English Solution Class 9 Fiction 3 The Man who knew too much

3. The man who knew too much

Lesson at a glance

·         Private Quelch was lanky, stooping and always frowning through his horn-rimmed spectacles.

·         For his depth of knowledge Quelch was nicknamed as the Professor.

·         The Professor pestered the instructors with questions.

·         A Sergeant Instructor was giving his first lesson in musketry defining the muzzle velocity.

·         He told that a bullet leaves the rifle well over 2000 feet per second.

·         The Professor corrected him publicly and told that the exact speed was two thousand four hundred and forty feet per second.

·         The Sergeant didn’t take it very kindly and in the hope of revenge he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor.

·         The only result was to enhance the Professor’s glory.

·         Private Quelch’s main aim was to get a commission and for it he worked very hard and tried to impress his senior officers.

·         The Professor always tried to exhibit his knowledge. He publicly corrected anyone who made a mistake.

·         His superior air and condescending nature irritated his colleagues and infuriated his senior officers.

·         Corporal Turnbull was a different kind of instructor and he was not to be trifled with.

·         He was explaining the outside of a grenade and how it was divided into a large number of fragments.

·         The Professor interrupted him. He replied that the exact number was forty-four.

·         Corporal Turnbull’s face got infuriated. He snubbed Private Quelch and asked him to fall in with the others.

·         He declared that the platoon officer had nominated him for permanent cook house duties.

·         It was a joke and joy for all his fellow soldiers. Thus, Private Quelch or the Professor made himself a stock of laughter.

·         The Professor was in his element again in the cook house.

·         He showed his resentment and protested against the most unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling the potatoes.

·         Private Quelch’s colleagues and friends couldn’t stand the exhibition of his knowledge and fled when he came near them.

Reference to context

Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow:

1. "That's right," the Sergeant said without enthusiasm, and went on lecturing. When he had finished, he put questions to us; and, perhaps in the hope of revenge, he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor. The only result was to enhance the Professor's glory.

Questions:

1. On which subject was the Sergeant giving lecture?

The Sergeant was giving lecture on musketry.

2. Why did he put questions again and again to that Professor?

He put questions again and again to that Professor to take revenge.

3. How was the Professor’s glory enhanced?

He answered all the questions promptly and correctly.

2. The Professor answered with a phrase that was to become familiar to all of us. "No, Sergeant. It's all a matter of intelligent reading."

Questions:

1. What was the name of the Professor?

Private Quelch was the name of the Professor.

2. Why was he called the Professor?

He was a very knowledgeable person.

3. Which quality of the Professor is being revealed here?

Haughtiness of the Professor is revealed here.

3. In pursuit of his ambition he worked hard. We had to give him credit for that. He borrowed training manuals and stayed up late at nights reading them. He badgered the instructors with questions.

Questions:

1. Who is ‘he’ in the above lines?

Private Quelch or the Professor.

2. What was his ambition?

His ambition was to become an army officer.

3. How did he trouble the instructors?

By asking so many questions to them he troubled and vexed the instructors.

4. And day in and day out, he lectured to us in his droning, remorseless voice on every aspect of human knowledge. At first we had a certain respect for him, but soon we lived in terror of his approach. We tried to hit back at him with clumsy sarcasms and practical jokes.

Questions:

1. Who does the word ‘we’ refer to here?

The colleagues of Private Quelch.

2. Why did they show respect to Private Quelch in the beginning?

They should respect to Quelch in the beginning because he had deep knowledge in evry field.

3. What made them stop giving respect to him?

His exhibition of knowledge made them stop giving respect to him.

5. The Professor scarcely noticed; he was too busy working for his stripe.

Each time one of us made a mistake the Professor would publicly correct him. Whenever one of us shone, the Professor outshone him.

Questions:

1. What did Professor not notice?

The Professor did not notice sarcasms and practical jokes of his fellow soldiers.

2. What did he do when any of his colleagues made a mistake?

He publicly corrected him.

3. Explain: the Professor outshone him.

He proved better than him.

6. "…..for permanent cookhouse duties, I've decided that Private Quelch is just the man for the job."

Of course, it was a joke for days afterwards; a joke and joy to all of us.

Questions:

1. Who sent Quelch for cookhouse duties?

Corporal Turnbull sent Quelch for cook house duties.

