God Sees the Truth but Waits: Exercise Questions & Answers | Class 11 English
Understanding the text
Answer these questions.
a. What bad habits did Aksionov have before his marriage?
➜ Aksionov was a highly attractive and cheerful man who was always looking for pleasure. Before marriage, he had a horrible habit of consuming alcohol and getting into fights. He used to drink a lot and get a little rowdy.
b. What can be the meaning of his wife's dream?
➜ The meaning of his wife's dream could be a negative omen. In her dream, she saw her husband with grey hair coming to his hometown. She grew terrified of her husband. She interpreted the dream as a forewarning of impending doom.
c. Why did Aksionov think of killing himself?
➜ Aksionov thought of killing himself because he remembered all the difficult situations he had endured in his life without committing any crime. He remembered his torment, the people around him when he was in chains, the criminals, his imprisonment for twenty-six years, his premature old age, and so on. All of these agonising thoughts had made him so miserable that he was ready to commit suicide.
d. Why did Makar disclose that he had killed the merchant?
➜ Makar disclosed to murdering the merchant because he was embarrassed by himself. He felt sorry for Aksionov. Despite being a victim of Makar's crime, Aksionov saved Makar from the governor. Makar was embarrassed and confessed his guilt as a result of Aksionov's actions.
e. Why doesn't Aksionov wish to return to his family at the end of the story?
➜ At the end of the story, Aksionov does not wish to return to his family because he has grown old. He has spent his entire life in prison and has never committed a crime. At this age, he is also frail. He prefers to die in prison rather than return to his family.
Reference to the context
a. "Well, old man," repeated the Governor, "tell me the truth: who has been digging under the wall?"
i. Who is that old man?
➜ That old man is Aksionov who has spent his twenty-six years in prison.
ii. Which truth is the speaker asking about?
➜ The speaker is asking about the truth of digging an escape hole.
iii. Which wall does the speaker mean?
➜ The speaker means the prison's wall.
b. Describe Aksionov's character.
➜ Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov was a young affluent merchant from the Russian town of Vladimir. He owned two stores as well as a home. He had fair-curly hair and was an attractive man. He was a lot of fun and loved to sing. He used to drink a lot before marriage, but he changed and became a good man. He possessed virtues such as faith, forgiveness, independence, and acceptance. He was accused of murdering and robbing a fellow trader. He endured a great deal in prison and spent the better part of his twenty-six years waiting for God's judgement. He was also mentally strong because he was able to overcome several adversities, including the loss of his home and business. Finally, he demonstrated deep religious commitment by drawing closer to God during tough circumstances. He was a truthful man who kept his mouth shut till the end, but circumstances changed his fate and he died in prison.
c. What is the theme of the story?
➜ This narrative "God Sees the Truth, but Waits" has several themes. The story's key themes include guilt, forgiveness, faith, conflict, liberation, and acceptance. All of these subjects were addressed in the story. Forgiveness is one of the most important concepts among these. Here we find Aksionov's forgiveness for Makar Semyonich. Although Aksionov has spent the last twenty-six years in prison for a crime he did not commit, he can forgive Makar, the perpetrator. This anecdote exemplifies the best kind of vengeance, which is forgiveness.
d. Which symbols are used in the story and what do they indicate?
➜ We find the use of many symbols here in this story. Following are the symbols used in the Story:
- House and Shops: Houses and shops represent earthly material possessions that benefit no one and last forever. Aksinonov does not receive the support of his possession until the very end.
- Nightmare (grey hair): The dreadful dream of Aksionov's wife represents Aksionov's terrible fate. The storey depicted the nightmare's negative outcomes. The grey hair in Aksionov's fantasy turns out to be true.
- The prison: The prison itself represents Aksionov's agony and eventual spiritual redemption. In prison, he experiences aches, tortures, and even spiritual transformation.
- Book (The Lives of the Saints): This is Aksionov's religious transformation symbol. Because of this book, Aksionov dedicates his life to God and maintains his faith till death.
Reference beyond the text
a. What role does religion play in Aksionov's life? How does he undergo a spiritual transformation in the story?
➜ Religion is highly important in Aksionov's life. He has spent his entire life in a Siberian jail, waiting for God's righteous judgement. After his wife suspects him, he abandons all hope and assures himself that only God knows the truth. He has aged as a convict in Siberia for the past twenty-six years. Aksionov works hard in prison and learns how to create boots. He makes a small sum of money and spends it on the book "The Lives of the Saints." He spends his life on religion and is deeply committed to God. On Sundays, he begins reading and singing from this book at the prison's church. He realises different facets of life, including fate about religion. His gentleness is even admired by the prison officials. His other inmates look up to him and refer to him as "Grandfather" or "The Saint." He understands fate, spirituality, God's devotion, the righteous way, acceptance, and forgiveness, among other things. He continues to demonstrate his honesty. He encounters the merchant's true murderer but remains silent. He even spares the convict from the governor's wrath. In the end, he comes to terms with himself and forgives Makar. Aksionov realises that forgiveness is the only way to achieve peace. He finally finds peace and dies. In this sense, we see him and his life-changing from materialism to spiritualism solely as a result of religion.
b. What does the story tell us about the existence of the unfair system of justice?
➜ Through the main protagonist's life episode, the narrative tells us about the existence of an unfair justice system. In this storey, a nice and innocent guy is wrongfully imprisoned on a murder charge, sentenced to 26 years in jail, and forced to give up everything and his entire life for no fault or crime of his own, but purely based on evidence. He suffers greatly throughout his life, but eventually achieves self-realization and dies quietly