Comprehension Check
- Why had Framton Nuttel come to the “rural retreat”?
Answer .. Frammon Nuttel was suffering from some nerve disorder. The doctor had advised him to go on a vacation to a tranquil and serene place where the usual din and bustle of daily life is totally absent. With such restful environment all around in a rural landscape, the mind gets to repair itself and recover its vitality over a period of time. This is why Framton Nuttel came to the ‘rural retreat’.
My question .. Why do you think people develop mental illness and nervous breakdowns even if their body remains normal.
Answer .. Excessive stress in workplaces, loss of near and dear ones, setbacks in business ventures, contracting of deadly diseases puts unbearable diseases drive the mind to extreme anxiety and sorrow. Prolonged periods of such distress cause ‘nerve disorders’.
- Why had his sister given him letters of introduction to people living there?
Answer .. Framton Nuttel was totally new to the place where he was heading to. To overcome the initial difficulties, his sister gave him a few letters addressed to her friends. Such references could help Framton Nuttel to ease his initial difficulties.
My question .. Did her sister brief Framton Nuttel about the background of Mrs. Sappleton? Did it make things easy or difficult for him?
Answer ..His sister hadn’t told Framton anything about Mrs. Sappleton. It led to his hasty and panicked exit from her house.
- What had happened in the Sappleton family as narrated by the niece?
Answer .. Mrs. Sappleton’s family suffered an unexplained tragedy when her husband and two brothers failed to return home after a day-long hunting trip. She was devastated.
- What did Mrs Sappleton say about the open window?
Answer . Mrs. Sappleton narrated how the open window holds so much of her family’s tragic history with it. This is thw window through which her husband and two brothers and their pet dog used to go out on their hunting trips and re-enter home in the evening. Mrs. Sappleton belied that the three near and dear ones would come back through the same window.
- The horror on the girl’s face made Framton swing around in his seat. What did he see?
Answer .. Vera, the 15-year-old niece was flummoxed to see the three lost hunters actually returning home intending to enter home through the same open widow. This was a weird event that drowned her in fear and bewilderment.
- Why did Framton Nuttel rush out wildly?
Answer .. As it is, Framon Nuttel had mental weaknesses. He was ill-prepared for facing nasty surprises and perplexing events. He was completely horrified that the three hunters would return home three years after their assumed death wearing the same dresses. He couldn’t bear the stress, so he left the place in great panic.
- What was the girl’s explanation for the lightening exit?
Answer .. Vera explained the hasty exit of the unknown visitor saying that he was mortally afraid of dogs. The sight of the dog accompanying the three persons had scared him. His fear of dogs was due to an earlier dreadful encounter with a few dogs who pushed him into a cave for safety. The dogs howled and barked frighteningly the whole night making him shiver in fear. The incident had happened in the bank of the Ganga.
My question .. Describe Vera, the nephew.
Answer .. She was a courteous and confident fifteen-year-old girl who had great presence of mind.
My question .. Do you feel Mrs. Sappleton was as entally ill as Framton Nuttel?
Answer .. Yes, both were mentally ill, although the nature of their sicknesses differed. Framton suffered a mental setback which was curable by staying in a desolate environment. The lady, however, was a dreamer who believed that her dream was not dream but real. Thzat’s why she believed her husband her two brothers would return soon.