Welcome to Swastik Classes, where we provide comprehensive solutions for NCERT English textbooks for students of Class 10. In this article, we will be discussing Chapter 8 of the NCERT English textbook, “The Hack Driver”. This chapter is a thought-provoking story written by Sinclair Lewis, which explores the themes of identity and social class. Our team of experienced educators has created detailed and easy-to-understand solutions for this chapter, which will help students to understand and analyze the story effectively. We hope that our NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 will prove to be useful for students in their academic journey.
as the majority of CBSE pupils use NCERT English textbooks. The grammar-related material in the NCERT English textbooks is crucial for students who want to get high results. The most varied English curriculum, for class 10, includes a variety of novels and chapters.
Writing responses to the class 10 English questions provided in the exercise might be challenging for students for a number of reasons. One should not omit any NCERT textbook content in order to get the highest possible grade. Use the staff at Swastik Classes’ NCERT answers for English class 10 as a resource. Important literature-based questions are covered in depth in each chapter.
NCERT Solutions for class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Exercise
Read and Find Out
1. Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Solution : The lawyer was sent to New Mullion to serve summons on Oliver Lutkins, who was needed as a witness in a law case. He had expected the place to be a sweet and simple country village.
2. Who befriends him? Where does he take him?
Solution : The lawyer was befriended by a delivery man who introduced himself as Bill. He told him that he knew Lutkins and would help the lawyer in finding him. He took him to all the places where Lutkins was seen or was known to hang out. He took the lawyer to Fritz’s shop, where Lutkins played a lot of poker; to Gustaff’s barber shop and then to Gray’s barber shop; to the poolroom and several other places before finally taking him to Oliver’s mother’s farm. However, Oliver Lutkins was not found.
3. What does he say about Lutkins?
Solution : Bill told the lawyer that Lutkins was a hard fellow to catch. He was always up to something or the other. He owed money to many people, including Bill, and had never even paid anybody a cent. He also said that Oliver played a lot of poker and was good at deceiving people.
Think about it.
1. What more does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?
Solution : Bill told the lawyer that he knew Lutkins’ mother. He said that she was a terror. He narrated an incident when he took a trunk to her once and she almost took his skin off because he did not treat it like a box of eggs. He also said that she was about nine feet tall and four feet thick. She was very quick and could talk a lot. He said that Oliver must have heard that somebody was chasing him and consequently, would have gone into hiding at his mother’s place.
2. Does the narrator serve the summons that day?
Solution : No. The narrator did not serve the summons that day.
3. Who is Lutkins?
Solution : The hack driver himself was Oliver Lutkins.
Think about It
1. When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins? When do you think Bill came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?
Solution : Lutkins act of taking the lawyer for a ride clearly indicates that he is a very cunning person. It is his natural behaviour to not disclose his true identity to unknown persons. Moreover, being a cheat as he is it seems his regular practice to dupe people who are newcomers.
2. Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is it that no one lets out the secret? (Hint: Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.)Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?
Solution : Lutkin never allows the lawyer to the place where the imaginary Lutkins is supposed to be present at a given time. The way he weaves stories about Lutkin’s vagabond nature and the way he scares the lawyer about Lutkin’s mother are great tools applied by Bill.
3. Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?
Solution : Lutkin’s neighbours were not anxious to meet a person who could be easily duped. They wanted to enjoy the lawyer’s predicament.
4. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
Solution : After his first day’s experience with the hack driver, the lawyer had considered returning to New Mullion to practise law. However, he realised during his second visit that he had been literally taken for a ride by the hack driver (who himself was Lutkins). In this, Lutkins was helped by the townspeople. After becoming the laughing stock of the town, it is most likely that the lawyer would have reconsidered his initial idea of working there.
5. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Solution : The lawyer seems to be a simpleton and inexperienced person. He has yet to come to grips with the way the bad world functions. He could have done his homework better before going to the village. He could have taken a photograph of Lutkin if available. Before relying on Bill he could have cross checked with other people as well. He could have avoided sending Bill alone to search Lutkin.
NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 10 ENGLISH CHAPTER-8 THE HACK DRIVER
The NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – “The Hack Driver” provided by Swastik Classes are designed to help students comprehend and analyze the thought-provoking story written by Sinclair Lewis. The solutions cover important themes and ideas discussed in the chapter, and provide clear explanations and examples to support the students’ learning. By using these solutions, students can improve their language skills and also develop a better understanding of the concepts explored in the story. We hope that these solutions will prove to be a valuable resource for students and help them achieve academic success.
Q1. What is “The Hack Driver” about?
A1. “The Hack Driver” is a short story by Sinclair Lewis. It is about a young man who leaves his rural hometown to find a job in the city. He becomes a hack driver, driving people around the city. One day, he is hired to find a man who has disappeared, and the search leads him back to his hometown, where he discovers that the man he is searching for is actually himself.
Q2. What is the main theme of “The Hack Driver”?
A2. The main theme of “The Hack Driver” is the tension between individuality and conformity. The protagonist struggles with the expectations of his family and community, which push him towards conformity and discourage him from pursuing his own dreams. Ultimately, he must choose between conforming to the expectations of others or pursuing his own individuality.
Q3. Who is the protagonist in “The Hack Driver”?
A3. The protagonist in “The Hack Driver” is a young man who leaves his rural hometown to find a job in the city. He becomes a hack driver, driving people around the city. His name is not mentioned in the story.
Q4. What is the climax of “The Hack Driver”?
A4. The climax of “The Hack Driver” is when the protagonist discovers that the man he has been hired to find is actually himself. This realization forces him to confront the tension between his individuality and the expectations of his family and community, and to make a decision about his future.
Q5. What is the significance of the title “The Hack Driver”?
A5. The title “The Hack Driver” refers to the protagonist’s occupation as a driver of a hack, or a carriage for hire. It also symbolizes the protagonist’s sense of being a “hack,” or someone who is not living up to his potential, as he feels that he is not pursuing his own dreams but rather conforming to the expectations of others. The title therefore underscores the central theme of the tension between individuality and conformity.
