The Little Match Girl
Extract I
Most terribly cold it
was; it snowed…….was the good of that?
1.
What was special about the particular
evening in the story? What kind of weather was there in the evening?
It
was New Year ’s Eve. It was terribly cold, snow was falling and darkness was
gathering.
2.
The girl had slippers on, but they were
of no use. Why?
The
slippers that the girl was wearing belonged to her dead mother. They were too
big for her and hence were of no use.
3.
How can you conclude from the story that the
girl was poor and dejected?
From
the description of her clothes and her physical condition, the author has
revealed that she belonged to a poor household.
4.
Why was the girl out in the cold? What
prevented her from going back home?
The
girl was sent out in the cold by her father to sell matches. Since she could
not sell any matches, she was afraid of going back home because of the fear of
being beaten by her father.
5.
How appropriate is the title of the
story?
The
title is apt as the story revolves around a little girl, who sells matches. The
author has not given any name to the girl and she is referred to in the entire
story as ‘a poor little girl.’ This indicates that she was just one of the many
poor children belonging to the lower rung of the society, during the Victorian
Era, who had to face hardships because of poverty.
Extract
II
So
the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet…….a bundle of them in her
hand.
1. Who
is referred to as little maiden in the extract? How did she lose her shoes?
The protagonist of the story, the little
match girl. The little girl had lost her slippers as she ran across the street
to escape from two carriages that were being
driven terribly fast. One slipper could not be found and the other was
taken away by an urchin.
2. Why
was the girl carrying matches with her?
She was carrying matches as she was sent
by her father to sell matches to earn some money.
3. What
does the author describe the girl as a very picture of sorrow?
The child is poor and motherless. She
does not get any affection form her father but is sent out in the biting cold
to sell matches. The child spends her entire night by huddling herself against a wall. She dies of cold,
hunger and abuse. The girl is thus
rightly described as a very
picture of sorrow.
4. What
tells you that the girl was not only trembling with cold but also with hunger?
Her hallucination reflects the need and
desire of a poor, hungry child. In her
second vision, she saw a feast laid on a table. This vision addresses how
hungry the small girl was , and if she did not freeze, she would surely had died
of starvation.
5. Explain
how the story is interspersed with didactic elements.
A didactic story is the one which is
intended to teach people a moral lesson. The story is meant to teach,
especially the wealthy, to show empathy for those, who do not have the basic
necessities of life. It reminds them not to overlook the need of their less
fortunate brethren, especially of the innocent children.
Extract III
Her little feet she drawn close p to
her…. Stopped up with straw and rags.
1. Where
was the girl sitting? How did she try to warm her fingers?
The girl was sitting in a corner formed
by two houses, one of which projected further out into the street than the
other. To warm her fingers, she pulled a match from the packet to light it by
striking it on the wall.
2. When
did the girl feel as if she were sitting before a large iron stove? Why did she
feel this way?
It was a hallucination which depicted
the girl’s longing for warmth as well as love of her family.
3. Explain
what kind of relationship the girl shared with her father.
Although not referred directly, it can be inferred that her father might have
been unemployed and out of frustration
and dejection used to beat her.
4. With
reference to the story bring out the theme of class differentiation.
During the Victorian Era, the middle
class emerged and took over an important percentage of work places. It is at
this time, there appeared an under class, which remained unemployed and lived
in abject poverty. This class resented both the aristocracy and the middle
class. There existed a huge gap between the financial condition of this class
and the wealthy.
5. The
children in Victorian society were not only orphaned but also deserted,
neglected and abused. Give evidence from the story to prove this statement.
The children were regarded as miniature
adults who were used for cheap labour. In this story, the child is poor and
motherless. She does not get any affection or love form her father but is sent
out in the biting cold to sell matches. She became a victim of child labour and
of physical abuse at the hands of her father.
Extract IV
She rubbed another against the
wall……could see into the room.
1. What
happened when the girl lit the first match?
When she lit the first match, she had a
vision of a large iron stove and felt its warmth and safety which she longed
for. It reminded her of the love and affection which she got from her
grandmother.
2. What
did the girl see in the window when she lit the second match?
When she lit the second match, the girl
saw a feast laid on the table. The feast comprised of a roasted goose stuffed
with apples and dried plums.
3. Explain
how the girl’s visions are symbolic of
her undying hope.
Iron stove, the little girl felt as if
she was sitting in front of the heat of the stove, which is symbolic of the
feelings of warmth and safety which she longed for and it reminded her of her
grandmother. The evergreen Christmas tree is a sign of undying life, rebirth
and stamina needed to endure the winter months. Falling star becomes a symbol
of a soul ascending to God. Her vision is symbolic of her soul’s ascendance
into heaven.
4. What
does the light from the matches symbolise in the story?
It is for selling matches that the girl
in the story was out on the street on a
bitterly cold New Year’s eve. It is by lighting the matches that the little
girl tried to keep herself warm and it is in the light of the matches that she
sees the visions of an iron stove, a sumptuous feast, a twinkling Christmas
tree and her late grandmother.
5. Explain
why the girl lighted the whole bundle of matches at the end?
When she lighted a match and saw her
grandmother, she did not want to lose her and therefore, lighted the whole
bundle of matches. She found hope in the image of her loving grandmother.
Extract V
But in the corner, at the cold hour of
dawn……. With her grandmother she had
entered on the joys of a new year.
1. Which
girl is referred to in the extract? Why does she have a rosy cheeks and a
smiling mouth?
The little match girl who died of cold
and hunger is referred to here. Her cheeks had turned rosy because of extreme
cold. Moreover she has a smiling mouth
because her wish to be with her loving grandmother comes true through her
death. Her smile indicates that the girl is relieved of her pain through divine
redemption.
2. What
is referred to as beautiful things in the extract above? How does the girl
encounter these beautiful things?
Her vision of an iron stove, a sumptuous
feast, a twinkling Christmas tree and her late grandmother are referred to as
beautiful things. It is by lighting the
matches that she gets to encounter these beautiful things.
3. What
kind of relationship existed between the girl and her deceased grandmother?
The little girl’s grandmother was dead
but was the only person whom she remembered fondly. She has been described as
the only one who loved the little girl.
It seems that the little girl used to hear stories from her grandmother. She remembered
her grandmother’s view about the stars falling from the sky. Unable to sell
matches, the little girl preferred to sit in the cold and imagine her
grandmother’s face, full of tenderness and love.
4. How
does the extract bring out the hope for a better life after death?
The girl pleaded with her grandmother to
take her to heaven and both of them flew in brightness and in joy to be with
God. The girl’s smiling face after her death thus symbolizes a better
afterlife.
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ReplyDeleteHi the notes are very well prepared it covers all important corners of the story:) But i would like to point out that in extract one question 2 It is no where mentioned in the story that her mother is dead so the ICSE council also wants you to write only mother and not dead mother. Other mistakes are neglectable ;)
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