A Question of Trust Extra Questions and Answers

Theme:

The theme of this story revolves around trust, deception, and the consequences of one’s actions. It explores how people can be deceived by appearances and the importance of trust in our interactions with others.

Plot Summary:

The story introduces us to a man named Horace Danby, who appears to be a good and honest citizen in the eyes of everyone around him. He is a skilled locksmith and lives a seemingly respectable life. However, there’s a hidden side to Horace’s character – he’s also a book thief. For years, he has been stealing rare and expensive books by robbing safes.

Horace meticulously plans his annual heists to sustain his love for rare books. This time, he targets the safe at Shotover Grange, which contains valuable jewels worth fifteen thousand pounds. He believes that selling these jewels will provide him with enough money to buy the books he desires.

Horace carefully observes the house’s layout and the routine of the servants, who are away at the movies when he decides to break in. He successfully enters the house and begins working on opening the safe, all the while battling a bout of hay fever. Things seem to be going his way until he is unexpectedly interrupted.

A young woman, the owner of the house, returns home unexpectedly and catches Horace in the act. Initially, Horace tries to bluff his way out of the situation by pretending to have hay fever, but the woman sees through his lies. Instead of calling the police immediately, she engages him in a conversation and offers him a way out.

The woman proposes a deal: Horace can go free if he helps her retrieve her jewels from the safe, as she has forgotten the combination. Horace agrees, opens the safe, and gives her the jewels, believing he has escaped without trouble.

However, his relief is short-lived. The next day, he is arrested by the police for the jewel robbery. His fingerprints, left behind without gloves, provide evidence against him. No one believes his story about helping the owner’s wife, and he ends up in prison.

Character Analysis:

1. Horace Danby: He is the central character of the story. Horace is a skilled locksmith who appears to be a respectable citizen but has a secret life as a book thief. He is willing to deceive others to fulfill his desires but fears going to prison.

2. The Young Woman (Owner’s Wife): She is clever and resourceful. Instead of immediately reporting Horace to the police, she strikes a deal with him to retrieve her jewels. She is not easily fooled and uses her wits to outsmart Horace.

3. Sherry (the Dog): Sherry is a small dog in the house. While not a major character, Sherry’s presence and behavior play a role in the story, illustrating how Horace manages to calm the dog.

4. The Policeman and Other Characters: The story briefly mentions a policeman and other characters who become involved when Horace is arrested. They play a minor role in the story’s resolution.

In summary, “A Question of Trust” is a story that explores trust and deception. It highlights how appearances can be misleading and how trust can be a fragile thing. The story also serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of dishonesty and criminal behavior.

Character Analysis:

5. Horace Danby (After Arrest): After his arrest, Horace’s life takes a dramatic turn. He loses his freedom and his respectable image. He becomes the assistant librarian in prison, reflecting on the events that led to his downfall. He harbors a deep resentment towards the woman who tricked him and has a cynical view of the concept of “honor among thieves.”

Key Takeaways:

– The story highlights the contrast between appearances and reality. Horace’s outwardly respectable life conceals his criminal activities, illustrating the theme that one should not judge a book by its cover.

– Trust plays a central role in the narrative. The woman’s decision to trust Horace and make a deal with him leads to his arrest, emphasizing the consequences of misplaced trust.

– Deception and cleverness are recurring elements in the story. Both Horace and the woman use their wits to achieve their goals. The woman’s ability to outsmart Horace ultimately results in his capture.

– The story offers a moral lesson about the consequences of one’s actions. Horace’s dishonesty and criminal activities catch up with him, leading to his imprisonment and a loss of the freedom he once enjoyed.

– The title, “A Question of Trust,” invites readers to reflect on the importance of trust in interpersonal relationships and how it can be easily broken when deceit is involved.

Conclusion:

In “A Question of Trust,” we witness the downfall of a seemingly respectable character due to his dishonest actions. The story underscores the significance of trust, the consequences of deception, and the unpredictability of human behavior. It serves as a cautionary tale about the choices we make and the impact they can have on our lives.

As an English language teacher, I encourage students to delve deeper into the themes, characters, and moral lessons of this story. Analyzing such narratives can improve comprehension skills and foster critical thinking, allowing students to appreciate the complexities of human nature and storytelling in English literature. If you have any questions or would like to discuss specific aspects of the story further, please feel free to ask!

