A Work of Artifice Extract Questions: Treasure Chest Workbook Solutions of ICSE Class 9 English written by Marge Piercy. The Treasure Chest ( A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories) workbook passage wise questions and answer of English. Visit official website CISCE for detail information about ICSE Board Class- 9 English.
A Work of Artifice Extract Questions: Treasure Chest Workbook Solutions of ICSE Class 9 English written by Marge Piercy
| Board | ICSE |
| Publications | Evergreen Publications |
| Subject | English |
| Class | 9 |
| Book Name | Treasure Chest |
| Chapter | A Work of Artifice |
| Writer | Marge Piercy |
| Topics | Extract Questions |
Extract Questions Solutions of Evergreen Publications
A Work of Artifice Extract Questions: Treasure Chest Workbook Solutions of ICSE Class 9 English written by Marge Piercy
Question:– Read the following extract from the poem ‘A Work of Artifice by Marge Piercy and answer the questions that follow
The bonsai tree …….. ……… It is nine inches high.
Que-1: What kind of tree is a bonsai? Why is it pruned?
Ans: A bonsai tree is a tree in a pot, an attractive decoration piece, or a miniature representation of nature. It is pruned carefully to remain small, for instance, nine inches high.
The gardener trim its branch so that it does not grow too much to serve as a decorative purpose.
Que-2: Where could it have grown fully? What has stunted its growth? What metaphorical implication is involved in its miniaturising?
Ans: The bonsai tree could have grown fully, up to eighty feet tall, on the side of a mountain.
A gardener who carefully trim it has stunted its growth.
Metaphorically, the bonsai tree is used as a symbol for women who are confined to their traditional, predetermined roles in society; its miniaturising implies an oppressed woman who is not allowed to grow fully physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Que-3: Who does the gardener stand for in the poem? Why does it not let the ‘bonsai tree’ grow to its full potential?
Ans: The gardener refer as Man in a society, who could be the woman’s husband, lover, father, or any male. He is determined to ‘dwarf’ the growth of women.
He (Gardener) does not let the bonsai tree grow to its full potential hence the bonsai tree has to be small, weak, and domesticated.
Que-4: Why does the gardener want the bonsai to remain small and weak? What is its implication in the poem?
Ans: The gardener wants the bonsai to remain small and weak. the bonsai tree stands for women oppressed by males in a patriarchal society.
Gardener tells the bonsai tree it is lucky, he tells the woman that she is lucky to be in a home doing domestic chores because she is small and weak.
Que-5: What is the main idea projected in the poem?
Ans: The main idea projected in this poem, through the metaphorical use of the bonsai tree, is that stunting the growth of women is a clever trick played by men.
Every day as he …… ………. ……… domestic and weak;
Que-1: What does the ‘gardener’ represent in the poem? Which function of the ‘gardener’ referred to in the poem is in reality regressive and harmful? How?
Ans: The ‘gardener’ in the poem represents Man in a patriarchal society, who may be a woman’s husband or lover, who is determined to ‘dwarf’ the growth of women.
The function of the gardener trimming back the branches, is in reality regressive and harmful. It is harmful because this constant pruning, an act of trickery and oppression, stunts the growth of the bonsai tree.
Que-2: In what tone does the gardener speak? What picture do you form of the ‘gardener’ in your mind as ‘he’ speaks to the bonsai tree?
Ans: The gardener sings or speaks softly and gently. He happily tells the bonsai tree about its nature. As he speaks to the bonsai tree, I form a picture of a gardener who appears gentle and perhaps believes he is being kind or protective. However, this gentleness is manipulative, as he is happy and proud in stunting the growth of the woman under his charge, making his actions oppressive despite the soft tone.
Que-3: In what way is the gardener wrong?
Ans: The gardener is wrong in trimming to the bonsai tree and speak that It is your nature to be small comfort domestic and weak.” He is wrong because the poem states that the tree could have grown eighty feet tall, indicating that its inherent nature is not to be small.
Que-4: What do the last two lines suggest?
Ans: The last two lines, “domestic and weak;” suggest a state of confinement, a lack of strength, and suitability for a controlled, indoor environment, reflecting the gardener’s viewpoint that the bonsai tree has to be small, weak, and domesticated.
Que-5: What does the word ‘croons’ mean? What does it imply?
Ans: The word ‘croons’ means sings. It implies a gentle, soft, perhaps persuasive or lulling manner of speaking or singing.
how lucky, little tree, …….. ……… to dwarf their growth.
Que-1: Who is the speaker? Who is being addressed?
Ans: The speaker of these lines is the gardener, as these words are part of what he croons. He is addressing the bonsai tree.
Que-2: What does the ‘pot’ mean in the metaphorical context of the poem? Give its relevance to the development of women?
Ans: The ‘pot’ represents the home or the domestic sphere. Just as the pot protects the bonsai from the ‘lightning strike,’ the home is portrayed as protecting the woman from all outside troubles.
Its relevance to the development of women is that, like the pot confines the bonsai tree, the home confines a woman to the four walls of her house to do domestic duties.
Que-3: What do men do to stunt the growth of women?
Ans: To stunt the growth of women, men, start the process from a very young age. They resort to trickery and oppression, metaphorically pruning them like the bonsai tree. This involves dwarfing their physical, mental, and spiritual growth.
Que-4: Bring out the significance of the last two lines.
Ans: The significance of the last two lines, “With living creatures / one must begin very early / to dwarf their growth,” is that they reveal the deliberate, systematic, and early-initiated nature of the stunting process.
The phrase “living creatures” broadens the poem’s scope beyond the bonsai tree, strongly hinting at its metaphorical application to women. While “one must begin very early” express that this conditioning starts from a young age to ensure women accept their dwarfed state.
Que-5: What stereotypical role do women play in life? How are they tricked to perform it?
Ans: Women are often confined to traditional, predetermined roles in a patriarchal society, where they are expected to be small, weak, and domesticated.
Men told that they are lucky to be in a home doing domestic chores, feeling protected within domestic walls, looking attractive, and performing household duties.
Man tricked into performing this role through “artifice” or clever trickery. The gardener, representing men or society, “croons” to the bonsai tree (woman), telling her it is her “nature” to be small and that she is “lucky” to be confined.
the bound feet, ………. ………. love to touch.
Que-1: Do you find any shift of focus in these lines? What does it convey?
Ans: Yes, I find a shift of focus in these lines. The poem moves from the central metaphor of the bonsai tree to more direct and explicit references concerning the ways women are physically and mentally shaped and controlled.
This shift conveys that the poem’s message extends beyond the literal tree, making it clear that the bonsai is a symbol for the oppression and societal confinement of women.
Que-2: In which context are women’s ‘feet’ bound? Why?
Ans: Women’s ‘feet’ are bound in the context of some cultures, Chinese in particular. They are bound to keep them small and attractive, and weak.
Que-3: Why are women made to look attractive?
Ans: Women are made to look attractive, by having their hair curled, to fit predetermined roles and societal expectations, They are conditioned to think that looking attractive in a particular way suits them or is the only way they can be accepted in society.
Que-4: The last two lines are ironic. How?
Ans: see above
Que-5: What does the poet seem to lament? What does she expect of women?
Ans: The poet seems to lament that women often allow themselves to fit into the roles determined by patriarchal society without any demur or protest, in many cases remaining unaware of the artful trickery played on them to be mere domestic decorations.
— : End of A Work of Artifice Extract Questions: Treasure Chest Workbook Solutions :–
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