English: The Letter

(a) Who was Ali? Where did he go daily?

Answer: Ali was an old man who was a clever hunter in his youth. He went to the post office daily to receive his daughter's letter.

(b) "Ali display qualities of love and patience". Give evidence from the story to support the statement.

Answer: Ali displays qualities of love and patience. He loves his daughter to that extent for which he adopted a cheerless life. He quits his favorite pastime, that is, hunting after his daughter's departure from is life. Nevertheless, he visits the post office continuously for five years without any success of receiving his daughter's letter with full faith and complete patience.

(c) How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?

Answer: Ali was a familiar figure at the post office as he had been visiting the post office regularly for five years which had made him acquainted to the employs of the post office.

(d) Why did Ali give up hunting?

Answer: After his daughter's marriage, Ali understood the meaning of love and separation. He could not find pleasure in hunting anymore. Therefore, he gave up hunting.

(e) What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story 'The Letter'?

Answer: In the beginning of the story, we find postmaster short tempered and a self- centered man. He speaks impolitely to Ali and rebukes him tightly. But at the end of the story we find that the post master goes through a sudden change. He become polite, understanding and sympathetic. He is able to realize the reality of love and separation.

(f) The postmaster says to Ali, "What a pest you are, brother!" Do you agree with the statement? Give reason for your answer.

Answer: No, I do not agree with the statement that Ali is a pest because his only objective to visit post office daily was to receive his daughter's letter, whose news Ali has not received for five long years. It is fatherly love, which compels him to behave in such a manner.

(g) "Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to graze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith." Why were Ali's eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?

Answer: Ali's eyes were filled with tears of helplessness because he had not received a single letter from his daughter for five years, whom  he loved more than anything else. His patience had exhausted because of the never ending wait for his daughter's letter. Even after that he ad a faith that the letter surely come one day or the other.

(h) "Torture by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait." Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?

Answer: Postmaster is tortured by doubt and remorse. He is doubtful of whether he saw Ali in reality or it was just his imagination. He is remorseful as he has realized that whatever he did with Ali was indecent and rude. He is waiting for the letter of his daughter's well being.