FACE IN THE DARK -RUSKIN BOND Read the extract and answer the following questions: Extract-1 When there was a strong wind, the pine trees made sad eerie sounds that kept most people to the main road. But, Mr. Oliver was not a nervous or imaginative man He carried a torch. and its gleam—the batteries were running down-moved fitfully down the narrow forest path. When its flickering light fell in the figure of a boy, who was sitting alone on a rock, Mr. Oliver stopped. Boys were not supposed to be out after dark 1. What picture of the school is projected here? Answer The school was situated on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. The school had its established reputation from before Kipling's time. It had been run on English public school lines. The boys of the school belonged to wealthy Indian families. They wore blazers, caps and ties. The Life Magazine had once called the school 'Eton of the East. 2. Why the school in which Mr Oliver was a teacher, called the 'Eton of the East"? Answer Eton school is said to run on the British pattern. It begins with the standard of teaching. There is a no-nonsense there. There are weekly assessments of the boys and the results are public. If there is any drop in the result, the teacher is summoned. The school activities are having unrelenting competition. The school in Shimla in which Mr Oliver was a teacher ran on the same principles. The boys were disciplined and followed the rules and regulations of the school. It was a prestigious school and thus called the 'Eton of the East. 3. Who was Mr Oliver and what was his daily routine? Answer Mr Oliver was an Anglo-Indian teacher who had been teaching in a school situated on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla for several years. The Shimla Bazaar was about three miles from the school. It had restaurants, cinemas. etc. Mr Oliver. a bachelor, used to stroll into the town in the evening and returned after dark taking a short cut through the pine forest. 4. How can you say that Mr Oliver was a brave man? OR Was Mr Oliver was a strong or a fearful man? Answer Shimla. a very high hill station has many pine forests People in those days avoided the route through these forests as when there were strong wind: sad eerie sounds which were frightening enough to raise anyone's Goosebumps. But Mr Oliver was not that sort of person. He was not a nervous or imaginative man. He usually carried a torch and its beam moved fitfully down the forest path. Even when he saw a boy's figure in that lonely place, he didn't get scared. Rather he asked him the reason for being alone and weeping. 5. What did Mr Oliver see when he was returning back while passing through the pine forest? Answer Mr Oliver was on his usual walk in the evening. While returning back from Shimla Bazaar through the narrow path of the pine forest, he came across an unusual sight. He saw a figure on the rock. He usually carried a torch with him always and as soon as the flickering light of his torch fell upon the figure, he found it to be a boy and stopped. It was a strange sight as the boys were not supposed to be out after dark. Extract-2 "I saw something—something horrible—a boy weeping in the forest—and he had no face?" 'No face. Sahib?" 'No eyes, nose, mouth-nothing?" 'Do you mean it was like this. Sahib?" asked the watchman, and raised the lamp to his own face. The watchman had no eyes. no ears. no features at all—not even an eyebrow! And than when the wind blew the lamp out 1. Why was Mr Oliver surprised to see the boy? Answer On his usual walk, when Mr Oliver saw a boy sitting alone on a rock, he was surprised to see him as the boys of the school were not supposed to be out after dark. And as the place was near to school, he could imagine no one else outsider there. He questioned him strongly that what he was doing there and when he got no reply, he moved closer so that he could recognize the boy. 2. Why was the boy called a miscreant? Answer The place where Mr Oliver saw the boy in the woods was not far away from the school in which he was teaching. Therefore he thought that the boy must be from that school and the students of the school were supposed to be much disciplined and to abide by the rules. Finding him at that time of hour made him think that the boy might have done some mischief and that was why he was hiding there. 3. Why did Mr Oliver move closer to the boy who was sitting alone on the rock in the forest? Answer Mr Oliver encountered a figure while coming back to school one night. He was surprised and felt uneasy to see it. When the light of his torch fell on the figure, it came out to be a boy. He stopped there and asked him sharply what he was doing there. Getting no response, he moved closer to him and sensed something wrong. The boy appeared to be crying with his face in his hands and his body was moving violently. 4. How did he show his concern for the boy? Did the boy reply affirmatively? Answer Mr Oliver became angry on seeing the boy alone in the forest at night. He asked him strongly the reason for being there but the boy didn't answer. He moved closer to him thinking that he must have done wrong and for that reason, he had run away from the school. But then he realized that the boy was sobbing and soon his anger gave way to concern. He again asked him why he was crying but the boy neither replied nor looked up. His body was shivering due to silent sobbing. He told him not to be there alone at that hour and asked what the trouble was. 5. Which horrible sight frightened Mr Oliver? Answer As Mr Oliver approached the boy, he discovered that the boy was sobbing holding his face in his hands. His body was shaking. It was a strange, soundless weeping. Initially, Mr Oliver got angry but when he heard him crying his anger diverted into concern. He suggested to the boy that he shouldn’t be there at that time and asked the problem. When the boy looked up, the light from Mr. Oliver’s torch fell upon the boys’ face which had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. This sight frightened him so much that he ran away from the place without pausing for a second. Compound Questions and Answers 1. (a) What do you know about Mr Oliver and the school he worked in? Answer Mr Oliver, the protagonist of the story. 