Answer the following questions.

(a) What was strange about the manner in which Mrs. Bramble addressed her son? What did he feel about it?

(b) Why was it necessary to keep Harold’s father’s profession a secret from him?

(c) When Mr. Bramble came to know that he was to become a father what were some of the names he decided upon? Why?

(d) Describe Mr. Bramble as he has been described in the story.

(e) Why was Mrs. Bramble upset when she came to hear that Bill had decided not to fight?

(f) Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to try and convince Bill to change his mind?

(g) How did Harold come to know that his father was a boxer?

(h) Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity? Give two reasons.

(i) Do you agree with Harold’s parents’ decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer? Why/why not?

(a) Mrs. Bramble addressed her son as if she was addressing a little baby. She referred to herself in third person, like ‘Mother will hear you, precious.’ This annoyed Harold because he wanted to be treated like a young man.

(b) Harold’s father, Bill, was a professional boxer. It was necessary to keep his profession a secret from Harold because he was a scholarly child and was very sophisticated in his behaviour. He was exactly opposite to the qualities that his father’s portrayed professionally.

(c) Mr. Bramble decided to name the child John (if a boy) after Mr. John L. Sullivan or Marie (if a girl) after Miss Marie Lloyd.

(d) Mr. Bramble was a professional boxer but in his private life he was a very mild and timid person. He was sombre and obliging and was respected by all.

(e) Mrs. Bramble was upset when she came to know that Bill was not fighting because Bill would have got five hundred pounds if would have fought and won. Even if he would have lost, he would have got one hundred and twenty pounds, which could have been utilized for Harold’s education.

(f) Jerry Fisher was Mr. Bramble’s boxing trainer at White Hart. He tried to convince Bill to fight by telling him about the popularity and the money he would gain by defeating Murphy. He also tried to remind Bill of the amount of hard work and time he had devoted in preparing for this fight.

(g) Harold came to know that his father was a boxer from Jerry Fisher.

(h) Harold was upset that his father had not told him about his true identity because

(1) If he knew about it, then he could have boastfully told it to his friends at school.

(2) It would stop his fellow students from calling him “Goggles”.

(i) Try attempting this answer on your own.