How I Taught
My Grandmother to Read
Class : 8th English Connection
Questions & Answers
Q.1. Why is Triveni still a popular writer?
Answer:
Triveni was a very popular writer in the Kannada language. She was a wonderful writer. She wrote in an easy and convincing style. Her stories dealt with the complex psychological problems in the lives of ordinary people and were always very interesting.
Q.2. What was the story of the novel Kashi Yatre? Why was the narrator's grandmother so drawn to the serial?
Answer:
It is a story of an old lady and her ardent desire to go to Kashi or Varanasi. Most Hindu believe that going to Kashi and worshipping Lord Vishweshwara is the ultimate punya. In the story there was also a young orphan girl who falls in love but there was no money for the wedding.At the end, the old lady gives away all her savings to the orphan girl without going to Kashi.
The grandmother was interested in knowing the story 'Kashi Yatre' as she was illiterate. Moreover, she identified herself with the protagonist of the story, an old lady, who too never went to Kashi like her.
Q.3. Why did the narrator find her grandmother in tears after she returned from the wedding?
Answer:
The narrator found her grandmother in tears on her return as the grandmother had been unable to read the story “Kashi Yatre” on her own.
OR
The grandmother was in tears when the narrator returned because her inability to read made her feel helpless and dependent.
Q.4. Why could the grandmother never go to school?
Answer:
When the grandmother was young, education for girls was not considered as essential, so she was never sent to the school. Moreover, she got married at a very young age and had a busy life. Later, when she had grandchildren, she just felt happy cooking and feeding them.
Q. 5. Why did the grandmother touch the feet of the narrator?
Answer:
The grandmother touched the narrator's feet as a mark of respect. It is written in our scriptures that a teacher should be respected, irrespective of the gender and age . The narrator taught her grandmother so well, with so much of affection, that she could read any novel confidently in a very short period. OR
The grandmother wanted to show her respect for her granddaughter who had acted as her teacher and taught ‘ her to read and write.
If you have any doubt please let me know