English XII Ch 1 Twenty Minutes With Mrs. Oakentubb SQ & Notes FSc FA ICS ICom Karachi Sindh

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Q1. Explain the importance of the label on Mrs. Oakentubb’s suitcase. Why does she hide it?

Answer: The label on Mrs. Oakentubb’s suitcase is of utmost importance as it reveals the name of “Mrs. Judy Oakentubb.” When the man enters the waiting room, both of them started light chit chat. During their talk, the man explains his purpose of going to Stainthorpe to meet Mrs. Oakentubb as she had murdered his wife and daughter. After listening the intentions of the man, the lady who is actually Mrs. Oakentubb gets near to her suitcase and tries to hide the label on it as she believes that the man does not recognize her and even he has no idea how Mrs. Oakentubb looks like as he only knows much about her character.

Q2. At what point in the play do we become certain that the man knows that the woman in the waiting room is Mrs. Oakentubb? When, in fact, do you think he discovered her identity?

Answer: We become certain that the man discovered that the woman in the waiting room was Mrs. Oakentubb at the very beginning of the melodrama. It became quite obvious the moment she got up from her chair and strolled across the room in the state of agitation. Then she took up the position right in front of her suitcase. The moment the man opened the door and looked out, she quickly hid her label under the cover so the man must not know who she was. In reality, the man himself gave her the chance to do that act so to be sure that she was the one whom he was looking for i.e. Mrs. Oakentubb, the lady who killed his wife and daughter in a car accident.

Q3. When is the audience likely to begin to suspect that she might be Mrs. Oakentubb?

Answer: The audience is likely to begin suspecting that she might be Mrs. Oakentubb due to the following conversational lines delivered by the lady in order to justify the act of Mrs. Oakentubb:

She replies faintly, “I think I know what you mean.”

Secondly, she starts defending Mrs. Oakentubb without any purpose or acquaintance by saying, “She was not convicted of murder. She was not even charged with murder.”

Furthermore, she protests by saying, “She was not drunk.”

At one point, she becomes more defensive in giving excuses for Mrs. Oakentubb’s mistake by saying, “Eighteen months in prison! She served that sentence, didn’t she?”

Last but not the least she says twice in one single sentence so to convince the man that “She’s had her punishment. But she’s had her punishment.”

Q4. What motive has the man for murdering her?

Answer: The man has a very valid reason to murder her as she ruthlessly killed his wife and little innocent daughter in a car accident. Actually, she was drunk and driving quite fast at a busy, blind corner road due to a bet which she had made with one of her friends. So, he had a strong urge to take revenge from her in the form of taking her life.

Q 5. In this little melodrama, the author keeps on building up the tension then relaxing it, until the final moment of tension when the murder is done. Briefly describe the chief moments of tension and what follows after each one.

Answer: According to the author and from the viewpoint of the audience or readers, following are some of the chief moments of tension in the play that follows one after another:

• It just starts right from the beginning of the play at the moment when the man asks the lady that does she know Mrs. Oakentubb being the resident of Stainthorpe.
• Then the man says that he knows all about her character.
• Later at one point again the man says that it is not wicked to punish the evil-doer.
• The man further reveals that Mrs. Oakentubb murdered his wife and daughter and in my opinion, it is one of the prime moments of tension between the two.
• Next, when the man exposes his intention of killing Mrs. Oakentubb, the lady wildly says “Kill her! No! You can’t do that!”
• All of a sudden it seems to the audience that all the tensions have vanished with the remarks of the man as “So I thought I’d tell you a story to keep you amused. All ladies like to be amused.”
• But again the tension mounts as the man says to the lady that “It’s just the amount of time I need for killing you. You took their lives and wrecked mine. Haven’t I the right to take yours?”

Q 6. Why, in your opinion, does the author make the porter a humorous character?

Answer: Frank Arthur is an excellent writer who has the potential to amalgamate suspense with humor so the readers don’t have a feeling of boredom. This is the basic reason for making the porter a humorous character in the melodrama. Another motive is that he wants to give a flavor of fun, laughter, enjoyment to his readers by the addition of Porter playing a short side role quite effectively. That’s not all; the author adds porter as he wants to relax his audience or readers from everyday tensions and the mounting suspense of his melodrama.

Q 7. Suspense is an important element in a thriller. Briefly show how the author keeps the audience in suspense for the answers to two questions – will he find out who she is? Will he kill her?

Answer: It is quite an artistic skill of the author to maintain suspense from the beginning till the end of the fiction or drama. Frank Arthur performs his job marvelously in this respect. He keeps the audience in suspense for the answers to two questions in a thrilling manner:

The man explores quite dramatically that the lady to whom he is talking to is actually Mrs. Oakentubb by probing, again and again, the particulars about Mrs. Oakentubb from the lady so to be sure whether she is the one or not.

The moment the man takes out the revolver and points at the lady it seems to the audience that he is about to shoot the lady but he quickly hides it behind him with the sudden entry of the porter into the room.

Q 8. Write a brief character sketch of Mrs.Oakentubb.

