How It Happened
I. Answer these questions in one or two words.
1. Who was Perkins?
Ans: The narrator’s chauffeur.
2. What is the name of the vehicle mentioned in the story?
Ans: A thirty-horsepower car.
3. What did Stanley die of?
Ans: Enteric fever during the Second Boer War.
4. Where did the car crash?
Ans: At the gate pillar near Claystall Hill.
5. How many sharp curves did Claystall Hill have?
Ans: Three.
II. Answer these questions in a few words.
1. What was whirring like a high wind?
Ans: The wheels of the car were whirring like a high wind.
2. Why is Perkins said to have been ‘splendid’ in his behaviour?
Ans: Perkins remained calm, alert, and courageous even during the dangerous situation. He understood the narrator’s intentions and showed great self-control despite the risk of the accident.
3. What are the brakes of the vehicle known as?
Ans: The brakes are called the foot brake and the side brake.
4. Where did the narrator meet Stanley a few years before the incident?
Ans: The narrator had met Stanley at college a few years earlier.
5. Why did the narrator feel no pain?
Ans: The narrator felt no pain because he was already dead.
III. Answer these questions briefly.
1. Why did the narrator feel that he was ‘like a man in a dream’?
Ans: After the accident, everything seemed strange and unreal to the narrator. When he saw his old friend Stanley, who had died many years earlier, he was surprised but accepted it calmly. Since such unusual events often happen in dreams, he felt as if he were in a dream.
2. Give a brief description of the vehicle mentioned in the story.
Ans: The narrator owned a new thirty-horsepower motor car that had been delivered on the same day. It was a large and impressive vehicle with bright headlights and polished brass fittings. The narrator was proud of the car and referred to it as “she,” showing his affection for it.
3. What is the narrator’s view about foolishness?
Ans: The narrator believes that people often do foolish things in life without realizing the danger involved. Although he knew it was unwise to drive a new car at night without knowing its controls properly, he still chose to drive it himself.
4. What did the narrator and Perkins do when they realised that the open gate lay in front of them?
Ans: When they saw the open gate ahead, the narrator tried to turn the steering wheel with all his strength to guide the car towards it. Both he and Perkins leaned their bodies to help the turn, but the car crashed into the gate pillar at high speed.
5. Why was the narrator amazed when the actual status of Stanley dawned upon him?
Ans: The narrator was amazed because Stanley had died many years earlier during the Boer War. Realizing that he was talking to a dead person made him understand that he himself had also died in the accident.
IV. Answer these questions in detail.
1. Comment on the significance of the ending of the story.
Ans: The ending of the story is surprising and dramatic. Throughout the narrative, the reader believes that the narrator has survived the accident and is describing the events normally. However, at the end it becomes clear that the narrator had actually died in the crash.
This sudden revelation creates a powerful twist in the story. The appearance of Stanley, who had died long ago, hints at the supernatural element and finally makes the narrator realize the truth about his own death. The unexpected ending makes the story more striking and memorable.
2. Describe the drive undertaken by the narrator from the station to his home.
Ans: After returning from London, the narrator found his chauffeur Perkins waiting for him with his brand-new thirty-horsepower motor car. Although Perkins warned him that the gears were different, the narrator insisted on driving the car himself.
As they drove towards home, they reached Claystall Hill, one of the steepest and most dangerous hills in England. While going downhill, the narrator tried to change the gears, but they jammed. When he attempted to stop the car, both the foot brake and the side brake failed.
The car began to rush down the hill at great speed. Despite their desperate attempts to control it, the steering became stiff and difficult to manage. Finally, while trying to turn into his own gate, the car crashed violently into the pillar at about fifty miles per hour, leading to the fatal accident.