The Earth By HE Bates
The Earth : HE Bates was born at Northampton in central England.
Bates was well acquainted with the English countryside, especially the peasants who lived there.
He was a well-known short story writer.
He worked for some time as a journalist.
His first novel was published when he was only 21 years old.
He wrote many short stories about airmen and their adventures based on his experiences in the Royal Air Force. The Earth
His important works include Fair stood the wind for France (1944), The Purple plain (1974), The Jacaranda Tree (1949) , The Scarlet Sword (1951) and The darling buds of may (1958).
The present short story The earth set in the English countryside, is about a farmer Johnson and his son Benjy who Appears to be a simple minded person.
The story very well depicts the laziness of the parents and the growing selfishness and cunningness of their simple minded son who finally drives them away from their home.
Explanation In English The Earth By HE Bates
Johnson was tenant farmer. He had a 4 acre plot on which he grew vegetables, etc. He had a plough, a two wheel cart, a mare and tools. Of these, land was most important because without land all other things were of no use. He was not a hardworking man.
His land yielded very little. But Johnson believed that god. Who has created the land, will also take care of it. He hoped that someday the land will get over its infertility. He had been a local preacher and liked talking to village people in small chapels and loved talking to people everywhere.
Benjy
Johnson had a son, named Benjy He had large limbs. His face was covered with thick fair hair. He had blue eyes and there was an innocent smile on his face. But he was not insane or imbecile. He went to school, and learned reading, writing and counting like other children.
But Johnson believed that Benjy was simple minded. He was not like other boys. So he took Benjy something to do. That would keep him busy and would help to develop his mind.
Benjy keeps hens
Benjy’s father built a wire coop in a corner of his farm. He gave him a few hens. As soon as Benjy came back from school he would go to his hens. He fed them with crumbs and seeded cabbages and corn. He understood that hens lay eggs which could be sold to callers at the back of his house.
Money is saved
The money that his parents got from selling eggs was put into a basin. His parents told him that when there was enough money, they would it in the bank, and bank would pay interest, He would got all the money when he was twenty-one. They asked him if he understood that. He nodded that he did.
Benjy Expands business
Benjy left school when he was fourteen years old. At that time he had about fifty hens and as many laying pullets producing about 200 eggs a week. Now he began to take eggs to the town to sell. The money went to the bank.
In the meantime he read in a paper that it was better to segregate breeds of hens. He also learned that hens needed air and exercise and clean places to sleep. He built more coops and segregate breeds of hens. His father gave him a strip of the farm to build more coops. He went on expanding his business.
Benjy is given the Passbook
Now Benjy was twenty one. His parents held a simple function, and his father made a speech. Then he gave the passbook of the bank to Benjy.
Benjy opened the passbook and looked at the amount. It was two hundred and thirty pounds. Benjy put the passbook in his pocket without a word. His parents were pained and disappointed.
They hoped that he would thank them and show his willingness to share the money they had helped to save. But they forgave him because they thought he was simple minded and did not understand these things.
Benjy buys land
Benjy told his parents that he would buy land, their neighbour was going to sell his land. He bought that land and built more and more hen houses on it. Now he was a man of property.
Benjy buys his father’s farm
Benjy’s father had been a tenant farmer for forty years. The land belonged to sanders who told him that he could either buy the land or vacate it. Johnson had no money. So he thought of vacating the land.
But Sanders told them that Benjy was going to buy the land. It was a happy and surprising news. They asked Benjy what he was going to do with the land. His simple and straight answer was that he would put up more incubator houses on it.
He had no plan for his parents. They were once again pained and disappointed. But they again forgave him because he was a simple minded man.
Now he was forty. He had the largest poultry farm on this side of the town. He had grown fat too. Now he looked a cunning person.
Benjy Marries Florence
Now Benjy had a number of employees to help him. One of them was a young girl named Florence. She cleaned the chicken house. She was ugly with thick short legs and lips that never shut up. He decided to marry her because she could help him with his hens.
