Class 9 English Notes Chapter 1 (The Lost Child) – Moments Supplimentary Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 1 of our Moments reader, 'The Lost Child' by Mulk Raj Anand. This is a poignant story, and understanding its nuances is important, not just for your class exams but potentially for competitive exams where questions on literature and comprehension might appear.

Chapter 1: The Lost Child - Detailed Notes for Exam Preparation

Author: Mulk Raj Anand (Note: Knowing the author can sometimes fetch marks or be relevant context).

Setting: A village fair during the festival of spring. The atmosphere is vibrant, colourful, and bustling with people.

Theme(s):

1. Parent-Child Relationship: Explores the deep bond between a child and his parents, highlighting the sense of security and love they provide.
2. Child Psychology: Depicts the innocent desires, attractions, and fears of a young child.
3. Materialism vs. Emotional Needs: Contrasts the child's initial attraction to material things (toys, sweets, etc.) with his ultimate, desperate need for his parents.
4. Loss and Fear: The overwhelming fear and anxiety experienced upon realizing one is lost and alone.

Summary:

1. Journey to the Fair: The story begins with a child excitedly going to the village fair with his parents. He is full of joy and anticipation. The mood is festive.
2. Attractions and Desires:
   • Toys: The child is fascinated by the toys in the shops but knows his father's stern refusal ("his father’s cold stare of refusal"). He suppresses his desire.
   • Mustard Field: He is captivated by the flowering mustard field, comparing the flowers to melting gold. He chases dragonflies but is called back by his mother.
   • Insects and Worms: He stops to admire little insects and worms along the footpath but is again urged forward by his parents.
   • Grove: As they near the village, flower petals shower upon him, and he tries to gather them, distracted by the cooing of doves.
   • Banyan Tree: He playfully runs around a banyan tree before joining his parents.
3. At the Fair - Temptations: Inside the fair, the child is overwhelmed by the sights and sounds.
   • Sweetmeat Seller: He longs for his favourite burfi but murmurs his request faintly, knowing it won't be heeded ("because his parents would say he was greedy").
   • Flower Seller: He is attracted to a garland of gulmohur but anticipates the refusal ("because they would say that they were cheap").
   • Balloon Seller: He desires the rainbow-coloured balloons but knows his parents would say he is too old to play with them.
   • Snake Charmer: He is drawn towards the music of the snake charmer's flute but pulls himself away, knowing his parents forbade listening to such 'coarse' music.
4. The Turning Point - Getting Lost:
   • Roundabout: The child sees a roundabout (merry-go-round) in full swing. This is the ultimate attraction. He makes a "bold request" to his parents for a ride.
   • Realization: Hearing no reply, he turns around. His parents are not there. Panic sets in.
5. The Search and Fear:
   • He runs frantically, crying "Mother, Father". Tears roll down his face. His yellow turban comes untied. His clothes become muddy.
   • He searches near the shrine, amidst a thick crowd, nearly getting trampled.
6. The Kind Man:
   • A kind man rescues him from the crowd, lifts him up, and tries to console him.
   • The man offers him all the things the child had previously desired: a ride on the roundabout, the snake charmer's music, balloons, flowers, and sweets.
7. Shift in Priorities:
   • The child, now consumed by fear and the loss of his parents, refuses everything. The very things that fascinated him moments ago hold no appeal.
   • His only cry is, "I want my mother, I want my father!"
8. Conclusion: The story ends on this note, emphasizing that for the child, the presence and security of his parents are far more valuable than any worldly attraction. The man's kindness cannot replace the child's fundamental need for his parents.

Character Sketch:

• The Child: Innocent, observant, easily attracted by the colourful world around him. Initially desires material things but is aware of his parents' likely refusals (shows understanding of their nature). His world revolves around his parents, and their loss throws him into utter despair, revealing his deep emotional dependence and love.
• Parents: Portrayed primarily through the child's perception. The father appears stern and practical (refusing toys). The mother seems gentler, often diverting his attention (mustard field, calling him back). They represent security and love, the loss of which is the child's greatest fear.
• The Kind Man: Represents compassion and empathy. He tries his best to soothe the child by offering him the very things he desired earlier, highlighting the irony and the child's changed state of mind.

Key Elements/Symbols:

• The Fair: Represents the alluring, distracting world of material pleasures and experiences.
• The Roundabout: Symbolizes the peak of worldly attraction, the point where the child finally gets separated.
• The Lost Child's Cry: "I want my mother, I want my father!" becomes a powerful symbol of the fundamental need for love, security, and belonging over material possessions.

Language and Style:

• Third-Person Narrative: The story is told from a third-person perspective but closely follows the child's point of view and feelings.
• Descriptive Language: Mulk Raj Anand uses rich, sensory details to bring the fair and the child's experiences to life (e.g., "melting gold" mustard fields, "rainbow glory" of balloons).
• Emotional Tone: The tone shifts from joy and excitement to anxiety, panic, and deep sorrow.

Relevance for Exams: Questions might focus on the theme, character analysis (especially the child's psychology), plot sequence, the significance of the ending, or vocabulary and descriptive language used. Understanding the contrast between the child's desires before and after getting lost is crucial.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What festival was being celebrated when the child went to the fair?
   a) Diwali
   b) Holi
   c) Festival of Spring
   d) Dussehra

2. What was the first thing the child asked for, even though he knew his father would refuse?
   a) Balloons
   b) A garland of gulmohur
   c) Burfi
   d) A toy from the shop

3. Why did the child lag behind his parents near the mustard field?
   a) He was tired.
   b) He was watching the insects and worms.
   c) He was fascinated by the dragonflies.
   d) He wanted to pick the flowers.

4. What reason did the child anticipate his parents would give for not buying him balloons?
   a) They were too expensive.
   b) He was too old to play with them.
   c) The colours were too bright.
   d) They might burst easily.

5. What finally made the child make a "bold request" to his parents?
   a) The snake charmer's music
   b) The sweetmeat seller's stall
   c) The colourful balloons
   d) The roundabout (merry-go-round)

6. Where was the crowd thickest when the child was searching for his parents?
   a) Near the sweetmeat stall
   b) Near the entrance of the fair
   c) Near the shrine
   d) Near the roundabout

7. Who rescued the child from being trampled by the crowd?
   a) His father
   b) A policeman
   c) A kind-hearted man
   d) The flower seller

8. What did the kind man offer the child FIRST to console him?
   a) Sweets
   b) A ride on the roundabout
   c) Balloons
   d) A garland of flowers

9. How did the child react when the man offered him his favourite sweet, burfi?
   a) He accepted it eagerly.
   b) He turned his face away and sobbed.
   c) He asked for water instead.
   d) He pointed towards his parents.

10. What is the central message conveyed through the child's final reaction?
    a) Children are always greedy for toys and sweets.
    b) Fairs are dangerous places for children.
    c) A child's need for parental love and security surpasses all material desires.
    d) Strangers are always kind to lost children.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) Festival of Spring
2. d) A toy from the shop (Note: While he wanted burfi later, the first mentioned desire he suppressed due to his father's stare was for toys)
3. c) He was fascinated by the dragonflies.
4. b) He was too old to play with them.
5. d) The roundabout (merry-go-round)
6. c) Near the shrine
7. c) A kind-hearted man
8. b) A ride on the roundabout
9. b) He turned his face away and sobbed.
10. c) A child's need for parental love and security surpasses all material desires.

Study these notes carefully. Remember the sequence of events, the child's feelings at each stage, and the underlying message. Good luck with your preparation!