Important Question and Answers
Q. Why couldn’t Lushkoff go to Kaluga?
Ans. Lushkoff could not go to Kaluga because he had no money for the journey. He was ashamed of asking but due to adverse circumstances, he was forced to do so.
Q. Describe how the beggar appeared when Sergei met him.
Ans. When Sergei met the beggar he was in rags, had dull, sunken cheeks and red spots on either cheek. He had worn one high shoe and one low shoe.
Q. How did Sergei come to remember that he had met the beggar before?
Ans. The beggar’s face looked familiar to Sergei. When he saw the beggar’s overshoes, one of which was high and the other low, he suddenly remembered seeing him day before yesterday at Sadovya Street.
Q. Why did Sergei call Lushkoff his ‘godson’?
Ans. Sergei helped Lushkoff in mending his ways. Now Lushkoff was no more a beggar and was earning a handsome salary. Sergei felt proud of himself for making Lushkoff a respectable person. So, he called him his godson.
Q. How did Lushkoff look like when he met Sergei for the first time ?
Ans. Lushkoff looked ragged and had worn a fawncoloured when he met Sergei for the first time. He had dull and drunken eyes. He had a red spot on either cheek and was poor and hungry.
Q. What reminded Sergei that he had met the man before? What did the beggar lie to Sergei when the latter had caught his first lie ?
Ans. The man’s overshoes reminded Sergei that he had met him before. The man said that he sang in a Russian choir and was sent away for drunkenness.
Q. What reason does Lushkoff give to Sergei for his telling lies?
Ans. Lushkoff told that he was lying, and that neither was he a student nor a school teacher, rather he used to sing in Russian choir where he was expelled because of his habit of drinking and as such he received no alms if he told the truth.
Q. How did Sergei help Lushkoff to live respectfully?
Ans. He did not believe his stories, threatened to hand him over to the police, and offered him work of chopping wood. He also employed Luskoff while shifting his belongings to a new house, and then sent him to a friend for copying work, made him believe in goodness and honest means of livelihood. Sergei showed faith in Lushkoff supported and raised his self respect.
Q. What lies did Lushkoff tell to beg alms from people?
Ans. Lushkoff told lies to beg alms from people. Sometimes he used to tell that he was a school teacher for eight years and lost his place because of foul planning and sometimes he told that he was a student and was expelled.
Q. ‘Sergei looked satisfied with the performance of the beggar, he was happy that his words had a positive effect on him.’ Were his words really effective? Explain.
Ans. No, his words did not have a positive effect on the beggar as he did not develop the habit of working hard. He was still lazy and an idle fellow, and was no less than a shirker.
Q. Was Sergei a kind man? What tells you so?
Ans. Yes, Sergei was a kind man because his anger vanished and he felt a little sorry and ashamed of himself for having set a spoiled, drunken and perhaps a sick man to do menial labour in the cold.
Q. Lushkoff attributes the change of his heart to Olga. Do you agree with him? Or do you think that Sergei is responsible for it? Justify your answer.
Ans. Yes, I agree that Olga had stirred the change in Lushkoff because it was Olga with whom Lushkoff spent time doing various works. It was Olga who taught Lushkoff the various truths of life.
Q. Explain why Sergie is extremely delighted to see Lushkoff at the theatre.
Ans. Lushkoff, the beggar was offered some work. Sergei asked him to go to his friends. They gave him some copying work as he could write. Sergei was happy that he had put the man on the right track. Two years went by. One evening standing at a ticket window of a theatre Sergei saw the man again. Lushkoff told him that he was a notary and was paid 35 roubles a month. He thanked Sergei for what he had done for him. He said that if he had not helped him he would still have been telling lies. This was the reason why Sergei was extremely delighted to see him at the theatre.
Q. During their conversation Lushkoff reveals that Sergei’s cook, Olga, is responsible for the positive change in him. How has Olga saved Lushkoff?
Ans. Olga was a cook in Sergei’s house. Olga was a lady who was very good at heart. She played an important role in transforming Lushkoff. She realised Lushkoff’s condition and tried to improve him by criticising him, in order to improve him. She went through lot’s of misery and cried a lot for him. She used to even chop the wood for him. Just the sight of Olga made Lushkoff stop drinking. Olga’s sympathy and nobility changed him and he became a notary, earning 35 roubles a month.
Q. How was the life of Lushkoff changed?
Ans. Lushkoff’s life was changed drastically when he came in contact with Sergei. Sergei taught him the value of selfrespect. Olga, the cook of Sergei also helped him in changing from a spoiled, drunken beggar to a noble person. Sergei also taught him the value of earning by working hard instead of begging. Lushkoff would now chop wood, shovel snow, put the wood-shed in order, beat the dust out of the rugs and mattresses. For every work he used to earn around twenty to forty copecks. Now, Lushkoff was a refined person. He had become a notary, earning at least 35 roubles a month.
Q. Describe Sergei’s role in reforming Lushkoff.
Ans. If Lushkoff had not come to Sergei he wouldn’t have been leading a noble life. Sergei did not believe in Lushkoff’s stories as he kept begging for alms saying that he was an expected teacher and sometimes became an expelled student. So, Sergei threatened him to hand over to the police. Sergei offered him work at his place. He asked him to chop woods for him, then he hired him to slight his belongings to a new house. He then sent him to his friend for copying job. He helped Lushkoff by offering money for every work he used to finish. He made him believe in the power of goodness and honest means of livelihood. Sergei had made him his godson and his cook olga too had helped Lushkoff in reforming himself.
Q. Describe the character of Sergei.
Ans. Sergei was a kind and honest man. Sergei couldn’t tolerate lies and dishonesty. He thought that everyone should earn money by working hard. He was not the kind of man who took undue advantage of a person’s helplessness and exploited him. When Lushkoff came to his house to chop wood, he felt bad because Lushkoff’s was weak and hungry. He was ashamed of himself for having set a spoiled, drunken, perhaps sick man to work at menial labour in the cold. Sergei held everyone equally. He didn’t discriminate people on the basis of how rich he was. Though Lushkoff was poor and worked for him, he wasn’t disrespectful to him. He rather recognised Lushkoff’s hard work. Sergei was a resourceful man also. He sent Lushkoff with a letter to his friend so that Lushkoff could get a better job. Sergei never forgot anyone. Even if he met Lushkoff after two years, he could recognise him immediately and talked with him in the most cordial way. Sergei was a man of principles with a kind heart.