NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Woven Words) Short Stories 1 The Lament

Class : 11th
Subject : English
Chapter : 1
Chapter Name : The Lament

Q1 Comment on the indifference that meets Iona’s attempts to share his grief with his fellow
human beings.

Answer. The protagonist of the story, Iona Potapav is in deep grief, the reason being his son's
unexpected demise. As a general human characteristic, he also wants to talk about the hardship
that he is facing, what all he felt through the entire event, but he's unable to find someone to
vent out. He wants to share the flood of emotions that he has been storing inside him. But the
problem resides in the fact that the people that he's surrounded by, are either in a hurry being
the passengers wanting to reach the destination or are simply not interested in giving an ear to
him. So whenever Iona starts sharing about the death of his son, he's ignored by everyone.
Finding no other resort, Iona shared everything to his horse.

Q2 What impression of the character of Iona do you get from this story?

Answer. Iona, the protagonist of the story, is a cab driver. After the sudden death of his son, he
is miserable and he wants to share his feelings but he's unable to find a person to vent out. He
wants someone to hear about the loss that he has been suffering but it's observed that
everyone is either busy or uninterested thus he becomes a miserable figure and in the end
shares everything with his horse. In the starting of the story, it's explained that how unaware he
has become of his surroundings that even the snow wasn't bothering him, all he was looking for
was an individual to hear about everything that has been happening with him. He also states
that death came to his son instead of him. So after the loss of his son, he has turned into a
miserable man who finds earning a living difficult and is looking for support in every individual he
comes across.

Q3 How does the horse serve as a true friend and companion to Iona?

Answer. Iona just wanted someone to hear about all the grief that he has been suffering from.
He started talking to everyone that he came across but the problem was that no individual was
either interested nor anyone had the time to hear what he was saying. Everyone was just
focused on getting out to their own ways. He wanted to talk about everything, the way he died,
how he went to collect the clothes of his dead son, how he has been feeling, but he was unable
to find someone. This was the time when he resorted to telling everything to his horse. The

horse being true to his master listens to everything and breathed over the master's hand,
comforting in his own way.

Q1 Empathy and understanding are going out of modern society. The individual experiences
intense alienation from the society around him or her.

Answer. This is completely true that modern society is going out from empathy and
understanding. Nowadays people are present for one another only if they are receiving anything
in reciprocal. No one keeps others first to his personal self. The feelings of empathy and
understanding are bygones now and no individual pays attention to hearing the problems of
others. Humans are just becoming the mechanised units of fulfilling own desires without
considering the other person's feelings. The sharing of grief for the motive of reducing it has just
become a mere saying and no one is available to pay attention to the sufferings of others. All
they live for is themselves, and the values and morals are depleting.

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Q2 Behind the public face of the people in various occupations is a whole saga of personal
suffering and joy which they wish to share with others.

Answer. Human being always has two sides, a professional one and the personal one. It is
usually observed that the professional side of the individual's personality is kept stern no matter
now weak or wrecking the individual is on the personal front. Every individual holds back a story
they don't share with everyone. Similar was the case with Iona, he had just lost his young son
and was in deep grief in search of someone to share his feelings but despite all this, he had to
work because earning a living is more important. He kept looking in every passenger, a listener
to his woes, but he couldn't find one. Thus, behind his face of a cab driver was a father who had
just lost his son and was worried about the situation, but a balance between the two has to be
kept.

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Q1 The story begins with a description of the setting. How does this serve as a fitting prelude to
the events described in the story?

Answer. The entire story of Iona revolves around him finding an individual to talk about all his
grief. The description in the starting gives the perfect prelude to the story as it has been
described that there is minimum movement and the external factors are hardly having any effect
on the protagonist. He's lost in his world of his own. He's in the search of someone to let out the
feelings that he has contained within himself. Therefore, the setting in the initial phase has been
perfectly set to suit the mood of the story that is gloomy and covered with darkness and despair.

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Q2 Comment on the graphic detail with which the various passengers who took Iona’s cab are
described.

Answer. There were various passengers that took a ride in Iona's cab that day in which he
struggled to find someone to talk with. The first one being the officer was heading towards his
office and was mainly concerned with reaching the destination on time, thus paid no need to
what Iona was talking about. It shows the difference in reality as compared to the perceived
image of the public figures. Another person was a drunkard who also refused to pay attention to
what Iona was saying. No one had the time and patience to hear Iona that he ultimately had to
vent out to the horse.

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Q3 This short story revolves around a single important event. Discuss how the narrative is
woven around this central fact.

Answer. The story, 'The Lamant' by Anton Chekhov, revolves around the central idea that the
can driver named Iona, has lost his son unexpectedly just about a week ago and he's in search
of someone with whom he can share the feelings and the entire event that has changed his life
so drastically. He tries to find a suitable listener in everyone that he finds, but fails to do so.
Having no resort left, he explains everything to his horse. It was the horse that appears as the
true companion and only then Iona is relieved of all the burden that he has been carrying on
since days.

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Q4 The story begins and ends with Iona and his horse. Comment on the significance of this to
the plot of the story.

Answer. The story is basically mocking the human behaviour that has changed over time that it
fails to cater to the needs of other individuals. The story is a satire on the selfishness of humans
that animals are considered more trustworthy. The story starts with the description that how both
the owner and the horse are irrelevant of the surroundings and the ending explains to us how
the horse proved to be the true companion. That explains that on failing to find a true and
considerate listener, Iona had to find a sense of security from his horse only that could not be
completed by any human being.

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