Jharkhand Board Class 10 English Notes | The Midnight Visitor Solutions Chapter 3
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q.1.What was Ausable's problem? How did he solve it?
Ans. Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He had
gone out with Fowler to spend the evening in a French music hall.
When they returned to Ausable's room in the hotel they found
Max standing in the middle of the room. He hada revolver in his
hand. Ausable did not lose his calm. With unique presence of
mind, he fabricated a story. He said that it was the second time
someone had entered his room through the balcony under the
window. Max took the concocted story as true.
Instantly, there was a knocking on the door. Max got panic
stricken when Ausable remarked that there was the police. He had
requested them to provide him extra security. Max was bewildered.
He went towards the window and jumped on the non-existing
balcony from the sixth floor. Max met with his death. Thus,
Ausable's problem was solved.
Q.2. In the story "The Midnight Visitor' what qualities of
mind does Ausable display ?
Or, Give a character sketch of Ausable. [JAC 2005 (A)]
Ans. Fowler, the young and romantic writer got disillusioned
and disappointed when he failed to find some unusual and extra-
ordinary happening in Ausable's room. Ausable did not fit the
description of a secret agent in his assessment. Folwer was
however proved wrong.
Ausable was a determined secret agent. He was dedicated to
his work. He was agile in action even though he was a sloppy fat
man. He was sane and shrewd. Being calm and cool headed by
nature he did not lose his presence of mind when he found Max in
his room with a revolver. It was midnight. He cooked up a false
Story of a balcony existing under the window just to befool the
intruder. Instantly, they heard a knock at the door. Ausable remarked
that the police had come to check on him and to provide him
security. Getting nervous, Max rushed towards the window. He
dropped to the balcony and fell down decad. Ausable was patient,
fearless, courageous, ready witted and resourceful.
Q.3. How did Max attempt but fail to acquire the secret paper
from Ausable?
Ans. Max's organisation had ordered him to grab the secret
report on missile which the people of Ausable's organization had
managed to get. He used a pass key and entered Ausable's hotel
room at midnight. He was holding a revolver in his hand since he
intended to grab the report at pistol point.
Ausable invented the fake story of a balcony extending under
his window just to embarrass Max. He remarked that it was the
through that balcony. Instantly, there was a knock at the door.
Ausable's remark that police had arrived to check on him unnerved
Max. To save his life Max rushed towards the window. In hot
haste, Max dropped to the non-existent balcony and met his tragic
end. Thus he failed to acquire the secret paper.
Q.4. In a difficult situation we need intelligence and presence
of mind more than physical strength. Discuss.
Ans. It is a fact that we need two things in a difficult situation.
These are: intelligence and presence of mind and second, physical
strength. But intelligence and presence of mind are needed more
than physical strength. A physically weak person by using his
intellect can overpower a powertul person.
This thing happens in "The Midnight Visitor. Ausable is a
very fat secret agent. But he is more intelligent than physi
active and strong. Ausable can't think that he would find another
secret agent with a pistol in his hand. He knows that he can't
handle Max physically. He outwits him with his brain and presence
of mind.
Q.5. Describe the meeting between Ausable and Max.
Or, Ausable was a clever secret Agent. Explain.
Or, Discribe how Ausable outwitted Max.
Ans. Ausable was a Secret Agent. He was staying in a French
hotel. He had some very important paper on missiles. Max entered
his room to take that paper. Max had a pistol in his hand. Max told
him that he had entered the room with a passkey. Then there was a
knocking on the door. Ausable told Max that this was the police.
Max went to the window to hide in the balcony. Ausable opened
the door. It was not the police but a waiter. Meanwhile, Max had
jumped into the "balcony'. But there was no balcony. Actually, he
had jumped to his death.
Q.6. How did Ausable make Fowler 'disillusioned' and happy
later?
Ans. Fowler was young and romantic writer. He had read that
secret agents are all mysterious, active, smart and romantic. So he
wanted to see all these things in meeting Ausable, a secret agent.
But Fowler found Ausable a fat man who lived in an ordinary hotel
room. So Ausable disillusioned Fowler. But the next moment,
Ausable made Fowler 'happy' when he outsmarted Max, another
secret agent. Ausable misled him that the knocking on the door
was by police. He also told him that there was a balcony, though it
was not there. Max jumped into the "balcony'. But he fell down
screaming.
Q.7.Who was Max and how did he enterAusable's hotel room?
[JAC 2018 (A)]
Ans. Max was another secret agent. He had come to know
that the very night a secret report was going to be delivered to
Ausable. That report was about the new missiles. So he entered
Ausable's room to get that report by force. He entered the room by
using a passkey to it. The report was very important. When Ausable
opened his room and switched on the light, he found Max across
it. Max had a small automatic gun in his hands. Ausable understood
everything. So he misled Max by telling him about the balcony and
the police.
Q.8.How did Ausable get rid ofMax?
[JAC 2006 (S), JAC 2009(S), 2015 (A)]
Ans. Max had a pistol. He was hell bent on grabbing the
important report from Ausable. Ausable did not get the least
perturbed. He kept his cool and narrated the cooked up story of
the balcony through his ceiling. Max took his words as gospel
truth. He got nervous and jumped down and met with his death.
