NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 - Lost Spring

Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context:

(i) looking for 

Ans: try to locate or discover

(ii) slog their daylight hours 

Ans: struggle persistently during the daytime

(iii) roof over his head 

Ans: a place to live

(iv) perpetual state of poverty 

Ans: endless impoverishment

(v) dark hutments 

Ans: encampment of huts devoid of any light

(vi) imposed the baggage on the child 

Ans: force the profession on the child

Think as you read: 

1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Ans: Saheb was searching for rupee notes, coins, and other useful objects in the garbage dumps. Their family was uprooted from their village in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and had no option but to shift to Seemapuri, a slum on the outskirts of Delhi, and look for a source of income.

2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

Ans: One of the explanations that the author came across when she saw many shoeless rag-picking children in her neighborhood was that it was a tradition to remain barefoot among them and other poor children in the country. She soon realized that her justification was wrong and just supported this idea and state of utter destitution.

3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.

Ans: Saheb valued his freedom and had a carefree look on his face. Working at the tea stall meant sacrificing this freedom since he had a master to obey. The job paid him 800 rupees and all his meals but he felt that the weight of the steel canister was more than his rag-picking plastic bag and he was not content with it.

Think as you Read: 

1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

Ans: Firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry and is especially famous for glass bangles.

 2.  Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans: The glass bangles industry is a hazardous industry. The workers often end up blind if they are exposed to the work for many years. The furnaces are set in extremely elevated temperatures and lack proper ventilation. Since most of the workers are poor, they work without protective eye gear and leave them blind. Burns and cuts while working are quite frequent and inhaling the fumes can lead to lung cancer. The workers put their lives in danger to fill their stomachs.

3. How is Mukesh's attitude to his situation different from that of his family?

Ans: Mukesh’s family wanted him to learn the art of bangle making and carry the skill forward. It was quite common for the kids to learn the art and carry forward the family profession. But Mukesh wanted to be a motor mechanic and drive a car. He dreamt and was halfway towards his goal. The people of his community considered that it was their fate to work as bangle makers to earn their bread. Mukesh was resolute to learn the intricacies of being a mechanic and travel to learn it. His determination made him rise above his family members.

Understanding The Text

1.  What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?

Ans: People move to cities in search of work and aid to fill their stomachs. There are better opportunities for work in the cities, compared to villages. Better health and civic facilities are also present in the large cities and towns to meet the demands of the population there. Sometimes natural calamities and destruction of land also force farmers to shift to the city for labour work.

In the story, Saheb and his family had to shift to Seemapuri because their farmland in Dhaka got destroyed in the storms. They had no alternative other than shifting to the city to fill their empty stomachs.

2.  Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?

Ans: Yes, I believe that the promises made to the poor children are seldom kept. Their dreams and aspirations are just considered to be part of their imaginative brain and hence are not taken seriously. It is painful to see a young kid’s dream not being encouraged which makes them less motivated to pursue them. People seldom make promises with the kids just to avoid shattering their hearts. 

In the story, the narrator makes a promise to Saheb about opening a school and encourages him to study. She sows a seed of hope in his heart, and when after a few days he enquires her about the school, she realizes how hollow her promise was and she was embarrassed about her action.

3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?

Ans: The people working in the bangle industry are forced to work in that industry since that’s the only craft they know to fill their stomachs. They aren't skilled in any other field and have accepted it as their fate to work in the bangle industry and be exploited by the deceptive middlemen. A proper legal system and the social system should be provided to them so that they can flourish with the help of their craft and come out of perpetual poverty. 

Thinking about the Text:

1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream?

Ans: Mukesh wanted to become a motor mechanic and drive a car. It was a dream not typical for someone who was living in the slums and hence by dream big he had already raised himself on a pedestal. He will have to face many obstacles but with his willpower and determination, I believe he can achieve his dream. He was willing to take a long walk to learn the skill shows the determination and passion he holds. He just needs to take these small steps and work on them religiously.

2.  Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans: The glass bangles industry is a hazardous industry. The workers often end up blind if they are exposed to the work for many years. The furnaces are set in extremely elevated temperatures and lack proper ventilation. Since most of the workers are poor, they work without protective eye gear and leaves them blind. Burns and cuts while working are quite frequent and inhaling the fumes can lead to lung cancer. The workers put their lives in danger to fill their stomachs.

3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Ans: Poor families have more kids because they feel that the more the number of working hands, the easier it will be to sustain the family. What they don't realize is that young years for kids are to devote themselves to studies and playing instead of toiling hard to earn. 

Industries and local food restaurants prefer kids as workforce since they charge less and work for a greater number of hours. They could be exploited easily without expecting them to revolt anytime soon. These hazardous conditions can not only cripple them physically but cause ailments that could lead to their death.

Government should keep a better check on these industries and implement proper laws to regulate the workforce. Strict actions must be taken if any factory is noticed appointing young lids as working staff. The public should be aware of these things and shouldn't encourage such behavior.

Thinking about language:

1. Although this text speaks of factual events and situations of misery it transforms these situations with almost poetical prose into a literary experience. How does it do so? Here are some literary devices:

•Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better or more exciting than it really is. For example, Garbage to them is gold.

•A Metaphor, as you may know, compares two things or ideas that are not very similar. A metaphor describes a thing in terms of a single quality or feature of some other thing; we can say that a metaphor "transfers" the quality of one thing to another. For example, The road was a ribbon of light.

•Simile is a word or phrase that compares one thing with another using the words "like" or "as". For example: As white as snow.

Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can you identify the literary device in each example?

1. Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast to what Saheb is in reality.

Ans:  Irony

2. Drowned in an air of desolation.

Ans:  Metaphor has been used in the sentence. It compares two things or ideas that are not remarkably similar. Air has no density, and one can practically drown in air. Even then it has been used by the author to show the gravity of things happening.

3. Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.

Ans:  Antithesis has been used in the sentence. It is used either as a proposition that reverses a previously mentioned proposition. The author mentions Seemapuri is present on the periphery of Delhi and then juxtaposes it by saying it’s miles away and contrasts the present idea.

4. For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders, it is a means of survival.

Ans:  Antithesis has been used in the sentence. It is used either as a proposition that reverses a previously mentioned proposition. The author contrasts the idea for adults and children. For children, it is a thing of wonder while for adults it is just survival.

5. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.

Ans:  Simile has been used in the sentence. It is used when we compare things or people using as, like, etc. In the sentence, hands are compared with tongs of a machine.

6. She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.

Ans:  Pun has been used in the sentence. A pun is used to imply a humorous effect. The writer mentions that there were bangles on her wrist but no happiness or light in her eyes, creating a humorous effect.

7. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.

Ans: Pun has been used in the sentence. A pun implies a humorous effect. Firozabad is near Delhi and many planes fly from there since it is the capital. The statement has been used to create slight laughter.

8. Web of poverty.

Ans:  Metaphor has been used in the sentence. It compares two ideas or things that are not remarkably similar. Poverty does not from a physical web but is still compared with it to show its networking and density.

9. Scrounging for gold.

Ans:  Metaphor has been used in the sentence. It compares two ideas or things that are not remarkably similar.  Gold is a precious metal and cannot be begged for and hence the ideas are not related.

10. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of fine art.

Ans:  Hyperbole

11. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder

Ans:  Paradox

2. The beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad contrasts with the misery of the people who produce them.

This paradox is also found in some other situations, for example, those who work in gold and diamond mines, or carpet weaving factories, and the products of their labor, the lives of construction workers, and the buildings they build.

(i)Look around and find examples of such paradoxes.

(ii)Write a paragraph of about 200 to 250 words on any one of them. You can start by making notes.

Here is an example of how one such paragraph may begin:

You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earthmovers, squirreling deep into the hot sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are banished to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city...

Ans: You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earthmovers, squirreling deep into the hot sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are banished to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city. Poor live miserably but it does not mean they lack skills. There are various fine fabrics and hand embroideries that are done by the locals in India and are famous and have demand across the world. Lack of proper investment and financial exposure forces them to live in filthy conditions. Their condition is so worse, especially in these times of crisis that they have to sell their work at minimum prices to sustain themselves and their families. They work hard the entire day and then just have to sell off their stuff to earn the wages for survival. They are illiterate and often exploited. The worst risk is not to the workers but to the skill that is lost. Since the craft is not well paying, only a few artisans prefer to learn the skill further. This reduces the number of people involved in the craft and eventually after some centuries the craft is no more.  They do not know the loss they are facing and how the technology could be used to earn more than just the survival amount. The rich and privileged should respect them for the work and time that they give and provide them properly for the work they do.

Part 1 of Ch 2 Flamingo Class 12 of NCERT Class 12 English Textbook

The story ‘Lost Spring’ is divided into two parts. The first part talks about Saheb-e-Alam and his life. The second part of the story is about Mukesh and the struggles he faced in life. Two different lives have been merged into one story to reveal the various facets of life and society.

In ch 2 English class 12 Flamingo, Saheb-e-Alam is among the many rag pickers who migrated from Dhaka to this country in 1971. They came here in search of shelter and livelihood. Since then, these people have been living here without any proper identity. For them, food and survival have a lot more value than having an identity. Garbage was the only means of survival for the rag pickers.

Garbage was no less than gold for these poor rag pickers. The author in the NCERT solution of English class 12 Lost Spring shares how he is astonished to see Saheb going out to look for gold in the garbage every morning. On asking why he does so, Saheb answers that he does not have anything else to do. Neither do they have proper houses, nor is there any means of education in Seemapuri.

In this story of NCERT solution of class 12 English Lost Spring, Saheb later gets a job in a tea stall. He receives Rs.800 as salary and meals throughout the day. However, he is not quite happy to be working there. This is because now he has to follow the commands of the stall owner and customers. He is no more the master of his actions like he used to be before. His name 'Saheb’ has also lost its essence in the present situation.

Part 2 in Chapter 2 English Class 12 English Textbook

The second half of Class 12 English Lost Spring NCERT solutions tells us about Mukesh. He is a kid who belongs to the family of bangle-makers. More than 20,000 children are engaged with this work in Firozabad. Child labour is common and living conditions are pathetic in this area.

The author in Lost Spring Class 12 NCERT solutions tells how the art of bangle-making has been followed like a vicious circle in the family. Even after years of hard work, the men in the family fail to afford proper living conditions. Due to the poor working conditions, both Mukesh’s father and grandfather have lost their eyesight. The women in the family have also accepted their fate.

In this story of NCERT solutions class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2, the characters are also a victim to corrupt politicians, police officers, middlemen and others. None of the family can dare to ask for their basic rights. Doing so will only call further troubles for the family members.

Mukesh, in chapter 2 English class 12 book, has a dream of becoming a motor mechanic. He does not want to follow the footsteps of his forefathers and dares to dream. The author is thrilled and amazed to see this spirit in Mukesh.