Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 10 English Dusk Summary, Short Story Explanation with difficult word meanings from Tulip Book
Dusk– Are you looking for Summary and Short Story Explanation for Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 10 English Short Story 4 Dusk from Tulip Book. Get notes, summary of the Lesson followed by line by line explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words.
Dusk Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 10 English
Saki
Dusk Introduction
The lesson “Dusk” by Saki tells us about a man named Norman Gortsby who sits in a park at dusk, observing people and feeling doubtful about life. He believes that dusk is the time when people who have experienced failure come out to avoid being judged by others. Gortsby meets a young man who tells him a convincing story about being lost in the city without money. Although Gortsby doubts the story at first, he changes his mind after finding a bar of soap the young man had mentioned. Gortsby gives the man money, only to later realize that the soap belonged to an elderly gentleman who had been sitting nearby. The story explains themes of deception, judgment, and how easily people can be fooled by appearances.
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Theme of the Short Story Dusk
The theme of “Dusk” by Saki revolves around deception and judgment. It shows how people can easily be tricked by what they see or hear. The main character, Gortsby, initially thinks he can judge the truth of a situation based on appearances and his own experiences. However, he learns that he can be fooled, just like the young man he meets. Another important theme is sympathy for the defeated. The story highlights how many people who look defeated or sad may be hiding their struggles, and dusk symbolizes a time when they come out to escape judgment.
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Dusk Summary
The lesson “Dusk” by Saki talks about a man named Norman Gortsby who is sitting on a bench in a park during dusk, a time when it gets dark outside. He notices many people around him who seem sad and defeated, and he feels a bit doubtful about life. Gortsby believes that dusk is a time for those who have lost hope and are hiding their troubles. As he sits there, a young man approaches him. The young man claims that he is lost in London after trying to find a hotel that no longer exists. He explains that he has no money and nowhere to stay for the night. Gortsby listens to his story but feels suspicious. The young man says he went out to buy soap but forgot the name of his hotel. When Gortsby points out that the young man could not prove his story because he had no soap, the young man leaves in a hurry, looking embarrassed.
However, after the young man leaves, Gortsby finds a cake of soap on the ground where the young man had sat. Realizing that the soap confirms the young man’s story, Gortsby rushes to find him and offers him money to help. The young man gratefully accepts the money and rushes away. At the end of the story, Gortsby reflects on how he was quick to judge the young man based on appearances. He learns that sometimes it’s important to be careful when making judgments about people, as we don’t always know their true situations.
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Dusk Summary in Hindi
साकी का पाठ “डस्क” नॉर्मन गोर्टस्बी नाम के एक व्यक्ति के बारे में बात करता है जो शाम के समय एक पार्क में एक बेंच पर बैठा होता है, उस समय जब बाहर अंधेरा हो जाता है। वह अपने आस-पास ऐसे कई लोगों को देखता है जो उदास और हारे हुए लगते हैं, और वह जीवन के बारे में थोड़ा संदिग्ध महसूस करता है। गोर्त्स्बी का मानना है कि शाम का समय उन लोगों के लिए है जो उम्मीद खो चुके हैं और अपनी परेशानियों को छुपा रहे हैं। जैसे ही वह वहां बैठता है, एक युवक उसके पास आता है। युवक का दावा है कि वह लंदन में एक ऐसा होटल ढूंढने की कोशिश में खो गया है जो अब मौजूद नहीं है। वह बताते हैं कि उनके पास न तो पैसे हैं और न ही रात बिताने के लिए कोई जगह है। गोर्त्स्बी उसकी कहानी सुनता है लेकिन उसे संदेह होता है। युवक का कहना है कि वह साबुन खरीदने निकला था लेकिन अपने होटल का नाम भूल गया। जब गोर्त्स्बी ने बताया कि युवक अपनी कहानी साबित नहीं कर सकता क्योंकि उसके पास साबुन नहीं है, तो युवक शर्मिंदा होकर जल्दी से चला जाता है।
हालाँकि, युवक के जाने के बाद, गोर्टस्बी को उस जमीन पर साबुन का एक केक मिला जहाँ युवक बैठा था। यह महसूस करते हुए कि साबुन युवक की कहानी की पुष्टि करता है, गोर्टस्बी उसे ढूंढने के लिए दौड़ता है और उसे मदद के लिए पैसे की पेशकश करता है। युवक कृतज्ञतापूर्वक पैसे स्वीकार करता है और भाग जाता है। कहानी के अंत में, गोर्त्स्बी इस बात पर विचार करता है कि कैसे वह दिखावे के आधार पर एक युवक का तुरंत आकलन कर लेता था। वह सीखता है कि कभी-कभी लोगों के बारे में निर्णय लेते समय सावधान रहना महत्वपूर्ण है, क्योंकि हम हमेशा उनकी वास्तविक स्थितियों को नहीं जानते हैं।
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Dusk Lesson Explanation
Passage:
Norman Gortsby sat on a bench in the Park, at around thirty minutes past six on an early March evening, and dusk had fallen heavily over the scene. There was a wide emptiness over road and sidewalk, and yet there were many figures moving silently through the half-light, or dotted unobtrusively on bench and chair, scarcely to be distinguished from the shadowed gloom in which they sat.