Answer: Mrs. Oakentubb is one of the main characters of the melodrama. She is a fairly ordinary woman. There is no such significant thing about her personality. She is neither tall nor short; rather she is about five feet three inches. She weighs a little under eight stone. With respect to her physical appearance; there are no special distinguishing marks about her. She once had blonde hair that changed their color due to age factor or might be of some other reason.

Mrs. Oakentubb is a shrewd sort of a woman who knows quite well how to deceive others, play tricks or gain sympathy. She owns the bad character and loves the company of the same. She used to drink heavily, actively participates and enjoys cocktail parties too. She is in a habit to wager with her friends on silly acts. The melodrama originated just because of her bet that she makes with her friend to drive quite fast in the thickly populated area of the city with bending, blind roads, and heavy traffic. She is such a selfish woman that in order to save her own life, she overturns her car on to the pavement taking the lives of two innocent persons i.e. the man’s wife and her little daughter. That’s not all; being a resourceful person, she only receives the punishment of 18 months prison and does not even get the charge of murder by the law enforcement agencies. She knows the trick how to change the mind of others by using defensive language and sympathetic gestures. Due to this, she is able to soften the heart of the man so he gives up the idea of killing her. But as soon as he leaves the room, she comes back to her evilness and bad character and starts making faces at the man by putting her finger in her nose. In the end, she receives the punishment not only for her cruelty but for her bad contempt as well in the form of murder by the man.

Q 9. Write a brief character sketch of the porter.

Answer: Although the porter has a trivial role but his entry adds a special flavor of humor, joy, smile, and excitement to the readers and audience of Arthur’s melodrama. He breaks the boredom and seriousness of the play with his light chit chat and dialogues. He seems to a middle-aged man who might have spent a number of years in this profession being a porter. We came to know about this as he is quite sure about each and every detail of not only the railway station but about the exact timing of the train too. He is pretty much sure that the job he is performing of facilitating and comforting the passengers as well as carrying their luggage requires great mental and physical strength.

In short, he is a man of kindness, cooperation, love and humor who knows well how to serve the passengers in a good way by making them amuse with his manner of conversation.

Q 10. Briefly discuss whether the play would have had a more satisfying ending if the man had not come back through the door, seen Mrs. Oakentubb’s vulgar and impenitent gesture and shot her- that is to say if it had ended in Mrs. Oakentubb’s collapsing with genuine remorse and the man’s decision that he would be adequately revenged if she went on living.

Answer: In my opinion, yes the play would have had a more satisfying ending if the man had not come back through the door, seen Mrs. Oakentubb’s vulgar and impenitent gesture and let her live her life for some more days or even years. The reason behind is that if she really felt guilty of her doing as she said to the man then it would become a punishment for her to keep thinking again and again about the killing of two innocent beings. That’s not all; the whole incident might become a nightmare for her and pinch her every second of her life for her evil-doing. It might happen that she starts thinking about the punishment that she would be getting in the world hereafter in the form of burning in Hell and there might be the possibility that in order to get rid of all such horrible suffering; she takes her own life by attempting suicide. In this way, the man would not get the blood or murder of a lady on his head and he remains safe from the hands of the law enforcing agencies.

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Composition

Write a letter of between 150 to 200 words (excluding your address) to a friend or relative on one of the following topics.

1. Your seeing a performance of Twenty Minutes with Mrs. Oakentubb. Briefly describe what sort a play it was and what you thought of it.

2. Imagine that you have acted one of the parts in an amateur performance of Twenty Minutes with Mrs. Oakentubb. Briefly describe how the performance went from an actor’s point of view.

Examination Hall,

City A.B.C.

Date: May 18, 2016

Dear friend,

Hope you are enjoying good health and peace of mind. Yesterday, I got the chance to visit one the nearest theatre with my hostel friends to watch the most talked about melodrama of the city named “Twenty minutes with Mrs. Oakentubb.” It was a superb drama that’s why I suggest you to watch it at least once whenever you get any leisure time.

Hearing the title of the drama, I was pretty sure that Mrs. Oakentubb must be the center of attraction of the play, performing the most important character. I didn’t expect that she was such a shrewd, selfish, ill-mannered sort of a lady and indeed a murderer.

As the play starts everything seems normal but gradually the lightness of the play was taken over by the suspense and thrilling element highlighted by the author of the drama. It is such an enthralling drama that it was difficult for the audience to judge what would happen next or what would be the end of the drama.

Actually, I thought it light, humorous sort of a play but the suspense of the play grabbed all of my attention at once and I found my self engrossed in the play.

Pay my regards to everyone at your home and be in contact.

Yours truly,

X.Y.Z.

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Examination Hall,

City A.B.C.

Date: May 18, 2016

Dear Uncle,

Hope you are doing well. Today, I am writing to you to share one of my life’s best experiences as an amateur performer in a play named “Twenty Minutes with Mrs. Oakentubb.”

Last Saturday, for the very first time, I enthusiastically participated in a drama. You would be surprised to know that for amateur performance, I received a certificate of appreciation from the organizing authority.

