Class 12 English (Elective) Non Fiction Chapter 1- Freedom Important Question Answers from Kaleidoscope Book
Class 12 English (Elective) Freedom Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Non Fiction Chapter 1- Freedom? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 12 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Non Fiction Chapter 1- Freedom now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract-based questions, multiple choice questions and Extra Question Answers
Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.
- Freedom NCERT Solutions
- Freedom Grammar Exercise
- Freedom Extra Question Answers
- Freedom Multiple Choice Questions
- Freedom Extract Based Questions
Related:
Freedom Textbook Questions (NCERT Solutions)
Stop and Think
1. What are the links between natural jobs, labour and slavery?
Ans. Shaw argues that the notion of a perfectly free individual is a myth, as all people are bound by basic necessities like sleep, food, clothing, and work. He claims that both monarchs and common individuals serve these needs, labelling them “natural jobs.” Women bear additional burdens through childbirth, which he terms “heavy slavery.” Shaw contrasts unavoidable natural responsibilities with those that can be neglected and warns against allowing individuals or groups to control others, leading to disguised servitude termed ‘slavery.’ He criticizes governments for exploiting citizens under the guise of freedom, asserting that the right to vote is an illusion that fails to alleviate the burden of work. He emphasizes that natural servitude, provided by nature, offers fulfilment, while artificial servitude is rooted in exploitation. Shaw references thinkers like Marx and Thomas More to highlight the ongoing class struggle and advocates for a society where individuals engage in self-directed labour, emphasizing that true freedom is an illusion imposed by oppressive governments.
2. What ought to be the object of all governments, and what do we actually find it to be?
Ans. The main goal of honest governments should be to protect citizens from slavery and provide them and their families with a peaceful life. However, many real governments do the opposite. They enforce our slavery while calling it freedom. They also control our slavery, keeping the greed of our masters in check.
Stop and Think
1. What causes the master class to be more deluded than the enslaved classes?
Ans. A man who is educated in primary school about the privileges of being well-off, followed by public school and university, can be more misled by the distorted views and snobbery in these institutions than many workers. This education makes him feel superior to the average person, believing his job is to look good and have others carry his things and earn money for him. He truly thinks that the system, which puts him in a privileged position and acknowledges his supposed worth, is the best possible system. In contrast, most workers who are underpaid and overburdened and often treated as less than others do not share this certainty about the system.
2. According to Aristotle, what are the conditions to be fulfilled for the common people to accept law and order, and government, and all that they imply?
Ans. Aristotle argued that for the common people to accept laws and government, they must first be made into ignorant idolaters. This ignorance enables them to become obedient workers and law-abiding citizens, willing to follow the government’s rules and worship false ideals. Aristotle further said that law, order, and government would be impossible unless the leaders were well-dressed and appeared superior. They should travel in luxury vehicles not do their own chores, but rather have others do them. This means leaders need to be wealthy and create an image of greatness in the minds of ordinary people. In summary, the belief is that to be superior, one must make people uneducated and admire their leaders for them to be obedient workers and good citizens.
3. How can reasonable laws, impartially administered, contribute to one’s freedom?
Ans. When laws are fair and applied equally, they help protect people from harm, theft, and chaos, making them feel safer and more free. In a modern society, people must follow certain rules that may limit their freedom in some ways. However, when these laws are reasonable and enforced justly, they actually enhance their overall freedom and security.
4. What are the ways in which individual freedom gets restricted?
Ans. In a civilized country, people’s freedom is limited by laws that the police enforce. They must do certain things and avoid others, like paying taxes and fees. If they break these laws, they might face punishment from the courts, including possible imprisonment. In very serious cases, they could even face the death penalty.
Stop and Think
1. Why do most people find it easier to conform, imitate, and follow a self-appointed guru?
Ans. Many people prefer to conform, imitate, and follow a self-appointed guru. They find it easier to follow someone else than to create their own path. Imitating someone else’s journey seems less demanding because the path is already laid out. A guru often provides rules to follow, and people find it simpler to stick to those guidelines. This approach requires less effort and creativity.
2. What is the inward struggle that the author refers to?
Ans. Intelligence encourages us to break away from tradition and live our own way. However, our parents’ expectations and society’s traditions often limit us. This creates a conflict for young people about what they should and shouldn’t do. When they want to act freely, they often feel held back by these expectations.