Word Meanings:
dot (v): to be spread across an area
unobtrusive (adj.): without being noticed
sidewalk (n): a path with a hard surface on one or both sides of a road, that people walk on
scarcely (adv.): almost not
distinguished (v): recognize or treat (someone or something) as different.
gloom (n): feelings of great unhappiness and loss of hope
fall heavily (v): here, the way dusk or darkness has come down quickly and strongly
Explanation: Norman Gortsby is sitting on a park bench around six-thirty in the evening in early March. The Sun has set, and it’s getting dark. The park feels empty, with few people around, but there are still some figures quietly moving in the dim light or sitting on benches. These people are hard to see because they blend into the darkness. The atmosphere is calm, but it also has a sense of sadness as the day comes to an end. Gortsby seems to observe everything around him, taking in the quiet scene and the mood of the people in the park.
Passage:
The scene pleased Gortsby and harmonised with his present mood. Dusk, to his mind, was the hour of the defeated. Men and women, who had fought and lost, who hid their fallen fortunes and dead hopes as far as possible from the scrutiny of the curious, came forth in this hour of gloaming, when their shabby clothes and bowed shoulders and unhappy eyes might pass unnoticed, or, at any rate, unrecognised.
Word Meanings:
gloaming (n): twilight, dusk
harmonised (v): to be suitable together, or to make different people, plans, situations, etc. suitable for each other
dusk (n): the time before night when it is not yet dark
scrutiny (n): the careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it
shabby (adj.): looking old and in bad condition because of being used for a long time or not being cared for
bowed (adj.): curved
unnoticed (adj.): without being seen or noticed
unrecognised (adj.): not identified from previous encounters or knowledge
Explanation: Gortsby finds comfort in the dusky setting, feeling that it matched his current feelings. He believes that dusk is a time for people who have experienced failure—those who have tried but haven’t succeeded. These individuals come out during this dim light to avoid being seen or judged by others. They wear worn-out clothes and carry a sense of sadness, trying to blend in with the shadows so that their struggles and disappointments remain unnoticed. Gortsby sees this hour as a moment when people can hide their misfortunes from the world.
Passage:
A king that is conquered must see strange looks. So bitter a thing is the heart of man. The wanderers in the dusk did not choose to have strange looks fasten on them; therefore they came out in this bat-fashion. Beyond the sheltering screen of bushes and palings came a realm of brilliant lights and noisy, rushing traffic, marking the haunts of those other people, who held the steering of life in their own hands and did not give up so easily. So Gortsby’s imagination pictured things as he sat on his bench in the almost deserted walk. He was in the mood to count himself among the defeated. Money troubles did not press on him; had he so wished he could have strolled into the thoroughfares of light and noise, and taken his place among the jostling ranks of those who enjoyed prosperity or struggled for it. He had failed in a more subtle ambition, and for the moment he was heartsore and disillusionised, and not disinclined to take a certain cynical pleasure in observing and labelling his fellow wanderers as they went their ways in the dark stretches between the lamp-lights.
