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Tamilnadu Samacheer Kalvi 12th English Solutions Supplementary Chapter 4 The Midnight Visitor
Warm up
Study the title of the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’. Discuss in groups what the story is all about.
Student activity:
Question (a)
Certain professionals can be identified by their appearance.
Answer:
What comes to your mind first when you think of a ‘pilot’ or a ‘traffic policeman?
Discuss in pairs and share your thoughts with the class:
A pilot controls and steers an airplane. He operates the directional flight controls. He wears milk white uniform and golden stripes on his shoulders. He wears a shiny black cap. A traffic policeman wears white stripes on his shoulders in a khaki uniform. In some states, a traffic policeman wears a white and white uniform also. He regulates traffic, fines people who violate traffic rules. He prevents accidents by monitoring over speeding vehicles and by discouraging drunken driving.
Question (b)
Let us try to picturise people in a few interesting professions (based on common perception there can be exceptions).
Answer:
Form groups of four and draw a picture of one or two of the following:
- scientist
- soldier
- journalist
In your attempt to sketch you may include the following:
- typical dress
- hair style
- accessories
Samacheer Kalvi 12th English The Midnight Visitor Textual Questions
1. Answer in a sentence or two the following questions.
Question (a)
Mention two features of Ausable that were uncharacteristic of a detective.
Answer:
Ausable is different from other secret agents as he is very fast and sloppy. Moreover, he lives in a room where there is no environment of romantic and thrilling adventure.
Question (b)
What was Ausable waiting for?
Answer:
Ausable was waiting for an important report.
Question (c)
Who was the Midnight Visitor? What was the purpose of his visit?
Answer:
The midnight visitor was Max who had come to Ausable’s room demanding a secret report from him and threatened him with a pistol.
Question (d)
How had Max actually entered the room?
Answer:
Max had used a duplicate key to enter Ausable’s room.
Question (e)
Did Max’s presence alarm Ausable?
Answer:
Yes, Max’s presence alarmed Ausable when he had seen him in his room with a pistol unexpectedly. Because he fabricated a story of the balcony in order to fool Max just because of his presence of mind.
Question (f)
How did Ausable describe the balcony and the manner in which one could get into his room, through it?
Answer:
It was not Ausable’s balcony. It belonged to the next apartment. It extends under his window now. One can get on to it two doors down as someone did last month. The hotel management, in spite of his protest, has not blocked the balcony till now.
Question (g)
Where did Max try to hide?
Answer:
Max tried to hide in the balcony where he put his leg over the window.
Question (h)
Who was Henry? Why had he visited Ausable’s room?
Answer:
Henry was the waiter who entered Ausable’s room with his drinks.
Question (i)
What happened to Max finally?
Answer:
Max took the whole story, narrated by Ausable as a gospel of truth. Therefore, he retraced his steps and reached the window sill, and jumped down the balcony which never existed.
Additional Question
Question (a)
How does Ausable say he got in?
Answer:
Ausable wants to confuse Max. So he says that this is the second time in a month that somebody has got into his room through that balcony next to the window.
Question (b)
Was Max deserving to get a chance to accomplish a risky task?
Answer:
I do not believe that Max deserved a chance to accomplish a risky task. He was not intelligent enough to understand that he was being tricked by the detective. Also, his appearance did not startle the detective.
Question (c)
What did so many people risk their lives for?
Answer:
Ausable was waiting for a report. It contained certain important information about new missiles. This report was so important that several men and women had risked their lives to get it.
Question (d)
What did Mr. Ausable tell Max when he heard the knock?
Answer:
Ausable told Max that it would be the police. He said that he had requested the police for extra protection as he was receiving important information that night.
Question (e)
What did Ausable tell Fowler when he said that Max would soon come back from the balcony?
Answer:
Ausable told Fowler that Max would never return as he knew that there was no balcony outside. He said that Max has fallen down to the ground and met his end.
2. Answer the following questions in about three to four sentences each.
Question (a)
Who was Fowler? Why did he meet Ausable?
Answer:
Fowler was a writer who is fascinated by spies and secrets. He met Ausable ¡n his room because Ausable said that he was expecting a sensitive document to arrive that night regarding missiles. So, as a writer, Fowler wanted to meet Ausable.
Question (b)
Why was Fowler initially disillusioned with Ausable?
Answer:
Fowler had a romantic notion of a private detective. Ausable did not look like Mr. Bond. He was very fast and had an American accent. He lived in a small room. So, he was initially disappointed.
Question (c)
Fowler was thrilled when he entered Ausable’s room. Why?
