GOING PLACES

(by A.R. Barton)

About the author
A.R.Barton (Anthony Richard Henry Barton) was a modern English writer who
lived in Zurich and has written a number of literary pieces depicting the
contemporary problems and issues. He was born on 17th December, 1913 in
London, United Kingdom and died at a very young age of nearly, a little more
than 29 years, on 4th April 1943 in Llandow in United Kingdom. He did his
higher studies from Britannia Royal Naval College. He was honoured by the
prestigious and distinguished awards like Flying Cross and bar (DFC and bar).
He played an important part in the Battle of Britain and in the defence of Malta
during the siege by the Axis powers in the second World war.

Theme of the chapter

‘If dreams were horses, beggars would ride.’ The story ‘Going Places’ centres
on a similar theme. The theme of this story deals with the complexities of
human relationships along with the adolescent fantasizing and hero worship.
It describes the aspirations and dreams of the youth and the pain of unfilled
promises and shattered dreams.

Appropriateness of the title “Going Places”

The title of the lesson is justified, as “Going Places” is an idiomatic expression
to be successful in one’s career. The lesson is about Sophie’s wish and fantasy
to come out of the drudgery of belonging to the lower strata of society and to
go places. Sophie also goes places in her fantasies.

Message of the chapter

It is a good thing to dream. However, dreams should be realistic. Merely
fantasizing and daydreaming will cause disillusionment. Unless one is
hardworking and persevering, mere dreams will only lead to disappointment.
 MAIN CHARACTERS OF THE CHAPTER

Sophie - Geoff - Jansie -

The story’s teenaged Sophie’s older brother- She is Sophie’s
Protagonist who, despite the eldest child of the family. Friend. Both of
her dismal working-class He is a mechanic and has a them are of a
life, spends much of her motorcycle and (to Sophie, working class,
time fantasizing about a atleast) this appears to give families appear
glamorous and wealthy him freedom and a to be friends.
future. She dreams of glamorous life She is realistic
being a shop-owner and and pessimistic
an actress.

MINOR CHARACTERS

Sophie’s father- Danny Casey- Mother

A man of authority, truth, a famous football player, Sophie’s
hard work and deep senses, greatly admired by his fans mother -
had a realistic approach a young, bring and beloved a home-
towards life and firm faith prodigy maker,
in social interactions resigned
to a
dreary life and
is not very close
to her husband
or children

GOING PLACES
Sophie’s fantasies about Sophie’s day dreams
Danny Casey : own a boutique
Danny Casey was an Irish prodigy, be a manager
a soccer player. Although Sophie be an actress or a fashion
was in the habit of concocting stories, designer
no one ever believed her, least of her Jansie, Sophie’s friend, more realistic
family. Her father used to treat her tales suggests to Sophie that big dreams
as ‘wild stories’ & refused to believe her get fulfilled only with money and
meeting Danny Casey. Sophie was least experience
bothered as to what he thought and
believed. Her father warned her that one Sophie’s father
day, she will be in trouble. Actually she did works real hard to make both ends
when her friend Jansie got wind of her meet. He expects that some more
latest fantasy. Although Jansie said that money will pour in once Sophie
she could be trusted. Sophie knew too well completes high school and starts
that her friend was capable of spreading working.
stories.
Sophie’s mother
Story’s ending was always hard at work because of
Sophie continued with her fantasizing & the financial constraints. She lived in
actually did go to meet Danny Casey at a a small room with her family, a place
place that had an air of romanticism in it. which was used for cooking purpose
She imagined things that would have taken as well as laundry.
place had it all been a reality. At the same
time her perception was moving towards Geoff, Sophie’s brother
reality because of which she became sad An apprentice mechanic, he had a
realizing that things she wished to happen life of his own, in which he did not
in her life would actually never happen. allow any of his family member.
However, Sophie suspected that he
had befriended some special people
& he wished that he would let her
share his secrets & allow her to meet
his group. He is introvert and his
silence made Sophie jealous. She had a
fascination for his life as it was unknown
to her. She wished he would take her
along on his new bike for rides & then
she would be a part of his mystery world.

