BA eng. sem-2 unit-1

Institute of Distance and Online Learning ENHANCE YOUR QUALIFICATION, ADVANCE YOUR CAREER.

The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy Dr. Mosam Sinha www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Tolstoy: Writer and Thinker 1 828-1 91 0 www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Portrait of Tolstoy (1828-1910) www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Born August 28 (Sept. 9) 1828 on family estate, Polyana www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Childhood and Youth • Born into an ancient noble family • Parents die when • Tolstoy is young • Raised by his • aunts • Studies law at the • Kazan’ University www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Tolstoy’s Military Career: 1851-56 Serves first in the Caucasus Then in an artillery regiment Writes and publishes his first fiction: Childhood (1852) Boyhood (1854) Youth (1857) www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Literary Beginnings • Moves to Petersburg, tries to integrate into literary circles • In 1857 visits France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany • Photo: Tolstoy in 1862 www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

1859: Interest in Education Upon his return from Europe, establishes schools for peasant children on his estate at Yasnaya Polyana 1860 goes to Europe to study schools. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Sophia Behrs (1844-1919) •Tolstoy and Sophia marry in 1862 •They immediately settle in Yasnaya Polyana •They have 13 children (only 9 survive) www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Life with Tolstoy Sophia : \"I lived with Lev Tolstoy for forty-eight years, but I never really learned what kind of man he was.\" www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

The Tolstoys www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Tolstoy, his children and grandchildren www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Summary n the short story “Three Questions” Leo Tolstoy explores the theme of isdom, acceptance, kindness, and forgiveness. The story is about a king who wants to know the answer of the three uestions so as to get enlightenment. The three questions were: what was the right time for every action? who were the right people to be with ? and what was the most important thing to do? He proclaimed that he would give a great reward to the person who can nswer his three questions. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Summary lot of learned men came up with their answers. Unfortunately, their answers did not satisfy the king. o the king decided to consult a wise hermit. He saw the hermit digging the ground and out of compassion, he did it for the hermit. He kept on asking the three questions but the hermit kept silent until hours passed and it as already sunset. he hermit saw a bearded man running and his hands on his stomach. He was wounded nd dying; the hermit told the king about it and they helped the bearded man. he next day, the king woke up and the bearded man saw him and apologized to him. He admitted that he was an enemy of the king. he bearded man said that he heard about the king going to the hermit so he tried to kill m when he was in his way back home but he failed. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Summary he king asked the hermit once again for his answers to which the hermit said at the most important time is our present because it is the only moment when we ve the power to act. he most important person at a moment is we ourselves because the future is predictable and the most important business is to be kind and good to others cause we have been sent in this world to serve this noble cause. o this way the hermit tells the king that all the answers are within himself. By lping the wounded man and by spending time with the hermit he gets to know e answer to his questions which he got through self-realization. He learned to do od to others without thinking about own-self. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Word-Meanings 1. Listen to– pay attention 2. Council– a group of people choose to give advice to the king and make rules 3. Instead– beside 4. Wisdom– a body of knowledge and experience 5. Hermit– saint 6. Greet– welcome 7. Pitied– look pity on 8. Particular– certain 9. Purpose-object www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Antonyms 1. reward x punishment 2. idle x industrious 3.renowned x obscure 4. feeble x strong 5. seized x release www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Reference to Context 1. 1. ‘Now, if live, and if you wish it, I will serve you as your most faithful slave and will bid my sons do the same. Forgive me!’ a) Who are ‘l’ and ‘you’ here? Ans. ‘I’ refers to the wounded man and ‘You’ refers to the king. b) How are the two of them connected? Ans. The king has executed the wounded man’s brother and seized his property so the man has come to take revenge for his brother’s death. c) Why is the speaker asking for forgiveness? Ans:- The wounded man asked for the king’s forgiveness because he wanted to kill the king but the king has saved his life and he was grateful to the king now. 2. ‘You have already been answered! ‘ a) Who had already been answered? Ans:- The king had already been answered. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Reference to Context b) What answer is referred to here? Ans:- The answer given by the hermit for his three questions are being referred here. c) Do you think the answer is appropriate? Why? Ans:- Yes, I think the answers are appropriate because the most important time is our present because it is the only moment when we have the power to act. Secondly, the most important person is ourselves because the future is unpredictable and the third thing that we need is to do good to others because we have been sent in this world to serve this noble cause. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Short Answer Questions 1. What were the three questions after which the story is named? Ans: The three questions after which the story is named are: what was the right time to begin something, who was the right person to listen and what was the most important thing to do. 2. What suggestions were made in answer to the third question? Ans:- In answer to the third question, some said science will be most important while others suggested warfare and religious worship. 3. Why did the king go to the wise hermit? Ans:- The king went to the hermit as he was renowned for his wisdom and the king was unable to get satisfying answers from the others. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Short Answer Questions 4. How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man? Ans:- The king washed the wound and covered it with his handkerchief and kept on dressing it until the bleeding stopped completely. The king also offered him water to drink and with the the help of the hermit brought him inside the hit and allowed him to spend his night there. 5. What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions? Ans:- The hermit said that the most important time is our present because it is the only moment when we have the power to act. The most important person at a moment is we ourselves because the future is unpredictable and the most important business is to be kind and good to others because we have been sent in this world to serve this noble cause. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Extra Questions and Answers 1. Why did the king want to know answers to three questions? Ans: He wanted to know answers to three questions because of the thought came to his mind that he would never fail if he knew answers to the three questions i.e. what was the right time for every action, who were the most important people and what the most important thing to do was. 2. Why was the king advised to go to magicians? Ans: The king was advised to go to magicians to get the answer for his first question. In answer to the first question, i.e. to decide the right time for doing something urgent one must have to look into the future. Since the only magician could do that, the king was advised to go to magicians. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

Extra Questions and Answers 3. What suggestions were made in answer to the third question? Ans: There were many suggestions for the third question. In answer to the third question, i.e what is the most important thing to do, some said science will be most important. Others suggested fighting, and some said religious worship. 4. Did the wise men win the reward? If not, why not? Ans: No, the wise men did not win the reward. The king got different answers for all the three questions he had asked. He was not satisfied with any of them. www.cuidol.in Unit-1(MAP-607) All right are reserved with CU-IDOL

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