Answer:
Fowler was thrilled when he entered Ausable’s room, because he met another secret agent in Ausable’s room with a pistol in his hand, demanding a report. This situation made Fowler to get frightened.
Question (d)
How, according to Ausable, had Max entered the room?
Answer:
Ausable did not disclose the real method Max must have adopted to enter his room. He invented a story on the spot that it was the second time in a month someone had entered his room through the neighbouring building’s balcony which extended just below his window. He made Max believe that there was another possible route of escape through the window.
Question (e)
How did the three men react to the knocking at the door?
Answer:
When the three men heard the noise at the door, they reacted in a different way than Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door whereas Ausable just smiled. Max hit his lip nervously and asking Ausable, who was at the door.
Question (f)
Was Ausable really waiting for the police? Give reasons.
Answer:
No, Ausable was not waiting for the police. He had ordered his drink with waiter Henry. He was expecting him only. As the knock was heard, he decided to use the opportunity to scare away Max by casually informing that it must be the police. He added the police may fire if they see Max there.
Additional Questions
Question (a)
Do you think that Ausable was a good secret agent? How?
Answer:
Yes, I think that Ausable was a good secret agent. When he saw Max in his room with an automatic pistol, he didn’t get frightened at all. He diverted his attention. He made the story of the balcony next to the window. By his description, he made Max believe his story. All these traits show that he was a good secret agent.
Question (b)
Pride before a fall befits Max, who arrived at Ausable’s room to steal the important documents. Did he acquire it? What lesson can one learn from this?
Answer:
Max was an overconfident and proud spy. He thought to himself that wielding a gun would give a further edge over the apparently slow Ausable. However, his pride and confidence, made Max utterly unsuccessful. Ausable conveniently outwitted him without lifting a finger. Max, jumped to his own death. Thus, one learns that one should not be too proud, and must be vigilant before attempting to do anything.
Question (c)
How did Max enter the room? Why did he tell this to Ausable?
Answer:
Max entered the room through the door. He had a passkey. He told this to Ausable because Ausable told him that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room through the balcony. He told that he had no idea about the balcony.
3. Answer in a paragraph of about 150 words the following questions.
Question (a)
How did Ausable outwit Max?
Answer:
Ausable was a clever secret agent. One day when he entered his room, he found Max in his room who aimed at him with a pistol in his hand. Ausable did not lose his courage. He was a quick wilted man. He fabricated a story about a balcony that extended under his room window. He said that he has informed the management of the hotel to block that window, but till then the management did not block the window.
Just then there was a knocking at the door and Ausable said that he had called in the police to have extra protection as they were having an important paper with them. Max took the whole story as a gospel of truth. He retraced his steps, reached the window-sill, and jumped down the balcony whîch never existed. Thus Ausable outwitted Max with the presence of mind.
Question (b)
Describe the significance of the balcony.
Answer:
On seeing Max, the spy, with a loaded automatic gun in his room, Ausable expressed surprise. Max disclosed his plan very clearly. He had come to receive the report on the new missile which was likely to be handed over to Mr. Ausable in a short while. Ausable, without being shocked sat heavily on an armchair. He grimly stated that he would raise hell with the hotel management because this was the second time that someone had sneaked into his room through the nuisance of the unblocked balcony. Max asks with disbelief, “balcony?” Max remarked that he did not enter through the balcony but with a pass key. Ausable explained that it was the balcony which extended from the living room of the next apartment just below his room. One could walk through two doors and enter his room.
He was not happy with the management as they had failed to block it. When there was a knock at the door, both Max and Fowler got perturbed. But Ausable smiled and said casually it must be the police whom he had informed to check on him for extra protection. Max was confused for a moment. Ausable said as the door was just closed and not locked, the police could enter even by force at any moment and fire at him. This gave Max no time to think. He jumped through the window believing he will end up in the non-existent balcony but fell like a stone from the 6th floor with a scream. The vividly portrayed balcony led to the suicidal jump of Max, the spy who had a gun but was not smart enough to tackle Ausable’s ploy.
Question (c)
Ausable planned to get rid of Max the very moment he noticed him. Explain with supporting evidence from the story.
Answer:
Ausable was a clever secret agent. One day when he entered his room, he found Max in his room, who aimed at him with a pistol in his hand. Ausable did not lose his courage but he planned to get rid of Max though he was a quick-witted man. At once, he started fabricating a story about a balcony that extended under his room window.
He said that he had informed the management to block that window as anyone might enter his room using that window. But till then they hadn’t. Just then, there was a knocking at the door and suddenly Ausable planned to narrate another story that he had called in the police to have extra protection for his sensitive document.