The story of the impending presence of the police to provide him
extra security also helped him in getting rid of Max.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q.1. Where was Ausable living when the incident in the story
took place? Where had he gone with Fowler?
Ans. Ausable, the secret agent was living in a French Hotel when
the incident in the story took place. He had gone with Fowler to a French
music hall before they returned to Ausable's room in the hotel.
Q.2. What did Fowler notice about Ausable's appearance?
Ans. Fowler was not impressed by Ausable's appearance. He
did not fit the description of a secret agent who could deal in
espionage and danger. Ausable was a floppy fat man, unimpressive
and unromantic figure. As such, he was quite unfamiliar to a classical
secret agent.
Q.3. Mention a few key-qualities of Ausable the secret agent.
Ans. Ausable is a virtual secret agent though he does not
appear like that. He is intelligent, shrewd, calm, and cool-headed. He
does not lose his temper or presence of mind in a tight corner. He
invents a story of false balcony to face the danger. He is ready
witted, courageous and resourceful.
Q. 4. Whom does the title of the story refer to? Justify?
Ans. The title of the story "The Midnight Visitor' refers to Max.
Fowler is Ausable's guest. Both of them spent the evening in the
French music hall. Therefore, neither of them can refer to the
'Midnight Visitor.' Max enters the room in Ausable's absence at
midnight. He is therefore the midnight visitor.
Q. 5. What happened when Ausable opened his hotel room at
midnight? [JAC 2004 (A)]
Ans. Ausable was taken aback as soon as he opened his hotel
room. He found Max standing in the middle of the room with a
revolver in his hand. He informed him that he had unlocked the door
with a pass key and entered the room. He also made it clear that he
had come there to grab the secret report on missiles. He would
shoot him if he dared intervene.
Q.6. How did Max meet his end?
Ans. Ausable fabricated a story about the balcony under the
window.Max was afraid that the police would overpower him. Max
retraced his steps and managed to reach the window in panic. He
jumped down on the non-existing balcony, By leaping through the
window of the sixth floor. Max met with his tragic death.
Q. 7. What did the secret agent tell Max when he heard the
knock in the door and why? [JAC 2005 (A)]
Ans. Ausable, the secret Agent heard the knock on his door. He
told Max, "That will be the police". He had told the police that his
report needed a little extra protection. Therefore, they must have
come to check on him and ensure its security.
Q.8. Who was Fowler? What made him see ausable?
[JAC 2004 (A); 2014 (A)]
Or, Why did Fowler want to meet Ausable? Why was he
(disillusioned) disappointed? [JAC 2004(S), JAC 2007A]
Ans. Fowler was a young romantic writer. He had learnt that
Ausable was a secret agent. Therefore, he went to him to get some
useful information and gain experience about some thrilling and
exciting events happening there.
Fowler was disillusioned because he found Ausable a sloppy
fat man. It was contrary to his expectations. He did not fit in the
description of a secret agent.
Q.9. Did Fowler find this episode thrilling or disappointing?
Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. Fowler must have found this episode thrilling. He had
formed a poor opinion about Ausable on the basis of his horribly
poor personality. Being a secret agent he concocted a false story
of the existence of the balcony and the approach of the police. In
this way he got rid of another agent who was hell bent on grabbing
the important report. The episode contains poetic justice.
Q. 10. Why did Ausable say to Fowler, "You are disappointed"?
Ans. Fowler thought that the secret agents were mysterious,
romantic and smart young men. But Ausable was a very fat person.
He was the opposite of what 'Fowler had thought of the secret
agents. So Ausable said these words to him.
Q. 11. Why did Max enter Ausable's room? How did he do so?
[JAC 2016 (A)]
Ans. Max had used a passkey to enter Ausable's room in his
absence. He had come to take the report regarding some new
missiles from Ausable by force. He knew that the report was going
to be delivered to Ausable on that night.
Q.12. What did Ausable tell Max about the balcony? Why?
[JAC Sample Paper 2009]
Ans. Ausable told Max that two persons had entered his room
through that balcony. It was not the balcony of his room. But it was
of the next apartment. It extended under the window of his room. He
said so to Max to make him believing the existence of the balcony
over there
Q. 13. Describe how Ausable outsmarted Max. [JAC 2015]
Ans. Ausable, first made Max believe that there was a balcony
outside the window of his hotel room. But it was not there. Then he
made him believe that the police was knocking at the door. But it was
the waiter. This made Max drop into the balcony. But he fell down.
Thus Ausable saved himself by using his presence of mind.
Q.14. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
[JAC Sample Paper 2010]
Ans. Ausable is a secret agent. But he is excessively fat. His
accent is not proper. He appears to be completely different from other
secret agents.
Q.15. Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the
day?
Ans. Fowler is a writer. He wants to meet Ausable to cover him
up for writing. His first authentic thrill of the day is that he outwitted
Ausable in a simple way.
Q.16. How has Max got in?
Ans. Max has used a passkey to enter Ausable's room in his
absence. He wants to get a 'report' on some new missiles.
Q. 17. How does Ausable say he got in?
Ans. Ausable says that Max got in his room through an ordinary
window in the balcony. He would complain against it (balcony) to
the hotel authorities.)
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