Class 9 English - RAJASTHAN
Supplementary: The Lost Child
The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand is a poignant supplementary story in the Class 9 Rajasthan (RBSE) English syllabus. It narrates the tale of a small child who visits a spring fair with his parents. Fascinated by the toys, balloons, sweets, and snake charmer, he gets distracted and eventually gets lost in the bustling crowd. Panic sets in as he realizes his parents are missing, and he rejects all the worldly attractions he desired earlier, crying only for his mother and father. This chapter is vital for board exams as it tests emotional comprehension and character analysis through value-based questions.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Innocence of Childhood
The child is purely fascinated by simple joys of nature and fair attractions like toys, sweets, and colorful balloons without any materialistic greed.
Parental Bond vs Material Desires
When the child gets lost, his love and desperate need for his parents outweigh all the things he wanted earlier, proving that family is priceless.
Psychological Shift in Panic
The story highlights how extreme fear and the trauma of separation instantly change a child's priorities from excitement to utter despair.
Role of the Kind Man
The stranger who tries to comfort the lost child represents human empathy and compassion, contrasting with the indifferent crowd.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Rajasthan (RBSE) Class 9 English board exams, this chapter typically carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions usually include short answer type questions focusing on the child's reactions at the fair, value-based long answer questions regarding his separation, and character sketches of the child or the kind stranger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the child lose interest in the things he wanted earlier?
Once he got separated from his parents, panic and fear took over, making him realize that his parents were more important to him than toys, sweets, or balloons.
What message does 'The Lost Child' convey?
It conveys that the love and security provided by parents are far more precious than any material possessions or worldly attractions.
Who rescued the child in the end?
A kind-hearted man in the fair rescued the child by lifting him up, soothing him, and trying to offer him all the things he wanted to stop his crying.
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