NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 4 – Keeping it from Harold
Page No 39:
Question 3(a):
Mrs Bramble was a proud woman because __________.
(i) she was the wife of a famous boxer
(ii) she had motivated her husband
(iii) she was a good housewife
(iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy
Answer:
(iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy
Question 3(b):
“The very naming of Harold had caused a sacrifice on his part.” The writer’s tone here is __________________.
(i) admiring
(ii) assertive
(iii) satirical
(iv) gentle
Answer:
(iv) gentle
Question 3(c):
Harold had defied the laws of heredity by ______.
(i) becoming a sportsperson
(ii) being good at academics
(iii) being well-built and muscular
(iv) respecting his parents
Answer:
(ii) being good at academics
Page No 40:
Question 3(d):
Harold felt that he was deprived of the respect that his classmates would give him as _________.
(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’
(ii) his hero, Jimmy Murphy had not won the wrestling match
(iii) he had not got Phil Scott’s autograph
(iv) Sid Simpson had lost the Lonsdale belt
Answer:
(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’
Question 4(a):
What was strange about the manner in which Mrs. Bramble addressed her son? What did he feel about it?
Answer:
There is always something special in a relation of a child with his/her mother, maybe pleasant or even repulsive. Sometimes it is undefined and yet felt deeply.
Whenever Harold called his mother, Mrs. Bramble would reply referring to herself in the third person; she would say, “Yes, mother will hear you, precious.” This jarred upon the child. He felt as if she were addressing a baby, though he was one in reality, instead of a young man of 10 who had taken the spelling and dictation prize last term on his head. It is possible that the child always yearned for some sort of a direct connexion. An assurance that only a direct reference could prove, a connexion that could establish his relation with his mother.
Question 4(b):
Why was it necessary to keep Harold’s father’s profession a secret from him?
Answer:
Harold had defied the Bramble laws of hereditary by excelling in academics rather than in sports. His father was a professional heavy weight boxer, while he, at the age of 10, had taken the spelling and dictation prize last term on his head. A spectacled child who was so devoted to his books, such a model of behaviour, so altogether admirable. And it was this that led his parents, who were lovers of truth, to conceal the fact of his father’s profession. When Harold was a baby, it had not mattered much; however, when he grew with such fine intellect, into a model of goodness, even the senior curate of the parish suggested Mrs. and Mr. Bramble to keep the truth from Harold. It was a possible negative effect on his academics and the idea of the fact bringing embarrassment to Harold that everybody feared, made them all to behave in the fashion. However, when the truth was revealed all were taken aback by the way Harold felt so proud that it was his father after all who was named “Young Porky”. Human mind sometimes travels beyond the possible and imagines and fears more than necessary.
Question 4(c):
When Mr. Bramble came to know that he was to become a father what were some of the names he decided upon? Why?
Answer:
A heavy weight boxer, Mr. Bramble, although was very persuasive, in private life “he was the mildest and most obliging of men, and always yielded to everybody.” When he came to know that he was about to be a father, he thought of names for the would-be baby boy or baby girl. He desired that the child should be named John, if a boy, after the legendary American boxer, Mr. John L. Sullivan (1858-1918), lasting the bare-knuckle boxing championship; world heavy weight boxing champion from 1882-1892. If the baby be a girl, he would name her Marie, after Miss Marie Lloyd, music hall artist (1870-1922). At least one thing can be observed by this: Mr. Bramble admired legends and was not just a boxer but also a patron of art. And the excitement of becoming a father is so much visible. However, his wife suggested the name Harold for the baby boy by saying that it was such a sweet name and Bramble had withdrawn his suggestion with the most good-humour.
Question 4(d):
Describe Mr. Bramble as he has been described in the story.
