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CBSE Class 9 English Question 28 of 30

The Snake and the Mirror — Question 32

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32
Question
Justify the title of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-020)
Answer

The story revolves round th#narrator, the snake, and the mirror. The narrator hears some fanjiliar sounds – a dull thud and a snake lands on his shoulder. The doctor is terrified and sits there like a stone. He suddenly feels the presence of the cfeator of the world and death 4-inches away. He forgets danger and smiles feebly. The snake looks into the mirror, moves towards the mirror and wants to enjoy a close reflection in the mirror. Thus the title is justified as the story revolves around the snake and the mirror.

Overview: The Snake and the Mirror

A young homeopathic doctor, living alone in a small room, sits before a mirror one night admiring his appearance and making plans about his future wife. A cobra falls from the ceiling and coils around his arm. Terrified and frozen, he cannot move. The snake eventually slides off and moves towards the mirror, apparently admiring its own reflection. The doctor escapes. When he returns, his room has been robbed — everything taken except a dirty vest. The story uses self-deprecating humour to explore vanity and fear.

Key Points

  • Narrator is a young, vain homeopathic doctor living alone
  • Sits before a mirror admiring himself; plans to find a wife
  • A full-blooded cobra falls from the ceiling onto his shoulder
  • The snake coils around his arm — he freezes in terror
  • He reflects on the irony: he was thinking about beauty while facing death
  • The snake slides off and moves towards the mirror
  • The snake appears to admire its own reflection — comic irony
  • The doctor escapes; returns to find room robbed
  • Only a dirty vest was left — thieves took everything else
  • Themes: vanity, fear, humour in adversity, self-awareness

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the narrator doing when the snake appeared?
The narrator was sitting before a mirror, admiring his appearance. He was thinking about how to make himself more handsome and was planning what kind of wife he would marry — one who would be fat so she could not run after him if he made mistakes.
What is the significance of the mirror?
The mirror symbolises vanity. The narrator admires himself in it, and later the snake appears to do the same. The story gently mocks human (and perhaps even animal) vanity.

Common Mistakes

  • Not reading the text carefully before attempting questions.
  • Giving vague answers without specific textual references.
  • Confusing characters, events, or themes from different chapters.
  • Writing too much for short-answer questions (should be 30-40 words).

Scoring Tips

  • For extract-based MCQs: read the passage carefully; eliminate wrong options systematically.
  • For short answers: be concise (30-40 words), use key vocabulary from the text.
  • For long answers: structure with introduction, body, conclusion. Quote from the text.
  • Always identify the chapter/poem name and author when answering.