# Chapter Notes: Life and Love

This document provides a comprehensive analysis of Anton Chekhov's short story "The Looking Glass," including vocabulary, thematic discussion, and related grammatical concepts.

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## Ways with Words

### A. Vocabulary Definitions

| Word | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- |
| **exhausted** | Extremely tired. |
| **apparent** | Clearly visible or understood; obvious. |
| **vista** | A pleasing view, especially one seen through a long, narrow opening. |
| **undulating** | Having a smooth, wavelike motion or form. |
| **destined** | Predetermined by fate or a higher power. |
| **stuffy** | Lacking fresh air; suffocating. |
| **restrain** | To prevent from doing something; to keep under control. |

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### B. Vocabulary Analysis and Usage

1.  **implore** (verb): To beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something.
    * *Sentence*: The defendant **implored** the jury to believe in his innocence.

2.  **despair** (noun): The complete loss or absence of hope.
    * *Sentence*: After months of searching, he fell into a state of **despair**.

3.  **beseech** (verb): To ask someone urgently and fervently to do something.
    * *Sentence*: I **beseech** you to show mercy to the prisoners.

4.  **eloquent** (adjective): Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
    * *Sentence*: She made an **eloquent** appeal for human rights.

5.  **whirl** (noun): A state of rapid activity or confusion.
    * *Sentence*: After the shocking news, her mind was in a **whirl**.

6.  **egoism** (noun): The practice of talking and thinking about oneself excessively because of an undue sense of self-importance.
    * *Sentence*: His **egoism** prevented him from acknowledging the contributions of his team.

7.  **agony** (noun): Extreme physical or mental suffering.
    * *Sentence*: He collapsed in **agony** after breaking his leg.

8.  **delirious** (adjective): In an acutely disturbed state of mind characterized by restlessness and illusions.
    * *Sentence*: The patient was **delirious** with a high fever.

9.  **delusive** (adjective): Giving a false or misleading impression; deceptive.
    * *Sentence*: He clung to the **delusive** hope that he could win the lottery.

10. **compensate** (verb): To reduce or counteract the effect of something undesirable by exerting an opposite force or effect.
    * *Sentence*: The company offered a bonus to **compensate** for the extra hours worked.

11. **mortgage** (noun): A legal agreement by which a bank lends money in exchange for taking title of the debtor's property.
    * *Sentence*: They had to take out a large **mortgage** to buy their first house.

12. **brood** (noun): A family of young animals, especially birds; used metaphorically for a person's children.
    * *Sentence*: She arrived at the family gathering with her entire **brood** of five children.

13. **prelude** (noun): An action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.
    * *Sentence*: The initial discussions were a **prelude** to formal peace negotiations.

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### D. Adjectives: -ing vs. -ed

a. Sarita was **shocked** to hear about the earthquake.
b. I think that rainy days in winter are **depressing**.
c. The football match was very **exciting**. I enjoyed it.
d. The meals at Delight Café are **satisfying**.
e. I've got nothing to do. I'm **bored**.
f. Tanka is very good at telling funny stories. He can be very **amusing**.
g. The teacher's explanation was **confusing**. Most of the students didn't understand it.
h. He is such a **boring** person. He never wants to go out.
i. I will be **surprised** if she does well in her test.
j. Are you **interested** in politics?

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### E. Using the Correct Adjective Form

a. They frustrate me but they don't bore me. I never get **bored** when I study grammar.
b. If teachers want to interest the students, they must use **interesting** materials.
c. Certain stories interest almost everybody. For example, most students are **interested** in fairy tales.
d. Certain things frighten me, but I never get **frightened** when I speak English.
e. If I get a good grade, that excites me. And if I get more than ninety percent, I am really **excited**.

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## Understanding the Text

### Answer the Following Questions

**a. Who was Nellie? What did she use to dream of?**
Nellie was the young, pretty daughter of a landowner and general. Deeply unfulfilled by her mundane life, she constantly dreamt of an idealized future, specifically of getting married to a destined, heroic husband.

**b. What was she doing with the looking glass?**
She was using the looking glass not just for reflection, but as a portal into her romantic fantasies. By staring into it, she actively tried to conjure the image of her future husband, using it as a tool for escapism.

**c. Why did she go to the doctor on one winter night?**
In her dream or fantasy sequence, she rushed to the doctor on a stormy winter night because her husband was gravely ill and she desperately needed medical help for him.

**d. What was Stepan Lukitch doing when she reached his bedroom?**
When Nellie reached his bedroom in her dream, Stepan Lukitch, the doctor, was lying ill and exhausted on his bed.

**e. Why was the doctor not ready to go to see her husband?**
The doctor was not ready to go because he was himself ill and completely exhausted after treating typhus patients for three consecutive days and nights without rest.

**f. Why did Stepan Lukitch suggest Nellie go to the Zemstvo doctor?**
Stepan Lukitch suggested Nellie go to the Zemstvo doctor because he was physically incapable of helping her himself due to his own illness and fatigue. It was a suggestion born of his inability to perform his duties.