2. ‘It was a joke’, for whom?

It was a joke for Quelch’s colleagues.

3. It was a ‘joke and joy’ to all. Why?

Quelch was snubbed publicly. It was a ‘joke and joy’ to all.

7. "Really. I must protest against this abominably unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes. I need to only draw your attention to the sheer waste of vitamin values......................."

We fled.

Questions:

1. Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?

Private Quelch.

2. What was unscientific and unhygienic?

The method of peeling potatoes was unscientific and unhygienic.

3. Why did Quelch’s friends flee?

They feared that he would exhibit his knowledge before them.

Questions from textbook

3. The Professor knew too much. How did he prove himself? Fill up the space with suitable examples from the story, using the given clues:

The Professor certainly knew too much. He had everything on the tips of his fingers. He borrowed training manuals and read them all at night. He troubled instructors with questions. He always tried to show that all others, including his instructors, knew much less than him.

a) About muzzle velocity: When a Sergeant defines muzzle velocity or the speed at which the bullet leaves the rifle, the Professor interrupts, “Two thousand four hundred and forty feet per second”.

b) After a thirty mile walk: After a thirty mile walk he was not only wonderfully tireless but would display his terrible heartiness by saying, “What about a song, chaps?”

c) His salute on payday: His salute on payday was a model to behold. When officers in sight he would swing his skinny arms marching like a Guardsman.

d) The loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane: The Professor could unmistakably identify it by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.

e) About hand grenades: The Professor gave a very specific answer about the fragments of the outside of a grandee. He told, “Forty-Four”

f) During cook house duties: During cook house duties he protested against the unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes resulting in sheer waste of vitamin values.

4. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct options.

i) Private Quelch was nicknamed ‘Professor’ because of………

a) his appearance                   b) his knowledge

c) his habit of reading             d) his habit of sermonising

ii) One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it because……….

a) he was a strong and sturdy man.

b) he was oblivious to his surroundings.

c) he was a brave corporal.

d) he was used to it.

iii) The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as……..

a) they had to catch a train.

b) they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge.

c) they felt they would have to lend a helping hand.

d) they did not want to meet the cooks.

5. Answer the following questions briefly:

a) What is a ‘nickname’? Can you suggest another one for Private Quelch?

A ‘nickname’ is an informal, often humorous name given to a person. The name is connected with his real name, his personality or appearance, or with something he has done. The nickname of Private Quelch was the ‘Professor’. Another nickname for him could be ‘Mr. Show Off’.

b) Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot. Why?

Private Quelch looked like a Professor when the author first met him at the training depot. He was lanky, stooping, frowning through his horn-rimmed spectacles. A five-minute-conversation would bring out his debating skills and abilities. All these traits are generally found in university professors.

c) What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggest about him?

The Sergeant who was describing the mechanism of service rifle to the soldiers was as dark and sun dried as raisins. He was wearing North-West Frontier ribbons. The sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggested that he had served in British India. There, the scorching heat of the sun bake the skin and made it tanned like raisins.

d) How was Private Quelch’s knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant’s classes went on?

The Sergeant didn’t relish when Private Quelch interrupted him. He went on lecturing. When he had finished, he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor. But it only enhanced the Professor’s reputation and glory. He had all by heart, the parts of the rifle or its use and care. The Professor knew them all. His knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant’s classes went on.

e) What did the Professor mean by ‘intelligent reading’?

The smart answer given by Professor made the Sergeant ask if he had taken any training before. The professor replied confidently, “No, Sergeant. Its all a matter of intelligent reading.” The Professor meant that he had read everything thoroughly and with concentration.

f) What were the Professor’s ambitions in the army?

The Professor’s greatest ambition in the army was get to a commission. In pursuit of his ambition he worked hard reading the training manuals. He tried to impress the instructors and the senior officers by his knowledge, promptness and smartness. But he would go step by step. As a first step, he meant to get a stripe.

g) Did Private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make out?

Private Quelch’s day to day practices might have not won him a commission in the army but it was not the end for him. Whenever he spoke, the squad listened to him in a cowed, horrified kind of silence. Instead of being nominated for a commission, he was nominated for permanent cookhouse duties. But everybody believed that his nomination for the commission was just a matter of time.

h) Describe Corporal Turnbull.

