Class 8 English Notes Chapter 10 (The Great Stone Face–II) – Honeydew Book

Alright class, let's delve into the concluding part of our story, 'The Great Stone Face–II'. This chapter brings the lifelong quest of Ernest to a poignant and thought-provoking end. Pay close attention, as understanding the nuances is crucial, especially for competitive exams.

Chapter 10: The Great Stone Face–II - Detailed Notes

1. Ernest's Later Life and Reputation:

• Years Pass: Many years have gone by since the events of Part I. Ernest is now an old man, with white hair, deep wrinkles, but a serene and thoughtful face.
• Unconscious Teacher: He has become famous beyond the valley. Not for wealth or power, but for his wisdom, gentle spirit, and the simple, truthful life he led. People—scholars, men of eminence, city dwellers—travelled from distant places just to see and converse with him.
• Source of Wisdom: His thoughts and affections were intertwined with the Great Stone Face. He spent his life observing it, learning from it, and living a life that reflected its perceived nobility. His wisdom wasn't from books alone, but from deep reflection, experience, and living in harmony with nature and his own conscience.
• Unassuming Nature: Despite his fame, Ernest remained humble, simple, and hardworking, continuing his daily chores and speaking kindly to his neighbours.

2. The Arrival of the Poet:

• A New Candidate: A new figure emerges, believed by some to be the likeness of the Great Stone Face – a gifted Poet, native to the valley but having spent most of his life elsewhere.
• Poet's Works: His poems were celebrated for their divine beauty and harmony. They resonated deeply with people, expressing noble thoughts and high ideals. Ernest read his poems and felt they reflected the grandeur and spirit of the Great Stone Face. He hoped this poet might finally be the one foretold in the prophecy.
• Poet Seeks Ernest: The Poet, having heard of Ernest's wisdom and simple life, travels to the valley specifically to meet him.

3. Ernest and the Poet:

• Meeting: Ernest welcomes the Poet warmly. They converse, and Ernest expresses his admiration for the Poet's work, feeling it captures the voice of the Great Stone Face.
• Poet's Disillusionment: The Poet confesses a sad truth. While his poems express lofty ideals, his own life has often fallen short. He admits his thoughts (poems) and his actions (life) are not always in harmony. He acknowledges that his written words possess a grandeur that his character lacks. He feels unworthy of being the likeness of the Great Stone Face.
• Ernest's Insight: Ernest is saddened but understands. He realizes true greatness lies not just in expressing noble thoughts but in living them consistently.

4. The Climax - The Revelation:

• Ernest's Custom: As was his habit, Ernest goes to address his neighbours at sunset, near the Great Stone Face. The Poet accompanies him.
• Ernest Speaks: He speaks familiar truths – simple, profound words about life, duty, hope, and love, drawn from his own heart and experiences. His face glows with mild, earnest wisdom, illuminated by the setting sun.
• The Poet's Realization: As the Poet listens and observes Ernest speaking, with the Great Stone Face visible in the background, he is struck by an overwhelming realization. He sees the living likeness of the Great Stone Face not in himself, but in Ernest. The nobility, wisdom, and gentle sympathy etched on the mountain are mirrored perfectly in Ernest's face and expressed through his words and life.
• The Proclamation: The Poet, deeply moved, points towards Ernest and declares to the crowd, "Behold! Behold! Ernest is himself the likeness of the Great Stone Face!"
• The People's Agreement: The crowd looks from Ernest to the Stone Face and back again. They see the resemblance clearly – the prophecy seems fulfilled in the humble man who lived among them.

5. Conclusion:

• Ernest's Humility: Even as the people rejoice, Ernest remains humble. He accepts their recognition but still hopes that a wiser and better man than himself will eventually appear, bearing an even truer resemblance to the Great Stone Face.
• Enduring Symbol: The story ends, leaving Ernest as the living embodiment of the ideals the Great Stone Face represented, achieved not through fame or fortune, but through a lifetime of quiet virtue, wisdom, and kindness.

Character Analysis:

• Ernest: Represents wisdom gained through life experience, humility, integrity (harmony between thought and action), and quiet influence. He embodies the prophecy's true meaning.
• The Poet: Represents talent, idealism, and the potential gap between artistic expression and personal life. His character highlights the theme that being noble is more profound than merely writing about nobility. He serves as the catalyst for the final recognition of Ernest.
• The Great Stone Face: A constant symbol of nobility, divine sympathy, wisdom, and the ideal human potential that people aspire to.

