Class 9 English - BIHAR
Prose: The Snake and the Mirror
The Snake and the Mirror by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is a humorous and thrilling story about a young, proud homeopathic doctor. While sitting in his dark, rental room one sultry summer night, he encounters a venomous snake that coils around his arm. Instead of panicking, the doctor looks into a mirror on his table and is struck by vanity, thinking of his looks and his impending marriage. The chapter uses gentle irony and humor to teach us that vanity and pride are foolish, and true self-awareness comes from humility. For Bihar Board Class 9 exams, it is a crucial chapter for testing reading comprehension and character analysis.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Homeopathic Doctor's Life
The narrator is a poor, newly established doctor with meager earnings, living in a rented room infested with rats.
Encounter with the Snake
A deadly snake drops from the roof, coils around the doctor's left arm, and sits inches from his face, turning him into a stone statue.
Theme of Vanity and Self-Admiration
Even in mortal danger, the doctor admires his own reflection in the mirror, highlighting the human flaw of vanity.
Humor and Irony
Basheer uses witty narration to create humor, especially when the snake looks into the mirror as if admiring its own beauty.
Escape and Relief
The snake is drawn to its reflection in the mirror, allowing the doctor to silently escape to a friend's house.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Bihar (BSEB) Class 9 English exams, this chapter typically carries 4 to 8 marks. Questions usually include short-answer questions about the plot, reference to context, and long-answer questions focusing on the doctor's character traits, the theme of vanity, and the humorous elements of the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central theme of 'The Snake and the Mirror'?
The central theme is the foolishness of human vanity and pride, contrasted with the unpredictability of life and nature.
Why did the snake leave the doctor's arm?
The snake was attracted to its reflection in the mirror on the table, uncoiled itself from the doctor's arm, and crept onto the table to look into the glass.
Was the doctor a wealthy man when this incident happened?
No, he was a poor bachelor with little money, a newly started medical practice, and very few possessions in his rented room.
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