Chapter 2
A Chameleon
Anton Chekhov
A. Short Answers Type Questions
Question 1. Where was the police Superintendent otchumyelov walking ? What was he carrying under his arm ?
Answer :- He was walking across the market square and carrying a parcel under his arm.
Question 2. Who was walking after him ?
Answer :- Yeldrin, a red haired policeman was walking after him.
Question 3. What was the red haired policeman was carrying in his hands ?
Answer :- The Red haired policeman was carrying a sieve full of gooseberries in his hands.
Question 4. Who was chasing the dog ?
Answer :- Hryukin, the goldsmith was chasing the dog.
Question 5. Why was Hryukin chasing the dog ?
Answer :- Hryukin was chasing the dog because it had bitten his finger.
Question 6. What was Hryukin wearing ?
Answer :- Hryukin was wearing a starched cotton shirt with waist coat unbuttoned.
Question 7. What did Hryukin display to the crowd ?
Answer :- Hryukin displayed a bleeding finger to the crowd.
Question 8. How was Hryukin’s bleeding finger a flag of victory ?
Answer :- Because at this point the law was on his side. A story dog was not allowed to move freely.
Question 9. Why did Hryukin think that he must have damages ?
Answer :- Hryukin thought that he must be compensated because of his bitten finger by a dog. He will have to stay away from work for a week.
Question 10. What was otchumyelov’s first reaction on Hryukin’s complaint ?
Answer :- His first reaction was that he will teach a lesson those who let their dogs go all over.
Question 11. Why did he later refuse to take any action against the owner of the dog ?
Answer :- He refused to take any action because the owner of the dog was a general.
Question 12. What was police superintendent’s opinion about the biting of the dog when he come to know that it was the general’s dog ?
Answer :- He was of the option that the little dog could not have bitten such a huge man.
Question 13. Why did the Policeman tell the superintendent about the General’s dog ?
Answer :- The Policeman told the superintendent that it was not General’s dog. He had high breed dogs.
Question 14. Who was Prohor ?
Answer :- Prohor was the cook of the general.
Question 15. What information that it was the dog ?
Answer :- Prohor gave the information that it was the dog of the General’s brother.
Question 16. Why did the crowd laugh at Hryukin at the end of the story ?
Answer :- The Crowd laughed at Hryukin’s failure to get compensation for his bleeding finger.
B. Long Answers Type Questions
Question 1. Give a brief character sketch of otchumyelov.
Answer :- Otchumyelov is the police superintendent in a Russian town. when the story begins he is walking across the market square. He is wearing a new overcoat. Hryukin a goldsmith by profession is bothering him. He says that he has been bitten by dog with no reason. He wants to compensates for the injury caused to his finger by the dog. otchumyelov pases to be strict. As he hears the goldsmith’s complaint the threatens to teach a lesson to those people who leave their dogs run over all the place. otchumyelov is a chameleon. He changes his stands every now and then. when he comes to know that the dog, belongs to General’s zhigalov he feels nervous. He beings to threat Hryukin. when it is confirmed that the dog belongs to General’s brother, he begins to admire the dog. He send the dog to its master. The superintendent of the case produces fun. His use of his overcoat to cover his nervousness make us laugh.
Question 2. Give a brief character sketch of Hryukin.
Answer :- Hryukin is a goldsmith by profession. He wants to make easy money. He complaint to the superintendent of the police that a dog bit him without reason. He claims to get compensation. The superintendent of police listens to him carefully and begins to think over his claim. People in the crowd say hryukin is a liar. The dog did not bit him. It is he who tried to burn the dog’s face with a cigarate. The dog took revenge by biting his finger. The superintendent tried to help him. But when he comes to know that the owner of the dog is general he changed his thoughts. He questions takes hryukin how a heavy and tall man like him could be bitten by a small dog. The general’s cook takes the dog away because the dog belong to the General’s brother. The crowd of people laugh at him because he is deprived of the compensations.
Question 3. Why did otchumyelov’s statement keep on changing regarding hryukin’s complaint ?
Answer :- Otchumyelov’s was like a chameleon. He had a wavering mind. Hryukin made a complaint that he was bitten by a dog. He wanted compensations because he had to stay away from his work. The superintendent of police heard his complaint very attentively. He threatened to teach a lesson to those people who allowed that dogs to run all over the place. He felt that such dogs should be strangled. He wanted to find out the name of the owner. when otchumyelov come to know that the dog belonged to General zhigalov he changed his thoughts. he questioned hryukin how a heavy and tall man could be beaten by a small dog. Then the General’s cook come on the scene. He said that the dog belonged to the General’s brother. This again make him nervous. He had no definite views. He started to praise the little dog. Thus we see he changed his thoughts according to the situation.
Question 4. Othchumyelov took off or put on his coat with every new statement. what does this know ?
Answer :- Othchumyelov takes off and put on his coat according to the turn of events. when hryukin tells him that a street dog has bittin him, othchumyelovtells him that he will take a stern action against the owner of the dog. He will teach him a lesson. when he comes to know that the dog belongs to General zhigalov, he becomes nervous. He asked policeman to help him off with his coat. He fells frightfully hot and says that it must be sign of rain. He scalds hryukin for harassing the dog. when it becomes clear that it was General’s brother dog, he tells policeman to help him on with his overcoat. He aim is to win the good opinion of the General. Atleast he wraps himself in his coat and goes away.
Question 5. Justify the Tittle of the story ‘A Chameleon’.
Answer :- The Tittle of the story “A Chameleon” is quite apt and suggestive. A chameleon is a type of reptile that can changes its colour according to its surroundings. A chameleon is also a person who changes his behaviour according to the situation. The police superintendent otchumyelov is like a chameleon. After listening to the complaint of hryukin that a story dog has bitten his finger, he assures him that he would take action against the owner of the dog. He orders the policeman to draw a report. He says that the dog must be strangled. But later on when he comes to know that the dog belongs to General Zhigalov all his fury coals down. He changes like a weather coal. He asks hryukin how a small white puppy can bite the finger of a bully fellow. He himself has scralect his finger with a nail to get the compensation. when General’s cook says that it is the dog of the brother of the General, otchumyelov cools down his hot temper. He ask him to take the nice dog to its owner. In short, the title of the story is fully appropriate as otchumyelov behaves like a chameleon.
