The Dear Departed Questions Answers Class 10 CBSE 2024-2025 provides a comprehensive guide to understanding Stanley Houghton’s play, “The Dear Departed.” Tailored for the CBSE English Communicative Class 10 curriculum, this resource includes detailed answers to textual questions,extract-based questions, short answer type questions, and long answer type questions helping Class 10 students grasp important themes and character insights for the 2024-2025 academic year.
About the Author:
Stanley Houghton, an English playwright, was born on February 22, 1881, and passed away on December 10, 1913. He is best known for his one-act play “The Dear Departed,” which humorously examines family greed and relationships. Houghton’s insightful writing continues to be appreciated for its timeless relevance.
About the Text, ‘The Dear Departed’:
The Dear Departed by Stanley Houghton is a one-act play that explores themes of family, greed, and the true meaning of relationships. It was written in the early 20th century and is set in the living room of a small house.
The story begins with two sisters, Amelia and Elizabeth, who believe their father, Abel Merryweather, has passed away. They quickly start planning how to divide his belongings, showing their selfishness and lack of genuine grief. However, their plans are interrupted when Abel unexpectedly wakes up, revealing he is still alive.
Shocked by his daughters’ eagerness to claim his possessions, Abel decides to change his will, choosing to leave his estate to someone who truly cares for him. The play highlights the often hidden, selfish motives people can have and serves as a critique of how materialism can overshadow genuine family bonds.
Through humor and irony, The Dear Departed offers a critical look at the attitudes people can have towards inheritance and the way they treat their elderly relatives. It is both a comedic and thought-provoking piece that continues to resonate with audiences today.
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The Main Characters of the play, ‘The Dear Departed’
1. Abel Merryweather: An elderly man who is thought to be dead at the start of the play but is actually alive. Abel is disappointed by his daughters’ selfish behavior and decides to change his will to leave his possessions to someone who genuinely cares for him.
2. Amelia Slater: One of Abel’s daughters, Amelia is married to Henry. She is practical but also greedy and quick to start dividing her father’s belongings when she believes he is dead.
3. Elizabeth Jordan: Abel’s other daughter, Elizabeth is married to Ben. She is similarly self-centered and eager to claim her share of the inheritance, leading to arguments with her sister over their father’s possessions.
4. Henry Slater: Amelia’s husband, who goes along with his wife’s plans to take Abel’s belongings. He is somewhat passive and lets Amelia take the lead in their scheming.
5. Ben Jordan: Elizabeth’s husband, who also participates in the family’s scramble for Abel’s possessions. Like Henry, he supports his wife’s actions and engages in the family’s arguments.
6. Mrs. John Shorrocks: A neighbor who is mentioned but does not appear on stage. Abel plans to leave his estate to her, believing she will take better care of him than his own family.
These characters drive the play’s exploration of themes like greed, family relationships, and the true meaning of care and respect for elders.
Consult with the ‘A Textbook for English Course( Communicative) from the CBSE Website (download pdf) to prepare The Dear Departed Questions Answers well.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Textual
The Dear Departed Questions Answers Textual offers detailed solutions and explanations for questions based on Stanley Houghton’s play, focusing on key themes and character analysis.
On Page 156
4 Given below are the main incidents in the play. They are in a jumbled order. Arrange them in the sequence in which they occur in the play.
1. Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
2. Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
3. Mrs. Slater discovers that grandfather is ‘dead’.
4. The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
5. The family sits down to have tea.
6. Henry wears grandfather’s new slippers.
7. Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in a hurry to divide his things between them.
8. Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.
9. Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
10. They discuss the obituary announcement in the newspapers and the insurance premium payment.
11. The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather’s demise from the Slaters.
Ans:
3. Mrs. Slater discovers that grandfather is ‘dead’.
2. Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
6. Henry wears grandfather’s new slippers.
4. The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
11. The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather’s demise from the Slaters.
5. The family sits down to have tea.
10. They discuss the obituary announcement in the newspapers and the insurance premium payment.
1. Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
9. Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
7. Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in a hurry to divide his things between them.
8. Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.
On Page 157-158
5 Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.
(1) ABEL I don’t see them. (Observing HENRY trying to remove the slippers.) Why, you’ve got ’em on, Henry.
MRS. SLATER (promptly) I told him to put them on to stretch them; they were that new and hard
Now, Henry. (MRS. SLATER snatches the slippers from HENRY and gives them to ABEL, who puts them on and sits in an armchair).
MRS. JORDAN (to BEN) Well, I don’t call that delicate. Stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste.
(i) Choose the option that gives the correct meaning of the word ‘delicate’, as used in the above lines.
(a) Very fine in structure
(b) Easily broken or damaged
(c) Tactful and considerate
(d) Skillful and finely judged
Ans. (b) Easily broken or damaged
(ii) Complete the following analogy correctly, by using a word from the extract.
New: Antique…..: Delay
Ans. Haste
(iii) Select the TRUE statement, according to the extract.
(a) Henry was browbeaten into wearing Grandpa’s slippers.
(b) Mrs. Slater wanted to buy the same slippers for Henry.
(c) Mrs. Jordan wanted Jimmy to wear Grandpa’s slippers.
(d) Grandpa Able wanted Ben to have the slippers.
Ans. (a) Henry was browbeaten into wearing Grandpa’s slippers.
(iv) Choose the option that correctly classifies the genre of the drama from the given extract.
(a) Tragedy
(b) Tragicomedy
(c) Comedy
(d) Melodrama
Ans. (c) Comedy
(v) Infer the playwright’s purpose of including some writing in brackets.
Ans. The writing in brackets usually indicates the physical action, expression or the stage direction to be followed in the play.
(2) “Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizabeth comes?”
(a) What does ‘it’ refer to here?
Ans. ‘It’ refers to the bureau that was in the grandfather’s room.
(b) How does Victoria conclude that her parents are ‘pinching it’
Ans: When Victoria was told by her father that he and his mother were shifting the bureau downstairs, she concluded that her parents are ‘pinching it’ because everything that was in grandfather’s room had to be equally divided amongst the two sisters.
(c) Mention the two reasons that Mrs. Slater gives for her action,
Ans: Mrs. Slater justifies her action of moving her father’s bureau downstairs by saying that she had always liked it and wanted to have it. Further, she adds that if her sister got to know that she like it, her sister would not let her have it and would fight for it.
(d) What does it reveal about the difference between the attitude of the elders and that of Victoria?
Ans. The elders in the given extract come out as selfish and manipulative as they do things for their own benefit. Victoria, in contrast, seems to be an innocent child who loves her grandfather as lot.
(3) “Now, Amelia, you mustn’t give way. We’ve all got to die some time or other. It might have been worse.”
(a) Explain the phrase, ‘give’ way.
Ans: The phrase ‘give way’ means to show emotions of sorrow.
(b) What prompts the speaker to say these words?
Ans: The speaker, Ben, says these words to get his sister-in-law Mrs. Slater to stop crying at the death of her father.
(c) What does he mean when he says ‘It might have been worse’?
Ans: Through the given words, the speaker says that the grandfather dies peacefully in his sleep. If he would have died suffering from an illness or any other cause, it would have been a worse case scenario.
(d) What does it reveal about the speaker’s character?
Ans: The given lines show that the speaker, Mr. Jordan, seems to know how to present himself in such situations.
On Page 158
6 Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character? CBSE 2016, 2014
Ans: Mrs. Slater plans to outshine the Jordans by wearing new mourning dress and thinks that Ben and Elizabeth will never have thought about mourning yet. It shows her inhuman character, for she wants to outdo her sister even at a sad time.
(b) Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from her grandfather’s room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Ans: Mrs. Slater decides to shift the bureau from grandfather’s room before the arrival of the Jordans because she wants to take possession of it by fraud. Henry is shocked at the suggestion and says that she must arrange it with Elizabeth how both of them will divide up their father’s possessions.
