INDIAN SCHOOL AL WADI AL KABIR

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

CLASS X : (2016 – 17)

QUESTION BANK – TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

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About the author:
A.J. Cronin (1896–1974) was a doctor by training. He practiced medicine in Wales and in London. Itwas while recovering from a breakdown in health that he wrote his first novel Hatter’s Castel. It was ahuge success. Cronin gave up practicing medicine and took to writing as a career. He wrote a number,of novels and short stories, among his best–known novels are the ‘Citadel’, ‘The key of the Kingdom’,and ‘The Spanish Gardener’. Some of his novels have been made into successful films. The title of the
storyis that of one of the early plays of Shakespeare. Thestoryrecounts the hard life chosen by two young boys so that they could pay for the treatment of their sister afflicted with tuberculosis. The boys’
sacrifice, sincerity and devotion to the cause and the maturity they display in their actions gives a newhope for humanity.
Summary:

Two Gentlemen of Verona is a touching story of Jacopo and Nicola, two brothers aged 12 and 13, who do odd jobs and live a hard life themselves to sustain and treat their elder sister Lucia, who is suffering from tuberculosis of the spine. A J Cronin uses the title of William Shakespeare's famous play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona in an ironic manner. Cronin's portrayal of these modern "gentlemen" of Verona redefines the concept of what it means to be a gentleman, Cronin shows us that one may polish boots or sell newspapers, but it is the magnanimity of heart and the nobleness of purpose that actually determines whether one is a true "gentleman".

The first meeting with the two poor boys
The narrator is being driven down the foothills of the Alps when the car is stopped by two young brothers who are in a rather ruffled physical state, selling wild strawberries. The narrator is curtly stopped by his driver Luigi from buying the strawberries, as he claims that he could get better quality fruit in Verona. Yet, the narrator buys the biggest basket. Through the driver Luigi, the narrator comes to learn that the names of the two boys are Nicola and Jacopo, aged 13 and 12 respectively. Despite their shabby and disheveled outward appearance, it is the earnestness in their eyes that attracts the narrator towards them.
The author observes the boy

The narrator spots the two boys again at Verona, as they are busy making money by shining shoes in the public square. This amazes the narrator who was of the opinion that they sell strawberries for a living. The narrator comes to learn about the multiple jobs that these two boys carry out in the city and notices that they possess maturity far beyond their years, despite their childish demeanor.
The boys help the author with their services
Over the week that ensued, the two boys prove to be of great help to the narrator and run errands for him, such as getting American cigarettes, booking opera show tickets and even recommending a good restaurant. The narrator is in complete awe of the two boys because of their determination to work despite the hot weather. The narrator again spots the two boys sitting in the deserted square on a windy night, waiting for the bus for Padua so that they can sell the remaining newspapers. Not able to hold back, the narrator tells them that it is not necessary to overwork, to which the boys reply that they have no complaints.
The boys' request to the author
The following morning, the narrator finds the boys back near the fountain, shining shoes. He goes up to them and inquires about what they do with the money that they earn since they do not seem to spend it on clothes or food. The narrator suggests that they might be saving up to emigrate to the United States. Nicola states that he would like to go there, but at present they have ‘other plans’. The narrator then asks the boys if there is something he could do to help them out since he was leaving on Monday. To this, Jacopo excitedly requests the narrator to drive them down to the countryside of Poleta, as that is where they go every Sunday by hiring bicycles. Nicola is angered by Jacopo’s impulsive request as he seems hesitant to involve the narrator in their trip to Poleta.
The author discovers the purpose of the visit
The narrator drives Nicola and Jacopo to Poleta. They pull over outside a villa and the two boys leap out of the car and ask the narrator to visit the nearby café in the village. The narrator is eager to know more about the boys and decides to follow them into the villa, which is actually a hospital. He meets a nurse who shows him the room in which the boys are. He secretly views them talking to a girl and even though he does not want to intrude, he ends up asking the nurse more about the boys.
The heart-rending story of the two brothers and their sister
The nurse eagerly tells the narrator about the heart-rending story about how the father of the boys was killed in war and how their home had also been devastated. The children come from a cultured family and the war took away their home and parents, leaving them on their own. The children bore hatred against the Germans and joined the resistance movement against them. Upon their return, they found their sister suffering from tuberculosis of the spine. They brought her to this hospital and she has been undergoing treatment for the past one year and has shown improvement. The nurse also expresses her astonishment at how the boys manage to pay for a treatment as work is scarce in Verona.
The author considers the boys as the Gentlemen of Verona
The narrator then understands that the ‘other plans’ of the boys is to ensure their sister’s proper treatment. They are indeed the 'Two Gentlemen of Verona', as coined by the narrator, as they are keeping their noble deed a secret and are determined in spirit. The magnanimity of the boys’ hearts and their humanity bade the narrator to not disclose that he has knowledge of their secret.

THEME:

1. Sacrifice .which stems from love for sister
2. Strength of character.
3. Focussing on solution rather than problem helps one overcome all the challenges of life.
4. Selfless action brings new nobility to human life and greater hope for human society.

MESSAGE:

1. Sacrifice, integrity and devotion form strength of character.
2. These qualities are inspire and influence others.

CHARACTERS

1. NICOLA

a. 13 years old.
b. Loving, caring, responsible & innocent.
c. Diligent worker
d. Takes care of his brother & ailing sister with motherly affection.
e. Lets younger brother sleep while he sells newspapers.
f. Never indulges in self-pity despite poverty.
g. With his rebellious spirit he faces life stoically.
h. Works with great sense of devotion with one mission i.e. to cure their elder sister Lucia who was suffering from tuberculosis.

