Chapter 6 – The Browning Version Questions and Answers: NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Hornbill Prose)

Question 1.
Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.

Answer:
Crocker-Harris teaches Latin language to Taplow at his school. Taplow is still in primary form. Taplow has a feeling of awe as well as liking for his teacher. Though he doesn’t have a very high opinion about Crocker-Harris as a teacher. He feels that Harris is averse to the fact that students like him.
He hates being popular among students. Taplow also thinks that Mr. Crocker-Harris would possibly mark him down rather than up for doing extra-work. Taplow also feels that Mr. Crocker-Harris doesn’t abide by the rule of giving remove/results to his class on the final day of the term.

Question 2.
Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris ?

Answer:
As Taplow started imitating his teacher Mr. Crocker-Harris for telling his answer in his style, at first Frank snubbed Taplow. But quite instantly, Frank, the science-teacher, asked Taplow again to repeat Mr. Crocker statement in his style. It shows that he encour¬ages Taplow’s comments on Harris.

Question 3.
What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play ?

Answer:
We gather that Mr. Crocker-Harris is a Latin language teacher. He seems tp be a very strict teacher. He has created such an impression on the students that they don’t dare defy his orders even in his absence. They are scared to death. Other teachers like Frank feel jealous of him for creating such impression. He never beats students neither he is a sadist. He makes his students to ‘stay back after school, to do extra work for missing a class. But he himself doesn’t make it a point to be there such students. He leaves them just to wait. Here his views seem somewhat lax.
Talking About The Text

Question 1.
Talking about teachers among friends.

Answer:
I don’t think there will be any student who, during his academic years, would not have talked about his or her teachers. I think it is their favourite pastime. Every teacher has his or her own style of teaching, peculiar habits, whims or idiasyncrasies and ways of punishment.
Some teachers teach in matter-of-fact routine but teachers teach in a very interesting manner. They will make their lectures spicy with jokes or interesting anecdotes. So students have a lot of material teachers among their friends only about their teachers. This is because they are afraid that some of the things they talk about their teachers may not reach them.

Question 2.
Reading plays is more interesting than studying science.

Answer:
Plays form an important aspect of literature. These gives us not only facts and opinions but also create a permanent interest in us. The plays also affect us in various ways and move our affections. While reading plays we come to know about various kinds of characters who respond to different situations in different manners. Reading of plays is not only interesting, but it is illuminating also. For instance, Shakespeare’s or Kalidas’s plays not only are interesting to entertaining, but these appeal to our intellect also.

It is a fact that the science and scientific discoveres are vital and significant for our material life. But study of science is more or less based on material facts. So there is less scope for its being interesting. We do not find human passions, human aspirations, human values and human dreams in the study of science. Science with its glorious achievements, is of course highly important. But still I find reading plays or literature is general, much more interesting than factual theories of science.