Corporal Turnbull was a smart young man. But he was not a man to be fooled around or talked frivolously with. He had come from Dunkirk with all his equipment correct and accounted for. He was the hero of soldiers. They thought him so tough that could hammer nails into him without his noticing them.

i) How did Private Quelch manage to anger the Corporal?

Corporal Turnbull was explaining that the outside of a grenade was divided up into a large number of fragments. The Professor at once told that the correct number was forty four. The Corporal said nothing, but his brow tightened. He was the kind of man not to be trifled with. He didn’t like the interruption. He cut the Professor to size by sending him for permanent cookhouse duties.

j) Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties? Give reasons for your answer.

There is no indication that Private Quelch learnt any lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties. He didn’t stop exhibiting his knowledge. When he entered the kitchen he started finding fault with the working staff. He protested against the ‘unscientific’ and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes. He considered it a ‘sheer waste of vitamin values.’

6. At first, Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldier. Support this observation with suitable example from the story in about 100 words.

At first, Private Quelch impressed all his fellow soldiers with his profound knowledge about everything under the sun. he was nicknamed as the ‘Professor’. The lanky, stooping and frowning ‘Professor’ was almost a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. Those who had any doubts on the subject lost them after five minutes conversation with him. He had earned a certain respect from his colleagues. He wanted to get on in life. He had a brain that had a flair for details. He was always to the point and specific. In the very first lesson in musketry, he left his mark on the fellow soldiers. He had no liking for generalisation. When it come to telling the velocity at which the bullet leaves the rifle, the Professor was there to correct to the last digit. The Sergeant in the hope of revenge turned his questions again and again to the Professor. But the Professor was prompt in answering all the questions. The surprised Sergeant asked if he had any training before. The Professor answered with a familiar phrase, “its all a matter of intelligent reading.” Everyone thought that he was sure to get a commission, before long.

Similarly the Professor irritated Corporal Turnbull by interrupting and correcting him regarding the outside of a grenade. He was sent for permanent cookhouse duties. Later on, his fellow soldiers couldn’t stand him for exhibiting his knowledge. They fled away whenever they saw him.

7. Private Quelch knew too much. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues in about 100 words.

No doubt, Private Quelch or the Professor, as he was called, knew too much. The lanky, stooping man frowning through horn-rimmed spectacles was aptly nicknamed the Professor. But Private Quelch’s habit of exhibiting his knowledge irritated his fellow soldiers as well as his superior officers. Each time when one of his colleagues made a mistake, he would publicly correct him. He was always very condescending. He tried to show how superior he was to all of them. He badgered the instructors with questions. When a Sergeant instructor described the muzzle velocity well over 2000 feet per second, the Professor interrupted him. He replied 2440 feet per second. The irritated Sergeant in the hope of revenge turned his questions again and again to the Professor. Corporal Turnbull cut the Professor to size for interrupting him. When he was describing the fragments in the outside of a grenade, the Professor replied “Forty four”. Corporal Turnbull snubbed Private Quelch by nominating him for permanent cookhouse duties. Even his colleagues fled when the Professor was nearby to avoid his sermonising.

8. (a) Write down the positive and negative traits of Private Quelch’s character instances from the story.

Positive traits:

i) Knew ‘too much’:

All doubts on the subject lost after five minutes conversation with him.

ii) Very specific:

When a Sergeant told the trainees that a bullet leaves the rifle at the speed of over two thousand feet per second, the Professor immediately interrupted him by saying “Two thousand four hundred and forty feet per second”.

iii) Meant to get on:

‘He was sure to get a commission, before long.’

iv) Diligent:

Borrowed training manuals and stayed up late at night reading them.

Negative traits:

i) Disturbing:

‘A voice interrupted’. The Professor interrupted when a Sergeant was delivering his lesson.

ii) Badgered the instructors:

He irritated and badgered the instructors with questions.

iii) Air of superiority:

‘……how condescending he was’. His fellow soldiers fled to avoid his exhibitionism.

(c) Character Sketch of Private Quelch:

Private Quelch was a soldier without a rank. He was a tall, stooping man frowning through horn-rimmed spectacles. His appearance, his reading habit and his deep knowledge earned him a nickname of the Professor.

