C.B.S.E Level 11: Answer guide

PROBLEM:

Comment on the way in which the theme of the story has been introduced.

SOLUTION:

Section 1: Background Context:

In my opinion, the author of this story intelligently served the reader with the detailed object description around which the whole story revolves. He has conveyed his intended message of how men advance and fall back based on either altering or sticking to their traditional status symbols such as moustachios, as seen in this case.

Section 2: Explanation:

The introduction of this particular story ‘A pair of Mustachios’ seemed very abstract and many of us would have wondered what the story had in store for us! At first, it looked like a normal essay on moustaches. But only in the later part the reader would gradually understand about the importance of the introduction and the way in which it was wisely dealt with.

Section 3: Direct Answer:

Starting upfront, one may simply find the introduction to be brief and may underestimate the story line. Initially it may look like an ordinary essay speaking about how Indians see their moustache style as a prestige symbol. But the author has cleverly used it to depict how men rise and fall because of their status symbols.

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