The Price Of Flowers
The narrator’s attention was drawn to the English girl because she had been watching him with interested surprise. But she turned her eyes away as soon as he looked at her. She was 13 or 14 years old. From her clothes one could guess she was a poor girl. She had large eyes which had a sad expression.
2. What is your impression of the girl?
She is a teenager from a poor family. She had large eyes with a sorrowful expression. When she saw the narrator, some ideas came to her mind and that is why she watches him so closely. Then she tries to find out if he is an Indian and if he comes to that particular restaurant all the time. Something about Indians has got into her mind and she is trying to clarify her doubts. She is a polite girl who thanks people even when some small service is given to her.
3. How do you know that the girl was interested in knowing the identity of the narrator?
I know that the girl was interested in knowing the identity of the narrator from the fact that she watched him with interested surprise. Later she asks the cashier whether the narrator was an Indian and whether he comes to the restaurant every day.
4. What do you understand about the probable financial condition of the girl?
The girl is from a poor family and that we can guess from the dress she is wearing. She has large eyes which have a sad expression. The waitress says that she comes to the restaurant only on Saturdays for her lunch because Saturday is the pay day. On the other days she does not take lunch because she has no money. She is working in a nearby shop, maybe for a very small pay. As she is a teenager nobody would hire her for a big salary.
5. Why was the narrator curious about the girl? What did he do to meet her?
The narrator was curious about the girl because he found she was curious about him. She asked the cashier if he was an Indian and if he came to the restaurant every day. From the waitress he had come to know that the girl works in a nearby shop. So to meet her he looked into the shops on the streets near St. Martin’s Lane and the shops on the Strand. But he could not trace her. Then he met her in the restaurant again on the next Saturday during lunch time.
6. Why did the narrator go to the restaurant again ?
The narrator went to the restaurant again in the hope of meeting the young English girl. He was told by the waitress that the girl came to the restaurant on Saturdays for lunch.
7. What impression did the girl have about India?
The girl thought that India was a dangerous country full of tigers, snake and fevers. This is the impression she got from people.
8. Was Maggie satisfied with her job? If not why?
Maggie was not satisfied with her job. It was a mechanical job. She wanted to have job to make use of her head, her brain. She would like to be a secretary.
9. What do you understand by‘brain work’?
By ‘brain work’ I understand those types of work which need some thinking. We in India often call ‘brain work’ as white collar jobs.
10. Why did Maggie ask the narrator whether he was a vegetarian?
Maggie asked the narrator whether the narrator was a vegetarian to find out if he was a yogi. She had heard that yogis do not eat meat and they have occult (magical) powers.
11. Why did Mr Gupta go to Maggie’s house?
Mr Gupta went to Maggie’s house because she invited him. She wanted to introduce him to her mother, who wanted to meet an Indian to find out the truth about the stories she had heard about India. Moreover, Mr. Gupta had developed some liking and sympathy towards Maggie and was willing to help her in any way possible.
12. What do you understand about the living conditions of Maggie and her mother?
The living conditions of Maggie and her mother were very poor. They lived in a small house in the Lambeth area where poor peopled lived. Here the streets are above the ground. Kitchens are often below street level. They had very cheap furniture and that too was very little. The carpet was very old and torn in many places. Maggie’s mother baked cakes and sold them for a living.
13. Why is Saturday special to Maggie and her mother?
Saturday is special to Maggie and her mother for two reasons. It is Maggie’s pay day, on which she can enjoy a meal in a restaurant. Saturday night is a time of festivity in poor neighbourhoods like Lambeth. It is a day when the poor are able to spend a little as they receive their wages. Maggie’s mother bakes cakes and sells them on Saturdays and that is how they make a living. So Saturday is special to both of them.
14. How did Mr. Gupta describe India to Mrs. Clifford?
Mr. Gupta said that India was a beautiful country. It is not cold like England, but is somewhat hot. Of course there are tigers and snakes in India but they live in the jungles. If they came into the places where people live they get killed. There are fevers in some places in India. But they differ with the places and seasons.
15. Who is Francis? What do you know about him?
Francis or Frank is the brother of Maggie and son of Mrs. Clifford. They both love him dearly. He is in the Punjab, in the regiment fighting on the Northwest Frontier. He loves his mother and sister. He has sent her sister a book of pictures of Simla and the surrounding mountain country. He is superstitious. He also sent her a crystal ring saying that it was given to him by a yogi. The yogi had told him it was a magical ring. If somebody looked into the crystal, thinking of a person who is far away, he can see the person and what he is doing. Maggie and Mrs. Clifford often looked into the crystal ring but they never saw Francis. Finally we come to know that Francis was killed in war and was buried at Fort Monroe, near Dera- Ghazi-Khan. Maggie wants the narrator to place some flowers on her brother’s grave when he goes to India and she pays him a shilling for that. It is from this sacrificial act of hers that the story gets its title.
