Lesson 3: Dark They were and Golden-Eyed
This chapter is from the 11th class English book 1 and it has been written by the Ray Bradbury. we have presented the important questions of this chapter for the intermediate (part 1) FSc FA first year students.
Questions Answers
Q: What did the rocket-men find on Mars?
Ans: The rocket-men saw that the American-built town of cottages, peach trees, and theaters was silent. They also saw a weak rocket frame rusting(t f) in an empty shop.
Q: Describe the captain’s headquarters.
Ans: The captain made his headquarters in an abandoned bar in the old settlement of the Earth people.
Q: What report did the lieutenant submit to the captain?
Ans: The lieutenant said that the natives were found in the hills. These Martians were the dark people with yellow eyes. They were very friendly.
Q: How social were the people of Mars?
Ans: The people of Mars were tall and healthy. They were dark-coloured and golden-eyed. They were very friendly. Women were very beautiful. They learnt English fast.
Q: What, according to the captain and the lieutenant, had happened to the settlers on Mars?
Ans: They were not sure about anything, but they guessed that the Earth people were Α killed by plague, They considered the Earth people, the Martians.
Q: What message do you receive from the writer on reading the story “Dark They Were, and Golden-eyed”?
Ans: The writer has, in fact, criticized the modern people. They are greedy. They have driven the world towards destruction. Peace-loving people will have to leave this planet.
Q: Describe under what circumstance the Bittering had to pass through.
Ans: The Bittering family had moved to the Mars because they were afraid of the danger of the atomic war on Earth. There were so many other people along with them. All of them thought that when the danger was over, they would go back to Earth. On the Mars they tried to maintain their Earthly life-style. The Bittering family ate only Earthly food. But the Martian atmosphere started casting its effect on them. Harry Bittering, in particular, felt himself like a salt crystal in a mountain stream. The house they constructed gave a burnt appearance.
Q: How much social were the people of Mars?
Ans: Actually there were no people on Mars. About six to eight hundred people rushed to Mars from Earth so that they might live safe from the danger of the atomic war. In the beginning, they followed the life-style of Earth. But with the passage of time, they began to change. After five years, they were so much changed that the members of the rescue party from Earth thought they were Martians. The lieutenant of the rescue party met them. He found thern very friendly. They could understand and speak English. They were Surprisingly peaceful.
Q: How did the life change finally? OR Was this better or worse?
Ans: The Martian atmosphere had a strange effect on the Earth people. Their bodies began to grow slim and tall. Their eyes began to turn yellow and the colour of the skin dark. Apart from these changes, they started forgetting their past. Even in one year they left their Earth settlement and shifted to hills. In five years, they were so changed that the members of the rescue party thought they were Martians. It was overall a better change because. they were perfectly at ease with the new situation. Moreover, unlike the Earth people they were wonderfully friendly and peaceful.
Q: Write the story in your own words.
Ans: This is an imaginary story, which tells that six to eight hundred people le Earth and went to Mars. They wanted to remain safe from the destruction caused by atomic war on Earth. The Martian atmosphere started casting its effect on them. Harry Bittering could not adjust himself to this new situation. He felt himself like a salt crystal in a mountain stream. But after a long struggle he also gave up. Within one year all the people were so changed that no one could recognize them. Five years later, a rescue party came from Earth. The members of the rescue party thought they were the Martian people. They found them wonderfully friendly and peaceful.
Q: What differences can you point out in the life-style of the people of two different planets?
Ans: There was a marked difference in the life-style of the people of two different nations:
- People on Earth were under a threat of the atomic war, while people living on Mars were mentally relaxed.
- People living on Mars were slim bodied. They were taller than the Earth people. Their eyes were yellow and skin dark.
- The people of Mars liked to live in hills.
- The people of Mars were friendly and peaceful.
- They were quite happy on the planet.
Q: Why did Mr. Bittering want to go back to Earth?
Ans: Mr. Bittering felt that the Martian atmosphere did not suit him. Right from the beginning he felt that at Mars he would lose his identity. This is why he wanted to go back to Earth.
Q: How did the Martian hills and cities look like?
Ans: Time had destroyed the Martian hills. The old cities were lost in their valleys and looked like children’s little bones.
Q: Why did Mr. Bittering’s wife oppose his idea of going back to the Earth?
Ans: His wife told him that they had travelled over sixty million miles. It was difficult for them to go back to the Earth where there was the danger of an atomic war.
Q: Describe how Mr. Bittering and his family walked into the town.
Ans: Mr. Bittering picked up the luggage in his cold hands. He iooked like a man standing on the edge of a sea, ready to walk in and be drowned. Describe the Bittering family. The Bittering family had come from the Earth to Mars. They were Harry Bittering, his wife Cora and their three children Dan, Laura and David.
Q: What circumstance did the Bittering family face on Mars?
Ans: The Bittering family remained worried. They faced constant threats to their survival. The new atmosphere kept on disturbing them. An unknown fear disturbed them permanently.
Q: What climate did the Earth people face on Mars?