(c) What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters’ attitude towards each other?
Ans: The Jordans take a long time to get to the house of the Slaters because they have to buy new mourning dresses, as grandfather had died. This shows that the two sisters are very jealous and want to outdo each other even in the tragic hour of mourning.
(d) What does Mrs. Jordan describe as ‘a fatal mistake’? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater’s defense?
Ans: Mrs. Jordan describes not calling another doctor when Dr. Pringle was out as a fatal mistake. The irony in the comment to Mrs. Slater’s reply is that she mentions that there are many cases of persons remaining alive even after they were thought to be dead and, later on in the drama, grandfather is actually found to be alive.
(e) Ben appreciates their grandfather saying ‘it’s a good thing he did. Later he calls him a ‘drunken old beggar.’ Why does he change his opinion about grandfather? CBSE 2019
Or, In the play ‘Dear Departed’, why did Ben Jordan refer to the grandfather as “The drunken old beggar’?
Ans: Ben changes his opinion about grandfather when the family discusses that he may not have paid the premium and it might still be overdue. That is why he calls him a ‘drunken old beggar’. He is actually thinking that they may not get the insurance money now.
(f) What change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
or What decision did Abel Merryweather take regarding his will? What were his future plans for himself? CBSE 2012
Ans: Grandfather decides to mention in his new will that all his things will belong to the person who he will be living with at the time of his death. Further, he is going to get married to the widow of John Shorrocks and will be living with her in future. Both the daughters are shocked at this, as now they will not get anything from their father.
(g) Bring out the significance of ‘Grandfather’s bureau’, in the play.
Ans: The ‘grandfather’s bureau’ is an important tool used by the playwright to introduce the theme of selfishness in the play. It also brings out the rivalry between the two sisters. Mrs. Slater wants the bureau as she likes it. She knows that it her sister knows that she likes it, her sister will fight for it and will not let her have it. So, she decides to take the bureau herself and call it her own.
(h) The character of Victoria is a stark contrast to that of her parents. Justify.
Ans: It is true to say that the character of Victoria is in stark contrast to that of her parents as she is an innocent 10 year old girl who loves her grandfather a lot. In comparison, her parents and uncle as well as aunt are selfish people who only care about material possessions.
7 Answer the following in detail.
(a) Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
or Bring out the irony in the title of the play, “The Dear Departed. CBSE 2016, 14
or Point out the element of irony in the title of the play, “The Dear Departed’. CBSE 2012
Ans: The title ‘The Dear Departed’ literally means that the person who is dead is much loved by the family members and hence the person is called ‘the dear departed’, but actually in the drama, no one has departed and no one is dear. The story presents how the grandfather is taken to be dead as he was lying down due to feeling dazed. His daughter, Amelia Slater thinks that he has died. She doesn’t even bother to call a doctor to confirm this.
The only matter on her mind is stealing his possessions before her sister Elizabeth arrives, and outshining her by wearing mourning clothes. When Elizabeth does arrive, instead of going to see her father, she prefers to have tea. The two sisters quarrel over his possessions. Finally, Abel realises that he is not at all ‘dear’ to them and, since he is not a departed soul, he decides to ‘depart’ from their lives.
(b) How does the spat (fight) between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth?
Ans: In spite of being sisters, the two ladies, Amelia and Elizabeth, cannot stand each other. They are very jealous of each other and always make plans to outdo each other. Even at the time of their father’s supposed death, they keep on fighting over his inheritance with the least concern for the mournful occasion. Both the ladies had their eyes on his possessions. When Abel comes down and observes that the Slaters have shifted his bureau, Elizabeth becomes furious. She calls the Slaters robbers and a heated quarrel begins. Amelia and Henry try to calm down the situation, but an extremely angry, impatient and frustrated Elizabeth tells everything. Thereafter, Abel does not take too long to realise what has happened. He decides to start a new life away from his daughters.
(c) Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from the play.
