Life and Love: The Looking Glass
Summary of The Looking Glass
The Looking Glass is a story written by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. The main character of this story is Nellie who was a daughter of a landowner and in general, she was a young pretty girl whose mind was strongly occupied with getting married as she had a problem of dreaming a New Year Eve while staring at the looking glass, she felt asleep and saw a dream about her future after getting married. She dreamed about living with a handsome man in a beautiful house. Then in one winter night, her husband was sick suffering from a high fever so she went to doctor Stepan Lukitch to ask for help. Although the cook informed her that the doctor was asleep, she didn’t listen and rushed to the doctor’s room. The doctor said that he could not help her as he was sick.
He has been treating or taking care of people for 3 days so he felt very exhausted and he would come on the next day. He also suggested she go to the next doctor but she said her husband was seriously ill and impossible to reach another doctor. She implored him and tried hard to convince and finally, he was ready to go. The doctor’s health condition is not so good so she supported the doctor up to the road and went on a carriage.
At 5 in the morning, they reached Nellie’s house where she found that the doctor was as sick as her husband. She thought of going to see another doctor and also remembered her house and her property were in the bank for a mortgage and could not pay the interest, she has six children who were sick, could not study well. Her husband was dying and there was the preparation for the funeral at last. The looking glass fell on the floor then she woke up and realized, it was just the dream.
Now, she has stopped dreaming and is facing the reality of life. Now, the realities don’t necessarily disturb Nellie despite having previously longed to be married. There is a sense that Nellie is contained with her situation and fully aware that what has occupied has been no more than the dream, whether Nellie persuades her dream is difficult to say such as her relief at the end of the story. She may very well marry in the future though it is also possible that she may focus on herself rather than her husband and family. In the end, she realizes that marrying is not necessarily needed and a husband to be happy.
Symbolism
Here in this story, the looking glass symbolizes Nellie’s essential qualities like her obsession with marriage. Her vanity and her tenuous connections with reality. She is also searching for happiness and trying to escape from the boredom and isolation of life in her father’s country state. Like the glass, Nellie is pale, tense, and motionless whereas the grey background gives a glimpse of dark, emptiness, and meaninglessness.
She has a habit of escaping her dull life into her elaborate fantasy. In accents, she is seeking happiness through marriage. Before her dream’s ended, she began to question what life be, how can individually die, how a bank can repossess a home. But as the looking glass breaks at the end, she sees her reflection and comes into reality. Now, no longer does she see a reflection of all her hopes and aspirations. Nellie has stopped dreaming and is facing the realities of life.
Exercise
Ways with words
A. Match the words with their meanings.
Answer:
B. Write the meaning and word class of the following words. Then use them in sentences of your own.
a. implore
Answer:
meaning- beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something
word class- verb
sentence- My uncle implored me to stay.
b. despair
Answer:
meaning- without hope
word class- noun
sentence- He failed each time so he was in despair.
c. beseech
Answer:
meaning- ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something; implore; entreat
sentence- Her mother beseeched her to stay.
d. eloquent
Answer:
meaning- fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
word class- adjective
sentence- Her silence was more eloquent than words.
e. whirl
Answer:
meaning- a rapid movement of something turning round and round / a state of confusion
word class- noun
sentence- I question was tough so my head was in a whirl.
f. egoism
Answer:
meaning- an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality
word class- noun
sentence- Too much egoism is harmful to the progress of the self.
g. agony
Answer:
meaning- extreme physical and mental pain
word class- noun
sentence- The tourist crashed in agony.
h. delirious
Answer: meaning- unable to think or speak clearly because of high temperature (fever) or mental confusion
word class- adjective
sentence- Samjhana became delirious and couldn’t recognize people.
i. delusive
Answer:
meaning- giving a false or misleading impression
word class- adjective
sentence- The patient had delusive faith in the “wonder drug”, even though he had little chance of being cured
j. compensate
Answer:
meaning- to provide something for the loss or misfortune to keep balance
word class- verb
sentence- The government has compensated for the loss of paddy due to flooding in the central Terai.
k. mortgage
Answer:
meaning- an agreement that allows you to borrow money from a bank or similar organization
word class- noun
sentence- He mortgaged his land to support his son for his higher study.
l. brood
Answer:
meaning- a family of birds or other young animals produced at one hatching or birth
word class: noun
sentence- The brood of the creature is sensitive.
m. prelude
Answer:
meaning- an action or event that happens before another more important one and forms an introduction to it / any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.
word class- noun
Sentence- Movie trailers are often used as a prelude to feature films
Adjectives ending in –ing describe what someone or something is like, whereas adjectives ending in –ed describe how someone feels.
D. Choose the correct word.
a. Sarita was shocking/shocked to hear about earthquake.
b. I think that rainy days in winter are depressing/depressed.
c. The football match was very exciting/excited. I enjoyed it.
d. The meals at Delight Café are satisfying/satisfied.
e. I've got nothing to do. I'm boring/bored.
f. Tanka is very good at telling funny stories. He can be very amusing/amused.
g. The teacher's explanation was confusing/confused. Most of the students didn't understand it.
h. He is such a boring/bored person. He never wants to go out.
i. I will be surprising/surprised if she does well in her test.
j. Are you interesting/interested in politics?
