Keeping It from Harold
Class 9 English
L2 (Extra Questions)
Answer Key
Q1. Answer the following questions with reference to the context:
1) He was a self-centered child and accepting the commercial traveller fiction,
dismissed the subject from his mind and busied himself with things of more
moment.
(i) More moment here means ____
Ans. Here 'more moment' means importance.
(ii)Explain ... 'accepting the commercial traveler fiction'.
Ans. 'Accepting the commercial traveller fiction' means that Harold accepted (/
believed) the story told to him that his father was a travelling salesman, i.e.
commercial traveler.
(iii)Which subject is regarded as trivial?
Ans. The subject that is regarded as trivial is likely the idea or concept of romantic
relationships or affairs involving commercial travelers.
Q2. Explain the title 'Keeping It from Harold'. Why was it to be kept from Harold?
Ans. The title 'Keeping It from Harold' clearly describes that there must be a secret
that has been kept away from Harold. The secret was the real identity of Harold's
father's profession. He was a professional boxer and it was a secret because of
Harold's extraordinary skills and his intellectual ability. His father got afraid,
thinking that Harold would be hurt to know about his father's profession.
Q3. Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to try and convince Bill to change his
mind?
Ans. Jerry Fisher was Bill's trainer. He tried in all ways to convince Bill to fight.
When he saw that Bill was not ready to fight because of his son, he told the truth to
his son, Harold. He told Harold that his father was a professional boxer.
Q4. Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity?
Give two reasons.
Ans. Firstly, Harold was upset that his father had not told him about his true
identity because he was bullied by his friends by the name 'Googles'. He said if it
would had been known to him earlier, nobody could ridicule him. Secondly, he had
betted with his friends on the boxing event. He thought he would lose the bet if his
father would not fight.
Q5. Why was Mrs. Bramble not happy to see her husband's retirement from
boxing?
Ans. Mrs. Bramble never expected that her husband would quit his last match,
scheduled to be held the next week. When she saw her husband and Mr. Jerry, his
trainer, at home, she got surprised because they were expected to be at the White
Hart for practice. Though she did not like her husband's profession, this match
would have given a large amount of money even if he would have lost the match.
And from this money, she could give Harold a better education. This is the reason
that she got angry to see her husband's coming back to home from the White Hart.
Q6. Write a character sketch of Mrs. Bramble.
Ans. Mrs. Bramble was Bill Bramble's wife and Harold's mother. She was a very
caring wife as well as mother. She remained busy all the time in catering to the
needs of her husband and son. She was a proud mother and used to call Harold as
'dearie' or 'precious'. She was very conscious of his studies and never compromised
his studies for anything. Also, she was a proud wife, though she did not like
boxing, but she was proud of her husband and of his name, fame and money.
Though she was a truth loving woman, she did not mind when her husband and she
decided to hide the actual profession of being a boxer from their son. They did not
want him to get embarrass in front of his friends by telling them that his father is a
professional boxer. She was a practical woman. This can be proved from the fact
that she did not like boxing but she did not approve of Bill's idea of quitting his last
contest. Because she knew that this match could give him a large amount of money
either by losing or winning. And from that amount, they can provide a better
education to their son. She knew when to put her foot down. This can be proved as
she snubbed her brother major Percy Stokes for persuading Bill to
Q7. How was Mr. Bramble’s nature in total contrast to his physical abilities?
Ans. Mr. Bramble was a successful boxer by profession, which requires immense
physical strength to defeat the opponent. He was a tough fighter and was
affectionately known to a large section of the inhabitants of London, as “Young
Porky”. Among all London’s teeming millions, there was not a man, weighing
eight stone four, whom he could not overcome in a twenty round contest.
But Mr. Bramble’s nature was a total contrast to his physical abilities. In private
life, he was the mildest and the most obliging of men, and always yielded to
everybody. At one place in the story, the writer describes his walk as that of a
‘diffident crab’ implying that he did not have much self-confidence. His sensitive
nature and sense of sacrifice for his son also show how soft he was at heart.