Word Meanings:
paling (n): a fence made from long thin pieces of wood
thoroughfare (n): a main road for public use
subtle (adj.): not loud, bright, noticeable or obvious in anyway
disillusion (v): to rid of illusions, deception and delusions
disincline (v): to be unwilling
cynical (adj.): believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere
wanderers (n): someone who often travels from place to place, especially without any clear aim or purpose
heartsore (adj.): heartbroken, depressed
conquered (v): to take control or possession of foreign land, or a group of people, by force, or to defeat someone in a game or competition
realm (n): an area of interest or activity
Explanation: In this passage, Gortsby thinks about defeat and how people react to it. He believes that a king who has been defeated would get strange looks from others, showing how harshly people judge those who fail. The people he sees in the dim light are like bats; they come out to hide in the shadows so they won’t be noticed as failures. On the other side of the bushes, there are bright lights and busy streets where successful people live, representing those who are in control of their lives. While sitting on an almost empty bench, Gortsby imagines this lively scene but feels he belongs with the defeated. Even though he isn’t having money problems right now, he feels sad about not achieving his deeper dreams. This disappointment makes him feel disheartened, but he also finds a kind of bitter enjoyment in watching and judging the other people wandering in the dark.
Passage:
On the bench by his side sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to have lost interest in life. He looked defeated but refused to admit it. His clothes could scarcely be called shabby and he belonged unmistakably to that forlorn orchestra to whose piping no one dances. As he rose and vanished slowly into the shadows, and his place on the bench was taken almost immediately by a young man, fairly well dressed but more cheerful of mien than his predecessor.
Word Meanings:
shabby (adj.): dressed in worn out and old clothes
forlorn (adj.): alone and unhappy; left alone and not cared for
orchestra (n): a large group of musicians who play many different instruments together and are led by a conductor
mien (n): a person’s appearance
predecessor (n): someone who had a job or a position before someone else, or something that comes before another thing in time or in a series
Explanation: Gortsby sees an older man sitting next to him on the bench. The man looks like he has given up on life, even though he doesn’t admit it. He isn’t dressed poorly, but he seems sad and out of place, like someone about whom no one cares. When the older man stands up and walks away into the shadows, a young man sits down next to Gortsby. This young man looks well-dressed and appears happy, which is very different from how the older man looked.
Passage:
“You don’t seem in a very good temper,” said Gortsby, judging that he was expected to take due
notice of the demonstration.
The young man turned to him with a look of disarming frankness which put him instantly on his guard.
“You wouldn’t be in a good temper if you were in the fix I’m in,” he said; “I’ve done the silliest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
“Yes?” said Gortsby dispassionately.
Word Meanings:
temper (n): a person’s state of mind seen in terms of their being angry or calm
demonstration (n): the act of showing someone how to do something, or how something works
disarming (adj.): making someone like you, especially when they had not expected to
frankness (adj.): honest, sincere, and telling the truth, even when this might be awkward or make other people uncomfortable
dispassionately (adv.): in a way that is not influenced by emotions
fix (n): here, difficult or confusing situation
Explanation: Gortsby notices that the young man sitting next to him doesn’t seem very happy. He comments on it, suggesting that he should pay attention to how the young man is feeling. The young man looks at Gortsby openly and honestly, which makes Gortsby a bit alert. The young man then explains that he’s in a difficult situation and that he has made a foolish mistake. Gortsby listens without showing much emotion, simply responding with an uninterested “Yes?” as he waits to hear more about the young man’s troubles.
Passage:
“Came up this afternoon, meaning to stay at the Patagonian Hotel in Berkshire Square,” continued the young man; “when I got there I found it had been pulled down some weeks ago and a cinema theatre run up on the site. The taxi driver recommended me to another hotel some way off and I went there. I just sent a letter to consul, and then I went out to buy some soap as I’d forgotten to pack any and I hate using hotel soap. Then I strolled about a bit, had a drink at a bar and looked at the shops, and when I came to turn my steps back to the hotel I suddenly realised that I didn’t remember its name or even what street it was in. There’s a nice predicament for a fellow who hasn’t any friends or connections in London! Of course I can wire to my people for the address, but they won’t have got my letter till tomorrow; meantime I’m without any money, came out with about a shilling on me, which went in buying the soap and getting the drink, and here I am, wandering about with two pence in my pocket and nowhere to go for the night.”