Ans: Henry’s wife, Amelia is a woman of a dominating nature. She is extremely jealous of her own sister and, at the time of tragedy of her father’s assumed death, wants to outdo her. This shows her pretentious and selfish side. Henry’s character does not show such strength. Amelia is also greedy and wants to remove the bureau before her sister arrives. Although Henry is startled to hear this, he helps her in shifting the bureau. He is even reluctant to take grandfather’s slippers. This shows that Henry, though more sensitive than his wife, is a weak-natured person. He is a henpecked husband who cannot raise his voice against his wife and follows her orders like a slave. Though Amelia seems to be the real culprit among the two, one cannot deny that Henry was her ‘partner in crime.”
On Page 159
8. Bring out the traits in Mrs Slater’s personality, quoting evidence from the play.
| Trait | Evidence from the play |
| Greedy | You know I always wanted to have it after he died. |
| Overpowering/ dominating | … so we’ll outshine them there |
| Blunt/straight-talking | why shouldn’t we bring that bureau down here now? |
| Impolite | Mrs Slater snatches the slippers from Henry |
| Insensitive | Be quiet! It’s ours now. |
9. Victoria Slater is truly attached to her Grandpa. As she sees the elders in her family quarrel over the inheritance, she is bewildered and upset by their attitude. As Victoria, write a diary entry outlining the incident and your feelings. (150 words)
or Victoria Slater is truly attached to her grandfather. She is confused by the behaviour of the elders at home and their attitude towards the old man. As Victoria, write a diary entry in not more than 150 words outlining the incidents and the elders’ feelings towards the misfortune.CBSE 2011
Ans.
Friday, 4th March, 2024
10 PM
Dear Diary,
Today turned out to be a day of great emotional turmoil for me. My mother called me inside when I was playing outside my home and told me that Grandpa was dead. She ordered me to change my dress before Uncle Ben and Aunt Elizabeth came. Moreover, before their arrival, Mom and Dad started pinching grandfather’s belongings. I was very much upset at their greedy and insensitive behaviour.
They were also quarrelling over the inheritance. I hated their selfish mentality. When mother ordered me to go into Grandpa’s room to bring a bunch of keys, I was terrified as I saw that Grandpa was getting up. He was not dead; he was just sleeping. I am very much happy that Grandpa is alive. But alas! He has decided to live away from us. All this happened because of the insensitive attitude of my parents. I will never forgive them for this.
Victoria
The Dear Departed Questions Answers; Extract Based
Questions Answers Extract Based on The Dear Departed provides detailed answers and analyses of specific passages from Stanley Houghton’s play, helping students understand key themes and character interactions.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 1
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1.” What are they coming for? They haven’t been here for ages.”
(a) Who are “They’ in the above extract?
(b) What is the meaning of the word ‘ages’ in the extract?
(c) What is the occasion that “They’ are coming for?
(d) What will “They do when they come?
Ans. (a) They’ refers to Mr. Ben Jordan and Mrs. Elizabeth
Jordan, Victoria’s uncle and aunt.
(b) The word ‘ages’ means a long period.
(a) The occasion is to mourn the reported ‘death’ of the grandfather.
(d) ‘They’ will talk about sharing Grandpa’s possessions and money with the Slaters after his reported ‘death’.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 2
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
2. That was a near thing. Open the door, Victoria. Now, Henry, get your coat on.
(a) In the extract, ‘a near thing’ means
(b) Why was Henry asked to wear his coat?
(c) What was the reason for the visitors coming to their house for whom Victoria was asked to open the door?
(d) What had been happening just before the speaker said the words given in the extract? CBSE 2012
Ans. (a) that they have just managed to settle everything before Mr. and Mrs. Jordan enter.
(b) Mrs. Slater wanted her husband, Henry, to wear his coat so that the visitors, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan, would think that he was ready and waiting for them.
(c) The reason was that Mr. Slater had sent information to the Jordan family that Mrs. Jordan’s father had ‘died’.
