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The chapter “The Address” from the NCERT Class 11 English Supplementary Book Snapshots is a touching and emotional story about war, loss, and memory. It is written by Marga Minco, a Dutch author. This chapter shows how war can deeply affect people’s lives and relationships. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl who returns to a place she once called home, only to find that everything has changed.
She visits “the address” where her mother’s belongings were kept during the war. Through this simple yet powerful narrative, students learn about human emotions, relationships, and the effects of war.
To help students understand this chapter better, NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2 provide clear and detailed answers to all the questions in the textbook. These solutions are made by experts and follow the latest CBSE guidelines. Whether you are preparing for exams or want to understand the deeper meanings in the story, these Chapter 2 The Address NCERT Solutions will guide you step-by-step.
The main aim of these solutions is to make learning easy and simple. Every answer in The Address Chapter 2 Class 11 NCERT Solutions is written in a way that is easy to understand. These solutions help students to not only answer textbook questions but also to think critically about the story. With the help of NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, students can improve their writing skills and also learn how to form good answers in the exam.
The story also teaches a moral lesson – sometimes, memories and emotions are more important than physical things. When the girl visits “the address” and sees the old belongings, she realizes that her connection to the past is gone. Chapter 2 The Address NCERT Solutions help explain such deep themes in a way that students can relate to.
Whether you are revising the chapter before an exam or trying to understand the story deeply, The Address Chapter 2 Class 11 NCERT Solutions are a great help. These well-prepared answers will make your study time more effective and give you confidence to perform well in your English exams.
Do Check: Class 11 English Snapshots The Address Summary
The Address Class 11 Questions and Answers Short
Question 1: ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman, ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?
Answer: Yes, this statement gives some clue about the story. During the early part of the war Mrs Dorling had shifted the important belongings of her acquaintance Mrs S. from her house to 46, Marconi Street. These included table silver wares, antique plates and other nice things such as the iron anukkah candle-holder, woollen table cloth and green knitted cardigan with wooden buttons.
Since Mrs S. had died during the war, Mrs Dorling did not expect anyone to come back and claim her costly belongings as she thought no one else knew her address. The statement indicates the greedy and possessive nature of Mrs Dorling. She did not open the door to the daughter of her former acquaintance nor did she show any signs of recognition.
She did not let the girl in. She refused to see her then saying it was not convenient for her to do. The narrator had gone to this address with a specific purpose—to see her mother’s belongings. Even when she told Mrs Dorling that only she had come back, the woman with a broad back did not soften a bit. Thus the clash of interests is hinted at by the aforesaid statement.
Question 2:The story is divided into pre-war and post-war times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?
Answer: During the pre-war times, the narrator lived in some other city far away from home and she visited her mother only for a few days. During the first half of the war the narrator’s mother was always afraid that they might have to leave the place and lose all valuable belongings.
The narrator lived in the city in a small rented room. Its windows were covered with blackout paper. She could not see the beauty of nature outside her room. The threat of death loomed large. After the liberation, everything became normal again. Bread was getting to be a lighter colour.
She could sleep in her bed without any fear of death. She could glance out of the window of her room each day. One day, she was eager to see all the possessions of her mother, which she knew were stored at number 46, Marconi Street. She went to that address.
She felt disappointed when Mrs Dorling neither recognised her nor let her in. She asked her to come again someday. It was evident she wanted to put her off. She was eager to see, touch and remember her mother’s possessions. So, she had to take the trouble of visiting the place again.
Also Read: NCERT Solutions for Class 11
Question 3: Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
Answer: The narrator remembered the address her mother had told her only once. It was number 46, Marconi Street. Her mother’s acquaintance Mrs Dorling lived there. She had stored the valuable belongings of the narrator’s mother there. After her mother’s death, the narrator had an urge to visit the place.
She wanted to see those things, touch them and remember. She went to the given address twice. She was successful in her second attempt to enter the living room. . She found herself in the midst of things she wanted to see again. She felt oppressed in the strange atmosphere. Everything was arranged in a tasteless way.
The ugly furniture and the muggy smell that hung there seemed quite unpleasant. These objects evoked the memory of the familiar life of former time. But they had lost their value since they had been separated from her mother and stored in strange surroundings. She no longer wanted to see, touch or remember these belongings. She resolved to forget the address. She wanted to leave the past behind and decided to move on.
Question 4: ‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.
Answer: The war creates many difficult and unpleasant situations for human beings. Sometime it becomes difficult to know what to do. The human predicament that follows war is amply illustrated through the experience of the narrator. The war had caused many physical difficulties as well as emotional sufferings to her.
