The Little Girl Class 9: Detailed Notes and Important Extra Questions
About the lesson:
The Little Girl" by Katherine Mansfield tells the story of Kezia, a young girl who is deeply afraid of her strict and hardworking father. She perceives him as cold and giant-like, especially after he punishes her for accidentally ruining his important speech papers to make him a birthday gift. However, her perspective changes one night when she has a terrifying nightmare while her mother and grandmother are away. Her father carries her to his bed and comforts her with unexpected tenderness. Kezia realizes that her father isn't cruel, but simply tired from his daily struggles, discovering that he actually has a "big, loving heart."
About the poet:
Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) was a prominent modernist writer born and raised in New Zealand.She is widely considered one of the most influential short story writers of the early 20th century.Her writing is famous for focusing on psychological depth, family dynamics, and the inner feelings of her characters.In "The Little Girl," she brilliantly captures the innocence of childhood and the complexities of parent-child relationships.Her unique style often explores how small, everyday moments can lead to a significant change in a person's perspective.
Thinking about the text:
II. Answer the following in one or two sentences.
1.Why was Kezia afraid of her father/
Ans: Kezia was afraid of her father because he was strict and physically intimidating, appearing to her like a giant who often spoke harshly and punished her.
2.Who were the people in Kezia'a family?
Ans: The people in Kezia’s family were her father, her mother, her grandmother, and Kezia herself. They also had a cook named Alice who stayed with them.
3.What was Kezia’s father’s routine?
Ans: Before going to his office, he would come to Kezia’s room for a casual kiss. After returning in the evening, he would loudly demand his tea and paper in the drawing-room while Kezia helped him take off his boots. On Sundays, he would stretch out on the sofa with a handkerchief over his face to sleep soundly.
4. In what ways did Kezia's grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Ans: Kezia’s grandmother encouraged her to interact with her parents by sending her down to the drawing-room on Sunday afternoons to have a "nice talk" with them. She also suggested that Kezia make a pin-cushion out of beautiful yellow silk as a birthday gift for her father to show her affection.
III. Discuss these values of the story in three or four paragraphs.
Q1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Ans: Kezia’s grandmother suggested she make a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father. While Kezia was full of good intentions and worked hard to stitch three sides of the cushion, she made a critical mistake while looking for stuffing. She found some fine sheets of paper on her father’s bed table, tore them into tiny pieces, and stuffed them inside the cushion.
Unfortunately, those papers contained her father’s important speech for the Port Authority. When the loss was discovered, the house was searched, and Kezia eventually confessed. Despite her innocent motive to please him, her father was furious and punished her by hitting her pink palms with a ruler. This event deepened Kezia's fear and created a temporary wall of misunderstanding between the father and the daughter.
Q2. Kezia decides that there are "different kinds of fathers." What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Ans: Through a gap in the fence, Kezia observed her neighbor, Mr. Macdonald, playing with his five children. He was a joyful, lively, and affectionate father. He played "tag" in the garden, let his children hang onto his coat pockets, and laughed heartily with them. There was no fear in their relationship, only pure love and fun.
In contrast, Kezia’s father was the embodiment of discipline and coldness. He was hardworking and often tired, which made him irritable and strict. He never played with Kezia or spoke to her kindly; instead, he gave orders and looked at her in a way that terrified her. This comparison led Kezia to believe that while some fathers were kind like Mr. Macdonald, hers was "cruel" and "giant-like," though she later realized his harshness was due to his exhausting lifestyle.
EXTRA QUESTION -ANSWERS (one mark each)
1. Who is the author of the story "The Little Girl"?
Ans: Katherine Mansfield.
2. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Ans: She was afraid of him because he was very strict, loud, and looked like a giant to her.
3. What did Kezia's grandmother suggest she make for her father's birthday?
Ans: She suggested Kezia make a beautiful yellow silk pin-cushion.
4. What did Kezia use to stuff the pin-cushion?
Ans: She used the torn pieces of her father’s important speech papers.
5. Who were the Macdonalds?
Ans: They were Kezia’s neighbors who had five children and played happily together.
6. Why did Kezia’s father punish her with a ruler?
Ans: He punished her for touching and ruining his important papers for the Port Authority.
7. How did Kezia feel when her father went to work every morning?
Ans: She felt a sense of glad relief when the sound of his carriage grew fainter.
8. What happened to Kezia when her mother and grandmother were at the hospital?
Ans: She had a terrifying nightmare about a butcher with a knife and a rope.
9. Who comforted Kezia during her nightmare?
Ans: Her father comforted her by carrying her to his bed and tucking her in.
10. What did Kezia realize about her father at the end of the story?
Ans: She realized that he had a "big heart" but was too tired from hard work to be playful.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who is the author of the story ‘The Little Girl’?
(a) Robert Frost
(b) Katherine Mansfield
(c) Isaac Asimov
(d) Coates Kinney
Correct Answer: (b)
2. Kezia’s father appeared to her as a:
(a) Giant
(b) Fairy
(c) Friend
(d) Hero
Correct Answer: (a)
3. Why did Kezia stutter only in front of her father?
(a) She had a speech defect
(b) She was trying too hard to say words properly out of fear
(c) She was mocking him
(d) She was cold
Correct Answer: (b)
4. On Sunday afternoons, grandmother sent Kezia to the drawing-room to:
(a) Play with her toys
(b) Clean the room
(c) Have a nice talk with her parents
(d) Sleep on the sofa
Correct Answer: (c)
5. What did Kezia use to stuff the pin-cushion?
(a) Cotton and wool
(b) Old rags
(c) Important papers belonging to her father
(d) Dry leaves
Correct Answer: (c)
6. Who was Mr. Macdonald?
(a) Kezia’s uncle
(b) The next-door neighbor
(c) The family cook
(d) Kezia’s school teacher
Correct Answer: (b)
7. How many children did Mr. Macdonald have?
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five
Correct Answer: (d)
8. What was the "nightmare" that Kezia often had?
(a) A dark forest with no exit
(b) A butcher with a knife and a rope
(c) Falling from a high mountain
(d) Being lost in a market
Correct Answer: (b)
9. Who took care of Kezia when she woke up screaming from her nightmare?
(a) Her mother
(b) Her grandmother
(c) Her father
(d) Alice the cook
Correct Answer: (c)
10. What did Kezia realize about her father at the end of the story?
(a) He was a cruel man
(b) He didn't love her at all
(c) He was too busy to play but had a big, loving heart
(d) He was very lazy
Correct Answer: (c)
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