(d) Just before this, Mr. and Mrs. Slater had shifted grandfather’s bureau to their room so that they could pretend that the bureau was their own.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 3
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
3. Chut! Be quiet! It’s ours now. Come Henry, lift your end, Victoria, don’t breathe a word to your aunt about the clock and the bureau.
(a) The idiom ‘not breathe a word’ used here means
(b) What is the item being referred to in the above extract when the speaker says “it’s ours now”?
(c) What is the intention of the speaker in asking the listener to ‘be quiet’?
(d) Why does the speaker tell Henry to “lift your end” CBSE 2012
Ans. (a) to not give any information
(b) The item being referred to is grandfather’s clock.
(c) The intention of the speaker is to ensure that her sister does not come to know that she and her husband have taken away grandfather’s bureau and clock.
(d) The speaker, Mrs. Slater, asks her husband, Henry, to lift one end of grandfather’s bureau to shift it to her room before her sister comes, so that Mrs. Slater can claim that the bureau is hers.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 4
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
4. She’s never been here since grandfather bought it. If it was only down here instead of in his room, she’d never guess it wasn’t our own.
(a) What is ‘it’ in the present context?
(b) Who is ‘she’ in the present context?
(c) Why does the speaker say these words?
(d) Why does the speaker not want ‘she’ to guess that ‘it’ belonged to grandfather?
Ans. (a) The word ‘it’ here is grandfather’s bureau, a piece of furniture he had bought recently.
(b) The word ‘she’ in the present context is used to refer to Mrs. Jordan, the speaker’s sister.
(c) The speaker, Mrs. Slater, says these words because she wanted her husband to help her shift the piece of furniture to their room before her sister arrived.
(d) Mrs. Slater did not want Mrs. Jordan to guess that the bureau belonged to grandfather so that she could say that it belonged to her.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 5
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
5. He always was thoughtful in that way. He was too honourable to have ‘gone’ without paying his premium.
(a) The word.. ..in the extract is a synonym of ‘installment.”
(b) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
(c) Where is ‘he’ supposed to have gone that morning?
(d) Why is ‘he’ said to be thoughtful? CBSE 2013
Ans. (a) ‘premium’
(b) The word ‘he’ refers to Abel Merryweather, also referred to as ‘grandfather’.
(c) ‘He’, that is Abel Merryweather, is supposed to have gone that morning to pay his insurance premium.
(d) Abel Merryweather is said to be thoughtful because paying his insurance premium on time is a thoughtful action, so as to prevent his insurance policy from lapsing.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 6
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
6. You wouldn’t say it if you were speaking properly, but it’s different in poetry.
(a) The speaker of these words is……..
(b) What does the phrase ‘it’s different’ refer to in the above extract?
(c) What were the reactions of the others seated there to what was said A in the extract?
(d) What were the people discussing when the speaker said the words in the extract?
Ans. (a) Mrs. Slater
(b) The reference is to any expression, as in poetry we need not follow the rules of grammar.
(c) The response of Mrs. Slater’s husband was that the phrase is allowed in poetry, whereas her sister’s response was that for an obituary, a full poem should be there, not just one verse.
(d) The people were discussing about what kind of obituary notice about grandfather’s supposed death should be published in a newspaper.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 7
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
7. That public-house that John Shorrocks’ widow keeps. He is always hanging about there. Oh, if he hasn’t paid it-
(a) The word ‘public-house’ in the extract means.
(b) Who is ‘He’ in the above extract?
(c) What does the speaker refer to regarding its payment?
(d) What are the consequences of ‘he’ not having paid ‘it’? CBSE 2011
Ans. (a) a pub, a place that is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
(b) ‘He’ is Abel Merryweather, also referred to as ‘grandfather’.
(c) The speaker refers to the payment of the premium of Abel Merryweather’s insurance policy.
(d) The consequences of Abel Merryweather not having paid the premium of his insurance policy would be that the policy would lapse and his two daughters could not claim his insurance money if he died..
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 8
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
8. What’s the matter with little Vicky?
(a) The speaker in the extract is.
(b) Who is Vicky?
