1.What was special about the day? What was the girl doing?
~ The
story unfolds, in a cold new year eve. The weather was terribly cold in the
evening, with the snowfall and the freezing cold winds.
The
poor little girl was walking barefoot and hungry through the streets, trying to
sell the matches in the new year eve.
2.Why was she carrying match sticks with her?
~ The
poor little girl carried the bundle of matches with her in her pocket and a
bundle in her hand. She was carrying match sticks with her to sell and earn
money in the new year eve. She was afraid if she didn’t earn any money her
father shall be mad at her.
3.Describe the condition of the girl.
~ The
little girl was bareheaded and barefooted, walking down in the freezing cold as
she was supposed to sell matches in the street. She had no slippers of her own,
she was wearing her mother’s one which was too large for her. Her feets turned
red and blue.
4.Why couldn’t she go home?
~ The
poor little girl was trying to sell matches in the cold eve. Although she was
getting colder, she couldn’t dare to go home as she couldn’t manage to sell any
of the matches. She was afraid that her father would be mad and beat her.
Besides her house was not much warmer than the streets, the roof leaked letting
the cold wind inside.
5.Describe the condition and the ambience of her home.
~Although
the poor little girl was getting colder, she couldn’t dare to go home as she
was afraid of her father, and besides, it was cold at home, for they had
nothing over them but a roof, which was leaked. The roof allowed the wind
whistled even though the biggest cracks had been stuffed with straw and rags.
6.Where did she take shelter in that cold?
~ The
poor little girl was trying to sell matches in the cold evening. Although she
was getting cold she couldn’t go home. So in order to escape the freezing cold,
she huddled in a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the
other. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the
cold and lighted the matches.
7.What thoughts came into her mind while lighting the first
matchstick?
~ The
little girl to escape the freezing cold she huddled in a corner, between two
houses. Out of cold when she lit the first match, she had a vision of a large
iron stove and felt its warmth and safety which she longed for. It reminded her
of the love and affection which she got from her dead grandmother.
8.What happened when the second matchstick was lighted?
~
After the first matches got burnt she went for the second one. When the girl
lit the second matchstick she saw right into the room a cloth covered in the
table with a roast goose stuffed with apple and dried plums, which hopped down
from the dish and came up to her, seeing the goose.
9.Describe the relationship between the girl and her father.
~ Her
father was not concerned about her heath and used to ill-treat her. It was new
year eve, in such a terrible cold and snowy weather the girl was sent by her
father to sell matches to the street. The girl was unable to sell matches and
was afraid of going home because of the fear that her father will beat her
being mad at her. She was moving hungry, barefooted.
10.Why was the slipper that the girl wore was of no use?
~ The
little poor had no slippers of her own. She was wearing her mothers one which
was of no use to her as they were too big for her tiny feet. She could not
manage to keep them strapped on her feet when she ran across the street so as
to escape from two carriages that were being driven terribly fast. While she
was running they slipped off from her feet and she lost it.
11.Describe the Christmas tree.
~ The
girl was sitting in between two houses to escape from the cold but she was in a
hallucination that she was sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree. It
was much larger and much more beautiful than the one she had seen last Christmas
through the glass door at the rich merchant’s home. Thousands of candles burned
on the green branches, and coloured pictures like those in the printshops looked
down at her.
12.What was the significance of the line ‘someone is dying’?
~
While she lit the matches she whispered Someone is dying looking at the sky as
her dead grandmother had told her that a shooting star was the soul of a human
being travelling to God. In her life, her grandmother was the only person who
had ever loved or been kind to her. So she loved her and missed her a lot, she
remembered her words. She had heard from her grandmother that a falling star
signifies death.
13.What happened when she lighted another match? What did she say
to her grandmother?
~
After the second one she lit another match remembering her grandmother and this
time, she saw the lights as stars rising higher and higher in heaven. One star
fell down, and so, she remembered her grandmother. She had heard from her
grandmother that a falling star signifies death. When one star falls from the
sky, a soul travels to God becoming a star.
14.Why did she light the bundle of matches in a hurry?
~ When the little girl lit the match stick for
the third time she saw her old grandmother. She had heard from her grandmother
that a falling star signifies death, when one star falls from the sky, a soul
travels to God becoming a star. She was delighted to see her and said to her to
take her along. She did not want her to vanish. As the rest of her visions had
vanished so she lit up the entire bundle of matches to keep her grandmother
invisibility.
15. What happened to the girl at last?
~ She
had heard from her grandmother that when one star falls from the sky, a soul
travels to God becoming a star. To keep her grandmother invisibility she used
all the matches. After using up all the matches the little girl dies in the
night from cold. As mentioned her grandmother’s spirit finds her and takes her
to heaven and she was happy there.
16. How can we say that little girl belonged to a poor family?
~ The
girl belonged to a poor family. She had no slippers of her own, she was wearing
her mothers one which was too large for her. She was sent out in such a cold
eve to sell matches. She was shivering and was hungry still couldn’t dare to go
back home as she was unable to sell even a single match. Her house roof was
leaked, which allowed the cold wind inside.
17.How does the story give a didactic lesson?
~ The
story shows the ignorance of the people about poverty. It teaches us to be
sympathetic towards people who are poor. The poor looking girl in the story was
almost run over twice by recklessly driven carriages in the New Year Eve. Every
household was feasting with delicious roasted geese whereas she was moving
hungrily barefooted. None was kind to offer the little girl food, warm clothes,
shelter or buy her matches. The poor little girl was moving on the street shivering
out of cold and hungry. It teaches us not to be so cruel and to help others as
much as possible.
18.Is the title of the story appropriate?
~ Yes,
the title of the story is appropriate.
The complete story focuses on the life and
suffering of the little girl and her matches. She was a poor girl. She was
starving and shivering out of cold still didn’t fare to go back home. She
lighted the candles to avoid cold and by lighting those matches the little girl
found the happiness in the happy visions that she had, the vision of her dead
and loving grandmother.
19.How can you say that the girl was in a hallucination?
~ The
little girl was in a complete hallucination. Her hallucination reflects the
need and desire of a poor, hungry child. She saw delicious foods on a table
which shows how hungry she was. Taking shelter in between two houses she
imagined to be under a large and beautiful Christmas tree. When the little girl
lit the match stick for the third time she saw her old grandmother. To keep her
in visualization she lighted all the matches she had and died out of the cold.
20. Discuss the theme: Prejudice and cruelty.
~ The
story ‘The little match girl’ shows the ignorance of the people about those in
poverty. While the little girl is starving and freezing to death on the street
the other residents of the town were enjoying a huge feast. She was moving
barefooted, hungry, shivering out of cold, many noticed and ignored. The
residents were so cruel that one was kind to offer the little girl food, warm
clothes, shelter or buy her matches. She had to face death due to their
ignorance.
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