CHAPTER: 6
GOING PLACES
In the story, “Going Places”, A.R. Barton explores the theme of adolescent fantasizing and hero
worshipping. It is natural for teenagers to have unrealistic dreams. Such fantasizing gives a freedom
to imagination and takes a person away from reality. Ultimately the hero-worshiping leads a person
to dream world, totally severe from reality and thus dooms him/her to be a miserable failure.
About The Story
1. The story “Going Places” is a dream journey which every adolescent undertakes. It is natural for
youngsters to indulge in fantasizing and hero-worshiping when they are on the verge of forging
ahead in life and choosing a career for themselves.
2. They idolize successful people and dream of following their footsteps.
3. Their dreams drive them away from the harsh realities of life, but when this fact dawns on them, it
becomes difficult for them to come to terms with life.
4. Sophie, the central character in the story, an adolescent, also lives in her pipe dreams. She belongs
to a lower middle class family but dreams of making it big.
5. She dreams of setting up a boutique after completing her school. It would be the best boutique
and it would be visited by celebrities.
6. She tries to live her dream by cooking up the story of her meeting with Danny Casey, an Irish
soccer player outside Royce’s, a designer store.
7. She even talks about her next meeting with him when he would give her an autograph. Sophie
tries to make her dream a reality by waiting for him, knowing fully well that he will not come.
8. Even the knowledge of the stark reality within her does not stop her from making her journey in
and out of her dreams.
SOLVED SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1. Why did Sophie dream of having a boutique after leaving school?
Ans. Sophie was struck by the glamorous world like most adolescents are. The glamour of fashion is
beyond the reach of a middle class girl like Sophie. So she dreams of having a boutique, for it is
the most likely place visited by celebrities and brings good money also.
Q2. How is Jansie different from Sophie?
Ans. Jansie is practical and down to earth whereas her friend Sophie lives in a world of dreams and
fantasy. Sophie dreams to have a boutique, wants to become an actress and a fashion designer.
But Jansie doesn’t want her to go on imaginary flights, as she knows that their future is already
decided and they will be working in the biscuit factory after schooling.
Q3.What did Sophie think of Geoff who did not share his thought with anyone?
Ans. Sophie thought of Geoff as grown up now. She suspected ‘areas of his life’ about which she
knew nothing and he never spoke. Sophie thought when Geoff didn’t speak he was thinking of
these places. They attained a special fascination for her simply because they were ‘unknown’
and beyond her reach.
Q4.Describe the reaction of Sophie’s family to her story.
Ans. Geoff looked around Sophie abruptly with disbelief when he heard her story of her meeting
with Danny Casey- the wonder boy of football. When she gave the footballer’s detailed
physical appearance he believed her. But Sophie’s father turned his head on his thick neck with
an expression of disdain and scolded her. He muttered something inaudible and dragged
himself round in his chair and called it a wild story.
Q5. What is referred to as `the weekly pilgrimage for the family’ Why?
Ans. The author calls the family’s weekly visit to watch the `United` as a pilgrimage to highlight the
hero worship of the family. They religiously came to watch the football matches as they were
deeply interested in the game and being absolutely fascinated by Danny Casey, they loved to see
him in action
Flamingo (Going Places)
Page 1
Q6. How is the title ‘Going Places’ most appropriate?
Ans. The title is appropriate as Sophie, the protagonist- a teenager fantasizes for grand success and
unparallel fame in her imagination in the story. She wanted queues of people outside her house.
She wanted to open a boutique—most amazing the city has ever seen. Here craze for fame which
she fishes for by making false stories about meeting, the football prodigy, Danny Casey. The areas
of her brother’s like because of being unknown to her hold a special fascination.
Q7. How did Sophie convince Jansie to keep her meeting with Danny a secret?
Ans. Sophie was first surprised and upset with Geoff for having talked about her meeting with Danny
to Jansie. She felt it was something that should have been between brother and sister. She told
Jansie that it was to be kept a secret because if her dad got to hear about it he would be angry.
Jansie was surprised as she thought her father ought to be pleased. Sophie said that her father
would have a row with her mother over this.
Q8. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?
Ans. Geoff never spoke much. Sophie always pondered over the areas of his life which he never
talked about. His world remained a fascination for her. She felt that when he was not speaking, his
mind was away at some unknown place, she felt jealous of him because she wanted to be a part of
that world. She thought it to be very special.