GLOSSARY
 1) Incongruity : unsuitable, incompatible
2) Prodigy : a young person endowed with exceptional qualities
3) Chuffed : very pleased
4) Solitary elm : a secluded tall tree
5) Arcade : a passage or a walk way
6) Amber glow : orange-yellow light of the lamp
7) Wharf : a place beside a water body for loading or unloading of the
Ships
8) Pangs of doubt : a sudden realization of uncertainty about something

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Q.1. Read the following extracts and choose the correct option :
1) He is kneeling on the floor in the next room tinkering with a part of his motor-cycle
over some newspaper spread on the carpet. He was three years out of school, an
apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city. He
was almost grown up now, and she suspected areas of his life about which she knew
nothing, about which he never spoke.
a) Who is ‘he’ in the given passage ?
i) Geoff ii) Danny Casey iii) Sophie’s father iv) None of these
Answer : i

b) How long had Geoff been out the school ?

i) 2 years ii) 3 years iii) 5 years iv) 7 years
Answer : ii

c) What was the profession of Geoff ?

i) Television mechanic ii) aeroplane mechanic iii) motor mechanic iv) none
Answer : iii

d) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘doubtful’.

i) Suspected ii) expected iii) neglected iv) certainty
Answer : i

2) “Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey ?”

Coming through the arcade she pictured him again outside Royce’s.
He turns, reddening slightly, “Yes, that’s right.”
“I watch you every week, with my dad and my brothers. We think you’re great.”
“Oh, well now… that’s very nice.”
a) Who was coming through the arcade ?
 i) Danny Casey ii) Jansie iii) Sophie iv) none of these
Answer : iii

b) What did she picture in her memory ?

i) An encounter with a lion iii) An encounter with her father
ii) An encounter with Danny Casey iv) An encounter with her class teacher
Answer : ii

c) With whom does Sophie watch Danny Casey every week ?

i) Dad ii) her brothers iii) both i and ii iv) Jansie
Answer : iii

d) Find out a word from the passage similar in meaning to moderately.

i) Rigorously ii) slightly iii) actively iv) knowingly
Answer : ii

3) Here I sit, she said to herself, wishing Danny would come, wishing he would come and
sensing the time passing. I feel the pangs of doubt stirring inside me. I watch for him but
still there is no sign of him. I remember Geoff saying he would never come, and how none
of them believed me when I told them. I wonder what will I do what can I tell them now if
he doesn’t come ?
a) Who is the speaker here and where is she sitting ?
b) Why did the speaker feel the ‘pangs of doubt stirring’ inside her ?
i) because she realized that Danny Casey would ditch her
ii) because she realized that her fantasy about Danny Casey wouldn’t come true
ii) Because she knew that no one in her family would believe her
iii) Because she knew that Jansie would tell everyone about the falsehood of her
story about Danny Casey
c) why didn’t anyone believe the speaker ?
i) because they knew that Sophie was a mad fan of Casey
ii) because they knew that Sophie loved to live in a world of her imagination
iv) Because they knew that Sophie was an escapist
v) Because they knew that Sophie was befooling them

D Which of the following best describes Sophie’s state of mind towards the end of the
extract :
i) She is at her wit’s end
ii) She is resolute
iii) She is hopeful
iv) She is upset with her family
MCQ’S (OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS)
1) Danny had a freckled nose and the colour of his eyes was :
a) grey b) green c) blue d) black
Answer : b

2) Outside the pub, Sophie saw something. It was :

a) her dad’s bicycle c) her brother’s car
b) her mother’s motorcycle d) Derek’s tricycle
Answer : a

3) While Sophie waited for Danny, she realized that :

a) Danny would come c) Danny would not come
b) she was hungry d) she was thirsty
Answer : c
Explanation : because she had not actually met Danny and it was just a part of her
imagination in which she cooked up a story that Danny had promised her to meet once
again and give her an autograph.

