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WAS IT A DREAM CommonLit Answers – FREE Access
Find the answer key for the topic “WAS IT A DREAM” below:
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Discussion Questions & Answers
Following are our answers based on the questions provided:
Q.1. How does love affect the way we see people? What imagery from the text helps illustrate that the narrator’s judgment is compromised?
Ans: The way in which we perceive other individuals can be profoundly altered by love. It’s possible that we have a tendency to look for the best in others, even if they don’t always deserve it. When it comes to the narrator of “Was It a Dream?,” his love for the woman he is with clouded his ability to make sound decisions during the course of the story. He is blind to her shortcomings and can only perceive the positive qualities that she possesses. This is made very clear by the language that he uses to describe her, which includes terms such as “angel” and “perfection.”
The narrator has a warped picture of the lady he loves, which is illustrated in part by the imagery that is used throughout the story. When he is with her, the world around them seems to be “bathed in light,” according to what he says. When he is with her, everything looks and feels like it should be a perfect 10 out of 10. The world around him, on the other hand, will be described as “dark and dreary” after he finds out the truth about her. This contrast illustrates how his perspective of the woman has shifted from one of adoration to one of disappointment as a result of their interaction.
Q.2. The name of this short story is “Was It a Dream?” After reading the story, do you think it was a dream? Why or why not?
Ans: The question of whether or not the events in the story actually occurred or if they were only a fabrication of the narrator’s imagination is left unanswered by the title of the story, which is “Was It a Dream? There are aspects of the narrative that are compatible with either view of what happened. For instance, the woman in the story seems to emerge and disappear at random, which may be interpreted as a hint that she is not really there. This might also be interpreted as a sign that she is there.
On the other hand, the fact that the narrator is able to touch her and carry on discussions with her could be interpreted as evidence that she is a real person. In the end, it is up to the reader to judge whether or not the story they just read was a dream. But the events of the story, regardless of whether or not it was genuinely a dream, highlight the power that love can have over our perceptions and how we interpret the world.
Q.3. Why do societies and individuals tend to glorify the dead? What can we gain from honoring the dead? What might we lose?
Ans: People and societies have a propensity to extol the glories of the deceased because the deceased are symbolic of something that is no longer achievable. Remembering and celebrating the lives of those who have passed away is made possible when we honor the deceased. In addition to this, it provides us with a feeling of connection to the people who came before us. Glorifying the dead can have a beneficial impact on both the living and the deceased. It has the potential to motivate people to make the most of the time they have in their own lives and to value the value of the time they have. Additionally, it can help people cope with the loss of a loved one that has passed away.
There are, of course, some negative aspects to extolling the virtues of the departed. It is possible that this will cause people to idolize those who have died away, which will keep them from moving on with their own lives and moving on with the rest of their lives. People may become more focused on honoring the deceased rather than on interacting with the living, which can lead to a sense of disconnection from the living. This can also contribute to a sense of detachment from the dead.
Q.4. Is the narrator better off knowing what he discovers in the end, or would it have been better for him to remain ignorant?
Ans: It is to the narrator’s advantage to already be aware of the information he finds out in the end. Because of his lack of knowledge, he was romanticizing a person who was not deserving of his affection. He is able to move on and meet someone who is more worthy of his love as a result of understanding the truth about the situation. It is claimed that ignorance is bliss, but in this situation, the narrator would have been better off if they knew the truth. It would have been better for them to know the truth. Because he couldn’t see the woman for who she really was, he found himself loving her in a way that was neither beneficial nor long-term.
As soon as he is aware of the facts, he is able to accept her for who she truly is and on with his life. There are always going to be some potential consequences when one finds out the truth. In certain circumstances, the truth may be too distressing to bear, and acknowledging it may do more harm than help. Having said that, the narrator is in a much better position now that they know the reality about this situation.
Assessment Questions & Answers
Following are our answers based on the questions provided:
Q.1. PART A: What is the primary tone of the narrator throughout the story?
Ans: frantic despair
Q.2. PART B: Which TWO phrases from the text best support the answer to Part A?
Ans: “She was buried! Buried! She! In that hole!” (Paragraph 7)
“I stopped short in front of that looking glass in which she had so often been reflected.”(Paragraph 9)
Q.3. PART A: What does the interaction between the narrator and the priest in paragraph 5 reveal?
Ans: It reveals that the priest and perhaps others were already aware that the narrator’s lover was unfaithful.
Q.4. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
Ans: “nobody had the right to say that any longer, and I turned him out.” (Paragraph 5)
Q.5. PART A: Which of the following best describes a theme of the story?
Ans: Love can cause people to believe the best about others and often masks the truth.
Q.6. PART B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
Ans: “They were all writing at the same time, on the threshold of their eternal abode, the truth, the terrible and the holy truth of which everybody was ignorant, or pretended to be ignorant, while they were alive.” (Paragraph 22)
Q.7. Explain how the author uses an ironic twist to create surprise at the end of the story.
Ans: The author uses an ironic twist to show that people are never as they seem and that the truth will one day unveil itself even if it is after death. The author uses irony to show the hilarity of the situation of the narrator. This creates surprise because it is not to be easily believed that they could be in a dream state.
The reason why the ending came as a surprise is because the narrator described his lover as someone honest and had nothing to hide, but in the end we find out that she was dishonest and because she went out to meet her second lover.
Q.8. How does Maupassant develop the narrator’s character over the course of the story?
Ans: This story is not a usual one. It talks about how our views & ideas can be judgmental & hurtful. It puts us (readers) in a point where we start thinking about our own perspectives.
This story has two main components as symbols – belief and honesty. The author wants to describe the entire scene in darkness. He excludes elements that give us ‘hope’ in our lives.
The woman who the narrator loved deceived him. She portrayed to be a faithful, honest and innocent woman who loved him deeply. This was an impression that everyone had about her including the narrator.
The story starts off with an exclamation of grief, where he yells ‘I had loved her madly!’. From this part of the story, he continues to talk and express his love/emotion towards his lover. He continues to suffer in her loss, goes to places where he can relive moments, visits her grave and sits there for hours. He reads the messages on the tombstones where the story ends.
The entire course of story makes us understand that he understand how she deceived him from the beginning till the end.
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Conclusion
In CommonLit, “WAS IT A DREAM” is one of the students’ favorite articles authored by Guy de Maupassant for grade 9 students.
In this particular short story, it tells the story of a grieving lover.
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Hi, I’m Annie Smith, and I’ve been a teacher for over 5 years and have taught students at all levels. I love to help students get ahead of their exams and provide helpful guides on various topics.