Understanding the Text
1. Point out the difference between the slavery of man to Nature and the unnatural slavery of man to Man.
Ans. He highlights the difference between natural servitude to nature, which provides enjoyment and fulfillment, and artificial servitude to each other, which is often based on exploitation and manipulation. The illusion of freedom provided by governments, highlighting how they exploit individuals through both chattel and wage slavery. Shaw references thinkers like Marx and Thomas More, noting the ongoing class struggle and the need for a society where individuals work for themselves, which he refers to as ‘labours’. He emphasizes how ruling classes conceal oppression (slavery) through educational and political institutions, leading individuals to believe their hardships are self-inflicted, despite having a vote.
2. What are the ways in which people are subjected to greater control in the personal spheres than in the wider political sphere?
Ans. People have more control in their personal lives than in politics. This is because most people are not interested in politics; they prefer to stay in their comfort zones. They focus on their personal matters rather than getting involved in political issues. Moreover, they are too busy with their personal lives that they can’t be concerned with political issues.
3. List the common misconceptions about ‘freedom’ that Shaw tries to debunk.
Ans. Shaw points out that many people in England have a wrong idea about freedom. They don’t really understand what freedom is and have never truly experienced it. As a result, they mislead themselves about its real meaning. They often refer to freedom as “leisure” and keep asking for more leisure and more money to enjoy it, expecting this in exchange for their work.
4. Why, according to Krishnamurti, are the concepts of freedom and discipline contradictory to one another?
Ans. Discipline and freedom are often seen as opposites. When we seek true freedom, we start a different process that helps us understand why we don’t do certain things. Freedom and discipline are connected; they are like two sides of the same coin. Real freedom comes from practising discipline.
5 How does the process of inquiry lead to true freedom?
Ans. The inquiry leads to real freedom. To think deeply and explore to find the truth is challenging. It requires careful attention, awareness, and ongoing questioning. However, most people lack the time and energy for this constant inquiry. Still, asking questions helps people to understand what is true and what is false.
Talking about the Text
1. According to the author, the masses are prevented from realising their slavery; the masses are also continually reminded that they have the right to vote. Do you think this idea holds good for our country too?
Ans. G.B. Shaw explains that the ruling class prevents the masses from seeing their own lack of freedom. They use newspapers, schools, and parliaments to hide this truth. The ruling class claims that everyone is free and that past leaders secured this freedom. However, the reality is that ordinary people are not truly free; they only have the right to vote. Important decisions are made by those in power without asking the voters. This problem is also seen in our country today.
2. ‘Nature may have tricks up her sleeve to check us if the chemists exploit her too greedily.’ Discuss.
Ans. Nature has ways to keep humanity in check if they take too much from it. This is especially important today because overusing resources is a serious threat to our environment. People have the technology to grow food and use the sky’s resources, but if they do this without limits, they could face serious problems in the future. If they keep exploiting nature for their own gain, it will respond in its own way.
3. Respect for elders is not to be confused with blind obedience. Discuss.
Ans. Respecting elders does not mean people should blindly obey them. While it is common in society to respect and follow the advice of elders, they need to realize that obedience is not the same as blind obedience. Each person has their own values and beliefs, and they should consider whether their elders’ advice fits with their own views. Blind obedience can feel like a loss of freedom, not a sign of respect.
Appreciation
1. Both the texts are on ‘freedom’. Comment on the difference in the style of treatment of the topic in them.
Ans. Both texts talk about freedom but in different ways. In the first text, George Bernard Shaw defines freedom as being free from outside control over how we think and act. He points out that true independence means being free to live peacefully. If people are not free from their problems, they are like slaves. The text looks at different aspects of freedom in society.
In the second text, Krishnamurti discusses how freedom relates to discipline. They say that when someone fights against something, they understand it less. The author believes that we can only really understand something when we have the freedom to think for ourselves and explore. This view suggests that real freedom might not be possible for most people.
2. When Shaw makes a statement he supports it with a number of examples. Identify two sections in the text which explain a statement with examples. Write down the main statement and the examples.
Notice how this contributes to the effectiveness of the writing.