Answer:
Mr. Bramble, a heavy weight boxer by profession, like a walnut, was tough on the exterior and equally tender from within. He was a man who was deeply concerned about his family. A man who possessed an understanding of the fine complications of life, he with his wife decided to secrete the truth about his profession from Harold due to the possible negative effects that it could lay on his academics, damaging his confidence forever, by embarrassing him publically. Too protective for his young one, he was. A man who planned every happiness of the family in advance, like he decided the names for his soon to arrive child, one who admired legends and was a patron of art.
Although a persuasive man while with the world outside, at home he was a complete family man, submissive, understanding and caring for his wife. Mr. Bramble was too protective of his son and just the idea of how his professional image could hamper Harold’s delicate psychology made him decide to quit his profession before the due time. He decided not to take on the national fight with Jimmy Murphy. He was ready to break the trust of his trainer Jerry Fisher for the fear of how his little one will feel and the trauma he will go through. However, his fears turned out to be all imagined up and so when he saw, how his own son wanted his dad, “Young Porky”, to take it on, he got back at practice for his son’s happiness.
Question 4(e):
Why was Mrs. Bramble upset when she came to hear that Bill had decided not to fight?
Answer:
Mrs. Bramble was also concerned about Harold coming to know about his father’s profession. However, there were other concerns too that she was worried about. Although Mrs. Bramble never liked Mr. Bramble’s profession but the fact remained that it earned them a good deal of money, which made it easy for them to provide Harold with the best of education till now. Mrs. Bramble even remarked that the education they have provided to Harold was as good as education provided to a Duke. The final fight that Mr. Bramble was to fight with the American Murphy was going to earn him five hundred pounds. Even if he lost, still he would have been given a hundred and twenty pounds that would have been enough for them to Harold a good start. Mrs. Bramble was so upset about how she was to manage her son’s education. Her financial worries were disturbing her deeply. She was so sure of the money that Mr. Bramble was to bring home the next week over his victory she was already celebrating in her heart and the news of him quitting the fight broke all her hopes of a better tomorrow.
Question 4(f):
Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to try and convince Bill to change his mind?
Answer:
Jerry Fisher was Mr. Bramble’s trainer. They were practising at White Hart, down the road, for the due fight between Bill and the American Murphy at the National Sporting Club. When he came to know that Bill had decided not to fight on Monday, tears came to his eyes. He tried to convince him to come back and practice for the fight. He reminded Mr. Bramble of the money, he reminded him of how the press would react on his decision and most of all he asked him to think of him once before taking any final decision. At last when Bill did not agree to fight, Jerry threatened to disclose the secret of Bill’s profession to Harold. He even told the kid the truth about his father, but to everybody’s surprise, Harold was happy to know that it was his father after all known as “Young Porky” and he was also annoyed that had his father not concealed the truth from him, he would have told all the lads in the school and would have felt proud of it. After the whole drama, when Mr. Bramble was finally convinced that his profession, rather than letting down, is making his son proud. He decided to come back to practice for the 20 round fight.
Question 4(g):
How did Harold come to know that his father was a boxer?
Answer:
Every son believes his father to be the best and ideal man in the world; and every father wants to give his son the best he can. Mr. Bramble wanted to give the best to his son too. He hid the truth about his profession that he was a professional heavy weight boxer for the fear that it would cause much embarrassment to his little one and that his academics might be affected. However, when Bill declared to Jerry Fisher that he will not fight at the National Sporting Club against Jimmy Murphy, Jerry in anger said all explicitly in front of Harold. He told Harold, “Tommy, you think your pa’s a commercial. He ain’t. He’s a fighting-man, doing his eight-stone-four ringside, and known to all the heads as ‘Young Porky’.”
Everybody was dumb struck at the words spilled by Fisher, and even when he was expecting a reaction from Harold, the boy instead was happy to know it all and annoyed that why it all was kept from him. Sometimes human mind fears more than necessary and what he is running away from is actually what is good for him/her.
Question 4(h):
Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity? Give two reasons.
Answer:
Harold was much upset that his mother and father had secrete the truth about his father’s profession, that Bill was a heavy weight boxer. He was told that his father was a commercial traveller who took orders from various shops, etc. However, now that he knew that ‘Young Porky’ was none other than his own father, he felt happy and upset.