16. What is your opinion about superstitions? Do you believe in any?
Superstitions are bad. But they are rampant in the society. Superstitions are often connected with religious beliefs and some unscrupulous people exploit the believers by feeding them with superstitions. Some people believe that if a black cat crosses your way, the work for which you are going will not be done. It is stupid to believe in superstitions. I don’t believe in any. I believe in God but not in the superstitions traded in his name.
17. Describe the incident that touched the narrator deeply.
Maggie had a violin and she learned to play some songs with her own efforts. She could not go to any teacher to learn violin because of the lack of money. Her mother knows that Maggie has talent for playing violin. She tells the narrator that if ever their circumstances improved she would send Maggie to have violin lessons. This incident deeply touched the narrator’s heart.
18. Why was Maggie unable to go to work?
Maggie was unable to go to work because her mother was seriously sick. Since there was nobody in the house to look after her sick mother, she could not go for work.
19. Why did Mr. Gupta take some money with him when he went to see Mrs. Clifford?
Mr Gupta took some money with him when he went to see Mrs. Clifford because his hostess told him that since Maggie had not gone for work for a week and had not received any pay, it was possible they were in financial trouble. In the letter Maggie wrote to him she had mentioned that her mother was very ill and she was not able to go to work for a week. She had not asked for any financial help but the hostess to whom the gprrator spoke about the letter thought that Maggie1 and her mother might need financial assistance.
20. Why did Mr. Gupta and Maggie tiptoe into the sitting room?
Mr Gupta and Maggie tiptoed into the sitting room because Maggie wanted to talk to him in private. They did not want to disturb the sick woman with their talk.
21. What request did Maggie make to Mr. Gupta?
Maggie wanted Mr. Gupta to gaze into the crystal and tell her mother that Franks was alive and well even if he did not see anything in the crystal. Her mother was seriously sick and her sickness is aggravated by her worries about Frank from whom she hasn’t heard for long. If Mr.’ Gupta tells her that Frank is alive and well, it will help her to recover.
22. Why was the crystal ring so special to Mrs. Clifford?
The crystal ring was so special to Mrs. Clifford because it was sent by her son Frank from India. Frank had written that the crystal ring was given to him by a yogi. The yogi had told him that the crystal ring was a magical one. If somebody looked into the crystal thinking of a person who was even far away, he could see the person and what he was doing. Mrs Clifford believed her son’s words.
23. What made Mrs. Clifford recover?
Mrs. Clifford’s illness was aggravated because of her worries about her son Frank from whom she had not heard for long. She did not know if he was alive and well. Maggie requested Mr. Gupta to look into the crystal ring and tell her mother that Frank was alive and well even if he saw nothing in the crystal ring. Gupta did accordingly and this made Mrs. Clifford recover from her illness.
24. Why was Mr Gupta ashamed to face Mrs. Clifford?
Mr. Gupta was ashamed to face Mrs. Clifford because Frank had been dead some days when he told her that he was alive and well. Since he had told her a lie, he was ashamed to face her.
25. What was the promise given to Maggie?
The promise given to Maggie was that the narrator (Mr. Gupta) would visit the grave of her brother at Mort Monroe, near Dera-Ghazi-Khan when he goes to India.
26. Why did Maggie give a shilling to Mr.Gupta?
Maggie gave a shilling to Mr. Gupta to buy flowers and place them on her brother’s grave at Mort Monroe, near Dera-Ghazi-Khan when he goes to India.
27. Explain the reason why Mr. Gupta accepted the shilling?
Initially Mr. Gupta wanted to give back the Shilling to Maggie telling her that there were plenty of flowers in India and he could get some flowers free to place them on her brother’s grave. But this would deprive the girl of the joy of sacrifice she was making for her dead brother. So Mr. Gupta accepted the shilling. The grief in her heart would lessen with the sacrifice she was making. To earn a shilling she had to do a lot of work.
Activity - I (Read And Respond)
1. ’It is neither the same everywhere nor the same all the year round in India. ’ Why?
India is a vast country with different climate zones and it is not the same everywhere nor is it the same all the year-round.
2. Why did the narrator decide to take the shilling given by Maggie?
The narrator decided to take the shilling from Maggie just to make her happy. She has sacrificed a lot to give him the shilling to buy flowers for her brother’s grave. She will feel consoled when she has done something nice for her brother.
