ICSE Students can refer to Angel in Disguise Summary ICSE below which has been prepared by expert English teachers of ICSE as per that latest syllabus and guidelines issued by ICSE. These Chapter summaries have been prepared to help students to understand the entire chapter easily. You can also refer to more study material for ICSE Class 10 on our website
ICSE Class 10 English Angel in Disguise Summary
We have provided below a summary of Chapter Angel in Disguise. This is an important chapter in Standard 10th ICSE English. The summary provided below has been prepared by expert English faculty for ICSE based on the latest ICSE books. You should refer to all Chapter Summaries ICSE Class 10 English which will help you to understand all chapters and to get more marks in exams.
Angel in Disguise ICSE Class 10 English
About the Author
T.S. Arthur (6 June 1809-6 March 1885), was a popular 19th century American author. He had a distinguished writing career during which he wrote more than 150 novels. His work was basically moralistic in nature. His most famous work is his essay, ‘The Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There’ (1854).
He was a strong proponent of temperance.
Summary
‘An Angel in disguise’ is an emotional story which highlights the theme of love and kindness. It takes place in a small village. A pauper woman dies at the threshold of her house due to excessive alcoholism. Her three children are left orphaned. The lady was despised by the villagers and so had no family or friend. But after her death, pity replaced anger. The villagers take up a collection and put together a modest funeral. As for the children, farmer Jones adopts John, a stout 12 year old boy, because he would help him in fieldwork. The second born child, 10 year old Kate, a bright and active girl, was taken by Mrs. Ellis, who has looking for a bound girl. Then there was Maggie, the youngest and paralyzed one. She had fallen from the window and seriously injured her spine. She was bedridden so no one wanted to take her. They think of sending her to the poorhouse.
Mr. Joe Thompson, who worked as a wheelwright, takes pity on her. He likes children, though he is childless. His heart melts when the helpless child pleads with him. He knew his strict wife will be angry still he carries her home. He tells her that he would take her to the poorhouse the next day, somehow he manages to keep her despite of her hard hearted attitude.
Mr. Thompson requests his wife to think of Maggie’s dead mother, her loneliness, helplessness and sufferings in her life. Mrs. Thompson tried to hide her hostility while communicating with Maggie. But gradually the feeling of love and compassion emerged in her heart. She became kinder with the sweet sick girl. Maggie becomes a speck of happiness in the life of childless Thompson couple. She is a little girl with a pure, clear and light soul. They never discuss to take her to the poorhouse again. She turns out to be an angel in disguise for them.
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Angel in Disguise Important Questions and Answers
Question. Which woman is referred to in the beginning of the story? What had happened to her?
Ans. The woman was the mother of three children, John, Kate and Maggie. She was an alcoholic and despised because of her idleness and addiction to liquor. She had fallen upon the threshold of her own door in a drunken fit, and died in the presence of her frightened little children.
Question. What kind of relations did the woman have with others?
Ans. The woman did not have good relations with others. Due to her bad behaviour and habits, she was not liked by anyone in the village. She had been despised, scoffed at, and angrily denounced.
Question. How many children did the woman have? Describe them.
Ans. The woman had three children. The first one was John, the oldest, a boy of twelve years, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. The second one was Kate, between ten and eleven years was a bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made. The third one was poor little Maggie, the youngest, who was hopelessly diseased. She had injured her spine after a fall from a window, two years before and was now bedridden.
Question. What was the matter of concern now after the woman’s death?
Ans. Now, after the woman’s death the matter of concern was that, who would take care of her three children. They were too young to fend for themselves and could not be left alone.
Question. Who offered to take John? Why?
Ans. Farmer Jones offered to take John with him as John was stout and the farmer could make him work in his fields.
Question. Who offered to take Katy? Why?
Ans. Mrs. Ellis took Kate as she had been looking for a bound girl to work in her house.
Question. How did the people look at Maggie? Why did no one want to take her?
Ans. The villagers looked at Maggie with pity. They showed concern for the poor child. They felt sympathetic and concerned for the sad eyes and patient face of the little girl. No one wanted to take her home as she was disabled and bedridden and would be of no use to them.
Question. What suggestion was given by the rough man?
Ans. The rough man suggested that Maggie should be taken to a Poor house. It would be the best place for her because she would be kept clean, get healthy food and be doctored.
Question. Who finally took Maggie and why?
Ans. Mr. Thompson, the wheelwright finally took Maggie. He took her home because he had a tender heart and liked children. Maggie had requested him not to leave her alone in the hovel.
Question. What idea do we get of the character of Mr. Thompson?
Ans. Mr. Thompson had a rough exterior but unlike his external experience he was a kind-hearted man, who loved children. He was the only one in the village who volunteered to take Maggie home and took good care of her.
Question. What was Mrs. Thompson‘s reaction on seeing Maggie?
Ans. Mrs. Thompson showed her anger and astonishment when she saw Maggie being brought home by Mr. Thompson. She questioned him if he had brought that ‘sick brat’ home.
Question. What reason did Mr. Joe Thompson give his wife for bringing the child home?
Ans. Joe Thompson told his wife that the little child‘s mother had died and she was left alone in the little hut. He informed her that nobody was ready to take the bedridden girl and she could not walk to the Poor house on her own as suggested by the others. It was getting dark so he decided to bring her home and would take her to the Poor house after taking permission from her guardians.
Question. What made Mrs. Thompson move towards Maggie in the little chamber?
Ans. Joe asked Mrs. Thompson to be kind by giving an example of the lines in the Bible (the views of Jesus Christ on how God rewards those who help little children). He also reminded her of Maggie’s dead mother and loneliness, pain and sorrow, which Maggie was undergoing at that moment. This probably melted her heart and she went to see Maggie in the little chamber.
Question. Why did Joe consider the light shining through the window a good sign?
Ans. Joe considered the light shining through the window a good sign (omen) because it was a sign of hope that revealed the change in Mrs. Thompson’s attitude towards the girl (Maggie). The light symbolized to him the sunshine of love that would now fall upon their home.
Question. Why was Joe relieved when he came back home?
Ans. Joe was relieved to see that his wife was no longer resentful of Maggie being in their house and was in fact sitting in her chamber, talking tenderly to the child.
Question. What did Joe notice about Maggie in the light of the lamp?
Ans. Under the lamplight, Joe saw Maggie’”s thin face. He noticed that it was an attractive face and full of childish sweetness which so much suffering, had not been able to remove.
Question. Why did Joe not see the guardians of the poor house ever again?
Ans. Joe did not see the guardians of the poor house ever again because Mrs. Thompson’s feelings had changed for Maggie. She had started loving Maggie. They decided to adopt her as their own child.
Question. What kind of person was Mrs. Thompson before Maggie came to her life?
Ans. Mrs. Thompson was a bitter and angry person before Maggie came to her life. She had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so she had become sore, irritable, ill-tempered and self-afflicting.
Question. In what way was Maggie an angel in disguise?
Ans. Maggie was an angel in disguise. She came to the house of the Thompson‘s disguised as a sick, helpless and miserable child and filled all its dark and dreary chambers with the sunshine of her love. The miraculous effect that Maggie’s presence had on the woman’s character and the happiness that she brings to them proved her to be an angel in their lives.