4) According to Sophie, the place she had chosen to meet Danny was ;
a) a hidden alley b) a perfect place c) behind the walls d) near the trees
Answer : b
Explanation : because she

5) Sophie told Jansie that her father, if he got to know about her meeting with Danny,
would :
a) agree to their marriage b) murder her
c) ask her to call over for dinner d) ask to be introduced to him
Answer : b
Explanation : because she knew that her father was fully aware of the fact that Sophie was
lying and for this reason, he will not spare her.

6) Geoff had told about Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey to :

a) Frank b) the entire neighbourhood c) Jansie d) the teachers
Answer : Frank

7) “I wish he was an Englishman”. These words were spoken with reference to :

a) Geoff b) Derek c) a passenger in the bus d) Danny Casey
Answer : d
Explanation :Danny Casey was a football player from Ireland and played for the United .
This young player’s skill of using his hands with speed and accuracy yielded his fans
unparalleled ecstatic joy.
8) The match on Saturday was witnessed by :
 a) The whole family b) only father and Sophie
c) Geoff alone d) Sophie, father, Derek and Geoff
Answer : d
Explanation : because the match on Saturday was considered as a weekly pilgrimage as they
would go to watch United every Saturday religiously. Sophie, her father and little
brother Derek would sit down right behind the goal post while Geoff would go up
with his friends. They could not afford to miss a single match for the world.

9) Why did Sophie dream of owning a boutique ?

a) because she knew she could not become an actress
b) because she wanted to live a life of her dreams
c) because she disliked working in a biscuit factory
d) because she wanted help her family financially
Answer : b
Explanation : Sophie was a day-dreamer and lived in a world of fantasy

10) Why were Sophie and Jansie ‘earmarked’ for the biscuit factory ?
a) because they had learnt the skill of baking
b) because they were born in the family of bakers
c) because their social-economic condition was on obstacle in the path of their
growth
d) because their families were opposed to their taking up any other jobs
Answer : c
Explanation : because both of them belong to lower middle class families. The families of
both the girls were living a humble life and were struggling to survive in this fast moving
world.

11) Sophie’s brother Geoff usually spoke very little. Which of the following words BEST
describes his quiet nature ?
a) extrovert b) introvert c) sensible d) sober
Answer : b
Explanation : because words had to be prized out of him like stones out of the ground

12) Sophie was jealous of her elder brother’s :

a) motorcycle b) black jacket
c) mechanical skills d) silence and secretiveness
Answer : d
Explanation : because she knew that when he was not speaking, he was somewhere. He
was out in the surrounding country-in those places she had never been. She wanted to
share her brother’s affection.
13) Geoff told his father that Sophie had met Danny Casey MOST PROBABLY because “
 a) he wanted him to punish Sophie for telling lies
b) he did not want Sophie to come to any harm
c) he was jealous of Sophie
d) he wanted his father to ask Sophie to invite Danny Casey home
Answer : b
Explanation : Sophie sees in her brother a good friend and shared all her secrets with him.
Geoff, being an elder brother, was very caring and did not want her to be in any trouble.

14) Why did Sophie hide from Jansie that she had met Danny Casey ?
a) she feared that Jansie would want to meet Danny Casey
b) she was stopped by Geoff from telling anything to Jansie
c) she felt it was too early to break the news to Jansie
d) she knew that Jansie would see through her lie and spread the word
Answer : d
Explanation : Sophie knew that Jansie could not stop herself from sharing any information
she had, with the people in the neighbourhood which could have resulted in the
unwanted crowd with queries about the star player.

15) What was the weekly pilgrimage for the family ?

a) watching football on television
b) watching the game of United
c) going to the church
d) going to the Royce’s
Answer : b)
Explanation : They could not afford to miss a single match for the world.

