SPREADING SMILES
MRS SNOW, YOU ARE PRETTY
ELEANOR PORTER
Word Meaning
1. Sick – not well, ill
2. Locality – area
3. Muttered – grumbling in low voice
4. Blinked – paused, opening and closing of eyes
5. Dimly – faded, not bright
6. Advanced – went
7. Lamb – young sheep
8. Sharply – annoyed
9. Apologized – saying sorry
10. Erect – straight
11. Abrupt – sudden change
12. Excitedly – with lot of interest
13. Sympathetically – feeling sad for someone
14. Reckon – estimate, calculate
15. Fluffiness – softness
16. Perking – lively
17. Drooping – bendong
18. Plumpness – round and bulky
19. Scoffing – making fun of
20. Panted – breathing quickly, gasping
21. Hastily – in a quick move
22. Vase – pot
23. Triumph – victory, win
24. Severely – greatly
25. Brows – eye brows
26. Frown – expression of deep thought
27. Retorted – comment in reply
28. Sprang – move quickly
29. Amazed – surprised
30. Stare – look into
31. Snapped – sharp noise
32. Gasped – panting
33. Vainly – of no use
34. Urging – requesting
A.2 Discuss in pair
a. …you’re
the first one that ever ‘liked’ to see her. What does this comment tell you
about Mrs. Snow’s personality?
The comment tells us that
Mrs Snow is an ungrateful woman who constantly complains about things. Despite
being thankful for what she has, she complains about what she has not. Her such
behaviour does not encourage anyone to like or talk to her.
b. What
are some of the obvious differences that you notice in Pollyanna and Mrs Snow’s
manners or behaviour? For example, Pollyanna is gleeful while Mrs Snow is
gloomy.
Pollyanna is a joyful girl
who in all situation good or bad, takes her life easy. She is loving, grateful
for what she has, and appreciates her surroundings and enjoys them. Mrs Snow,
on the other hand, is dull and gloomy. She doubtful about everything. Hence,
she cannot enjoy life as they are. She is found most of the time gloomy and
sad.
A.3 Read the story
a. Why do
you think Mrs Snow called Pollyanna Miss Impertinence?
Pollyanna’s comical reply to
Mrs Snow’s statement, “… I was hoping ‘twould be lamb broth today’, caused Mrs
Snow to call Pollyanna ‘Miss Impertinence’. Mrs Snow took the little girl’s
answer, “Why, I thought it was chicken you wanted when folks brought you jelly”,
as rude and disrespectful towards and older woman like her.
b. Do you
think Mrs Snow had been happy during the period referred to as fifteen of
those years? Why/Why not?
No, Mrs Snow was not happy during
the time referred to as ‘fifteen of those years’ in the text. She spent those
years wishing things were different to find she had been too busy wishing
things were different to find much time to enjoy things as they were. This regret
reveals she wasted her time hoping for good and not able to find it in day-to-day
life.
c. How do
you think Mrs Snow felt when Pollyanna offered to fix her hair?
Mrs Snow reluctantly allowed
Pollyanna to fix her hair. She was unwilling to let the girl do that as it might
change her from the way she was in her dimly lit room.
d. Do you
think Mrs Snow regularly put a flower in her hair? How can you tell?
No, Mrs Snow did not
regularly put flowers in her hair. This we know form her statement that it
would fade anyhow and made no difference.
A.9 Answer the following questions.
a.
Pollyanna was an empathetic girl. Cite evidence from the text to support the
statement.
When Pollyanna was the first
one that ever liked to meet Mrs Snow and she greeted her warmly. Later, she
felt pity for the old lady for having to spend all day on the bed in a dimly
lit room. She was jolly always and never hurt when Mrs Snow tagged her as Miss
Impertinence. She called her ‘pretty’ and appreciated her beautiful black hair
and red spots on her cheeks. Pollyanna showed a mirror to Mrs Snow to enable
her appreciate herself. She tried to boost Mrs Snow that she could do better and
need not lay in bed just because she is sick. These instances show that she was
an emphatic girl.
b. She
spoke fretfully, but she still held the mirror before her face. Why do you
think Mrs Snow still held the mirror in front of her face?
Mrs Snow held the mirror in
front of her face despite being fretful because she understood Pollyanna’s knack
with hair which made her declare, “I didn’t know it could look so pretty.” Although
apprehensive, she was amazed at how her hair looked and the flowers that added
charm to them.
c.
Describe how Pollyanna did Mrs Snow’s hair.
Pollyanna combed Mrs Snow’s
hair deftly. She combed the lady’s curls into fluffiness, perking up a drooping
ruffle at the neck into plumpness so that the head might have a better pose. At
last, she picked out a pink from the vase and tucked it in Mrs Snow’s curly
black hair.
d. Why
was Milly bewildered at the end of the extract?
When Milly came in the room,
she found the window open and the curtain was up. She could now see in the light
the pink in her mother’s hair. She was also expecting a nightdress instead of
lamb of broth. Such behaviour of her mother bewildered her at the end.
e. How
did Pollyana’s outlook on life differ from Mrs Snow’s outlook or attitude?
Pollyanna had the ability to
be happy and cheerful in any situation. Her outlook on life was positive. She
enjoyed and appreciated rather than complaining about what she did not have. If
life offered an unpleasant event, Pollyanna would accept it without regret and
find goodness in it. On the other hand, Mrs Snow was negative about life and regretful.
Such attitude prevented her from enjoying life to the fullest. This attitude
caused Mrs Snow to be gloomy and sad.
A.10 Answer in detail
a. Read
the story Mrs Snow, You Are Pretty! Carefully. Make a note of the acts
and words of kindness that Polllyanna has for Mrs Snow. Think of words that you
think describe Pollyanna’s character. Use the five words to complete the
organizer give below.
inquisitive, optimistic,
cheerful, kind, empathetic
b. Now
use the five wors you have found in the previous exercise to write a character
sketch of Pollyanna. Give evidence from the text.
Pollyanna is a polite girl
who greeted everyone warmly. Right from the start, she is inquisitive and
questions Mrs Snow’s way of seeing things. Even much against the unwillingness of
Mrs Snow, she has reason to tuck a flower into her hair. She is emphatic
towards Mrs Snow and feels sad that she has to spend her whole day lying in bed
in a dimly lit room. But with her cheerful attitude, she tries to encourage Mrs
Snow by pointing out that 'she is pretty and that her all-black hair is
admirable'. She is kind and emphatic, and was the first one to meet he in person
when others ignored.
c.
TO BE DONE IN THE BOOK BY SELF
d. What
are the instances in the story that make it a humorous one? Cite a few examples
from the story to support your answer.
The intelligent and comical comments by Pollyanna and Mrs Snow’s amusing behaviour make the story humorous. Mrs Snow was always wanting something different, this comment gives a funny twist to the story. Furthermore, the name Miss Impertinence given by Mrs Snow to Pollyanna also reveals the comical side of the lady makes it humorous. In the end, the sudden change in Mrs Snow’s behaviour taking interest in nightdress over lamb broth adds humour to it.
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