She had lost her dear mother. She went to 46, Marconi Street to see her mother’s valuable possessions. How greedy and callous human beings can become is exemplified by the behaviour of Mrs Dorling. She had stored all the valuable belongings of the narrator’s mother, but she refused to recognise the narrator.
She did not even let her in. The presence of her mother’s possessions in strange atmosphere pained her. Now these valuables had lost all their importance for her as they had been separated from her mother. She could get no solace or comfort from them.
Also Check: CBSE Class 11 English The Address MCQs
NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English Chapter 2 – Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. How did Mrs Dorling react when the narrator said she was Mrs S’s daughter?
Ans. Mrs Dorling blocked the door with her hand as if she didn’t want to let the narrator in. She looked at the narrator without showing any emotions and didn’t speak a word.
Q2. What two reasons did the narrator give to explain that she might be wrong?
Ans. The narrator thought she could be mistaken because she had seen Mrs Dorling only once, many years ago, and for a very short time. Also, she considered that she might have pressed the wrong doorbell.
Q3. How did the narrator confirm that she was not mistaken?
Ans. She noticed Mrs Dorling wearing her mother’s green cardigan. The dull wooden buttons and Mrs Dorling’s nervous reaction made the narrator sure that this was indeed the right woman.
Q4. What was the result of the narrator’s meeting with Mrs Dorling?
Ans. The meeting failed. Even after asking many times, Mrs Dorling did not let her in or speak kindly to her.
Q5. Who had given the narrator the address, when and under what circumstances?
Ans. The address of Mrs Dorling was given by the narrator’s mother during the early years of the war. The narrator had returned home for a short visit and saw many things missing in the house. That’s when her mother told her about Mrs Dorling and gave her the address.
Q6. What did the narrator learn about Mrs Dorling from her mother?
Ans. Mrs Dorling was someone the mother had known before. They had not met for many years, but then she started visiting again. Each time, she took away some of the narrator’s mother’s belongings like silverware and old plates.
Q7. Why did Mrs Dorling take away the narrator’s mother’s belongings?
Ans. Mrs Dorling told the narrator’s mother that it was safer to keep her precious things elsewhere because they could lose everything if they had to flee.
Q8. How does the narrator’s mother appear in her talks with Mrs Dorling and the narrator?
Ans. She seems kind and trusting. She didn’t feel right about accusing a friend of keeping things forever. She cared more about Mrs Dorling’s safety than her own loss.
Q9. Did the narrator feel convinced about her mother’s trust in Mrs Dorling?
Ans. No, she didn’t. The narrator doubted Mrs Dorling’s intentions, especially because she showed so much interest in the expensive items. This is clear from the narrator’s many questions.
Q10. What did the narrator remember about Mrs Dorling the first time she saw her?
Ans. She remembered a woman with a big back wearing a brown coat and a strange hat. She took a heavy suitcase and left their house. The address of Mrs Dorling was 46, Marconi Street.
Q11. Why did the narrator wait a long time before visiting 46 Marconi Street?
Ans. She didn’t care about those things right after the war. Also, she was afraid that seeing her mother’s items again would bring back too many memories.
So, why did the narrator go to Mrs Dorling’s house later? She eventually felt the need to reconnect with her past.
Q12. When did the narrator become curious about her mother’s possessions?
Ans. As life began to feel normal again after the war, she remembered the items. When the narrator became curious about her mother’s possessions, she decided to see them again and feel connected with her mother’s memories.
Q13. “I was in a room I knew and did not know” – what does this mean?
Ans. The narrator saw her old things but in a different, tasteless setting. The strange smell, ugly furniture, and dull room made it feel unfamiliar.
Q14. What does ‘the still life over the tea table’ mean?
Ans. It means the untouched setting on the table—cups, spoons, and teapot. The narrator stared at these lifeless objects that once held warm memories.
Q15. How did the narrator know the woollen tablecloth was hers?
Ans. She looked closely and followed the familiar pattern. She remembered a burn mark on it. When she found it, she knew it was theirs.
Q16. “You only notice when something is missing” – what does this mean?
Ans. People get used to things around them and stop noticing. But when something is gone, only then do they realize how important it was.
Q17. How did the narrator learn their everyday cutlery was made of silver?
Ans. Once, her mother asked for help polishing the silver. The narrator was surprised, and her mother explained that even their daily spoons and forks were silver.
Q18. Why did the narrator suddenly decide to leave?
Ans. The narrator’s visit to 46 Marconi Street had one purpose—to reconnect with her past. But seeing those things out of place and meaning made her realize they no longer fit in her life.
Q19. Why did the old possessions of the narrator lose their value?
Ans. They were once filled with memories, but now they sat cold and lifeless in someone else’s house. So, why did the old possessions of the narrator lose their value? Because without love and context, they were just things.