Max took the whole story as a gospel of truth. He retraced his steps, reached the window-sill, and jumped down the balcony which never actually existed. Thus, Ausable planned to get rid of Max, the very moment he noticed him.
Question (d)
Sketch the character of Ausable.
Answer:
Ausable does not look very handsome, worthy of being called a secret agent or a detective. He is the central character of the story “The Midnight Visitor”. He is not physically very strong. There is nothing elegant or mysterious about him. He is an American who is unable to cover up his American accent when he speaks French and German though he has lived in France for over 20 years. He is practical and shrewd. He is a well-balanced individual. Even at gunpoint he keeps his cool and instantly cooks up a story to trap the villain, spy Max. He outwits Max without moving from his armchair. He uses his presence of mind. He tells two lies which not only save him and Fowler but also give the momentum for Max to kill himself in an attempt to hide in the non-existent balcony.
Question (e)
Do you think physical appearance matters most for a secret agent? Answer giving reasons in the context of the story ‘The Midnight Visitor.’
Answer:
Physical appearance is important for heroes like James Bond who act in movies or plays. They need sophisticated cars, a royal lifestyle to flaunt about. But in reality, a detective or a secret agent is not much different from an ordinary citizen at least in appearance. He is an ordinary person who thinks and acts with extraordinary intelligence. When it comes to the question of survival, sharpness of wit and handsome looks would help a person, the disappointment of Fowler, the journalist is very obvious. The young and romantic writer envisioned mysterious figures in the night, the crack of pistols, etc.
The writer must have cherished the idea of beauties with dark eyes passing on secret notes. But he has witnessed nothing but dull music in a French hotel with a sloppy man who made a prosaic appointment only in a prosaic telephone call. Ausable raises the expectations of both the readers and Fowler when he mentions the important paper he waited which many men and women had risked their lives to possess. The drama that ensues in the room testifies the fact that there is no correlation whatsoever with the sharpness of wit and the physical appearance of a person. Only after Fowler witnesses how Ausable had outwitted Max to choose his own death without moving from his armchair, he realizes the truth.
Question (f)
The unexpected presence of a criminal wielding a gun triggers different reactions in the two men who entered the room. In this light, discuss the appropriacy of the title.
Answer:
Indeed, the unexpected presence of the criminal made different reactions to the two men who entered the room, when Ausable and Fowler entered the room, there was another secret agent named Max who had a pistol in his hand and demanding a sensitive document otherwise he could kill both of them.
Fowler was almost frightened by the threatening of the unexpected midnight visitor in Ausable’s room, whereas Ausable used his presence of mind and fabricated a story of a balcony and of the police. Max believed it as a gospel of truth and tried to hide in the window-sill and jumped down the balcony which never existed. Thus the title is almost very appropriate to the story “The Midnight Visitor”.
Additional Questions
Question (а)
What impression do you form about Ausable as a secret agent after reading the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’?
Answer:
Ausable is a secret agent. But his appearance is not appropriate to his profession. He does not look smart and intelligent. He is very fat. But he is a very active person. He proves it throughout the story. He never takes a decision in a hurry. He works with a cool mind. He is good at talking. He understands Fowler’s internal views about himself. He does not lose his temper when he finds Max in his room with a pistol. He sits into an armchair and cooks up a quick story about the balcony. It is his style of conversation that he easily makes Max believe about the balcony. Thus, we find that Ausable is fearless, clever, and fit for the job of a secret agent.
Question (b)
Why was Fowler disappointed after meeting Ausable? Did he change his idea at last?
Answer:
Fowler was a young writer. He wrote for a magazine. He had read in the books that secret agents are mysterious and smart. So he wanted to see all these things in Ausable, a secret agent. But Ausable was a fat man. It appeared that he was not fit for a secret agent’s job. So Fowler was disappointed after meeting Ausable.
But Ausable showed his presence of mind when he saw armed Max in his room. He misled Max and told him that there was a balcony below the window. Max came there to take an important paper relating to missiles. After this, once again Ausable showed his intelligence when Henry knocked at the door. He told Max that it might be the police to protect him. They might shoot him at the sight because he is armed. Without examining the truth of Ausable’s statement, Max jumped from the window to hide in the balcony. But it was the end of Max.
Now Fowler was very happy to see Ausable’s intelligence.
