When we step into the world of Class 9 English, we stumble upon a story that captures more than just the essence of a dwelling; "A House is Not a Home" is a narrative that resonates with many, sparking emotions and thoughts about what truly makes a place feel like home. This chapter isn't merely a collection of pages but a reflection on what it means to belong and the warmth of a nurturing environment.
Students often explore the profound difference between a house and a home through this story. It opens up discussions in classrooms about personal experiences and feelings of comfort and safety that transform a building made of bricks into a cosy nook that cradles dreams and memories. It's not just about finding answers to questions in the text but also about piecing together what elements create that special feeling of 'home'.
For those embarking on this chapter, it presents an opportunity to understand that homes are made of more than walls; they are built with moments of care, shared laughter, and the people who stand by us. The learning journey through this story encourages students to think deeply about the emotional connections that bind us, the sense of security we derive from our surroundings, and how adversity often brings out the essence of what we truly call home.
The engaging questions that follow the chapter are meant to guide young minds through a process of self-exploration and comprehension. Teachers and parents become crucial in this learning path, helping to decipher the subtleties of the story and fostering a discussion that could lead to insightful perspectives about life and relationships.
In an academic setting, the story takes a step further by providing practical exercises through the questions and answers that not only enhance understanding of the text but also bolster language skills. Moreover, with resources like the NCERT solutions readily available, students can easily navigate through the chapter and grasp the underlying concepts at their own pace.
The beauty of this narrative lies in its universal appeal. As we all look for that corner of the world where we feel most at peace, the story reaffirms that it's the bonds and experiences that make any place a true home. This poignant lesson, taught through the Class 9 curriculum, goes beyond just academic learning; it touches the heart and teaches the soul about the intangible qualities that give life to any space.
In essence, "A House is Not a Home" does more than just tell a story; it invites students to cherish their own homes and appreciate the depth of connection that lies within their own lives. It's a chapter that beautifully intertwines life lessons with literary education, creating a tapestry of learning that remains with students long after they've moved on from Class 9.
CHAPTER 8: A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME
A HOUSE
IS NOT A HOME SUMMARY
-by Zan Gaudioso
Teenager Joins A New School
The
teenager joins a new high school. He finds it strange and awkward as his closest
friends are in a different school. He misses his old friends and teachers and
goes to meet his old teachers regularly.
Teenager's House Catches Fire
One day,
while the teenager is doing his home work, his house catches fire. He and his mother
run outside the house. He goes to his neighbours to call the fire brigade while
his mother rushes inside to get some important documents and the pictures of
his father. He is terrified on seeing his mother go inside the burning house
and in the process of saving his mother, forgets about his pet cat.
They Shift to His Grandparent's House
After
five hours, the firemen are successful in extinguishing the fire. The teenager
suddenly realises that his pet cat is missing. He searches it everywhere but is
unable to find it. He cries for the loss of his cat. He and his mother shift to
his grandparents' home as their house has been completely destroyed by the
fire.
Teenager Goes to School
The next
day, the teenager goes to school. His clothes look weird and he does not have
any books or school bag as everything was destroyed in the fire. He feels
strange going like this to the school and wants to die as his old school, his
friends, his house and his pet cat have been taken away from him.
Teenager Revisits the House
After
school, the teenager revisits his house and finds that the damage due to the
fire is huge. His heart misses his cat and he is unable to find it. He visits
the house every now and then in the hope of finding his cat. But, it seems to
be nowhere.
Schoolmates Help the
Teenager
The news
about the destruction of his house spreads in his new school. Everybody in the
school becomes aware of his condition. His schoolmates help him by giving him
school supplies, notebooks and clothes. The students introduce themselves to
him and invite him to come to their home. This incident helps him open up to
them and thus he makes a few friends.
The Teenager Finds His
Cat
One day,
while he is watching the rebuilding of his house, a lady comes and asks him, if
the cat she is carrying, was his. He is overjoyed when he sees that she is
carrying his pet cat. He takes it from her arms and holds her close to him and
cries. He feels greateful for his life, his new friends, the kindness of a
stranger and his beloved cat.
NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 9 MOMENTS CHAPTER 8
Questions (Page No. 54-55)
(Think about it)
A house is not a home question Answers
Question 1. What does the
author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction? What does
she do?
Answer: One Sunday
afternoon, the author smelled something strange, and then he noticed smoke
pouring in through the seams of the ceiling. The smoke began to fill the room
quickly. The author and his mother ran out of the house.
The author ran to the
neighbours to call the fire department, while his mother ran back into the
house. She then ran out of the house carrying a small metal box full of
important documents. She dropped the case on the lawn and ran back into the
house to bring the pictures of the author’s dead father, which was the only
thing that she had to remember him by.
Question 2. Why does he
break down in tears after the fire?
Answer: After five
hours when the fire was finally out, the author realized that his cat was
nowhere to be found. He broke into tears when he got reminded of the new school
he had to join, the fire in his house and his cat who might have died in the
fire. He had suffered big losses.
Question 3. Why is the
author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and
insecurity?
Answer: The next day
in school, the author is embarrassed because the clothes he was wearing looked
weird, he had no books or homework, and his backpack was gone. He felt insecure
and frustrated.
The words that show his
fear and insecurity are: “I didn’t want to grow up, change or have to handle
life if it was going to be this way. I just wanted to curl up and die.”
Question 4. The cat and the
author are very fond of each other. How has this been shown in the story? Where
was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back and how?
Answer: The bond
between the cat and the author has been shown in multiple instances in the
story. For example, the author tells, “She was never far from me. I had rescued
her when she was a kitten, and somehow she knew that I was the one responsible
for giving her ‘the good life’.
When the author realized
that his cat was missing, he says, “Then all at once it hit me— the new school,
the fire, my cat— I broke down in tears and cried and cried. I was suffering
loss, big time.”
The cat had been so freaked
by the fire that she ran over a mile away. Her collar had our phone number on
it, but the author’s phone had been destroyed and disconnected. A stranger
woman took her in and worked hard to find out whose cat it was. She brought the
cat back to the author.
Question 5. What actions of
the schoolmates change the author’s understanding of life and people, and
comfort him emotionally? How does his loneliness vanish and how does he start
participating in life?
Answer: The author’s
schoolmates showed genuine concern towards him. On the second day of his new
school, people were insisting that he hurry up and go to the gym. The author
reached the gym. There was a big table set up with all kinds of stuff on it,
just for me. They had taken up a collection and bought me school supplies,
notebooks, all kinds of different clothes— jeans, tops, sweat suits. People who
had never spoken to him before were coming up to him to introduce themselves.
He got all kinds of invitations to their houses. This incident changed the
author’s understanding of life and people.
That is the day when he
made friends at school. That’s how his loneliness vanished and he started
participating in life.
Question 6. What is the
meaning of “My cat was back and so was I”? Had the author gone anywhere? Why
does he say that he is also back?
Answer: The author had
not gone anywhere. He says the given statement because he was finally able to
get things sorted in his life.
He had faced big losses.
His missed his friends and teachers of the old school, his home was burnt into
ashes and his cat was missing.
Gradually, he made new
friends in the new school and saw his house getting rebuilt. When a stranger
woman gave him his cat back, he says, “My cat was back and so was I”. He means
that now his life was complete again- friends, house and his cat- he now had
all that he had lost.
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