NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Chapter 7 –The Adventure — Jayant Narlikar
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Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the text.
- blow-by-blow account : Refers to the description of an event giving you all the details in the sequence of their occurrence. When Professor Gaitonde is trying to find out the solution to his questions, he goes through his own book. But the book does not provide the details of the battle in a sequence. Rather it concentrates on the details of the power struggle in India.
- de facto : means existing as a fact although it may not be just or appropriate. In the current story, the term is used for the Peshwa rulers who treated the Mughal ruler as a puppet in their hands. The term indicates their authority which is unjust and inappropriate.
- morale booster : Refers to anything increasing morale, confidence or enthusiasm. In the text this expression is used for the Marathas when they won the battle of Panipat. Their victory enhanced their confidence or boosted their morale.
- astute : Means shrewd. Marathas were shrewd enough to recognize the influence of science and technology in Europe.
- relegated to : The phrasal verb is used when somebody is given a lower or less important position, rank, etc. than before. In the text, it is used for Dadasaheb. After the battle of Panipat, he was given a lower or less important position than he enjoyed before.
- doctored accounts : Refers to accounts that have been tampered with. In the text it is used for the historical facts that were tampered by the Bakhars.
- political acumen : Refers to the ability to understand and decide political things quickly and well. In the text the expression is used for the Maratha ruler, Vishwasrao and his brother Madhavrao who understood and decided political things quickly, and established their dominion all over India.
- gave vent to : Means to express a feeling, especially anger, strongly. It is used for Professor Gationde when he gave a speech on the Battle of Panipat
Understanding the Text :
Short Answer Questions
I. Tick the statements that are true.
Q. The story is an account of real events.
Q. The story hinges on a particular historical event.
Q. Rajendra Deshpande was a historian.
Q. The places mentioned in the story are all imaginary.
Q. The story tries to relate history to the catastrophe theory
Ans. 2. and 5.
II. Briefly explain the following statements from the text.
Q. “You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present experiencing a different world.”
Ans. Rajendra said this statement to Professor Gaitonde. Professor Gaitonde made a transition from one world to another and them back again. He collided with a truck and fell unconscious. After the collision, through this transition, Professor experienced the two worlds one by one. Both were different from each other. In the first world, he had witnessed the Battle of Panipat but in the other world, he witnessed a different version of the battle. He was startled to see a confirmation of his garbled version of history in Bhausahebanchi Bakhar, a doctored version of history.
Q. “You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a catastrophic experience.”
Ans. Rajendra said this statement to Professor Gaitonde. The former attempted to rationalize the latter’s fantastic experience based on the catastrophe theory. He called Professor Gaitonde’s experience fantastic as it was an unusual one or calling it a catastrophic experience will be more appropriate. When Vishwasrao was killed, the troops lost their morale. Similarly, the battle lost its momentum. But on the torn page, the leader of the troops was alive, boosting the fading morale of the army and continuing the momentum of the battle. Consequently, they won the battle. As per the catastrophe theory, reality is not one-sided. Rather it has varying manifestations. So the experience of Professor Gaitonde was the cherished outcome of the third Battle of Panipat for which he could lay his hands on doctored account of Bakhars that confirmed that Marathas had won the battle.
Q. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing around him.
Ans. Ans. Gangadharpant saw two sides of the same coin. He was aware of the colonial India. Colonial India was subjected to slavery and has also witnessed the Peshwas’ decline. But on the second side, he had experienced a different India, devoid of any slavery imposed by the British, self-dependent and prosperous. Unlike in the colonial India, people enjoyed self-respect here. Gangadharpant compared both, the India in the past and the one in the present. This was the imagined part of history that he experienced that was in sharp contrast to the real events.
Q. “The lack of determinism in quantum theory!”
Ans. Quantum theory undoubtedly lacks determinism. Reality can be presented in different ways through varying pictures, indicating the lack of determinism. If you fire an electron from a source, it has no fixed place to go to. Whereas, if you fire a bullet from a gun in a givendirection at a given speed, you know where it will be at a later time. But you can’t assert so for the electron. It may be here, there, anywhere. In one world, the electron is found here, in another it might be over there, in yet another world, it might be in a still different location. But in the case of the bullet, the shooter knows where it will be. To conclude, once the observer finds where it is, we know which world we are talking about. But all those alternative worlds could exist just the same.
