The Price of Flowers —Comprehension & Answers
⭐ 1-Score Questions
✍️ 1. Who is the author of The Price of Flowers?
Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay.
👤 2. Who is the narrator of the story?
Mr Gupta.
🍽️ 3. Where did Mr Gupta first meet Maggie?
At a vegetarian restaurant in St. Martin's Lane, London.
👧 4. What is Maggie's full name?
Alice Margaret Clifford.
🎂 5. How old was Maggie?
She was about thirteen or fourteen years old.
⌨️ 6. Where did Maggie work?
She worked as a typist in the Civil Service stores.
🏠 7. Where did Maggie live?
She lived in Lambeth, a poor neighbourhood in London.
👩👧 8. With whom did Maggie live?
She lived with her old widowed mother, Mrs Clifford.
🪖 9. Who was Frank?
Frank was Maggie's elder brother who served as a soldier in India.
💰 10. Why did Maggie usually have lunch at the restaurant on Saturdays?
Saturday was payday, and she could probably afford to have lunch there only then.
🥗 11. Why did Maggie ask Mr Gupta whether he was a vegetarian?
She had heard that most Indians were vegetarians and that Indian yogis did not eat meat.
💼 12. What kind of work did Maggie want to do?
She wanted to become a secretary and do “brain work.”
🌱 13. Why did Maggie want to earn more money?
She wanted to provide a better life for her old mother.
🍰 14. How did Mrs Clifford earn some money?
She baked cakes to be sold on Saturday evenings.
🎻 15. What instrument did Maggie play?
The violin.
🎶 16. Who taught Maggie to play the violin?
She had learned to play it by herself.
💍 17. What was special about the ring sent by Frank?
Frank said that it was a magic ring given to him by a yogi.
💎 18. What was the crystal ring actually made of?
It was a brass ring with a piece of ordinary glass set in it.
🇮🇳 19. Where was Frank serving?
He was serving as a soldier in India.
⚔️ 20. Where was Frank's regiment fighting?
On the Northwest Frontier.
🤒 21. Why did Mrs Clifford become seriously ill?
Her illness was aggravated by her anxiety about Frank.
🙏 22. What did Maggie ask Mr Gupta to tell her mother?
She asked him to say that Frank was alive and well.
❤️🩹 23. What happened to Mrs Clifford after hearing that Frank was safe?
She recovered from her illness.
🕯️ 24. What happened to Frank?
He was killed while fighting on the Frontier.
🪦 25. Where was Frank buried?
At Fort Monroe near Dera-Ghazi-Khan.
🪙 26. What did Maggie give Mr Gupta before he returned to India?
She gave him a shilling.
💐 27. Why did Maggie give Mr Gupta a shilling?
She wanted him to buy flowers and place them on Frank's grave.
🤝 28. What did Mr Gupta promise Maggie?
He promised to visit Frank's grave, place flowers there and write to her about it.
✨ 2-Score Questions
👀 1. Why was the narrator's attention drawn to Maggie?
Mr Gupta noticed that Maggie was watching him with interested surprise from another table in the restaurant. She quickly turned her eyes away when he looked at her. Her unusual interest attracted his attention.
👧 2. What impression did Maggie create when Mr Gupta first saw her?
Maggie appeared to be a poor and sad young girl of about thirteen or fourteen. Her clothes revealed her poverty, and her large eyes had a sad expression. Her appearance suggested that she was leading a difficult life.
🔎 3. How do we know that Maggie was interested in knowing the identity of Mr Gupta?
Maggie repeatedly looked at Mr Gupta while sitting in the restaurant. Before leaving, she quietly asked the cashier whether he was an Indian and whether he regularly visited the restaurant.
💰 4. What do you understand about Maggie's financial condition?
Maggie belonged to a poor family and earned very little. She apparently came to the restaurant only on Saturdays because Saturday was payday. On other days, she probably could not afford to have lunch there.
🤔 5. Why was Mr Gupta curious about Maggie? What did he do to meet her?
Maggie's unusual interest in him made Mr Gupta curious about her. He even searched the shops near St. Martin's Lane and the Strand hoping to find her. The next Saturday, he returned to the restaurant and met her there.
🇮🇳 6. What impression did Maggie have about India?
Maggie had heard that India was full of tigers, snakes and dangerous fevers. She had also heard about Indian yogis who possessed occult or magical powers. Her ideas about India were based largely on popular beliefs and misconceptions.
⌨️ 7. Why was Maggie not satisfied with her job?
Maggie found her work as a typist very mechanical. She wanted work that would make her use her intelligence or “brain work.” She hoped to become a secretary and earn more money.
🌱 8. Why did Maggie want to grow up quickly?
Maggie believed that when she grew up, she would be paid more for her work. She wanted to earn more because her mother was old and she wished to give her a better life.
🥗 9. Why did Maggie ask Mr Gupta whether he was a vegetarian?
Maggie had heard that most Indians were vegetarians. She had also heard that Indian yogis did not eat meat. She wanted to know whether Mr Gupta might possess the mysterious powers associated with yogis.
🏡 10. Why did Mr Gupta go to Maggie's house?
Maggie and her mother were worried about Frank, who was serving as a soldier in India. Mr Gupta understood that Maggie wanted him to meet her anxious mother. He willingly accompanied her home to reassure Mrs Clifford about India.
