Tom Comes Home
by Mary Ann Evans
Making connections
Quick answers
1. Answer the following questions in not more than one sentence.
a. From where does Tom return?
= Tom returns from school for the holidays.
b. What does he get for Maggie?
= He gets one fish-line for Maggie.
c. What had Maggie forgotten while Tom was away?
= Maggie had forgotten to feed the rabbits of Tom while he was away.
d. Where does Maggie go after she tells Tom the truth about her mistake?
= Maggie goes to the attic after she tells Tom the truth about her mistake.
e. What does Tom take for Maggie when he goes upstairs to call her?
= Tom takes a bit of cake for Maggie when he goes upstairs to call her.
f. What does Tom wish for?
= Tom wishes that it would be wonderful if they only got bigger and still went to school, and it would always be like the holidays.
Reference to context
2. "But Tom, all your rabbits are dead!"
a. who says this?
= Maggie says this.
b. Why did the rabbits die?
= Rabbits died as Maggie forgot to feed them.
c. How does Tom react to this piece of news?
= Tom became angry and he called Maggie a bid girl and he was sorry to bring the fish-line for her.
3. "Perhaps she is up in the attic and has forgotten all about meal times."
a. Who speaks the above lines and about whom?
= Mrs. Tulliver speaks the above lines about Maggie.
b. Why is she in the attic?
= She is in the attic after being disappointed. Tom was angry upon her because she did not feed his rabbits in his absence. The rabbits died.
c. When does she come down?
= She comes down after Tom went to her with a bit of cake with him and asked her to come downstairs with him and have some tea.
4. "Oh, you are making me impatient!"
a. Who says this and to whom?
= Maggie says this to Tom.
b. What is making the speaker impatient?
= The thing in Tom's pocket is making the speaker impatient.
c. What do they decide to do after the suspense is revealed?
= They decided to go for fishing the next day after the suspense is revealed.
Read, reflect and write
5. Tom is unnecessarily harsh towards Maggie on learning that this rabbits have died. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
= I don't think that Tom is totally unnecessarily harsh towards Maggie on learning that this rabbits have died. He has affection for his rabbits. He has love for his sister too. He has brought fish-line for her. He had faith on her sister that she would keep on caring his rabbits in his absence. But Maggie forgot to do her duty to feed the rabbits and eventually they died. There is a genuine reason for Tom to be angry on Maggie.
On the other hand, we can not totally accuse Maggie for her carelessness. She is a child and she does not have much maturity like Tom to do all the duties given to her.
6. Why does Maggie go to the attic? What happens when she sees Tom in the attic?
= Maggie goes to the attic as Tom is angry on her because of her carelessness. As she did not feed the rabbits and all of them died. He calls her a bad girl and forbids her to go to fishing the next day with him.
Maggie asks Tom to forgive her. She promised him to always be good and always remember things. Tom says her to stop crying and eat the bit of cake he brings for her. He also asks her to come along downstairs with him and have some tea. They patched up. They plans for going to fishing the next day. Maggie requests Tom to put the worms on the hook for her.
7. What are the fun activities that you participate in with your siblings or cousins during holidays?
= I like to play some indoor board games with my siblings or cousins during holidays. Sometimes, I like to go cycling with them. I love to play cricket with them too.
8. Extended writing: Maggie and Tom share a strong bond. Give instances from the text to support this statement.
= Maggie and Tom share a strong bond. Tom was arriving early in the afternoon from his school for the holidays. Maggie was waiting to receive her along with her mother Mrs. Tulliver. This shows that she had immense feelings for her brother.
Tom loves his sister. He had brought fishing-lines for his sister. He planned for going to fishing the next day.
Due to Maggie's carelessness, Tom's rabbits died. Tom got angry on her and she gets disappointed. Maggie goes to the attic and she cries. In spite of his anger, Tom goes to Maggie on the attic with a bit of cake for her. He also asks her to come downstairs with him and have some tea.
They goes to the Round Pool as per their plan for fishing. Maggie requests Tom to put the worms on the hook for her. They both were happy. Being siblings, they shared a strong bond between themselves.
About the Author:
Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880) was a leading English novelist of her times. She wrote under the pen name George Eliot. Some of her best known works are The Mill on the Floss and Middlemarch. Apart from novels, Eliot also wrote many poems and essays.