Ans. Example 1: Government’s imposing slavery in the illusion of freedom
The object of all honest governments should be to prevent your being imposed on in this way. But the object of most actual governments, I regret to say, is exactly the opposite. They enforce your slavery and call it freedom. But they also regulate your slavery, keeping the greed of your masters within certain bounds. When chattel slavery of the negro sort costs more than wage slavery, they abolish chattel slavery and make you free to choose between one employment or one master and another and this they call a glorious triumph for freedom, though for you it is merely the key of the street. When you complain, they promise that in future you shall govern the country for yourself. They redeem this promise by giving you a vote, and having a general election every five years or so.
Example 2: Government’s illusion of freedom through votes
At the election two of their rich friends ask for your vote and you are free to choose which of them you will vote for to spite the other—a choice which leaves you no freer than you were before, as it does not reduce your hours of labour by a single minute. But the newspapers assure you that your vote has decided the election, and that this constitutes you a free citizen in a democratic country. The amazing thing about it is that you are fool enough to believe them.
3. Notice the use of personal pronouns in the two texts. Did this make you identify yourself more with the topic than if it had been written in an impersonal style? As you read the texts, were you able to relate the writer’s thoughts with the way you lead your own life?
Ans. The use of personal pronouns makes both texts more relatable. These pronouns help people to see themselves in the idea of real freedom. Since both texts use personal pronouns, they can connect the writer’s thoughts to their own experiences.
Freedom Grammar Exercises
Language Work
A. Grammar
I. Sentence Types
The smallest meaningful unit in language is the word. Words combine to form phrases, clauses and sentences.
- a sentence consists of one or more clauses
- a clause consists of one or more phrases
- a phrase consists of one or more words.
Look at these examples
(i) Nature is kind to her slaves.
(ii) As we must eat we must first provide food.
(iii) You are all young, but I don’t think you are too young to be aware of this.
In example (i) you find only one verb, is. There is only one idea expressed. It is a single clause sentence known as a simple sentence.
In example (ii) you find two sets of verbs, must eat and must provide. It is a two clause sentence.
(a) As we must eat
(b) We must first provide food.
You can see that (b) is complete in its sense. This is the main clause. The meaning of clause (a) depends on (b). This is the subordinate clause. Sentences with a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses are complex sentences.
In example (iii) you again find two verbs: are and are
(a) You are all young.
(b) But I don’t think you are too young to be aware of this.
In this case (a) and (b) both make sense independent of each other though there is a link. There are two main clauses joined by the conjunction but. Sentences with more than one main clause are called compound sentences.
When sentences are too long and complicated, it is useful to look for the main clause which carries the main idea and the subordinate clauses which carry ideas that depend on the idea expressed in the main clause.
TASK
Split the following sentences into their constituent clauses
- There is no freedom if you are enclosed by self interest or by various walls of discipline.
- When you see a servant carrying a heavy carpet, do you give him a helping hand?
- Very young children will eat needles and matches eagerly—but the diet is not a nourishing one.
- We must sleep or go mad: but then sleep is so pleasant that we have great difficulty in getting up in the morning.
- Always call freedom by its old English name of leisure, and keep clamouring for more leisure and more money to enjoy it in return for an honest share of work.
Sometimes we have long sentences which have one main clause and several subordinate clauses of the same kind depending upon the main clause or another subordinate clause for meaning.
Notice this long sentence from the first section
From our earliest years we are taught that our country is the land of the free, and that our freedom was won for us by our forefathers—when they made King John sign Magna Charta—when they defeated the Spanish Armada—when they cut off King Charles’s head— when they made King William accept the Bill of Rights—when they issued and made good the American Declaration of Independence—when they won the battles of Waterloo and Trafalgar on the playing-fields of Eton—and when, only the other day, they quite unintentionally changed the German, Austrian, Russian, and Ottoman empires into republics.
From our earliest years we are taught is the main clause; taught what?
(i) that our country is the land of the free
(ii) that our freedom was won for us by our forefathers
The succeeding five ‘when’ clauses depend upon clause ii for their meaning. Try to understand long sentences by splitting them into constituent clauses. Such sentences are usually used by authors to add force to their writing by combining ideas that are connected to one another.
Ans.