'A Face in the Dark', was an Anglo Indian teacher who worked in one of the prestigious schools in Simla. He had been teaching in the school for several years. He was a bachelor. It had been his habit to go to Simla Bazaar, which was three miles away from the school. There he might watch movies or dine in a restaurant, and return after dark, taking a short cut through the pine forest. He was not a nervous person, nor given to too much of imagination, so he was not scared of walking through the forest which would make an eerie sound when strong winds blew. The school he worked was known as the 'Eton of the East'. It had been run on English public school lines. Most of the boys studying there were from wealthy Indian families and wore blazers, caps and ties. Run-on typical English pattern, the school had featured in Life Magazine and was considered as a status symbol. (b) What bizarre incident took place one day when Mr Oliver was coming back from Simla Bazaar? Answer Mr Oliver was returning after spending some time in Simla Bazaar. He took the pine forest route. It was a lonely path, dark and eerie. In the flickering light of the torch, he saw the figure of a boy, sitting alone on a rock. The boy was crying. It was a strange soundless weeping which made the teacher, rather uneasy. He held his head in his hands and his body shook convulsively. The concerned teacher insisted that the boy should look up and tell him his trouble. To his utter shock, when the boy looked up, he realised. he had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. It was just a smooth head, with a school cap on top of it. Immediately, he turned and ran towards the school. He encountered the watchman and told him about the boy without features. The watchman held the lantern to his face and asked whether the face was like his. He also did not have any features. Even Mr Oliver, with his rational outlook, had a fit of terror at the confrontation of what might have been supernatural. (c) On what two planes can you evaluate the incidents in the story? Answer The story can be evaluated at two levels: either as a weird supernatural experience or on a rational ground. The dark, lonely path through a pine grove, the eerie sound made by the wind, the reservations the locals had in using the short cut, all create an illusion of the supernatural. A boy sitting on a rock with his head down, his face covered with his hands, his body shaking in soundless sobs, the flickering torchlight revealing a face without eyes, ears, nose or mouth; enough to make any man shake with fear. That was exactly what the schoolmaster went through on that bizarre night. On top of it. he encountered another being of the same strange face in the form of a watchman, carrying a lantern. It is a perfect setting for a ghost story. On the other hand, Mr Oliver is described as a man, who was not easily given to nervousness or imagination. Perhaps, the lonely walk in the stormy night might have led him to imagine something supernatural like a ghostly figure. A boys school cap lying on a rock or a mask someone left behind, might have created an illusion in the flickering light of his torch. The same fear might have made him imagine the watchman too as being faceless. The story ends with a sense of ambiguity, leaving the ending open. The reader has to decide whether they were ghosts, whether they were optical illusions or whether the whole thing was a prank played upon the teacher by some mischievous students. TOPPER LEARNING Short Answer Questions 1. Who was Mr. Oliver? What was his profession? Ans. Mr. Oliver was an Anglo-Indian teacher at a school on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. The school where Mr Oliver was a teacher was called ‘Eton of the East’ by Life magazine. He was a bachelor and was probably staying alone on the school premises. During his leisure time, he used to walk to Shimla bazaar. 2. How did Mr. Oliver usually spend his evenings? Ans. Mr Oliver usually spent his evenings in Shimla bazaar which had cinemas and restaurants. He used to stroll into the town in the evening as he was a bachelor and returned after dark taking a shortcut through the pine forest to the school. 3. Why did he take a shortcut while returning? Ans. Mr Oliver was returning to school at night after spending time in Shimla bazaar. He was quite bold and did not worry about the terrible sounds made by the pine trees when the strong winds blew. Oliver took the shortcut as he wanted to reach the school in less time. 4. What did Oliver carry with him? Why? Ans. Unlike most people, Mr Oliver used to take a shortcut through the pine forest, but the forest was dark and it was difficult to determine the way at night. Therefore, he carried a torch that helped him to find his way back home. 5. Describe the posture of the boy. Ans. The boy sat on a rock with his head down and his face held in his hands. His body shivered continuously. It seemed that the boy was either in some pain or freezing with cold. Mr Oliver could figure out that the boy was weeping. 6. Why did Oliver think that the boy was a miscreant? Ans. Oliver had noticed a boy with his school cap sitting on a rock at night. The hostel boys were not supposed to come out after dark. It was a punishable misdeed. So, when he saw the boy, he assumed that he was a miscreant, a person who has done some mischief. 