The Browning Version
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Answer: Taplow’s attitude towards Mr Crocker-Harris is a mixture of fear, criticism, respect and liking.
He finds Crocker-Harris extremely strict, unemotional and frightening. He is so afraid of him that he does not dare to leave even when Crocker-Harris is late for the extra-work session. Taplow also dislikes the rigid way in which Crocker-Harris teaches Agamemnon.
At the same time, Taplow respects his teacher’s honesty and strict adherence to rules. He knows that Crocker-Harris cannot be flattered and will never reveal examination results before they are officially announced.
Although Taplow describes him as “hardly human”, he admits that he actually likes him. Thus, Taplow fears Crocker-Harris but also respects and admires his integrity.
2. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
Answer: Yes, Frank clearly encourages Taplow to speak about Crocker-Harris.
He listens with interest to Taplow’s criticism and seems amused by it. When Taplow imitates Crocker-Harris, Frank enjoys the performance and even asks him to repeat it.
Frank also encourages Taplow to discuss Crocker-Harris’s behaviour and suggests that he should leave because the teacher is already late. He even tells Taplow that he could go and play golf.
Although Frank occasionally pretends to disapprove when Taplow goes too far, his questions and reactions show that he enjoys hearing Crocker-Harris criticised.
3. What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Answer: Crocker-Harris appears to be a strict, disciplined and highly principled teacher.
He follows school rules carefully and refuses to tell students their results before the official announcement. He is also a hard taskmaster who expects students to complete their work properly, even on the last day of the term.
He does not respond to flattery and does not try to become popular among students. His reserved and unemotional nature makes the boys afraid of him.
However, he is not unfair or dishonest. Taplow himself admits that Crocker-Harris is not a sadist. In spite of his frightening personality, he has a powerful influence on his students and commands a kind of respect that even Frank envies.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Who is Frank? Does he know Taplow?
Answer: Frank is a young science teacher at the same school where Crocker-Harris teaches.
He does not know Taplow personally at the beginning of their conversation. When he asks whether he knows him, Taplow replies that he does not. Taplow is in the Lower Fifth, while Frank teaches science to higher classes.
2. Why is Taplow worried about his ‘remove’?
Answer: Taplow is in the Lower Fifth and is waiting to know whether he will get his remove, that is, promotion to the next class.
He wants to specialise in science, but he cannot do so unless he gets his remove. Therefore, he is anxious about the result.
3. How is Mr Crocker-Harris different from other masters? Cite two points of difference.
Answer: Mr Crocker-Harris differs from other teachers in several ways.
First, he follows school rules strictly and does not reveal students’ results before they are officially announced.
Second, he cannot be influenced by flattery and does not try to make himself popular among his students.
He is also strict enough to give extra work even on the last day of the term.
4. Taplow is extremely interested in science, but what about Frank, the science teacher?
Answer: Taplow is extremely interested in science and hopes to specialise in it after getting his remove.
Frank, however, admits that he is not particularly interested in the science he has to teach. This creates an ironic contrast between the enthusiastic student and the science teacher himself.
5. How is Taplow’s view different from Frank’s regarding Aeschylus’ Agamemnon?
Answer: Taplow dislikes studying Agamemnon and calls it “muck”. However, he admits that the story itself may not be bad; what makes it unpleasant for him is the way Crocker-Harris teaches it.
Frank does not share Taplow’s strong dislike. He questions Taplow about his judgement and encourages him to explain why he dislikes the play.
6. Why did Taplow have to stay back at school?
Answer: Taplow had missed a class during the previous week because he was ill.
Crocker-Harris asked him to make up for the missed work by coming for extra work on the last day of the term. Therefore, Taplow had to remain at school and wait for him.
7. How does Taplow react when Frank asks him to ‘cut’?
Answer: Taplow is shocked by Frank’s suggestion that he should leave without waiting for Crocker-Harris.
He is too afraid of Crocker-Harris to disobey him and says that no student would dare to do such a thing. Therefore, he refuses to “cut” the extra-work session.