Private Quelch meant to get on in life. He had brains. He was sure to get a commission before long. But as on first step, he meant to get a ‘V’, shaped stripe. Private Quelch was not only ambitious but also very diligent. Even his fellow soldiers gave him credit for that. He borrowed training manuals and read late at nights. He had a flair for details and hated vague generalisations. He has always correct to the last digit.

The great defeat in Private Quelch was his sense of exhibitionism. He utilised his “intelligent reading” only to badger the instructors with questions. He irritated a Sergeant by his interruption during the lesson. In the hope of revenge, he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor. Similarly, he annoyed Corporal Turnbull trying to correct him publicly. He was punished and nominated for permanent cookhouse duties. Private Quelch was too showy. He always tried to show that he was much superior to all his fellow soldiers. He was always condescending. In the end his colleagues tried to avoid him. They feared his sermonising and fled when he was nearby.

More Questions Solved

I. Short answer type questions (word limit-30 to 40 words):

1. Describe the physical appearance of Private Quelch. What was he nicknamed and why?

Private Quelch was a tall and stooping young man. He always seemed to be frowning through hi horn-rimmed spectacles. He got a nickname within the first week of his army life. He was called the ‘Professor’ by his colleagues. The reason was that he had knowledge and information about everything under the sun. those who had doubts on the subject lost them after five minutes conversation with him.

2. What was the reaction of the Sergeant when Private Quelch interrupted him during his first lesson in musketry?

The Professor knew too much and used to badger the instructors with questions. During the first lesson the musketry, he publicly corrected a Sergeant. The Sergeant told that the bullet leaves the rifle at the speed of over 2000 feet per second. Immediately the Professor interrupted, “Two thousand four hundred and forty feet per second”. The Sergeant didn’t take it kindly. Perhaps in the hope of revenge, he turned with his questions to the Professor. But the Professor answered each of them. It only enhanced his glory.

3. What was the Private Quelch’s main ambition in the army and how did he work in pursuit of his ambition?

Private Quelch’s main ambition in the army was to get a commission. He meant to get on in his life and make a career. He had a very smart and fertile brain. As the first step, he meant to get a stripe. In pursuit of his ambition, he worked really hard. He borrowed training manuals and woke up late at nights reading them. He always tried to impress his senior officers with his ability, smartness and of course knowledge. He was sure to get a commission sooner or later.

4. How did the Professor try to impress and influence his senior officers? Did he get the desired success?

Private Quelch was showy by nature. Exhibitionism was one of the dominant parts of his personality. He always tried to impress his senior officers by his profound knowledge. When he saluted his senior officers, he was a model to behold. But Private Quelch didn’t get the desired success. His exhibitionism irritated his senior officers. Corporal Turnbull snubbed him by nominating him for permanent cookhouse duties.

5. How did the Professor infuriate his colleagues with his ‘horrible heartiness’?

Private Quelch always took pain to show that he was different from others. He badgered the instructors with questions. He drilled with enthusiasm. He remained ‘miraculously tireless’ even after a route march of thirty miles. This ‘horrible heartiness’ of the Professor infuriated his colleagues because they found themselves tired after the route march.

6. Give examples from the text to show how superior and condescending the Professor was.

The Professor always walked with an air of superiority. He considered his colleagues nothing more than a gang of louts. He was always condescending and would remark, “Let me show you fellow” or “No, you will ruin your rifle”. Each time when one of them made a mistake, the Professor would publicly correct him. Whenever one of them shone, the Professor outshone him.

7. How would the Professor recognise a plane flying high overhead?

The Professor was far ahead of his colleagues in knowledge and information of things related to the army. The narrator and others were once out for a walk and heard the drone of a plane flying high overhead. But none of them could see it in the glare of the sun. without even a glance upward, the Professor gave his verdict, “That of course, is a North American Harvard Trainer”. The Professor could identify it by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.

8. What happened on ‘the drowsy summer afternoon that was such a training point’ in the Professor’s life?

Or

How did Corporal Turnbull snub the Professor?

One afternoon, Corporal Turnbull was taking a lesson on the hand grenade. He was telling that the outside of a grenade was divided up into a large number of fragments. The Professor quipped, “Forty-four segments”. Corporal Turnbull was not a man to be trifled with. He threw the grenade to the Professor and asked him to give that lecture. Unashamed, Quelch gave them a wonderful lecture. But Turnbull snubbed him. He was nominated for permanent cookhouse duties. It was a turning point in the Professor’s life and he became a stock of laughter for all.