Relations between Florence and Benjy’s mother
Benjy’s parents decided to live in lodgings in the town. Now Benjy was wealthy and owned a Ford van. He drove his parents to the town. They sat silently, stupefied with grief.
Benjy did not show any emotions. When they reached the place, his parents got down. He told his parents that they would better by themselves in lodgings. Then he drove away the van.
Now the parents were alone. They had nothing. Their land and their possessions were gone.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS The Earth By HE Bates
1. Who is a tenant farmer ?
Ans : A tenant farmer is a farmer who rents a farm for a certain period .
2. What did the doctor advice Benjy’s parents to ensure his mental growth ?
Ans :The doctor advised his parents to give him something to do to some occupation which would help his development .
3. What did Benjy understand about hen ?
Ans : Benjy understood that a hen existed for the purpose of laying eggs .
4. What did Benjy understand about the business of hens ?
Ans : Benjy understood about the business of hens that their eggs could be sold to callers and money could be kept in a basin .
5. What silent belief did Benjy’s parents cherish about their land ?
Ans : Benjy’s parents cherished a silent belief that their land would one day outgrow its poverty by itself .
6. Why had their land not yield much ?
Ans :Their land had not yield much because they did not work hard. They had put more value on faith than hard work .
7. How did Benjy’s parents feel when he silently put the passbook in his pocket ?
Ans : Benjy’s parents felt very bad when he silently put the passbook in his pocket . They expected Benjy to thank them for the gift .
8. What did Benjy want to do with the money ?
Ans : He wanted to buy a piece of land with the money.
9. Who had Johnsons rented their land from ?
Ans : Johnsons had rented their land from Sanders.
10. What information did Sanders give them that made them happy?
Ans :Sanders told them that their son Benjy was buying their land.
11. Who was Florence ?
Ans : Florence was the employee of Benjy to whom he married.
12. Why did Benjy want to marry Florence ?
Ans : He wanted to marry Florence because he hoped that she would help him with the hens.
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS MCQs The Earth By HE Bates
1. Benjy was the son of …….
(A) John (B) Johnson
(C) George (D) Charles
2. Benjy left school at the age of…….
(A) twelve (B) thirteen
(C)fourteen (D) fifteen
3. Johnson was a poor…….
(A) teacher (B) doctor
(C) carpenter (D) farmer
4. Johnson was in the possession of ………land.
(A) four acre (B) two acre
(C) five acre (D) six acre
5. Benjy’s parents gave him a passbook when he was ………years old.
(A) 21 (B) 22
(C)20 (D) 23
6. For many years Benjy’s father had been a local….. …
(A) teacher (B) farmer
(C) preacher (D) doctor
7. ……..is about a farmer Johnson and his son Benjy.
(A) The Earth (B) A Child is Born
(C) The Artist (D) A Pinch of Snuff
8. The Earth is written by….
(A) Pearl S Buck (B) HE Bates
(C) Dr. Zakir Hussain (D) Mahatma Gandhi
9. Benjy parents did not like……..
(A) Mary (B) Florence
(C) Rekha (D) Shikha
10. Benjy’s parents are known as the…….
(A) Jhonsons (B) Jacksons
(C) Smiths (D)Leo Horns
11. …….was the real owner of the land.
(A) Sanders (B) Landers
(C) Randers (D) Manders
12. All that the Johnsons had was the…..
(A) earth (B) house
(C) hotel (D) shop
13. Who was not right in his head ?
(A) Johnson (B) Benjy
(C) Florence (D) Sanders
14. How many hens were at first kept by Benjy?
(A) ten (B) twenty
(C) thirty (D) forty
15. ……….had in his possession a plough, a cart, tools and a bony brown mare.
(A) Ralson (B) Simpson
(C) Johnson (D) Ajeet
Also Read :- The Artist Summary | Question Answer | Class 12 English