3. What is the role of faith in the story?
Answer:
Faith plays an important role in the story. Mrs Clifford believes that Indians can see things in a crystal. When the narrator tells her that he can see her son alive and well in the crystal she recovers from her illness.
Activity - II (Discussion)
Discuss the significance of the title ‘The Price of Flowers’.
The story has aptly titled the price of flowers. A young girl impoverished and miserable sacrifices a shilling for flowers to place on her brother’s grave. The narrator does not want to destroy the kind gesture that the girl makes for he knows it brings her a lot of consolation.
Activity - III (Character Sketch)
Pick out the words used by the author to describe the character of Maggie.
Full name Alice Margaret Clifford, a young English girl, 13 or 14 years old, poor clothes, hair bung in a heavy stream down her back. Large eyes with a sad expression, works in nearby shop, comes onl^on Saturday for lunch, believes India is full of tigers, snakes and fevers; her knowledge about yogis, her believes in the stories of magic, lives in a small house, loves her mother and brother dearly, her sacrifice. Establish the above points with the help of related evidence from the text and sketch the character of Maggie.
Maggie’s full name is Full name Alice Margaret Clifford. She is a young English girl. She is 13 or 14 years of age. When we see her first she is wearing poor clothes showing she is very poor. Her hair hung in a heavy stream down her back. She had large eyes with a sad expression. She works in a shop close the restaurant where she met the writer. She goes to the restaurant only on Saturdays because Saturday is pay day. Maggie is a hardworking girl. She lives with her old mother in a small house. Her only brother Francis is in the army and he is in India. She loves her brother very much and he too loves her.
She loves her mother. She nurses her when she is sick. She is superstitious. That is why she believes in the story told by her brother that by looking into the crystal ring one could see people who are far and what they are doing, if one thinks of them and looks into the ring carefully. She is very disciplined. She has polite manners and this is clearly shown in her behavior.
Maggie is ambitious and she is not happy with her work in the shop. She says it is a mechanical job. She wants to do a job where her brain can be used. When she gets a better job she will rent o a better house and take her mother there. It shows much she cares for her mother. When her mother is in a critical condition she even asks Mr. Gupta to tell her mother a lie about her brother so that the mother feels better by hearing that her son is alive and well in India. Maggie is a very fine girl.
She wants Mr. Gupta to go to the grave of her brother who is buried in India and gives one shilling to him. A shilling is a lot of money for a poor girl like her. To get that, she has to work hard for many days. Her action shows how much she loved her brother. Her sacrifice brings tears to the eyes of Mr. Gupta and we too are moved to tears when we see such selfless love of a teenage girl for her dead brother. I can easily say that Maggie is a model for girls of her age.
Activity - V (Write up)
‘I want work that will make me use my head, brain work.’
How far can you relate this statement to your life? What kind of profession do you like? Why? Prepare a write-up.
I also want work that will make me use my head. I want to do work that needs my brain, my thinking powers.
I like to be a teacher as teaching is supposed to be the noblest profession. A teacher always makes impressions on the minds of hundreds of students. He/ She has to be intelligent and understanding so as to help the students learn. As students have different abilities the teacher uses a variety of skills to constantly invent and make the classroom an interesting place so as to encourage learning. Teachers are role models and many of them make a lasting impression on the lives of students.
Teachers have to be smart as well as intuitive so as to understand the needs of their students. Teachers mould the minds of the students. Therefore nation-building is ultimately in the hands of the teachers. Dr. Abdul Kalam said that no nation can rise above its teachers. The quality of a nation depends on the quality of its teachers. So I want to be a teacher and use my brain to develop the brains of my students.
Activity - VI (Letter)
“When I go to that part of the country, I shall visit your brother’s grave and write to you. ’ A few weeks after the narrator’s departure, Maggie receives a letter from him. What might be the content of the letter? Draft the letter, assuming that you are the narrator?
Fort Monroe
Dera-Ghazi-Khan
Noth-west Frontier
India, PIN 600-002
2 January 1946
Dear Maggie,
I’m sorry that I could not write to you earlier because I was busy with the £Anl Service training and the formalities connected with it. I hope you and your mother are fine. I am okay here. I am trying to cope with my new responsibilities.
I went to Fort Monroe, near Dera-Ghazi-Khan to visit your brother’s grave. As desired by you, I placed some beautiful rose flowers on his grave. When I was standing there I thought of you and your mother and imagined how you must have felt when you heard about Franks’ untimely death. I met two soldiers from the Regiment to which Frank belonged and they told me what a fine lad Frank was. They also told me that he often talked to them about you and your mother. In fact he had bought some Indian clothes to give both of you when he returned home.
But destiny sometimes plays cruel jokes. I feel extremely sorry that you lost such a fine brother and your mother such a marvelous son. I pray for his soul. May his soul rest in peace!
