Dhunu’s Guitar
Lesson 6: Dhunu’s Guitar
1. Comprehension Questions
(a) What is meant by the word ‘profession’?
Ans:- Profession is the job that we do to earn money when we grow up.
(b) Where is Dhunu from?
Ans:- Dhunu is from Kalardiya village, near Chhaygaon in Kamrup district of Assam.
(c) Who made the film Village Rockstars?
Ans:-The film Village Rockstars was made by celebrated Assamese filmmaker Rima Das.
(d) What is the name of Dhunu’s brother?
Ans:- Dhunu’s elder brother’s name is Manabendra.
(e) Why did the village women often scold Dhunu?
Ans:- The village women often scolded Dhunu for not behaving ‘like a girl’, spending time with boys, and playing boys’ games.
(f) What did Dhunu’s mother tell the women who scolded her daughter?
Ans:- Dhunu’s mother reminded them that none of them came to help her after her husband’s death. She pointed out that she has been doing both a man’s job as well as a woman’s job.
(g) What did Dhunu decide to do after meeting the musicians at a local event?
Ans:- Dhunu told her friends that they should form their own band.
(h) What plan did Dhunu propose after she realized that she could not afford to buy a guitar?
Ans:- Dhunu and her friends made Styrofoam cutouts of guitars and other instruments and pretended to play them.
(i) Why did Dhunu start doing odd jobs around the village?
Ans:- She started doing odd jobs around the village to earn and save money to buy a real guitar.
(j) What does the line ‘But Dhunu believes that if you really want something and work towards it, you can achieve it’ tell you about Dhunu’s character?
Ans:- This line shows that Dhunu is determined, hardworking, and optimistic. She possesses grit and maturity.
2. Rewriting the Summary (Correction of Wrong Information)
Wrong Information Underlined (and corrected):
* ‘Dhunu’s Guitar’ is the story of a young eleven-year-old (ten-year-old) girl who lives in Kalardiya village with her mother. They are quite well off (poor). Dhunu has a pet monkey (goat). She loves to spend time with her monkey (goat). One day, Dhunu and her friends come across some cricketers (group of boys practising music) playing at a local event. She is fascinated by the band and their musical instruments, especially the guitar. She dreams of owning one herself, and forming her own dance band (rock band) with her friends someday. But she is too poor to own a guitar. So, she and her friends make clay guitars (Styrofoam cutouts of guitars) and play on them.
* Rewritten Correct Summary:
* ‘Dhunu’s Guitar’ is the story of a young ten-year-old girl who lives in Kalardiya village with her mother. They are quite poor. Dhunu has a pet goat. She loves to spend time with her goat and friends. One day, Dhunu and her friends come across a group of boys practising music for a local event. She is fascinated by the band and their musical instruments, especially the guitar. She dreams of owning one herself, and forming her own band with her friends someday. But she is too poor to own a guitar. So, she and her friends make Styrofoam cutouts of guitars and play on them.
3. Dhunu’s Character (Word Web)
Dhunu was…
* Brave
* Optimistic
* Determined
* Hopeful
* Hardworking (Implied by doing odd jobs to save money)
* Cheerful
5. Professions (Fill in the Blanks)
(a) a person who repairs shoes: Cobbler
(b) a person who repairs water pipes: Plumber
(c) a person who operates the controls of an aircraft, especially as a job: Pilot
(d) a person whose job is to take care of people’s teeth: Dentist
(e) a person who makes, repairs or sells articles made of gold: Goldsmith
(f) a person who can do magic tricks: Magician
(g) a person who takes care of gardens: Gardener
(h) a person whose job is to cut men’s hair and sometime to shave them: Barber
6. Possessive Forms (Fill in the Blanks)
(a) This is Dhunu. The tea stall belongs to her mother. The tea stall belongs to mother’s tea stall.
(b) She even does jobs normally done by men. She even does men’s jobs.
(c) Bhaskar is a friend of Dhunu. Dhunu is Bhaskar’s friend.
(d) The cars belong to the director. They are the director’s cars.
(e) They made four Styrofoam cut-out guitars. The guitars’ colours are red.
7. Phrases and Idioms (Fill in the Blanks)
(i) Dhunu’s mother makes a living by selling snacks at local events.
(ii) When the monsoon months begin, the fun of the children is cut short.
(iii) In spite of the difficulties Dhunu and her mother face, life must go on.
(iv) Though Dhunu knows she cannot afford a guitar, she doesn’t give up hope.
(v) Dhunu worries that the bamboo post where she had saved money to buy a guitar might have been swept away by the flood.
(vi) Dhunu accepts her destiny bravely instead of crying over it.
9. Active to Passive Voice (Rewrite)
(ii) The monsoon months cut short the children’s fun.
Ans:- The children’s fun was cut short by the monsoon months.
(iii) Dhunu and her friends made Styrofoam guitars.
Ans:- Styrofoam guitars were made by Dhunu and her friends.
(iv) Dhunu accepted her destiny.
Ans:- Her destiny was accepted by Dhunu.
(v) Dhunu and Bhaskar rescued their belongings.
Ans:- Their belongings were rescued by Dhunu and Bhaskar.
(vi) The women of the village often scold Dhunu.
Ans:- Dhunu is often scolded by the women of the village.
10. Complex Sentences (Subordinate Clause Identification)
(i) If it rains, we won’t have the match.
* Subordinate Clause: If it rains — Adverb Clause (Condition).
(ii) I have read the books that are on the shelf.
* Subordinate Clause: that are on the shelf — Adjective Clause.
(iii) He creates problems wherever he goes.
* Subordinate Clause: wherever he goes — Adverb Clause (Place).
(iv) She hasn’t written to me since she left the place.
* Subordinate Clause: since she left the place — Adverb Clause (Time).
(v) She is absent because she is ill.
* Subordinate Clause: because she is ill — Adverb Clause (Cause).
13. Role Play (Completing the Conversation)
Rima Das : You have a different name. But I’ll call you Dhunu in the movie. Do you like the name?
Dhunu : Yes, Madam. I like the name very much.
Rima Das : Thank you. I know you’ll like it. OK, Dhunu. Can you tell me the name of your village?
Dhunu : The name of my village is Kalardiya.
Rima Das : Where is that village?
Dhunu : It is near Chhaygaon in the Kamrup district of Assam.
Rima Das : All right. All of us have an aim in life. What is your aim? I mean, what do you want to do?
Dhunu : I want to be a musician/rockstar and play the guitar.
Rima Das : Very nice. I see, you want to play the guitar before an audience. Could you tell me about your father?
Dhunu : My father died some time ago.
Rima Das : I’m sorry to hear that. And your mother?
Dhunu : My mother tries to make a living by selling snacks.
Rima Das : Do you help your mother?
Dhunu : Yes, I help her when I am not at school.
Rima Das : One last question. Tell me how you spend your free time.
Dhunu : I spend my free time playing with my pet goat and friends. I love to climb trees, ride bicycles, swim, and play in the paddy fields.