4. Look at the following expressions used in the story. Match them with their meanings.
| let down | to complain or scold |
| chuckled to himself | try one’s luck/ take a risk |
| take cheer | become enraged |
| raise the devil | disappointed |
| black with anger | laughed softly to himself |
| take chances | to be encouraged |
Answer:
| let down | disappointed |
| chuckled to himself | laughed softly to himself |
| take cheer | to be encouraged |
| raise the devil | to complain or scold |
| black with anger | become enraged |
| take chances | try one’s luck/ take a risk |
5. Based on your understanding of the story, complete the Graphic Organiser (GO) suitably.
Answer:
6. Given below are pictures of fictitious detective characters in English & Tamil short stories. Match them with the authors who created them.
- Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot
- Sujatha – Ganesh, Vasanth
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson
- Devan – Sambu
- Tamizhvanan – Sankar Lai
The Midnight Visitor About The Author
Robert A. Arthur, Jr. was a mystery and speculative fiction writer known for “The Mysterious Traveller” radio series and his “Three Investigators” series of novels. He was born on November 10, 1909. Arthur was a graduate from the University of Michigan. Between 1930 and 1940, his stories were published in Amazing Stories, Argosy All-Story Weekly, Black Mask, etc. He wrote a number of mystery books for children. Arthur, along with his writing partner David Kogan, was twice honoured by the Mystery Writers of America with an Edgar award for best radio drama. Robert Arthur, Jr. died in Philadelphia in 1969.
The Midnight Visitor Summary in English
The detective Ausable:
Ausable was a detective. But he was very fat and he did not look like a detective. He had a room on the sixth floor in a French Hotel and it was the top floor. It was a cheap accommodation unworthy of a detective’s station in life.
Fowler meets Ausable:
Fowler was a writer. He wanted to write a book on detectives. So he came to meet Ausable. But after meeting Ausable, he was quite disappointed as he did not possess the qualities like a detective like James Bond. Ausable could speak French and German. But he had an American accent. Contrary to his expectations, Ausable told Fowler that there were no beautiful girls around him. Talking to each other, they reached the room in the hotel and opened the door.
Max with a pistol:
After entering the room, Ausable told Fowler that he would see an important paper that could change the course of History. Several men and women were after it. As soon as Ausable switched on the light, they saw a man with an automatic pistol. Seeing him, Ausable said that he was shocked to see him there. He thought that he was in Berlin. At this time Fowler was much frightened.
Spinning a Romance:
To confuse Max, Ausable made a false story of balcony next to the window. He sat in an armchair and started saying that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room through the balcony. It is an extension of the neighbour’s balcony reaching just below his window. The hotel management had failed to close it despite his complaint. Ausable showed anger and disappointment. Max believed him and he told that he had come to take the report about missiles.
The sound of knocking at the door:
Just then, they heard a knock at the door. Ausable immediately made a story and told that the police might have come to provide him security due to this important paper. He told Max that the police would enter the room, if he did not open the door. They might fire if they found Max armed.
Max drops from the balcony:
Max believed Ausable and he went towards the window. He caught the door frame with his free hand and put his gun over Ausable and Fowler. Then he moved his other leg up and over the window sill. The doorknob turned. Max freed himself and dropped in the balcony. He cried loudly.
A waiter enters:
After this, a waiter entered the room with a bottle and two glasses. It was ordered by Ausable. Fowler was very surprised at this. He asked Ausable about Max. Ausable replied that he (Max) would never return. Thus Ausable had proved himself a true detective.
The Midnight Visitor Summary in Tamil
துப்பறியும் நிபுணர் அவுசபில்:
அவுசபில் ஒரு துப்பறியும் நிபுணர். அவர் பிரஞ் ஹோட்டலின் கடைசி மாடியில் அதாவது ஆறாவது மாடியின் அறையில் தங்கி இருந்தார். அவர் பருமனானவராய் துப்பறியும் நிபுணருக்கேற்ற தோற்றம் அற்றவராகத் தெரிந்தார். அது துப்பறியும் நபர் தன் வாழ்நாளில் தங்கக் கூடிய அறையாக இல்லாமல் மிகவும் எளிமையானதாகக் காணப்பட்டது.