**g. Nellie said, “Come, perform that heroic deed! Have pity on us!" What was that pity to be done?**
The "heroic deed" Nellie was pleading for was for the doctor to overcome his own severe illness and exhaustion to travel through the storm and save her dying husband. The "pity" was this act of ultimate self-sacrifice.

**h. When Nellie said, "I must have fallen asleep," what does it mean?**
This statement marks the abrupt end of Nellie's elaborate and dramatic fantasy. It signifies her return to consciousness and her mundane reality, where she is not a heroic wife but a single, lonely young woman. The entire dramatic ordeal existed only in her mind.

**i. What is the main theme of the story?**
The central theme of the story is the conflict between romantic fantasy and harsh reality. It explores the human tendency to escape loneliness and dissatisfaction through elaborate daydreams, and the inevitable, often disappointing, return to real life.

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## Critical Thinking

### a. “The looking glass (mirror)” is used as a symbol in the story. What does it symbolise?

In Chekhov's story, the looking glass is a powerful symbol that represents the boundary between Nellie's mundane, unfulfilled reality and her rich, romanticized inner world. It is more than a simple object; it is the primary vehicle for her escapism. By gazing into it, Nellie is not merely checking her appearance but actively attempting to conjure a different life, one filled with the love, drama, and purpose she feels is missing. The mirror symbolizes her deep-seated longing for a predetermined, fairy-tale future and her habit of substituting elaborate fantasy for genuine life experience. It is the gateway through which her imagination takes flight, allowing her to live out a heroic narrative before the dream inevitably shatters.

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### b. Chekhov employs a "magic trick" in the story, using a very elegant transition from reality to imagination to reality. Discuss its relevance to the life of young people.

Chekhov’s seamless transition from Nellie’s quiet reality to her vivid imagination and back again serves as a poignant commentary on the human, and particularly youthful, tendency to dramatize life and seek refuge in fantasy. This narrative "magic trick" holds significant relevance for young people for several reasons.

First, the story mirrors the structure of a fairy tale. Nellie casts herself as a princess in distress, while her nameless, idealized husband becomes a prince charming in peril. This resonates with the narratives often consumed during youth, where love is depicted as a grand, dramatic adventure. Like the unnamed princes in classic tales, Nellie's husband is a concept rather than a character, highlighting how youthful fantasies often prioritize the *idea* of love over the complexities of a real relationship.

Second, the story astutely captures the inclination of young people to romanticize not just love, but also suffering. Lacking significant life experience, some may invent or exaggerate hardship to feel a sense of purpose or importance. Nellie’s imagined ordeal is thrilling and heroic; she gets to be the devoted, desperate wife fighting against the elements. It is an enchanting narrative, but one that crumbles upon waking. This reflects how young people might be drawn to the aesthetics of tragedy without understanding its true weight, and like Nellie, can "wake up" from their imagined drama when it becomes too intense.

Ultimately, however, Chekhov's story transcends age. The modern world, with its curated social media feeds and sensationalized news cycles, suggests that adults are just as susceptible to blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. The story serves as a timeless reminder that while imagination is a powerful tool for coping with dissatisfaction, a fulfilling life cannot be lived solely within the confines of a looking glass.

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## Grammar: Future Tense (Will vs. Be Going To)

### B. Matching Expressions with Functions

| Expression | Function |
| :--- | :--- |
| **A**: What do you want to take? <br> **B**: I’ll have tea, please. | Deciding |
| **A**: Are you free this evening? <br> **B**: No, I’m going to meet my uncle. | Expressing a prior plan |
| The day **will be** lovely tomorrow. | Predicting a future action |
| There is no cloud in the sky. It’s **going to be** a lovely day. | Predicting with evidence |
| Don’t worry. I **won’t tell** anyone. | Promising |
| **I'll take** you to the movies if you like. | Offering |
| **I’ll tell** your parents what you did. | Threatening |

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### C. Choose the Correct Answer

a. A: Are you busy this evening? <br> B: Yes, I **am going to** the movies.
b. A: Where are you going for holiday this summer? <br> B: Not sure yet. Maybe I **will go** to Ilam.
c. I think you **will** like this movie.
d. I can’t join you at the party, I **am going to** be away for two weeks.
e. This exercise looks really hard. I **will** help you.
f. A: Hello. Can I speak to Sima, please? <br> B: Just a minute. I **will** get her.
g. Perhaps she **will** pass the exam.
h. ‘I haven’t got my phone.’ ‘That’s OK. I **will** lend you mine.’

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### D. Complete the Sentences

a. Hari: Did you call Bina? <br> Prem: Oh, I forgot. I **will call** her now.
b. Sunita: Have you got a ticket for the play? <br> Hema: Yes, I **am going to watch** it on Saturday.
c. ‘The alarm is ringing. It’s making an awful noise.’ ‘OK, I **will switch** it off.’
d. Do you think they **will like** the presents we got for them?
e. ‘Lok is starting university tomorrow.’ ‘What **is he going to study**?’
f. If I meet him, I **will tell** him the news.
g. The phone is ringing. I **will answer** it.
h. If you don’t stop bullying her, I **will tell** the teacher.