Word Meanings:
stroll (v): to walk slowly for pleasure
predicament (n): a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation
shilling (n): a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one-twentieth of a pound or twelve pence
eloquent (adj.): clear, strong and effective in using of language
pence (n): penny (a unit of money)
consul (n): an official appointed by a state to live in a foreign city and protect the state’s citizens and interests there
Explanation: The young man explains his situation to Gortsby. He tells him that he arrived in town that afternoon and planned to stay at the Patagonian Hotel in Berkshire Square. However, when he got there, he discovered that the hotel had been torn down and replaced with a cinema. The taxi driver suggested another hotel, so he went there and even sent a letter to the officials about his stay in another hotel. Afterward, he went out to buy soap because he forgot to pack any, and he didn’t like using hotel soap. While roaming around, he enjoyed a drink and looked at some shops, but when he tried to return to the hotel, he realized he couldn’t remember its name or the street it was on. He felt stuck because he didn’t have any friends in London to help him. Although he could send a letter to his family for the hotel address, they wouldn’t receive his letter until the next day. Right now, he had no money—only two pence left after buying soap and a drink—and he wasn’t sure where to spend the night.
Passage:
There was an eloquent pause after the story had been told. “I suppose you think I’ve spun you rather an impossible yarn,” said the young man presently, with a suggestion of resentment in his voice.
Word Meanings:
resentment (n): a feeling of anger because you have been forced to accept something that you do not like
yarn (n): spun thread used for knitting, weaving, or sewing. Here, a story, usually a long one with a lot of excitement or interest
spun (v): weave, here, to narrate a story
Explanation: After the young man finished his story, there was a quiet moment as both of them thought about what he had just said. Then the young man, sounding a bit upset, asked Gortsby if he thought his story was hard to believe. It seemed like he was worried that Gortsby might not trust him or might think he was just making things up.
Passage:
“Not at all impossible,” said Gortsby judicially; “I remember doing exactly the same thing once in a foreign capital, and on that occasion there were two of us, which made it more remarkable. Luckily we remembered that the hotel was on a sort of canal, and when we struck the canal we were able to find our way back to the hotel.”
Word Meanings:
judicially (adv.): to show good judgment
canal (n): a long, thin stretch of water that is artificially made either for boats to travel along or for taking water from one area to another
remarkable (adj.): unusual or special and therefore surprising and worth mentioning
Explanation: Gortsby replied that he didn’t think the young man’s story was impossible. He told him about a time when he had got lost in another country, but he had been with a friend, which made it more surprising. Luckily, they had remembered that their hotel had been by a canal, and once they had found the canal, they had been able to get back to the hotel easily.
Passage:
The youth brightened at the reminiscence. “In a foreign city I wouldn’t mind so much,” he said; “one could go to one’s Consul and get the requisite help from him. Here in one’s own land one is far more derelict if one gets into a fix. Unless I can find some decent chap to swallow my story and lend me some money I seem likely to spend the night on the Embankment. I’m glad, anyhow, that you don’t think the story outrageously improbable.”
Word Meanings:
consul (n): an official appointed by a state to live in a foreign city and protect the state’s citizens and interests there
reminiscence (n): the act of remembering things past; the recovery of knowledge by mental effort
derelict (n): a person without a home, a job, or property
swallow my story (phrase): believe my story
embankment (n): an earth or stone bank for keeping back water, or for carrying a road or railway
requisite (adj.): necessary or needed for a particular purpose
outrageously (adv.): in a way that is shocking, usually because of being unusual or strange
improbable (adj.): not likely to happen or be true
Explanation: The young man seemed to feel better when he heard Gortsby’s story. He said that if he were lost in a foreign city, it wouldn’t be as bad because he could go to his Consul for help. But being in his own country made it worse; he felt more helpless if he got into trouble. He needed to find someone kind who would believe his story and lend him some money. Otherwise, he would have to spend the night on the street. He was relieved that Gortsby didn’t think his story was completely unbelievable.
