TUTORIALevolution

The Eyes Have It

---by Ruskin Bond

Answer the following questions in a single sentence each:

1. What type of text is it?

2. At which station did the girl get into the train?

3. Who came to see the girl off at the station of Rohana?

4. Why were the girl’s parents very much anxious about her comfort?

5. What did the girl’s parents advise her to avoid?

6. How do you know that the girl’s parents were anxious about her comfort?

7. How did the narrator attempt to strike up a conversation with the girl?

8. What was the narrator’s very first clue about his fellow traveller in the train?

9. How did the narrator know that the girl wore slippers?

10. Why was the narrator unable to tell anything about the look of the girl?

11. Whose voice startled the girl?

12. Why did the voice of the narrator startle the girl?

13. What do people with good eyesight fail to see?

14. “I didn’t see you either.” – who is the speaker?

15. What is the narrator’s opinion about aunts?

16. “Aunts are usually formidable creatures.” – who made this remark and when?

17. “Oh, how lucky you are.” – who said this and about whom?

18. Why did the girl consider the narrator lucky?

19. What did the girl say about Mussoorie?

20. “Then I made a mistake” – what was the mistake?

21. “That always happens.” – what always happens?

22. “But it was a safe remark.” – What was the remark?

23. How did the narrator praise the girl?

24. “You have an interesting face.”--Who said this and about whom?

25. When did the girl laugh pleasantly?

26. What was the girl tired of?

27. How did the narrator compare the girl’s voice?

28. “We’ll soon be at your station.” – Which ‘station’ is referred to here?

29. “And a high-pitched female voice near the carriage door”- Whose voice was it?

30. “You must be disappointed.” – Who said this and to whom?

31. What did the narrator ask the new passenger about the girl?

32. What did the new passenger say about the girl?

33. “...and we moved off.” – Who are ‘we’ in this statement?

34. What did the narrator want to play once again?

35. Why were the beautiful eyes of the girl useless?

36. What observation did the narrator make in THE EYES HAVE IT?

37. When is the best time according to the narrator to visit Dehra? Why? (Write in two different paras.)

38. What complement did the narrator make about the girl?

39. How did the narrator see the telegraph post flashing by?

40. What mistake did the narrator make?

41. What did the narrator pretend?

42. Who can resist fluttery, according to the narrator?

43. How did people appreciate the girl’s face? How was the voice of the girl’s aunt?

44. What did the new passenger do to the narrator?

45. How did the new co-passenger beg apology from the narrator and why?

Or, Why did the new co-passenger beg apology from the narrator?

46. What could b a fascinating game to the narrator?

47. What did the narrator think about his brief encounter with the girl?

48. How long did the narrator remember the brief encounter?

49. What did the girl do when the whistle shrieked and the carriage wheels

changed their sound and rhythm?

50. What the effect did the narrator feel from the girl’s hair?

51. What could the narrator’s eyes feel only?

52. When did the narrator come to know/realise that the girl was blind?

53. “The voice of the narrator startled the girl.”---Why was the girl startled?

54. What did the narrator smell, when the girl moved away? What did he desire to do then? (Write in two different

55. What did the narrator do to study the landscape?

56. How did the girl laugh?

57. What was the narrator’s thinking about himself at the time of passing the compliment that the girl had an interesting face?

58. What made the girl pleased when the narrator informed her about the arrival

of her destination?

59. What did the narrator hear at the platform of Saharanpur station?

60. What was the narrator’s remark about the trees outside?

61. What was there at the doorway of the train at Saharanpur station?

62. How did the new co-passenger break into the narrator’s reverie?

63. What would be a fascinating game for the narrator?

64. What did the ‘thought of laughter’ make the narrator?

65. What did ‘the voice of the girl‘ seem to the narrator?

66. What was the next question asked by the girl that removed the narrator’s doubt?

67. Why did the girl’s parents seem very anxious about her?

68. How did the narrator come to know that the girl was wearing slippers?

69. What do the people with good eyesight fail to see?

70. What do the blind people take only?

71. What roused curiosity in the narrator about the girl?

72. Why did the girl consider the narrator lucky?

Word-Meanings:

Sensitive = responsive; susceptible; perceptive.

Startled = surprised or amazed.

Exclamation = utterance in amazement.

Registers = impresses; strikes; appeals.

Tellingly = powerfully; forcefully; effectively; significantly.

Remaining senses = the senses other then the sight.

Wondered = thought about; thought in amazement; doubted;

Prevent = block; obstruct; resist; impede; stop; control; check.

Provided = if; on condition that.

Getting off = getting down; alighting; leaving the train.

Formidable = dreadful; unmanageable.

Fascinating = alluring; charming; extremely

Lingered = remained; continued to exist; prevailed.

Confusion = mess; disorder; chaos.

Deserted = lonely; uninhibited.

Romantic fool = a person guided by emotion.