8. Why does Frank envy Crocker-Harris?
Answer: Frank envies Crocker-Harris because of the powerful influence he has over his students.
Even though the boys are frightened of him, they take him very seriously and obey him. Frank admits that Crocker-Harris has a remarkable effect on the students, something that Frank himself seems not to possess.
9. Taplow says that Mr Crocker-Harris is not a sadist but is frightening and “hardly human”. Explain.
Answer: Taplow says that Crocker-Harris is not a sadist because he does not take pleasure in causing pain to others.
However, his lack of visible emotion makes him even more frightening. Taplow feels that he is emotionally “shrivelled up inside like a nut”.
He neither seeks affection nor responds to flattery. This extreme reserve makes Taplow describe him as “hardly human”.
10. Comment on the ‘classical jokes’ of Mr Crocker-Harris. What happened when Taplow laughed at one of them?
Answer: Crocker-Harris occasionally makes classical jokes in class, but the students usually do not understand them and therefore do not laugh.
Once, Taplow laughed at one of his jokes merely out of politeness. Crocker-Harris, however, assumed that Taplow had understood the joke and was pleased with what he thought was Taplow’s progress.
The incident shows both Crocker-Harris’s seriousness and Taplow’s awkward sympathy for him.
11. Cite an instance that shows Frank enjoys Crocker-Harris being criticised by Taplow.
Answer: When Taplow imitates Crocker-Harris’s manner of speaking, Frank is clearly amused.
Instead of stopping him, Frank asks Taplow to repeat the imitation. This shows that he enjoys hearing his colleague being mocked by a student.
12. How do Frank and Taplow react to the sudden arrival of Millie Crocker-Harris?
Answer: Frank and Taplow react very differently.
Frank feels relieved at Millie’s arrival and turns to welcome her.
Taplow, however, becomes nervous because he fears that she may have overheard his remarks about Crocker-Harris and might report them to her husband. He worries that this could affect his remove.
13. Where did Millie send Taplow? What was her purpose?
Answer: Millie sent Taplow to the chemist with a prescription.
She told him to get the medicine prepared because Crocker-Harris would take some time to return.
When Taplow worried that Crocker-Harris might arrive before he came back, Millie assured him that she would take the responsibility.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. What kind of a teacher and human being is Crocker-Harris according to Taplow?
Answer: According to Taplow, Crocker-Harris is an extremely strict, disciplined and unusual teacher.
He follows school rules faithfully and refuses to reveal examination results before the official announcement. Unlike teachers who may be influenced by students, he does not respond to flattery. He gives Taplow extra work even on the last day of the term because Taplow had missed a class.
Crocker-Harris has a strong hold over the boys, and they are deeply afraid of him. Taplow himself cannot imagine leaving the school without permission even when his teacher is late.
As a human being, Crocker-Harris appears cold and emotionally distant. Taplow says that he is “hardly human” and “shrivelled up inside like a nut”. Yet Taplow does not consider him a sadist because he does not deliberately enjoy causing suffering.
In spite of his harsh personality, Crocker-Harris has honesty, discipline and integrity. He cannot be bribed by praise or influenced by personal feelings. Therefore, although Taplow fears and criticises him, he admits that he cannot help liking him.
2. What picture of Frank do you form after reading The Browning Version?
Answer: Frank is a young science teacher and a colleague of Crocker-Harris.
He is friendly and informal with students. His conversation with Taplow shows that he can easily mix with them. However, he does not appear to possess the same professional seriousness as Crocker-Harris.
Although Frank teaches science, he admits that he is not especially interested in the science he teaches. He also shows a casual attitude towards school discipline when he advises Taplow to leave instead of waiting for Crocker-Harris.
Frank seems somewhat jealous of Crocker-Harris’s influence over the students. He enjoys Taplow’s criticism and imitation of his colleague and even asks him to repeat it.
At the same time, Frank occasionally checks Taplow when his criticism becomes too personal. Thus, Frank appears friendly and approachable, but compared with Crocker-Harris he seems less disciplined and less committed to strict professional principles.
