The Elevator PDF Workbook Notes

ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG THE ELEVATOR WORKBOOK NOTES INTRODUCTION 'The Elevator' by William Sleator is a story about a twelve-year-old...

ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG THE ELEVATOR WORKBOOK NOTES INTRODUCTION 'The Elevator' by William Sleator is a story about a twelve-year-old boy, Martin, who struggles to overcome his fear of the elevators. The harder he tries to overcome his fear the firmer the fear gets and takes the form of an imaginary large lady. He wants to avoid the lady but encounters her every time he uses the elevator The story ends in a cliffhanger with Martin trapped with the same lady in the elevator. The Author William Sleator, was an American science fiction writer. He was born on February 13. 1945 in Havre de Grace, Maryland, USA to William Warner Sleator, a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and Esther Kaplan Sleator, a paediatrician and researcher focussing on Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Sleator's family moved to University City, Missouri. He attended University City High School, where he wrote scores for school plays and the orchestra. He graduated in Music in 1963. He then switched to studying English and obtained a Bachelor's degree in 1967 After college, Sleator moved to England. He made a living by playing music in ballet schools. Eventually, Sleator returned to the United States to write his first novel, Blackbriar, based on his real life experiences, published in 1972. His first published children's story was called The Angry Moon. Sleator wrote in a clean and simple style The characters in his books are usually reluctant teenage heroes, Sleator's younger siblings and friends often found themselves being written into his prose. Sleator died on August 3, 2011, in Bua Chet, Thailand His Works: Sleator's best-known book is House of Stairs, which involves a group of teenagers caught in an unending maze of stairs and landings, and semi- autobiographical story collection Oddballs. Sleator's other works include: The Duplicate, about what goes wrong when a boy clones himself, Rewind, about a boy who gets to go back in time over and over in order to prevent his death, and The Boy Who Couldn't Die, about a boy who sells his soul for immortality His last book. The Phantom Limb, written with Ann Monticone, was published in 2011. THE PLOT Storyline Exposition 1. Martin fears being in an 2. The elevator in the new building 3. The stairs too are dark and elevator as he feels it would fall or is scary being old, rickety and formidable as the house was on he would get trapped in it. dirty. the seventeenth floor. Inciting Incident Rising Action 4. Father scolds Martin for using 5. One day a large lady enters the 6. The lady would coincidently be the stairs so he thes to use elevator taking up most of the in the elevator with Martin every elevator to overcome his fear space and stares at Martin. time he is alone in it. Climax 7. Once the lady smiles at Martin, 8. Martin's father has to run an 9. The large lady enters the fearfully he runs and falls down errand, so he leaves Martin alone elevator, greets Martin and the stairs breaking his leg. in the elevator presses stop The Elevator Page 1  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG Story in Detail Martin, a weak thin twelve-year-old boy, dreaded using elevators as he feared that they would fall. He had shifted with his father to an apartment on the seventeenth floor of an old building having an old elevator which was particularly scary. This was because of its poor lighting, dirty walls and a defective door that never stayed open for long and slammed shut with a loud noise. It was also too small and could carry only three people. Martin could not use the stairs because they were equally bad and scary with neither any windows nor any working lights. Once after school, when he tried taking the stairs he reached home gasping for breath His father scolded him for not using the elevator. Martin felt as if he was chiding him: saying he was not only weak and skinny, bad at sports but also a coward Martin felt that if he forced himself to use the elevator he would get used to it as was the case of bullying at school But he never got used to the elevator One morning, when the elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor, a fat lady got in. She had large fleshy cheeks and no chin. She was so fat that Martin had to squeeze himself into a corner. She did nothing but stared at Martin, who was forced to wait for her to get off the elevator. He then ran practically all the way to school Martin was quite nervous when he returned to the building after school. He felt ashamed of himself at the thought of getting scared of an old lady. He entered the elevator, hoping that it would not stop, but it stopped on the third floor. Martin watched the door slide open and to his horror saw the same lady staring at him as if she knew he would be there. Martin weakly said 'Going up!' in the hope that she would be going down and would not enter the elevator. But she nodded and stepped in. The door slammed. This time she did not press fourteen, but eighteen, the top floor. Martin was perplexed that in the morning she got on the elevator at the fourteenth floor, so why did she get on at the third floor then and go up to the eighteenth floor. Martin wanted to press seven so that he could get out and walk up the stairs, but he could not reach the buttons without touching her, and he did not want to do that. When the elevator stopped, she hardly moved out of his way. He squeezed past her, rubbing against her scratchy coat. He was scared that the door would