1. What does the female persona in ‘The Old Playhouse’ accuse her husband of?
A. Domesticating her like a swallow
B. Respecting her freedom and identity
C. Loving her unconditionally
D. Encouraging her to pursue her dreams
Answer: Domesticating her like a swallow (A)
The female persona accuses her husband of domesticating her like a swallow after marriage in a well-planned manner.
2. What does the first section of the poem ‘The Old Playhouse’ highlight?
A. The joys of married life
B. The need for personal space in a relationship
C. The importance of sensual desires
D. The disastrous fate of a mismatched marriage
Answer: The disastrous fate of a mismatched marriage (D)
The first section of the poem highlights the disastrous fate of a mismatched marriage.
3. How does the woman in ‘The Old Playhouse’ describe her husband’s view of marriage?
A. As a chance to forget her colorful past
B. As limited to the gratification of sensual desires only
C. As an opportunity for self-growth and self-discovery
D. As a bilateral relationship based on mutual trust
Answer: As limited to the gratification of sensual desires only (B)
The woman describes her husband’s view of marriage as limited to the gratification of sensual desires only.
4. What did the woman hope to achieve through marriage in ‘The Old Playhouse’?
A. To be enlightened about her true self
B. To forget about her colorful past
C. To lose her distinct identity
D. To satisfy her husband’s desires
Answer: To be enlightened about her true self (A)
The woman hoped to achieve self-growth and self-discovery through marriage.
5. In ‘The Old Playhouse’, what effect did the woman experience due to her husband’s ego?
A. A loss of identity and will to live
B. A boost in self-confidence
C. An increase in self-discovery
D. A sense of liberation
Answer: A loss of identity and will to live (A)
The woman experienced a loss of identity and the will to live due to her husband’s ego.
6. How does the woman feel about her past life in ‘The Old Playhouse’?
A. Suffocated and oppressed
B. Hopeful and optimistic
C. Thrilled and contented
D. Regretful and remorseful
Answer: Suffocated and oppressed (A)
The woman feels suffocated and oppressed when reflecting on her past life in the poem.
7. ‘The Old Playhouse’ portrays marriage as a relationship based on:
A. Unequal power dynamics
B. Equality and mutual understanding
C. Egotistical desires only
D. Physical entertainment
Answer: Egotistical desires only (C)
‘The Old Playhouse’ portrays marriage as a relationship based on egotistical desires only.
8. ‘The Old Playhouse’ suggests that the woman’s husband views her primarily as:
A. A source of emotional support
B. An object of physical entertainment
C. An equal in the relationship
D. A partner for self-discovery
Answer: An object of physical entertainment (B)
‘The Old Playhouse’ suggests that the woman’s husband views her primarily as an object of physical entertainment.
9. ‘The Old Playhouse’ conveys the message that marriage should not be about :
A. Mutual trust and understanding
B. Exploitation and dehumanization
C. Personal growth and development
D. Sensory pleasures only
Answer: Sensory pleasures only (D)
‘The Old Playhouse’ conveys the message that marriage should not be about sensory pleasures only.
10. How does ‘The Old Playhouse’ depict the woman’s feelings towards her married life?
A. Fulfillment and joy
B. Disenchantment and alienation
C. Passion and intimacy
D. Freedom and independence
Answer: Disenchantment and alienation (B)
In ‘The Old Playhouse’, the woman feels disenchantment and alienation towards her married life.
11. What was the primary cause of Kamala Das’s disturbed marital life?
A. Her inability to satisfy her husband’s desires
B. Her husband’s lack of romantic gestures
C. Her husband’s overpowering and egotistical nature
D. Her own inconsistent responses and reactions
Answer: Her husband’s overpowering and egotistical nature (C)
The text clearly states that Kamala Das’s marital life was disturbed due to her husband’s overpowering and egotistical nature.
12. How did Kamala Das’s husband treat her?
A. As a source of emotional support
B. As an object for the satisfaction of his lust
C. As an equal partner in the relationship
D. As a companion for intellectual discourse
Answer: As an object for the satisfaction of his lust (B)
The text mentions that Kamala Das was treated as an object for the satisfaction of her husband’s lust only.