(1) Harold was a studious child. However, he was interested in sports too. He had bet his friend Dicky Saundres that Jimmy Murphy won’t last ten rounds even against Young Porky, and now that Bill was not going to fight. Harold was sad that after saving all his pocket money to bet on such a good thing and now his father won’t fight it.
(2) Harold felt sad that the truth was concealed and secreted from him. He felt bad for he was not able to show off about his own father being ‘Young Porky’. He could have made all the lads in his school jealous of the fact. He was sad for a boy in his school once got an autograph of Phill Scott and another boy got a snapshot of Jimmy Wilde, and here, he never even knew about his own father’s truth. Had the guys at his school known that his father was the heavy weight boxer, they would not have dared to bully him and tease him ‘Goggles’. Harold even requested Bill if he could give him a picture of him fighting.
Question 4(i):
Do you agree with Harold’s parents decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer? Why/Why not?
Answer:
Pointers have been provided for students’ reference.
It is strongly recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.
(1) First tell what actually happened in the story, what the truth was and what was told to Harold.
(2) Now discuss why the parents and others felt it proper to secrete all about Mr. Bramble’s profession.
(3) Now give your perspective, do you think what the parents did was correct? Do keep in mind the reaction of Harold post the truth was revealed to him.
Question 5:
The sequence of events has been jumbled up. Rearrange them and complete the given flowchart.
| (1) | Major Percy and Bill come to the house. |
| (2) | Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer. |
| (3) | Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold. |
| (4) | Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider. |
| (5) | Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world. |
| (6) | Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing. |
| (7) | Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight. |
| (8) | Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock. |
| (9) | Harold is alone with his mother in their home. |
Answer:
Here is the correct sequence:
(9) Harold is alone with his mother in their home.
(5) Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world.
(8) Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock.
(1) Major Percy and Bill come to the house.
(7) Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight.
(3) Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold.
(4) Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider.
(2) Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer.
(6) Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing.
Page No 41:
Question 6:
Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the characters of these people in it.
| Person | Extracts from the story | What this tells us about their characters |
| Mrs. Bramble | (Para 12) “Bill we must keep it from Harold” | She was not honest and open with her son; concerned mother |
| Mr. Bramble | (Para 33) | |
| Percy | (Para 109) | |
| Jerry Fisher | (Para 110) |
Answer:
| Person | Extracts from the story | What this tells us about their characters |
| Mrs. Bramble | (Para 12) “Bill we must keep it from Harold” | She was not honest and open with her son; concerned mother |
| Mr. Bramble | (Para 33) “The scales have fallen from his eyes” | Mr. Bramble was a caring father; he chose his son over his profession |
| Percy | (Para 109) “My dear sir…a father’s feelings.” | A man who understood a father’s feelings well; a little dramatic |
| Jerry Fisher | (Para 110) “Tommy…’Young Porky’.” | Blunt; did not care about how his words might affect the relation of a father and his son. |
Page No 42:
Question 8:
Many people are of the opinion that violent, physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing and wrestling, to name a few should be banned while others think otherwise. Express your opinion on the topic by either writing in favour of banning these sports or against banning them. While writing, you should also include the rebuttal to your questions. Try not to go beyond 200 words.
Answer:
Pointers have been provided for students’ reference.
It is strongly recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.
First talk a little about sports in general, why a person plays sports and different types of sports.
Talk about the sports like boxing, kick boxing and wrestling that are highly aggressive sports and even involve the risk of life.
Talk of one school of thought that is against these sports. The reasons due to which these sports are so much criticised, the risks involved, such as that for life etc.
Talk of the other school that supports such sports, why they support these sports, the reasons, the thrill, the excitement, the aggression for which these people watch these sports.
Now talk, if you support these sports or are in favour to ban these. Give suitable reasons to support your perspective.
Make sure your view is fixed. And keep the word limit in mind.