close before he could get out. She turned and watched him as the door slammed shut. On reaching home he asked his father if he had ever noticed a strange lady in the elevator. He replied that he had not. Martin knew he was probably making a mistake, but he had to tell somebody about the woman. He told his father that she was in the elevator with him twice and she just kept staring at him. His father scolded him for being afraid of some poor old lady. In anger, Martin's father exclaimed that he feared Martin would remain timid all his life. This hurt Martin terribly and he cried in the privacy of his room. His father probably was aware of the effect of his harsh words on his son. He slept very little. In the morning, when he saw the lady in the elevator he started running down the stairs. The stairs being dark, he fell down and broke his leg. His father was silent on the way to the hospital, disappointed and angry with him for being a coward and a fool. Martin had broken his leg and needed to walk on crutches. He knew that could not use the stairs. After coming back from the hospital his father accompanied him in the elevator. Martin felt relieved that there was no room for the fat lady to get in, and if she did, his father would see her and maybe then he would understand him. His father got off at the ninth floor to visit Mrs. Ullman, leaving Martin alone in the elevator. Martin pleaded with his father to take him along but he did not. Martin tried to press nine to accompany his father, but the elevator did not stop. It stopped at the tenth floor, where the fat lady was waiting. Quickly she moved in. Martin, in crutches, was too slow to get past her in time to get out. The door shut and the elevator began to move. The fat lady greeted him by his name. She laughed, and pushed the Stop button. NOTES The Elevator Page 2  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG slammed: closed (the door) forcefully and loudly. waddled: walked with short steps, moving with shuddered: shook hard. weight of the body from one side to the other. gasping: breathing loudly with difficulty trying to squeeze: get into or through a narrow space. get in more air. nightmare: frightening dream of some bitter frowning: looking angrily. experience. bullied: frightened by somebody over a period of squeak: a short high pitched sound. time. pudgy: fat. trapped: caught, in a trap. scratchy: having a rough uncomfortable texture. ballooned: swollen out in a spherical shape. impatiently: anxiously. hobbled: limped, walked with difficulty. CHARACTERISATION Martin Martin is the protagonist of the story, whose fear of elevators forms the main focus of the story. Physical Appearance: Martin was a nervous looking twelve-year-old boy who was thin, weak and timid. As a result was also bad at sports and was bullied at school. Timid: Martin's father, while scolding him for being scared of the elevator and of the fat lady, called him timid. Martin is said to be always uncomfortable in elevators. When he moved with his father to the seventeenth floor of an old apartment complex, he dreaded using the elevator in the building. He was afraid that the elevator would stop suddenly or fall or that he would be trapped, all alone, inside it for hours. It was because of this fear that once he took to stairs to reach his house on the seventeenth floor. When his father scolded him for not using the elevator, he decided to always take the elevator. He told himself that he had to get used to it. Alas! he never got used to it. It was this fear of the elevator that turned into a living nightmare in the form of a fat lady, whom he saw every time he took the elevator. He dreaded meeting her on the elevator to such an extent that on seeing her, he once ran down the stairs, fell and broke his leg. Inability to overcome his fear: Martin was unable to garner courage to face the danger and overcome his fear. When he first met the fat lady in the elevator, he tried to close his eyes to avoid her. Further, when he fell down and broke his leg, while returning from the hospital, he felt safe and reassured in the elevator because his father was present with him. The moment his father left the elevator, he felt trapped in the grip of his fear, which stood before him in the form of the fat lady. Absence of Familial Bonds: Martin was a young pre-adolescent boy, who lived with his father. There is no reference in the story to his mother, siblings or grandparents. Perhaps, it was the absence of the love and affection that one gets from one's mother was lacking in the case of Martin. He did not have anyone in whom he could confide his fears. It is quite evident in the story, because when he met the fat lady for the first time he asked his father if the latter had seen a strange lady. His father was glued to the television and did not respond favourably to his query. It was here that Martin felt that he was probably making a mistake by telling his father about the lady. He also felt strongly that he had to tell somebody about fatheroman. And in the absence of his mother or siblings, he had no choice but to talk to his father. His father did not show any concern for Martin's fear but rebuked him saying that he would remain timid throughout his life. The Elevator Page 3  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG Even though his father knew that Martin was crying after being rebuked by him, he did nothing to alleviate his fears. When Martin fell down and broke his leg. His father remained silent and was disappointed with him for being a coward and a fool. When he returned with his father from the hospital and took the elevator, Martin felt safe and reassured because of his father's