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I Want Something in a Cage
Why, in your opinion, did the man set the doves free?
The man set the doves free because he himself had been set free. The description that he gave about how he had earned the five dollars show that he had been in prison for ten years. On release, he had been given the five dollars and a cheap suit. He had been told not to get caught again. Knowing the importance of freedom, he identified with the birds in the cage wanting to fly and to be free. Therefore, he bought the two doves using the money he had, and then set them free.
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From the third paragraph pick out
(i) Words associated with cries of birds,
(ii) Words associated with noise,
(iii) Words suggestive of confusion and fear.
…. Mr. Purcell heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock.” (Read para beginning with “It was a rough day…”)
(i) What does ‘it’ refer to?
(ii) Why does Mr. Purcell not hear ‘it’ clearly?
Why, in your opinion, did the man set the doves free?
Why did it make Mr. Purcell feel “vaguely insulted”?
Do you think the atmosphere of Mr. Purcell’s shop was cheerful or depressing? Give reasons for your answer.
Describe the stranger who came to the pet shop. What did he want?
(i) The man insisted on buying the doves because he was fond of birds. Do you agree?
(ii) How had he earned the five dollars he had?
Was the customer interested in the care and feeding of the doves he had bought? If not, why not?
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