THE ADDRESS :: MARGA MINCO

 

"The Address"  is a heart touching story by famous writer Marga 'Sara' Minco. 

Marga Minco 

The narrator lives with her mother in Holland. The War brings a lot of sufferings and hardships to the narrator's family. They have to leave their house, their country to save themselves. An old acquaintance (Known) of her mother, Mrs. Dorling takes  advantages of them and she takes all the valuable items from the narrator's house. The narrator and her mother see all this helplessly.

After a long time, when War was over, the narrator comes back to their old address. Her mother is no more now. She comes at HN 46 Marconi Street, where Mrs. Dorling lives. She does not welcome her in her house. The narrator feels very sad and decides to leave the town. But she wants to have a last look of their old valuable items, which were kept in Mrs. Dorling's house. She again goes to her house . This time, a girl of 15 , opens the door. She was Mrs. Dorling's daughter. She welcomes her and offers her tea. Mrs. Dorling was not at house. Now the narrator sees many things there which belonged to them . All these things are lying there in a very bad condition. The narrator loses all interest in those things and leaves the house . Now these things become useless for her. She does not want to have a look on them . She wants to forget that address forever......

 

Textual Exercise:-

Q1- Who is the writer of the lesson 'The Address' ?
Ans- Marga Minco
Q2- Where did the narrator live with her mother ?
Ans- In Holland
Q3- What was the name of her mother?
Ans- Mrs. S.

Q4- Which period of time is described in this story?
Ans- The World War II.
Q5- Why did the narrator's family leave their house?
Ans- Because there was a war against them in Holland.
Q6- What were the effects of The War on the narrator's family?
Ans- They had to leave their house and country.
Q7- Who took away all the valuable items from the narrator's house?
Ans- Mrs. Dorling, who was  an old friend of her mother.
Q8- Where did Mrs. Dorling live?
Ans- House No. 46, Marconi Street
Q9- When did narrator come back to Mrs. Dorling?
Ans- After a long time, when The War was over.
Q10- Why did the narrator come back at HN 46?
Ans- To get their valuable items back.
Q11- Did Mrs. Dorling welcome her?

Ans- No she did not welcome her.
Q12- Who opened the door , when the narrative went to HN 46 again?
Ans- A girl of 15, who was the daughter of Mrs. Dorling.
Q13- What did the narrator see in Mrs. Dorling's house?
Ans- She saw many of their valuable items, lying in a bad condition.
Q14- Was she interested to get their valuable items after seeing them?
Ans- No, she lost her interest in them now. 

Textual Exercise

Q1- How did the narrator feel certain that she has come to the right address?
Ans- When the narrator reached the house, a woman opened the door. The woman was wearing the same cardigan that used to be her mother's. Thus she was certain that she had come to the right address.
Q2- Who was Mrs. Dorling? Where did she live?

Ans- Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance (friend) of the narrator's mother. Narrator's mother had left her costly belongings with her at the time of war. She lived at house number 46 in Marconi Street.
Q3- Why did narrator come to Mrs. Dorling?

Ans- Narrator came to Mrs. Dorling because there were many valuable things of their kept in the house of Mrs. Dorling.

Q4- What had the narrator's mother told about Mrs. Dorling?
Ans- She had told that Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance (friend) of her. Many valuable things of their were kept in her house during the war. And every time she came, she took a bag full of some costly items from their house.
Q5- Why did Mrs. Dorling take away a number of things from narrator's house?
Ans- Those were the time of war. The narrator's mother decided to leave that place because it was mow unsafe for them to stay there. Mrs. Dorling offered to keep her costly things safe in her house. So , she took away a number of things from there.
Q6- How had the conditions improved after the war?
Ans- The War had created terrible hardships for common people. But after the war, there was peace once again. Now the life was getting normal.

Q7- What happened when the narrator visited Mrs. Dorling for the second time?
Ans- Mrs. Dorling was then not at her house. A little girl of about fifteen opened the door. She was the daughter of Mrs. Dorling. She took her inside and offered her tea. The narrator saw a number of rare and costly things of their.
Q8- What were the familiar things that the narrator saw at Mrs. Dorling's house?
Ans- The narrator saw there a woolen table cloth. It had a burn mark at one edge. She saw also a box of cutlery and some pewter plates. There were many other valuable things , which belonged to them once.
Q9- Why did the narrator of this story want to forget the address?
Ans- It was the address of an old acquaintance ( friend) of her mother. Many years ago, the narrator's mother had left all her costly things there. Now the mother was no more. All the valuable items had been kept in Mrs. Dorling's house in a bad condition. Those things had lost all the emotional value for the narrator. She didn't want to get these things back. Mrs. Dorling even refused to recognize her. She didn't let her come into the house. Secondly, the narrator had been living in a small rented room now and she had not sufficient space to put those things. That was why she wanted to forget that address and items.