[IMPORTANT] Long/descriptive Questions and Answers of The Eyes Have It- for HS-WBCHSE-2021

 1. “That always happens” Who said this to whom? What was the context? Comment on irony of the situation. 

Ans-“That always happens” this line has been taken from “The Eyes Have It” written by Ruskin Bond. In the story the girl said this to the narrator.

The girl and the narrator were travelling in the same compartment. The narrator asked the girl about the outside beauty. Them the girl told the author to look out of the window. The author pretended to notice it. He asked the girl if she had noticed the moving trees. At this the girl said that though the trees are standing still everyone sees that they are moving.

Though the girl and the narrator were travelling in the same compartment, they were unaware about their blindness. The author wanted to hide his blindness. The girl also wanted to conceal her blindness. So they did not reply directly but imaginarily.

2. “Oh! How lucky you are” – Who said this? Who is considered to be happy and why? How did the person react to the above remark?

Ans-  “Oh! How lucky you are” – In Ruskin Bond’s composition “The Eyes Have It”, the girl said this.

The girl remarked that the narrator was happy because he was going to her favourite place Mussoorie. It was a month of October. At that time the hill region took a charming look. And the author would have the opportunity to visit the natural scenery.

Then the narrator remembered his memories. He recalled the hills covered with wild-dahlias. The sun was delicious. At night one could enjoy the log fire and a little brandy. He also called up that the road was quiet and almost deserted.

3.“Well it often happens that the people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in front of them”- State the context. How is it connected to every human being?

Ans:- In the story “The Eyes Have It” composed by Ruskin Bond, the narrator was travelling alone in a train compartment. He was going to Dehra and then Mussoorie. At Rehana a girl got into the compartment. The author’s voice startled the girl because she did not know that he was sitting there in a dark corner. In this context the author said that.

To the girl’s answer the author said that people with good eyesight often fail to see what is right in front of them. Actually the statement was ironical. The girl was blind. A man with good eyesight has to take many things in their memory. So they cannot give equal attention to everything around them.


4.  “She had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her”- whose eyes are mentioned here? Why were the eyes useless to her? Bring out the irony of the situation. 

Ans:- “She had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her”- in Ruskin Bond’s short story “The eyes have it”, the eyes of the lady co- passenger of the writer are mentioned here.

After departure of the girl from the train compartment, the new male co-passenger of the author informed him that the girl had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her. The girl was completely blind. Then the narrator was surprised that the girl was blind.

The narrator of the story was totally blind. His eyes were only sensitive to light and darkness. He met the young girl in the train and tried to conceal his blindness from the girl. It was because he thought that the girl had been sighted. But at the end of the story he came to know that the girl was completely blind. Thus irony is contained in this unexpected situation.


5. “I am not nearly as attractive a travelling companion as the one who just left”- who said this and to whom? Describe the companion who had just left. What was the response of the person spoken to? 

Ans- “I am not nearly as attractive a travelling companion as the one who just left”- the line has been taken from Ruskin Bond’s story ‘The Eyes Have It’. After the departure of the lady companion the new co-passenger of the narrator told this to the author. The girl travelled with the narrator from Rohana to Sehranpur. She had an interesting face, attractive voice and perfumed hair. She had also a sense of love for hills and natural beauty. She was totally blind.
The new co-passenger of the narrator broke into the reverie about the girl’s beauty. The author was surprised at this ironical speech. He became more curious to know more about the girl’s beauty. He wanted to know whether the girl kept her hair long or short.

6. What is the relevance of the title “The Eyes Have It”? 

Ans- “The eyes Have It”, written by Ruskin Bond gives us a short story of journey of a blind boy and a girl. The narrator was blind but his eyes were sensitive only to light and darkness. He met a girl in the compartment. He thought the girl was normal. To conceal his blindness from the girl he tried his best. He also gave a beautiful description of Missoorie. At last he discovered that the girl was blind. We see that the narrator was blind but he sees everything with his mind’s eyes and his heart. Above all the story teaches us that if the eyes are blind one must see with mind’s eye and the heart.

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