(a) There is no freedom. (subordinate clause)
(b) if you are enclosed by self interest or by various walls of discipline. (main clause)
(a) When you see a servant carrying a heavy carpet. (main clause)
(b) do you give him a helping hand? (subordinate clause)
(a) Very young children will eat needles and matches eagerly (main clause)
(b) but the diet is not a nourishing one. (subordinate clause)
(a) We must sleep or go mad. (main clause)
(b) but then sleep is so pleasant that we have great difficulty in getting up in the morning. (subordinate clause)
(a) Always call freedom by its old English name of leisure and keep clamouring for more leisure. (main clause)
(b) more money to enjoy it in return for an honest share of work. (subordinate clause)
II. Rhetorical Questions
A sentence which has the form of a question need not necessarily ask a question. Its communicative intention may actually be a statement.
Look at this example from the second section by J.Krishnamurti
On the road you have often passed villagers carrying heavy loads, have you not? What is your feeling about them? Those poor women with torn and dirty clothes, with insufficient food, working day after day for a pittance—do you have any feeling for them? Or are you so frightened, so concerned about yourself, about your examinations, about your looks, about your saris, that you never pay any attention to them? Do you feel you are much better than they, that you belong to a higher class and therefore need have no regard for them? When you see them go by, what do you feel? Don’t you want to help them? No? That indicates how you are thinking. Are you so dulled by centuries of tradition, by what your fathers and mothers say, so conscious of belonging to a certain class, that you do not even look at the villagers? Are you actually so blinded that you do not know what is happening around you?
Such questions are called rhetorical questions which are used as persuasive devices by public speakers. If the rhetorical question is positive the implied statement is negative and vice versa. The implied statement is the mental answer that the speaker intends the hearer to infer from the rhetorical question.
TASK
Pick out examples of such rhetorical questions from the text and understand what the writer/speaker wishes to communicate through them.
Ans. “When we say ‘What good is the vote?’ we are told that we have the Factory Acts, and the Wages Boards, and free education, and the New Deal, and the dole; and what more could any reasonable man ask for?” Here G.B. Shaw critiques the right to vote and is it enough for the humans to survive on.
“Discipline is the cultivation of resistance, is it not? By resisting, by building a barrier within ourselves against something which we consider wrong, we think we shall be more capable of understanding and of being free to live fully; but that is not a fact, is it?” Here, Krishnamurti critiques Discipline as it doesn’t make the person free.
B. Pronunciation
The way that sounds combine to produce syllables, words and sentences is interesting. Two classes of sound are established
(i) Vowels, or sounds that can occur on their own or are at the centre of a sequence of sounds (indicated as V)
(ii) Consonants, or sounds that cannot occur on their own or are at the edge of a sequence (indicated as C).
Examples
| Word | Sound Sequence |
| I | V |
| see | CV |
| train | CCVC |
| boat | CVC |
Notice that the two letters ee correspond to a single vowel sound. Similarly, the two letters ai in train correspond to a single vowel sound, as do the two letters oa in boat.
Do not confuse the vowel sounds with the names of letters of the alphabet that are sometimes called ‘vowels’.
TASK
Write the sound sequences for the following words
| sleep | thrift | snake | task |
| smear | facts | sweet | boasts |
| strain | street | strangle | strengths |
Ans. Sleep-CCVC
Thrift-CCVCC
Snake-CCVCV
Task-CVCC
Smear-CCVC
Facts- CVCCC
Sweet-CCVC
Boast-CVCC
Strain-CCCVC
Street-CCCVC
Strangle-CCCVCCCV
Strength-CCCVCC
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Non Fiction Chapter 1- Freedom Extra Question and Answers
Answer the following questions.
Q1. Why are humans called slaves to necessities?
Ans. For half of each day, humans are bound by necessities like sleeping, washing, dressing, undress, eating, drinking and travelling which they cannot avoid, whether they are kings with many servants or simply a common man with no help other than their partners. According to G.B.Shaw, freedom is a superficial concept, as in reality, no human being is free. Humans are ‘slaves to necessities’ whether monarch or common man.
Q2. Why do people have to dismantle the barriers of traditions to gain freedom?
Ans. People must dismantle the barriers of tradition. It is essential to explore and learn independently rather than simply following someone else, no matter how admirable or inspiring that person might be, or how content one feels in their company. What truly matters is the ability to scrutinize rather than just accept the values established by tradition and what society deems as good, beneficial, or worthwhile.
Q3. How could human labour be stolen?
Ans. When humans can labour for these necessities, they are also susceptible to theft of their labour. For example, if someone enjoys honey, they can rely on bees to produce it through their efforts and then steal it from them. Similarly, if someone is too lazy to walk from one place to another, they might choose to enslave a horse. What one could do to a horse or a bee, could also be done to a person, whether man, woman, or child. One person can gain power over the other through force, deceit, or manipulation, or even by convincing the other person that it is their religious duty to sacrifice their freedom for them.