Ledge = a narrow shelf projecting from a window;

Pretence = deception.

Panting = quick breathing.

Rumble = a long deep series of sounds.

Flashing by = passing by quickly.

Broad Questions

1. “They seemed very anxious about her health and comfort”-- Who was anxious? Whose comfort is referred to here? State the context and mention their suggestion for her.

In Ruskin Bond's short story, The Eyes Have It, a couple or parents were anxious.

They were anxious about the comfort of the girl who was probably their daughter.

The couple came to Rohana to see the girl off. The couple seemed to be the girl's parents. The narrator felt it from the couple's parent-like behaviour and care for her. They, especially the mother, gave detailed instructions for the girl's safe journey. She told the girl do's and don'ts of a train journey. She instructed where to keep her things, when not to lean out of windows, how to avoid speaking to strangers and finally they waved goodbye to her.

2. How did the girl’s entry change the consciousness of the speaker? What was his immediate guesses and reactions?

In Ruskin Bond's short story, The Eyes Have It, The narrator had been travelling alone in a train compartment. When a girl entered the compartment at Rohana, the narrator became conscious of her presence. As the narrator was completely blind then, he did not know how did the girl look like. But the slapping of the slippers made him conscious of her movements.

Being a blind person, the speaker always had to guess about the visuals of the surroundings. He wished to discover something about the girl's look. Probably he would never be able to resolve this mystery of the girl. However, he initiated a conversation with the girl with a question, if/ whether she was going to Dehra.

3. Why the girl feel startled? Why did she show a little exclamation?

When the speaker in Ruskin Bond's short story, Eyes Have It, asked the girl whether/if she was going to Dehra, the girl was startled. Actually, the girl, like the speaker, was also blind. She had to perceive everything through other senses like the narrator. She had thought that she was alone in the compartment, the narrator’s voice startled her.

She heard the narrator’s voice suddenly and naturally, she showed a little exclamation. She told me that she had been unaware of anyone's presence. Being a blind girl she could not discover anybody until she heard the voice. But it was not a grave exclamation as she had to face such a situation many a time.

4. Write about the character of the narrator of the story The Eyes Have It.

Eyes Have It is one of the best short stories of Ruskin Bond. The story is about the narrator and a young girl. Both of them are blind. He wants to hide his blindness. He is nostalgic about his childhood days and very romantic about the beauty of nature. As he felt lonely all the time, he speaks freely with the unknown girl.Healso praises her beauty though he can see nothing. Even when the girl was getting down from the train, he wished to touch her scented hair. But at the end of the story he must have been amusingly puzzled because the man, the new travelling companion, informed that the girl was blind. He takes the remark of the new traveller casually. The presence of the contrast qualities in his character and psychological inter-current that goes in his mind, makes the narrator a unique romantic personality.

5. “She was completely blind”—Explainthe irony in the given line.

In Ruskin bond’s short story, a man boarded the train at Saharanpur. The narrator continued to pretend to study the landscape. The new co-passenger broke into his reverie stating that perhaps the narrator was disappointed as he was not as attractive travelling companion as the girl who had just left. In reply the narrator remark that she was an interesting girl indeed. He also asked him if her hair was long or short. Hearing this the man was puzzled and said that it was her beautiful eyes that attracted his attention not her hair and added that those eyes were of no use as she was completely blind. He asked the narrator if he had not noticed it. The narrator was very much shocked to learn that he did not perceive it.

6. What is the relevance/significance of the title of THE EYES HAVW IT.

Ruskin Bond’s “THE EYES HAVE IT” tells a simple and touching tale of the blind. In some of the editions the story is also named as ‘The Eyes are not Here’ or ‘The Girl on the Train’. The narrator is a blind man. His eyes are sensitive only to li9ght and darkness. In the train compartment he meets a girl and enjoys her patience and company. He considers her quite normal and hides his blindness in every possible way. Even he praises her beauty differently and gives a lovely account of the beauty of Mussoorie. The girl leaves his company at Saharanpur but the narrator becomes amusingly puzzled when he learns from the new co-passenger that the girl was also blind. Whatever we see in this story, we through the mind’s eye of the narrator. The story begins with a spirited journey with the message of meeting and parting. The story aptly portrays the life journey both within and without. The successful interpretation of the metaphors of the sight and blindness makes the title a significant one.

7. Comment on the ending of THE EYES HAVE IT.

The ending of Ruskin Bond's"The Eyes Have It” is a moment of revelation and it is taken place through the new co-passenger who entered the train compartment at Saharanpur. From him the narrator got to know that the girl was also blind. Throughout his journey, the narrator had been very careful to conceal the fact that he was blind. It is very interesting to find that the girl also did not mention her blindness. Though none of them could see, the narrator and the girl could feel and enjoy the patience and company of each other through their other senses. The new traveller certainly changed the flow of thought of the narrator, and the reader as well. The ending reminds us of the type of ending found often in classical short stories and it certainly provides the story a new dimension.

