The Bishops Candlesticks

Discuss In Groups

Question 1.
What would you do in the following situations? Give reasons for your answer:

• If you were travelling by bus and you saw someone pick another passenger’s pocket.
• If you found a wallet on the road.
• If you were in a shop and you saw a well- dressed lady shoplifting.
• If your best friend is getting involved with an undesirable set of friends.
• If you were in school and you saw one of your classmates steal another child’s pen.

Answer:

• I would raise an alarm to ask others to overpower him.
• I would return it to its rightful owner or hand it over to the police.
• I would inform the police and the owner.
• I shall advise him to give up the company of the bad boys.
• I would inform the class teacher or the principal.

Question 2.
Imagine a child has been caught stealing in school. In groups of eight play the roles of

• The child caught stealing
• The child she/he stole from
• The teacher
• The headmaster
• The witnesses

Try to find the reason why the child stole and the possible advice you can give her/ him. Should the child be punished? Or should she/he be counselled?

Answer:
A Classroom Activity.

Question 3.
Read the text on Page 112.

Answer:
Self study.

Question 4.
Copy and complete the following paragraph about the theme of the play in pairs:
The play deals with a 1. and 2. Bishop who is always ready to lend a 3. hand to anyone in distress. A 4. breaks into the Bishop’s house and is 5. and warmed. The benevolence of the Bishop somewhat 6. the convict, but, when he sees the silver candlesticks, he 7. them, and runs away. However, he is 8. and brought back. He expects to go back to jail, but the Bishop informs the police they are a 9. The convict is 10. by this kindness of the Bishop and before he leaves he seeks the priest’s blessing.

Answer:

1. 1. convict
2. 2. a
3. 3. helping
4. 4. convict/thief
5. 5. given food
6. 6. changes the heart of
7. 7. steals
8. 8. caught.
9. 9. gift given to him
10. 10. converted/impressed

Question 5.
(a) Working in pairs give antonyms of the following words:

Answer:

	Words	Words
1.	kind-hearted	cruel-hearted/ stone- hearted
2.	credulous	incredulous
3.	wild	controlled/tamed
4.	sentimental	unsentimental
5.	embittered	delighted
6.	unscrupulous	scrupulous
7.	generous	mean
8.	innocent	guilty
9.	forgiving	revengeful
10.	pious	impious
11.	penitent	remorseless
12.	trusting	mistrusting
13.	suspicious	credulous
14.	clever	foolish
15.	protective	harmful
16.	stem	soft
17.	sympathetic	unsympathetic
18.	brutal	kind
19.	concerned	unconcerned
20.	cunning	straightforward
21.	benevolent	malevolent
22.	understanding	misunderstanding
23.	caring	Indifferent
24.	honourable	Dishonourable

(b) Select words from the above box to describe the characters in the play as revealed by the following lines from the play:

	Lines from the play	Speaker	Quality revealed
1.	“You told him she was feeling poorly, did you ? And so my brother is to be kept out of bed, and go without his supper because you told him she was feeling poorly. ”
2.	…..  “take my comforter, it will keep you warm. ”
3.	“If people lie to me they are poorer, not I. ”
4.	“You are like a child. I can’t trust you out of my sight. No sooner my back is turned than you get that minx Marie to sell the silver salt cellars. ”
5.	“My dear there is so much suffering in the world, and I can do so very little. ”
6.	“My mother gave them to me on—on her death bed just after you were born, and…. and she asked me to keep them in remembrance of her, so I would like to keep them. ”
7.	“I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff. ”
8.	“You have your soul to lose, my son.”
9.	“Give me food or I’ll stick my knife in you both and help myself. ”
10.	“…they have made me what I am, they have made me a thief. God curse them all. ”
11.	“Why the devil are you kind to me? What do you want? ”
12.	“I—I—didn’t believe there was any good in the world… but somehow I—I—know you’re good, and —and it’s a queer thing to ask, but could you, would you bless me before I go? ”

Answer:

