NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Short Stories 6 : The Third and Final Continent

The narrator mentioned the issues with his language when he moved to the US, as it was a new language for him. He was not able to speak any other language fluently apart from his mother tongue, Bengali. His pronunciation was varied from how it was spoken in London, where he resided before shifting to the US.

Some of the words which are used differently in British and American English are –

The cinema (BE) – The movies (AmE)

Holiday (BE) – Vacation (AmE)

Lift (BE) – Elevator (AmE)

Wardrobe (BE) – Dresser (AmE)

Windscreen (BE) – Wind shield (AmE)

Barrister (BE) – Attorney (AmE)

Flat (BE) – Apartment (AmE)

Lavatory (BE) – Bathroom (AmE)

Favour (BE) – Favor (AmE)

Barrister (BE) – Lawyer (AmE)

The details provided show an uncomfortable picture of life which is faced with a financial crisis. The author had travelled in a third-class cabin. He talks about the struggle to earn a living and establish oneself abroad. The author, along with three or four friends, stayed together and shared an ice-cold washroom. Along with his friends, the author took turns cooking pots of curry and ate with their hands on a table covered with newspapers. The things he had faced in his life could be well understood by events such as watching the cricket match at Lord’s or listening to Mukesh. Some habits like smoking, walking barefoot, drinking tea and roaming around on weekends show that he wasn’t all set in his life. The term ‘penniless’ shows the financial crisis which he faced when he was studying at LSE.

Some instances of gentle humour which contributed to the interest in narration were:

1. When the old lady, Mrs Croft, conveyed with delight and disbelief after meeting the narrator’s wife Mala that she is a perfect lady, the laugh shared by the couple at this moment was important, although it was quite subtle.

2. The old woman repeatedly asks every day – “A flag on the moon! Isn’t that splendid?” and the force with which the author answers – “Splendid!”

3. In the story, there was a point when Mrs Croft expressed that she did not accept the physical closeness between a female and a male. She thought that it was improper for a male and a female who are not married to each other to hold a conversation privately without a chaperone! The situation which was portrayed here seemed amusing.

The narrator experienced different phases of life. During bachelorhood, he cleverly adjusted a good deal while surviving under an uncomfortable and absurd condition. In order to meet his expenses, he worked in a library while attending lectures at LSE. He finally got accommodation with people like him who shared toilets, food, etc. He led a reckless life soaking dirty dishes, eating with hands, walking barefoot and doing things which were expected from lazy and aimless people. The next phase of his life was when he got married and found a full-time job in America. He moved there as he got a permanent job in the processing department of the library at MIT. He did not begin to live his life lavishly. His budget was the same as when he was a college student. The pace of life in America is the main aspect which changed drastically. Every human being was in a hurry to reach the top. In his accommodation, he got adjusted to different noises, like the movement of buses which were rumbling all night, and flashing sirens which were suffocating and distracting him. Life was not calm and peaceful as he had wished, with no “breeze to cool” his face or no “glittering ocean to thrill” him. The change in his schedule was depicted at various events, such as buying milk, etc. At the YMCA building, his life turned intolerant and stifling with the uncomfortable conditions of living and intolerable noise, due to which he suffered from disturbed sleep.

As seen in the beginning of the story, Mrs Croft is very demanding with an authoritative tone in her voice. She could be depicted as a hypocrite when she questioned the author if he was a Tech or Harvard, based on which she would be renting her flat. When it came to following instructions, she was very strict. She was very traditional, with strong ideals which should be followed without any queries. As time passed, her character was revealed. She looked hard on the outside but was a soft-hearted person on the inside. When it came to restricting lady visitors at her place, she was very strict even though the author mentioned that he was a married man. With the passage of time, her character was moulded, which made the author develop an affection for her. She was kind and grateful according to the demand of the situation. She seemed to be vulnerable sometimes, mainly when the author got to know that she was one hundred and three years old. In this way, there are different shades of light thrown while describing her character.

The relationship between Mrs Croft and her daughter Helen was not that of affection and love. They normally shared a practical life based on logic and strong decisions. She looked like a realistc person who did not get emotional about things. Her responsibilities for Mrs Croft were carried on by her as a schedule. She lacked care and empathy and clearly knew the weakness of her mother. It is visible when she states, ‘She slips sometimes.’ The huge gap between both generations was shown when they varied in their opinion on women who wore miniskirts on the streets. Helen was calm about the main fact that Mrs Croft was three years older than a century and required constant supervision, assistance and love.

The Indian way of life and American society have a very noticeable difference. It was difficult for the author’s wife, Mala, to adjust to the American lifestyle.

The bond of affection between Mrs Croft and the narrator evolves when he prepares soup for dinner for the old lady and takes good care of her. The bond is also clearly visible when he introduces his wife, Mala, for the first time to the old woman, and she appreciates him for being a responsible man.

A few things which one should consider while shifting abroad to settle are –

1. Shifting abroad becomes difficult as identity crisis is one of the various important concerns. The person would always be treated as a second-rate citizen. People from England, France or Australia would never accept Asian people residing there. The feeling of multiculturalism and diaspora exists even if one gets citizenship and settles there forever.

2. Violence could harm an individual both at psychological and physical levels. Most recent cases of Indian students being beaten up, bullied or killed in a few countries could be taken into consideration while discussing violence. The difference in ethnicity hits the people of other nations. There are very few hospitable nations like India that believe in accepting their guests as God as per the Sanskrit slogan – “Athithi Devo Bhava.”

3. Stability is very necessary in human life. A few people live on very uncertain grounds. Various issues like recession could strike the economy anytime. Other sources of income are not found or provided to people who immigrate from other countries.

