THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
By - Vaikom Muhammed Basheer
Summary of the story
The Snake and the Mirror by Vaikom Muhammed Basheer is a humorous narrative based on human vanity and fears and how they affect people. The young doctor is a homeopath, struggling with his poverty and a fledgling practice. He lived in a small rented room – an outhouse – with two windows and a tiled roof. The tiles were supported by gables that rested on the beam and there was no electricity. And he shared the room with rats. This is how the doctor narrates his unforgettable experience with his friends.
One hot summer night, the doctor returned to his room after he had his dinner at the restaurant. He lighted the kerosene lamp, took off his coat and shirt, and opened the two windows. He settled on the chair and took out a medical book to read. There was a large mirror on the table on which stood a lamp. Since it was too hot to sleep, and he had nothing better to do, he sat down in front of the mirror, admiring himself, admiring his looks and smile, and planning what he should do to look more presentable. Gradually, his thoughts shifted from self-admiration to planning his marriage. He thought that he would marry a rich doctor having a good practice and that he would choose a fat lady as his wife so that she would not be able to run and catch him.
Suddenly a fat snake fell down and it landed on the shoulder of the doctor. The doctor could not do anything. The snake coiled around his left arm above the elbow. The hood was spread. Because of fear, the doctor sat there like a stone statue, afraid to move lest the snake may strike back. He thought of various medicines he had and if any was good enough to save him if the snake did bite him. He believed that God would save him.
Suddenly, the snake turned its head and looked into the mirror and saw its reflection. The doctor thought whether the snake was admiring its beauty. He also thought whether the snake was trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow or wearing a vermillion spot on its forehead. The doctor was unaware of the sex of the snake. The snake uncoiled itself from his arm and crept onto the table moved towards the mirror. The doctor thought that the snake wanted to enjoy its reflection at closer quarters.
Now the doctor acted quickly. Still holding his breath, he got up slowly from the chair. Then he ran out of the house. He went to the house of one of his friends. He smeared oil all over himself and took a bath and spent the night there. Next morning, he took his friend and one or two others to his room. He had decided to shift to some other house. When he reached there he was shocked to find that there was nothing left in his room. Some thief had taken away most of his things except his dirty vest. There was no sign of the snake either. The story clearly highlights the fact that one should not be proud of oneself because whatever he has, is a gift of God.
Comprehension Questions and Answers.
1. What was the topic that came up for discussion between the doctor and his friends?
Ans: The topic was the encounter with snakes.
2. What does the expression ‘full-blooded cobra’ suggest?
Ans: It suggests it was fully grown, dangerous and poisonous cobra.
3. “The sound was a familiar one.” What was the sound?
Ans: The sound of rats running across the beam.
4. “In those days I was a great admirer of beauty…” Pick out the phrases and expressions from the story that justify the statement.
Ans: (a) ....... took a close look at my face in the mirror,
(b)I would shave daily, grow a moustache to look more handsome.
5. What are the two ‘important’ and ‘earth-shaking decisions that the doctor takes while looking into the mirror?
Ans: He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache and the other was to keep the attractive smile on his face to look more handsome.
6. ‘Again came that noise from above.’ Did the doctor pay much attention to the noise? Why?
Ans: No, because it was the noise of rats running across the beam. It was a familiar sound for him.
7. What kind of a woman does the doctor want to marry? Why?
Ans: He wants to marry a lady doctor with plenty of money and good medical practice. She should also be fat. He wanted her to be fat so that in case he makes a mistake and wants to run away, she should not catch up with him.
8. What happened when the doctor was sitting on his chair?
Ans: A full-blooded cobra fell from the roof and coiled itself on the doctor’s shoulder.
9. How did the doctor react when the snake landed on him?
Ans: He sat there holding his breath like a stone image in flesh.
10. Why did the doctors in the chair ‘like a stone image in the flesh’?
Ans: He did not know what to do. There was no time to react. He was terrified with fear.
11. In the story the snake is compared to three objects. What are they?
Ans: (a) A rubber tube, (b) a leaden rod, (c) and a human being.
12. Why did he feel that he was a stupid doctor?
Ans: He had rats in his room. He could naturally expect a snake someday. He should have kept with him some antidote for snake poison. But he did not have any.
13. “I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.” What does the doctor mean by this statement?
Ans: He regained his presence of mind and he was able to move freely.
14.Why did the doctor run to his friend’s house? Did the snake harm the doctor? Why?
Ans: He ran to his friend’s house so that he could have a bath and clean himself after being touched by the snake. The snake did not harm him, except that it terrified him. The snake must have thought it had fallen into a stone image.
15. “…the thief had left behind one thing ass final insult!” What was the insult?
Ans: The thief took everything except the dirty vest of the doctor. If people saw the dirty vest, they would have a poor opinion of the doctor. The thief wanted to remind the doctor that he should have a better sense of cleanliness.
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Activity 2
CHARACTER SKETCH
The Homeopath
The Homeopath is a character in the story The snake and the Mirror written by Vaikom Mohammed Basheer. He is young. handsome and eligible bachelor He is from a middle-class family. He has just started his career. So his income was very low. He had to live in a rented house. It was not electrified. Rats used to run around over the roof every night. His dreams were high. He is a man with set of goals. He is also a person having high self-esteem He has a good humour sense. He is very much beauty conscious. He is also very humble and simple in nature. He felt pity for himself when he knew he didn't have the necessary medicines if the snake had bitten him.
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First Bell 2.0 online class 10 - 16/7/2021Activity 1
Thoughts of the doctor
I will part my hair with a comb and make it look straight and neat. That's going to make me look handsome. I will shave daily and grow a thin moustache that will give me a pleasant look. I would always keep a smile on my face to make myself look more attractive. I would marry a rich lady doctor who has a good medical practice. She should be fat. If I made some silly mistake and needed to run away she should not be able to run after me and catch me!
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In this story, the narrator narrated a frightening incident in a humourous way. What makes this frightening story humourous is?
ഭയപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന ഒരു സംഭവത്തെ വളരെ രസകരമായ രീതിയിൽ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ് ഈ കഥയിൽ - അവ ഏതൊക്കെ ?
Points -
(i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
- He had just started practice and his earnings were meager.
(ii) The kind of person he wanted to be (appearance, ambition)
- He wanted to be a rich and handsome doctor.
(iii) The person he wants to marry
- a rich and fat lady doctor.
(iv) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
- He thought of himself as a handsome young bachelor doctor.
(v) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm.
- He thought of himself as a stupid and foolish doctor.
Activity 2
Attempt a short paragraph on the use of contrasts in the story to bring out the humour.
(Assignment )
Answer -
A contrast between dreams and reality is presented in this story. The contrast has been humorously depicted. The doctor in this story had just started practice and his earnings were meager. He wanted to be rich by marrying a rich lady doctor. While looking into the mirror, he thought to himself that he was handsome and young. When the snake coiled around his arm, he thought he was a stupid and foolish doctor.
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First bell 2.0 Online Class 11, 22 July 2021Follow up activities
Reading passage - I did not know anything for certain...... It was a snake which was taken with its ow beauty.1. Refer to question 13 above.
2. Why did the listeners heave a sigh of relief?
Answer: They understood that the doctor was out of danger.
3. Who did the doctor marry
Answer: The doctor married a thin reedy woman with the gift of a sprinter.
4. What did the doctor do as soon as he reached his friend's house?
Answer: The doctor smeared oil all over himself, took a bath, and changed into fresh clothes.
5. What was the final insult for the doctor?
Answer: The thief had left behind the doctor's dirty vest.
Activity 1 - page 28
Pick out sentences from the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’ and complete the table below. These sentences tell you about the condition of the narrator. Some hints are given.
Assignment.
The doctor in the story 'The Snake and the Mirror' reaches his friend's house at night and narrates his experience. Write the likely narrative.
( Features of a narrative are given in the Discourse section.)
(ഈ ബ്ലോഗിലെ ഡിസ്കോഴ്സ് സെക്ഷൻ സന്ദർശിക്കുക)
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