10th English : The Grumble Family
Unit 2.2 > The Grumble Family
GLOSSARY
| discontent (adj.) | dissatisfaction with one’s circumstances | அதிருப்தி (சுற்றுச்சூழலோடு) |
| amiss (adj.) | not quite right | தவறாக |
| growl (v) | make a low guttural sound in the throat | உறுமுதல் (முணுமுணுத்தல்) |
| grumble (n) | a complaint about something in a bad-tempered way | வெறுப்பான மனநிலையுடன் குறைகூறுதல் |
| gloomy (adj.) | to appear depressing or frightening | சோர்வுகின்ற அல்லது பயமுறுத்துகின்ற |
| queerest (adj.) | the strangest or the most unusual | விசித்திரமான அல்லது அசாதாரணமான |
| acknowledge | accept or admit the existence or truth of | உண்மை நிலையை ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள்ளுதல் |
| terrible (adj.) | extremely bad or serious | மிகவும் மோசமான அல்லது கடுமையான |
| wandering (v) | walking or moving in a leisurely or aimless way | நோக்கமில்லாமல் அலைந்து திரிதல் |
A. Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below.
1. There’s a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street
a. Where does the family live?
The family lives in eh Complaining Street.
b. Why do you think the street is named as ‘Complaining Street’?
Because the people who live there always complain about anything and everything
2. They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
a. What does the word ‘growl’ mean here?
The word ‘grow’ here refers to the people’s habit of ‘finding fault’
b. Why do they find everything amiss?
The people’s in born nature is dissatisfied with everything.
3. Nothing goes right with the folks you meet
Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.
a. What is the opinion about the folks you meet down the street?
For the folks nothing goes right in their life.
b. What does the word ‘gloomy’ mean here?
‘Gloomy’ here refers to the sad, dejected condition.
4. The worst thing is that if anyone stays
Among them too long, he will learn their ways;
a. What is the worst thing that can happen if anyone stays with them?
The people who stay with them not only will learn habit of complaining but also imbibe them in their ‘heart of hearts’
b. What are the ways of the Grumble family?
The Grumble Family’s way is always looking at life with sad and dejected view
5. And so it were wisest to keep our feet
From wandering into Complaining Street;
a. What is the wisest thing that the poet suggests?
The people suggests us to keep away from the people who always find fault with whatever happens in life.
b. What does the phrase ‘to keep our feet from wandering’ refer to?
The phrase refers here ‘not to have contact with such ill-willed people’
6. Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song,
No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
a. What does the poet expect everyone to learn?
The poet expects everyone to learn to be happy.
b. What should we do when things go wrong sometimes?
When things go wrong sometimes, we should see the ‘brighter side’ of things and happenings.
B. Answer the following question in about 80-120 words.
1. Write a paragraph on ‘The Grumble Family’ and their attitude towards other folks.
| Lucy Maud Montgomery tells us about the people who always find fault with anything and everything. The poetess begins with the idea that nobody likes to meet this ‘Grumble Family’. He sarcastically says that they live in the Complaining Street, and never satisfied. They have the quality of discontent to the maximum. Whatever they come across, they say ‘nothing is right with the world: They feel that even nature is not proper in its form. Even if there is equanimity in all the dealings, they would complain that there is ‘nothing to grumble about. In the long run, even they would change the other positive people whom they meet to their view of “Grumbling” |
2. If you were to live in the Complaining Street, how would you deal with the people who grumble?
| If I were in the midst of these people who always complain, I would seek whether there is any reason behind their action of finding fault with anything and everything. If I could not find any reason behind their view, if it is their inborn nature. I would point out certain positive sides of things. First I would tell them things they cannot change like the weather, the Sun, The Rain, etc., The Second thing is that their nature of grumbling would result in their ill-health like blood pressure, etc. The third thing is that I would inform them the society does not like to mingle with such grumbling and growling people. Thereby I would educate them how to live among the people. |
3. From the poem ‘The Grumble Family’ what kind of behaviour does the poet want the readers to possess?
| In the poem, The Grumble Family’ Luck Maud Montgomery tells us that there are certain People who always growl and grumble at anything and everything. If we go and have acquaintance with them, we the positive people would become accustomed to their habit of grumbling in the long run. So the poetess suggests that we should keep ourselves away from these people. we should never follow their habit of grumbling in our daily chores. We should frame a happy and gat mood even if we encounter certain drawbacks in our life. |
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