Passage:
He threw a good deal of warmth into the last remark, as though perhaps to indicate his hope that Gortsby did not fall far short of the requisite decency.
Word Meanings:
decency (n): behaviour that is good, moral, and acceptable in society
Explanation: He said the last part with a lot of feeling, as if he wanted to show that he hoped Gortsby was a decent person who would be willing to help him.
Passage:
“Of course,” said Gortsby slowly, “the weak point of your story is that you can’t produce the
soap.”
The young man sat forward hurriedly, felt rapidly in the pockets of his overcoat, and then jumped
to his feet.
“I must have lost it,” he muttered angrily.
Word Meanings:
mutter (v): to speak low in a barely audible manner
Explanation: Gortsby replied slowly, pointing out that a flaw in the young man’s story was that he couldn’t show the soap he claimed to have bought. The young man then leaned forward quickly, checked his overcoat pockets, and suddenly stood up, saying in frustration that he must have lost the soap.
Passage:
“To lose an hotel and a cake of soap on one afternoon suggests wilful carelessness,” said Gortsby, but the young man scarcely waited to hear the end of the remark. He flitted away down the path, his head held high, with an air of somewhat jaded jauntiness.
Word Meanings:
jaded (adj.): tired ; worn- out; wearied
jauntiness (adj.): cheerfulness; confidence
wilful (adj.): (of something bad) done intentionally or (of a person) determined to do exactly as you want, even if you know it is wrong
carelessness (n): the fact of not taking or showing enough care and attention
Explanation: Gortsby pointed out that it seemed careless to lose both a hotel and a bar of soap in one day. But the young man didn’t stay to listen to what Gortsby had to say. Instead, he walked away down the path, holding his head up high and trying to act happy, even though he looked a bit tired.
Passage:
“It was a pity,” mused Gortsby; “the going out to get one’s own soap was the one convincing
touch in the whole story, and yet it was just that little detail that brought him to grief. If he had the
brilliant forethought to provide himself with a cake of soap, wrapped and sealed with all the solicitude of the chemist’s counter, he would have been a genius in his particular line. In his particular line genius certainly consists of an infinite capacity for taking precautions.”
Word Meanings:
solicitude (n): anxiety or concern
forethought (n): the good judgment to consider the near future in your present actions
mused (v): say or think something to oneself in a thoughtful manner
Explanation: Gortsby thought it was too bad that the young man’s story about going out to get his own soap was the most convincing part of what he said. But that detail is what caused him to get into trouble. Gortsby believed that if the young man had thought ahead and brought his own soap, he would have looked really smart. To be clever in tricky situations meant being careful and prepared for anything that might happen.
Passage:
With that reflection Gortsby rose to go; as he did so an exclamation of concern escaped him.
Lying on the ground by the side of the bench was a small oval packet, wrapped and sealed with the solicitude of a chemist’s counter. It could be nothing else but a cake of soap, and it had evidently fallen out of the youth’s overcoat pocket when he flung himself down on the seat. In another moment Gortsby was scurrying along the dusk- shrouded path in anxious quest for a youthful figure in a light overcoat. He had nearly given up the search when he caught sight of the object of his pursuit standing irresolutely on the border of the carriage drive, evidently uncertain whether to strike across the Park or make for the bustling pavements of Knightsbridge. He turned round sharply with an air of defensive hostility when he found Gortsby hailing him.
