NCERT Solutions Class 9 English (Moments)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 9 English (Moments) Chapter – 8 A House Is Not a Home has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 8 (A House Is Not a Home)
Think about it
1. What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction? What does she do?
Answer – One Sunday afternoon the author noticed smoke pouring in through the realms of the ceiling. Soon there was fire in the house. His mother ran out of the house carrying a small metal box full of important documents. His mother was in a crazy state, again she ran back into the house to collect the photograph of her late husband.
2. Why does he break down in tears after the fire?
Answer – Everything was completely burnt down. Suddenly, he realised that his pet cat was missing. He searched for her everywhere. It was a big loss for him. He was already missing his old school, old friends and now it was his pet cat. All this made him break down in tears.
3. Why is the author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and insecurity?
Answer – The next day in school, the author is embarrassed because the clothes he was wearing looked weird, he had no books or homework, and his backpack was gone. He felt insecure and frustrated.
The words that show his fear and insecurity are: “I didn’t want to grow up, change or have to handle life if it was going to be this way. I just wanted to curl up and die.”
4. The cat and the author are very fond of each other. How has this been shown in the story? Where was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back and how?
Answer – The cat and the author were very fond of each other. The author said that the cat was never far from him. He had rescued it when it was a kitten and he felt that it knew that he was the one responsible for giving it ‘the good life’. The cat had been so freaked by the fire that it ran over a mile away. A woman took it in and worked hard to find out whose cat it was. The cat’s collar had their phone number on it. However, their phones had been destroyed and disconnected due to the fire. The woman somehow knew that the cat was loved and missed. She eventually managed to bring it back to the author.
5. What actions of the schoolmates change the author’s understanding of life and people, and comfort him emotionally? How does his loneliness vanish and how does he start participating in life?
Answer – One day author’s classmates gave him a surprise. He found a big table set up with all kinds of stuff he needed. They had taken up a collection and bought the author school supplies. Their genuine outpouring and concern touched his heart and changed his feelings and opinion towards them. He realised how helpful they were. He made many friends and no more felt depressed. His new company gave a new lease of life to him. He started participating in the activities of life.
6. What is the meaning of “My cat was back, and so was I”? Had the author gone anywhere? Why does he say that he is also back?
Answer – “My cat was back and so was I” means that he had found his cat and he himself had a new outlook on life. He got his cat back after he had lost all hope of finding it. He said that he was also back because he had a feeling of gratitude for his life now. Earlier he had a feeling of insecurity and fear regarding his new school whereas after the fire, the generosity of his friends and the return of his cat changed his outlook on life as he started participating in life and he felt that he was ‘back’.
