Going places
By - A. R. Barton
By - A. R. Barton
"Going Places" by A.R. Barton tells the story of Sophie, a young schoolgirl from a lower-middle-class family, who dreams of a glamorous and exciting life. Sophie is ambitious and imaginative, always thinking about fame, success, and a life far beyond her ordinary surroundings. She dreams of owning a boutique, becoming an actress, or being a fashion designer. However, her family’s financial situation and social reality limit her ambitions.
Sophie’s friend Jansie is practical and grounded. She often reminds Sophie of their modest life and future, suggesting that they might end up working in a biscuit factory after school. Sophie, however, finds Jansie boring and prefers to live in her own world of dreams. Sophie’s elder brother, Geoff, is an apprentice mechanic. She admires him and shares her fantasies with him, hoping he will understand and join her imaginary world, but Geoff is mostly silent and practical.
The story turns around Sophie’s imaginary encounter with Danny Casey, a famous football player. She tells Geoff that she met him while shopping and that he agreed to meet her again. Sophie builds elaborate fantasies around this meeting, imagining conversations and future events. Her father, however, scolds her and dismisses her story, knowing it is unlikely that Danny Casey would meet a schoolgirl like Sophie. Despite this, Sophie continues to believe in her dream and waits for Danny by the canal, but he never comes.
Through Sophie, the author explores the conflict between dreams and reality. Sophie represents teenagers who escape into imagination to cope with their limited circumstances, while Jansie represents practicality. The story highlights the importance of balancing ambition with realism. Dreams are valuable, but without effort and acceptance of reality, they can remain illusions.
Going Places लेखक A.R. Barton की रचना है, जो सोफी नाम की एक किशोरी लड़की की कहानी बताती है। सोफी एक निम्न-मध्यम वर्गीय परिवार से है, लेकिन उसके बड़े और शानदार सपने हैं। वह हमेशा अपने जीवन को रोचक और प्रसिद्ध बनाने की कल्पना करती रहती है। सोफी एक बुटीक की मालिक, अभिनेत्री या फैशन डिज़ाइनर बनने का सपना देखती है। लेकिन उसके परिवार की आर्थिक स्थिति और सामाजिक वास्तविकता उसके सपनों को सीमित करती है।
सोफी की दोस्त जैंसी व्यावहारिक और जमीन से जुड़ी हुई है। वह अक्सर सोफी को उनके साधारण जीवन और भविष्य के बारे में याद दिलाती है और कहती है कि स्कूल के बाद उन्हें बिस्किट फैक्ट्री में काम करना पड़ सकता है। लेकिन सोफी जैंसी को बोरिंग पाती है और अपने सपनों की दुनिया में रहना पसंद करती है। सोफी का बड़ा भाई जॉफ़ एक मैकेनिक का प्रशिक्षु है। सोफी उसे पसंद करती है और अपनी कल्पनाओं को उसके साथ साझा करती है, लेकिन जॉफ़ ज़्यादातर चुप रहता है और व्यावहारिक सोच रखता है।
कहानी का मुख्य मोड़ सोफी की डैनी केसी नामक प्रसिद्ध फुटबॉल खिलाड़ी के साथ काल्पनिक मुलाकात है। वह जॉफ़ को बताती है कि वह उससे मिली थी और उसने फिर मिलने का वादा किया। सोफी इस मुलाकात के इर्द-गिर्द कई सपनों की कल्पना बनाती है। उसके पिता उसकी बात को झूठ समझते हैं और डांटते हैं, क्योंकि उन्हें पता है कि डैनी केसी जैसी प्रसिद्ध हस्ती किसी साधारण लड़की से नहीं मिलेगी। बावजूद इसके, सोफी अपने सपने में विश्वास करती है और नहर किनारे उसकी प्रतीक्षा करती है, लेकिन डैनी कभी नहीं आता।
सोफी के माध्यम से लेखक किशोरों के सपनों और वास्तविकता के बीच संघर्ष को दिखाते हैं। सोफी उन युवाओं का प्रतीक है जो सीमित परिस्थितियों से बचने के लिए कल्पनाओं में जीते हैं, जबकि जैंसी व्यावहारिकता का प्रतिनिधित्व करती है। कहानी यह संदेश देती है कि सपने महत्वपूर्ण हैं, लेकिन उन्हें वास्तविकता और मेहनत के बिना पूरा नहीं किया जा सकता।