7. Who did Oliver stumble upon? Ans. As he ran towards the school, Mr Oliver saw a lantern swinging in the middle of the path. He was running as he was petrified after seeing the faceless boy. He was screaming for help as he saw the lantern towards the school building. He ran towards it and came across a watchman who had the lantern. 8. Why did the torch fall from Oliver’s hand? Ans. Oliver was horrified when the boy took his hands off his face and looked up at him. As the torchlight fell on the boy’s face, Oliver was stunned to see that the boy’s face was featureless and without eyes, ears, nose or mouth. It was just a round smooth head with a school cap on. Mr Oliver who had never believed in anything like a ghost was gripped with fear. The torch he held fell from his trembling hands. 9. What did the watchman do? Ans. Mr .Oliver was running towards the school building and crying for help. He was petrified after seeing the faceless boy. He saw a lantern swinging in the middle of the path. Mr .Oliver stumbled upon a watchman who asked him what the matter was. The watchman enquired as he was running and crying for help. When Mr .Oliver told him about the faceless featureless creature that he had seen on his way, the watchman raised the lamp to show Oliver his face. The watchmen had no eyes, nose, mouth or even eyebrows. The wind blew at the same moment and turned the lantern off that the watchman was holding in his hand. Long Answer Questions 1. What did Oliver see when he was returning? Ans. Mr Oliver was returning through the pine forest as usual. He often took a shortcut through the pine forest while returning to school after spending time at the Shimla bazaar. He was carrying a torch to see the path. It was quite dark when he saw something that caught his attention. With the light of his torch, he saw a boy who was just sitting on a rock weeping with his hands on his face. He was surprised to witness a student out of school at that hour. He was worried about the boy’s safety; therefore, he approached him asking why he was out at that hour and the reason for his weeping. 2. How did Oliver react after seeing the face of the boy? Ans. When Oliver witnessed the boy in the late hours of the evening sitting on a rock in the pine forest, he got worried for him. Students were not allowed to be out at night. Initially, he was angry but when he understood that the boy was crying continuously he went near him and asked him to look up. The boy neither looked up nor replied. When Oliver went close to the boy, he lifted his face and Oliver was shocked. The torch fell from Oliver’s hand and he started running towards the school building crying for help. The boy was without any eyes, nose or lips. He had no features. He was a faceless boy. 3. How does the watchman enhance the surprise element of the story? Ans. Introduction of the watchman is full of doubts and mystery. After seeing the faceless boy, Mr Oliver was terrified and started running towards the school crying for help. While running through the forest, Oliver came across the watchman holding a lantern in the middle of the path. It is not known or mentioned later from where he had appeared in this deserted forest. When he is supposed to help the frightened Mr Oliver, he himself turns out to be a ghostly figure making the story more surprising. We may say that the role of the watchman is shocking and surprising. These elements of the story act as a twist in the tale and leave the reader intrigued. 4. What answer did Mr Oliver give when the watchman asked why he was running? Ans. After the encounter with the faceless boy, Mr Oliver was running and crying for help. He was stopped by the watchman. The watchman was holding a lantern in his hand in the middle of the forest close to the school. He asked Mr Oliver the reason for his running. At this, Oliver replied that he had seen a boy sitting on a rock and weeping but he was without any eyes, ears, mouth or nose. Mr Oliver was so petrified that he could not even complete his sentence. He was also tired from running, so he just said the main words of the sentence. The presence of the watchman is a mystery. However, after hearing Mr Oliver, he showed him his own face which was without features too. 5. What message does the story convey? Ans. The message that the story conveys is man finds himself helpless in front of ghosts and supernatural things. In the course of time, a man may behave differently not holding to his permanent character. One should neither boast of one's good habits nor be ashamed of his shortcomings. The character of Mr Oliver strengthens our point when he runs away from the boy with no features. We have been told that he is not a nervous or imaginative man. All of Mr Oliver’s courage vanishes at the sight of the ghost. The story conveys an idea of horror, mystery and unconventional activity. 