Broad Questions and Answers of The Eyes Have It - Ruskin Bond

Broad Questions and Answers of The Eyes Have It - Ruskin Bond - Part-I

Fig: Broad Questions and Answers of The Eyes Have It - Ruskin Bond

Q. 1. Where was the narrator going to? How did the girl and the narrator depict the beauty of Mussoorie?

ANS: The narrator was going to Dehra and then to Mussoorie.

Ruskin Bond's short story The Eyes Have It is a tribute to nature felt through hearts. When the girl enquires her co-passenger of his destination, he mentions of Mussoorie. At this, the girl becomes cloud nine and remarks that one is lucky to have an eyeful of Mussoorie in October. To this, the blind narrator also agrees. He visualizes how in October the snowed hills are draped with wild dahlias under the aegis of the maturing sun. At night when the roads are empty of tourists, one feels it paradisal to sip at a cup of brandy while sitting by the logfire. In this depiction insight plays superior to sight.

Broad Questions and Answers of The Eyes Have It - Ruskin Bond

Fig: Wild Dahlia

Q. 2. "They seemed very anxious about her comfort" - Who were anxious? Why did 'they' seem very anxious? State the context and say what they suggested for her comfort.

ANS: In Ruskin Bond's short story 'The Eyes Have It' a couple was anxious.

'They' seemed very anxious because the girl would be travelling alone in the train.

The couple probably the girl's parents came to Rohana station to see their daughter off. They seemed very anxious about their daughter's comfort in the train. In order to remove their anxiety, the couple, specially the woman, gave datailed instructions for the girl's safe journey. She instructed the girl where to keep her luggage. She advised her not to lean out of the windows. She also advised the how to avoid speaking to unknown passengers at the time of journey.

Q. 3. "...my voice startled her." - Whose 'voice' is referred to here? Why did the voice startle the person spoken of?

ANS: The 'voice' of the narrator is referred to here.

A girl got in the compartment of the narrator at Rohana station. She was completely blind. When the train pulled out of the station, she thought there was no one in the compartment. On the other hand, the narrator, who was blind and had been in the same compartment, felt the presence of the girl from the slapping of her slippers. Suddenly he asked the girl if she was going all the way to Dehra. She could not imagine anyone's presence there. That's why the voice of the narrator startled the girl.

Fig: Picturesque Beauty of Mussoorie

Q.4. "I wondered if I would be able to prevent her from discovering that I was blind." - Who thought so? Why did the person refuse to disclose his identity? What did she/he do to prevent the disclosure?

ANS: The narrator in Ruskin Bond's short story 'The Eyes Have It' thought so.

The narrator was totally blind. But he thought that the girl who got in his compartment, was a sighted person. So he didn't want to reveal his personal deficiency to the girls. He thought if the girl could understand he was blind, she could disregard him. That's why the narrator wanted to prevent his identity from her.

The narrator was not sure whether he would be able to hide his deficiency. He thought he must have been sitting in a dark corner. He planned not to get up from his seat. He thought if he could keep his seat, he would probably be able to prevent his identity from the girl.