Discuss the significance of the title 'The Eyes Have It'. | Establish 'The Eyes Have It' as a good short story.

Discuss the significance of the title 'The Eyes Have It'.

The title 'The Eyes Have It' is quite striking and makes us anticipate that eyes have a prominent role to play in this story. As we read the story, the 'eyes' in the title assume a deeper significance. It does not merely indicate the organs of sight but the sense of perception activated by the mind. Though the narrator and the girl are blind yet they seem to be quite aware of the world around them. However, in the end, we find that lack of sight prevented the narrator from realising that the girl too was completely blind but the man who later boarded the compartment could understand it. Thus, the story revolves around the matter of 'seeing' and the difference between the realisations of a man with sight and the one without it. So, the title of this story is appropriate.

Establish 'The Eyes Have It' as a good short story.

A short story is a brief work of literature usually written in narrative prose style. Generally, a short story focuses on one incident, has a single theme, a single setting, a small number of characters and covers a short period of time. Another salient feature of a successful short story is the entry of the unexpected towards the end that casts a lingering effect on the reader's mind.

In Ruskin Bond's short story 'The Eyes Have It', we find three characters who appear for a brief span of time yet each has an important role. Each one of them is indispensable to the plot. The characters appear well-drawn and true to life. The plot remains well connected to the theme and is a development of the same. The unexpected comes in the form of the irony of fate at the end of the story.

Therefore the story 'The Eyes Have It has all the characteristics of a good short story.

What instructions were given to the girl by her parents before she started her journey? Do you think the narrator started to like the girl from the very beginning? Support your answer with reference to the text.

....my voice startled her."- Who is the speaker here? Who is mentioned as "her"? Why was she "startled" by the voice of the speaker? What did she do afterwards?

"I didn't see you either", I said. "But I heard you come in.' Was it not a hint for the girl to understand that the narrator was blind? What did the narrator think before stating this?

What was the destination of the narrator in the story The Eyes Have It'? What description of his destination did he give? How could he give such a description in spite of being blind?

"Oh, how lucky you are." -Who is the speaker here? Who is "you" referred to? Why is the person spoken to being called "lucky"?

"Yes, October is the best time”- Who is the speaker? On what occasion is the remark made and to whom? Why is October the best time?

“...she thought me a romantic fool"- Who might be thought a romantic fool? When and ... why did the speaker doubt so?

"Then I made a mistake"-What 'mistake' did the speaker make? Why was it a 'mistake'? What removed the speaker's doubts? What did the speaker do then?

"Why don't you look out of the window?"- Who said these words to whom? Why? Describe the action of the listener.

"Do you see any animals?" -Who asked this and to whom? What was the reply? How could the person give the answer?

"You have an interesting face"- Who said this? To whom was it spoken? When did the speaker make this remark? What was the reaction of the person spoken to?

"Few girls can resist flattery"- How did the narrator try to flatter the girl?

"I'm tired of people telling me I have a pretty face." Who said this, to whom and when? What did the person speak to reply?

"But the thought of laughter only made me feel troubled and lonely."- Why did the narrator feel so?

"The voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream"- Who thought so? Whose voice is referred to here? Why was the voice so special?

"She would forget our brief encounter;"—Who said this and about whom? What is the brief encounter referred to here? Why did the speaker think so?

"She was standing very close to me"- Whom does 'she' refer to? When and why was she standing very close to the narrator? What was the effect of her proximity to the narrator?

"The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie"- Whose reverie is referred to here? What was the reverie about? How was the reverie broken?