பவுலர். அவுசபிலை சந்திக்கிறார்:
பவுலர் ஒரு எழுத்தாளர். அவர் துப்பறிவதை குறித்து நூல் எழுத விரும்புகிறார். ஆதலால், அவுசபிலைக் காண வருகிறார். ஆனால் அவுசபிலை பார்த்த பின்னர் அவர் ஜேம்ஸ் பாண்ட்டை | போல் எந்த விதத்திலும் தோன்றவில்லையே என | ஏமாற்றமடைந்தார். அவுசபில் பிரஞ்சு மற்றும் ஜெர்மன் மொழிகளை பேசினார். ஆனால் அமெரிக்கர்கள் பேசும் வண்ணம் பேசினார். பவுலர் எதிர்பார்த்ததிற்கு மாறாக, அவுசபில் தன்னை சுற்றி அழகான பெண்கன் எவரும் இல்லை என்றார். இருவரும் பேசிக்கொண்டே தங்கும் விடுதியை அடைந்து அறையைத் திறந்தனர்.
கையில் துப்பாக்கியுடன் மாக்ஸ்:
அறையை அடைந்த உடன் அவுசபில், | பவுலரிடம் சரித்திரத்தையே மாற்றக் கூடிய ஒரு | காகிதத்தை அவர் காணப் போவதாக கூறினார். எத்தனையோ, ஆண்களும், பெண்களும் அதன் பின்னே அலைந்தனர் என்றார். அறையின் உள்ளே நுழைந்து மின்விளக்குப் பொத்தானைத் தட்டியவுடன் ஒருவன் தானியங்கி கைத் துப்பாக்கியோடு நிற்பதை அவர்கள் கண்டனர். தான் அதிர்ந்து போய்விட்டதாக அவனிடம் அவுசபில் தெரிவித்தார். அவன் பெர்லினில்
கற்பனைக் கதை ஒன்றை புனைதல்:
மாக்ஸ்சை குழப்புவதற்காக ஜன்னலருகே பால்கனி இருப்பதாக ஒரு பொய் கதையை அவுசபில் கூறினார். சாய்வு நாற்காலியில் அமர்ந்த வண்ணம், இவ்வாறாக இரண்டு முறை அந்த பால்கனி வழியாக தன் அறை உள்ளே எவரோ நுழைந்துள்ளனர் என விவரித்தார்.
மேலும், விடுதி உரிமையாளரிடம் ஏற்கனவே இருமுறை புகார் செய்தும் பயனில்லை எனக் கோபமாகச் சொன்னார். அதை உண்மை என மாக்ஸ் நம்பினான். தான் ஆயுதங்களைப் பற்றிய குறிப்புத் | தாள்களை எடுத்துப் போக வந்ததாக உரைத்தான்.
கதவை தட்டும் சத்தம்:
அப்போது யாரோ கதவை தட்டும் சத்தம் கேட்டது. உடனே ஒரு புனைக்கதையாக, அவுசபில் தன்னிடம் ஆயுத குறிப்பு தாள்கள் உள்ளதால் போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்பு தர வேண்டி வந்திருக்கக் கூடும் என வினவினார். தான் கதவை திறக்காவிட்டால் போலீஸ் உள்ளே நுழைந்து விடுவார்கள் என மாக்ஸிடம் தெரிவித்தார். கையில் துப்பாக்கியோடு நின்றிருக்கும் மாக்சை சுட்டு விடக் கூடும் என கூறினார்.
பால்கனியிலிருந்து மாக்ஸ் குதிக்கிறான்:
அவுசபில் கூறியதை நம்பிக் கொண்டு ஜன்னல் அருகே மாக்ஸ் சென்றான். துப்பாக்கி குறி அவுசபில் மற்றும் பவுலரை நோக்கியிருக்க ஜன்னல் சட்டத்தை எட்டிப் பிடித்தான் மற்ற காலை ஊன்றி ஜன்னல் விளிம்பை எட்டிப் பிடித்தான். கதவின் கைப்பிடி அகன்றது. மாக்ஸ் தன் இடது கைப் பிடியை தளர்த்தி பால்கனி மேல் குதித்தான். குதிக்கும் போது ஒரே ஒரு முறை சத்தமாக அலறினான்.
விடுதி ஊழியன் உள்ளே நுழைகிறான்:
கதவு திறந்ததும் மதுபானம் மற்றும் இரண்டு டம்ளர்களுடன் ஹென்றி உள்ளே நுழைகிறான். அதை அவுசபில் வரவழைத்திருந்தார். இதைக் கண்டு பவுலர் மிகவும் வியந்து போனார். பால்கனியில் நிற்பவன் மீண்டும் வந்து விட்டால் என வினவினார். அவன் வரப்போவதில்லை என்றார். ஏனென்றால், அங்கு பால்கனியே இல்லை என்றார். அவுசபில் தான் ஒரு உண்மையான துப்பறியும் நிபுணர் என நிரூபித்து விட்டார்
The Midnight Visitor Glossary
Textual:
Additional:
