Class 7 English Notes Chapter 5 (Quality ; Trees) – Honeycomb Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 5 from your Honeycomb textbook. This chapter includes the poignant story 'Quality' and the simple yet meaningful poem 'Trees'. Both are important, so pay close attention to these notes for your exam preparation.

Chapter 5: Quality; Trees

Part 1: Quality (Story by John Galsworthy)

• Author: John Galsworthy (1867-1933) was a renowned English novelist and playwright. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932. His works often deal with social issues and class distinctions.

• Characters:

  • Mr. Gessler: A German bootmaker living in London. He runs a small shop with his elder brother (who appears briefly). He is the protagonist, embodying dedication, craftsmanship, and integrity. He speaks English with a strong German accent.
  • The Narrator: A loyal customer of Mr. Gessler since his youth. He admires Mr. Gessler's skill and dedication. The story is told from his perspective.
  • Mr. Gessler's Elder Brother: Resembles Mr. Gessler, works alongside him. His death marks a significant point in the decline of the business.

• Setting: A small, modest boot shop owned by the Gessler brothers in a fashionable street (West End) of London. The shop is simple, lacking the flashy displays of larger businesses.

• Plot Summary:

  1. The narrator describes his long association with Mr. Gessler, whom he considers the best bootmaker in London.
  2. He highlights Mr. Gessler's unique approach: making boots only on order, taking precise measurements, and using the finest leather. His boots last exceptionally long ("lasted terribly").
  3. Mr. Gessler views bootmaking not just as a trade but as an "art". He is deeply passionate and critical about boots made by others, especially large firms.
  4. The narrator once complains about a pair of boots creaking, which deeply affects Mr. Gessler, who promises to repair or replace them.
  5. On another visit, the narrator wears boots bought from a large firm due to an urgent need. Mr. Gessler identifies them immediately and expresses his disapproval, explaining the poor quality and how big firms attract customers through advertising, not quality, harming artisans like him.
  6. Over the years, the narrator notices Mr. Gessler aging and his business declining. The shop gets smaller (only one part used), and the elder brother passes away.
  7. Mr. Gessler struggles financially because he takes a long time to make each pair, uses the best materials, and doesn't advertise. Customers prefer quicker service and cheaper prices offered by big companies.
  8. Despite hardships, Mr. Gessler refuses to compromise on quality.
  9. The narrator orders multiple pairs to help him out. When he returns much later to collect them, he finds a young Englishman in the shop.
  10. The Englishman informs the narrator that Mr. Gessler died of "slow starvation". He explains how Mr. Gessler worked day and night, never giving himself time to eat, pouring all his money into rent and leather, obsessed with fulfilling orders perfectly.

• Themes:

  • Commitment to Quality and Craftsmanship: Mr. Gessler's unwavering dedication to making the best possible boots, even at personal cost.
  • Struggle Against Industrialization/Commercialism: The tragic story highlights the difficulty small, skilled artisans face competing against large, impersonal companies that prioritize profit and advertising over quality.
  • Integrity and Passion: Mr. Gessler's life revolves around his craft; it's his identity and passion. He represents integrity in work.
  • Loss and Nostalgia: The narrator feels a sense of loss for the dying art of traditional craftsmanship and for the dedicated artisan himself.
  • Human Cost of Business: The story shows the harsh reality and personal sacrifice involved when traditional skills clash with modern business practices.

• Key Vocabulary/Phrases:

  • Quality: The central theme; excellence, high standard.
  • Guttural: Sound produced in the throat; harsh-sounding (describes Mr. Gessler's accent).
  • Incense: Suggests the smell of leather in the shop is like something sacred or special.
  • Lasted terribly: Lasted for a very long time (used ironically).
  • Big firms: Large companies representing mass production and commercialism.
  • Advertisement: Marketing technique used by big firms, contrasted with Gessler's reliance on quality alone.
  • Slow starvation: The cause of Mr. Gessler's death, highlighting his self-neglect due to work.
  • "It is an Art": Mr. Gessler's view of bootmaking.

Part 2: Trees (Poem by Shirley Bauer)

• Poet: Shirley Bauer

• Summary: The poem simply lists the various functions and benefits of trees. It presents trees as universally useful and benevolent, serving birds, children, and adults in numerous ways throughout different times of the day and year. It's a celebration of the simple, essential role trees play in our environment and lives.

• Themes:

  • Importance and Usefulness of Trees: The core theme, illustrated through a list of activities and benefits.
  • Nature's Generosity: Trees provide shelter, food (implied), recreation, materials, and beauty freely.
  • Interconnectedness: Shows how trees are vital for birds (habitat), humans (recreation, resources, aesthetics), and the environment.
  • Simple Joys: Many activities mentioned (playing, swings, shade) represent simple pleasures derived from nature.

• Structure and Style:

  • Simple, accessible language.
  • Repetitive structure ("Trees are for...") emphasizes the multitude of uses.
  • Reads like a list, cataloging the functions of trees.
  • Focuses on actions and purposes associated with trees.

• Key Ideas / Uses of Trees Mentioned:

  • For birds to live in.
  • For children to play under, swing on, hide behind (hide-and-seek).
  • For having tea parties under.
  • For kites to get caught in.
  • To provide cool shade in summer.
  • To provide no shade in winter (allowing sun through).
  • For growing fruits like apples and pears.
  • To be chopped down for timber.
  • To make mothers comment on their beauty ("What a lovely picture to paint").
  • To make fathers comment on the practical aspect ("What a lot of leaves to rake this fall!").

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. In the story 'Quality', Mr. Gessler's shop was located in:
   A) A busy marketplace
   B) A quiet side-street
   C) The West End of London
   D) A suburban area

2. What did Mr. Gessler consider bootmaking to be?
   A) A simple trade
   B) A family business
   C) An art
   D) A necessary evil

3. Why did Mr. Gessler's business decline?
   A) He used poor quality leather.
   B) He couldn't compete with big firms in terms of price and speed.
   C) He moved his shop frequently.
   D) He stopped taking orders.

4. The phrase "lasted terribly" used by the narrator for Mr. Gessler's boots means they:
   A) Were of terrible quality
   B) Wore out very quickly
   C) Lasted for an exceptionally long time
   D) Were uncomfortable to wear

5. According to the young man in the shop at the end, Mr. Gessler died of:
   A) Old age
   B) An accident
   C) A sudden illness
   D) Slow starvation

6. Who is the author of the story 'Quality'?
   A) Shirley Bauer
   B) John Galsworthy
   C) William Wordsworth
   D) Ruskin Bond

7. According to the poem 'Trees', what do trees provide in summer?
   A) Fruits
   B) Timber
   C) Cool shade
   D) A place for kites

8. The poem 'Trees' mentions that fathers might look at trees in the fall and think about:
   A) Painting a picture
   B) Having a tea party
   C) Raking the leaves
   D) Building a treehouse

9. Which activity associated with children and trees is mentioned in the poem?
   A) Studying under them
   B) Playing hide-and-seek
   C) Watering them
   D) Planting new trees

10. The main theme of the poem 'Trees' by Shirley Bauer is:
    A) The beauty of forests
    B) The process of tree growth
    C) The various uses and importance of trees
    D) The dangers of deforestation

Answer Key:

1. C
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. C
9. B
10. C

Make sure you understand the themes and the reasons behind Mr. Gessler's tragic end, as well as the simple appreciation for nature expressed in the poem 'Trees'. These aspects are crucial. Study well!