(c) What makes the speaker say these words?
(d) What is the outcome of these words?
Ans. (a) Abel Merryweather, also referred to as ‘grandfather’
(b) Vicky is Victoria Slater, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Slater and the speaker’s granddaughter.
(c) Abel Merryweather says these words because Victoria was scared when she saw him alive, thinking that she may have seen a ghost.
(d) The outcome is that his daughters and their husbands cannot believe that he is alive, as they thought that he was dead.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 9
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
9. Mrs.. SLATER: (confused) Aren’t they by the hearth, grandfather?
Abel: I don’t see them. (Observing HENRY trying to remove the slippers) Why, you’ve got ’em on. Henry.
(a) The word ‘they’ in the extract refers to,
(b) What does the phrase, ‘got’ em, on’ mean?
(c) Why did Henry try to remove the slippers?
(d) Why did Henry wear Abel’s slippers? CBSE 2015
Ans. (a) Abel Merryweather’s new slippers
(b) It means wearing them on his feet.
(c) Henry tried to remove the slippers because he did not want Abel to see that he was wearing thern
(d) Henry ware Abel’s slippers because his wife Amelia told him to wear them, as she thought that Abel was dead and would now not need the new slippers.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 10
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
10. Amelia and Henry. They’ve stolen your clock and bureau. (working herself up) They sneaked into your room like a thief in the night and stole them after you were dead.
(a) The word in the extract means the same as ‘entered stealthily.”
(b) Who said these words to whom?
(c) Why did the speaker give the names of two people in the extract?
(d) Why did ‘they’ steal ‘your’ things? CBSE 2012
Ans. (a) ‘sneaked’
(b) Mrs. Jordan said these words to her father, Abel Merryweather.
(c) The speaker, Mrs. Jordan, gave the names of these two people to grandfather when she replied to his question about who was robbing him.
(d) Amelia and Henry stole Abel Merryweather’s things because they thought that he was dead and they could keep these things with them before Mr. and Mrs. Jordan came, so that they could not claim them
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Extract-Based Set 11
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
11. Aye, you both say that because of what I’ve told you about leaving my money. Well, since you don’t want me, I’ll go to someone that does.
(a) Who is the speaker of these words?
(b) Who are referred to as ‘both’ in the above extract?
(c) Why is the speaker insisting on going somewhere?
(d) What does the decision of the speaker say about him? CBSE 2012 (Modified)
Ans. (a) The speaker of these words is Abel Merryweather. also referred to as ‘grandfather’.
(b) ‘both’ refers to the two daughters of Abel Merryweather, Amelia Slater and Elizabeth Jordan
(c) Abel, the speaker, has realised that his selfish daughters don’t care for him and he wants to live with someone who is willing to care for him.
(d) The decision tells us that Abel is deeply hurt by his daughters’ behaviour and doesn’t want to remain a burden on his daughters.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Short Type (SAQ)
Dear Departed Questions Answers: Short Type (SAQ) offers concise, well-explained responses to short answer questions from Stanley Houghton’s play, aiding in quick understanding and revision.
Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.
1. Why were Aunt Elizabeth and her husband Uncle Ben coming to Mrs. Slater’s house? CBSE 2016, 15
Ans. As Mr. Abel Merryweather had supposedly died, her daughter, Mrs. Slater, had asked her sister Elizabeth and her husband Ben Jordan to come to her house for mourning his death. That is why they were coming to her house. They also wanted to participate in the last rites and discuss how to distribute the old man’s property between themselves.
2. Why was black the dress code for the day? CBSE 2013
Ans: Black was the dress code for the day because the Slater family believed that grandfather had expired. It is a social and religious tradition to wear black clothes during the period of mourning or grieving. So, everybody in the family had to wear black.
3. Why do you think Elizabeth would not make a claim for the bureau and the clock? CBSE 2015
Ans: Elizabeth would not make a claim for the bureau and the clock because she was unaware that these had been purchased by the grandfather in her absence. Moreover, she had set her eyes on grandfather’s gold watch which she desired for her son.
