Class 9 English Notes Chapter 10 (The Beggar) – Moments Supplimentary Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 10, 'The Beggar' from your 'Moments' book. This story by Anton Chekhov is quite insightful and often appears in assessments due to its strong themes and character development. Pay close attention to these notes for your exam preparation.

Chapter 10: The Beggar by Anton Chekhov

1. Introduction:
'The Beggar' is a short story by the renowned Russian writer Anton Chekhov. It explores themes of human degradation, compassion, the impact of kindness, and the potential for redemption. The story revolves around an encounter between a prosperous advocate, Sergei, and a beggar, Lushkoff, highlighting how different forms of help can influence a person's life.

2. Characters:

• Lushkoff:
  • The protagonist, initially presented as a beggar.
  • An alcoholic, expelled from the Russian choir due to his drinking habit.
  • Resorts to lying and deceit to evoke pity and gain alms (pretends to be an expelled student, then a village schoolmaster).
  • Appears weak, unwilling to work, and degraded by his circumstances and addiction.
  • Undergoes a significant transformation by the end of the story.
• Sergei:
  • A successful, observant, and somewhat stern advocate (lawyer).
  • Recognizes Lushkoff despite his different stories.
  • Dislikes dishonesty and believes in the principle of earning through hard work.
  • Offers Lushkoff work instead of alms, initially out of a sense of moral principle rather than deep compassion.
  • Feels proud of his role in "saving" Lushkoff, though his understanding is incomplete initially.
• Olga:
  • Sergei's cook.
  • Appears outwardly harsh, scolding, and resentful towards Lushkoff.
  • Despite her sharp words, she performs the wood-chopping task for Lushkoff out of pity.
  • Her actions, combined with her sorrowful words about his ruined life, have a profound, transformative effect on Lushkoff.
  • Represents genuine, albeit unconventional, compassion.

3. Plot Summary:

• The Encounter: Sergei meets Lushkoff begging on the street. Lushkoff claims to be an expelled student needing money. Sergei recognizes him, recalling he had previously seen him begging under the guise of a dismissed village schoolmaster.
• Confrontation and Offer: Sergei confronts Lushkoff about his lies. Angered by the deceit, Sergei refuses to give alms but offers Lushkoff honest work: chopping wood at his house.
• Reluctant Acceptance: Trapped by his own lies and pride, Lushkoff reluctantly agrees, though clearly unfit and unwilling.
• At Sergei's House: Sergei instructs his cook, Olga, to take Lushkoff to the woodshed. He observes from a window, seeing Lushkoff barely able to stand, let alone chop wood. Olga appears scornful.
• The Work Done (Indirectly): Despite Lushkoff's weakness, the wood is eventually chopped. Sergei pays Lushkoff half a rouble. Lushkoff starts appearing regularly for odd jobs (shovelling snow, putting wood-shed in order, beating dust out of rugs). He barely does the work himself, often relying on others or Olga's intervention, but Sergei continues to provide tasks.
• A Better Opportunity: Seeing Lushkoff has stopped drinking (or so he assumes), Sergei offers him cleaner, indoor work – copying documents.
• The Transformation: Two years pass. Sergei encounters Lushkoff at a theatre ticket office. Lushkoff is well-dressed, buying a ticket for the gallery, and reveals he is now working as a notary, earning a decent salary (thirty-five roubles a month).
• The Revelation: Lushkoff thanks Sergei for his help but reveals the crucial truth: he never chopped a single piece of wood at Sergei's house. It was Olga who did all the work for him. He confesses that Olga's suffering, her scolding, her tears shed for him, and her act of chopping the wood while lamenting his fate, somehow touched him deeply and set him on the path to reform. Her nobility saved him.
• Sergei's Realization: Sergei is left contemplating the true source of Lushkoff's redemption – not his own principled lectures or work offers, but the unexpected, empathetic actions of his cook, Olga.