3. Compare and contrast Crocker-Harris and Frank.
Answer: Crocker-Harris and Frank are colleagues, but they differ greatly in personality, attitude and teaching style.
Crocker-Harris is older, strict, reserved and highly disciplined. He teaches classical literature and takes his duties very seriously. He follows school rules strictly and never reveals results before they are officially announced. He cannot be flattered and does not seek popularity.
Frank, on the other hand, is younger, friendlier and more informal. He teaches science and can talk freely with students such as Taplow. However, he admits that he is not particularly interested in the science he teaches.
Crocker-Harris has tremendous authority over the boys. They are frightened of him but still respect him. Frank himself feels envious of this influence.
Frank is also less strict about rules. He suggests that Taplow should leave when Crocker-Harris is late, whereas Crocker-Harris would never encourage such behaviour.
Thus, Crocker-Harris represents discipline, duty and professional integrity, while Frank represents informality, friendliness and a more relaxed attitude towards rules.
IMPORTANT QUESTION AND ANSWER
1. Who is Taplow, and why is he waiting at school?
Answer: Taplow is a sixteen-year-old student of the Lower Fifth.
He is waiting for Mr Crocker-Harris because he has been asked to do extra work after missing a class due to illness. Although it is the last day of the term, Taplow remains at school because he is afraid to disobey his strict teacher.
2. How does Taplow describe Mr Crocker-Harris’s nature?
Answer: Taplow describes Crocker-Harris as strict, frightening and emotionally distant.
He calls him “hardly human” and compares his inner nature to a shrivelled nut. He says that Crocker-Harris does not respond to flattery and does not even seem to want students to like him.
However, Taplow does not think he is a sadist and admits that, in spite of everything, he likes him.
3. Why does Taplow not leave even when Frank suggests he should?
Answer: Taplow does not leave because he is deeply afraid of Crocker-Harris’s authority.
He believes that disobeying him would have serious consequences, especially when his remove has not yet been announced.
Therefore, even though Crocker-Harris is late, Taplow prefers to wait.
4. Why does Taplow find Agamemnon boring and call it ‘muck’?
Answer: Taplow is much more interested in science than in classical literature.
He finds the study of Agamemnon boring because, in class, it seems to involve translating difficult Greek words and facing punishment for mistakes.
However, he admits that the story itself may not be bad. His dislike is largely connected with the way the subject is taught.
5. What does Taplow reveal about Crocker-Harris’s teaching methods?
Answer: Taplow reveals that Crocker-Harris teaches in a strict and traditional manner.
He expects accurate work, gives extra assignments when necessary and closely follows school rules.
He does not give students special favours or reveal examination results in advance. These qualities make him demanding and frightening, but also fair and principled.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
1. Talking about teachers among friends.
Answer: Students often discuss their teachers with friends, but such conversations should remain respectful.
It is natural to talk about a teacher’s teaching style, discipline or classroom methods. However, personal insults and unnecessary mockery should be avoided.
Teachers play an important role in shaping students’ lives, so criticism should be fair, thoughtful and related to learning rather than personal attacks.
2. The manner you adopt when you talk about a teacher to other teachers.
Answer: While speaking about one teacher to another, a student should be especially careful, polite and respectful.
If there is a genuine academic problem, it should be explained honestly without insulting or mocking anyone.
Speaking badly about one teacher merely to entertain another is inappropriate and may create misunderstanding.
Therefore, students should maintain courtesy and maturity while discussing teachers.
3. Reading plays is more interesting than studying science. Discuss.
Answer: Whether plays or science are more interesting depends largely on personal taste.
Plays can be enjoyable because they contain characters, emotions, conflicts and dramatic action. They allow readers to enter different situations and understand human behaviour.
Science, on the other hand, explains how the natural world works. It encourages observation, experimentation and logical thinking.
Therefore, neither subject is universally more interesting than the other. A student may prefer literature, science or both according to personal interest.
FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. Taplow came to do extra work for __________.
Answer: Mr Crocker-Harris
2. Taplow wanted to specialise in __________.
Answer: Science
3. According to Taplow, Crocker-Harris is __________.
Answer: hardly human
4. Taplow had missed a day of school because of __________.
Answer: illness
5. Mrs Crocker-Harris gave Taplow a __________ to take to the chemist.
Answer: prescription
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Taplow was in which class?
(a) Lower Sixth
(b) Upper Fifth
(c) Lower Fifth
(d) Upper Fourth
Answer: (c) Lower Fifth
2. Which subject does Frank teach?
(a) Latin
(b) Science
(c) History
(d) English
Answer: (b) Science
3. Whom was Taplow waiting for?
(a) Frank
(b) Millie
(c) Crocker-Harris
(d) The Headmaster
Answer: (c) Crocker-Harris
4. How does Taplow describe Crocker-Harris?
(a) Very friendly
(b) Hardly human
(c) Extremely humorous
(d) Careless
Answer: (b) Hardly human
5. What does Taplow initially call Agamemnon?
(a) Interesting
(b) Muck
(c) Beautiful
(d) Easy
Answer: (b) Muck
6. Taplow compares Crocker-Harris’s inner personality to a __________.
(a) stone
(b) flower
(c) nut
(d) book
Answer: (c) nut
7. What does Frank suggest Taplow should do when Crocker-Harris is late?
(a) Study science
(b) Go and play golf
(c) Visit the headmaster
(d) Go home and sleep
Answer: (b) Go and play golf
8. At what time was Taplow supposed to meet Crocker-Harris?
(a) 6:00 p.m.
(b) 6:15 p.m.
(c) 6:30 p.m.
(d) 7:00 p.m.
Answer: (c) 6:30 p.m.
9. Who, according to Taplow, follows school rules very strictly?
(a) Frank
(b) Millie
(c) Crocker-Harris
(d) Taplow
Answer: (c) Crocker-Harris
10. Why is Frank somewhat envious of Crocker-Harris?
(a) Crocker-Harris teaches science.
(b) Crocker-Harris has a powerful effect on the boys.
(c) Crocker-Harris is younger.
(d) Crocker-Harris plays golf well.
Answer: (b) Crocker-Harris has a powerful effect on the boys.
11. Millie is described as being dressed more smartly than __________.
(a) Taplow
(b) Frank
(c) most schoolmasters’ wives
(d) Crocker-Harris
Answer: (c) most schoolmasters’ wives
12. Who suddenly enters while Frank and Taplow are talking?
(a) Crocker-Harris
(b) The Headmaster
(c) Millie Crocker-Harris
(d) The Bursar
Answer: (c) Millie Crocker-Harris
13. Why is Taplow afraid to leave without permission?
(a) He fears Crocker-Harris’s reaction.
(b) He wants to study longer.
(c) He is waiting for Frank.
(d) The school gate is locked.
Answer: (a) He fears Crocker-Harris’s reaction.
14. A sadist is someone who enjoys __________.
(a) teaching
(b) causing pain to others
(c) telling jokes
(d) helping people
Answer: (b) causing pain to others
15. According to Taplow, Crocker-Harris seems to dislike being __________.
(a) liked
(b) feared
(c) obeyed
(d) respected
Answer: (a) liked
Teacher Generate Question Answer
1. Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Ans: Taplow’s attitude towards Crocker-Harris is quite mixed. He recognises his sense of discipline, sense of devotion and stoic nature. But he has a personal grudge against Mr Crocker-Harris. He has to do some extra work on the last day of school. He feels that Mr Harris is feelingless and strict. He can never be flattered. He is mighty scared of him. In spite of everything. Taplow rather likes him. Perhaps he ‘can’t help’ liking him. Taplow considers that Mr Crocker-Harris is not like others. He doesn’t tell the results like the other masters before they are formally announced. In this respect he is different from teachers like Frank who don’t observe the rules so strictly. Only a teacher like Mr Harris can give extra work on the last day of school. He knows no mercy. Nor can one extract any concession from him. He is a hard taskmaster. When Taplow asks Mr Harris if he has given him a remove (promotion), he gets a tricky answer. He has given him exactly what he deserves. No less; and certainly no more. Taplow thinks that he is “hardly human”. But he doesn’t consider Mr Harris a sadist. He is even worse than that. He is all “shrivelled up inside like a nut”. He doesn’t like flattery. He hates people who like or flatter him. He doesn’t like even being liked. Even Mr Frank feels envious of Mr Crocker-Harris. He has a wonderful effect on the boys. The boys seem scared to death of him.
2. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
Ans: Frank, a young teacher, is envious of Mr Crocker-Harris. Rivalry is quite common among colleagues. The same things works here. He relishes all adverse comments against Mr. Harris. Not only that. He even encourages Taplow, a student of Crocker-Harris, to criticise him. But he doesn’t do it openly. He subtly pretends not to like any adverse comments against Mr. Harris. Like a clever teacher, Frank prompts Taplow to pass even uncharitable remarks against Harris. Frank is exposed when he himself asks Taplow to imitate Mr Crocker Harris. Naturally, he enjoys Mr Harris being ridiculed by his own pupil. He even feels envious of the respect and ‘effect’ that Mr Harris enjoys on his students. Frank even incites Taplow to ‘cut’ as Mr Harris is already ten-minute late. He even encourages Taplow to share Mr.Harris’ jokes with him. But Frank pretends to have no jealousy against Mr Crocker-Harris. Taplow criticizes Mr Harris for giving him extra work. He says that he is ‘hardly human’. Mr Frank warns Taplow that he has gone ‘much too far’ in his criticism of Mr Harris.
3. What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Ans: Mr Crocker-Harris is a school master in the classical mould. He is a strict disciplinarian. He means business. He is a devoted teacher. He can’t tolerate any laxity among his students. He is a hard task –master. He never spares an erring child. He is very conscious of his duty. Even on the last day and a day before his retirement, he can give extra work to a student. Mr Crocker-Harris himself follows the rules very strictly. He doesn’t tell the results like the other masters. It is very difficult to read his mind. When Taplow asks if he has given him a promotion, Mr Harris sounds mysterious. He tells Taplow that he has given hit he deserves. “No less; and certainly no more.” Students ‘seem scared to death’ of him. Even Frank feels envious of the effect Mr Harris has on the boys in the class. But Mr Crocker-Harris is not a sadist. Taplow only calls him ‘frightening’. ‘He is all shrivelled up inside like a nut’. He hates flattery. No amount of flattery can move him. He doesn’t like even being liked. But in spite of everything, students like Taplow like him. Perhaps they can’t help it.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Who is Frank? Does he know Taplow?
Ans: Frank is a young school master. He teaches in the same school in which Mr Crocker-Harris, his senior colleague teaches. Actually, Frank doesn’t know Taplow. His question to Taplow is self-explanatory. He asks Taplow: ‘Do I know you’? Taplow answer. ‘No, sir.’ Taplow is in lower fifth while Frank teaches science to the higher classes.
2. Why is Taplow worried about his ‘remove’?
Ans: Taplow is in the lower fifth standard. He can’t specialise until he gets his ‘remove’ all right. ‘Remove’ is a certificate of promotion to the next class. He is worried about the results because much depends on how he performs in the examinations.
3. How is Mr Crocker-Harris different from other masters? Cite two points of difference.
Ans: Mr Crocker-Harris is a disciplinarian. He follows the rules very strictly. He doesn’t leak the results like other masters before they are formally announced. Secondly, Mr Harris doesn’t like flattery. Nor does he want that anybody should like him. He is a hard task-master. He can give extra work to a student even on the last day of school.
5. Taplow is extremely interested in science but what about Frank, the science teacher?
Ans: Taplow is anxiously waiting for his remove. If he gets a favourable remove then he will opt for science in the next class. He is ‘extremely interested in science’. But the science teacher, Mr Frank, is not. Not, at least, in the science he has to teach.