1. Who is the main character of the story "Going Places"?
a) Jansie
b) Geoff
c) Sophie ✅
d) Danny Casey
2. What is Sophie’s biggest dream?
a) To become a teacher
b) To own a boutique and live a glamorous life ✅
c) To work in a biscuit factory
d) To travel abroad
3. How is Jansie different from Sophie?
a) Jansie is ambitious like Sophie
b) Jansie is practical and realistic ✅
c) Jansie also dreams of fame
d) Jansie is wealthy
4. Who is Geoff in Sophie’s life?
a) Her friend
b) Her father
c) Her elder brother ✅
d) Her teacher
5. Who does Sophie claim to have met?
a) Geoff
b) Danny Casey ✅
c) Jansie
d) Her father
6. How does Sophie’s father react to her story about Danny Casey?
a) He is happy for her
b) He laughs with her
c) He scolds her and dismisses the story ✅
d) He calls Danny Casey
7. What does Sophie do while waiting for Danny Casey?
a) Goes shopping
b) Waits by the canal ✅
c) Goes to school
d) Talks to Jansie
8. What does the story mainly highlight?
a) Teenage imagination and dreams vs. reality ✅
b) Importance of sports
c) Life of celebrities
d) Friendship between Sophie and Geoff
9. Why does Sophie not like Jansie?
a) Because Jansie is poor
b) Because Jansie is boring and realistic ✅
c) Because Jansie is rich
d) Because Jansie scolds her
10. What lesson does the story teach?
a) Dreams are useless
b) Dreams are important, but need realism and effort ✅
c) Always trust celebrities
d) Ignore reality
Q.1 Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school ?
Ans : The two girl Sophie and Jansie were most likely to find work in a biscuit factory after school. They both were from poor family.
Q.2 What were the options that sophie was dreaming of ? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams ?
Ans : Sophie wanted to become a boutique owner or an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie discourages her from having such dreams because she understands their lower middle class family background. She is more realistic and practical. She knows that these kind of dreams require much investment.
Q.3 Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey ?
Ans : Sophie wriggled when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey because she was afraid of her fabricated story and the truth of her feelings being exposed.
Q.4 Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey ?
Ans : No, Geoff does not believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey.
Q.5 Does Sophie's father believe her story ?
Ans : No, Sophie's father does not believe her story. He warns her that her wild stories might land her into a load of trouble.
Q.6 Which country did Danny Casey play for ?
Ans : In the story "Going Places" the writer told that Danny Casey was a football player who played for Ireland.
Q.7 Why didn't Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny ?
Ans : Sophie did not want Jansie to know about her story with Danny because she feared Jansie would spread this news to the whole neighborhood. Jansie was more realistic and practica. Also she wanted to keep the story which was made by her a secret within her family.
Q.8 Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey ?
Ans : No, Sophie did not really meet Danny Casey. It was her fantasy only.
Q.9 Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person ?
Ans : The only occasion Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she watched a football match with her family.
Q.1 Give the character sketch of Sophie.
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter "Going Places" written by A. R. Barton. In this story the writer tells about teenage girls, Sophie and Jansie.
The character sketch of Sophie :
Sophie is a teenage girl.
She belongs to a lower middle class family.
She dreams to a boutique owner.
She also wants to become an actress or a fashion designer.
Her ambitions are very high.
She has no practical knowledge of the real world.
She is living in her world of fantasies.
Jansie is her friend who is a realistic and practical type of girl.
Sophie works in a biscuit factory.
She is facing financial problems.
Sophie lives with her parents in a small house.
Sophie has two brothers.
Geoff is her elder brother who is tall, strong and handsome.
Sophie likes Irish football player 'Danny Casey'.
She is always lost in Danny Casey's dreams.
Q.2 What are the difference between Sophie and Jansie ?
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter "Going Places" written by A. R. Barton. In this story the writer tells about teenage girls, Sophie and Jansie.
The following difference between Sophie and Jansie -
Background : Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family while Jansie belongs to a middle class family.
Dreams : Sophie's ambitions are very high. She dreams to own a boutique. She also wants to become an actress or fashion designer while Jansie does not dream like Sophie. She know that she belongs to a middle class family.
World of fantasies : Sophie is living in her world of fantasies while Jansie is a realistic and practical type of girl.
Real world : Sophie has no practical knowledge of the real world while Jansie is a practical type of girl. She has a practical knowledge of the real world.