Gul Mohar English Class 7 Chapter - 9 My Unknown Friend

Gul Mohar Edition 9 Orient Blackswan

Gul Mohar English Chapter - 9 My Unknown Friend

Writer of the story - Stephen Leacock
Question and Answers
Question 1: Why did Stephen Leacock want to give the impression that he knew the stranger?
Answer: The stranger was extremely friendly with Stephen and looked quite decent and wealthy. The stranger appeared to be a dignified man and Stephen probably thought that it would be rude to express his ignorance about the identity of the stranger. So he conversed with the stranger as if he was his childhood friend, while wondering all the time who he was.
 
Question 2: What kind of situation was the speaker talking about and how was he going to deal with it?
Answer: The speaker encountered this peculiar situation, where he had to stay calm and act confidently  and tried to talk in an intellectual way  as if he knew the stranger though in reality he could neither recognize nor remember the stranger.
 
Question 3: What plan did the speaker use? Did his plan work?
Answer: The speaker proceeded with a bold plan to ask questions to the stranger to reveal his identity. He was confident enough and asked safe questions hoping to recognize him. In spite of his best efforts, the speakers plan failed as he could not recollect from his memory their acquaintances.
 
Question 4: The author was annoyed at his own stupidity? What ‘ stupidity’ is he referring to ? Why could it be stupid.
Answer: In the course of conversation, When the stranger referred to the ‘loss’ the narrator remained quiet as he was unable to trace out the loss. The stranger adds that, death was a serious loss. The relieved speaker assumed that he was on the safe side, surprised the stranger by saying that the dead person used to smoke, not knowing that the stranger was talking about the narrator’s   grandmother
By making such a stupid mistake, the speaker unknowingly revealed that he still could not recognize the stranger.
 
Question 5: Why was the strangers face agitated? What was the speakers reaction to the stranger’s  problem?
Answer: The stranger seemed to be worried that he had missed the station and had to send a telegram. He also pretended to be panic as he could not open his suitcase to take out the money. The stranger was in a hurry as the train stopped at the junction only for a short while.
The speaker immediately offered him money to save him from unexpected problem.

Question 6: Does the writer blame himself for his loss? Why? What was the loss? When did the writer realize it?
Answer: The writer blames himself for being foolish for his loss as he tried to be too smart and pretended to know the stranger instead of admitting his inability to recognize him.
The stranger, who was a trickster used this opportunity and conned the speaker pretending to be a long lost friend only to cheat him of all his money.

When another stranger entered the compartment with a porter, looking for his lost suitcase, then the speaker realized that his travelling companion was a confident tricker , who outsmarted him by pretending to be his friend.