Q4. Why are people more inclined to follow gurus?
Ans. The freedom to think and question, allowing them to discover the truth on their own. To engage in deep thinking, to delve into matters, and to ascertain the truth for themselves is quite challenging; it demands keen awareness and ongoing questioning, and most people lack either the desire or the energy for this. They might say that one knows more than they do; they have their guide, mentor, and they will follow them.
Q5. Why must people be free to discover in their tender age?
Ans. During their youth, they must have the freedom to discover and receive guidance to uncover what they truly wish to pursue in life. If this discovery does not happen while they are young, they may never uncover it, and they will struggle to become a free and content individual. The groundwork must be laid now so that they can start taking initiative at this moment.
Class 12 Freedom Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Which work is referred to as ‘heavy slavery’?
A. Government
B. Natural labour
C. Childbirth
D. Human labour
Ans. C. Childbirth
Q2. What does Shaw mean by ‘Natural labour’?
A. Basic necessities towards oneself
B. Childbirth
C. Human labour
D. Nature
Ans. A. Basic necessities towards oneself
Q3. Who are referred to as ‘slaves to necessities’?
A. Women
B. Humans
C. Government
D. Nature
Ans. B. Humans
Q4. Who is G.B. Shaw talking about in the lines ‘when they are produced they can be stolen’?
A. Government taxes
B. Childbirth
C. Nature’s produce
D. Human labour
Ans. D. Human labour
Q5. Of whom is Shaw telling the humans to beware of?
A. Childbirth
B. Human labour
C. Of people who transfer the burden of servitude to others
D. Necessities of oneself
Ans. C. Of people who transfer the burden of servitude to others
Q6. What does Krishnamurti mean by ‘enclosure’?
A. Framework of traditions and discipline
B. Government policies
C. A small enclosed place
D. Closure
Ans. A. Framework of traditions and discipline
Q7. What does Shaw mean when he says “But the slaves who give three cheers for the emperor might just as well have made a cross on a British or American ballot paper as far as their freedom is concerned.”
A. Slaves are free to vote in elections
B. Emperor symbolises freedom
C. Emperor symbolises slavery
D. The slaves are not truly free, even if they appear to support the emperor.
Ans. D. The slaves are not truly free, even if they appear to support the emperor.
Q8. What does Shaw mean when he says “the great mass of our rack-rented, underpaid, treated-as-inferiors cast-off-on-the-dole workers cannot feel so sure about it as the gentleman.”
A. poor are more likely to be free from the control of others.
B. poor are more likely to be enslaved than the rich
C. poor are more likely to be free than the rich
D. poor are more likely to be enslaved by nature than by man
Ans. B. poor are more likely to be enslaved than the rich
Q9. What does Krishnamurti’s ‘Understanding of freedom and discipline’ focus on?
A. Freedom can only be gained through discipline
B. Freedom can only be gained through discipline
C. Freedom and discipline are interrelated
D. Freedom and discipline are contradictory
Ans. D. Freedom and discipline are contradictory
Q10. According to Shaw, what is the “unnatural slavery” of man to man?
A. Slavery based on physical force
B. Slavery based on economic inequality
C. Slavery imposed by nature
D. Slavery imposed by laws and institutions.
Ans. B. Slavery based on economic inequality
Q11. Who is the author of the text ‘Freedom’?
A. Jiddu Krishnamurti
B. William Blake
C. Rabindranath Tagore
D. G.B. Shaw
Ans. D. G.B. Shaw
Q12. What do humans have to do to gain freedom?
A. Not to be enslaved to necessities
B. Not to vote for government
C. Dismantle the barriers of tradition
D. Not work for more than nine hours
Ans. C. Dismantle the barriers of tradition
Q13. Which eighteenth century poet is not categorized as atheist?
A. Rousseau
B. Voltaire
C. Tom Paine
D. Karl Marx
Ans. D. Karl Marx
Q14. What does G.B. Shaw’s ‘Freedom’ focus on?
A. Freedom and responsibility are contradictory
B. Liberty in democratic society
C. Different types of slavery that exist in society
D. Freedom and responsibility are interrelated
Ans. C. Different types of slavery that exist in society
Q15. Who is the author of the text ‘Understanding Freedom and Discipline’?
A. William Blake
B. Rabindranath Tagore
C. Jiddu Krishnamurti
D. G.B Shaw
Ans. C. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Q16. What is referred to as ‘natural slavery’?
A. Human to their masters
B. Man to Government
C. Man to Nature
D. Man to man
Ans. C. Man to Nature
Q17. What is referred to as ‘unnatural slavery’?
A. Man to God
B. Man to government
C. Man to Nature
D. Man to Man
Ans. D. Man to Man
Q18. At what age should people explore oneself?
A. From birth
B. Old age
C. Tender age
D. After death
Ans. C. Tender age
Q19. What is referred to as ‘glorious triumph for freedom’?
A. Wage and chattel slavery in the society
B. No slavery in the society
C. Abolishment of wage slavery
D. Abolishment of chattel slavery
Ans. D. Abolishment of chattel slavery
Q20. What happens when one is disciplined?
A. Social destruction
B. Sensitivity gets destroyed
C. Nothing happens to sensitivity
D. Sensitivity remains intact
Ans. B. Sensitivity gets destroyed
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Non Fiction Chapter 1- Freedom Extract-Based Questions
Answer the following extract-based questions.
A.
What is a perfectly free person? Evidently a person who can do what he likes, when he likes, and where he likes, or do nothing at all if he prefers it. Well, there is no such person, and there never can be any such person. Whether we like it or not, we must all sleep for one third of our lifetime—wash and dress and undress—we must spend a couple of hours eating and drinking—we must spend nearly as much in getting about from place to place. For half the day we are slaves to necessities which we cannot shirk, whether we are monarchs with a thousand slaves or humble labourers with no servants but their wives. And the wives must undertake the additional heavy slavery of childbearing, if the world is still to be peopled. These natural jobs cannot be shirked. But they involve other jobs which can. As we must eat we must first provide food; as we must sleep, we must have beds, and bedding in houses with fireplaces and coals; as we must walk through the streets, we must have clothes to cover our nakedness. Now, food and houses and clothes can be produced by human labour. But when they are produced they can be stolen. If you like honey you can let the bees produce it by their labour, and then steal it from them. If you are too lazy to get about from place to place on your own legs you can make a slave of a horse. And what you do to a horse or a bee, you can also do to a man or woman or a child, if you can get the upper hand of them by force or fraud or trickery of any sort, or even by teaching them that it is their religious duty to sacrifice their freedom to yours.
Q1. According to G.B. Shaw, Are humans really free?
Ans. No, according to G.B. Shaw, humans are not free.
Q2. What does G.B. Shaw mean by ‘slaves to necessities’?
Ans. For half of each day, humans are bound by necessities like sleeping, washing, dressing, undress, eating, drinking and travelling which they cannot avoid, whether they are kings with many servants or simply a common man with no help other than their partners. According to G.B.Shaw, freedom is a superficial concept, as in reality, no human being is free. Humans are ‘slaves to necessities’ whether monarch or common man. They are not free to do as per their will because some tasks have been made necessary which are performed by one and all.
Q3. What G.B. Shaw considered ‘heavy slavery’?
Ans. The common man’s wife’s responsibility is doubled with the childbearing which Shaw refers to as ‘heavy slavery’.
Q4. Which work can’t be shirked?
Ans. The natural jobs are referred to as humans bounded by necessities like sleeping, washing, dressing, undress, eating, drinking and travelling which they cannot avoid, whether they are kings with many servants or simply a common man with no help other than their partners.
Q5. What does Shaw mean about human labour in the lines ‘when they are produced they can be stolen’?
Ans. When humans can labour for these necessities, they are also susceptible to theft of their labour. For example, if someone enjoys honey, they can rely on bees to produce it through their efforts and then steal it from them. Similarly, if someone is too lazy to walk from one place to another, they might choose to enslave a horse. What one could do to a horse or a bee, could also be done to a person, whether man, woman, or child. One person can gain power over the other through force, deceit, or manipulation, or even by convincing the other person that it is their religious duty to sacrifice their freedom for them.
B.