Q9. How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future?
Ans. Sophie has no idea of the places Geoff visits or the people he meets there. His unknown world
fascinates her and she longs to be a part of it. She hopes he would take her there someday. She
imagines herself riding there behind Geoff on his motorcycle, and the world rising to greet them
with applause.
Q10. Who was Danny Casey? Which country did he play for? What made him so popular?
Ans. Danny Casey was a young soccer player who played for Ireland. He was popular because he
played really well. His technique was a blend of innocence and Irish genius. He drove his fans
ecstatic when he struck the football into the goal. They were so overwhelmed with his genius that
they wished he was an Englishman
SOLVED LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1. Attempt a character sketch of Sophie as a girl who lives in her dreams.
Sophie has been portrayed as the central character in the story’ Going Places’. She perfectly
represents the girls of her age who live in poor families. As in reality, they can’t have the things
they want so they dream about them.
So is the case of Sophie. She always lives in a dream. She always dreams for a sophisticated
successful and popular life. The very opening part of the story clearly tells what sort of a girl she
is not ready to accept the reality of her family’s condition and dreams of having boutique of her
own. Undoubtedly, every invention started with a dream, but only dreaming and concocting
stories produce nothing but misery, sadness and depression. As it happens with Sophie –the
dreamer.
She makes up the story of meeting Danny Casey, a charming and ace footballer. Nobody
believes her but she refuses to accept that it is her dream. Rather she starts believing that she has
met him and to prove her truth, she makes another story that she has a date with him. She goes at
the wharf expecting Danny would come there. He does not show up. She knows it but still she
becomes sad. Such is the character of Sophie. One can’t be angry with her. Of course, she
kindles feelings of sadness in the reader.
Q2. How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father?
Sophie’s father is an archetypal man belonging to the lower working class. He is the sole
provider of the family. We first meet him as coarse, ill-mannered man stuffing shepherd pie into
his mouth, wearing his dirty and sweaty vest. Self-centered and pragmatic, he stops Sophie’s
wishful thinking.
He does not approve of Sophie’s concocted story about meeting the Irish prodigy Danny Casey.
His practical perspective never steps out the world of realities. He wants Sophie to step out of
her dream world and start thinking in a worldly-wise manner. He tells her in a matter of fact tone
that her habit of making up stories is going to land her into “load of trouble” some day.
Although the family was financially poor, it does not stop him and his family from going to
watch the weekly football matches. He goes to the pub to celebrate something as frivolous as a
football match.
Flamingo (Going Places)
Page 2
In spite of being the head of an impoverished family with so many mouths to feed, we never see
him indulging in self-pity or cursing his fate. He rather enjoys his life to the fullest by making a
weekly pilgrimage to watch United.
Q3. Jansie is just as old as Sophie but she is very different from her. Bring out the contrast
between the two friends citing relevant instances from the story, ‘Going Places’.
Although Sophie and Jansie were classmates and intimate friends, both of them had an altogether
different approach towards life.
Jansie’s feet are grounded in reality and she tries her best to give Sophie frequent reality checks.
In contrast, Sophie is a dreamer who travels on the wings of imagination. Never in the story does
she think practically or comes out of her dream-world. Sophie harbours big and impossible
dreams. Impossible because throughout the story we never see her making any effort to realize
them.
Jansie, on the other hand, knows that both of them have been earmarked for working in the
biscuit factory and accepts her fate. Sophie seems immature and fickle-minded. In the first
conversation which opens the chapter she longs to own a boutique, become a manager, an actress
and even a fashion designer!
Jansie, in Sophie’s words, is a gossip monger who pokes her nose into other’s affairs. This is the
reason why Sophie does not tell her about her meeting with Casey .
Sophie is a loving sister who admires her brother Geoff. She dreams of an exotic world that is
waiting to take her into its fold. Sophie lives in a make-believe world where she befriends sports
stars like Casey and is loved and admired by all. Jansie resigns to her fate. Although she is
Sophie’s agemate, she does not indulge in fantasizing and hero-worship like Sophie.
UNSOLVED QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What did Sophie intend to do after passing out from school?
Who was Geoff and what did he do?
Who was Danny Casey?
Describe the meeting between Sophie and Casey in the arcade?
How are Jansie and Sophie different from each other ?
Flamingo (Going Places)
Page 3