6. How is Taplow’s view different from Mr Frank’s regarding Aeschylus’ the ‘Agamemnon?
Ans: Taplow is extremely interested in science. He doesn’t like literature. He calls ‘The Agamemnon’, a play written by the great Greek dramatist Aeschylus, as ‘muck’. He considers science much more exciting and interesting than literature. Mr Frank thinks differently. He thinks just the opposite of Frank.
7. Why did Taplow have to stay back at school?
Ans: Mr Crocker-Harris was a hard taskmaster. Taplow, a student of lower fifth standard, missed a day last week when he was ill. But Mr Crocker-Harris was unrelenting. He punished Taplow. He gave extra work to Taplow and that too on the last day of school. So, Taplow had to stay back at school to complete the assignment.
8. How does Taplow react when Frank asks him to ‘cut’?
Ans: Mr Frank is not very favourably disposed towards Mr Crocker-Harris. Mr Harris doesn’t come on the right time. Frank asks Taplow to ‘cut’ Crocker’s extra work period. Taplow can’t even imagine of doing such a thing. No student has ever done such a thing in the whole teaching career of Mr Harris.
9. Why does Mr Frank envy Mr Crocker—Harris?
Ans: Mr Crocker-Harris is more feared than respected. Mr Frank is a young teacher in Mr Crocker’s school. He is envious of his senior colleague. He frankly admits that Mr Crocker-Harris enjoys a wonderful hold over his students. They all seem scared to death of him. He is jealous of Crocker’s authority and ‘effect’ on his students.
10. Taplow says that Mr Crocker-Harris is not a sadist but he is so frightening and hardly human. Elucidate.
Ans: Taplow doesn’t consider Mr Crocker-Harris a sadist. He doesn’t get pleasure out of giving pain to others. He wouldn’t be so frightening if he were a sadist. Even a sadist shows some feelings. But Mr Crocker-Harris has none. Taplow says that he is ‘all shrivelled up inside like a nut’, He hates people to like him. He doesn’t have natural human feelings.
11. Comment on the ‘classical jokes’ of Mr Crocker-Harris. What did Mr Harris say to Taplow when he laughed at one of his jokes?
Ans: Sometimes Mr Crocker-Harris made his ‘classical jokes’ in the class. Nobody laughed because nobody understood them. One day out of ordinary politeness, Taplow laughed at one of his jokes out of fun only. Mr Crocker was pleased at the advance Taplow had made in Latin. He laughed at Mr Crocker’s classical jokes in Latin in the whole class feeling sorry for him.
12. Cite an instance in the text that may show that Frank relishes Mr Crocker-Harris being criticised by Taplow?
Ans: Mr Frank is not straightforward. He is envious of Mr Crocker-Harris and his wonderful hold over his students. When Taplow imitates Mr Crocker-Harris in his throaty voice, Mr Frank relishes it. Not only that. He asks Taplow, ‘Just…….repeat it, would you’? He only pretends to hide his envy for Mr Harris.
13. How do Mr Frank and Taplow react to the sudden arrival of Millie Crocker?
Ans: Frank and Taplow react differently to the sudden arrival of Millie Crocker. Frank turns to welcome her. He is ‘infinitely relieved’ at seeing her. On the other hand, Taplow is scared. He fears if she has heard what he spoke about Mr Crocker. If she has heard him, she can report his words to Mr Crocker-Harris. Taplow fears that he might not get his remove.
14. Where did Millie send Taplow? What was her purpose?
Ans: Millie Crocker comes to know that Taplow was waiting for her husband. She tells him that Mr Crocker will take quite a time a reach there. She asks him to run away to a chemist with the prescription and get it made up. Taplow fears in case Mr Crocker-Harris gets there before him. Millie Crocker asks him not to worry about that. She will take the blame on her if it happens.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS.
