Extra Questions and Answers
from the chapter Dusk by Saki
📘 Extra Questions & Answers from Dusk by Saki
Part A: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Who is the main character in the story Dusk?
a) Norman Gortsby
b) Jessie Pope
c) Mr. Nuttel
d) Framton
Answer: a) Norman Gortsby
At what time does the story take place?
a) Morning
b) Afternoon
c) Evening
d) Midnight
Answer: c) Evening
According to Gortsby, dusk is the hour of—
a) Success
b) Defeat
c) Happiness
d) Friendship
Answer: b) Defeat
Where is Gortsby sitting in the story?
a) At a café
b) On a park bench
c) At a theatre
d) In a library
Answer: b) On a park bench
What problem does the young stranger narrate to Gortsby?
a) He lost his money
b) He forgot his hotel address
c) He lost his soap
d) He missed his train
Answer: b) He forgot his hotel address
What object plays a key role in the story’s climax?
a) A matchbox
b) A wallet
c) A ticket
d) A soap
Answer: d) A soap
What convinces Gortsby to believe the young man’s story?
a) His polite manner
b) His tears
c) The bar of soap
d) His dress
Answer: c) The bar of soap
Why does Gortsby return the money to the young man?
a) He feels pity
b) He sees the soap
c) He knows the man
d) He is tricked
Answer: b) He sees the soap
Whose soap was it actually?
a) The young man’s
b) Gortsby’s
c) The old gentleman’s
d) No one’s
Answer: c) The old gentleman’s
What is the theme of the story?
a) Truth always wins
b) Appearances are deceptive
c) Honesty pays
d) Success comes late
Answer: b) Appearances are deceptive
Part B: One-Line Answers
Who wrote the story Dusk?
Answer: H.H. Munro, better known as Saki.
What time of day does “dusk” represent in the story?
Answer: It represents the time of failures and defeated people.
Where was Gortsby sitting?
Answer: On a park bench.
What excuse does the young man give for needing money?
Answer: He claims to have lost his hotel address and cannot return.
What did the young man say he had bought earlier?
Answer: A bar of soap.
What did Gortsby initially think about the young man?
Answer: He thought the young man was lying.
What changed Gortsby’s mind?
Answer: Finding the bar of soap near the bench.
Whose soap was it in reality?
Answer: The soap belonged to the old gentleman who was sitting earlier.
What was Gortsby’s mistake?
Answer: He assumed the soap belonged to the young man and believed his story.
What moral lesson does the story teach?
Answer: Never judge situations by appearances alone.
Part C: Short Answer Questions (3–4 sentences)
Why does Gortsby call dusk the hour of defeated people?
Answer: Gortsby observes that people who are unsuccessful, lonely, or ashamed prefer to come out at dusk because they want to hide their failures in the semi-darkness. He calls dusk the hour when defeated people can move unseen.
What was the young man’s story to Gortsby?
Answer: The young man claimed he had gone out to buy a bar of soap and had forgotten his hotel address. Without the address or money, he could not return. He requested Gortsby to lend him some money.
Why was Gortsby suspicious of the young man?
Answer: Gortsby thought the young man’s story was too rehearsed and had loopholes, especially about the soap, which he could not show as proof.
How did the soap change Gortsby’s judgment?
Answer: When Gortsby found a bar of soap near the bench, he believed it confirmed the young man’s story and gave him money, although the soap actually belonged to someone else.
What is the irony in the story?
Answer: The irony lies in the fact that Gortsby prided himself on being a judge of character, yet he was deceived by false evidence—the soap.
What role does the old gentleman play in the story?
Answer: The old gentleman appears briefly at the beginning and end but plays a key role since the soap was actually his, not the young man’s.
How does the story end?
Answer: The story ends with Gortsby realizing his mistake when he sees the old gentleman searching for his lost soap, proving he had wrongly believed the young man.
What does the young man represent in the story?
Answer: He represents deceit, trickery, and opportunism, trying to exploit strangers through fabricated stories.
How is Gortsby’s character portrayed?
Answer: Gortsby is portrayed as cynical, judgmental, but ultimately gullible, as he gets fooled despite his sharp observations.
What is the main message of Dusk?
Answer: The story teaches that appearances and circumstantial evidence can be misleading, and one must not jump to conclusions.
Part D: Brief Answer Questions (5–6 sentences)
Describe the setting of the story Dusk.
Answer: The story is set in a park during the evening time, at dusk. The fading light symbolizes gloom, defeat, and concealment, which matches Gortsby’s cynical thoughts. The setting creates a mood of reflection and prepares for the deceptive incident that follows.
What does Gortsby think about the people who come out at dusk?
Answer: He believes they are failures in life, people who do not want their sadness or shame exposed. According to him, dusk gives such people a chance to hide in half-darkness.
Explain how the young man tries to trick Gortsby.
Answer: The young man narrates a story about losing his hotel address and money after buying soap. He claims to be stranded unless someone helps him with money for the night. His clever tone and confident delivery almost convince Gortsby.
Why does Gortsby not believe the young man at first?
Answer: Gortsby finds the young man’s tale suspicious because he had no proof of buying soap. The story sounded too perfect and artificial, making Gortsby reject it initially.
How does the soap act as a turning point?
Answer: The discovery of soap near the bench makes Gortsby change his judgment. He thinks it validates the young man’s tale, so he lends money. But later, he realizes it belonged to the old gentleman, not the young man.
Discuss the irony of Gortsby’s mistake.
Answer: Gortsby was proud of being observant and skeptical, yet he fell for the very kind of trick he believed he could detect. The irony lies in his misplaced confidence in judging people.
What role does chance play in the story?
Answer: Chance plays a major role as the misplaced bar of soap completely changes Gortsby’s perception. A random object leads to his error of judgment, showing how unreliable appearances can be.
What does the story reveal about human nature?
Answer: It reveals that people are often quick to judge based on appearances and superficial evidence. It also shows how even intelligent people can be deceived by coincidence.
How does Saki use humor in Dusk?
Answer: Saki uses situational irony and subtle humor in Gortsby’s misjudgment. The twist at the end, where the soap turns out to be the old man’s, highlights Saki’s witty storytelling style.
What makes Dusk an effective short story?
Answer: The concise plot, sharp character sketches, clever twist, and ironic ending make it effective. Saki’s use of atmosphere, symbolism, and wit adds depth to the brief narrative.
Part E: Long Answer Questions (150–200 words)
Explain the significance of dusk as a symbol in the story.
Answer: In Saki’s story, dusk symbolizes defeat, disappointment, and concealment. Norman Gortsby associates dusk with people who prefer not to show themselves in daylight due to their failures or loneliness. The evening gloom becomes a background for the trick played by the young man. It represents the blurring line between truth and lies, as the dim light creates uncertainty and misjudgment. Dusk is not just a time of day but a metaphor for human weakness and the deceptive nature of appearances.
Analyze the character of Norman Gortsby.
Answer: Gortsby is portrayed as observant, cynical, and somewhat arrogant. He prides himself on reading people and seeing through falsehoods. Initially, he doubts the young man’s story, showing his skepticism. However, the chance discovery of the soap completely overturns his judgment, and he lends money to the stranger. In the end, he realizes he was wrong, proving his gullibility despite his sharpness. Gortsby’s character highlights human fallibility and the irony of misplaced confidence.
What is the role of coincidence in the story Dusk?
Answer: Coincidence drives the plot and leads to the ironic ending. The young man fails to convince Gortsby until a misplaced bar of soap changes everything. Gortsby assumes it belongs to the young man and lends money. Later, he learns it was the old gentleman’s soap, not the young man’s. This twist shows how chance events can mislead judgments, emphasizing the theme of deceptive appearances.
Discuss how Dusk reflects Saki’s style of storytelling.
Answer: Saki is known for wit, irony, and surprise endings. In Dusk, he uses a simple setting and few characters but creates a powerful impact. The story has humor in Gortsby’s overconfidence and irony in his misjudgment. The twist ending, where the soap belongs to the old gentleman, reflects Saki’s mastery of surprise and satire. His concise, sharp writing style makes the story memorable.
What moral lesson does the story Dusk convey?
Answer: The story conveys that appearances can be deceptive and judgments based on circumstantial evidence may be wrong. Gortsby believes he is clever enough to see through lies, yet he is deceived by a coincidence. The story warns against overconfidence and teaches the importance of not jumping to conclusions without certainty.