9. What did the narrator and his friend Trower see when they were returning from the canteen?

  When the narrator and his friend Trower were returning from the canteen, they saw the Professor sermonising there. Three cooks were standing against the wall. In his monotonous tone, Quelch was expressing his resentment and protest at the way they peeled potatoes. In his opinion, it was quite unscientific and unhygienic to peel potatoes in such a way. He wanted to draw their attention to the sheer waste of vitamin values. The narrator and his friend fled as they couldn’t stand the sermons of the Professor anymore.

10. How did the Professor behave when he was on cookhouse duties? Did he change himself?

Old habits die hard. The Professor was snubbed by Corporal Turnbull. He was nominated for permanent cook house duties. But the Professor remained affected. When he entered the cookhouse he started sermonising them. He showed his resentment at the most unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes. He drew their attention to the sheer waste of vitamin values.

11. Justify the title ‘The man who knew too much’.

‘The man who knew too much’ is the most appropriate and logical title for the lesson. In the Professor, the author Alexander Baron presents a unique man. He surprises everyone with his knowledge and exhibitionism irritate and infuriate his colleagues and superior officers. By and by, he loses sympathy and love of his colleagues. They can’t stand his exhibitionism and run away when he is near them.

12. What message does Alexander Baron want to give to the readers in ‘The man who knew too much’?

Exhibitionism of knowledge is never liked and admired. It only irritated others. In the story the Professor thinks himself an extraordinary genius. He thinks his colleagues just a gang of louts. He even doesn’t spare his instructors and badger them with questions. His tendency to outshine others makes him a stock of laughter of others. Corporal Turnbull finally teaches him a lesson by giving him permanent cook house duties.

II. Value based long answer questions (Word limit 80-100 words):

1. Love and sympathy win people and colleagues but exhibitionism of knowledge and the tendency to outshine others only irritate them. Give a character sketch of Private Quelch or the Professor in your own words including all his traits and shortcomings.

Private Quelch was a soldier without rank. He appeared lanky, stooping and frowning through his horn-rimmed spectacles. Due to his display of knowledge and reading habit he was nicknamed the Professor. Those who had any doubts on the subject, lost them after five minutes conversation with him.

The greatest aim of the Professor was to get a commission. In pursuit of his ambition he really worked very hard. He borrowed training manuals and read them late at nights. He drilled with enthusiasm and remained miraculously tireless even after route marches. Technical definitions, the parts of the rifle, its use and care, he had them all by heart. But his exhibitionism and sense of superiority made him an unpleasant character. Each time any of his colleague made a mistake, the Professor would publicly correct him. His colleagues could not stand this exhibition of knowledge and fled when he was near.

Private Quelch knew too much about things and knew too little about people. He could never win the hearts and sympathy of his instructor and colleagues. The Professor badgered the instructors with questions. Similarly, he tried to correct Corporal Turnbull when he was describing the outside of a grenade. Corporal Turnbull was not a man to be trifled with. He showed the Professor his right place. Quelch was sent for the permanent cookhouse duties. He became a stock of laughter for others. Turnbull proved to be more than a match for the Professor.

2. How did Corporal Turnbull prove to be more than a match for the Professor? How was Quelch snubbed and shown his place by the Corporal? What made Quelch a stock of laughter and a joke for his colleagues?

Corporal Turnbull was a smart young man. He could not be trifled with. He had come from Dunkirk. He was considered to be so tough that one could hammer nails into him without his noticing it.

It was a drowsy summer afternoon. Corporal Turnbull was taking a lesson on the hand grenade. He told that the outside of a grenade was divided into a large number of fragments. A voice interrupted, “Forty four segments”. The Corporal looked over his shoulders. All were thunderstruck. Suddenly he tossed the grenade to the Professor and asked him to give that lecture. Quite unashamed, Quelch climbed to his feet and gave a wonderful lecture on the grenade.

Corporal Turnbull didn’t take the Professor’s gesture very kindly and supporting. He snubbed him by asking him to fall in with the others. He deliberately announced that the Professor was nominated for permanent cookhouse duties. The Professor became a stock of laughter and a joke for his colleagues. He was really shown his place by Corporal Turnbull.