So beware! If you allow any person, or class of persons, to get the upper hand of you, he will shift all that part of his slavery to Nature that can be shifted on to your shoulders; and you will find yourself working from eight to fourteen hours a day when, if you had only yourself and your family to provide for, you could do it quite comfortably in half the time or less. The object of all honest governments should be to prevent your being imposed on in this way. But the object of most actual governments, I regret to say, is exactly the opposite. They enforce your slavery and call it freedom. But they also regulate your slavery, keeping the greed of your masters within certain bounds. When chattel slavery of the negro sort costs more than wage slavery, they abolish chattel slavery and make you free to choose between one employment or one master and another and this they call a glorious triumph for freedom, though for you it is merely the key of the street. When you complain, they promise that in future you shall govern the country for yourself. They redeem this promise by giving you a vote, and having a general election every five years or so.
Q1. Who is the author telling to beware of?
Ans. Shaw tells people to be cautious of selfish people. If they permit any individual or group of individuals to gain control over them, these individuals will transfer as much of their burden of servitude to Nature onto them as possible; and they will discover that they are toiling for eight to fourteen hours a day when, if their only responsibility was to themselves and their family, they could manage it quite comfortably in half the time or even less.
Q2. What should be the role of the government towards selfish people?
Ans. The aim of all sincere governments should be to prevent imposition of selfish people on other people.
Q3. What is the government doing towards selfish people?
Ans. The aim of all sincere governments should be to prevent imposition of selfish people on other people. Unfortunately, the goal of most existing governments is quite the opposite. The government imposes people’s servitude while calling it freedom.
Q4. How does the government regulate people’s servitude?
Ans. The government does regulate people’s servitude, keeping the greed of their superiors within certain limits. When the cost of chattel slavery (ownership of one person as a slave by masters), like that experienced by African Americans, exceeds that of wage slavery (the conditions of workers who feel trapped in their jobs due to economic necessity, often lacking the freedom to quit or choose better options), they abolish chattel slavery and grant them the freedom to choose between different jobs or bosses, which they label it as a significant victory for freedom, though for the people it is simply the key to the street.
Q5. How does Shaw critique the government in the given context?
Ans. Shaw critiques the government for their exploitation of people in both the slavery, as there is no freedom to choose but an illusion of freedom created by them for the people. When they voice their concerns, they assure them that in the future, they will govern the country themselves. They fulfill this promise by giving them a right to vote and holding a general election every five years or so.
C.
The problem of discipline is really quite complex, because most of us think that through some form of discipline we shall eventually have freedom. Discipline is the cultivation of resistance, is it not? By resisting, by building a barrier within ourselves against something which we consider wrong, we think we shall be more capable of understanding and of being free to live fully; but that is not a fact, is it? Surely, it is only when there is freedom, real freedom to think, to discover—that you can find out anything. But freedom obviously cannot exist in a frame. And most of us live in a frame, in a world enclosed by ideas, do we not? For instance, you are told by your parents and your teachers what is right and what is wrong. You know what people say, what the priest says, what tradition says, and what you have learned in school. All this forms a kind of enclosure within which you live; and, living in that enclosure, you say you are free. Are you? Can a man ever be free as long as he lives in a prison? So, one has to break down the prison walls of tradition. One has to experiment and discover on one’s own, and not merely follow somebody, however good, however noble and exciting that person may be, and however happy one may feel in his presence. What has significance is to be able to examine and not just accept all the values created by tradition, all the things that people have said are good, beneficial, worthwhile. The moment you accept, you begin to conform, to imitate; and conforming, imitating, following, can never make one free and happy. Our elders say that you must be disciplined. Discipline is imposed upon you by yourself, and by others from outside. But what is important is to be free to think, to inquire, so that you begin to find out for yourself. To think deeply, to go into things and discover for oneself what is true, is very difficult; it requires alert perception, constant inquiry, and most people have neither the inclination nor the energy for that. They say, ‘You know better than I do; you are my guru, my teacher, and I shall follow you.’
Q1. What are the misconceptions people have towards freedom and discipline?
Ans. The issue of discipline is rather complicated because many people believe that some type of discipline will ultimately lead to freedom. Discipline involves building resistance. By pushing back and creating a barrier within themselves against what they perceive as wrong, they think they can understand better and have the freedom to live fully; but that isn’t true. Clearly, it is only in the presence of genuine freedom to think and explore that they can discover anything. However, freedom cannot exist within a framework.
Q2. What does the author mean by ‘enclosure’ in the given context?