Q. “You need some interaction to cause a transition.”
Ans. Catastrophic situations offer radically different alternatives for the world to proceed. As far as reality is concerned, all alternatives are viable but the observer can experience only one of them at a time. By making a transition, Professor Gaitonde was able to experience two worlds although one at a time. The one he lives in now and the one where he spent two days. One has the history he cherished, the other had a different history which exists in reality. The separation happened at the battle of Panipat. He neither travelled to the past nor to the future. He was in the present but experiencing a different world. Of course, by the same token there must be many more different worlds arising out of separations at different points of time depending upon the wishful events that an individual has in his sub-conscious mind
Talking about the Text :
Discuss the following statements in groups of two parts, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.
Q. (i) The story is called ‘The Adventure’. Compare it with the adventure described in ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die.....’
Ans. Both stories deal with adventures but they are radically different from each other in nature. Professor Gaitonde’s adventure is intellectual while that of the narrator in ‘We’re Afraid to Die’ is physical. Professor Gaitonde tries to find out why the two worlds he has gone through, differ from each other and what has happened that has led to such miraculous changes. On the other hand, Gordon Cook, the narrator, of the second story embarks on round the world voyage. He aspires to replicate what was done by Captain James Cook 200 years ago. While Gordon Cook’s ship is sailing through the roughest seas of the world, Gaitonde the professor is busy browsing the books on history. They are fighting but in different ways for different destinations. The narrator is entangled in fierce storms with his family while the professor undergoes through catastrophic experience. But whatever their fate or struggle be, both the stories end on a positive note. The narrator anchors safely offshore on the island while the professor succeeds to find out the link between the two different worlds, although not quite convincing.
Q. (i) A single event may change the course of the history of a nation.
Ans. For the motion :
I totally agree with the motion that a single event may change the course of the history of a nation. Many years ago, the British entered India. That single event changed the course of the history of India. They enslaved India for 200 years. They only left after ruining the nation completely. They tortured Indians as much as they could. Books are filled with the stories of their cruel treatment towards Indians. It took India very long to recover from the situation the British left them in. So undoubtedly, a single event can change the course of the history of a nation. Although from a hindsight, we see that a fractured nation forget a sense of unity against the British that resulted in the formation of modern Indian state.
(ii) The methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar.
I agree with the motion that reality is what is directly experienced through the senses. What we see or experience, is reality and what we can’t is a myth. Whatever Professor Gationde experienced, was a hallucination and what he experienced was all an imagination. Similarly, if you see a man stealing, he is a thief. The reality is that he stole and he should be punished by law.
I agree with the motion that the methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar. They function on the same principles. They collect information and ideas, verify their authenticity and sources, draw conclusions and present before the public.
(i) Reality is what is directly experienced through the senses.
Ans. Against the motion :
I don’t agree with the motion that a single event can change the course of the history of a nation. My worthy rival quoted an example of the colonial India. The entry of the British was a significant event that led to the slavery but there were many other factors which contributed to the slavery. Some of them were lack of unity among Indian rulers or nawabs, priority to self-interest, greed, unconditional support to the British, etc. India’s fate could have been different in the absence of these factors. So we can’t blame a single event for the change of the course of the history of a nation. That very event was followed by many other events which contributed to this change.
I don’t agree with the motion that reality is what is directly experienced through the senses. Professor saw only one side of the reality (a garbled version of history) but what he did not see that time, was also a reality (of events as they actually happened). If someone is stealing, he is not necessarily a thief. Maybe there is some positive approach behind that theft, thus in that case he can never be called a thief.
Against the motion :
I don’t agree with the current motion. History, science and philosophy are different branches,
so the methods of their inquiry vary from one another. History is related to past. Science deals with knowledge about the structure and behaviour of the natural and physical world, based on facts that you can prove, for example by experiments. Philosophy deals with the study of the nature and meaning of the universe and of human life. So, one method is not applicable to others.
Q. (ii) Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again?
Ans. The audience ill-treated Professor Gaitonde. He, was wonderstruck and decided never to preside over meetings again. At Azad Maidan in Bombay, he received a rude and violent reception from the audience. When he was asked to preside over the meeting by the organizers of the Panipat seminar, the professor expressed his regrets.