4. Themes:

• Redemption and Transformation: The central theme is Lushkoff's journey from a drunken, lying beggar to a self-sufficient notary. It shows that change is possible, even for those who seem lost.
• Compassion and Kindness: The story contrasts Sergei's principled, somewhat detached help with Olga's emotional, practical intervention. It suggests that true compassion, even if expressed harshly, can have a more profound impact than mere charity or moralizing. Olga's actions, born of pity and sorrow for Lushkoff, were the catalyst for his change.
• Dignity of Labour: Sergei believes work will reform Lushkoff. While Lushkoff initially avoids the physical labour, the opportunity to work and eventually the act of working (copying, notary work) helps him regain self-respect and break free from begging and alcoholism.
• Truth vs. Deception: Lushkoff's initial survival strategy is lying. His transformation is complete when he honestly reveals the truth about Olga's role to Sergei.
• Human Weakness and Strength: The story portrays Lushkoff's initial weakness (physical, moral due to alcohol) but also his potential for inner strength, which is awakened by Olga's influence.

5. Literary Style:

• Realism: Chekhov presents the characters and situations realistically, without excessive sentimentality.
• Psychological Insight: The story delves into the motivations and feelings of the characters – Sergei's self-satisfaction, Lushkoff's shame and eventual gratitude, Olga's hidden empathy.
• Irony: There is irony in the fact that Sergei believes he saved Lushkoff through his principles, while the real saviour was Olga, whose methods were far less conventional.

6. Key Message:
The story suggests that genuine human connection and empathy, even if expressed unconventionally (like Olga's scolding and weeping), can be more powerful agents of change than stern moral principles or purely practical help offered without deep feeling. Work provides dignity, but the spark for change often comes from the human heart.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What was the first lie Lushkoff told Sergei in the story?
   a) He was a hungry beggar.
   b) He was a village schoolmaster dismissed unjustly.
   c) He was an expelled student needing money to get home.
   d) He was a singer fired from a Russian choir.

2. What was the first job Sergei offered Lushkoff?
   a) Shovelling snow
   b) Copying documents
   c) Chopping wood
   d) Beating dust out of rugs

3. Who is Olga in the story?
   a) Sergei's wife
   b) Lushkoff's sister
   c) Sergei's neighbour
   d) Sergei's cook

4. According to Lushkoff's final confession, who actually chopped the wood for him?
   a) Sergei himself
   b) Lushkoff, but very slowly
   c) Olga, the cook
   d) No one, the wood was never chopped

5. Why was Lushkoff dismissed from the Russian choir?
   a) For stealing
   b) For drunkenness
   c) For poor singing
   d) For lying

6. How did Olga react outwardly towards Lushkoff when he first came to chop wood?
   a) With kindness and pity
   b) With indifference
   c) With scorn and anger
   d) With fear

7. What job was Lushkoff doing when Sergei met him two years later?
   a) Advocate
   b) Teacher
   c) Notary
   d) Beggar again

8. What does Lushkoff primarily credit for his reformation?
   a) Sergei's stern words and offer of work
   b) His own willpower and determination
   c) The shame he felt for begging
   d) Olga's words, tears, and actions

9. What is the central theme explored in 'The Beggar'?
   a) The importance of wealth
   b) The power of lies
   c) The possibility of redemption through compassion and work
   d) The injustice of the Russian social system

10. What motivates Sergei initially to offer Lushkoff work instead of money?
    a) Deep sympathy for Lushkoff's situation
    b) A desire to test Lushkoff's honesty
    c) His principle that people should earn through labour, not beg
    d) He needed wood chopped urgently

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) He was an expelled student needing money to get home.
2. c) Chopping wood
3. d) Sergei's cook
4. c) Olga, the cook
5. b) For drunkenness
6. c) With scorn and anger
7. c) Notary
8. d) Olga's words, tears, and actions
9. c) The possibility of redemption through compassion and work
10. c) His principle that people should earn through labour, not beg

Study these notes carefully. Understand the characters' motivations and the underlying themes. Chekhov's stories often carry subtle messages about human nature. Good luck with your preparation!