The Eyes Have It by Ruskin Bond - Textual Questions and Answers D.A.Q. (Set

The Eyes Have It

Ruskin Bond

Textual Questions and Answers

D.A.Q. (Set – 01)

1. Comment on the ending of the short story, The Eyes Have It.

Answer: Ruskin Bond's short story, The Eyes Have It is an outstanding example of situational irony.

The narrator wanted to hide his blindness from his first lady companion in every possible way. So, he had a very tactful conversation with the girl. But he did not know that his first passenger was playing the same game with him.

When the girl got off the train at Saharanpur, where her aunt was waiting for her and another passenger entered the compartment, the twist of the story came out. The narrator finds out that the girl had traveled with him to Saharanpur and that the person with whom she was playing the game of cheating was completely blind.

Thus, Ruskin Bond travels the world of the blindness with subtle sympathy in his eyes.

2. Discuss the character of the narrator.

Answer: Ruskin Bond's brief study of the narrator's character, in the story, The Eyes Have It, has multiple aspects.

The first thing that strikes readers about him is that he is visually challenged. As the story unfolds, so do its other features. He enjoys the company of a woman, tries not to reveal her weaknesses, is intelligent and has a subtle sense of humor.

He is a smart speaker but sometimes a little anxious and lonely. Being blind, the narrator has a tendency to speculate. From the instructions given to his first co-traveller, he assumes that they are his parents.

Although he is blind, his other sense organs function quite well. The narrator understands that the young lady is wearing shoes after the sound of slapping against her heels.

He was the one who started the conversation with the girl where he asked where he would land. He’s an expert at staying away from people’s notice that he can’t see the world. He feels nostalgic as she recalls her old days. The way he portrayed nature is proof that he is romantic at heart.

The narrator, with the presence of his mind, tells the girl that an attractive face can also be beautiful. The girl draws the narrator's attention to her voice and compares the imaginary narrative to the glimpse of a mountain stream. The sweet smell coming from the girl's hair tempted the narrator. The thought of laughter bothers him because his world is a world of loneliness.

In this way, the presence of differentiating characteristics in the narrator makes him a selective character.

3. How does the author prove with the text The Eyes Have It that the ‘mind’s eye' are stronger than our natural eyes?

Answer: The short story, The Eyes Have It by Ruskin Bond proves that the ‘mind’s eye' is more powerful than our natural eyes - the organ of sight. Even little or no blind people can perceive the world with the eyes of the mind.

The author highlights the indifference between mere seeing and perception when he says that often, people with good eyesight fail to see what is in front of them, even the smallest details are not spared from the hands of the blind. It is the mind that governs the senses and when one part of the scene becomes ineffective, the other sense organs suffer. This enables the narrator to give a true account of the beauty of Mussoorie in October.

The cunning of the narrator’s ‘mind’s eye' helps him continue the game of stress. Also, the picture of the girl created by the narrator will stay with him for a long time.

4. Did the author help bring a turn of embarrassment in the end during the narrative?

Answer: In Ruskin Bond's short story, The Eyes Have It, the author makes some subtle hints in the narrative sequence to prepare us for the unexpected twist that comes at the end.

After getting into the carriage, the girl failed to notice the narrator and her voice cracked. It was rather strange because he was sitting at a very short distance from her.

Second, when nature gave a beautiful description of Mussoorie in October, she said nothing about the place even though it was her favorite place.

Third, when the narrator asks him to describe the scene outside, he tells him to look out the window. He asked her if any animals could be seen.

Finally, come out there was some confusion at the door when he was getting off at Saharanpur and the person who was entering the carriage apologized. All this was an indication of the girl's blindness.

5. Describe the exchange between Ruskin Bond and his last passenger on the train.

Answer: In Ruskin Bond's short story, The Eyes Have It, a man boarded a train in Saharanpur. The narrator continues to pretend to study the landscape.

The new companion was devastated by his tragedy and said that the narrator was probably disappointed because he was not an attractive traveling companion like the girl who had just left. In reply, the narrator commented that she was an attractive girl and asked her if her hair was long or short?

The man was shocked to hear the question and said that it was his hair that attracted his attention, not his hair. He mentioned that the girl's eyes were beautiful but she was of no use to the injury because she was completely blind. The narrator was shocked to find out the truth because he had talked to the girl for so long, yet he was not aware of it or could not guess.

6. Describe the separation of the girl from the narrator on the train

Answer: While going to Mussoorie, on the train, the narrator met a young lady, who went with him to Saharanpur. The narrator was then completely blind. He started the conversation with the girl but he was very careful while conversing with her because he did not want her to discover that he was blind. The conversation became interesting and lively over time but it was short-lived as the girl soon reached her destination.

Naturally, the speaker was saddened when the train slowly moved to Saharanpur station because he was ready to listen to his voice at any moment sitting in the carriage which was the flashing of a mountain stream. But the girl said goodbye to raising the bed and left the bogie.

The meeting had a profound effect on the narrator. The devotee from the girls here found the narrator so touching that he wanted to touch her hair. The net removes that the girl will forget the brief meeting but it will stay with her for a while.

7. Is the narrator a little wary of revealing too much about himself? Support your point with illustrations from the text.

Answer: The narrator of Ruskin Bond's short story, The Eyes Have It, tried his best not to be blinded by this fact. He sat in his seat throughout the journey until his blindness was revealed.

He gives a brilliant description of the beauty of Mussoorie in October - the hills covered with wild dahlias, the pleasant sunshine, the brandy drinking in front of the log fire at night, and the quite secluded streets. He pretended to study the landscape by looking out the train window and commented that the trees seemed to have settled down as they moved away. He even replied with confidence that there were no animals outside when the girl asked.

When another man was boarding in the carriage in Saharanpur, the narrator was looking out of the open window even though the light of day was dark to him. These parables clearly prove that the narrator was very careful to hide his blindness from others.

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👉 The Eyes Have It - D.A.Q. (Set– 02)

👉 The Eyes Have It - S.A.Q.(Marks – 01)

👉 The Eyes Have It - D.A.Q. (Marks – 05)

👉 The Eyes Have It - (Textual Grammar) Questions

👉 The Eyes Have It - M.C.Q (Mock Test)