	Lines from the play	Speaker	Quality revealed
1.	“You told him she was feeling poorly, did you ? And so my brother is to be kept out of bed, and go without his supper because you told him she was feeling poorly. ”	Persome	stem, hard-heart­ed
2.	………  “take my comforter, it will keep you warm. ”	Bishop	kind-heart­ed, gener­ous, caring
3.	“If people lie to me they are poorer, not I.”	Bishop	forgiving
4.	“You are like a child. I can’t trust you out of my sight. No sooner my back is turned than you get that minx Marie to sell the silver salt cellars. ’’	Persome	protective, concerned
5.	“My dear there is so much suffering in the world, and I can do so very little. ”	Bishop	generous, kind-heart­ed
6.	“My mother gave them to me on— on her death bed just after you were born, and………….. and she asked me to keep them in remembrance of her, so I would like to keep them. ”	Bishop	nostalgia, remem­brance
7.	“I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff.’’	Convict	cunning
8.	“You have your soul to lose, my son. ”	Convict	pity and religiosity
9.	“Give me food or I’ll stick my knife in you both and help myself. ”	Convict	desperate, hard-heart­ed
10.	“…they have made me what I am, they have made me a thief. God curse them all. ”	Convict	pitiless, revengeful
11.	“Why the devil are you kind to me? What do you want? ”	Convict	pitiless, rudeness
12.	“I—I—didn’t believe there was any good in the world…but somehow I—I— know you ’re good, and —and it’s a queer thing to ask, but could you, would you bless me before I go?”	Convict	repen­tance,transfor­mation

Question 6.
Answer the following questions briefly:

• (a) Do you think the Bishop was right in selling the salt cellars? Why/Why not?
• (b) Why does Persome feel the people pretend to be sick?
• (c) Who was Jeanette? What was the cause of her death?
• (d) The convict says, “I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff.” What does he mean by this statement?
• (e) Why was the convict sent to prison? What was the punishment given to him?
• (f) Do you think the punishment given to the convict was justified? Why/Why not? Why is the convict eager to reach Paris?
• (g) Before leaving, the convict asks the Bishop to bless him. What brought about this change in him?

Answer:
(a) The Bishop was right in selling the salt cellars. Like” a true Christian, the Bishop always tried to help the needy. Mere Gringoire was ill and had not paid the rent. The bailiff would not wait any longer and threatened to throw her out. So she sent little Jean to the Bishop for help. He had no money. So he had to dispose of the salt cellars to help her.

(b) Persome is made of different stuff. She lacks the basic understanding and sympathy for men. She only believes in safeguarding her and her brother’s interests. She believes that people are not really sick. They only pretend to be so to get help from the Bishop.

(c) Jeanette was the wife of the convict. It was a bad year and Jeanette fell ill. The convict had no job and money even to buy food. She was ill, starving and dying. So, he stole to buy her food. At last, she died of illness and starvation.

(d) The convict tries to give a message to the Bishop and Persome that he is a hard-hearted and cunning person. He is not an innocent fool who can be caught by chaff like a new bird. He had lived in prison or ‘the hell’ for quite a long time. He had learnt all the tricks and cunningness of seasoned criminals. The Bishop’s outwardly soft behaviour and kind gestures can’t trap him in their net.

(e) It was really a bad year for the convict. He had no job and no money. His wife Jeanette fell ill. She was starving. He had to steal to buy her food. He was caught stealing and sent to prison. He told them why he stole, but they laughed at him. He was sentenced to ten years in the prison hulks.

(f) I think, the punishment given to the convict was not justified. He was not a seasoned or habitual criminal. He had no money and had to steal for food for his ill wife. He was sentenced to ten years in the prison hulks. He should have been let off with a mild fine or a token punishment.
He is eager to reach Paris as it is abig city. He cannot be easily traced by the police in such a big city and would be able to lead a new life.

(g) Love and human sympathy are great healers. The large-heartedness of the Bishop saved the convict from going to ‘hell’ again. The Bishop told the police that those candlesticks were given by him as a gift. It left a deep impression on the convict. The wild beast was a man again. He was a reformed and transformed man now. Therefore, he asked the Bishop to bless him before leaving him.

Question 7.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct options.

(A) Monseigneur, the Bishop is a… a hem!

(a) Why does Persome not complete the sentence?

• (i) She used to stammer while speaking.
• (ii) She was about to praise the Bishop.
• (iii) She did not wish to criticise the Bishop in front of Marie.
• (iv) She had a habit of passing such remarks.

