A Ghostly Wife: WBCHSE Class 11 English answers, notes

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Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guides for (Folk-Tales of Bengal) Lal Behari Dey’s A Ghostly Wife: WBCHSE Class 11 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester III syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.

Summary

A Brahman lived with his wife and his mother. Near their house was a tank with a large tree where a ghost, known as a Sankchinni, lived. One night, the Brahman’s wife went to the tank and accidentally brushed against the ghost. This made the ghost very angry. It seized the woman, hid her inside a hollow in the tree trunk, and put on her clothes. The ghost then went into the house, pretending to be the Brahman’s wife.

At first, no one noticed the change. But the next morning, the mother-in-law saw that her daughter-in-law was different. The real wife was usually weak and slow, but this woman was very active and finished her chores in a short time. The mother-in-law was initially pleased but soon became suspicious. One day, she saw the ghost-wife stretch her arm to a great length to get a vessel from another room. Later, she discovered the ghost cooking by putting her own foot into the oven, which blazed brightly without any wood.

The mother told her son what she had seen, and they realized this was a ghost. They sent for an exorcist, called an Ojha. The Ojha performed a test by holding a piece of burning turmeric under the ghost’s nose, as ghosts cannot bear the smell. The ghost screamed and tried to run away. The Ojha caught her and beat her with his slippers until she confessed. She revealed she was a Sankchinni and told them where the real wife was.

They rescued the Brahman’s wife from the tree. The ghost was made to promise she would never harm the family again and was sent away. The real wife recovered, and she and her husband lived happily together for many years, raising many children. The story finishes with the line, “Here my story endeth, The Natiya-thorn withereth,” which is a traditional way of saying the tale is over.

Questions and Answers

1. What happened when the Brahman’s wife went to the tank one night? How did the Sankchinni react?

Answer: One night, the Brahman’s wife had an occasion to go to the tank near her house. On the embankment of this tank stood a tree where a ghost of the kind called Sankchinni lived. As the woman went to the tank, she brushed by the Sankchinni who was standing near the tree.

This accidental contact made the she-ghost very angry with the woman. In her rage, the Sankchinni seized the Brahman’s wife by the throat. After capturing her, the ghost climbed into her tree and forcefully thrust the woman into a hole in the trunk. The poor woman was left there, almost dead with fear from the terrifying ordeal. The ghost’s reaction was swift and violent, showing no mercy for the unintentional slight.

2. How did the ghost take the place of the Brahman’s wife? What did she do to the real wife?

Answer: The ghost took the place of the Brahman’s wife through a simple but effective deception. After overpowering the real wife, the ghost put on the woman’s clothes. She then went into the house of the Brahman, pretending to be his wife who was returning from the tank. Her disguise was so convincing that neither the Brahman nor his mother had any inkling of the change. The Brahman believed his wife had returned, and his mother believed it was her daughter-in-law.

The ghost had treated the real wife with great cruelty. She had first seized the woman by the throat. Then, she climbed into the tree where she lived and thrust the real wife into a hole in the trunk. The woman was left trapped inside the tree, lying there almost dead with fear.

3. What was the first change the mother-in-law noticed in her daughter-in-law? How did she initially react to this change?

Answer: The first change the mother-in-law noticed in her daughter-in-law occurred the morning after the ghost took her place. She knew that her real daughter-in-law was constitutionally weak and languid and always took a long time to do the work of the house. However, she observed that the new daughter-in-law had apparently become quite a different person. All of a sudden, she had become very active and was able to do the work of the house in an incredibly short time.

Initially, the mother-in-law did not suspect that anything was wrong. She said nothing about the change to either her son or her daughter-in-law. On the contrary, she only rejoiced that her daughter-in-law had turned over a new leaf. This expression means she was very happy, believing her daughter-in-law had changed her lazy habits and had become a better, more industrious person.

4. Describe the original nature of the Brahman’s wife. How did the ghost’s behaviour contrast with this?

Answer: The original nature of the Brahman’s wife was that she was constitutionally weak and languid. This means she was naturally not very strong and lacked energy. Because of this, she took a long time to do the work of the house. She was not a very active or efficient person in her daily chores.

The ghost’s behaviour was a complete contrast to this. The ghost, disguised as the wife, had apparently become quite a different person. All of a sudden, she had become very active. She did the work of the house in an incredibly short time. For example, the cooking of the household was done in much less time than before. When asked to bring something from the next room, it was brought back much faster than the time it would take to walk there. This high level of energy and supernatural speed was the opposite of the real wife’s slow and languid nature.