🏚️ 11. What do you understand about the living conditions of Maggie and her mother?
Maggie and her mother lived in poverty in Lambeth. Their furniture was cheap and their carpet was old and torn. Mrs Clifford baked cakes and Maggie worked as a typist to support the family, though they kept their home extremely clean.
🍰 12. Why was Saturday special to Maggie and her mother?
Saturday was payday for Maggie and other working people. Mrs Clifford also baked cakes to be sold on Saturday evenings when poor people received their weekly wages and could afford to spend a little.
🌏 13. How did Mr Gupta describe India to Mrs Clifford?
Mr Gupta described India as a beautiful and generally safe country. He explained that snakes and tigers usually remained in the jungles and that fever was not equally common everywhere. He also assured her that Punjab was a healthy place.
💍 14. Why was the crystal ring important to Maggie and Mrs Clifford?
Frank had sent the ring from India, saying that a yogi had given it to him. They believed that by concentrating on a distant person while looking into the crystal, they could see that person. As they had no news from Frank, the ring became a source of hope for them.
💎 15. Why did Mr Gupta not tell Maggie and her mother the truth about the crystal ring?
Mr Gupta knew that the ring was merely brass with an ordinary piece of glass in it. But Maggie and her mother believed strongly in its magical power. He did not want to destroy the hope and faith they associated with Frank.
🎻 16. What incident at Maggie's house deeply touched Mr Gupta?
Mr Gupta learned that Maggie had taught herself to play the violin because her family could not afford lessons. Mrs Clifford hoped to arrange proper lessons if their circumstances improved. Their poverty, struggles and Maggie's talent deeply touched him.
📮 17. Why did Maggie send a postcard to Mr Gupta?
Mrs Clifford had become seriously ill, and her condition was worsened by her anxiety about Frank. Maggie had also been unable to go to work because she had to care for her mother. She therefore requested Mr Gupta to visit them.
🙏 18. What request did Maggie make to Mr Gupta when her mother was seriously ill?
Maggie requested Mr Gupta to look into the crystal ring and tell her mother that Frank was alive and well. She hoped that this assurance would remove her mother's anxiety and help her recover.
🤍 19. Why did Mr Gupta agree to tell Mrs Clifford that Frank was alive?
Mr Gupta saw Maggie's tears and understood her helplessness. He realised that the lie was intended only to give peace and hope to the seriously ill mother. Out of compassion, he agreed to tell Mrs Clifford that Frank was safe.
❤️🩹 20. What made Mrs Clifford recover?
Mr Gupta told Mrs Clifford that he had seen Frank in the crystal and that he was alive and well. His reassuring words removed much of her anxiety about her son. The happiness and relief helped her recover.
😔 21. Why was Mr Gupta ashamed to face Mrs Clifford?
Later, Mr Gupta learned that Frank had been killed in battle. When he calculated the dates, he realised that Frank had already been dead when he told Mrs Clifford that her son was alive and well. This made him feel ashamed to face her.
🤝 22. What promise did Mr Gupta give Maggie before returning to India?
Mr Gupta promised that when he went to the area near Dera-Ghazi-Khan, he would visit Frank's grave. He also promised to write to Maggie and tell her about his visit.
🪙 23. Why did Maggie give a shilling to Mr Gupta?
Maggie wanted Mr Gupta to use the shilling to buy flowers and place them on Frank's grave. Though she was poor and had earned the money through hard work, she willingly sacrificed it as an expression of her love for her brother.
💐 24. Why did Mr Gupta finally accept Maggie's shilling?
At first, Mr Gupta wanted to return the shilling because flowers were plentiful in India. Then he realised that Maggie was giving up something valuable out of love for Frank. He accepted it because he did not want to deprive her of the joy and comfort of making that sacrifice.
❤️ 25. What does the shilling reveal about Maggie's character?
The shilling reveals Maggie's deep love, selflessness and willingness to sacrifice for her brother. Though she was poor and had earned it through hard work, she gladly gave it away so that flowers could be placed on Frank's grave.
👩👧 26. How does the story show that Maggie is a caring daughter?
Maggie works at a young age and dreams of earning more so that she can take her mother away from their poor neighbourhood. When Mrs Clifford becomes ill, Maggie stays away from work to care for her and does everything possible to relieve her anxiety.
🌍 27. How does Mr Gupta's relationship with Maggie show human compassion?
Mr Gupta belongs to a different country and culture, yet he understands Maggie's suffering and treats her with affection. He befriends her family, comforts her mother, helps them during their difficulties and promises to honour Frank's memory. Their relationship shows that genuine human sympathy crosses national and cultural boundaries.
🌸 28. What is the significance of the title The Price of Flowers?
The title refers to the shilling Maggie gives Mr Gupta to buy flowers for Frank's grave. Its real value lies not in the amount of money but in Maggie's hard work, sacrifice and deep love for her brother. Thus, the flowers acquire an emotional value beyond their actual price.
📝 Note:
1-score questions may be asked as part of extract-based questions. They are generally not asked as separate, standalone questions in the examination.
[Note Capsule Notes Storyboard Essays Paragraph Questions Character Sketches Malayalam Summary Grammar Discourse Questions ]
[Prepared By Sindhu.P,HSST English ,GGHSS Kallai]