16) Who told Jansie that Sophie had met Danny ?

a) Derek b) Frank c) Geoff d) Sophie’s father
Answer : b
Explanation :Geoff did not keep his promise because he shared his sister’s story with Frank,
Jansie’s brother who in turn told it to Jansie.

17) When Sophie told her father that Danny had met her and told her that he was going
to buy a shop, father
a) called her a liar b) disbelieved her outright
c) asked her it is was another of her wild stories d) asked Geoff to verify facts
Answer : c
Explanation : Sophie’s father was a realist and wanted his daughter to come out of her habit
of day-dreaming so that she does not land in any trouble.

18) What did Sophie tell Geoff one day that made him look surprised ?
 a) she had seen a ghost b) she had met her principal
c) she had got a job d) she had met Danny Casey
Answer : d
Explanation : because Sophie was too young to have met such a high profile celebrity.

19) What was Sophie’s father keen to buy if Sophie ever came into money ?
a) a luxury car b) a decent house c) a yacht d) a shop
Answer : b
Explanation : because he thought that their poverty-striken family needed a decent house
instead of anything else.

20) What kind of a person is Sophie’s father ?

a) a kind hearted man b) a loving and caring man
c) a hard core realistic man d) carefree
Answer : c
Explanation : Sophie’s father was a very realistic person and gets angry when he hears of
Sophie’s fantasy dreams.

21) Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind. This means that :
a) they all represent her imaginations and nothing in reality
b) they represent her nature
c) they explain her personality
d) they tell us her future
Answer : a
Explanation :Sophie is a young school-girl belonging to a lower middle class family. She
wants to rise from the situation in which she finds herself. She is an incurable escapist

22) Why does Sophie get angry with her brother ?

a) because he revealed her secret to Jansie’s brother
b) he does not speak to her
c) because of his silence
d) none
Answer : a
Explanation : Geoff did not keep his promise because he shared his sister’s story with Frank,
Jansie’s brother who in turn told it to Jansie.

23) Why is Jansie not able to support Sophie’s view ?

a) because she is a happy go lucky girl
b) because her imagination is poor
c) because she is unable to believe her
d) because she is a realistic girl and believes in practicality
Answer : d
Explanation : Jansie also believes that the socio-economic condition of their family does not
allow them to be living in a fantasy world.

24) What was Sophie’s reply to Jansie ?

a) she will open a boutique
b) she will open an office
c) that she will go door to door to collect money
d) she will become an actress or a manager to realize her dream
Answer : d
Explanation : because she said that she will be a self-made girl and will prove that she does
not need and pre decided resources to achieve success.

25) What does Jansie tell Sophie ?

a) talk unrealistic b) be wise
c) be practical d) be sensible and not to dream big
Answer : d
Explanation : because she wanted to ensure that her friend comes out of her day-dreaming
habit and be a realistic and practical

26) Explain : Words had to be prized out of him like stones out of a ground.
a) it was difficult to speak to him b) it was difficult to locate him in a shop
c) it was difficult to locate him in factory d) it was difficult to get information out
of him

Answer : d
Explanation : because he was an introvert and did not speak much.

27) What are the literary devices used in the lesson ?

a) metaphorical expressions and slangs b) simile c) irony d) none
Answer : a

28) Why is Sophie attracted to Danny and does she meet him in reality ?
a) because he earns well
b) because he plays football
c) because he is a heroic footballer and she meets him in imagination only
d) because he is smart
Answer : c
Explanation : because hero worshipping is one of the basic traits of the teenagers and
Sophie is a teenager and a day-dreamer also
29) What are the advantages and disadvantages of fantasizing ?
 a) helps in dreaming big b) helps in achieving big
c) develops creative imagination and disadvantage is that it makes people self
obsessed d) none of these
Answer : c

30) What is the meaning of the words ‘nosey’, ‘gawky’ ?

a) nosey : inquisitive and gawky : awkward, ungainly
b) noisy and beautiful
c) noisy and useful
d) noisy and gainful
Answer : a

Success Ladder (Short answer questions)

Q.1. Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school and why ?
(Textual)
Ans. The two girls, Sophie and Jansie, were destined to get a job in a biscuit factory as they
belonged to a lower middle class family, had not acquired any professional skill as yet and
they neither had the resources nor any back-up to set up their own ventures.