Ans: The climate of Mars did not suit the Earth people. There was fog at night. Hot air blew during the day. Summer was all the more painful. It burnt the canals dry.
Q: What were the ghosts of memories?
Ans: The Martian cities were deserted. No one lived there. These dead cities had some sort of ghosts in them. These were the ghosts of memories.
Q: What radio news extremely frightened Laura?
Ans: The shocking radio news that Laura heard was that Atom Bombs had hit New York. All the space rockets were destroyed. So they were left alone on Mars.
Q: What was the condition of the Bittering family on hearing the news of war on Earth?
Ans: They were all greatly shocked. They realized that they were stranded on Mars. They felt hopeless and helpless. Harry was drenched in the hotness of his fear.
Q: What was the condition of Mr. Bittering’s house?
Ans: Mr. Bittering was shocked to see his house because the wind had destroyed it. The burning days and frosty nights had changed it completely. It did not look an Earthman’s house.
Q: Describe the men sitting outside the grocery store in town.
Ans: They sat on the shadowy step of the grocery store. They had their hands on their knees. They were conversing with ease. They were not shocked by the destruction of New York.
Q: What advice did Mr. Bittering give to the people sitting outside the grocery shop?
Ans: Mr. Bittering called them fools as they were not aware of the danger. He suggested that they must try to find out some means of reaching back to the Earth.
Q: Why did Mr. Bittering say to his companions that if they stayed there, they would all change?
Ans: As they were the Earth people, the Martian atmosphere did not suit them. It was bringing changes in them. So he said to them that if they stayed there they would all change.
Q: What offer did Sam give to Mr. Bittering?
Ans: Sam told him that he had a whole load of metal and plans for building a rocket. If Harry was interested, he could buy it for five hundred dollars.
Q: What changes did Mr. Bittering notice in Sam?
Ans: During the conversation, Mr. Bittering noticed that Sam’s eyes had become of yellow colour. This change was due to the effects of the Martian atmosphere.
Q: Why did Sam give a mirror to Mr. Bittering?
Ans: Sam gave him a mirror so that he might look into his eyes. Like others, his eyes were also changing under the effects of the Martian atmosphere.
Q: What did Mr. Bittering see in his own eyes?
Ans: Mr. Bittering saw little dots of yellow colour in his blue eyes. They were dimly visible.
Q: Why did Mr. Bittering’s companions not like his idea of going back to Earth?
Ans: His companions did not want to go back because they felt safe on Mars. So they were sitting in a relaxed mood. They thought that on Mars there was no danger of the atomic War.
Q: How much dangerous could a Martian virus be?
Ans: The Martian virus could be very dangerous. It was bringing various changes in the Earth people. They were becoming golden-eyed and dark-skinned.
Q: What did the Earth people want to grow on Mars?
Ans: The Earth people wanted to grow Earthly fruit and vegetables on Mars. But the Martian virus and atmosphere changed the Onions and peaches.
Q: What was Mr. Bittering’s companions’ reaction when he was building the rocket?
Ans: His companions were quite happy on the Martian lands. They did not like Mr. Bittering’s idea of going back to Earth. So they took no interest in his efforts of building the rocket.
Q: What did Mr. Bittering say to his wife when she brought him supper?
Ans: Mr. Bittering refused to eat the Martian food. He said that he would eat only food from their Deep-freeze.
Q: What effect did summer have on the atmosphere?
Ans: Summer burned the canals dry. The blazing air destroyed the paint of the houses, it was quite unbearable. Describe Mr. Bittering as he stood in the quiet autumn. By the autumn, Mr. Bittering had been completely changed himself. His colour had become dark. His eyes had turned golden. Now he had no desire to go back to Earth.
Q: What did Mr. Bittering’s daughter and sons do when they had no Work to do?
Ans: When the children had nothing to do, the girl wove patterns on a piece of cloth. The boys played songs on flutes and pipes.
Q: What did Mr. Bittering think when he looked at the Earth settlement far away in the low valley?
Ans: Mr. Bittering had now become a Martian man. He looked at the settlement made by the Earth people and thought that they were silly people and made odd houses.
Q: What changes had taken place in Harry Bittering’s wife?
Ans: Like others, she was also completely changed. Her eyes had become yellow. Her body had become thin like her daughter’s
Q: Describe how Mr. Bittering went to swim in the spring water.
Ans: Mr. Bittering felt warm, so he thqught of having a swim. He went along with his family down a path of clear-running water. Their backs were towards the valley.
Q: Why did Harry want to stay on Mars at the later stage?
Ans: With the passage of time, Harry Bittering was completely changed. He had lost his memories of the Earth. He thought that he was a Martian. So he wanted to stay on Mars.
Q: What happened five years later?
Ans: Five years later, a rocket fell out of the sky. It lay steaming in the valley. Some men jumped out of it. They were crying with joy.
Q: What did rocket-men say as they stepped out of their rocket?
Ans: The rocket-men broke the news that they had won war on Earth. They shouted. that they had come to deliver the Earth people.
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