🌈 Going Places – Class 12 English (Flamingo)

📖 About the Author

• A. R. Barton – British author, known for writing short stories with humour and psychological insight.
• Focuses on human nature, ambition, and everyday ironies.
• Often writes about youth, aspirations, and moral dilemmas.

📜 Summary of Going Places

(Point-wise, colourful notes for clarity)

1️⃣ Introduction to the Family

• The story is narrated by Derry, a young boy.
• His father is kind but not strict, his mother is practical and cautious.
• Derry and his brother Robert have normal lives but feel bored and restricted.

2️⃣ Derry’s Ambition

• Derry dreams of escaping ordinary life and seeking excitement.
• He often imagines himself as superior to others.
• He is fascinated by money, status, and sophistication.

3️⃣ The Adventure Begins

• Derry discovers that his father has left a loan repayment form uncollected.
• Derry sees this as an opportunity to act independently and assert himself.
• He convinces his mother to let him go to the bank alone, claiming he can manage.

4️⃣ The Illusion of Independence

• At the bank, Derry pretends to be more competent than he is.
• He acts sophisticated, trying to impress the staff and appear “grown-up.”
• This reflects youthful arrogance and desire to escape parental supervision.

5️⃣ The Twist / Reality Check

• Derry’s self-confidence leads him to make mistakes at the bank.
• He realises that adult life is complicated and not as glamorous as imagined.
• The story ends with humour and irony, showing that ambition and imagination often meet reality unexpectedly.

🎭 Character Sketches

🧑 Derry (Narrator)

• Ambitious, imaginative, and overconfident.
• Dreams of sophistication and independence.
• Represents typical youth who overestimates their own abilities.

👨 Father

• Kind, trusting, and somewhat naive.
• Leaves tasks to children, unintentionally setting the stage for Derry’s adventure.

👩 Mother

• Practical, cautious, and concerned about safety.
• Her guidance contrasts with Derry’s overconfidence.

👦 Robert (Brother)

• Younger brother, more realistic.
• Observes Derry’s actions and sometimes serves as a silent conscience.

🌟 Themes

1. Ambition vs Reality – Youthful dreams often clash with the complexities of adult life.
2. Independence and Responsibility – Derry learns that independence comes with accountability.
3. Humour and Irony – The story uses comedy to show the gap between perception and reality.
4. Family and Guidance – Parents’ role in shaping children’s decisions is highlighted.
5. Human Nature – Overconfidence, imagination, and the desire to impress are central.

✨ Important Lines & Explanation

1. “I imagined myself grown-up, sophisticated, independent.”
   👉 Shows Derry’s youthful arrogance and desire to escape ordinary life.
2. “Bank staff looked at me strangely, but I maintained my poise.”
   👉 Humorous exaggeration – highlights Derry’s attempt to appear confident despite inner fear.
3. “I realised adult life was not as easy as I thought.”
   👉 Moral of the story – imagination vs reality.

📚 NCERT Questions & Answers

🔹 Short Answer (30–40 words)

Q1. What motivates Derry to go to the bank alone?
👉 Derry wants to prove his independence and act grown-up. He is motivated by curiosity, desire for status, and ambition to show he can handle adult responsibilities.

Q2. How does Derry pretend to be sophisticated?
👉 At the bank, Derry uses formal language, confident gestures, and careful posture to appear mature. He tries to impress the staff, masking his inexperience and nervousness.

Q3. What is ironic about Derry’s adventure?
👉 Derry believes he is competent, but his mistakes at the bank reveal his inexperience. The irony lies in the contrast between his imagination of sophistication and the reality of adult life.

🔹 Long Answer (120–150 words)

Q. Discuss the theme of ambition and independence in “Going Places”.
👉 Derry is ambitious and dreams of independence, attempting to handle adult responsibilities at the bank. His imagination fuels confidence, making him act overconfident and sophisticated. However, reality exposes his lack of experience, showing that independence requires more than imagination—it demands responsibility, prudence, and skill. The story humorously portrays the gap between youthful ambition and practical reality. Parents’ cautious guidance, though ignored initially, proves essential. Through irony and satire, Barton reflects on human nature: the desire to impress, youthful overconfidence, and the journey of learning through mistakes.

🎨 Figures of Speech

• Irony → Derry’s imagined competence vs actual mistakes.
• Humour → Exaggeration of Derry’s sophisticated behaviour.
• Imagery → Description of bank, Derry’s gestures, and nervous thoughts.
• Hyperbole → Overstating importance of small actions.

📝 Extra Questions for Practice

1. How does Derry’s imagination shape his behaviour?
2. What role does family play in Derry’s decisions?
3. How does the story depict the contrast between youth and adulthood?
4. Write a character sketch of Derry.
5. Discuss the ending and its humorous tone.

🌸 Conclusion

“Going Places” is a humorous, relatable story about youth, ambition, and the clash between imagination and reality. Through Derry’s adventure, Barton shows how overconfidence and desire for independence can lead to comic situations. The story highlights family influence, human nature, and the irony of growing up, making it both entertaining and insightful for readers.