The Oyster and the Pearl
Qno 1: Where does the play take place?
Ans: It takes place in Harry’s shop in OK-by-the. Sea, California, population 909.
Qno 2: Why is Harry sitting in barber’s chair?
Ans: Harry is having his haircut, therefore, he is sitting in the barber’s chair.
Qno 3: According to Harry how one can bring merriments to the tired old human hearts?
Ans: Harry thinks that one can bring merriments to the tired old hearts by composing a symphony, painting a picture, writing a book or inventing a philosophy.
Qno 4: What is Harry’s philosophy?
Ans: His philosophy is “the take-it-easy way”.
Qno 5: How much did Harry pay for his barber’s shop? How long has Harry been in OK-by-the-Sea?
Ans: He bought the shop in 75 dollars. He has been living in O.K-by-the-Sea for twenty-four years.
Qno 6: How many barbers are there in O.K-by-the-sea?
Ans: Except Harry, there is no other barber in O.K-by-the-sea?
Qno 7: How much does Harry charge for the haircut?
Ans: He charges one dollar for the haircut but he often takes half or a quarter.
Qno 8: Where is Clay going?
Ans: He is going to the beach to find something special.
Qno 9: Why does Clay need money?
Ans: He needs money to bring his father back. He also wants to give a gift to his mother.
Qno 10: What has happened to Clay’s father?
Ans: Clay’s father is a poor man and he cannot fulfill the basic needs of his children. His wife always quarrels with him for this reason. Therefore, he has left the house and has gone to Salinas to earn money.
Qno 11: What has Clay put in the local paper?
Ans: In his ad Clay requests his father to return home. His family is missing him a lot.
Qno 12: Who is Miss McCutcheon? How does she fell about her job?
Ans: She is a new teacher at the school of O.K.-by-the-Sea. She is unhappy about her job because the children do not take her seriously.
Qno 13: What is Miss McCutcheon looking for? How does she feel about the children of the town?
Ans : She is looking for the children to examine their interests and habits. She does not feel good about the children of the town because they are careless and do not take her seriously.
Qno 14: What does Harry advise her to do?
Ans: He advises her to go back to San Francisco. He thinks that she is a young and pretty girl who needs excitement. She could only get excitement in the big city. He also asks her to marry a young man.
Qno 15: What kind of haircut does Miss McCutcheon want?
Ans: She wants poodle haircut.
Qno 16: Can Harry give a poodle haircut?
Ans: No, he cannot give a poodle haircut.
Qno 17: What does Miss McCutcheon think that a poodle haircut will do for her appearance?
Ans: She wants to change her appearance by poodle haircut. She thinks that this haircut will make her simple and plain. Then she will easily adjust herself to the surroundings.
Qno 18: Where has Clark Larrabee been? How does he get to O.K.-by-the-sea?
Ans: He is working in Salinas. He comes to O.K.-by-the-sea by truck.
Qno 19: What does Clark give Harry? For what purpose?
Ans: Clark gives Harry thirty dollars to give them to Clay so that Clay could give the money to his mother.
Qno 20: How far is it to Hollywood from O.K.-by-the-sea?
Ans: Hollywood is about two hundred miles away from O.K.-by-the-sea.
Qno 21: What work does the man do?
Ans: He is a writer.
Qno 22: What did Clay find near black rock?
Ans: He found one oyster near a black rock.
Qno 23: What does Clay believe in the oyster? How much is it worth?
Ans: Clay believes that there is a pearl in the oyster worth of two to three hundred dollars.
Qno 24: Does Miss McCutcheon believe that there is a big pearl in the oyster?
Ans: No, she does not believe that there is a big pearl in the oyster?
Qno 25: Why does Miss McCutcheon have a chair with three legs?
Ans: Like many other people she has brought this chair from the beach. She does not mean to use it.
Qno 26: What kind of judge is Judge Applegarth?
Ans: He is not judge of any court. Once he judged the dogs at the county fair that gave him the name of judge Applegarth.
Qno 27: What year is it?
Ans: It is 1953.
Qno 26: What does Greely have in a bottle?
Ans: He has sea water in the bottle.
Qno 29: Who suggests that they should open the oyster?
Ans: Miss McCutcheon suggests that they should open the oyster.
Qno30: Why do they want Wozzeck to come?
Ans: Wozzeck is a watch repairer, therefore, they think that he can open the oyster without damaging its pearl.
Qno 31; How does Gharry describe the inhabitants of O.K.-by-the-sea?
Ans: Harry says that poor families live in the town. Every family has garden and children. They do not have jobs and earn their living mostly by selling vegetables and eggs. Those who get the job can work only two months. A few get the pension.
Qno 32: How does Miss McCutcheon view Harry’s thinking about the pearl in the oyster?
Ans: She thinks that Harry is encouraging people to tell a lie. Instead, he should show the people reality that there is no pearl in the oyster. But at the end, Harry tells her that he is doing all this only to help Clay.
Qno 33: Why does judge think that Miss McCutcheon will not last a teacher? What kind of teacher does he think he needed?
Ans: He thinks that she is young and beautiful and can’t control the children. He favors an old experienced teacher to teach and control the children.
Qno 34: What is Applegarth complain about the sea?
Ans: He complains that the quality of stuff washed up by sea is not good.
Qno 35: What kind of gadget does the writer describe?
Ans: He describes the gadget that is found in New York. He says that it is like a safety razor and with its help anyone can have his haircut.
Qno 36: Who buys the oyster? How much does he pay?
Ans: The writer buys the oyster for three hundred dollars.
Qno 37: Does the writer open the oyster? Why not?
Ans: He does not open the oyster. He believes that the pearl is growing. But the fact is this that he buys the oyster only to help the poor family. He knows that there is no pearl in the oyster but the whole story is itself a pearl.
Qno 38: Why does Clark Larrabee return?
Ans: After reading the ad in the newspaper he realizes the worries of his family and decides to return his home.
Qno 39: What does the writer do with the oyster?
Ans: The writer turns it in his fingers and watches it carefully. After that, he puts it into his pocket.
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