Word Meanings:
exclamation (n): something you say or shout suddenly because of surprise, fear, pleasure, etc.
shrouded (n): a situation that prevents something from being known or understood
quest (n): a long search for something that is difficult to find, or an attempt to achieve something difficult
irresolutely (adv.): in a way that shows that you are not able or willing to make decisions or take action
pavements (n): a path with a hard surface on one or both sides of a road, that people walk on
hailing (v): to call someone in order to attract their attention
scurrying (v): to move quickly, with small, short steps
Explanation: Gortsby stood up to leave but suddenly noticed something on the ground next to the bench. It was a small oval package, neatly wrapped and sealed, which looked like a cake of soap. He realized it must have fallen from the young man’s pocket when he sat down. Thinking quickly, Gortsby hurried down the path, trying to find the young man. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted him looking unsure at the edge of the road, as if he couldn’t decide whether to cross the park or head towards the busy streets. When the young man saw Gortsby calling out to him, he turned around with a cautious look, as if he was ready to protect himself.
Passage:
“The important witness to the genuineness of your story has turned up,” said Gortsby, holding
out the cake of soap; “it must have slid out of your overcoat pocket when you sat down on the seat. I saw it on the ground after you left. You must excuse my disbelief, but appearances were really rather against you, and now, as I appealed to the testimony of the soap I think I ought to abide by its verdict. If the loan of a sovereign is any good to you.”
Word Meanings:
overcoat (n): a long thick coat worn in cold weather
testimony (n): (an example of) spoken or written statements that something is true, especially those given in a law court
verdict (n): an opinion or decision made after judging the facts that are given, especially one made at the end of a trial
sovereign (n): a king or queen. Here, a gold coin
abide (v): to follow something
Explanation: Gortsby told the young man that he had found proof that his story was true. He held out the cake of soap, saying it must have fallen from the young man’s pocket when he had sat down on the bench. Gortsby noticed the soap after the young man had left. He admitted that he had doubts about the young man’s story at first because it seemed suspicious. But now that he found the soap, which proved the young man’s story was real, Gortsby felt he should believe him. He offered to lend him a pound (a sovereign) to help him out.
Passage:
The young man hastily removed all doubt on the subject by pocketing the coin.
“Here is my card with my address,” continued Gortsby; “any day this week will do for returning the money, and here is the soap don’t lose it again. It’s been a good friend to you.”
Word Meanings:
hastily (adv.): said or done in a hurry, sometimes without the necessary care or thought
Explanation: The young man quickly took the coin and put it in his pocket, making it clear that he accepted Gortsby’s help without hesitation. Gortsby then handed him his card, which had his address on it, saying that the young man could return the money any day that week. He also gave back the cake of soap, reminding him not to lose it again, since it had helped him prove his story.
Passage:
“Lucky thing your finding it,” said the youth, and then, with a catch in his voice, he blurted out a word or two of thanks and fled headlong in the direction of Knights bridge.
Word Meanings:
headlong (adv.): with great speed or without thinking
Explanation: The young man showed his relief by saying how lucky it was that Gortsby had found the soap. Then, feeling emotional, he quickly thanked Gortsby and hurried away towards Knightsbridge, eager to get to safety.
Passage:
“Poor boy, he as nearly as possible broke down,” said Gortsby to himself. “I don’t wonder either; the relief from his quandary must have been acute. It’s a lesson to me not to be too clever in judging by circumstances.”
Word Meanings:
quandary (n): a difficult situation; a practical dilemma
Explanation: Gortsby felt sorry for the young man, thinking, “That poor boy almost cried.” He understood why he felt that way; getting out of such a tough situation must have made him feel really relieved. Gortsby learned that he shouldn’t be too quick to judge people based only on what he saw.
Passage:
As Gortsby retraced his steps past the seat where the little drama had taken place he saw an elderly gentleman poking and peering beneath it and on all sides of it, and recognised his earlier fellow occupant.
Word Meanings:
peer (v): to look searchingly or with difficulty or effort
occupant (n): a person who is in a car, room, seat, place, or position
Explanation: As Gortsby walked back past the bench where the young man had been, he saw an old man searching around under the bench and in the nearby area. He recognized this old man as the same person who had sat next to him earlier.
Passage:
“Have you lost anything, sir?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, a cake of soap.”
Word Meanings:
cake of soap (n): a bar of soap
Explanation: Gortsby asked the old man if he had lost something. The old man said that he had lost a bar of soap.