He saw the presidential chair unoccupied. He grew impatient. He moved towards the chair and to the mike. He said on the stage that an unoccupied chair resembled Shakespeare’s Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. The audience showered tomatoes, eggs, etc. on the professor. Finally, the audience thronged to the stage to eject him physically. This bitter experience led the professor to decide never to preside over meetings again.
Thinking about Language :
Q. In which language do you think Gangadharpant and Khan Sahib talked to each other? Which language did Gangadharpant use to talk to the English Receptionist?
Ans. Ans. I think Gangadharpant spoke to Khan Sahib in Hindi. The former belonged to Maharashtra and his mother tongue was Marathi but he could not speak to Khan Sahib in Marathi on the other hand, Khan Sahib knew Urdu. Gangadharpant must have spoken to the English receptionist in English.
Q. Do you think it is important to preserve languages?
Ans. Marathi
Q. There is mention of three communities in the story : The Marathas, The Mughals, The Anglo-Indians. Which language do you think they used within their communities and while speaking to the other groups?
Ans. The Marathas used Marathi within their communities, and Hindi and English while speaking to the other groups. The Mughals used Turkish, Persian, and later on Urdu within their communities and while speaking to the other groups. Anglo-Indians used English within their communities and while speaking to the other groups they spoke in Hindi.
Q. Do you think that the ruled always adopt the language of the ruler?
Ans. No, I don’t think that the ruled always adopted the language of the ruler. They generally speak the language they are familiar with.
Working with Words :
I. Tick the item that is closest in meaning to the following phrases.
Q. to take issue with
(i) to accept
(ii) to discuss
(iii) to disagree
(iv) to add
Ans. (iii) to disagree
Q. to give vent to
(i) to express
(ii) to emphasise
(iii) suppress
(iv) dismiss
Ans. (i) to express
Q. to stand on one’s feet
(i) to be physically strong
(ii) to be independent
(iii) to stand erect
(iv) to be successful
Ans. (ii) to be independent
Q. to be wound up
(i) to become active
(ii) to stop operating
(iii) to be transformed
(iv) to be destroyed
Ans. (ii) to stop operating
Q. to meet one’s match
(i) to meet a partner who has similar tastes
(ii) to meet an opponent
(iii) to meet someone who is equally able as oneself
(iv) to meet defeat
Ans. (iii) to meet someone who is equally able as oneself
II. Distinguish between the following pairs of sentences :
Q.
(i) He was visibly moved.
(ii) He was visually impaired.
Ans.
(i) He was clearly or obviously moved or emotionally involved.
(ii)By the age of 16, Ravinder w
as not able to see objects at a distant and had trouble reading.
Q.
(i) Green and black stripes were used alternately.
(ii)Green stripes could be used or alternatively black ones.
Ans.
(i) Green stripes could be used or alternatively black ones.
(ii) There was an option between green and black stripes, one of them could be used.
Q.
(i) The team played the two matches successfully.
(ii)The team played two matches successively.
Ans.
(i) The team played two matches and won.
(ii) The team played two matches one after the other.
Q.
(i) The librarian spoke respectfully to the learned scholar.
(ii) You will find the historian and the scientist in the archaeology and natural science
sections of the museum respectively.
Ans.
(i) The librarian spoke to the learned scholar with respect.
(ii) You will find the historian in the archaeology and the scientist in natural sections of the museum
Things to Do:
I. Look up the Internet or an encyclopedia for information on the following theories.
Q.Quantum theory
Ans. It is the theoretical basis of modern physics that explains the nature and behaviour of matter and energy at atomic and sub-atomic level. This theory was propounded by Bohr and Plank.
Q. Theory of relativity
Ans. Theory of relativity explains the relationship between time, space and movement. It was propounded by Einstein.
Q. Big Bang theory
Ans. Big Bang theory illustrates the creation of the universe with a big bang or explosion. It was propounded by George’s Lemaitre.
Q. Theory of evolution
Ans. Theory of Evolution was propounded by Darwin. According to this theory, over time, the traits that enable species to survive and reproduce will become more frequent in the population and the population will change or evolve. Through natural selection Darwin suggested, genetically diverse species could arise from a common ancestor.
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