2.JACOPO

a. Younger of the two brothers.
b. 12 year old.
c. Full of life, innocent
d. Carries an air of seriousness that seems beyond his years.
e. Works with equal diligence as that of Nicola.
f. Shares responsibilities & common interest to cure elder sister with Nicola.

3.NARRATOR

a. Keen observer
b. Sensitive
c. Relates to others’ joys & sorrows.
d. Considerate & kind hearted.
e. A thorough gentleman
f. Wants to help the two kids but does not want to hurt their self-esteem.
g. Admires the courage & determination of the two orphaned kids.
h. Despite knowing the truth about Lucia, he resists from intruding into the privacy of Nicola & Jacopo.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1.  He coloured deeply under his sunburn then grew pale: Explain.

The narrator was astonished to see that the boys worked hard day and night and yet lived meagerly. He wanted to know what the boys did with the money they earned. When he questioned Nicola, he appeared uncomfortable. Perhaps the boys were not used to anybody questioning them regarding their earnings and so the narrator’s question embarrassed them.

2.  He smiled uncomfortably. “Just plans, sir,” he answered in a low voice. Explain.

When the narrator suggested that the boys were saving to emigrate to the States, Nicola responded that how much ever they wished to do that, currently they had other plans, which he was not willing to share with the narrator. The boy seemed quite uncomfortable while answering the question

3.Why, do you think, did the narrator and his companion buy the biggest baskets of strawberries from the two brothers?
The narrator and his friend were attracted to the two boys. Determined to help the boys in their humble way, the narrator and his friend bought the biggest basket of strawberries from them.

4.How did the narrator’s bond with the boys deepen in course of time?
Having taken a special interest in the two boys, the narrator found them in his reach for any odd jobs. He could rely on them for a pack of American cigarettes, seats for the opera or for the name of a good restaurant. They were always willing to work.

5.‘They were childish enough, and in many ways quite artless.’ Explain.
The two childrenwere extremely innocent in their nature. Though they were in need of a lot of money for their sister’s treatment, they did not resort to any unfair means to earn money. In a city like Verona, they too were able to resort to theft and snatching but the two of them, quite determined and in need, believed in hard work and honesty.

6.What sort of seriousness did the narrator trace in the faces of the two brothers?
The narrator traced in the faces of the two little boys a seriousness that was far beyond their age.

7.Why was the narrator initially attracted to the two boys?
The two boys were too little to do the kind of work they did in Verona. They had earnest eyes and refined behaviour. Their weather beaten appearance and brown skin also attracted the narrator to them, considering the amount of work that they did.

8.Mention the odd jobs that the two brothers did in Verona.
The two brothers did a number of odd jobs in Verona. They sold fruits, polished shoes at busy squares, conducted tourists and sold newspapers at nights.

9.What were the brothers doing in the windy and deserted square, beneath the lights at midnight?
In the windy and deserted square, beneath the street lights at midnight, the two brothers were waiting for the last bus from Padua so that they could sell newspapers to the passengers.

10.Why did the narrator say that Nicola and Jacopo must be earning quite a bit?
It was quite ordinary that the narrator felt that the two boys earned quite a bit. He came to this conclusion from the fact that they did a lot of work for money at any time of the night and the day. They spent little on clothes and ate black bread and cheap figs.

11.What favor did Jacopo want from the narrator? Why was Nicola indifferent to his brother?
Jacopo wished the narrator give him and his brother a drive to Poleta where they went to meet their sister every Sunday.

12.Why did the narrator think that his destination was going to be some humble dwelling?
The narrator knew from his association with the boys that they were poor and belonged to a very poor family. The way to Poleta, a small town on the hills, strengthened his speculations.

13.Why did the two boys leap out of the car when the car stopped in front of the villa?
The villa where the car stopped was a hospital. The two boys leaped out of the car because they were greatly excited to see their sister who was under treatment in this hospital.

14.What did the narrator mean when he said that the two boys “could not do” the work they do in Verona better?
The narrator had a close association with the two boys. He knew about all sorts of work they did in Verona. He was greatly impressed by the dexterity and willingness with which the boys worked and therefore believed that no one could do such loads of work as they did.

15.Why, do you think, were the boys silent while returning to Verona?
The boys were returning after a weekly meeting with their sister. They were silent because their minds were overflowing with the thoughts of their sister’s pains, progress, of earning for the next payment and of the narrator who was so good to them to take trouble for them.

16.Why did the narrator not ask the boys anything about Lucia?
The narrator knew that the boys didn’t want him to sympathize for their infirmed sister. He also knew that they had no idea about what he knew about them. So, in order to keep it a secret, to keep them feel proud of doing their work in Verona and to make them feel proud of what they did for their sister, the narrator didn’t ask anything about Lucia.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1.Why are the boys, barely 12 and 13, called gentlemen?
The two gentlemen of Verona were the two poor boys .They were truly gentlemen .They never gave up, never asked for help and didn’t accept the pity of the two visitors. They had their self-respect in them. They never gave up the spirit of living. They helped the two visitors in every possible way, which we often see gentlemen doing. They didn’t tell the visitor about their plans. They did not want to expose it as the gentlemen do .They were very helpful .They also loved their sister who was admitted in hospital. They were very poor but they visited the hospital every weekend and paid the hospital charges from the money which they earned through various kinds of work they did. They were truly the two gentlemen.

2. Appearances are deceptive. Discuss with reference to the two boys.