A chameleon class 12 Short and Long question answer chapter 2 PSEB class 12 Supplementary Reader English

 

CLASS 12^TH
CHAPTER No-2

A CHAMELEON

(Anton Chekhov)

Supplementary Reader

(Lessons meant for extensive study)

 

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTION 

Q.1 Why did Otchumyelov's statement keep on changing regarding Hryukin's complaint? 

Ans. Otchumyelov was a police officer with a wavering mind. Hryukin complained about his being bitten by a dog. He wanted compensation. Otchumyelov said that he would teach a lesson to those who let loose their dogs. He was told that the dog belonged to the General or the General's brother. He changed his mind out of fear.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q. 1. Why did Otchumyelov's statement keep on changing regarding the complaint?

Ans. Otchumyelov was not a resolute officer. He had a wavering mind. Hryukin a complaint about his having been bitten by a dog. He wanted compensation because he had to stay away from his work. The S.P. heard his complaint attentively. He threatened to teach a lesson to those people who allowed dogs to run all over the place. He felt that such dogs should be throttled. I wanted to find out the name of the owner. He wanted a report to be prepared about it. 

 

Q. 2. Justify the title of the story.

Ans. The title of a story should be appropriate. It should throw light on the main events of the story and capture its theme. Chameleon is the title of the story. The Superintendent of Police represents the title. He changes his opinion from time to time. He is walking across the market square. A goldsmith is bitten by a dog. He makes a complaint to the Superintendent of Police. He listens to him attentively. The Superintendent of Police threatens to teach a lesson to those who allow their dogs to run all over the place. He even says that stray dogs must be throttled. He seems to be serious in redressing the complaint of Hryukin. He wants to know the name of the owner of the dog. 

Soon he comes to know that General Zhigalov is the owner of the dog. This makes him nervous. He starts snubbing Hryukin. He questions him how a tall and heavy man like him was bitten by a small and weak looking dog. It is decided to send the dog to the General. Then the General's cook comes on the spot. He the complaint of Hryukin is forgotten by the chameleon of a Superintendent of says that the dog belongs to the General's brother. He takes away the dog. Obviously, Police. The title is quite apt. 

Q. 3. Give a character sketch of Otchumyelov. 

Ans. Otchumyelov is the Police Superintendent in a Russian town. When the story begins, he is walking across the market square. He is wearing a new overcoat. He bothered by a man named Hryukin, a goldsmith by profession. He says he has been bitten by a dog without reason. He wants to be compensated for the injury caused to his finger by the dog. 

Otchumyelov poses to be strict. As he hears the goldsmith's complaint, he threatens to teach a lesson to those people who let their dogs run all over the place. He tells the policeman to find out the name of the owner of the dog. He wants the dog to be throttled. 

    Otchumyelov is a chameleon. He changes his stand every now and then. He begins to feel hot and asks the constable to remove his coat. He questions Hryukin as to how a small dog could bite a big man like him. In the meantime, General's cook comes on the scene. He tells Otchumyelov that the dog belong the to the General's brother. Otchumyelov wants the dog to be sent back to General. The General's cook Prohor takes away the dog. 

The Superintendent of Police is a comic figure. His handling of the case produces fun. His use of his overcoat to cover his nervousness makes us laugh. 

 

Q. 4. Give a character sketch of Hryukin. 

 

Ans. Hryukin is the second important character in the story. According to the Superintendent of Police, he is a goldsmith by profession. He claims that he does fine work on gold. 

He has a fertile brain. He wants to make easy money. He complains to the Superintendent of Police that a dog bit him without any reason. Since he is a fine craftsman, he claims to get compensation from the Superintendent of Police. At first the S.P. listens to him carefully and begins to think over his claim. He plans to teach a lesson to those people who allow their dogs to run all over the place. People in the crowd say that Hryukin is a liar. The dog did not bite him. It is he who tried to burn the dog's face with a cigarette. The dog took revenge by biting his finger. 

He is a victim of the chameleon S.P. In the beginning, the S.P. heard his complaint carefully. But when he comes to know that the owner of the dog is a General, then the S.P. questions him how a heavy and tall man like him (Hryukin) could be bitten by a small dog. 

Hryukin becomes a butt of the people. The General's cook comes and takes the dog away, because the dog belongs to the General's brother. The crowd of people Hryukin the liar. They laugh at his being deprived of the compensation.