Class 11 English — Chapter 2: The Address

What you'll learn

• ▸The Narrator's First Visit and Mrs. Dorling's Rejection
• ▸The Pre-War Arrangement and Mother's Trust
• ▸The Psychological Impact of War
• ▸The Second Visit and Changed Perception
• ▸Symbolism of Belongings
• ▸Loss of Value and Emotional Detachment
• ▸The Narrator's Resolution to Move On

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- 11073CH02 2 The Address Marga Minco This short story is a poignant account of a daughter who goes in search of her mother’s belongings after the War, in Holland. When she finds them, the objects evoke memories of her earlier life. However, she decides to leave them all behind and resolves to move on. ‘Do you still know me?’ I asked. The woman looked at me searchingly. She had opened the door a chink. I came closer and stood on the step. ‘No, I don’t know you.’ ‘I’m Mrs S’s daughter.’ She held her hand on the door as though she wanted to prevent it opening any further. Her face gave absolutely no sign of recognition. She kept staring at me in silence. Perhaps I was mistaken, I thought, perhaps it isn’t her. I had seen her only once, fleetingly, and that was years ago. It was most probable that I had rung the wrong bell. The woman let go of the door and stepped to the side. She was wearing my mother’s green knitted cardigan. The wooden buttons were rather pale from was…

Practice Questions from this Chapter

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1. Explain how objects evoke memories. Get Solution →
2. Describe the history of street addresses. Get Solution →
3. Explain why people hid valuables. Get Solution →
4. What is the full address the narrator visits? Get Solution →
5. What is the name of the woman who took the narrator's mother's belongings? Get Solution →
6. What item of clothing is Mrs. Dorling wearing when the narrator first sees her at the door? Get Solution →
7. Who opens the door for the narrator on her second visit to the address? Get Solution →
8. During which period did the narrator's mother give her the address? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 An item must be at least 100 years old to be officially considered an antique.
• 💡 Tea was first consumed in China over 5,000 years ago, initially as a medicinal drink.
• 💡 Humans used woven textiles, similar to tablecloths, over 30,000 years ago.
• 💡 Japan numbers its homes by construction order, not sequentially down a street like most countries.
• 💡 Your sense of smell is uniquely connected to the brain's memory and emotion centers.

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