1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought his wings would not support him. He was very weak. All young birds are afraid to make their first flight.
2. If you were the family member of the young seagull, would you also decide not to go near him Elaborate with reason.
Yes, even I would have done the same. The seagull’s family members encouraged him to fly. But he was too afraid to fly. Then they kept him hungry. Then they thought that experience would teach him, so they made him fall from the ledge. Ultimately, all their efforts were fruitful.
3. The 'fight or flight response', that is, to stay and face a situation or run from it- is an automatic reaction to an event perceived as stressful or harmful. How would you find himself off the ledge?
No doubt the young gull faced the situation with the ‘fight response’ success can’t be taken to be granted. One has to struggle and finally win it. Hunger made the young seagull take his final plunge. This led him to make his first flight and soar into space after satisfying his hunger.
4. "The sight of the food maddened him." What does this suggest? (His First Flight)
The young seagull was afraid to fly because the sight of the sea filled him with fear. What motivated him to fly was his hunger. For past twenty four hours, he had not eaten anything. When his mother tempted him with a piece of fish in her beak, he was maddened to see the food. His hunger compelled him to dive to save himself.
5. How did the seagull’s parents try to make him fly?
The little seagull's parents tried every possible way to make him fly. They came to him and asked him to fly. They rebuked him and threatened him, that if he didn't fly, the would leave him to die of hunger. They even pretended to ignore him.
6. How did the young seagull react when he landed on the sea?
Dropped to land on sea, legs sank, screamed with fright, tried to rise again, feet sank, belly touched water, started floating.
When the young seagull landed on the sea, his legs sank into it. He screamed with fright. He tried to rise again flapping his wings. But being tired and weak with hunger, his feet sank into the green sea. His belly touched water but he sank no further. He started floating on it.
7. What happened when the young seagull dived at the fish picked up by his mother?
When the young seagull dived at the fish, he fell outwards and downwards with a scream. His monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. Soon his wings spread outwards and he could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air.
Part 2: Black Aeroplane
1. Why was the narrator happy and what was he dreaming of?
It was a clear and cloudless night. The moon had come up in the east. Stars were shining above. The narrator was happy. He was flying high up above the flying high up above the sleeping countryside. He was dreaming of his holiday and being with his family.
2. As a reader, do you feel betrayed or let down in the way the story ends? Validate your opinion.
‘Black Aeroplane’ is a mysterious story with an open end. The readers are left free to guess the end. But it does convey a strong message of ‘Never say ‘die’ till the end. Never lose hope in the most hopeless situation.
3. Why did the woman in the control room look at the pilot of Dakota DS 088 strangely?
The woman in the control room looked at the pilot of the Dakota strangely when he was talking about there being another aeroplane.
4. Why and when did he call Paris Control-Room?
It was one thirty in the morning. He wanted to call Paris Control. He switched on the radio and told that Dakota DS 088 was on his way to England. The narrator got the necessary instruction that he needed. He was asked to turn twelve degrees west towards England.
5. What did he find when he checked the map and the compass?
The narrator checked the map and the compass. He switched over to his second and last fuel tank. He turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England. He thought that he would be in time for breakfast. Everything was going well and it was an easy flight.
6. Did the narrator meet the pilot of the black aeroplane? How did he and his aeroplane disappear in the sky?
No, the narrator didn’t meet his rescuer. When he was out of the storm clouds, he looked back. He found no trace of the aeroplane. Nor did he see the face of the pilot. Only God knows where they disappeared. Even the control room couldn’t record their presence.
7. Based on your reading, would you call the narrator a family man? Justify your answer.
Indeed, the narrator is a family man. He was dreaming of his holidays with his family. He was looking forward to be with his family. He wanted to be in time for breakfast for which he took the risk of moving ahead in the storm. The narrator was a grateful man. He went to the Paris control to ask who was the other pilot who saved his life.
8. James Lane Allen says, "Adversity reveals character". What do you learn about the narrator from the experience? Mention any two traits supported by the textual evidence.
The narrator seemed to lack his professional ethics and responsibility. He was about 150 km away from Paris when the clouds appeared. He didn’t have enough fuel to fly. Actually, he ignored his professional wisdom. The narrator was a grateful man. He went to the Paris control to ask who was the other pilot who saved his life.
9. Why did the lady in the control room give the pilot a puzzled look?
- No sensible man flies in such weather.
- Not seen any other plane on the radar.
Detailed Answer: The lady in the control room gave the pilot a puzzled look when he asked her whereabouts of black aeroplane because she knew that it was not possible for any sensible man to fly in such a bad weather. Moreover, no other plane was seen on the radar.