Answer:
(iii) She did not wish to criticise the Bishop in front of Marie.

(b) Why is she angry with the Bishop?

• (i) The Bishop has sold her salt cellars.
• (ii) The Bishop has gone to visit Mere Gringoire.
• (iii) He showed extra concern for Marie.
• (iv) She disliked the Bishop.

Answer:
(i) The Bishop has sold her salt cellars.

(B) She sent little Jean to Monseigneur to ask for help.

(a) Who sent little Jean to the Bishop?

• (i) Mere Gringoire
• (ii) Marie
• (iii) Persome
• (iv) Marie’s mother

Answer:
(i) Mere Gringoire

 

(b) Why did she send Jean to the Bishop?

• (i) so that he could pray for her.
• (ii) as she knew that he was a generous person
• (iii) as she was a greedy woman
• (iv) as she was a poor woman

Answer:
(ii) as she knew that he was a generous person

(C) I offered to take her in here for a day or two, but she seemed to think it might distress you.

(a) The Bishop wanted to take Mere Gringoire in because .

• (i) she was sick.
• (ii) she had no money.
• (iii) she was unable to pay the rent of her house.
• (iv) she was a close friend of Persome.

Answer:
(iii) she was unable to pay the rent of her house.

(b) Persome would be distressed on Mere Gringoire’s being taken in because .

• (i) she did not want to help anyone.
• (ii) she felt that Mere Gringoire was taking undue advantage of the Bishop.
• (iii) she was a self-centred person.
• (iv) she would be put to a great deal of inconvenience.

Answer:
(ii) she felt that Mere Gringoire was taking undue advantage of the Bishop.

Question 8.
The term irony refers to a discrepancy, or disagreement, of some sort. The discrepancy can be between what someone says and what he or she really means or verbal irony. The discrepancy can be between a situation thq| one would logically anticipate or that would seem appropriate and the situation that actually develops or situational irony. The discrepancy can even be between the facts known to a character and the facts known to us, the readers or audience or dramatic irony. Working in groups of four complete the following table. Find instances of irony from the play and justify them.

Extract	Justification
I believe you want to convert me; save my soul, don’t you call it? Well, it’s no good………. see? I don’t want any damned religion. ? ________________________________ ?_________________________________	Later, the convict says, “its a queer thing to ask, but-could you, would you bless me before I go.” ?______________________________ ?______________________________
? Why the devil do you leave the window unshuttered and the door unbarred so that anyone can come in? ’ ?__________________________________ ?__________________________________	If the door had been barred the convict couldn’t have entered the house. ______________________________ ?______________________________
? My mother gave them to me on………………………. on her death bed just after you were bom, and…………….. and she asked me to keep them in remembrance of her, so I would like to keep them. ? _______________________________ ? _______________________________	Later he hands the convict the candlesticks and tells him to start a new life. ? _________________________ ? __________________________

Answer:

Extract	Justification
I believe you want to convert me; save my soul, don’t you call it? Well, it’s no good………. see? I don’t want any damned religion. ? Stay, my son, you have forgotten your property. ?    I was sentenced to ten years in the prison hulks, ten years in HelL	Later, the convict says, “it’s a queer thing to ask, but-could you, would you bless me before I go. ” ? The situation becomes ironical because earlier Bishop teUs Persome, “I don’t want to sdl them.” ? It is ironical that the prison which should reform a person has turned into hell for him.
? Why the devil do you leave the window unshuttered and the door unbarred so that anyone can come in? ’ ?  They feed you inhelL When you escape from it you starve. ? They caught me. I pleaded to them. I told them why I stole, but they laughed at me.	If the door had been barred the convict couldn’t have entered the house. ? It is quite ironical that one is fed in hell but starves when comes out of it? It is quite sad that the police can be an instrument of repression and blind to human misery.
? My mother gave them to me on on her death bed just after you were bom, and…………. and she asked me to keep them in remembrance of her, so I would like to keep them. ’ ? this gentleman is my very good friend. ? You are like a child.	Later he hands the convict the candlesticks and tells him to start a new life. ?  It is ironical that the Bishop calls the convict a friend who steals his candlesticks. ? It is ironical that child-like innocence of the Bishop saves the convict

Question 9.
Identify the situations which can be termed as the turning points in the convict’s life.

