The Doctor’s Word 

by R. K. Narayan

Answers for all the questions from the lesson ‘The Doctor’s Word’ included in the CHSE +2 book ‘Invitation to English – 2’.

Think it out – 1

1. Why did the patients visit Dr. Raman only when they were hopeless?
Answer – People valued Dr. Raman’s medical expertise honed after decades of practice. They also knew, he spoke about the condition of a patient in a straight-forward, truthful way, and seldom sweet-talked a patient into believing that he would survive, while there was little possibility of him doing so.

2. What impression of Dr. Raman do you get from the passage?
Answer – Dr. Raman was a competent and dedicated doctor who did his best if he felt he could cure a patient. He was curt, but quite realistic.

Think it out – 2

1. How does the writer describe the friendship between Dr. Raman and Gopal?
Answer – Gopal and Dr. Raman were friends from their kindergarten days. For nearly four decades, the friendship endured, keeping them in close touch with each other through their twists and turns of life.

2. How did Dr. Raman come to know about Gopal’s illness?
Answer – The ailing Gopal’s son had come to meet Dr. Raman on instructions of his mother for medical help.

Think it out – 3

1. Why didn’t Gopal’s wife call for Dr. Raman earlier?
Answer – She felt Dr. Raman would be very busy, and didn’t like to make further demands on his time.

2. What steps did the doctor take to save his friend from death?
Answer – Dr. Raman examined his patient thoroughly, and gave him an injection, apparently to revive him.

Think it out – 4

1. What was Dr. Raman’s reaction when his assistant said “Sir, he will pull through?”
Answer – The doctor was not unduly excited. His reaction was measured. He felt it was prudent to wait till 8 in the morning to conclude that a steady recovery had set in.

2. What was Dr. Raman’s response when Gopal’s wife asked about his condition?
Answer – The doctor was quite professional in his reply to the wife’s questions. He asked her to rein in her excitement as it was too premature to conclude anything.

Think it out – 5

1. Why did Gopal ask Dr. Raman “ Am I going ?” What was he anxious about?
Answer – Gopal had assumed that his death was not far off. He had made a will, but had not signed it. He wanted to sign it before he breathed his last.

2. Was Dr. Raman upset at this question? Give your reasons.
Answer – Dr. Raman didn’t quite like his friend’s question. As a doctor, he was doing his best, but couldn’t predict the outcome. So, he felt irked at his friend’s question.

3. Why did Dr. Raman decide to tell a lie?
Answer – Dr. Raman knew his friend’s life was hanging by a thread, but asking him to sign the Will would have signaled to the patient that he was surely on the throes of death. Dr. Raman didn’t want to eliminate the very ray of hope of survival for his friend, by being truthful, as was his nature. So, he wanted to tell a lie so as to infuse optimism in his faltering friend’s mind. This was the only way of resurrecting him. The doctor did something, he never did –lying to a patient about his condition.

4. How did he answer Gopal’s question?
Answer – With a feeling of trepidation, Dr. Raman told his friend that the latter was surely going to get over the crisis, and there was no need to panic for signing the Will.

5. How did Gopal accept Dr. Raman’s words?
The doctor’s words had a miraculous effect on Gopal. He felt confident that he was going to survive.

Think it out – 6

1. Did Dr. Raman believe that his patient would recover that night? Why do you think so?.
Answer – Dr. Raman somehow felt that his reassuring words would infuse enough vitality in Gopal to stave off the crisis. It was a faint hope, though.

2. “Don’t look so unhappy, lady” – why does Dr. Raman say so?
Answer – Dr. Raman was convinced that his friend Gopal had got over the deadly cardiac crisis, and was unmistakably recovering. So, he comforted the distraught wife with such words.

3. Does human life hang on a doctor’s word? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer – Yes, a doctor’s reassuring words restores the will power of a patient, where a dismal picture from the doctor robs him of his inherent capacity to fight back. Generally speaking, a doctor can hasten or mar a patent’s chance of recovery by his words.

ସମସ୍ତ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟର ଉତ୍ତର ଲିଙ୍କ ଏକ ପୃଷ୍ଠାରେ ପାଇବା ପାଇଁ ଏଠାରେ କ୍ଲିକ କରନ୍ତୁ।

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