A Dog Named Duke

 

 

 

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ENGLISH

A Dog Named duke

William P. Ellis

 

Q.1.     ‘In 1953, Hooper was a favoured young man.’ Explain.

Ans.     It means that in the year 1953, Hooper had everything that he could have ever wanted. He was a tall young man, with a healthy, muscular body. He was a member of the university football team. Apart from that he had a well paying job as a sales manager for a chemical company. He also had a loving wife and a faithful loving dog whose company he enjoyed hugely.

 

Q.2.     Duke was an extraordinary dog. What special qualities did he exhibit to justify this? Discuss.

Ans.     Duke was truly an extraordinary dog as he understood the needs of his master completely and literally pushed him out of his depressed state. He was quick to understand that his master was not well and toned down his behaviour from his earlier boisterous self. He pushed his master out of bed and reignited in him an interest in life. He taught his master to walk again with infinite patience, painstaking care, and sensitivity which was very surprising in a dog.

 

Q.3.     What problems did Chuck present when he returned to the company headquarters?

Ans.     One of the problems was that the company did not think that he would be able to contribute much to the work due to his injuries and handicap, yet they did not have the heart to discourage him especially as he was trying so hard to bring some normalcy into his life.

 

Q.4.     Why do you think Charles Hooper’s appointment as Assistant National Manager is considered to be tribute to Duke?

Ans.     It was a tribute because it was the result of Duke’s persistence, help, support, and love that Hooper had regained an interest in life and had started working again and worked hard to prove that his handicap was not going to limit his abilities.

 

Q.5.     Why did Chuck not show much improvement in the hospital?

Ans.     He was probably not able to come to terms with the fact that he would never regain his health but would remain a cripple all his life. This thought depressed him and slowed down his rate of recovery.

 

Q.6.     ‘The dog knew instantly’ – What did he know? How did he behave thereafter?

Ans.     He instantly realized that his master was not well and after that he never jumped on Chuck again but stayed by his beside around the clock, staring at him in silence.

 

Q.7.     ‘It was like lighting a fuse. Duke shimmied himself U-shaped in anticipation.’ Explain.

Ans.     This line refers to the effect Chuck had on the dog when his good hand idly hooked the leash onto the dog’s collar. The dog jumped up in anticipation that his master would take him for a walk. It made the dog all excited, especially as for weeks the master had shown no reaction to his nudging and prodding.

 

Q.8.     Write a character sketch of Chuck Hooper. What kind of a man do you think he was?

Ans.     Before the accident Chuck appears to be a happy-go-lucky man who has everything going for him. He has a job, a loving wife, a comfortable home with a dog he loves, and the opportunity to play in the football team. But the accident brings out the real depth of his character. After he shakes off his initial despair and gloom, he appears to be a determined, preserving young man who is not afraid to stretch his limits. He appears to be extremely focused in the manner in which he sets goals to achieve everyday with regard to the distance he wants to cover and achieves it disregarding the painstaking effort he has to put in to achieve it. He shows tremendous courage in facing his handicap and finding a way to live life on his terms in spite of it. He also has the sensitivity to appreciate the dog’s efforts to help him and uses his faith as a guiding light to pull himself out of his depression. His hard working nature and independence is apparent in the way he comes back to work and is promoted due to the excellent work that he puts in inspite of the various obstacles in his life. He stands out as a hero and a role model of every one of us.