Contrast Sophie’s real world with her fantasies.
Sophie is a girl of day dreaming and fantasing nature. She had a close friend named Jansie. While returning from their way back to house form school, both discussed their possibilities to do some after schooling. Sophie’s flight took off from boutique to shop-manager to an actress-cum-boutique owner to a fashion designer. Even then both the girls were earmarked for a biscuit factory.
Like every young girl, Sophie also fancied that the world was prepared to greet her. She also had in her fancies a strong feeling of knowing the unknown, seeing the unseen and even meeting and welcoming the strangers. Though her father forbade her yet she expected Geoff to acquaint her to all new and strange things, people and places. She fancied the world greeting and applauding them.
Finally in her fantasizing she had a lover Danny Casey in her mind. She visited the perfect place for lovers and sat on the solitary wooden bench under the tree. She waited for her lover coming out of shadows but there was no sign of him. She became burdened with sadness. Thus Sophie’s real world-dreams and fansies as well as disappointments were all of her own creations.
How did Sophie’s father react on hearing about Sophie’s meeting Danny Casey?
Sophie’s father was a man of gentle and considerate nature. Inspite of his own hard-work he always helped in the chores. When Sophie's mother Geoff was doing some work on the motorbike had completed the washing of clothes, he came in and switched on the television. Then he told his father ‘Sophie met Danny Casey.’ He turned his head and looked at Sophie. Their father seemed sad and asked if it was true. He did not believe what he was told.
During the conversation she ensured that Danny Casey, was going to buy a shop. Hearing it, her father became rather confused and murmured something. He aggressively called her telling another of her wild stories.
It was at this stage Geoff came to her help and told their father that she met him in the Royce’s arcade with details. Their father knew well Geoff would support her. Therefore, he cautioned Sophie that one of those days she was going to talk herself into a load of trouble. It was a sincere advice from a father to his daughter not to invite troubles for her because of her fanciful talks.
Tips: -
V. Imp.
Describe the social background and the life of the people after your reading the story ‘Going Places?’
In the story ‘Going Places’, author A. R. Barton had clearly depicted the stages of helplessness and satisfaction in the lives of the middle class people. The members of that society are shown to be law-abiding, minding their own business and hardworking- Sophie’s father had been working hard throughout the day and even helping her mother in her chores.
Sophie’s brother Geoff had travel to a long way for his apprenticeship everyday. The gentsfolk had been very sincerely and sensibly maintaining their family peace, progress and happiness. Sophie’s mother had been carrying on with her family chores. She looked after the whole affairs of her family quietly.
The girls Sophie and Jansie had been seriously taking up their matters relating to life. Both had been discussing about work to be started after school. Even little Derek had the real brain of the elders on his shoulders. He was a clear and intelligent financial analyst. Even his sports forecast sounded like an expert comment ‘Ireland will win the World Cup.’ The teenagers have unrealistic dreams and believe in hero worship.
Write your views about Geoff after your reading the story ‘Going Places’.
The author has developed his story by involving only one family. Sophie had one elder brother Geoff and another younger one Derek. Her parents were quite caring and helpful to them at every stage of life.
Geoff was almost grown up. It was three years now he passed schools and was working hard as an apprentice mechanic. He was youth who had a determination to become a mechanical expert. He daily travelled to the other side of the city for his training. He enjoyed doing his work silently. His silence troubled Sophie and she had to prize out words from him like stones from the ground. His silence compelled Sophie to guess him to be somewhere else in the world he never spoke about. She loved and admired Geoff always.
Geoff was “quiet youth and didn’t easily make new friends”. She knew he would take her to all such unknown places and people for which she was impatient, though their father forbade. Like her brother, she liked his friendly groups and hoped to be admitted to that. Geoff not only supported Sophie blindly before their parents but he was the first to share her secrets. Though Geoff hardly believed the truth without verifying her stories.
How did Sophie details her meeting with Danny Casey?
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How did Sophie describe her meeting with Danny Casey?
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What did Sophie tell her brother Geoff about Danny Casey? What was his reaction?Geoff was working with a motorcycle part in another room. After coming back home from school, she looked for brother Geoff. She told him she met Danny Casey. It startled Geoff and he turned to her to ask ‘where?’ She cleared there in the Royce’s arcade very funnily. Geoff took it never to be true. Geoff was the first with whom she shared her secrets. She detailed that at Royce’s window she was looking at the clothes, he came and stood beside her. She took him to be Danny Casey and that he confirmed.
In order to know the reality he asked Sophie how he looked like. She stated he had green and gentle eyes. And he was not so tall as he would think. She finally, got a promise from Geoff not to reveal the secret to anyone to avoid any trouble from father. Geoff made her to realise that she was still at school and Danny Casey must be having strings of girls. She denied and told that Danny Casey was not like that. He was........quiet.
She asked him for an autograph for little Derek but he neither had paper nor a pen. So they talked about a bit. Just as he was going he said, if she cared to meet him next week he would give her an autograph then. But Geoff did not believe Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey.