The Snake and the Mirror (Q&A)
Thinking About the Text
Q1. “The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer:
The doctor heard the sound of rats scurrying in the room. He thought it was just the usual noise of rats. He heard the sound three times. The sound stopped when a snake entered the room because the rats got frightened.
Q2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while looking into the mirror?
Answer:
The doctor decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.
He also decided to smile more often, as he believed a smile looked attractive.
Q3. “I looked into the mirror and smiled,” says the doctor. A little later he says, “I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself.” What is the difference in the two smiles?
Answer:
The first smile was out of self-admiration when the doctor was thinking about his looks.
The second smile was weak and helpless because he was terrified when the snake was on his shoulder.
Q4. What did the snake do? Did it bite the doctor?
Answer:
The snake coiled around the doctor’s left arm and spread its hood close to his face. However, it did not bite him. Instead, it turned its attention to the mirror.
Q5. What did the doctor do to save himself?
Answer:
The doctor sat still, without moving or speaking, so as not to anger the snake. When the snake turned to look into the mirror, the doctor slowly got up and ran out of the house to save himself.
Q6. What did the doctor and his friends find when they went back to his room later?
Answer:
When they went back, they found the room empty. The snake had left, and thieves had taken away most of the doctor’s belongings, leaving only a dirty vest behind.
Extra Questions (for exams)
Short Answer Questions
Q1. What kind of person was the doctor?
Answer:
The doctor was poor but vain. He admired his looks, dreamt of marrying a fat, rich woman, and wanted to appear handsome.
Q2. What was the most frightening experience of the doctor’s life?
Answer:
The most frightening experience was when a snake coiled around his arm and sat near his face, making him feel helpless.
Q3. How did the snake behave at the end of the story?
Answer:
The snake seemed to admire its own beauty in the mirror and forgot about the doctor completely.
Long Answer Question
Q. What is the theme of the story “The Snake and the Mirror”?
Answer:
The story highlights human weakness, fear, and vanity. The doctor’s pride in his looks turns into helplessness when faced with a snake. It shows the unpredictability of life, where vanity disappears in the face of real danger. The story also has humor, as the snake’s interest in the mirror makes the situation ironic.