Class 7 English Notes Chapter 6 (I want Something in a Cage) – An allienhand Hand Supplymentry Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 6 from your 'An Alien Hand' book, "I Want Something in a Cage". This is an interesting story with deeper meanings, so pay close attention as we break it down for your exam preparation.

Chapter 6: I Want Something in a Cage

Author: Adapted from L.E. Greeve

Setting:
The story is primarily set in a pet shop owned by Mr. Purcell. The shop is described as dim, musty, and filled with the constant rustling, squeaking, and chirping sounds of various small animals and birds kept in cages. This atmosphere of confinement is crucial to the story's theme.

Characters:

1. Mr. Purcell:

   • Appearance: A small, fussy man with red cheeks and a tight, melon-like stomach. Wears large glasses that magnify his eyes.
   • Profession: Owner of a pet shop dealing in cats, dogs, monkeys, fish food, birdseed, and various remedies. Considers himself a professional man.
   • Personality: Routine-oriented, somewhat detached from the animals he sells (sees them more as commodities), values profit, easily disturbed by deviations from the norm, lacks deep understanding or empathy, feels superior. He dislikes the constant noise of the shop but is also accustomed to it.
   • Attitude towards the Customer: Finds the customer strange and unsettling. Is focused on making a sale but is ultimately bewildered and feels "vaguely insulted" by the customer's final action.

2. The Strange Customer:

   • Appearance: Wears a new, ill-fitting, cheap suit. Has thinning hair, strange "shuttling" eyes that move constantly, and a pale complexion. Gives an impression of recent hardship or confinement.
   • Behaviour: Enters the shop abruptly (like a "ghost of wind"), speaks tersely, seems uncomfortable and tense, avoids eye contact initially, clutches his money tightly.
   • Motivation: Explicitly states "I want something in a cage." Later revealed he has just been released from prison after serving a ten-year sentence ("Ten years... hard labour. They give you five dollars..."). His desire stems from his own experience of captivity. He wants to buy freedom for another creature.
   • Action: Buys a pair of doves for five dollars (all the money he has). Immediately upon leaving the shop, he opens the cage and releases the birds into the air.

Plot Summary:

1. Introduction to Mr. Purcell and his Shop: The story opens by describing Mr. Purcell, his pet shop, its gloomy atmosphere filled with caged creatures, and his daily routine. He doesn't particularly like the constant noise but is used to it.
2. Arrival of the Customer: A bell rings, signalling a customer, but Mr. Purcell doesn't see anyone initially. A strange man suddenly appears before the counter. His appearance and mannerisms immediately mark him as unusual.
3. The Request: The man glances around the shop, ignoring Mr. Purcell's greeting and sales pitch. He states his specific desire: "I want something in a cage."
4. Choosing the Doves: Mr. Purcell suggests various pets, but the man's eyes fixate on a pair of white doves. He asks the price ($5.50).
5. The Transaction: The customer reveals he only has five dollars, earned through ten years of hard labour in prison. Mr. Purcell, sensing the man's desperation and perhaps wanting to make a quick sale, agrees to sell the doves for five dollars. The customer counts out the money carefully.
6. Advice Ignored: Mr. Purcell offers advice on caring for the doves, but the customer pays no attention.
7. The Act of Liberation: The customer leaves the shop, stops just outside, opens the cage door, and frees the two doves. He watches them fly away into the smoky city sky.
8. Mr. Purcell's Reaction: Mr. Purcell witnesses this act from his window. He feels confused, bewildered, and "vaguely insulted." He cannot comprehend why someone would spend their hard-earned money just to set the creatures free immediately. He mutters about the cheap price he sold them for, missing the entire point of the customer's action.

Themes:

1. Freedom vs. Captivity: This is the central theme. The pet shop is a symbol of captivity, filled with creatures confined to cages. The customer, having experienced ten years of imprisonment, deeply understands the value of freedom. His purchase and subsequent release of the doves is a symbolic act – buying freedom for creatures that mirror his own past confinement.
2. Empathy and Understanding: The story highlights the lack of empathy in Mr. Purcell. He sees the animals as mere stock and the customer as odd. He cannot understand the profound emotional motivation behind the customer's actions because he has never experienced such loss of freedom. The customer's act is driven by deep empathy for caged beings.
3. The True Value of Money: For Mr. Purcell, money is profit. For the customer, the five dollars represents ten years of lost freedom and hard labour. He uses this dearly earned money not for personal gain or possession, but to grant freedom, showing what he truly values.
4. Appearance vs. Reality: Mr. Purcell looks like a respectable shopkeeper but is emotionally detached and lacks insight. The customer looks strange, poor, and perhaps suspicious, but his actions reveal a deep sensitivity and a poignant desire born from suffering.

Key Points for Exam Preparation:

• Remember the description of the pet shop and its atmosphere (sounds, smells, cages).
• Know the physical descriptions and personality traits of both Mr. Purcell and the customer.
• Understand the customer's background (prison, ten years, five dollars).
• Be clear about why the customer bought the doves (to set them free).
• Understand Mr. Purcell's final reaction (confusion, feeling insulted) and why he felt that way (lack of understanding).
• Be able to explain the main themes, especially freedom vs. captivity.
• The price asked for the doves ($5.50) and the price paid ($5.00).

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What kind of business did Mr. Purcell run?
   a) A grocery store
   b) A pet shop
   c) A bookstore
   d) A tailor shop

2. How is Mr. Purcell described physically?
   a) Tall and thin
   b) Small, fussy, with red cheeks
   c) Young and energetic
   d) Old and frail

3. What did the strange customer wear?
   a) An expensive business suit
   b) Old, torn clothes
   c) A cheap, ill-fitting new suit
   d) A uniform

4. What specific request did the customer make?
   a) "I want the cheapest pet."
   b) "I want something that sings."
   c) "I want something in a cage."
   d) "I want a puppy."

5. How long had the customer been in prison?
   a) Five years
   b) Ten years
   c) One year
   d) Twenty years

6. How much money did the customer have?
   a) Ten dollars
   b) Fifty cents
   c) Five dollars and fifty cents
   d) Five dollars

7. What animals did the customer eventually buy?
   a) A monkey
   b) Two white doves
   c) A kitten
   d) Goldfish

8. What did the customer do with the animals immediately after leaving the shop?
   a) Took them home carefully
   b) Sold them to someone else
   c) Set them free
   d) Returned them to Mr. Purcell

9. How did Mr. Purcell feel after witnessing the customer's final action?
   a) Happy and satisfied
   b) Angry and cheated
   c) Indifferent and bored
   d) Vaguely insulted and bewildered

10. What is the central theme explored in the story?
    a) The cruelty of pet shops
    b) The importance of making money
    c) The value of freedom versus captivity
    d) The difficulty of choosing a pet

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b) A pet shop
2. b) Small, fussy, with red cheeks
3. c) A cheap, ill-fitting new suit
4. c) "I want something in a cage."
5. b) Ten years
6. d) Five dollars
7. b) Two white doves
8. c) Set them free
9. d) Vaguely insulted and bewildered
10. c) The value of freedom versus captivity

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the motivations of the characters and the underlying themes is key to appreciating this story and answering questions effectively. Let me know if any part needs further clarification.