Q.2. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence ? (CBSE 2013)

Ans. Sophie was jealous of his silence. She knew that when he was not speaking, he was
away somewhere. He was out in the surrounding country-in those places she had never
been. This evasiveness and silence made her jealous.

Q.3. Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey ? (textual)
(CBSE 2010)
Ans. No, Geoff does not believe in Sophie’s story about her meeting with Danny’s story
about her meeting with Danny Casey, the Irish football prodigy. Rather he calls it “the
unlikeliest thing he ever heard.”

Q.4. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of ? Why does Jansie discourage
her from having such dreams ? (Textual)
Ans. Sophie lived in a world of dreams and thought of owning a boutique, becoming an
actress or a fashion designer. She thought that she would be offered the position of a
manager and that she would work there till the time she saves enough money for opening
her own boutique. She is a day-dreamer and an incurable escapist. She also imagines
meeting the football prodigy Danny Casey.

Q.5. Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey ?
(tetual)(CBSE 2011)
Ans. Sophie wriggled when Geoff told her father that she had a chance meeting Danny
Casey because she knew that he would catch her lie and would scold her for spreading wild
stories. Moreover, she trusted Geoff and did not expect that he would reveal the incident in
front of their father.

Q.6. Does her father believe her story ? (Textual) (CBSE 2011)
Ans. No, her father did not believe her story. He was a realist and was well aware of the
fact that Sophie was a day-dreamer. He rather warns her not to involve herself with such
wild stories, otherwise she would, one day, land into trouble.

Q.7. How did Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future ? (Textual)
Ans. Knowing that Geoff is a great fan of Danny Casey, Sophie cleverly draws him into her
pipe dream by saying that she has shared the secret of her meeting with Casey only with
him. She makes her narration realistic by telling him about her next meeting with Casey
when he would give his autograph.

Q.8. Which country did Danny Casey play for ? How did he fascinate his fans ? (Textual)
Ans. Danny Casey was a football player from Ireland and played for the United . This young
player’s skill of using his hands with speed and accuracy yielded his fans unparalleled
ecstatic joy.

Q.9. Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny ? (Textual)
(CBSE 2012)
Ans. Sophie knew that Jansie could not stop herself from sharing any information she had,
with the people in the neighbourhood which could have resulted in the unwanted crowd
with queries about the star player.

Q.10. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey ? (Textual)

Ans. No, she had not met Danny Casey. It was yet another incident of her imagination as a
day-dreamer.

Q.11. Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person ?
(Textual) (CBSE 2011)
Ans. The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when the family
went to watch United on Saturday. Sitting in the stands along with other people,
Sophie saw him from a distance just like other spectators did.

Q.12. Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie ? How do you know ? (CBSE 2013)
Ans. No, Geoff did not keep his promise because he shared his sister’s story with Frank,
Jansie’s brother who in turn told it to Jansie. When Jansie questions Sophie about
 the credibility of her meeting with footballer Danny Casey, we come to know that
Geoff has failed to keep his promise.

Q.13. What thoughts came to Sophie’s mind as she sat by the canal ?
Ans. Sophie considers the spot along the canal the best place for a date, as it is away from
the rush of the city. As she sits by the canal she is lost in the world of her dreams.
She imagines Casey coming along the river and her own excitement thereafter.

Q.14. Resignation is no sudden thing. When did Sophie realize this ?

Ans. On Saturday evening, Sophie went to a distant park and sat down on a wooden bench
waiting for Danny Casey. It was not until a considerable time had passed that began
to balance herself with the reality. Meanwhile, she also imagined him coming out of
the shadows but he did not come. It was then that Sophie realized that resignation
was no sudden thing. It was a long time before she could give up her hopes of
Danny’s coming.

