The Boatman’s Gift Summary & Exercise [Questions & Answers]

The Boatman’s Gift Summary & Exercise [Questions & Answers]

The Boatman’s Gift Summary

The essay” The Boatman’s Gift ” is written by female writer Pamela Michael in a narrative form. She has included an experience of her journey to Laos, a landlocked mountainous country with no railroad. It has domestic airlines and few roads.  It has a rich civilization and natural beauty. She visited Laos and enjoyed her journey.

Summary of The Boatman's Gift - I

She had three options to reach Laos by air, land or water. She decided to fly instead of several days of anxious land or river journey. She enjoyed rugged mountains, thick green forest, breathtaking highlands, freshwater rivers, wooden houses, ancient Buddhist temples, Laotian architecture, shops and villages. She found that Laotians had tolerance, forgiveness, and compassion even they had suffered much in the war for nine years of US bombing.

She visited an ancient city, Laung Prabang, of Laos.  It’s known for its many Buddhist temples. It is rich in architecture, culture and traditions. Her journey by air from Vientiane (capital of Laos) to Luang Prabang was enjoyable, although Laotian airlines were known as dangerous airlines.

The different customs and traditional historic artefacts drew her attention and connected her with the people of Laos. She compared their living status and food with her California and found them more exotic. Similarly, she found that fish, rice and different varieties of fresh vegetables were common among them.

She took photographs of the beauties of Laos. While she was changing the film of her camera, a boatman offered her to visit Buddha caves. Unfortunately, she found batteries were dead in her camera they were impossible to replace in that remote place. She thought without her camera her stay there would be meaningless. When the boatman knew her intention he advised her that she could enjoy the beautiful scenery with the camera of her natural eyes. This knowledge was the gift to the writer from the boatman.

Summary of the Boatman's Gift - II

The essay” The Boatman’s Gift ” was written by female writer Pamela Michael in a narrative form. She has included an experience of her journey to Laos, a landlocked mountainous country with no railroad, a domestic airline and attractive scenes. The writer had heard many interesting tales from dwellers in Bangkok about Luang Prabang. So, this time she wanted to lose herself in a place where the distinction between past and present was not clear. It was 215 miles north to get Lunag Prabang ( Laos) from Vientiane.

There were three choices for the writer; one a five or six-day trip by cargo boat to reach Luang Prabang, the second, overland through mountains on the notorious route where everyone feels the danger and the third old Russian and Chinese planes, dangerous airlines. She thought for a while and decided to choose the plane. She enjoyed different things like the mountains, jungles of bamboo, woods, palm fronds thick clouds of white vapour etc. while travelling by plane. That enjoyment made her realize that she had taken the right decision. The houses seemed to be made up from natural materials like bamboo, wood etc. The tiny village seemed the poorest country on earth. While looking at the village, she imagined what Lagos people tolerated during the 1970’s bombing and the people had to save their life in limestone caves. She met those people who experienced that condition.

She has included Laotian tradition of toleration little ill-will toward anyone. Laotion is generally used to obey. Buddhist tradition and centuries of animist have improved a national temperament of tolerance, forgiveness, and compassion in them. She enjoyed the high valley, golden temple glinting in the sun, junction of two rivers, Southeast Asia’s longest river and peace tributary and she captured the photos of these scenes in her camera. The oldest Loaotian town, Luang Prabang was considered to be a mixture of different textures and architectural styles with magic-covered temples. While moving in the streets of the town, she felt so safe and comfortable to hear the song that the people sang. She found a line of temples glittering with intricately embroidered textiles. The monks were high spirited and young and seemed to move from one temple to another. They had their shaved heads and imaginable dress. They were considered as the foundation of the town, and of Laotian Buddhism and history. The monasteries ( shelter of monks ) were the movement or historic artefacts and religious centres. This scene attracted the writer and she took photos by turning her head. There were houses in the riverside with a hammock and a small hut.

Fish, rice and an enormous variety of fresh vegetables cooked is another attraction to writer. She compared the living status, food style of her own home town, California with Laotians and found them laborious. The act of taking a photograph, particularly in a foreign place was difficult for her although she was too interested to capture all these things in her camera. The writer wanted to share what she saw on her journey with others following Goethe who said that sharing experience was making the joy double. Her interest to capture the strong tiger in her camera was one of the important moments even though she was disturbed by a man while loading the scene. The man was a boatman who showed her most sacred cave in Laos which was located high up a sheer limestone cliff. Unfortunately, she concluded that batteries were dead in her camera they were impossible to replace in that remote place. Seeing her angry face, the boatman asked her what was wrong. Lastly, she ended her essay in the boatman’s words ” But, madam your eyes are not dead.” This means that human eyes are more powerful than any mechanical instrument and we should observe the enjoy the full scene from our natural eyes. This knowledge was the gift to the writer from the boatman.

Question-Answer of Boatman's Gift

a) What does the boatman want to say through the words ‘your eyes are not dead?

Ans. This means that human eyes are more powerful than any mechanical instrument and we should observe the enjoy the full scene from our natural eyes. This knowledge was the gift to the writer from the boatman.

b) How far is Luang Prabang from Vientiane?

Ans It was 215 miles north to get Luang Prabang ( Laos) from Vientiane.

c) What were the three choices of travel the writer was given?

Ans. There were three choices for the writer; one a five or six-day trip by cargo boat to reach Luang Prabang, the second, overland through mountains on the notorious route where everyone feels the danger and the third old Russian and Chinese planes, dangerous airlines.

d) Which choice did she decide to pursue? And why did she think that was the right choice?

Ans. She thought for a while and decided to choose the plane. She enjoyed different things like the mountains, jungles of bamboo, woods, palm fronds thick clouds of white vapour etc. while travelling by plane. That enjoyment made her realize that she had taken the right decision.

e) Why did the author call Lagos ‘the mot-bombed country in history?

Ans. After the second world war, Lagos was most victimized as most bombing places and the people had to save their life in limestone caves. So the author called Lao ‘the mot-bombed country in history.