13. What did Kamala Das lose due to her husband’s behavior?
A. Her love for poetry
B. Her financial independence
C. Her physical health
D. Her individuality and self-respect
Answer: Her individuality and self-respect (D)
The text states that in the process of unnatural appeasement, Kamala Das had lost her individuality and self-respect.
14. How is Kamala Das’s life described in the text?
A. A time of joy and fulfillment
B. A period of winter, with shattered dreams and a complete vacuum
C. A journey of self-discovery and growth
D. A constant struggle for financial stability
Answer: A period of winter, with shattered dreams and a complete vacuum (B)
The text mentions that Kamala Das’s life had come to a standstill, with her romantic dreams shattered and facing a complete vacuum.
15. What does the metaphor ‘old playhouse filled with impenetrable darkness’ refer to?
A. Kamala Das’s marital life
B. Kamala Das’s poetic aspirations
C. Kamala Das’s husband’s behavior
D. Kamala Das’s childhood home
Answer: Kamala Das’s marital life (A)
The metaphor is used to describe Kamala Das’s colorless and meaningless marital life.
16. How did Kamala Das feel about her husband’s love-making technique?
A. She found it emotionally fulfilling
B. She found it spiritually enriching
C. She found it stereotyped and mechanical
D. She found it satisfying and romantic
Answer: She found it stereotyped and mechanical (C)
The text states that Kamala Das was fed up with the stereotyped and mechanical technique of love-making by her husband.
17. What did Kamala Das’s husband’s love offer, according to the text?
A. A sense of security and belonging
B. Intellectual stimulation
C. Emotional nourishment
D. Fatal doses that could ultimately kill her
Answer: Fatal doses that could ultimately kill her (D)
The text mentions that Kamala Das’s husband offered love in fatal doses, which could ultimately kill her.
18. How did Kamala Das’s husband’s behavior affect her ability to think and act?
A. It made her more independent and assertive
B. It enhanced her critical thinking skills
C. It had no impact on her thinking or actions
D. She lost her will to think and act independently
Answer: She lost her will to think and act independently (D)
The text states that Kamala Das had lost her will to think and act independently due to her husband’s behavior.
19. What does the phrase ‘caged existence’ refer to in the context of Kamala Das’s life?
A. Her inability to express herself freely
B. Her lack of financial resources
C. Her husband’s controlling behavior
D. Her confinement within the boundaries of her home
Answer: Her husband’s controlling behavior (C)
The phrase ‘caged existence’ is used to describe Kamala Das’s life, which was restricted by her husband’s controlling and egotistical behavior.
20. What did Kamala Das experience as a result of her husband’s treatment?
A. A sense of empowerment and self-discovery
B. Improved physical health
C. Feelings of alienation and frustration
D. Increased financial independence
Answer: Feelings of alienation and frustration (C)
The text clearly states that Kamala Das was alienated and frustrated in life due to the indifferent attitude of her husband.
21. What does the title ‘The Old Playhouse’ symbolize?
A. A metaphor for the speaker’s childhood memories
B. A literal old playhouse where the speaker used to perform
C. The speaker’s mind after the disastrous effects of her mismatched marriage
D. The speaker’s husband’s mind, which has lost its vibrancy
Answer: The speaker’s mind after the disastrous effects of her mismatched marriage (C)
The title ‘The Old Playhouse’ represents the speaker’s mind, which has become inert and non-functional due to the strains of her mismatched marital relationship.
22. What does the image of a ‘sparrow’ represent?
A. A literal sparrow that the speaker sees outside her window
B. The speaker’s husband, who has captured and confined her
C. The speaker’s lost innocence and carefree nature
D. The speaker herself, who is captured and denied freedom
Answer: The speaker herself, who is captured and denied freedom (D)
The word ‘sparrow’ stands for the poetess (Kamala Das) who is captured by her cruel and heartless husband (captor) who denies her any identity or freedom.
