others and forgotten to return it.
This self-awareness softens his criticism of Todd and shows that he doesn’t see himself as morally superior.
By acknowledging his own possible faults, he keeps his tone humble and balanced.
The speaker’s ability to blend gentle humor with personal reflection allows him to express his disappointment without being harsh, preserving both the message and the friendship.
IV. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each.
a. What contradiction does one find in Todd’s attitude and behaviour?
Ans – The contradiction in Todd’s attitude and behaviour lies in the fact that while he appears to be a friendly, decent, and socially polite person, he completely forgets or ignores a small but meaningful debt he owes to his close friend.
On one hand, Todd behaves in a warm and sincere manner toward the speaker—he greets him with friendliness, shares stories from his Bermuda trip, and talks casually and comfortably, showing no signs of guilt or discomfort.
His actions suggest that he values the friendship and holds no ill feelings.
But on the other hand, Todd shows no awareness or acknowledgment of the dollar he borrowed before his trip.
Despite several opportunities to remember—such as when they meet after his return, when the speaker mentions taxis, currency, or even debts in general—Todd seems completely unaware or unconcerned.
This creates a contradiction: how can someone be so friendly and yet so forgetful or careless about a small act of responsibility?
What makes this contradiction more ironic is the moment when Todd criticizes Poland for not paying its debts, while he himself is guilty of the same, though on a much smaller scale.
This adds a layer of humorous hypocrisy, where his words and actions don’t match.
In short, the contradiction lies in Todd’s outwardly friendly and respectable behaviour versus his inner forgetfulness or neglect regarding the borrowed dollar.
It highlights the gap between appearance and responsibility, making the story both funny and thought-prov oking.
b. Can Todd be accused of double standards since he takes Poland to task for not paying her debt while he has quietly forgotten to pay back the borrowed dollar?
Ans – Todd can certainly be accused of double standards because he displays a clear contradiction between what he expects from others and what he practices himself.
In the story “My Lost Dollar”, Todd owes the speaker a dollar, borrowed casually before leaving for Bermuda.
Despite several opportunities to repay it, he forgets about the loan and continues to interact with the speaker in a friendly, unaware manner.
This shows a lack of awareness or responsibility toward small personal debts.
The irony becomes even more apparent when, during a dinner conversation, Todd criticizes Poland for not paying its national debt.
His strong opinion on a country’s failure to fulfill its financial obligations seems hypocritical because he has himself neglected to repay a much smaller personal debt.
While he is quick to hold Poland accountable, he fails to apply the same standards to his own actions. This is the essence of a double standard — applying one rule to others and a different one to oneself.
c. Bring out the elements of humour in the piece.
Ans –The story “My Lost Dollar” by Stephen Leacock is filled with subtle, clever humour that arises from the narrator’s tone, exaggeration, irony, and the contrast between serious issues and trivial concerns.
Exaggeration of a Trivial Matter
The central joke of the story is that the narrator is obsessing over a single dollar, a very small amount.
He remembers the exact date it was borrowed, reflects on it for a whole year, and even considers starting a “Back to Honesty” movement — all over one dollar.
This exaggerated seriousness is what makes it funny.
Ironic Contrast
There’s irony in the fact that the narrator claims not to bear any grudge, yet he keeps bringing up the incident repeatedly and even keeps a mental list of people who owe him money.
Similarly, he talks about national honesty while getting upset over a personal loan.
Mock Seriousness (Deadpan Tone)
Leacock writes in a serious, formal tone while discussing something so petty.
For example, he notes the temperature in Todd’s letter (100 degrees) and momentarily thinks it refers to the dollar — this confusion is funny because of how seriously he takes it.
Self-Deprecation
The narrator also turns the joke on himself.
He begins to wonder if he might owe someone a dollar too and comically suggests they approach him in alphabetical order, adding to the humour through absurd logic.
Leacock uses gentle satire to poke fun at human nature, memory, pride, and our strange priorities — all wrapped in wit and light humour.
d. How important do you think is honesty and keeping promises, even for small amounts of money, in maintaining friendships?
ANS – Honesty and keeping promises about small amounts of money is actually crucial for maintaining friendships.
Friendship reveals character in low-stakes situations where someone’s true priorities become clear.
If a friend can’t be trusted with a dollar they borrowed, or consistently breaks minor promises, it raises questions about their reliability in more important matters.
The dollar we lost might seem insignificant financially, but it likely represents something larger. It represents Trust, reliability, Respect, consideration, Priorities, character and the social contract.
If the friend can’t follow through on something simple, it makes us wonder if we can count on him for bigger things.
Not returning the small amount of money might signal they don’t think our kindness deserves acknowledgment. Their action reveals what matters to them.
When friends are casual about small commitments, it can feel like they’re being casual about the friendship itself.
Borrowing and lending, even small amounts, is based on mutual understanding and trust. Breaking that agreement damages the framework on which friendship depends.
That is the reason why honesty and keeping promises about small amounts of money is actually crucial for maintaining friendships.
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