Themes:

• True Worth vs. External Success: The story contrasts Ernest's quiet, virtuous life with the more public, but ultimately less fulfilling, successes of Gathergold, Old Blood-and-Thunder, and even the Poet. True worth lies in character, not reputation or achievement alone.
• Appearance vs. Reality: The physical resemblance is less important than the resemblance in character and spirit.
• The Power of Ideals: Living with a noble ideal (represented by the Face) can shape one's character profoundly.
• Wisdom from Nature and Life: Ernest's wisdom comes not just from books but from observing nature (the Face) and living a thoughtful, simple life.
• Humility: Ernest's defining trait, even at the moment of recognition.

Key Vocabulary/Phrases for Exams:

• Benign: Gentle and kindly.
• Pensive: Engaged in deep or serious thought.
• Venerable: Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.
• Obscurity: The state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant.
• Kinsmen: People related by blood.
• Prophetic: Accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future.
• Auditor: A listener.
• Harmonize: To be in agreement or concord. (Here, referring to the Poet's life and poems).
• Grandeur: Splendour and impressiveness.

Important Points to Remember:

• The sequence of potential candidates: Gathergold (wealth), Old Blood-and-Thunder (power/military fame), the Poet (intellect/artistic talent), and finally Ernest (wisdom/character).
• The key difference highlighted by the Poet: The gap between his ideals (in poems) and his actual life.
• The setting of the final revelation: Sunset, Ernest addressing his neighbours, the Great Stone Face in the background.
• Ernest's final reaction: Humility and hope for someone even better.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. Why did people travel from far away to see Ernest in his old age?
   a) Because he had become very wealthy.
   b) Because he held a position of great power.
   c) Because of his widely reputed wisdom and virtuous life.
   d) Because he claimed to be the likeness of the Great Stone Face.

2. Who was the last person considered by many to be the likeness of the Great Stone Face before the final revelation?
   a) Mr. Gathergold
   b) Old Blood-and-Thunder
   c) The Poet
   d) Ernest himself

3. What did the Poet confess to Ernest about his own life?
   a) That he secretly disliked the valley.
   b) That his life did not always match the high ideals in his poems.
   c) That he had never actually seen the Great Stone Face before.
   d) That he believed Ernest was foolish.

4. What quality did Ernest possess that the Poet felt he himself lacked?
   a) Wealth and fame
   b) Skill in writing poetry
   c) Harmony between his thoughts/words and his actions/life
   d) Physical resemblance to the Great Stone Face

5. Where was Ernest when the Poet and the people realized he was the likeness of the Great Stone Face?
   a) Working in his fields.
   b) Reading the Poet's poems in his cottage.
   c) Sitting alone, contemplating the Great Stone Face.
   d) Addressing his neighbours at sunset near the Face.

6. What word best describes Ernest's reaction when people hailed him as the likeness of the Great Stone Face?
   a) Arrogant
   b) Joyful
   c) Humble
   d) Angry

7. According to the story, true greatness is primarily found in:
   a) Achieving great wealth and power.
   b) Possessing extraordinary talent like the Poet.
   c) Living a consistently noble, wise, and kind life.
   d) Having a physical appearance resembling a natural wonder.

8. The Great Stone Face serves primarily as a symbol of:
   a) The beauty of nature.
   b) The dangers of the mountains.
   c) Noble human qualities and ideals.
   d) An ancient prophecy that was mistaken.

9. What does the word 'venerable' mean in the context of describing the old Ernest?
   a) Old and weak
   b) Respected due to age and wisdom
   c) Famous and wealthy
   d) Talkative and friendly

10. What was Ernest's final hope expressed at the end of the story?
    a) That people would forget the prophecy.
    b) That the Poet would write a poem about him.
    c) That someone wiser and better than himself would eventually come.
    d) That the Great Stone Face would crumble.

Answer Key:

1. c) Because of his widely reputed wisdom and virtuous life.
2. c) The Poet
3. b) That his life did not always match the high ideals in his poems.
4. c) Harmony between his thoughts/words and his actions/life
5. d) Addressing his neighbours at sunset near the Face.
6. c) Humble
7. c) Living a consistently noble, wise, and kind life.
8. c) Noble human qualities and ideals.
9. b) Respected due to age and wisdom
10. c) That someone wiser and better than himself would eventually come.

Study these notes carefully. Understand the characters' motivations, the story's progression, and the underlying themes. Good luck with your preparation!