presence. He felt even if the lady would enter the elevator, his father would see her and understand his feelings. But his father remained totally unconcerned about his fears and left him alone in the elevator Perhaps, his father wanted him to stay alone in the elevator and overcome his fear. Martin's Father Martin's father has not been given any name in the story and throughout the story he doubts his son's capabilities. An Unresponsive Father: A responsive parent is one who connects with the child through love, warmth, affection and support while an unresponsive parent ignores the child's need for connection Martin's father did not share an intimate relationship with his son In the story, he is never shown as a concerned father who would talk to his son and try to alleviate his fears. Whenever Martin tried to talk to him he remained indifferent to his feelings and concerns. Instead of showing love and affection, he frowned at his son who knew that deep down he (the father) was chiding him for being too thin and skinny and for not taking any interest in sports. It seemed that like every other father, he wanted his son to be physically and mentally strong but did not appear to do anything worthwhile to cultivate these traits in him. Martin always felt bad about being scolded by his father and even tried to make his father happy by trying to get used to the elevators and overcome his fears. Had his father listened to him, he would have joined him in the elevator to check who the lady was and helped Martin to overcome his fear But he remained totally indifferent to his needs and thereby, unconsciously led to an increase in Martin's fear An Authoritarian Parent: Martin's father appeared in the story as a strict disciplinarian, who did not want to spoon-feed his son but wanted him to learn from his own experiences. He wanted him to face his fears alone and independently This was perhaps he knew that since Martin did not have a mother and siblings. He would have to learn to live on his own, without getting any help. Therefore, he left Martin alone in the elevator so that Martin could fight against all the odds in his life fearlessly and overcome his fears, especially of the elevators and the fat lady. Perhaps, Martin's father wanted to act like an 'elevator' in his son's life by making him rise above his fears and grow up to be a strong man, both physically and mentally. TITLE The entire story revolves around the elevator in the protagonist's building, which he dreads riding on because of his fear of elevators. The protagonist of the story. Martin, a twelve-year-old boy, always felt uncomfortable in elevators because he was afraid that they would fall. It was this fear that turned into a phobia when he moved with his father into an apartment on the seventeenth floor of an old building, which had an old elevator. There were perhaps certain issues with this elevator like poor lighting dirty walls, defective door and small size with the capacity to carry just three people that aggravated his fear to such an extent that he took stairs to reach his home Seeing him gasping for breath after climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator, Martin's father scolded him. Martin interpreted his father's frown to mean rebuke for being not only skinny, weak and bad at sports but also a coward. Just to avoid his father's annoyance, Martin decided to get used to the elevator But he could not get over his fear and instead it gave rise to a living nightmare in the form of a fat lady, whom he encountered every time he used the elevator alone. He imagined her to be so fat that he had to squeeze himself into a The Elevator Page 4  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG corner, suggesting that when she was in the elevator with him, there was no room for anybody else. She did not speak to him but stared at him with her tiny eyes piercing through him indicating that fear never speaks but represents the inner feeling caused by anticipation of some danger This fear kept on increasing such that the lady appeared to enter the elevator from different floors. The next morning, his fear reached to such a point that he ran down the stairs on seeing her in the elevator. Since the stairs were dark, he fell down and broke his leg. On his way back from the hospital, when he entered the elevator felt secure as his father was with him. But his father got off on the ninth floor leaving him alone in the lift. This was he dreaded and as a result his fear of the elevator elevated to the highest level and emerged in the form of the lady whom he did not want to encounter. He got trapped into the elevator with his inner fear. Le the lady Before pushing the 'stop' button, the lady laughed and the story ends, leaving the readers to decide what could have been the effect of being alone in The Elevator', thus, justifying the title THEME Overcoming Fear: The main theme of the story 'The Elevator' is about overcoming fears by facing them and not by avoiding them. The protagonist of the story, Martin was a timid thin twelve-year-old boy, who was always uncomfortable in elevators. But when he moved with his father into a new house on the seventeenth floor of an old building, he was forced to face his fear of using the elevator. Unfortunately, the elevator too was an old worn out one that could accommodate a maximum of three people at a time. Besides, it had poor lighting, dirty walls and a defective door which never remained open long enough and slammed shut with a loud noise. To his bad luck, the stairs were equally bad having neither windows nor working lights. Once when he took the stairs, he reached home gasping for breath and was scolded by his father. Martin