Class 10 English - RAJASTHAN
Supplementary: The Midnight Visitor
Supplementary Chapter 'The Midnight Visitor' by Robert Arthur tells the story of Ausable, a secret agent who defies the cliché of James Bond. Unlike tall, athletic spies, Ausable is fat, sloppy, and lives in a gloomy French hotel room. When a younger writer named Fowler visits him, a dangerous-looking intruder named Max appears with a pistol, demanding a crucial report on missiles. Using sheer quick wit and clever improvisation, Ausable fabricates a story about a non-existent balcony right outside his window, ultimately tricking Max into jumping to his doom. This chapter matters greatly for RBSE board exams as it tests reading comprehension, character analysis, and critical thinking.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Breaking Stereotypes
Ausable completely shatters the traditional image of a secret agent as being glamorous, athletic, and adventurous by being fat, slow, and unglamorous.
Presence of Mind
Ausable demonstrates extraordinary coolness under pressure when confronted by Max with a gun, showing that mental agility is superior to physical force.
The Power of Illusion
Ausable fabricates a completely believable lie about a nonexistent balcony to make Max panic and act irrationally.
Fowler's Transformation
Fowler, who expected an exciting evening of espionage, gets a lesson in real-life intelligence work where cleverness matters more than gunfights.
Irony and Twist Ending
The story ends with a dramatic twist when a hotel waiter knocks, confirming Ausable's fake balcony story and causing Max to jump out of the window to his death.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Rajasthan (RBSE) Class 10 English Board exam, this chapter typically carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions commonly include short-answer type questions focusing on character traits, how Ausable outwitted Max, and long-answer questions evaluating the theme of intelligence over physical force.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike popular fiction spies who are tall and handsome, Ausable was very fat, spoke with an American accent, and lived in a small, smelly French hotel room.
Ausable was fat, sloppy, spoke with a German and American accent, and did not look or act like a typical movie spy.
Why was Max in Ausable's room?
Max had sneaked into Ausable's room with a passkey to steal a very important report regarding some new missiles.
Was there really a balcony outside Ausable's room?
No, there was no balcony. Ausable completely invented the story of the balcony to trick Max into believing someone could enter through it.
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