Please greet your mother on my behalf. The cake she gave me was delicious.
I keep remembering you and I speak about you to my friends. When I visit England next time, I will definitely come and see you people.
With lots of love,
Yours lovingly, (Gupta Narain)
Activity - VII (Role Play)
Maggie reads the letter. She cannot sleep for many days. Imagine that one day Mr. Gupta receives a call from her. What would she say? Discuss with your friend, and prepare a likely conversation between them. Enact the scene by taking up different roles.
Maggie : Hello! Is that Mr. Gupta there? This is Maggie from England.
Mr. Gupta : Hello Maggie! How nice to hear from you!
Maggie : I got your letter Mr. Gupta. Thank you very much for taking the trouble of placing flowers on my brother’s grave. My mother also wants to thank you. She said it was so good of you to do such a thing. ,
Mr. Gupta : It was nothing. I realized how much you loved Frank. Sorry, Maggie that you lost such a fine brother.
Maggie : What can we do? Fate has been very cruel to us. My father dies and now my brother, leaving my poor mother and me to fend for ourselves.
Mr. Gupta : Maggie, don’t grieve. Life is like that. Remember, there are more miserable people than you in this world.
Maggie : I understand that. That is how I console myself. Mother has become better and I am now regularly going to work.
Mr. Gupta : Good to hear that. Be cheerful and optimistic. By the way, do you play the violin often?
Maggie : Yes, I do. I am practicing a new number. When you come next time, I will play it for you.
Mr. Gupta : Very happy to hear that. Say Hi to your mother. And take care!
Maggie : You too Mr. Gupta. Bye for now!
Activity - VIII (Review)
Read the story again and discuss the following with your friends: the theme, style of narration, language, the impact of words and expression, location, characterization, dialogue, the opening and the ending of the story.
Now, attempt a critical review of the story.
The Price of Flowers’ is an excellent story by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay. The main theme of the story is the love of a girl for her dead brother. There are also other themes like the hardships of the poor people, the dangers of war, unfulfilled desires and dreams of ordinary people and superstitions.
The style of narration has been very simple. The story is moved forward through the dialogues among the three main characters of the story – Maggie, her mother and Mr. Gupta. The language used is lucid and easy to understand. The words and expressions used make a fine impact on our minds. The story takes place in London but in the end we see the narrator placing some flowers at the grave of Frank, the brother of Maggie, at Fort Monroe. Characterization has been superb.
The character of Maggie is drawn in an exemplary manner, The poor girl of 13 or 14 with her large, sad eyes, her hair streaming .down her neck, wearing shabby clothes, living in an uncomfortable house with her old mother and working in a shop for small wages is portrayed exquisitely. She is so poor that she eats her lunch only on Saturday, the payday.
Her inquisitive nature, her ideas about India, her superstition, her love for her brother and mother, etc. are powerfully pictured. The dialogues are short and sweet. There are no lengthy and boring dialogues. The story is moved forward through apt dialogues. There s fine imagery in the story. No person with a compassionate heart can end reading the story without shedding a tear. Mukhopadhyay through his ‘Price of Flowers’ has proved that he is a fine story teller.
Activity - IX (Reporting)
Read the material given on
The following sentences are from the story ‘The Price of Flowers’. Read them.
She asked, ‘Are you an Indian?’
‘Yes.’
‘Excuse me, are you a vegetarian?’
‘Why do you ask that? ‘
‘I have heard that most Indians are vegetarians.’
‘How is it that you know anything about India?’
‘My elder brother is in India. He is a soldier.’
The very next day the narrator told his friend about the girl and their conversation.
Read and find out how he presented it.
The girl asked me whether I was an Indian.
I answered in the affirmative.
Then she asked me politely if I was a vegetarian.
I enquired why she asked that.
She said (that) she had heard that most Indians were vegetarians.
I further asked her how it was that she knew anything about India.
She replied that her elder brother was in India and added that he was a soldier.
see the difference between direct speech and reported speech. Study the notes given there.
Rewrite the following sentences in reported speech:
“Shall I call you work of a secretary.”
The narrator asked the girl if he should call her Miss Clifford or Alice. She replied saying that she was not grown up and he might call her what he liked. She laughingly added that she was usually called Maggie. The narrator then wanted to know if she was anxious to grow up. Her answer was yes. He then wanted to know why she wanted to grow up. He said that when she would be grown she would be paid more for her work and her mother was old. The narrator wanted to know if the work she was doing was to her liking. She said she did not like the work as it was very mechanical. She wanted some work that needed the use of her brain. She wanted to be a secretary.
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