I am excited to tell you what one of the mature and experienced actors of the play commented after seeing my performance. He said that he has not seen any amateur actor performing with such zeal and zest, without any hesitation, fumbling, and confusion.” According to him, I have given the performance just like Brad Pitt. This remark by him gives a 360 degree turn to my thoughts and decision about my future. After completing my Bachelor’s degree, I am planning to get admission in performing arts studies so to polish my talent and skills in the field of acting.

Pay my regards to aunt and pray for my success in the future.

Yours nephew,

X.Y.Z.

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Translation

Translate the following sentences into Urdu or Sindhi:

1.  He can sue me for libel if he likes. I won’t take back what I said.

اگر وہ پسند کرت ہے تو لائبل کیلئے مجھ پر مقدمہ کرسکتا ہے۔ جو کچھ میں نے کیا اس سے پیچھے نہیں ہٹوں گا۔

2. We intend to have this wall taken down in order to convert the two rooms into one.

ہم اس دیوار کو اس طریق پر ہٹانا چاہتے ہیں کہ دو کمروں کی بجائے ایک کمرہ بن جائے۔

3. I forgot to take down his telephone number.

میں اس کا فون نمبر لینا بھول گیا۔

4. It is no use giving him an explanation of how this machine works. He will never take it in.

اس بات کا کوئی فائدہ نہیں کہ تم اسے بتاؤ کہ یہ مشین کس طرح چلتی ہے کیونکہ وہ کبھی بھی اس میں دلچسپی نہ لے گا۔

5. My father was cheated of five thousand rupees. He said that he had never been so taken in, in his life.

میرے والد صاحب کے ساتھ پانچ ہزار روپے کا دھوکہ ہوگیا۔ انہوں نے کہا زندگی میں پہلے کبھی ایسا میرے ساتھ نہیں ہوا۔

6. They were lost and caught in a storm, but a kindly farmer took them in for the night.

وہ راستہ بھول گئے اور ایک طوفان میں گھر گئے لیکن ایک رحم دل کسان شپ بھر کیلئے انہیں اپنے ہمراہ لے گیا۔

7. Why did you take it into your head that Ali had a holiday this week?

تمہیں یہ خیال کیونکر آیا کہ اس ہفتہ علی نے ایک چھٹی کی ہے۔

8. I would gladly have helped him if he had taken me into his confidence.

میں بخوشی اس کی مدر کرونگا اگر اس نے مجھ پر اعتماد کیا۔

9.  Don’t forget to take into account the costs of repair and maintenance before you decide to buy a second-hand car.

پرانی گاڑی خریدنے کا فیصلہ کرنے سے قبل اس کی مرمت وغیرہ پر آنے والے اخراجات کے بارے میں کبھی نہ بھولو۔

10. When will your final examinations take place?

تمہارے فائنل امتحانات کب سے ہوں گے؟

11. Do take your coat off and sit down for a while.

اپنا کوٹ اتارو اور کچھ دیر کیلئے بیٹھ جاؤ۔

12. The shopkeeper told the boy that if he didn’t take himself off he would call a policeman.

دکاندار نے لڑکے کو بتایا کہ اگر وہ خود بخود یہاں سے نہیں جائے گا تو وہ  پولیس مین کو بلائے گا۔

13. Before the take-off passengers are always instructed to fasten their belts and not to smoke.

جہاز کے اڑنے سے پہلے مسافروں کو ہمیشہ ہدایات کی جاتی ہیں کہ وہ اہنی سیٹ بیلٹ  باندھ لیں اور سگریٹ نوشی نہ کریں۔

14. This is an utterly thankless task; I’ll never lake it on again.

یہ کام وہ ہے جس کا کبھی بھی شکریہ ادا نہیں کیا جاتا۔ میں کبھی بھی دوبارہ ایسا نہ کروں گا۔

15. Mr. Jackson was tired after driving for so many hours and he asked his wife if she would like to take over.

کئی گھنٹے گاڑی چلانے کے بعد مسٹر جیکسن تھک گئے اور انہوں نے اپنی بیوی سے کہا کہ کیا وہ گاڑی چلانا پسند کریں گی۔

16. This huge commercial organization is constantly taking over smaller firms.

یہ وہ بڑا تجارتی ادارہ ہے جو متواتر چھوٹے چھوٹے جرمانے کرتا رہتا ہے۔

17. How has your son taken to life in a hostel?

تمہارے بیٹے نے ہوسٹل میں کیسے زندگی گزاری؟

18. His ruin began when he took to gambling.

اس کی تباہی کا آغاز ہوا جب سے اس نے جوا کھیلنا شروع کیا۔

19. Some people have successfully taken up painting quite Late in life.

کچھ  لوگ مصوری میں کامیابی حاصل کرلیتے ہیں جبکہ وہ اسے اپنے زندگی کے آخری ایام میں شروع کرتے ہیں۔

20. If he wants his salary to be raised, he will have to take it up with the manager.

اگر وہ چاہتا ہے کہ اس کی تنخواہ میں اضافہ ہو تو اسے منیجر کے سامنے اپنا معاملہ پیش کرنا ہوگا۔