The Guitar Player & Svayamvara by Suniti Namjoshi/Question - Answer/ RBSE

Chapter - 3

The Guitar Player                                                                                                                            Suniti Namjoshi

Short Question Answers

Q 1. What feelings arose in the heart of the passers-by after listening to the music?

Ans. The passers-by fell in love with the girl after listening to the music. They went to the girl and expressed their love to her.

Q 2. According to the girl, did the passers-by give the right answer?

Ans. No, according to the girl, the passers-by did not give the correct answer. Each of them responded that he did not know the right answer and asked her for the right answer.

Q 3. How did the girl react to the reply of the passer-by?

Ans. When both the passers-by showed their unawareness about the answer and asked her the right answer, she said that she wouldn't tell them the right answer and went on playing her guitar.

Q 4. Why was the passer-by greatly perplexed?

Ans. The passersby were greatly perplexed because their answers were rejected by the girl. They did not know the correct answers to the girl’s question but They wanted to know the correct answer .

Q 5. What was the right answer according to the girl?

Ans. According to the girl if they loved her, they must love her altogether, just as she was, all her gifts, all her possessions, everything, she had been and everything she would be.

Long Question Answers

Q 6.what was the right answer according to the girl?

Ans. Once there was a girl who played on her guitar and it so happened that two men passing by listened to the music and fell in love with her. She asked them if it was her music they loved or her. The first one said that he didn't know the right answer. The second one also said the same and at last ventured to say that it was a beautiful instrument. The girl rejected their answers and went on playing. The two passers-by thought over it the whole night and the next day they approached the girl again. The first one said that he would love her even if she did not play a single note of music. The second one said that he would love her even if she didn't own a guitar. The girl said that she was a musician and if they did not care about her music, they couldn't love her. If they really loved her, they should love her altogether, as she was, all her gifts, all her possessions, everything she had been and she would be.

Q 7. Why did the girl choose to play a sad little tune and what did the writer want to convey through this?

Ans. The girl was quite a talented musician. She played the guitar very well. Listening to her music the passers-by fall in love with her but when they were asked what they loved, her music or she herself, they discarded her music and said that they would love her even without her music. They forgot to recognize the music which was the reason for them to fall in love with her. They wanted to marry only her female self not her virtues. This made her sad and she chose to play a sad little tune.

The writer has tried to convey that women should be treated as human beings rather than objects. They too have desires and qualities which should be given due regard. They deserve a fair and equal treatment from their male counterparts.

Svaymvara

Short Question Answers

Q 1. What is the meaning of the word ‘svayamvara’?

Ans. Svayamvara is a ritual in which the bride chooses her husband for her marriage. A test is taken to choose the right husband. The girl marries the one who passes in the examination.

Q 2. Why were the princess’s parents sad?

Ans. Her parents had asked her not to whistle. But she did not listen to them. That’s why her parents were sad because no one would marry a whistling woman.

Q 3. On what basis was the princess finally able to choose her husband?

Ans. The princess asked the suitors whether they were all ready to accept that they had been beaten fairly. At this, everyone refused to accept except one. Princess chose him as her husband.

Q 4. Why did the parents tell the princess not to whistle?

Ans. The princess’ parents forbade her to whistle. But the princess did not stop whistling. They thought how a man could marry a whistling girl. They thought that the princess would remain unmarried lifetime.

Q 5. Why was the king displeased when the princess beat the suitors at the whistling?

Ans. The king had announced to marry his whistling daughter to a person who would defeat the princess at whistling. But the princess defeated all the suitors. Now the princess couldn’t be married to any suitor. So the king was displeased.

Q 6. Whom did the princess choose as her husband and why?

Ans. The princess chose the person as her husband, who had accepted his defeat. There was only one person accepted that he was defeated fairly. She chose him because he thought of the girl on equal terms.

Long Question Answers

Q 7. Most of the suitors did not accept the fact that they were fairly beaten. Why? Explain how does it reflect the society?

Ans. Worried that nobody would marry the princess, the King organized a Whistling Competition. It was declared that whoever would defeat the princess in the competition would be given half of the kingdom and the princess in marriage. But nobody was able to defeat her as she was so much adept at that. The King was sunk in gloom. Seeing her father's condition, the daughter asked the suitors, if they accept that they were fairly defeated in the competition. But none of them agreed to it except one.

The story truly reflect the society as in this patriarchal society women have always played a second fiddle. Men have dominated and women have always been suppressed. It is considered unmanly and humiliating to be defeated by women even in today's educated world. It is believed that women should always be behind men following their footsteps and not leading them.

Q 8. Discuss the deeper meaning and significance of the story.

Ans. The first paragraph taken from the above one.

The story suggests that being born a man doesn't guarantee the right to rule or humiliate women. Women also have talents and skills which should be recognized and given due respect. The whistling in the story is the princess' talent but that is not accepted by the vain and egocentric men. They couldn't think of their defeat by a woman. It was low and insulting to them. They believed that it was possible only through some magic or trick. The story signifies that women instead of being tortured and dominated should be given an equal status. Their role is as important as men in the society. A society should be built on the principles of gender equality and not on gender bias.