The Story of Keesh
by Jack London
COMPREHENSION
1. Answer the following questions.
a. How is the story of Keesh remembered from one generation to the next?
= Keesh lived long ago on the rim of the polar sea. he was the headman of his village through many prosperous years and died full of honours with his name on the lips of men. He lived so long ago that only the old men remembered his name and his tale. They got it from the old men before them, and which the old men to come will tell their children and their children's children down to the end of time.
b. What does the author mean (paragraph 2) by 'he had seen thirteen suns'? Why only thirteen?
= The author means (paragraph 2) by 'he had seen thirteen suns' that Keesh is thirteen years old.
He had seen only thirteen suns as the polar region has long days for six months and prolonged nights for six months of the years. One can see the new rising sun for only one time in a year.
c. Who was Bok, and how did he die?
= Bok was the father of Keesh.
The father of Keesh had been a very brave man. But he had met his death in a time of famine, when he sought to save the lives of his people by taking the life of a great polar bear. In his eagerness he came to close grapples with the bear, and his bones were crushed. But the bear had much meat on him and the people were saved.
d. What complaint did Keesh make at the council?
= Keesh complained that he and his mother as well as the people of the tribe were not getting plenty of meat. The division of the meats hunting should be fair.
e. How did the men react to Keesh's statements in the council meeting?
= The men in the council meeting got angry upon Keesh. They ordered him to bed and threatened that he should have no meat at all.
f. What did Keesh resolve to do? Why?
= Keesh resolved that he shall go and hunt. And the division of that which he kills shall be fair. And no widow or weak one in the tribe shall cry in the night.
g. What had Keesh been doing to make him sleep for twenty hours?
= Keesh hunted a she-beer and two half-grown cubs. And he passed into his igloo and ate profoundly, and after that slept for twenty running hours.
h. Who was sent to follow Keesh and why?
= Bim and Bawn, two young men and of hunters the craftiest, were sent to follow Keesh to know how he hunted.
i. In what way did Ugh-Gluk tax Keesh?
= Ugh-Gluk taxed him with witchcraft to his face.
j. What was Keesh's 'headcraft'?
= Keesh's 'headcraft' was his technique of hunting.
These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.
k. How does the author make the story sound as if it is being spoken rather than written? What techniques does he use?
= 'The Story of Keesh' was written in 1902. London has written the story as if it is being spoken, or passed down from one generation to the next, in the oral tradition of folk tales. He has described the story in third person narrative.
At first, the author has told us about the legend of Keesh and aroused inquisitiveness in the readers' mind. As we read further, we come to know the story of Keesh's father Bok. He was a brave man. The author has used small dialogues to make the story more interesting.
The author has drawn the parallel picture of the nature of the polar region and the life the tribe who live their.
l. What impression do you get of the life of the people in this polar region? Is it a hard life? In which ways is it hard?
= The people in this polar region live in clans. They have a headman who leads the clan. They have some hunting man who go for hunting and provide meat for the clan. They usually make it sure that the last old woman and the last old man receives fair share of meat every time. The hunters some times get killed by the polar bears.
Yes, the life of the people of the polar region is hard.
They have the sun for six months and night for another six moths of the year. Most of the people have to depend on others for their food. They can not get out to hunt due to the adverse weather and geographical feature of the place. They have to abide by the rules of the headman.
m. Describe Keesh's hunting method. What other methods of hunting are there and how are they different to Keesh's method?
= Keesh takes a small chunk of blubber and makes it hollow. Then he puts the sharp pointed whalebone into the hollow. Next he fits another piece of blubber on it and coils it tightly. Then he puts it out side to let it freeze into a little round ball. He drops the little round balls on the ice as the bear runs after him. The bear swallows the little round balls; the blubber melts; the whalebone with its sharp ends stand out straight; the bear gets sick; and when the bear is very sick; he kills it with a spear.
There were other methods of hunting with bone-barbed arrows, and hunting spear. There is risk of getting attacked by the animal being hunted. It can get hold of the hunter if goes too close and crush his bones.
2. Choose the best answer.
a. "... and the air is filled with flying white ..." This refers to
i. the clouds in the sky. [ ]
ii. snow in the wind. [✓]
iii. birds. [ ]
b. Keesh decided to go hunting in order to
i. show his bravery. [ ]
ii. prove the elders wrong. [ ]
iii. feed himself and his mother and ensure all got meat. [✓]
c. The meats by which Keesh killed animals was by
i. witchcraft. [ ]
ii. blubber. [ ]
iii. headcraft. [✓]
d. Keesh sent a reply to the council to say his igloo was large and comfortable in order to
i. make them come to him (and thereby show his power). [ ]
ii. show them his igloo was well-built and spacious. [ ]
iii. let them know he was too tired to attend the meeting elsewhere. [✓]
About the Author:
Jack London (John Griffith Chaney, 1876-1916) was an American author, journalist and social activist, who was born and brought up in and around San Francisco. He is the author of much fiction including two very widely read and exciting books called White Fang and The Call of the Wild. London wrote over 20 novels and dozens of short stories, which he published in magazines. 'The Story of Keesh' (which has been adapted here) was written in 1902. London has written the story as if it is being spoken, or passed down from one generation to the next, in the oral tradition of folk tales.