4. Explain “What have you got your coat off for, father”?
Ans: Victoria appears dressed as desired by her mother and asks her father why he had got his coat off. Her father teplies that they are going to bring the bureau downstairs and that is why he is not wearing his coat.
5. What does the shifting of the bureau tell us about the character of Mrs. Slater? CBSE 2014
Ans: The shifting of the bureau tells us that Mrs. Slater is very greedy and money-minded. Just after her father’s death, when the lady is expected to be in mourning, she is more concerned about how to acquire her father’s belongings and portray them as her own when her sister Elizabeth arrives at her house. She wants to keep the bureau for herself before Elizabeth can claim it.
6. What made Mrs. Slater believe that grandfather was ‘dead’?
Ans: Before dinner, Mrs. Slater planned to serve some eatables on a tray to grandfather, as he did not want dinner. When she reached his room, the old man was lying on his bed. Mrs. Slater thought he was asleep. When she went to wake him up, she found him to be quite cold and believed he was dead.
7. Why was grandfather so keen on changing his will? CBSE 2015
Or, Why did the grandfather change his will? CBSE 2019
Ans: Grandfather was keen on changing his will because he realised that none of his daughters was keen to keep him and they considered him to be a burden on them. Moreover, they wanted to take his belongings and had already proceeded with the division of his belongings between themselves. Grandfather, thus, decided to change his will and totally deprive his mean, selfish and greedy daughters of his inheritance.
8. What were the changes that the grandfather wanted to make in his will and why? CBSE 2016, 15
Ans: The grandfather wanted to change his will and make a new one. He wanted to leave all his belongings to the one with whom he would be living at the time of his death. He decided to do so as he came to know about his mean and selfish daughters who did not love him.
9. Do you think Abel Merryweather is justified in parting ways with his daughters?
Ans: It must have been really shocking and upsetting for Abel Merryweather to discover what his selfish and greedy daughters thought of him. When we think of Amelia and Elizabeth’s insensitivity, indecent behaviour, greed and hypocrisy, then Abel’s decision to part ways with them seems quite fair and just. However, his disowning the entire family is a little harsh and unjust towards little Victoria who truly loved her grandfather.
10. What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next? CBSE 2015, 14
Or What were the programmes scheduled for Monday next by grandfather? CBSE 2011
Ans: The three things that grandfather plans to do next Monday are to change his will. to pay the premium of his insurance. to get married to Mrs. John Shorrocks at St Philip’s Church.
11. Describe your impression of both the sisters, Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan. CBSE 2016
Ans: Both the sisters were totally materialistic and inhuman, as Am they did not even pay respect to their supposedly dead father, but were more worried about dividing his property
among themselves. They were selfish and greedy and had no compassion or sympathy.
12. Do you agree that Mrs. and Mr. Slater loved Grandpa? Justify your answer.
Ans: After going through the play, I believe that they did not love Grandpa. They had consideration only for his assets and found him a burden that was being carried unwillingly by them. So,they did not have a sense of responsibility towards him.
13. In what way is the play ‘The Dear Departed’ satirical? Comment on the nature of its characters. CBSE 2012
Ans: The play is a satire on the degrading values in modern society. Abel was not even buried when his daughters started fighting over his possessions. They felt that he was a burden on them. Children today don’t care for their parents and are only concerned about their inheritance and other material gains.
14. Briefly describe the character of Victoria in the play ‘The Dear Departed’. CBSE 2011
Ans: Victoria is the precocious ten year old daughter of the Slater couple. She is compassionate and loves her grandfather. She is innocent, but has some worldly wisdom which is clear from the fact that she understood that her parents had stolen grandfather’s belongings.
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Long Type (LAQ)
The Dear Departed Questions Answers: Long Type (LAQ) provides in-depth, comprehensive answers to long answer questions from Stanley Houghton’s play, enhancing detailed understanding and analysis.
Answer the following questions in 150 words.