Q.15. Describe ‘weekly pilgrimage.’

Ans. The weekly visit of Sophie’s family to watch Danny Casey’s match has been described
as ‘weekly pilgrimage. They would go to watch United every Saturday religiously.
Sophie, her father and little brother Derek would sit down right behind the goal post
while Geoff would go up with his friends. They could not afford to miss a single
match for the world.

Q.16. ‘It was a Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing’. Explain.

Ans. ‘It was a Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing. This statement came from Sophie when she
discovered that Geoff had let Jansie about her Danny Casey’s secret. She did not
want Jansie to know about her meeting with Danny Casey as her friend was a gawky,
voluble and chatterbox kind of a girl. Telling her anything meant telling it to the
whole society.

Competency Based Questions (Long answer questions)

Q.1. Hero worshipping is one of the basic traits of the teenagers. How far is it true with
reference to Sophie ?
Ans. In the story Going Places, writer has covered various aspects of teenage life through
Sophie’s character. Teenage is the part of life when growing kids are introduced to
the outside world. They often come across people whom they find attractive or
heroic. These people become role models for the growing kids and a part of their
fantasies too. This trait is reflected in Sophie’s behavior as well. She is a teenage girl
from a lower middle class family but her dreams and imaginations revolve around
the star player Danny Casey who is a soccer player, excellent at his game, wins
matches and is loved by all. In her fascination of Danny Casey, Sophie cooks up a
 cock and bull story of meeting him around the street and asking for an autograph.
As per her story, he has promised to meet her again on Saturday. Be it Sophie’s
obsession with Danny Casey or with her own story, she actually went to a park far
and away from her home and sat down on a bench waiting for him. Hours passed by
the did not come. It was then that Sophie realized the distance between her dreams
and reality and decided to come back home.

Q.2. Jansie is just as old as Sophie but she is very different from her. Bring out the
contrast between the two friends citing relevant instances from the story, ‘Going
Places’. (CBSE 2009)
Ans. Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. Both of them belonged to lower-
middle class families but that is where their similarities end. There is a striking
contrast between their characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and does not want to
come out of this fairyland whereas Jansie is practical. Sophie is an incurable escapist
and dreams of having a boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie,
on the other hand, is very grounded who has her feet firmly planted on the ground
and knows they are both earmarked for the biscuit factory. She knows that big
things need big money and experience which they lack desperately. She advises
Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams. There is a huge difference
between the temperaments of Sophie and Jansie. While Sophie shares her dreams
only one person and confides only her brother Geoff, Jansie is nosey and tend to
share everything in the neighbourhood.

Q.3. What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to ? What are the indicators of
her family’s financial status ?
Ans. Sophie’s family is of four members. She lives with her father and two brothers Geoff
and Derek and belongs to a lower middle class family. Her father works as a labour
and his brother Geoff is an apprentice mechanic. Her family wants her to work after
school but being a day-dreamer, she has a totally different set of dreams, which is
actually away from the reach of the family background, which Jansie made her
realize. The family lived in a small house which displayed their humble living with
dirty linen piled in one corner and the room smelling of steam from the stove. When
Sophie shared her dream with her family about having a boutique, her father
reminded her that their poverty-striken family needed a decent house instead of a
boutique. Derek, her younger brother, retorted that getting money was not an easy
task. Her mother sighed helplessly at her daughter’s unrealistic ambition. All these
things indicate that the family had a poor financial status.