was a frail thin boy who was bullied but had got used to the bullying so that it did not affect him. He felt a lack of acceptance from his father who Martin believed, felt that Martin was skinny, weak, bad at sports and a coward. Similarly Martin felt he would use the elevator and would get used to it thereby overcoming his fear. So he promised himself to get used to elevators. But his fear of the elevators got the better of him and took the form of an imaginary fat lady, whom he met for the first time in the elevator. He imagined the lady to be so fat that he had to squeeze himself into a corner. It is suggestive that Martin was caught in the web of his fear to such an extent that he could not find an escape route ie, he could not overcome his fear. Martin's father, a strict disciplinarian tried several ways to make him overcome his fear of the elevators. He tried to make him understand that his fear was baseless and therefore, he had to overcome it. Martin felt bad, and cried but could not give up his fear of the elevators. In fact, his fear turned into a phobia and he started imagining the fat lady entering the elevator, whenever he was alone in the elevator. She never spoke to him but stared at him. He even tried to close his eyes to protect himself from the lady's gaze. That shows that instead of overcoming his fear he was trying to avoid it In the hurry to escape from the lady, he ran down the dark stairs and fell down breaking his leg How badly he was in grip of his fear can be inferred from the relief he felt when the doctor advised him rest and he could stay at home and away from the elevator and the fat lady Finally, when he returned with his father from the hospital and took the elevator, he felt quite safe. He thought that the lady would not be able to enter the elevator as there would not be any room for her This is suggestive of the fact the imagined fat lady had no place in his mind when his father was with him The moment his father stepped out of the elevator, he was again caught by fear He tried to stop the elevator to run away. But as soon as the elevator stopped, his fear returned and along with it the fat lady entered. The door closed and the elevator began to move. The lady laughed, suggesting that Martin felt he was being laughed at for being scared of an old, fat lady, ie, his internal fear. The author has left the story here at a cliffhanger for the readers to decide what happened to Martin. It could be inferred that since Martin felt the The Elevator Page 5  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG lady was laughing at him. He could have felt angry enough to face his fear and get rid of his fear of the lady and of the elevator forever. The story is a strong reminder that fear, in our mind, is triggered by the perception of danger, real or imagined. So to get rid of this fear we have to first face it head on, respond to it with determination and chase it away from our mind before it does more harm to us. SETTING The entire story is set in and around the elevator in the protagonist Martin's building, Martin is a twelve-year-old boy who dreads riding an elevator. Vivid sensory details are given at the beginning of the story about the elevator and why Martin is scared of riding the elevator. This sets the scene for more ominous developments to take place. A number of reasons are given in the first paragraph of the story that sets the action of the story for Martin's fear of riding an elevator like: poor lighting and the dirty walls the door of the elevator which never stayed open long enough, and slammed shut the way the elevator shuddered each time it left a floor which it could not carry more than three people Martin's fear became so intense that it gave birth to a living nightmare in the form of an imaginary, large lady, whom he always met in the elevator at different floors. In fact, for Martin she became a bigger fear than the elevator and that helps in the forward movement of the story and leaves the end of the story in a cliffhanger for the readers to decide for themselves STYLE Narrative Methodology The story follows the pattern of third person narration. The author leads the readers into the story by first arousing their curiosity by his statement, Of course he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but this one was especially unpleasant' The entire story describes the protagonist, Martin's, fear of riding the elevator As the story progresses, his fear grows immensely and leads to the creation of an imaginary character, a huge threatening woman, whom he meets whenever he rides in the elevator alone. His fear drives him to the point of insanity and the story ends at a cliffhanger, with the author leaving it on the readers to decide the end of the story Language The language used in the story is simple and lucid. It is in conformity with the title 'The Elevator' and the fear associated with it in the mind of a twelve-year-old boy, Martin. Many words used in the story are related with elevators like the door which never stayed open 'slammed shut', 'trapped inside', 'elevator creaked down', 'reached the first floor', 'pressed the button', 'door slide open', fourteenth floor', 'seventeen floor', 'third floor', 'couldn't reach the buttons, etc. Besides, the author has used simple words to describe the internal fears and insecurities of Martin through his point of view. The dialogues between Martin and his father reveal the characteristic traits of the two-Martin as skinny and weak, bad at sports, timid and a coward, and his father as an impatient, strict , unconcerned, practical man. Imagery The author has used a number of images to highlight the fear of the protagonist of the