E. Write the correct form of the adjective in the blanks as in the example.
Example - Grammar rules frustrate me. They're not logical. They are so frustrating.
a. They frustrate me but they don't bore me. I never get …… when I study grammar.
Answer: They frustrate me but they don't bore me. I never get bored when I study grammar.
b. If teachers want to interest the students, they must use …… materials.
Answer: If teachers want to interest the students, they must use interesting materials.
c. Certain stories interest almost everybody. For example, most students are …… in fairy tales.
Answer: Certain stories interest almost everybody. For example, most students are interested in fairy tales.
d. Certain things frighten me, but I never get …… when I speak English.
Answer: Certain things frighten me, but I never get frightened when I speak English.
e. If I get a good grade, that excites me. And if I get more than ninety per cent, I am really ……
Answer: If I get a good grade, that excites me. And if I get more than ninety per cent, I am really excited.
Comprehension
Answer these questions.
a. Who was Nellie? What did she use to dream of?
Answer: Nellie was the daughter of a landowner and general. She was a young and pretty girl. She used to dream of being married.
b. What was she doing with the looking glass?
Answer: She was gazing into the looking glass with exhausted, half-closed eyes.
c. Why did she go to the doctor one winter night?
Answer: She went to the doctor one night because her husband was ill.
d. What was Stepan Lukitch doing when she reached his bedroom?
Answer: Stepan Lukitch was lying on his bed when she reached his bedroom.
e. Why was the doctor not ready to go to see her husband?
Answer: The doctor was not ready to go to see her husband because for the last three days he had been away, seeing typhus patients. He was also exhausted and ill.
f. Why did Stepan Lukitch suggest Nellie to go to the Zemstvo doctor?
Answer: Stepan Lukitch suggested Nellie to go to the Zemstvo doctor because he was in a fever and his head was in a whirl.
g. Nellie said, “Come, perform that heroic deed! Have pity on us!" What was that pity to be done?
Answer: The doctor had to treat Nellie’s husband.
h. When Nellie said, "I must have fallen asleep." What does it mean?
Answer: Nellie stopped dreaming and was ready for facing the realities of life.
i. What is the main theme of the story?
Answer: The story possesses the theme of love, devotion, fear, loneliness, escape, dedication, expectation, hope, passion, defeat and independence etc.
Grammar
Will and be going to
A. Look at these examples.
A: Gita is in hospital.
B: Oh, really? I’ll go and visit her.
A: Gita is in hospital.
B: Yes, I know. I’m going to visit her this evening.
Rules
For planned future action we use is/am/are + going to + V1.
Be+ going to + V1 is used for the future action which is beyond our control or which is certain to happen.
For immediate or unplanned future action we use will+ v1.
Will + V1 is used in if sentences also.
B. Match the expressions in column A with their functions in column B.
a. A: What do you want to take?
B: I’ll have tea, please.
b. A: Are you free this evening?
B: No, I’m going to meet my uncle.
c. The day will be lovely tomorrow.
d. There is no cloud in the sky.
It’s going to be a lovely day.
e. Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.
f. I'll take you to the movies if you like.
g. I’ll tell your parents what you did.
Answer: a. Offering
b. Expressing a prior plan
c. Predicting a future action
d. Predicting with evidence
e. Promising
f. Deciding
g. Threatening
C. Choose the correct answer.
a. A: Are you busy this evening?
B: Yes, I……………….the movies. (will go/am going to)
b. A: Where are you going for holiday this summer?
B: Not sure yet. Maybe I………..to Ilam. (will go/am going to)
c. I think you……..like this movie. (will /are going to )
d. I can’t join you at the party, I………..be away for two weeks. (will /am going to)
e. This exercise looks really hard. I…………….help you. (will/am going to)
f. A: Hello. Can I speak to Sima, please?
B: Just a minute. I………get her. (will/am going to)
g. Perhaps she………pass the exam. (will/is going to)
h. ‘I haven’t got my phone.’ ‘That’s OK. I………..lend you mine.’ (will/am going to)
D. Complete the sentences using will or be going to with the verbs.
a. Hari: Did you call Bina?
Prem: Oh, I forgot. I………….her now. (call)lish: Grade 11
b. Sunita: Have you got a ticket for the play?
Hema: Yes, I………….it on Saturday. (watch)
c. ‘The alarm is ringing. It’s making an awful noise.’ ‘OK, I……..it off.’ (switch)
d. Do you think they………the presents we got for them? (like)
e. ‘Lok is starting university tomorrow.’ ‘What………study?’ (he/study)
f. If I meet him, I………..him the news. (tell)
g. The phone is ringing. I………it. (answer)
h. If you don’t stop bullying her, I……….the teacher. (tell)
Answer:
a. will call
b. am going to watch
c. will switch
d. will like
e. is he going to study
f. will tell
g. will answer
h. will tell