Q.4. Teachers always advise their students to dream big. Yet the same teachers in your
classrooms find fault with Sophie when she dreams. What is wrong with Sophie’s
dreams ?
Ans. There is nothing wrong with having big dreams. In fact, it is an advice given to us by
our teachers, but then our dreams must not be in complete contrast to our reality.
This is where the fault lies, if we look into the context of Sophie. Her dreams are not
only over-ambitious but also most impractical. She is an incurable escapist and lives
in the world of her dreams. She drifts into the world of her fantasy and wants to
make her dreams her reality. Dreaming the unachievable can have a negative
impact on one’s personality which can lead to depression. Sophie blissfully ignores
the fact that she comes from a lower middle class family and is ear-marked for the
biscuit factory. She dreams of owning a biscuit factory, becoming a fashion designer
or an actress, dreams which she may never be able to fulfill. She not only dreams of
big but concocts stories about her imaginary meeting with Danny Casey. She
envisions her meeting with the football star and also gives vivid details of the
meeting. Such unrealistic dreams need to be discouraged.

Q.5. Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person ? From her
perspective, what did he symbolize ?
Ans. Sophie liked her brother Geoff more than anyone else in the family because for
Sophie, Geoff symbolized liberty from the monotonous life they had been living.
Geoff was not in the habit of talking much and remained lost in his own thoughts.
Sophie envied his silence and thought that he had an access to an unknown world.
She felt comfortable while sharing her secrets with him, for she knew he would
never let her down. She wanted to be more affectionately with her brother among
all his friends and to all his places. Geoff was a patient listener and always heard her
weird stories without ridiculing her. There was a mysterious aura around Geoff
which fascinated Sophie. His silence lent a magnetic charm and Sophie saw him as a
symbol of the world which was beyond her reach. She felt that he was quietly
traversing a vast world which was unknown to her. Wanting him to be a part of her
glamorous world, she fantasized riding with him to the glitz and glam. She was
certain that she would acquire her dream land by being with Geoff as he alone
understood the worth of her ambition.

Q.6. How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father ?
Ans. Sophie’s father was a very realistic person and gets angry when he hears of Sophie’s
fantasy dreams. He was described as a plum-faced and a sweaty man with no
sophisticate behavior and proper eating habits. He was a big fan of football and goes
to a pub to celebrate the victory. He is a role model for those who believe in making
the most of their limited resources. As the head of the family, he works very hard
and wants to acquire better facilities for them but feels helpless due to the paucity of
resources. A very practical man who does not support his daughter Sophie when she
cooks up the story about meeting Danny Casey. At no point, does he come out of
the world of reality and step into Sophie’s world of unrealistic dreams. This
 gentleman never indulges in self-pity nor curses the circumstances for the plight. He
rather tries to make the best of his life by making a weekly pilgrimage to watch
United.

Q.7. The story ‘Going Places’ draws a beautiful contrast between ‘fact’ and ‘fiction’.
Discuss.
Ans. The story ‘Going Places’ takes us into the world of dreams which is fictional and a
creation f the protagonist’s mind. The fact or the reality of her family and friends
always stands in sharp contrast to her dream world. Sophie’s character elucidates
this contrast between fact and fiction. In her dreams Sophie is a part of the
glamorous world but in reality she is confined to a small room, struggling for survival
with the other members of the lower-middle class family. Sophie nurtures the
fantasy to buy a boutique while her friend Jansie tries to emphasize the reality that
the two of them are ear-marked to work in a biscuit factory. Sophie fantasies about
generating resources for her boutique by becoming a manager, or an actress or a
fashion designer. Jansie, being a practical girl, again tries to bring home the reality
that these are impractical ideas. The story beautifully brings out that dreams and
reality are poles apart and have to be dealt very judiciously.

Q.8. What are some of the problems that young students who are about to leave school
have to face ? What do you think is the best way to deal with those problems ?
Comment with reference to the story ‘Going Places’.
Ans. Everyone worries about things that happen at school from time to time. Lots of
people, like all of us, will experience something difficult or have to work through a
problem during school. There is a lot of pressure to get good results, make lots of
friends, do well in every subject and be a good student. Some of the other chief
problems that a teenager leaving school faces are: inability to decide future course
of action, confusion in the absence of adequate guidance, insecurity regarding
pursuance of unconventional professions, distractions posed by the conflict of
enchanting life and bitter reality.
Sophie’s story is an example which shows that every teenager is engaged in a close
fight or struggle and wrestle with such problems. The best way to overcome them is
to keep oneself grounded against distractions and false company, films, social media.
The teenagers must move in the right direction and the path of excellence cautiously
and with devotion. One must remember that he/she is not alone. There are people
who will listen to them and support them through these difficult times. One must
always maintain an optimistic approach and avoid making silly mistakes. If they do
so, they can surely soar higher and achieve their goals and ambitions.