WORD MEANINGS

WORD	MEANING
Facade	An outward appearance that hides the true nature of something.
Incriminating	Providing evidence of wrongdoing or guilt.
Inevitable	Certain to happen; unavoidable.
Interactions	The actions or influences of people or things on one another.
Consequences	The results or effects of an action or decision.
Delicate	Fragile, easily damaged, or requiring careful handling.
Gripping	Engaging and holding one’s attention or interest.
Thought-provoking	The act of examining or investigating something closely.
Resonates	Elicits a strong feeling or response; strikes a chord.
Contemplation	The act of deep thinking or reflection.

QUESTION & ANSWERS

Question 1. Give a brief description of Horace Danby.

OR

Describe the character of Horace Danby and how the author portrays him initially.

Answer: Horace Danby was a good and respectable man.He was a 50 year old unmarried man. He lived with his caretaker.He was a successful locksmith.He had two helpers.He was healthy though sometetimes he suffered from hay fever.He was also a thief who robbed to satisfy his love of collecting rare and expensive books.

Question2. “Society must be protected from men like you”Comment on the irony pf the given quote.

Answer: These words “Society must be protected from men like you” is spoken by the young lady in red and are ironical because she herself was a thief. He duped Horace Danby easily. She robbed the jewelery from the safe and walked out safely.The statement was ironical because she herself was a thief who had robbed the house.

Question 3: What motivates Horace Danby to commit theft, and how does this motivation change in the story?

Answer: Horace Danby’s motivation is his love for rare books. It drives him to commit theft. He is a bibliophile.His hobby was to collect rare and expensive books.Every year he used to rob and invest the money in purchasing books. He purchased the books through an agent secretly.

Question 4: Analyze the symbolism of the safe in the story and what it represents.

Answer : The safe symbolizes temptation and the consequences of dishonesty. It represents Horace Danby’s desire and the moral test he faces.

Question 5: Discuss the irony in the story’s ending and its contrast with the reader’s expectations.

Answer : The irony lies in the fact that Horace Danby is arrested despite his claim of helping the young lady. This outcome is unexpected and contrasts with the reader’s

initial sympathy for him.

Question 6: What moral lesson can be drawn from the story of Horace Danby and the young lady?

Answer : The story teaches us that trust is fragile, and dishonesty can lead to unexpected consequences. It highlights the importance of integrity and the consequences of one’s actions.

Question 7: How did Horace Danby prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange?

Or

How Danby plan his robberies?

Or

Why was Hoprace Danby sure that bhis robbery at Shotover Grange wuill be a sucesful one?

Answer: Horace Danby always planned his robberies carefully.First he observe the house . He came to know that the owners lived in London and only the servants were available. He collected the blueprint of the house and studied the rooms of the house.

He noticed the wirrings ,the entry path and garden ways minutley or meticulously.He also knew that the servants were planning to go out to watch a movie that afternoon . he was sure to have 4 hours to conduct ther robbery.

Question 8.How did Horace enter Shotover Grange?

Answer: Horace had seen the housekepeper hang the key in a hook outside the kitchen door. He entered through the garden wall. He put on his gloves ,took the key and opened the door of the kitchen.

Question 9.Whom did Horace Danby see in the kitchen?

Answer: He saw the family dog Sherry ,in the kitchen. The dog greeted Horace by

wagging its tail in a friendly way. Cleverly Horace greeted the dog by calling its name. He called the name to calm the dog and make friendship with it.

Question 10. Describe the safe at Shotover Grange.

Answer|: The safe at Shotover Grange was kept in the drawing room behind a poor painting.The safe had jewels wqorth 15000 pounds. Horace was sure to succeed in his robbery becauyse he hea dplanned everything carefully. He expected to get atleast 5000 pounds if he sold the jewelry one by one

Question 11.How did the lady deceive Danby or make danby believe that she is the mistress of the house.

Answer: The lady manages to make Horace Danby believe that she is the mistress of the ouse by her grace ,charm,knowledge,way of talking with confidence and familiarity with the house details.

Question 12.How did Horace Danby fullfil his desire of reading books after getting into prison?

Answer: After Horace Danby was arrested ,he became the assistant librarian in the prison and fullfiled his desire of reading books.