8. Why do you think that the narrator was glad to have the girl in his cabin?

The narrator was glad to have the girl in his compartment because he had been travelling alone for quite a long time till Rohana. He was particularly attracted to beauty and beautiful people. Besides, his favourite pastime favourite being playing pranks with people by not revealing his blindness, he loved the girl’s entry.

9. What does the narrator refer to by the mistake he committed? How does he overcome it ?

While in conversation with the girl, the narrator asked her how the landscape outside looked like. It was a blunder on his side because this question would have stirred the girl’s suspicions. He had been pretending like an ordinary man with sight but this question was unusual on the side of a man with sight....

10. What response from the girl dispel the narrator’s doubts that his secret had been noticed by her?

When the narrator asked the girl to describe the world outside, he was mostly certain that his foolish question would lead the girl to think that he was blind but she asked him why he could not look for himself and meant that the girl had not noticed his blindness.

11. Why did the girl in fact ask the narrator why he could not look out and see the world outside?

Like the narrator, the girl too was blind and was pretending to be able to see. Probably she didn’t want to give away with her blindness for her own safety, a safety for a blind young girl who could be easily targeted by someone on a train.

12. How did the narrator further pretend to dispel the girl’s possible suspicions on him?

Though the girl’s question, “why don’t you look out of the window” had almost dispelled the narrator’s fears that the girl had discovered his blindness, he went on pretending to be really sighted. Facing the open window, he remarked that trees appeared to be moving while they sat in the train. When he saw that it was a silly, childish remark which would have given him away, he went on affirming that there were no animal on the hills.

13. Why was the narrator certain that there were no animals on the hills?

The narrator was certain that there were no animals to be seen if the girl were testing him because he had heard that deforestation had wiped all the animals from the hills near Dehradun.

14. Why was the narrator sure that his remark that the girl had an interesting face was a safe one?

The narrator openly remarked that the girl had an interesting face and he knew for sure that the girl would definitely like it – few girls can resist flattery when it is about their beauty.

15. How did the girl return the narrator’s flattery?

The girl was pleased by the narrator’s remark and laughed out loudly accepting his remark. She paid him back for the good words said about her by returning a similar remark about him as being a gallant young man.

16. Why did the narrator subdue his attempt to laugh for the girl?

The narrator was only happy to laugh for the girl who complained that he was a serious character. When he thought of laughing, instantly the thought of losing the pretty, vibrant girl at another station hit him hard. He felt like a philosopher who meditates on the transient happiness and meeting.

17. What leaves the reader spellbound at the end of the story?

Ruskin Bond kept the pulse of the reader high with the narrator’s attempts to escape the chances of his being caught by the girl’s smart questions and remarks. When she asks him why he could not look out for himself or when he gave her a startle from the dark corner of the compartment, he had to end his dramatic show but chances favoured him. The reader realizes that it was not the girl that the narrator had been fooling but it was the reader that the author had just fooled and that realization leaves the reader spellbound.

18. The narrator had a personality so much different from the girl’s. What make the two different?

Apart from their similarity in guarding their blindness from each other, the two passengers were different. The narrator was a piece of butter ready to apply on a pretty girl. He was a romantic fool who was ready to believe a girl by her ringing laughter and vibrant voice. He was not altogether decent. A pervert who craves women and her company, ready to travel to the end of the earth for the pleasure of sharing his cabin with a seemingly beautiful girl, he exhibits a very base passion for lust. On the other hand, the girl was not glad to travel another mile to enjoy a stranger’s company. She was well brought up and was wise.

“They seemed very anxious about her health and comfort”-- Who were anxious? Whose comfort is referred to here ? State the context and mention their suggestion for her.***

How did the girl’s entry change the consciousness of the speaker? What was his immediate guesses and reactions ?***

Why the girl feel startled ? Why did she show a little exclamation ?***

Write about the character of the narrator of the story The Eyes Have It.***

“She was completely blind”—Explain the irony in the given line.***

What is the relevance/significance of the title of THE EYES HAVW IT.***

Comment on the ending of THE EYES HAVE IT.***

Discuss the exchanges between the narrator and the last fellow passenger ?***

Describe the scenic beauty of Mussoorie in October.

“The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie”- Who is the speaker ? What was the reverie? How did the man broke the reverie of the narrator ?

“But her last question removed my doubts”- Who is the speaker here and what was the next question ? What doubt is referred to here ?

“I wondered if my words had touched her, or whether she...”---Why did the speaker doubt that he might be thought a ‘romantic fool’ ?

How did the narrator flatter the girl ? How did she receive the narrator’s flattery ?

“Few girls can resists flattery”--- Who said this and to whom ? Explain the context.

Or, Do you think that the statement is correct ? Explain.

“I would try to laugh for her.”---Who wanted to laugh and for whom ? What was the result ?