4. The variations in food, climate and standard of living play an important role. People often face a financial crunch as there is a huge gap between the earned income and the type of life they wish to lead. Health, education, etc., are also costly, which makes the people unsuitable and hence, unwelcome in a nation.

5. The system of law and order varies from one country to another. It is difficult for people to cope with differences. Hence, even when someone is caught with an issue, people will be unable to find a solution.

There was a time when the narrator had to buy a flask and tea bags. This is when he got to know that he was actually looking for a thermos and a flask was something in which people stored wine. The main reason behind the limited knowledge of the narrator is that he had not consumed whisky till then.

In the Indian family system, the basic values which are followed are taking care of parents in their old age, respecting elders, contributing towards mankind and society, respecting teachers and passing spiritual, cultural and ancient heritage to our future generations. It is a known fact that Indians take good care of their parents in their old age. The concept of assisted living and senior citizen homes has just started. They are prominent and usually practised in other countries though not in India. It is considered taboo in India and is not considered dutiful to send our relatives or aged parents to old age homes. So taking care of aged parents is a basic duty of the child, and as believed in India, one gets a lot of ‘sukarma’ points by doing it and equal negative karma for not doing it.

In India, elderly people are reserved, obedient, considered to be knowledgeable and treated with dignity and respect by their family members, unlike the way old people are treated abroad. A person is expected to relax and enjoy their solitude during their old age and spend time peacefully with their grandchildren without worrying about the household and finances. The oldest son takes care of the family and financial matters, and the oldest daughter-in-law runs the household. In most cases, old age people care for their grandchildren and help with cooking and household chores. The grown-up children even continue to consult their parents on most aspects of life.

The different eccentricities of the aged people might sometimes look more adorable. The way they forget small things evokes laughter. The innocence in their speech creates amusement in the entire family. They have an urge for different things, such as chocolates and grow similar to a child. They sometimes disobey whenever they are asked not to do a few things. This creates a subtle amusement among the family members. These might look annoying sometimes, but one shouldn’t be disturbed by them. They are the main source of endearment, and one should embrace these lifestyles and habits with a smile and grace.

The details of the narrator’s family are important for the readers to know the personality of the narrator. He went through a rough childhood and grew up in disturbed situations at home. It is necessary for the readers to get a clear idea about the relationship between Mrs Croft and the author. The words which the author used explain the love he had for his mother, which made him to fulfil his role as an elder son till she died. He very badly missed his mother and recollected incidents about how she forgot to drape her head with a cloth before going in front of her husband. When he got to know about the age of Mrs Croft, he remembered how his mother was not able to adjust to the death of his father and turned insane, which deteriorated her health. The death of his mother broke him, but he cared for her till the last moment, even before her funeral. This depicts the reason for the empathy which grew towards Mrs Croft due to her age. Hence, his concern towards Mrs Croft can be seen in the line – “I was mortified. I had assumed Mrs Croft was in her eighties… that this person was a widow who lived alone and mortified me further still.”

A person feels detached from the people staying around him in other countries. Here arises the diaspora feeling. The same thing occurred to the narrator. He was far from his family and home but never grew any affectionate feelings towards anyone in America. He felt unfriendly with the people of America. The course of an action justifies the emotional bonding and attachment which grew between the author and Mrs Croft. In the foreign country, his affection towards the old woman grew due to different reasons. When he found that he was older than a century, he had a sense of responsibility towards her. He was quite awestruck and amazed at the picture of a widow of that age living all alone without having anyone to take care of her. Taking up responsibilities like preparing soup every evening and providing her eight dollars in an envelope every month made him satisfied. All these events clarify the fact that a strong bond was created between the narrator and Mrs Croft.

The different conversations that took place in pieces during the course of action show a lot about the perception of people on the issues and their attitudes towards each other. We see a hypocritical and firm attitude which exists in Mrs Croft’s tone when the narrator reaches her place for the first time. He got to know that belonging to a high-standard place was very important to her, such as Harvard or Tech. The biases and greatness of Americans to be the first to step on the moon consider it as impossibly splendid and unattainable. For the first time, she becomes mild when she gets eight dollars in an envelope from the narrator. Her orthodox ways become visible when she objects to a man and a lady talking privately without a chaperone. Her traditional ways are quite visible by keeping in mind the fact that she had already crossed a century. The path followed by the people in the western world is in contrast to ours when we see Helen, Mrs Croft’s daughter, being indifferent towards the meals and health of her mother. Her normal tone when she states – “She might have slipped,” would disturb the readers. Even with the variations in opinions, norms and perceptions, the relationship between the American widow and the narrator deserves appreciation.

Britishers are more hospitable and polite to their guests than Americans. The path in which the American people move is different and faster than the people who reside in Britain. The competitive feeling is deep that ‘Everybody feels he must get to the top.’

Parlour – A room for guests which is away from the public in a club, inn, etc. In old English, in a house, parlour means the living room which is kept neat for welcoming the visitors.

Foyer – It is an entrance hall or vestibule in an apartment or house. It also refers to the entrance of a hotel, theatre or apartment.

Lounge – A living room or lobby in a house can also be called a lounge. It also means a sofa which is backless for reclining and has a headrest.

Porch – A porch also refers to a verandah. It is an extended space which is enclosed in the front or sides of a house.

Lobby – It is a room for waiting or a hall at the entrance of a building. It is also a vestibule or corridor which serves as a space to enter into a large room.

Attic – It is a part of a building, mainly of a house which is directly under the roof. It is a roof or story which is below the roof of a building.

Portico – A structure which has a roof supported by piers or columns, which is attached to a building as a porch is known as portico.