story. Martin, while riding the elevator Visual Imagery: The author has used visuals inside the elevator to describe a twelve-year-old boy's fear whenever he uses the elevator in his building. The Elevator Page 6  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG ○ Maybe it was simply too small ○ It seemed crowded even with only two people in it The most powerful images are those when he finds himself confined to a corner and unable to run past the fat lady, who waddles into the elevator and the movement of the elevator whenever the lady enters the elevator like: ○ The elevator trembled and began to go up ○ The elevator seemed to be moving more slowly than usual. ○ The door closed and the elevator began to move Auditory Imagery: The author has used words and phrases that refer to various sounds produced when an elevator moves, starts and stops: ○ …the door slammed shut with a loud clanging noise. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is a literary device used by the authors to give the readers an inkling of something that will happen to hint at future plot development The author has made use of foreshadowing in the story while describing that Martin was always uncomfortable in the elevator as he was afraid that it would fall, especially the one in the building, where he had moved in with his father Further, by informing the readers that the elevator in the building was old and could carry only three people. In fact it seems crowded even with only two people in it, creates an atmosphere of suspense and gives a foreboding of something untoward likely to happen. Figures of Speech The author has used the following rhetorical devices in the story. Personification: It refers to the attribution of human characteristics to things and abstract ideas. The examples of personification in the story are: the elevator shuddered each time it left the floor, as if it was exhausted. They (the lady's blue eyes) seemed to be boring into Martin's face. Alliteration: it is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of adjacent words. Examples of alliteration in the story are: from the first day he and his father moved into the apartment. (f and h sounds) may be it was simply too small. (s sound) he had to squeeze himself into a corner (h sound) The elevator seemed to be moving more slowly than usual. (m sound) She smiled as the door slammed. (s sound) Onomatopoeia: It is a literary device in which words are used in a way that they sound like the noise they refer to. The examples of Onomatopoeia in the story are: slammed shut with a loud clanging noise. The elevator creaked down. CRITICAL REMARKS Cliffhanger is a plot device in which the story, play or chapter ends with no resolution in a complicated event that leaves the reader (audience) in suspense wondering what would come next. This increases reader (audience) engagement as it piques human curiosity and leaves the ending open to discussion. The term The Elevator Page 7  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG cliffhanger originates from Thomas Hardy's 'A pair of Blue Eyes' in which the story ends with the protagonist hanging off a cliff. Cliffhangers are commonly used in television serials to increase viewer loyalty to the series They are also used widely in serialised books and comics because they enhance further engagement by the audience. Studies have shown that readers tend to remember stories that end in a cliffhanger rather than stories with perfectly resolved endings. Writers of short stories use this device so that their readers are able to recollect their stories, thus increasing the readership of their stories. Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions 1. Which of the following statements about the elevator in Martin's building is NOT correct? (a) There was poor lighting (b) Its walls were dirty (c) Its door could stay open for long (d) It could carry only three people 2. Why was the narrator gasping for breath when he reached his home? (a) He was scared that old lady was following him (b) He used the stairs to reach his home on seventeenth floor (c) He ran as fast as he could to escape from the fat lady (d) He was thin and weak. 3. What was Martin's fear about the elevator in his building? (a) It would stop suddenly (b) He would be trapped inside it for hours (c) He would be bullied by others in the elevator. (d) Both (a) and (b). 4. Which of the following is incorrect about the lady who entered the elevator? (a) She had no chin but a huge mass of neck (b) She had sharp brown eyes (c) She was wearing an old green coat (d) She had tiny but sharp eyes 5. Why did Martin feel ashamed of himself when he returned home after school? (a) For being afraid of an old lady (b) For being scared of the staircase (c) For not using the elevator (d) None of the above 6. Martin said, 'It wasn't possible. What was it that Martın felt like a nightmare? (a) Being trapped in the elevator (b) Using the stairs to reach seventeenth floor (c) Seeing the lady for the second time in the elevator (d) None of the above. 7. What did Martin's father say when he told him about the lady? (a) Martin would remain timid all his life The Elevator Page 8  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG (b) Martin should ignore the old lady (c) Martin should talk to her (d) None of the above 8. How did Martin's father feel when he (Martin) fell down and broke his leg? (a) Sympathy for Martin (b) Angry and disappointed (c) Silent and apathetic (d) None of the above 9. Why did Martin feel secure in the elevator after he returned from the hospital? (a) The old lady was not in the elevator (b) His father was with him in the elevator (c) He could hit the lady with his crutches (d) None of the above 10. What did Martin plead with his father when he left him alone in the elevator? (a) To let Martin accompany him (b) To reach him to their house (c) To meet the fat lady (d) None of the above 11. Choose the option that lists the sequence of events in the correct order. 