23. What do the images of ‘summer’ and ‘autumn’ symbolize?
A. The bright and dark phases of the speaker’s life
B. The speaker’s husband’s changing moods
C. The changing seasons of the year
D. The speaker’s childhood and old age
Answer: The bright and dark phases of the speaker’s life (A)
The images of ‘summer’ and ‘autumn’ show the bright and dark phases of the speaker’s (Kamala Das’s) life.
24. What does the image of Narcissus represent?
A. The speaker’s shattered love for her husband due to his egotism
B. The speaker’s husband’s egotistical nature
C. The speaker’s love for herself
D. The speaker’s desire to be admired and loved
Answer: The speaker’s shattered love for her husband due to his egotism (A)
The image of Narcissus shows that Kamala Das’s love for her husband is all shattered by her egotistical husband, and she is haunted by her own face, which is reflective of her loneliness and desolation.
25. What is the significance of the mirror image in the poem?
A. It faithfully mirrors the loneliness and anxieties of the speaker’s face
B. It is a literal mirror that the speaker looks into
C. It symbolizes the speaker’s desire to see herself as others see her
D. It represents the speaker’s vanity and self-obsession
Answer: It faithfully mirrors the loneliness and anxieties of the speaker’s face (A)
The image of the mirror is very relevant because it faithfully mirrors the loneliness and anxieties of the speaker’s (Kamala Das’s) face.
26. What does the phrase ‘lights put out’ in the title suggest?
A. The literal lights in the old playhouse have been turned off
B. The speaker’s mind has lost its vibrancy and liveliness
C. The speaker’s childhood memories have faded away
D. The speaker’s husband has turned off the lights in their house
Answer: The speaker’s mind has lost its vibrancy and liveliness (B)
The phrase ‘lights put out’ in the title ‘The Old Playhouse’ suggests that the speaker’s mind has lost its vibrancy, liveliness, and functional value, just like an old, deserted playhouse.
27. What does the phrase ‘non-functional and inert’ refer to?
A. The speaker’s husband, who is emotionally distant
B. The old playhouse, which is no longer in use
C. The speaker’s mind, which has become inactive and lifeless
D. The speaker’s childhood memories, which have faded away
Answer: The speaker’s mind, which has become inactive and lifeless (C)
The phrase ‘non-functional and inert’ refers to the speaker’s mind, which has become inactive, lifeless, and lost its functional value due to the disastrous effects of her mismatched marital relationship.
28. What does the phrase ‘lost all her value as a woman’ suggest?
A. The speaker has lost her physical beauty and attractiveness
B. The speaker has lost her ability to bear children
C. The speaker’s husband no longer values her as a woman
D. The speaker has lost her self-worth and identity as a woman
Answer: The speaker has lost her self-worth and identity as a woman (D)
The phrase ‘lost all her value as a woman’ suggests that the speaker (Kamala Das) has lost her self-worth, identity, and sense of value as a woman due to the confinement and suffocation in her mismatched marital relationship.
29. What does the phrase ‘life of confinement and suffocation’ refer to?
A. The speaker’s literal confinement in a small room
B. The speaker’s childhood memories of feeling confined and suffocated
C. The speaker’s husband’s controlling and restrictive behavior
D. The speaker’s mismatched marital relationship, which is confining and suffocating
Answer: The speaker’s mismatched marital relationship, which is confining and suffocating (D)
The phrase ‘life of confinement and suffocation’ refers to the speaker’s (Kamala Das’s) mismatched marital relationship, which has become confining and suffocating, denying her any freedom or identity.
30. What does the comparison between the speaker’s mind and the ‘old playhouse with lights put out’ suggest?
A. The speaker’s mind is as vibrant and lively as the old playhouse
B. The speaker’s mind is as empty and deserted as the old playhouse
C. Both the speaker’s mind and the old playhouse are in a state of neglect and have lost their functional value
D. The speaker’s mind is as dark and gloomy as the old playhouse
Answer: Both the speaker’s mind and the old playhouse are in a state of neglect and have lost their functional value (C)
The comparison between the speaker’s mind and the ‘old playhouse with lights put out’ is very appropriate and suggestive. Both are in a state of neglect and have lost their functional value due to the disastrous effects of the speaker’s mismatched marital relationship.