6. What are your views about the story? Justify. Ans. The story ‘A Face in the Dark’ is written by Ruskin Bond. He was born in Himachal Pradesh and is of British descent. This is an unusual short story with an element of supernaturalism, mystery, suspense and fear. The story has a simple plot and the author has made an ordinary setting look extraordinary by giving it a supernatural touch. The story has two major revelations that shocked me. The revelation of the boy in the woods being a ghostly figure is less surprising than that of the watchman. It has left me completely stunned. The end of the story left me perplexed thinking about what could have happened to Mr Oliver after these two encounters. It is a mysterious story that kept me hooked till the end. 7. ‘A Face in the Dark’ is a supernatural story. Comment. Or Do you think someone was playing a trick on Mr Oliver? Was it really a supernatural incident? Ans. The story revolves around an incident faced by an Anglo-Indian teacher named Mr Oliver. Set in a pine forest outside Shimla, the story deals with the elements of supernaturalism, mystery and strangeness. Late one night, Mr Oliver is returning to his school from the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. He took a shortcut and was returning to the pine forest. There he saw a figure of a boy in the light of the torch. He found him sitting on a rock. He stopped there going closer to the boy in order to recognise him and ask him what he was doing there at night. When the boy looked up, Mr Oliver got frightened to see that the boy had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. It was a smooth head with the school cap on it. He got frightened and the torch fell from his trembling hands. He started running towards the school crying for help. When he came across the watchman in the middle of his path, he told him that he saw a horrible sight. The watchman was surprised to listen to the story of Mr Oliver and asked him if he had a face like his. The watchman too had no eyes, ears, mouth, no features at all, not even eyebrows. All of the points above make it clear that this is not a normal incident but a supernatural incident. 8. Describe Mr Oliver. Or Write the character sketch of Mr Oliver. Ans. Mr Oliver is the main character of the story. The story represents the sharp contrast of his character. In the first few paragraphs, we are made to believe that he is not a nervous or imaginative man, but as the story progresses, we see a complete reversal of what we have been told. Mr Oliver is a bachelor, so he does not have any family responsibility. He may roam around wherever and whenever he wants, and this is the main reason why he strolls at Shimla bazaar daily. In the beginning, we are impressed with the fearlessness of his character as it is mentioned that he often takes a shortcut through the pine forest. This shows that he is not scared of the surroundings. This is a quality that is not possessed by every person. He is also concerned about others, and this is one of the highlights of his character. He observes a strange boy at an unusual hour of the evening. He goes closer to him to know his problem. His anger changes into concern as soon as he realizes the boy is weeping. When the boy looks up and he finds out that he has no eyes, ears, nose, mouth or features, he becomes extremely afraid, and without thinking, he starts running crying for help through the forest. Initially, he is being portrayed as a different man, but when he encounters a supernatural figure, he is scared and runs to save his life. 9. The story did not end for Mr Oliver after he saw the boy’s face. What was the hidden trouble? Can you guess what would have happened after Mr Oliver saw the faceless watchman? Ans. The story ‘A Face in the Dark’ did not end for Mr Oliver after he saw the boy’s face. Encountering a boy with a featureless face, Mr Oliver was terribly frightened. Although he was a strong man, he was gripped with fear. The torch fell from his trembling hands and he ran towards the school building. He cried for help as a strange mysterious incident happened with him. To our surprise, Mr Oliver again comes across a shocking incident with the watchman too. The watchman was also a man with a featureless face. The chapter ends but it leaves the readers puzzled about what happened to Mr Oliver after that. There are many possibilities in this situation. The incident would have left him in shock. He could have fainted when he saw the watchman and then might have been taken to the doctor. When he regains consciousness, he could have narrated the entire incident and told people about it. There are also chances that he would not be able to take such shocks and that it affected his mental health. Also, there is a possibility that someone was trying to play some kind of prank on him in order to frighten him. It is also possible that Mr Oliver tries to escape both featureless creatures ,whom he encountered and made it to his room safely. However, when he looks at himself in the mirror, he is not able to find any features on his face too. There are many possible ends to the story. 10. How does Ruskin Bond create an atmosphere of strangeness, mystery and supernaturalism in this story? Ans. On seeing the featureless face, Oliver ran away from there, calling for help. He was still running towards the school building when he saw a lantern swinging in the middle of the path and bumped into a watchman. The watchman asked him why he was running. Oliver told him about seeing a boy weeping in the forest who had no face. When Oliver asserts that he had seen a boy with no face in the forest, the watchman raised his lamp to show his face and ask Oliver if the boy was like him. The watchman too was without a face. Hence, the story ends with a thrilling climax as Oliver runs into another apparition while he is trying to run away from one. However, the climax is reached when the wind blew out the lamp, leaving the readers to imagine what might have happened to Oliver. Here, the author has created an eerie atmosphere in the story where a strong wind was blowing and pine trees made mysteries sounds, indicating something evil was likely to happen. The batteries of Oliver’s torch were running down, creating an atmosphere of fear and suspense. By the use of the words strange, soundless weeping, the author has tried to create an atmosphere of strangeness, mystery and supernaturalism. He makes the supernatural appear entirely natural by his artistic skill, and therefore, it becomes hard to ignore. The seeds of fear and suspense are sowed in the minds of readers.