5. How did the mother-in-law’s suspicion about her daughter-in-law grow? What specific incidents caused this?

Answer: The mother-in-law’s suspicion grew as her surprise became greater and greater every day. She was initially happy about the change, but the sheer speed at which tasks were completed began to seem unnatural. She noticed that the cooking was done in much less time than before, and this repeated efficiency started to make her question what was happening.

Two specific incidents turned her happiness into suspicion. First, she observed that when the daughter-in-law was asked to bring anything from the next room, it was brought in much less time than was required for walking from one room to the other. The second and more alarming incident was when the old woman directly observed the ghost’s supernatural ability. She ordered her to bring a vessel from some distance, and the ghost unconsciously stretched her hand to several yards’ distance and brought it in a trice. Seeing this impossible act struck the old woman with wonder and confirmed that something was very wrong.

6. How was the ghost’s ability to stretch her limbs discovered by the old woman? Describe the incident.

Answer: The ghost’s ability to stretch her limbs was discovered by the old woman through careful observation. She first became suspicious when items were brought from the next room much faster than a person could walk. She realized that the ghost, instead of going inside the next room, would simply stretch a long arm from the door to get the thing. This was possible because ghosts can lengthen or shorten any limb of their bodies.

The old woman confirmed her suspicion with a test. One day, she ordered her supposed daughter-in-law to bring a vessel from some distance. The ghost, forgetting to act human, unconsciously stretched her hand to several yards’ distance and brought the vessel in a trice. The old woman was struck with wonder at this sight. Although she said nothing to the ghost at that moment, she immediately went and spoke to her son, and they both began to watch the ghost more narrowly.

7. What shocking discovery did the mother-in-law make in the kitchen? What did this reveal about the daughter-in-law?

Answer: The mother-in-law made a shocking discovery in the kitchen one day. She knew that there was no fire in the house and that her daughter-in-law had not gone out of doors to get it. And yet, strange to say, the hearth in the kitchen-room was quite in a blaze. She went inside the kitchen to investigate. To her infinite surprise, she found that her daughter-in-law was not using any fuel for cooking. Instead, she had thrust her own foot into the oven, and her foot was blazing brightly, providing the fire for the cooking.

This horrifying discovery revealed the true identity of the person pretending to be her daughter-in-law. It proved that the young woman in the house was not a human being. After the old mother told her son what she had seen, they both concluded that she was not his real wife but a she-ghost.

8. What conclusion did the mother and son reach about the young woman? What did they decide to do?

Answer: The mother and son reached the terrifying conclusion that the young woman living in their house was not the Brahman’s real wife but a she-ghost. This conclusion was formed after the mother witnessed a series of strange events, culminating in the shocking sight of the daughter-in-law’s foot blazing in the oven as a source of fire. The old mother told her son what she had seen, and the son also witnessed those very acts of the ghost which his mother had seen, confirming their fears.

Once they were certain they were dealing with a ghost, they decided that they needed professional help to handle the dangerous situation. Therefore, they decided to send for an Ojha. An Ojha is an exorcist who has the knowledge and power to deal with supernatural beings like ghosts.

9. Who is an Ojha? Why was one sent for by the Brahman?

Answer: An Ojha is an exorcist. The role of an Ojha is to drive away ghosts from possessed persons or to handle other supernatural problems. They are considered experts in dealing with spirits and have special methods to identify and expel them.

One was sent for by the Brahman because he and his mother had confirmed that the woman in their house was a she-ghost, not his real wife. After the mother saw the ghost’s foot on fire in the oven and the son witnessed the same strange acts, they knew they could not handle the situation themselves. They needed an exorcist to first officially ascertain whether the woman was a real woman or a ghost and then to drive the ghost away and save the family from harm.

10. What was the first thing the exorcist wanted to find out? What method did he use for this purpose?

Answer: When the exorcist, the Ojha, came, the first thing he wanted to do was to find out for certain whether the woman was a real woman or a ghost. He needed to confirm the family’s suspicions before taking any further action.

To do this, the Ojha used a special method that was considered an infallible test. He lighted a piece of turmeric and set it below the nose of the supposed woman. The smell of burnt turmeric was believed to be something that no ghost, whether male or female, could tolerate, making it a perfect tool for identifying a spirit.

11. Describe the “infallible test” used by the Ojha. How did the supposed woman react to this test?

Answer: The “infallible test” used by the Ojha was a simple but powerful method to identify a ghost. The test relied on the fact that no ghost, male or female, can put up with the smell of burnt turmeric. The exorcist lighted a piece of turmeric, which created a strong, pungent smoke. He then took this piece of lighted turmeric and set it directly below the nose of the supposed woman to see how she would react to the smell.