Answer:

1. The most important situation in the life of the convict was the bad phase of his life. It was a bad year. He was out of job and had no money. His wife was ill and dying. He had to steal to buy food for her and was arrested. He was sentenced to imprisonment for ten years. It was the turning point in his life.
2. The convict was badly treated in the jail. He was chained up like a wild animal. He was lashed like a hound. He was fed on filth and was covered with vermin. He had to remain in such a harsh condition for ten years. Finally, he managed to escape. But alas! he was not a man but just like a wild beast. The ill-treatment of the jail employees proved a turning point in the convict’s life.
3. His meeting with the Bishop and the hospitality he received at his (Bishop’s) cottage, softened him a little but still he stole his candlesticks.
4. The Bishop saved the convict by telling the police that the silver candlesticks were given to the convict by him as a gift. It was the point which transformed him and he became a “man” again. Finally, he was blessed by the Bishop.

Question 10.
The convict is the product of the society he lived in, both in terms of the suffering that led him to steal a loaf of bread, as well as the excessive sentence he received as punishment for his “crime”. He was imprisoned for stealing money to buy food for his sick wife, this filled with despair, hopelessness, bitterness and anger at the injustice of it all.
Conduct a debate in the class (in groups) on the following topic. Instruction for conducting a debate (and the use of appropriate language) are given in the unit ‘Children’ of the Main Course Book.
‘Criminals are wicked and deserve punishment ’

Answer:
Respected President and Dear Friends!
They say hate the sin and not the sinner. How did the convict in the story become a “convict”? He was a man like us once. He had a wife. Then suddenly, things changed for the worse. He was out of job. His wife fell ill. She was starving and dying. He stole for food, caught and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Sir, do we think the punishment he received justified his crime? He was not a seasoned criminal. He had no previous record of stealing. A poor man out of job and his wife ill and dying. What would he do? Let me ask it the other way round: What will we do in these circumstances?

The laws are to punish the guilty and not to punish the victims of circumstances, disease and poverty. The prisons are to reform the criminals. Sir, certainly, they are not the slaughter houses. They can’t be turned into little ‘hells’ where prisoners are fed on filth and tortured. I personally feel, and all of you will agree with me, that such a cruel punishment for such a petty offence only makes a person a hard-hearted criminal like the convict.

Question 11.
The convict goes to Paris, sells the silver candlesticks and starts a business. The business prospers and he starts a reformatory for ex-convicts. He writes a letter to the Bishop telling him of this reformatory and seeks his blessings.
As the convict, Jean Valjean, write the letter to the Bishop:

Answer:
Jean Valjean Reformatory
Paris
20th March, 20XX
Venerable Father,
Faith can move mountains. You blessed me and I got a new life. I became a ‘man’ again. I went to Paris to start a new life. I sold the silver candlesticks and got a good amount to start life afresh. I invested the money in business and it made me a prosperous man. With the money earned, I started a reformatory for ex-convicts. They say hate the sin but never the sinner. Everyone is gifted with a human heart. Feelings of compassion, pity and sympathy are never dead in man. They irihy hibernate for a period of time. But someone like you can rekindle them. Even the hardest of criminal can be transformed into a ‘man’ again. The reformatory’s main focus is to arouse human kindness, sympathy and compassion for our fellow beings. We make them earn money through various handicrafts and cottage trades. Every evening all of them gather for prayers and moral lessons. Fortunately, there has been no major hurdles in our campaign so far. We have decided to invite you on the annual function of the reformatory. I hope you will oblige all of us by your noble presence and bless us to achieve our aim.
Yours sincerely
JeanValejean

Question 12.
The play is based on an incident in novelist Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables.’ You may want to read the novel to get a better idea of the socio-economic conditions of the times and how people lived. Another novel that may interest you is Charles Dickens’ ‘A Tale of Two Cities. ’
Divide yourselves into two groups in the class and read a book each. Later you may want to share your views of the book each group selected. Select an incidentfrom the novel to dramatise and present before the class.

Answer:
A Classroom Activity.