Ans. Freedom cannot exist within a framework. Almost everyone resides within a framework, in a world surrounded by ideas. For example, their parents and teachers instruct them on what is right and wrong. They are aware of others’ opinions, what the priest says, what traditions dictate, and what they learned in school. All this creates a sort of enclosure where they continue to exist; yet within that enclosure, they claim to be free.
Q3. What does the people have to do to achieve freedom?
Ans. People must dismantle the barriers of tradition. It is essential to explore and learn independently rather than simply following someone else, no matter how admirable or inspiring that person might be, or how content one feels in their company. What truly matters is the ability to scrutinize rather than just accept the values established by tradition and what society deems as good, beneficial, or worthwhile.
Q4. What happens when people accept traditions without questioning?
Ans. Once they accept, they start to conform and imitate; and conforming, imitating, and following can never lead to true freedom and happiness. Their elders tell them that they must be disciplined. Discipline is imposed both by themselves and by external influences. However, what is crucial is the freedom to think and question, allowing them to discover the truth on their own.
Q5. What is considered as a ‘difficult’ task in the given context?
Ans. The freedom to think and question, allowing them to discover the truth on their own. To engage in deep thinking, to delve into matters, and to ascertain the truth for themselves is quite challenging; it demands keen awareness and ongoing questioning, and most people lack either the desire or the energy for this. They might say that one knows more than they do; they have their guide, mentor, and they will follow them.
D.
So, it is very important that from the tenderest age you are free to find out, and are not enclosed by a wall of do’s and don’ts; for if you are constantly told what to do and what not to do, what will happen to your intelligence? You will be a thoughtless entity who just walks into some career, who is told by his parents whom to marry or not to marry; and that is obviously not the action of intelligence. You may pass your examinations and be very well off, you may have good clothes and plenty of jewels, you may have friends and prestige; but as long as you are bound by tradition, there can be no intelligence. Surely, intelligence comes into being only when you are free to question, free to think out and discover, so that your mind becomes very active, very alert and clear. Then you are a fully integrated individual—not a frightened entity who, not knowing what to do, inwardly feels one thing and outwardly conforms to something different.Intelligence demands that you break away from tradition and live on your own; but you are enclosed by your parents’ ideas and by the traditions of society. So there is a conflict going on inwardly, is there not? You are all young, but I don’t think you are too young to be aware of this. So there is an inward struggle going on; and as long as you do not resolve that struggle you are going to be caught in conflict, in pain, in sorrow, everlastingly wanting to do something and being prevented from doing it. If you go into it very carefully you will see that discipline and freedom are contradictory, and that in seeking real freedom there is set going quite a different process which brings its own clarification so that you just do not do certain things. While you are young it is very important that you be free to find out, and be helped to find out, what you really want to do in life. If you don’t find out while you are young, you will never find out, you will never be free and happy individuals. The seed must be sown now, so that you begin now to take the initiative.
Q1. What would happen to the people if they follow tradition blindly?
Ans. People who follow tradition blindly would become a thoughtless entity who just walks into some career, who is told by their parents whom to marry or not to marry; and that is obviously not the action of intelligence. They may have everything but as long as they are bound by tradition, there can be no intelligence.
Q2. How does intelligence come to human beings?
Ans. Surely, intelligence comes into being only when they are free to question, think out and discover, so that their mind becomes very active, alert and clear. Then they are a fully integrated individual, not a frightened entity who, not knowing what to do, inwardly feels one thing and outwardly conforms to something different.
Q3. What creates internal conflict in human beings?
Ans. Intelligence requires them to break away from conventional norms and pursue their own path; however, they are constrained by their parents’ beliefs and societal traditions. This creates an internal conflict. Although they are all young, he believes they are not too young to recognize this. Thus, an inner turmoil exists; and as long as they fail to resolve this conflict, they will remain trapped in struggle, pain, and sorrow, always desiring to act yet being held back.
Q4. Are discipline and freedom opposing concepts?
Ans. Discipline and freedom are opposing concepts and that in the pursuit of genuine freedom, a different process begins that leads to their own clarity, consequently influencing their actions.
Q5. What happens to humans when they aren’t given freedom to discover oneself?
Ans. During their youth, they must have the freedom to discover and receive guidance to uncover what they truly wish to pursue in life. If this discovery does not happen while they are young, they may never uncover it, and they will struggle to become a free and content individual. The groundwork must be laid now so that they can start taking initiative at this moment.