1 Martin watched the door slide open, revealing a green coat, a piggish face and the blue eyes which were already staring at him as if she knew he would be there. 2. Martın stood there, unable to move, then backed away. As she saw him, her expression changed. She smiled as the door slammed. 3. One morning the elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor, and a fat lady got on. 4. The door closed and the elevator began to move. "Hello, Martin," she said and laughed and pushed the stop button. (a) 4, 2, 3, 1 (b) 3. 1, 2, 4 (c) 3. 2, 1,4 (d) 4, 3, 2, 1 12. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between statements (1) and (2) from The Elevator' 1. "What am I going to do with you, Martin? Honestly, now you're afraid of some poor old lady" 2. Martin started running down the stairs. The stairs were dark and he fell. (a) 1 is the cause for 2 (b) 1 is an example of 2 (c) 1 is independent of 2 (d) 1 is a contradiction of 2 Section B: Reference to Context I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: Martin, a thin twelve-year-old, felt nervous in it from the first day he and his father moved into the apartment. Of course he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but this The Elevator Page 9  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG one was especially unpleasant. Perhaps this was because of the poor lighting and the dirty walls. Perhaps it was because of the door, which never stayed open long enough, and slammed shut with a loud clanging noise. (i) Where does Martin feel nervous? Why? Ans: Martin feels nervous in the elevator of the apartment building. He is afraid of elevators in general, worried they might fall. This specific elevator worsens his anxiety with poor lighting, dirty walls, and a door that doesn’t stay open long, slamming shut loudly. (ii) Why was the elevator in his building unpleasant to use? Ans: The elevator in his building was unpleasant to use because it had poor lighting, dirty walls and a defective door that could not remain open for long and used to slam shut with a loud noise. Besides, it was too small and could carry only three people at a time. (iii) What was the other option besides the elevator? Was it better than the elevator? Give reasons to support your answer. Ans: The other option for Martin was to use the stairs for going up and down his apartment on the 17th floor. No, it was not better than the elevator because:- The stairs neither had any windows nor any working lights. They were not better than the elevator and were Martin's equally bad and scary. Martin’s footsteps echoed behind him on the cement, as though there was another person following him. Martin had to use the stairs to reach the 17th floor and therefore, felt exhausted and gasping for breath. (iv) How did the size of the elevator affect the narrator later in the story? Ans: The size of the elevator in Martin's building was too small to carry more than three persons. By the end of the story, Martin was trapped in the lift with a fat lady and could not escape from there because of a lack of space. (v) Explain how does this extract act as a 'foreshadow' in the story. Ans: This extract acts as a ‘foreshadow’ in the story by: giving an inkling of something bad likely to happen with Martin later in the story. Telling that Martin was always scared of the elevators. For he was afraid that it would fall and could be fatal for him. Informing the readers about the defective door of the lift that never stayed open for long and closed with a loud noise. II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: He wanted to know why Martin was out of breath. Why didn't you take the elevator? he asked, frowning at Martin. You're not only skinny and weak and bad at sports, his face seemed to say, but you are also a coward. After that, Martin always took the elevator. He would have to get used to it, he told himself, just like he got used to being bullied at school. But he didn't get used to it. He was always afraid that it would stop suddenly and he would be trapped inside it for hours by himself. (i) Who is 'He' referred to in this extract? What did he ask Martin? Why? The Elevator Page 10  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG Ans: ‘he’ refers to Martin's father. Martin’s father asked him why he had not taken the elevator and used the stairs instead. He asked why he was gasping for breath after taking the stairs to reach his home on the 17th floor. (ii) State the three adjectives which he apparently used for Martin. Why? Ans: Three adjectives used by Martin's father for him are: skinny and weak bad at sports coward Martin's father used these adjectives as he was annoyed with Martin for not using the elevator and getting as he was annoyed with Martin for not using the elevator and getting used to it and instead wasting his energy and time by using stairs to reach his house on the 17th floor. (iii) What does Martin promise himself? Does he succeed? Name the other thing which he got used to? Ans: Martin promised himself that he would always take the elevator and get used to it and thereby, overcame the fear he had of riding the elevator. No, Martin did not succeed in overcoming his fear of the elevators. He got used to being bullied at school. (iv) What was his fear about the elevator? Did that happen at the end of the story? Give reason for your answer. Ans: Martin's fear about the