Everything she wanted was here, at Carignano, in Kasauli. Here, on the ridge of the mountain, in this quiet house. It was the place, and the time of life, that she had wanted and prepared for all her life—as she realized on the first day at Carignano, with a great, cool flowering of relief—and at last she had it. She wanted no one and nothing else. Whatever else came, or happened here, would be an unwelcome intrusion and distraction. This she tried to convey to the plodding postman with a cold and piercing stare from the height of the ridge onto his honest bull back. Unfortunately, he did not look up at her on the hilltop but stared stolidly down at the dust piling onto his shoes as he plodded on. A bullock-man, an oafish ox, she thought bitterly. She stepped backwards into the garden and the wind suddenly billowed up and threw the pine branches about as though to curtain her. She was grey, tall and thin and her silk sari made a sweeping, shivering sound and she fancied she could merge with the pine trees and be mistaken for one. To be a tree, no more and no less, was all she was prepared to undertake.
What pleased and satisfied her so, here at Carignano, was its barrenness. This was the chief virtue of all Kasauli of course—its starkness. It had rocks, it had pines, it had light and air. In every direction there was a sweeping view— to the north, of the mountains, to the south, of the plains. Occasionally an eagle swam through this clear unobstructed mass of light and air, that was all. And Carignano, her home on the ridge, had no more than that. Why should it? The sun shone on its white walls. Its windows were open the ones facing north opened on to the blue waves of the Himalayas flowing out and up to the line of ice and snow sketched upon the sky, while those that faced south looked down the plunging cliff to the plain stretching out, flat and sere to the blurred horizon.
Yes, there were some apricot trees close to the house. There were clumps of iris that had finished blooming. There was the kitchen with a wing of smoke lifting out of its chimney and a stack of wood outside its door. But these were incidental, almost unimportant.
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “Fire on the Mountain” by Anita Desai]
Which of the following statements are true about the protagonist’s overall state of mind in Carignano?
Statement I: She experienced a sense of constant restlessness and anguish.
Statement II: She felt isolated and disconnected from her environment.
Statement III: She was content, fulfilled, and at peace with her surrounding.
Correct Answer :
Only Statement III
Solution :
The correct answer is Only Statement III.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
1. Analyzing the Passage:
Let us analyze what the text reveals about the protagonist's state of mind at Carignano:
• The passage states, "Everything she wanted was here, at Carignano... It was the place, and the time of life, that she had wanted and prepared for all her life—as she realized on the first day at Carignano, with a great, cool flowering of relief—and at last she had it." This directly shows that she feels relieved, satisfied, and at peace.
• It mentions, "She wanted no one and nothing else. Whatever else came, or happened here, would be an unwelcome intrusion and distraction." This shows her strong desire for quiet solitude and content attachment to her current environment.
• The passage also states, "What pleased and satisfied her so, here at Carignano, was its barrenness." This explicitly highlights her satisfaction and contentment with the stark, peaceful surroundings of Kasauli.
2. Evaluating the Given Statements:
• Statement I: "She experienced a sense of constant restlessness and anguish." — False. The passage emphasizes her deep relief, satisfaction, and fulfillment, not anguish or restlessness.
• Statement II: "She felt isolated and disconnected from her environment." — False. While she seeks solitude from other people, she feels deeply connected to her natural environment, even fancying that she could "merge with the pine trees and be mistaken for one."
• Statement III: "She was content, fulfilled, and at peace with her surrounding." — True. Her feeling of relief, complete satisfaction with the location, and desire for nothing more confirm that she is content, fulfilled, and at peace.
Therefore, only Statement III is correct.
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