1. “Materialism makes way for shaky relationships.” Do you agree with the statement? Explain with reference to the play “The Dear Departed’, highlighting the values required of the two sisters. CBSE 2016, 14
Or, For Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan, greed for money is more important than their love for their father. Comment. CBSE 2019
Ans: Relationships that are guided by materialism are often not able to continue or be successful. The relationship between Abel Merryweather and his daughters Amelia and Elizabeth, particularly from the daughters’ side, is based completely on monetary considerations. While the two sisters did not really do much for their father during his life, they are eager to derive maximum benefit from the old man’s supposed death.
Amelia Slater even tries to cheat her sister by appropriating some of her father’s belongings and declaring them as her own. Their relationship towards their father is devoid of feelings. When Abel Merryweather declares that he will leave all his belongings to the person with whom he will spend the last days of his life, both the daughters compete with each other to keep the old man with them, whereas earlier neither was interested in having the father at their home. The values required of them were to support and love their father in his old age without craving for his possessions, so that he remains happy with them.
2. Even at the time when the grandfather is supposedly dead, the sisters are trying to pull each other down. With reference to the play ‘The Dear Departed’, mention the qualities/ traits that the sisters display. Do you approve of them? Give a reasonable answer. CBSE 2016, 15
Ans: Mrs. Amelia Slater, Abel Merryweather’s daughter, seems far from being grief-stricken when she thinks that her father is dead. In fact, she is more interested in outshining her sister by wearing a partial mourning outfit than sharing her grief with her sister. She thought that her sister Elizabeth would not have thought of wearing a mourning dress, but she was mistaken, as Elizabeth came to her house, although somewhat late, wearing full mourning dress.
Thus, the sisters were only interested in showing their respect for their father without actually feeling it. Further, Elizabeth Jordan, instead of mourning her father’s death, tries to find fault with her sister for not calling a doctor to save him if possible. Thus, the materialistic sisters are only trying to pull each other down instead of having any love for their father. Both of them are only interested in proceeding with the division of his belongings. The sisters are mean and selfish. Thus, I absolutely disapprove of them.
3. Victoria is quite different compared to her mother and aunt. Her love for her grandfather is evident in the play. As Victoria, write a letter to a friend expressing her feelings highlighting the values depicted through her character. CBSE 2016
Ans:
37G, Mathew Street
Birmingham
5th March, 20XX
Dear Celia
How are you? I want to tell you about an incident which occurred yesterday. Grandfather was lying down due to feeling dazed, but my mother mistook him to be dead. She did not even call a doctor to confirm his supposed death. My father also sent a message to my Aunt Elizabeth about Grandpa’s death. Then my mother, with the help from my father, quietly shifted some of
Grandpa’s belongings to her own room before Aunt Elizabeth came to mourn the supposed death. She made Papa wear grandfather’s new slippers, although they did not fit him. I was
shocked to see my mother taking advantage of his assumed death by pinching his possessions. Actually, she should have been grieving over his ‘death’. Aunt Elizabeth also appears to me equally self-centred. My grandfather is a straightforward man with a decisive mind. I love him and share his pains. May God grant him a long life.
Convey my respects to your parents.
With regards
Victoria
4. “The Dear Departed’ highlights how we are treating our elders. Comment on the declining family values in modern society with reference to the play. CBSE 2016
Ans: In this play, the parent-child relationship between the grandfather and his daughters has been shown as a farce (joke). The daughters are disrespectful to their father. They are only concerned with the money from his insurance policy and in acquiring his possessions. The daughters have no feelings for their supposedly dead father, who must have raised them up and got them married, suffering hardships while fulfilling his filial duties. They feel that he is a burden to them in his old age.
The daughters only want to put up a show of mourning by dressing in mourning clothes. They also try to pull each other down by commenting on each other’s actions. All these events show that, due to materialistic pressures in modern society to look ‘correct’ and do better than others, the family values of unconditional love, respect for elders etc are rapidly declining. Not only this, greed for money and possessions dominates people’s thinking.