elevator was that it would stop suddenly and he would be trapped inside it for hours by himself. Yes, it happened at the end of the story, though the elevator did not stop suddenly by itself. A fat lady, as imagined by Martin, entered the lift and there was no space left for Martin to escape from the lift. So, he got trapped inside the lift with that fat lady. Since Martin felt that he was being laughed at by the fat lady, perhaps Martin would have taken that as an insult and overcome his fear and with that would have vanished the scary fat old lady. (v) Explain briefly the characteristic traits of Martin based on this extract. Ans: The characteristic traits of Martin based on this extract are: Timid: Martin always dreaded using elevators. So when he used stairs instead of the elevator and entered home gasping for breath, he was rebuked by his father. Seeing the expression on his father's face Martin felt that he was chiding him and saying he was weak and skinny, bad at sports and a coward. To avoid his father's annoyance he promised himself that he would get used to the elevator. However, Martin was unable to overcome his fear of the elevator. Besides, he could not stand up against his bullies at school. Thus, it shows Martin was indeed timid. Absence of Paternal Support: It seems that Martin and his father did not have a strong bond. That is why Martin could not understand his father's frowning at him and interpreted it in his own way. Besides, he wanted to get over his fear of the elevator just to avoid his father's annoyance. III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: He thought about her all day. Did she live in the building? He had never seen her before, and the building was not very big. Maybe she was visiting somebody? But 7.30 in the morning was too early for visiting. Martin felt nervous when he got back to the building after school. But why should he be afraid of an old lady? He felt ashamed of himself. He pressed the button and stepped into the elevator, hoping that it would not stop, but it stopped on the third floor. The Elevator Page 11  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG (i) What did Martin think about her all day and why? Ans: Martin kept on thinking about the old lady, whom he met in the elevator, because it was his fear of riding the elevator that made him create an imaginary fat lady, which grew into a bigger fear than the elevator. He could not get that image out of his mind and kept on thinking about it all day. (ii) Why was Martin nervous when he got back to his building after school? Ans: Martin was nervous when he got back to his building after school because the imagined old lady, whom he seemed to have met in the elevator could not get off his mind. It further enhanced his fear of riding an elevator. (iii) Why did Martin feel ashamed of himself? What does it reveal about him? Ans: Martin felt ashamed of himself for being afraid of an old lady. It reveals that Martin wanted to overcome his fears but did not have the courage and conviction to do so. (iv) Why did Martın hope that the elevator would not stop? What happened when it did stop on the third floor? Ans: Martin hoped that the elevator would not stop in the hope that he would not meet the old lady at any floor who would enter the elevator from any floor. When the elevator stopped at the third floor, the same old lady whom he had seen in the morning, entered the elevator. (v) What according to you. Martin found scarier-the elevator or the old lady? Give reasons to support your answer. Ans: Martin definitely found the old scarier than the elevator because after seeing the old lady for the first time, his only fear was being trapped inside the elevator with her. The old lady was so fat that she would occupy the entire space in the elevator making it difficult for Martin to escape from the lift. IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow; Martin knew he was probably making a mistake, but he had to tell somebody about the woman, 'She was in the elevator with me twice today. She just kept staring at me. She never stopped looking at me for a minute. What are you so worried about now?' his father said, turning impatiently away from the television. What am I going to do with you, Martin? Honestly, now you're afraid of some poor old lady.' (i) What was the mistake Martin thought he was probably making? Why did he think so? Ans: Martin felt that he was probably making a mistake by telling his father about the old lady, whom he had seen in the elevator. He thought so because he knew that he would not get any positive support from his father; his father would rather chide him as being too thin and skinny, timid and perhaps a coward. (ii) Why did Martin feel that he had to tell somebody about the woman? Whom did he decide to tell? Why? Ans: Martin felt the need to tell somebody about the woman because he was scared of her and had been meeting her quite often in the elevator. He decided to tell his father about the old lady because he had nobody else to confide his fears to. The Elevator Page 12  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG (iii) What was the one thing that Martin found strange about the lady? Why? Ans: The one thing that Martin found strange about the lady was her act of getting into the elevator and getting down from it from different floors. (iv) Martin's father asked him ‘what was he worried about now’? What was he afraid about earlier? What did his father say about him then? Ans: Martin was worried about being trapped in the elevator with that fat old lady. Earlier he was afraid of riding the elevators. Martin made out from his father’s expressions that he wanted to call him skinny and weak, bad at sports and a coward. (v) Give a character-sketch of Martin's father based on the extract. Ans: Refer to the Character sketch above titled ‘Martin’s Father’ V. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow; Martin started running down the stairs. The stairs were dark and he fell. His father was silent on the way to hospital, disappointed and angry with him for being a coward and a fool. Martin had broken his leg and needed to walk on crutches. He could not use the stairs now. Was that why the fat lady had smiled? Did she know what would happen? (i) Why did Martin start running down the stairs? How did he fall? Ans: Martin started running down the stairs on seeing the old lady in the elevator. Since the stairs were dark, Martin could not see them and finally fell down. (ii) What were Martin's father's feelings on the way to hospital? How had he reacted earlier when Martin took the stairs to reach his house on the seventeenth floor? Ans: Martin’s father was totally disappointed and angry with the narrator for being a coward and a fool. Earlier, when Martin had taken to a stairs to reach his house on the 17th floor he was quite annoyed with him and frowned at him. (iii) Why would Martin not be able to use the stairs? How do you think Martin would have been affected by this condition? Ans: Martin would not be able to use the stairs because he fell down, broke his leg and had to walk on crutches. Martin would have been seriously affected by this situation because he had no choice but to use the elevator which he dreaded. (iv) Why did Martin think that fat lady had smiled and knew what was going to happen to him? Ans: Martin thought that the fat lady had smiled, thus laughing at his helplessness for not being able to escape from him. Martin’s internal fear made him think that the lady knew beforehand that something bad was going to happen with him and perhaps, she was the creator of his ill-luck. (v) Explain briefly what could have given rise to Martin's thoughts about the fat lady. Ans: Martin always dreaded using the elevators. He was scared that either the elevator would fall or stop midway keeping him trapped inside for hours. When he moved into a new apartment his fear aggravated on seeing an old elevator that had poor lighting and a defective door that could not stay open for long and used to close with a loud noise. This fear turned into a phobia and gave rise to an imaginary fat lady, whom he used to meet only in the elevator. He imagined her to be so fat that he had to squeeze himself in a corner, suggesting that he had no way to escape from the lady, vis-a-vis the elevator and overcome his fear. The Elevator Page 13  ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG VI. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow; But the door was already closing 'Afraid to be in the elevator alone?' said his father. 'Grow up, Martin. 'The door slammed shut Martin hobbled to the buttons and pressed nine, but it didn't do any good. The elevator stopped at ten, where the fat lady was waiting for him. She moved in quickly, and he was too slow to get past her in time to get out. The door closed and the elevator began to move 'Hello, Martin, she said, and laughed, and pushed the Stop button. (i) How did Martin remain alone in the elevator? What did his father tell him? Ans: Martin remained alone in the elevator when his father got down from the elevator on the ninth floor to meet Mrs. Ullman. Martin’s father asked him if he was feeling scared to be in the elevator alone and then told him to grow up, i.e., to give up his fear of the elevator. (ii) Why did Martin want to press the button nine on the elevator? What had happened instead? Ans: Martin wanted to press button nine on the elevator to visit mrs. Ullman, where his father had already gone, leaving him alone in the elevator. Being scared of meeting the old lady in the elevator and nervous, Martin pressed ten instead of nine. (iii) Why could Martin not move out of the elevator? What happened thereafter? Ans: Martin could not move out of the elevator because the lady was too fat to give any space to Martin to move out. Martin was too slow to get past her in time to get out of the elevator. Thereafter the door closed and the elevator began to move, leaving Martin trapped inside the elevator with that fat lady. (iv) Why do you think that the lady laughed and then pushed the 'Stop' button? Give a reason to support your answer. Ans: Martin thought that the lady was laughing at his helplessness to escape from the elevator and the lady. She pushed the ‘stop button’ perhaps to trap Martin inside the elevator and do harm to him, as Martin would have imagined. It could also be that Martin overcame his fear of the old lady, vis-a-vis the elevator and moved out of his phobia once and for all. (v) The story ends in a cliffhanger. What is a cliffhanger? Explain what according to you would have happened at the end. Give reasons to justify your views. Ans: A cliffhanger is a literary device in which the story, play or chapter has no final resolution, leaving the readers in suspense and the ending open to discussion. The story, the elevator ends on a cliffhanger in which the protagonist of the story, Martin, is trapped inside the elevator, with the alleged fat old lady. At the end of the story, Martin saw the old lady laughing at him and this could have enraged Martin to such an extent that he would have decided to get rid of his fear once and for all. With this in his mind, he would have stopped the elevator, and come out of it, with no fat old lady inside it and within his mind. He would have, thus, saved himself from the fear of riding the elevator. The Elevator Page 14