1. AFTER TWENTY YEARS BY O' HENRY CLASS 12TH JKBOSE

1. How impressive was the policeman ? How would you justify your answer ?
Ans :- The policeman looked quite impressive while moving up the avenue at night. His impressiveness was habitual not for show , for the spectators were few. He was devoted to his duty and had a watchful eyes showed that he was proud and honest police officer.
2. Why did the man tell the policeman ' It's all right , officer.'?
Ans :- The man told the policeman ' It's all right , officer ' because the man didn't want his behavior to raise suspicion.
3. Were the two friends in regular contact with each other during the twenty years ? Why / Why not ?
Ans :- Yes , both the friends were in regular contact with each other during the twenty years as for a time they corresponded with each other but after a year or two they lost the track of correspondence.
4. How well did Jimmy's friend prosper in life ? How do you know ?
Ans :- As it is evident from the story that Jimmy had been appointed as an officer in the police department due to his honesty and hard work .
5. When a tall man in a long overcoat walked up to Bob , what made him think that it was Jimmy and not anyone else?
Ans :- When the tall man approached the waiting man and asked him are you Bob ? The waiting man replied that are you Jimmy Wells . This statement made the waiting man to think that the tall man is Jimmy Wells and not anyone else.
6. Why was Bob a arrested ?
Ans :- Bob was a wanted criminal of Chicago police who was indulged in many criminal activities. That is why , Bob was arrested by his friend who holds a good position in police department.
7. Why did Bob's hands begin to tremble as he almost finished reading the note ?
Ans :- Because Bob learnt from the written note that his friend is well aware about his criminal activities and is in a position to arrest him by a plain clothes man.
8. Jimmy didn't arrest his friend because ( tick the correct answer )
● he couldn't recognize Bob in the dark.
● he wanted Bob to run away.
● he couldn't reach the place in time.
● he couldn't bring himself to arrest his friend.
Ans :- ● he couldn't bring himself to arrest his friend.
9. Why is this story titled ' After Twenty Years '?
Ans :- It is a tale of two friends who had separated from one another in youth and had agreed to meet in the same restaurant , on the same day  , date and time where they had dined twenty years ago. That is why , the story is titled 'After Twenty Years.'
10. If you were in Jimmy's shoes , what would have been the best thing to do from the following points of view ?
a. Your career as a policeman
b. Your friendship with Bob
c. Your own conscince
d. The law
Ans :- d. The law

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

' You're not Jimmy Wells,' he snapped. ' Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's nose from a Roman to a pug.'
a. Who is the he in these lines ?
Ans:- 'He' in these lines is a Silky Bob.
b. What was his reaction when he realised the man was not Jimmy? Why ?
Ans:- When Silky Bob realised the man was not Jimmy , he got disappointed and hopeless due to which he showed change in his behavior.
c. How did he recognize the man ?
Ans:- He recognized the man due to the shape of his nose which had turned a lot from Roman to a pug.
d. Why was the man here ? Who had sent him ?
Ans:- The man was here to arrest the Silky Bob. Jimmy Wells , the Silky Bob's friend had sent him.


Character Sketch Of Bob :

The main character and protagonist is Bob, as the story is centred around him waiting for his old friend to meet him at their chosen time and place. Although he is represented briefly by his appearance, it is the small descriptions described that are of importance in his characterisation, in addition to his  personality that is expressed throughout the story. We learn of Bob’s loyalty to his friends and that he is wealthy, supposedly from hard work. In this way, Bob is a round character, as he is complex and immediately capable of change. As the story progresses, Bobs identity is exposed even more when the climax of the story is revealed. It is immediately presumed that Bob is a successful career driven man when he tells the police officer “I’ve had to compete with some of the sharpest wits going to get my pile.” However, in the turn of events, Bobs character is identified as actually being a wanted criminal in Chicago by the same of ‘Silky’ Bob.

Character Sketch Of Jimmy Wells :

The second character, the policeman, who also turns out to be Jimmy Wells, is in this sense seen as a protagonist, as the story is centred around Bob and his best friend Jimmy. Throughout the story, it is led to believe that the police officer is nothing more than an antagonist within the story, as he walks off to leave Bob waiting for his friend. The characters identity in the story is shown when it is seen that he is in fact, represented as two different people, as he is the friend Jimmy who also happens to be a policeman. The character of the policeman is represented briefly in his appearance, and although he does not express much personality, we learn of this side of him from Bob as his dear friend Jimmy.

 “But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he’s alive, for he always was the truest, stanchest old chap in the world. He’ll never forget. I came a thousand miles to stand in this door to-night, and it’s worth it if my old partner turns up…. He was a kind of plodder, though, good fellow as he was.”

Jimmy’s character is expressed through the dialogue of Bob, and it is the convergence of both characters in the end that also show him to be a round character. This turn of events also outlines Jimmy’s dedication to the police force, which he regards as more important than his loyalty to his friend. Although his old friend had traveled far to meet him twenty years later, he had to do what was right and arrest him for the criminal he was.