1. What kind of a teacher and a human being is Crocker-Harris according to Taplow?
Ans: Mr Crocker-Harris is a middle aged school master. He is a teacher in the traditional mould. He is a strict man who is more feared than respected. He follows rules and regulations with all sincerity. He teaches the lower fifth class. The result is to be officially announced the next day. But Mr Crocker-Harris is different from all other teachers. Other teachers may leak out the result but Mr Harris will never do such a thing. Mr Harris has a wonderful hold over his students. Students seem to be scared to death. He is a hard task-master. Taplow a student of lower fifth standard, missed a day last week when he was ill. But Mr Crocker-Harris is unrelenting. He gives extra work to Taplow and that too on the last day of school. Taplow is worried about his fate. He asks Mr Crocker if he will get his remove. Mr Crocker is evasive as usual. It is very difficult to extract any information from him. But in spite of all these things, Taplow respects Mr Harris as a teacher and a man. In spite of everything, Mr Crocker is not a sadist. He is worse than that. He is totally feelingless and frightening. He lacks spontaneous human feelings. He hates flattery. He is shrivelled up inside like a nut. In spite of all these limitations and weaknesses students like Taplow can’t help liking him. They simply can’t hate him.
2. What picture of Mr Frank do you form after reading ‘The Browning Version’?
Ans: Mr Frank is a young teacher at Mr Crocker’s school. Actually, he is a colleague of Mr Crocker-Harris. He teaches science to higher classes. When compare to his more senior colleague, Mr Frank fails to come up to Mr Crocker’s stature. He lacks that sense of involvement that Mr Crocker seems to have for studies. He is a science teacher but shows no interest in science. This speaks of his lack of commitment and involvement. Mr Frank lacks honesty. He doesn’t seem to care for the rules. In this respect, he is a sharp contrast to Mr Crocker-Harris. Being a teacher, he urges Taplow to cut Crocker-Harris. It is quite unbecoming on his part. He admits his envy for Mr Crocker-Harris. He is envious of the wonderful hold that ,Mr Harris has over his students. Mr Frank relishes Taplow criticising Crocker-Harris. He likes Taplow’s imitation of Mr Crocker. Not only that, he encourages Taplow to imitate Harris again. But he poses to appear otherwise. He lacks sincerity and devotion of Mr Crocker-Harris towards his profession. He is overshadowed by a more determined and dominating character.
3. Compare and contrast Crocker-Harris and Frank.
Ans: Crocker-Harris and Frank are two contrasting characters. In age, outlook and ideas they are two different personalities. They have only one thing in common. They belong to the same school. Frank is young while Crocker-Harris is middle aged. Frank teaches science while Crocker-Harris teaches classical literature. They have different temperaments. Frank is more frank and receptive of the two. Mr Crocker-Harris is reserved and not so social. Frank can mix up with students quite easily. His lengthy conversation with Taplow shows that he is at ease even with the students of lower classes. Frank shows little interest in the subject he teaches. This presents him in poor light as a teacher. On the other hand, Crocker-Harris is a devoted teacher. He has a wonderful hold over his students. He is more feared than respected. He is shrivelled up inside like a nut. He hates flattery. He doesn’t like people who like him.But he is not a sadist. He is frightening. Students seem to be scared to death of him. Even Frank is envious of Crocker’s hold over the students.
Mr Crocker-Harris follows rules and regulations very strictly. He doesn’t leak out the results before they are formally announced. Frank cares little for such formalities. Frank relishes Taplow’s imitation and criticism of Crocker-Harris. But Mr Crocker- Harris has no interest and time for such things. He is unique. He can give extra work to student even on the last day of school.
এই Post টো Update কৰাত সহায় কৰিব বিচাৰে নেকি?
ইয়াত কিবা ভুল, অসম্পূৰ্ণ তথ্য বা নতুন তথ্য থাকিলে আপুনি এটা উন্নত version প্ৰস্তুত কৰিব পাৰে। Live Post তৎক্ষণাৎ সলনি নহ'ব।
Update This Post