36. HS2nd Yr-Going Places(33)


GOING PLACES   A.R. Barton

Going Places

  1. The story ‘Going Places’ explores the theme of adolescent fantasizing and hero worship.

Ans: A. R. Barton’s this whole story is about unrealistic dreams. It is about how we indulge in these dreams despite knowing that they have little possibility of coming true.

But some like Sophie, gets too involved in them and actually act on them. This is whom disappointment makes its entrance into life. The story seems to hint at you that it is okay to dream, but dream with limits. This actual reality and do not believe too much in movies and novels where the characters miraculously overcome their challenges. This is a pessimistic way of looking at things, but sadly it is the true reality. Unless you are impossibly ambitious, hardworking, and have loads of patience and perseverance, such dreams are best to be kept under lock and key unless you like the taste of bitter disappointment.

  1. Who is Sophie?

Ans: In A. R. Barton’s story ‘Going Places’ Sophie is a teenager who like others of her age is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor financial background but hopes to be sophisticated in the future. Sophie dreams of owning a boutique one day or being an actress or fashion designer.

  1. Who is Jansie? What is the difference between her and Sophie?

Ans: Jansie is the friend of Sophie in A. R. Barton’s story ‘Going Places’.

   Jansie is more realistic in life unlike Sophie. Sophie is a dreamer, who wants to become an actress, fashion designer or desires to own a boutique. Jansie believes that both of them are meant for the biscuit factory. She tires best to bring Sophie back to reality, but in vain.

  1. With whom did Sophie live?

Ans: Sophie lived with her parents and brothers Geoff and little Derek in a small house.

  1. How do Sophie’s parents react to their daughter?
Ans: Sophie keeps on expressing her feelings and desires before her parents. She keeps on telling them about her dreams. But her parents are more mature. They know the truths of life and discourage their daughter, Sophie.

  1. How was Sophie’s relation with her brother Geoff?
Ans: Sophie’s relation with her brother Geoff was quite warm. She was freer with Geoff in expressing what was in her mind and dream. For example, she could tell Geoff about her meeting with Daney Casey. But her parents and others did not know about it.

  1. Where was it most likely that the two girls Sophie and Jansie would find work after school?
Ans: It was likely that after school Sophie and Jansie would find work in the biscuit factory.

  1. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?
Ans: Instead of thinking to join biscuit factory Sophie was dreaming to become like Welsh fashion designer Mary Quant. She was also dreaming of becoming an actress or become manager or owner of a boutique.

  1. Why does Jansie discourage her from having such desires?
Ans: Jansie discouraged Sophie from having such dreams of becoming like Mary Quant, an actress or owner of boutique Jansie was more practical and realistic.

  1. Whom did Sophie worship?
Ans: Sophie hero worshipped an Irish footballer called Daney Casey.

  1. Who is Daney Casey?
Ans: Daney Casey is a famous Irish footballer, whom Sophie worshipped as her hero. He played for the team named United. But Daney was loved as a hero by Sophie’s brother Geoff and their father too.

  1. What did Sophie do on Saturday?
Ans: Sophie worshipped footballer Daney Casey. She had once met him in an arcade. In a casual way, Daney said they may meet again. Sophie took it so seriously that Daney would meet her the next Saturday. On that day, she walked by the canal and sat on a sheltered place waiting for Daney. She was very excited. But Danny did not turn up on Saturday. Yet she hoped against hope that Danny would meet her in the arcade again in front of the Royce’s store. But her fantasy came to an end.

  1. Where had Sophie met Daney Casey?
     Ans: Sophie had met Daney Casey in the arcade in front of the Royce’s store.

  1. How many times did Sophie meet Daney Casey?
Ans: Sophie met Daney Casey just once.
 
  1. The extract ‘Going Places’ is about adolescent fantasizing. Who are the adolescents and what are their dreams?
Ans: The extract ‘Going Places’ is about adolescent fantasizing. The adolescents are Sophie and Jansie.

  1. The extract ‘Going Places’ deals with hero worship. Explain with reference to the story.
Ans: The extract ‘Going Places’ is about hero worship. The extract is actually about adolescent aged youth who indulge in fantasizing. They start thinking and living the lives of the stars or heroes they admire. In reality it is impossible to take part in the daily lives of the heroes. There is a tremendous distance in between the common people and the heroes. Most often adolescent forget this gap and falsely think that they can become part of the lives of their heroes.

  1. How does Sophie’s   family   react to her dreams, thoughts, and actions? Who in the family is sympathetic towards her?
Ans: Sophie’s family members do not like her way of dreams, thoughts and actions. It is her brother Geoff who is a bit sympathetic towards her.