The supposed woman, who was actually the Sankchinni, had a very strong and immediate reaction to the test. The moment the lighted turmeric was taken near her, she could not bear it. She screamed aloud and ran away from the room in terror. Her reaction made it plain to everyone that she was either a ghost or a woman possessed by a ghost.

12. What did the ghost confess after being beaten by the Ojha? What reason did she give for her actions?

Answer: After the ghost ran from the room, she was caught by main force. At first, she refused to make any disclosures about who she was. On which, the Ojha took up his slippers and began belabouring her with them. Under this pressure, the ghost finally confessed. She said with a strong nasal accent, which is how all ghosts speak, that she was a Sankchinni and that she lived on a tree by the side of the tank. She also confessed that she had seized the young Brahmani and put her in the hollow of her tree, revealing where the real wife was hidden.

The reason the ghost gave for her actions was simple revenge. She explained that she had seized the Brahman’s wife because one night, the woman had touched her as she passed by the tank. This accidental touch had made the she-ghost very angry, and she captured the woman to punish her for it.

13. What are Sankchinnis? Describe their appearance and typical behaviour.

Answer: Sankchinnis, who are also called Sankhachurnis, are a type of female ghost found in folk-tales. They are specifically identified as spirits of a white complexion.

Their appearance is described as being like sheets of white cloth. Their typical behaviour is to stand at the foot of trees during the dead of night. This appearance and behaviour would make them look eerie and frightening to anyone who might see them. The story also shows that they can be very vengeful, as the Sankchinni became extremely angry and captured the Brahman’s wife just for being brushed by.

14. What happened to the real wife after she was rescued from the tree? How was the ghost finally dealt with?

Answer: After the ghost confessed, people went to the tree and found the real wife in a hollow in the trunk. When the woman was brought from the tree, she was almost dead from fear and her confinement. Following her rescue, the wife of the Brahman recovered, but she did so slowly.

The ghost was finally dealt with by the Ojha through a combination of force and a binding promise. After her confession, the ghost was again shoebeaten. Following this punishment, she declared solemnly that she would not again do any harm to the Brahman and his family. Once she made this serious promise, she was released from the spell of the Ojha and was sent away, freeing the family from her presence for good.

15. What special ability of ghosts is mentioned in the story? How did the ghost-wife use this ability in the household?

Answer: The special ability of ghosts that is mentioned in the story is that they can lengthen or shorten any limb of their bodies at will. This allows them to perform actions that are impossible for humans.

The ghost-wife used this ability to perform her household duties with supernatural speed. For example, when the mother-in-law wanted her to bring anything from the next room, the ghost would not walk there. Instead, she would stand at the door and simply stretch a long arm to get the thing. This is how she brought items back in much less time than was required for walking. She was caught when she unconsciously used this power to fetch a vessel from several yards’ distance, stretching her hand and bringing it back in a trice.

16. Trace the mother-in-law’s change in attitude towards her daughter-in-law throughout the story.

Answer: The mother-in-law’s attitude towards her daughter-in-law changes significantly throughout the story. Initially, she saw her real daughter-in-law as being constitutionally weak and languid, someone who was slow at her work.

When the ghost takes over, her attitude changes to happiness and relief. Seeing the “daughter-in-law” become very active and efficient, the old woman suspected nothing and only rejoiced that she had turned over a new leaf, believing she had become a better person.

This happiness soon turned into suspicion. As the daughter-in-law performed tasks at an impossible speed, the mother-in-law’s surprise grew daily. Her suspicion was confirmed when she saw the ghost stretch her arm several yards to get a vessel.

Finally, her attitude became one of fear and determination. After discovering the ghost using her own blazing foot to cook, she was filled with terror but also knew she had to act. She told her son, and together they took steps to expose the ghost and rescue her real daughter-in-law, showing her underlying care and concern.

17. What was the eventual fate of the Brahman and his wife?

Answer: The eventual fate of the Brahman and his wife was a very happy and prosperous one. After the ghost was driven away by the Ojha, the real wife, who had been found almost dead in the tree, recovered slowly from her terrible experience.

Once she was well, she and the Brahman lived many years happily together. Their life was blessed, and they went on to have a large family, as they begat many sons and daughters. The story ends on this positive note, indicating that they overcame the ghostly ordeal and lived a full and happy life afterward. The tale concludes with the traditional lines, “Here my story endeth, The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc.”