Q20. “Of all the things I had to forget, that would be the easiest” – what does ‘that’ refer to?
Ans. Here, ‘that’ means the address—number 46, Marconi Street. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address? Because forgetting the address meant letting go of painful memories and starting a new chapter in her life.
NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English Chapter 2 – Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1: Who had given the narrator the address, when and under what circumstances?
Ans. The narrator got the address from her mother during the early days of the war. At that time, the narrator had returned home for a short visit. She noticed that many things were missing from the rooms, and they didn’t feel the same anymore. Her mother then told her about a woman named Mrs Dorling, an old friend she had not seen in years.
Mrs Dorling had started visiting often and took away household items saying she would keep them safe. The narrator’s mother shared the address of Mrs Dorling, which was Number 46, Marconi Street. The narrator was uncomfortable about it and asked if her mother had agreed to give everything away. Her mother didn’t like being questioned, though she admitted it was risky for Mrs Dorling to carry heavy bags in such times.
Question 2: Describe the narrator’s first visit to Marconi Street Number 46.
Ans. The narrator’s first visit to 46, Marconi Street happened after the war was over. She had become curious about her mother’s belongings and decided to find them. When did the narrator become curious about her mother’s possessions? It was when peace had returned, and she had time to think about the past. She wanted to see the things that held her family memories.
When she reached the house, Mrs Dorling barely opened the door and acted like she didn’t know her. The narrator introduced herself as Mrs S’s daughter, but Mrs Dorling refused to let her in. She was cold and unfriendly. The narrator saw her mother’s green cardigan on Mrs Dorling, but even that didn’t help. Mrs Dorling closed the door, and the narrator had to leave without entering.
Question 3: Write in brief about the narrator’s second visit to 46 Marconi Street. Did she succeed in her mission?
Ans. The second visit was different. This time, the narrator was allowed inside the house and shown the living room by Mrs Dorling’s daughter. There, she saw many old things that once belonged to her mother. But something felt wrong.
Why did the old possessions of the narrator lose their value? These items, though familiar, were placed in a different setting, far from the warmth of her real home. They no longer brought comfort—just memories. Though she had come to remember her past, she felt distant from it.
She realized that the emotional connection was gone. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address? Because holding on to those things didn’t help her move forward. So, she decided not to return and chose to forget the address and the belongings altogether.
Question 4: What impression do we get of the narrator?
Ans. The narrator appears thoughtful, strong, and independent. She loved and respected her mother but questioned her decision to trust Mrs Dorling. She had a sharp eye—she noticed things missing during her short visit home during the war.
She also showed courage and determination. She visited 46, Marconi Street twice, even after being turned away the first time. Her choice to finally let go and move on proves she was practical and emotionally strong. She chose healing over holding on to pain from the past.
Question 5: Comment on the significance of the title of the story “The Address.”
Ans. The title “The Address” is very meaningful. The entire story revolves around it. Who gave the address to the narrator and why? It was her mother, during the war, when she wanted to keep their belongings safe. That address became a symbol of the past and the memories connected to it.
In the beginning, the address was important because it gave hope that something from their earlier life could be saved. Later, it became a place filled with disappointment. In the end, when the narrator decided to forget the address, it showed her growth. She understood that people and feelings matter more than things.
The story “The Address Class 11 questions and answers short” reveal how places and things lose meaning when love and warmth are gone. Why did the narrator go to Mrs Dorling’s house? To reconnect with her past. But she left with the decision to live in the present, not the past.
FAQs on NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2
Where can I find the accurate NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2?
You can find the accurate NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Supplementary Chapter 2 from Infinity Learn. Our experts have created the solutions in an interactive manner to help the students perform well in the board exam. The solutions cover all the questions from the NCERT textbook, which help the students in completing their assignments on time. Those students who are not able to understand the chapter during the class hours can refer to these solutions to get an in-depth overview.
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NCERT Solutions at Infinity Learn are created by highly experienced faculty to help the students to score well in the exam. The solutions are well structured in a systematic manner providing the students with a clear overview of the important questions. Vocabulary skills and the writing skills are highlighted in the solutions, which help the students to answer the questions and save more time in the board exam. NCERT Class 11 solutions chapter-wise are available in PDF format with a free download option, which can be accessed by students at any time.
‘The Address’ is a story of the human predicament that follows war, as explained in NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Supplementary English Snapshots Chapter 2.
War created so many problems for the narrator, both the emotionally and physically. She lost her mother and also the house that she lived in. All her belongings were taken away by the stranger who did not want to return them. Many post-war feelings is seen in the story. Starting from the loss of a life to the greedy and the callous nature of a woman, varied feelings are portrayed in this short story.