Q. Who is the author of The Snake and the Mirror?
Ans. The story was written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
Q. Who narrates the story?
Ans. The story is narrated by a young homeopathic doctor recalling a frightening experience from his past.
Q. Where did the doctor live?
Ans. He lived in a small rented room that was not well furnished.
Q. What was the doctors financial condition?
Ans. He had a modest income and lived a simple life in a rented room.
Q. What was the doctor doing before the snake appeared?
Ans. He was sitting in his room and looking at himself in a mirror.
Q. What were the two important decisions the doctor made while looking in the mirror?
Ans. He decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to improve his appearance.
Q. Why did the doctor admire his reflection?
Ans. He was young and vain, and he imagined himself becoming more handsome and attractive.
Q. What happened while the doctor was sitting in his chair?
Ans. A snake suddenly fell from the roof onto his shoulder.
Q. Why was the doctor unable to move when the snake appeared?
Ans. He was terrified that even a small movement might provoke the snake to bite him.
Q. Where did the snake coil itself?
Ans. The snake coiled itself around the doctors left arm above the elbow.
Q. What did the snake do after coiling around the doctor?
Ans. It raised its head and looked at its reflection in the mirror.
Q. Why did the doctor remain still?
Ans. He feared that moving might cause the snake to attack him.
Q. What does the mirror symbolize in the story?
Ans. The mirror highlights the doctors vanity and later becomes part of the humorous situation involving the snake.
Q. How did the doctor escape from the snake?
Ans. The snake moved away from his arm toward the mirror, allowing the doctor to escape quietly from the room.
Q. What did the doctor discover when he returned with his friends?
Ans. He discovered that his belongings had been stolen and only a few items remained.
Q. Why is the story humorous despite its frightening situation?
Ans. The contrast between the doctors vanity, his helplessness before the snake and the snakes apparent interest in the mirror creates humour.
Q. How does the doctors attitude change during the incident?
Ans. His pride and self-admiration disappear as fear makes him recognize his vulnerability.
Q. What role does suspense play in the story?
Ans. Suspense is created by the sudden appearance of the snake and the doctors uncertainty about whether it will bite him.
Q. What lesson does the doctor learn from the experience?
Ans. The experience teaches him humility and shows that human pride can quickly disappear in the face of danger.
Q. Why is the title The Snake and the Mirror appropriate?
Ans. The snake and mirror are central to the incident and together reveal the storys humour, suspense and message about vanity.