Q.9. Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind. Discuss
Ans. Sophie is a young school-girl belonging to a lower middle class family. She wants to
rise from the situation in which she finds herself. She is an incurable escapist and
dreams of opening a boutique, despite of being completely aware of the fact that
there was a dearth of resources. Her classmate Jansie, who was deeply grounded,
tells Sophie that opening a boutique requires a lot of money and experience and she
has neither of them. Sophie, who floats in a dreamy world of her own, dreams of
becoming an actress or a fashion designer. She has dreams of a hero also. She
develops fascination for Danny Casey, the wonder-boy of football. She sees him in
action only once when he scores the second goal for United. She imagines him
coming to her and tells her brother about the meeting. She goes on waiting for him
on the next date but he does not turn up. She becomes sad and carries the burden
of sadness all the times. Thus, her dreams and disappointments are the creations of
her mind.

Practice worksheet (Test Yourself)

Q.1. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
1) Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the incongruity
of
the delicate bow which fastened her apron strings. The delicate-seeming bow and
the crooked back. The evening had already blacked in the windows and the small
room was steamy from the stove and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in
his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner. Sophie felt a
tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.

i) What is the mood of this extract ?

a) Ironical b) humoruous c) light-hearted d) depressing

ii) Whose back did Sophie watch ?

iii) Who was the ‘heavy breathing man in his vest ?’
iv) Why did Sophie go to look for her brother Geoff ?
a) She wanted to discuss the latest match of United
b) She wanted to lift her spirit up a little bit in his company
c) She wanted to go on a motorcycle ride with him
d) She wanted to share with him her plan of opening a boutique
v) Which of the following pairs is nearly synonymous in meaning ?
a) Blacked : Steamy
b) Fastened : Cluttered
c) Stooped : Crooked
d) Incongruity : Piled

2) “He is going to buy a shop,” Sophie said from the table.

 Her father grimaced. “Where’d you hear that ?”
“He told me so.”
He muttered something inaudible and dragged himself round in his char. “This
another of your wild stories ?”
“She met him in the arcade,” Geoff said and told him how it had been.
“One of these days you’re going to talk yourself into a load of trouble,” her father said
aggressively.
i) Who was going to buy a shop, according to Sophie ?
ii) What is a wild story ?
a) A story about wildlife c) A story about ghosts and spirits
b) A horror story d) A very improbable story
iii) Why did Sophie’s father say that “One of those days you’re going to talk
yourself into a load of trouble” ?
a) Because Sophie was in a habit of being very rude in her speech
b) Because Sophie was in the habit of inventing imaginary stories
c) Because Sophie had the habit of talking to strangers
d) Because Sophie had the habit of speaking ill of others
iv) This extract shows that Sophie’s father is in a/an _______________ mood.

Q.2. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words :

1) What were Sophie’s future plans ?
2) What adolescent issues are being discussed in the chapter “Going Places’ ?
3) The family was a great fan of Danny Casey and his game. Give textual evidence to
support the truth of this statement.
4) What kind of a boutique did Sophie dream of establishing ?
5) Do you think Geoff’s silence is his asset ? Give reasons in support of your answer.

Q.3. Answer the following in about 120-150 words :

1) Do you think that Sophie is a representative of unguided adolescence. Discuss
2) whose point of view on life do you agree with – Sophie’s or Jansie’s ? Give reasons in
support of your answer.
3) Maintaining a balance between one’s fantasies and the real world is the key to the
survival. Give your opinion on Sophie’s character in the light of the above statement.