  1. Sophie is representative of contemporary youth and their aspirations. Explain with reference to the extract.
Ans: It is true that Sophie represents contemporary youth and their aspirations. Actually at these adolescent years of life, the youth engage in false dreams. They are too far away from reality. They are in hyper hurry to get success and attention. This leads them to make their heroes ladders to climb to success and glamour. In reality this is not possible. There is no entry for the common youth to become part of the lives of the heroes.

  1. Adolescents worship icons. Why do they do this? Is this characteristic of adolescence? Explain with examples.
Ans: Adolescents worship icons. This is characteristic of them. They want to acquire a short cut to success. To get success they imaginatively start living the lives of their icons. The imagination goes to so much height that they think that they can live in the lives of their icons. Actually this is just impossible. The lives of the icons and stars and the lives of the common ordinary youth are two different worlds which can never intersect.

  1. The story ‘Going Places’ explores the scheme of adolescent fantasizing and hero worship. Explain.
Ans: A. R. Barton’s this whole story is about unrealistic dreams. It is about how we indulge in these dreams despite knowing that they have little possibility of coming true.
But some like Sophie, gets too involved in them and actually act on them. This is when disappointment makes its entrance into life. The story seems to hint at you that it is okay to dream, but dream with limits. This is actual reality and do not believe too much in movies and novels where the characters miraculously overcome their challenges. This is a pessimistic way of looking at things. But sadly, it is the true reality. Unless you are impossibly ambitious, hardworking and loads of patience and perseverance, such dreams are best to be kept under lock and key unless you like the taste of bitter disappointment.

  1. What is the significance of the title ‘Going Places?’
Ans: The title ‘Going Places’ is very interesting and justifies the extract. Sophie represents the fantasizing of the young generation with their icons or stars. The mind and head of the youth goes on moving from places to places. It is in unstable state. It is not fixed and has no systematic movement. It just rushes to heights of false imagination and meaningless day-dreaming. Sophie is the given example in the extract. The title is justified.

  1. How did Sophie live in a world of fantasy?
Ans: Sophie lived in a world of fantasy as she imagined things that never happened. The false story created by her about Daney Casey becomes a living example about her world of fantasy.

  1. What does Sophie think of Daney Casey’s feelings towards her?
Ans: Sophie fantasizes about Daney Casey so much that a casual meeting with the footballer makes her assume that Casey loves her and wants to meet her again.

  1. How many members does Sophie have in her family?
Ans: Sophie has four other members in her family.

  1. Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Ans: No. Geoff does not believe Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey.

  1. Does Sophie’s father believe her story?
Ans: No. Sophie’s father does not believe in his daughter’s story.

  1. What did Sophie’s father discourage her from?
Ans: Sophie’s father discouraged her from day-dreaming. She keeps on telling them about her father about her dreams. But her father is a more mature man. He knows the truths of life and discourages their daughter, Sophie.

  1. Sophie’s family was not well off. What are the indicators of the fact?
Ans: Sophie’s family was not a well off family. It was expected of Sophie that she would join the biscuit factory to learn and work. Workers in biscuit factories are surely ordinary workers and they are not highly paid. The family members’ use of bicycles is also another indicator. Vehicles like bicycles are used by ordinary people.

  1. How did Sophie mean to escape the monotony and squalor of her life?
Ans: Sophie meant to escape the monotony and squalor of her life only via day-dreaming. She indulged herself in useless imagination instead of working hard to improve her life.

  1. It is natural for teenagers to have unrealistic dreams. Discuss with reference to ‘Going Places?’
Ans: It is true that many times teenagers often have unrealistic dreams. And it is also equally true that mostly these dreams prove futile and unproductive. Sophie in ‘Going Places’ is one of those teenagers. These teenagers have to be constantly monitored by their elders and sensible friends.

  1. Which country did Daney Casey play for?
Ans: Daney Casey played for Ireland.

  1. How did Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future?
Ans: Sophie started telling her brother Geoff, how the player Daney Casey gave her a date. It was her misunderstanding and exaggeration about her minor meeting of the player. She was trying to convince her brother that she almost entered in a relation with Casey.

  1. Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her stay with Danny?
Ans: Sophie didn’t want Jansie to know about her stay with Danny. She was friend with Jansie, but the latter was more practical and in reality. She tried to discourage Sophie from false dreams which Sophie did not like. Jansie’s discouragement was disliked by Sophie and so she kept her stay with Danny a secret from Jansie.



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