We are not afraid to die class 11 summary: Ever heard of the saying, “United we stand, divided we fall”. Yes you heard that right, this story is one such example of the above saying. There is no such protagonist in the story as everybody played their part exceptionally well. The story is about a 37 year old businessman who with his family members that included: a daughter Suzanne who was 7 years old and a son named Jonathan who was only 6 years old decides to go on a duplicate voyage to recreate the sea voyage journey of captain James Cook 200 years ago.
So one fine day he decides to make his own boat for the voyage that was named Wave walker with the help of his ever sacrificing and supportive wife, Mary. It took them about several months to complete everything from scratch to taking up the boat for the trial before they could have left for the sea voyage. As they were not going out for an ordinary boating they made the ship to stand in the toughest of the conditions.
He even hired the two crewmen from Cape Town named Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Siegler to tackle the world’s most roughest seas i.e., the Southern Indian Ocean . The day came and everybody was set to sail for the voyage. First few days went absolutely well until and unless they reached the west coast of Africa and reached Cape Town. Even then the waves did not scare them but they were increasing at an alarming rate of about 15 meters from the sea level.
The heavy splash of water flipped whole of the ship in the deep water taking away all the stuffs kept in the boat. They were all expecting the weather to calm down on the New Year’s Eve but the fortune did not favor them and it surely turned for the worse. The family celebrated the New Year’s Eve on the ship itself. But then the waves started to deteriorate suddenly. Still the narrator thought that their boat could survive and surpass the heavy waves but so wrong was he and the boat once again went in the sea with all the hatch, shafts and rails broken severely making the boat good for nothing.
There was water all around and they found the ship sinking deep in the sea. The two crewmen on the other hand were trying their best out of them to pump out all the water out from the boat. The electric pump got damaged and they had to pump all night long. The narrator’s daughter head was swollen and her condition worsened. However, they breathed a sigh of relief on January 4 but this was too short termed and the sea waves turned gigantically that evening.
This marked the most challenging and crucial phase of the story where the narrator was seen consoling the children that they will surely come out of this pathetic situation and that they should have faith in themselves but before he could have said anything his little son with all the courage said that he isn’t afraid to die if they can all be together which led to the building up of self-belief, inner confidence and a ray of hope to conquer the things planned to fight against the sea. Things changed towards a healthy morning and they could feel and sea a bright some morning.
Then came the most beautiful moment in the story where the children called the narrator the best daddy in the world and to his amazement he could see the island of Ile Amsterdam which to him was the world’s most beautiful and soothing islands. Reaching the shore they were welcomed by the 28 inhabitants of the island. Finally they could see things getting back to normal. Everything apart, what filled the narrator’s mind was that he saw his children fought with such bravery and courage even at such tender age in spite of his daughter’s head being swollen and his son’s strong determination to fight what may come their way.
We are not afraid to die class 11 author:
The author of the story Gordan Cook was a man with strong determination, will, responsibilities, courage and most importantly believing in himself. Knowing that there were way too many hardships and struggles in the sea voyage he would be carrying out he was still all set to sail for this duplicate voyage along with his family members and the two crewmen from Cape Town. But before this role of playing the captaincy he was a 37 year old business tycoon who decides to carry out this voyage with his strong and supportive wife. And all this was not planned overnight it took him 16 long years for honing his seafaring skills and also to built up his Wave walker( the boat) took him several months to test and try if it could withstand all the hurdles. He was severely during the voyage but all he was thinking and focusing on reaching to his destination. Hence, the author gave us a moral that believing in oneself and remaining determined for what you have planned and aspired for will surely lead towards success.
We are not afraid to die class 11 characters:
The Narrator: One man different shades- a responsible and staunch father, a determined 37 year old businessman having a keen interest of sea voyage captaincy with utmost confidence and belief willing to duplicate the round-the-world sea voyage with his three-membered family back again after 200 years from Plymouth, England. Remaining courageous even after the Wave walker got brutally damaged during the course, no doubt his seafaring skills saved not only his but all of his family and family-like crew members lives in spite of facing all the hardships.
Mary: The wife of the captain Gordan Cook and also the mother of Suzanne and Jonathan. She was very protective of her family and a supportive wife too who remained with her husband in his tough and testing times when he was mentally and physically exhausted. She could have ben gone to any extent to save and remain intact with her family members no matter what could have along her way.
Suzanne: The captain’s 7-year old daughter who even at such a tender age wasn’t ready to give up even though having the glimpse and circumstances of what could have been happened to whole of the family members. Her determination was seen quite clearly because she got a bump on her head while the Wave walker was shook by the heavy, drastic and deadly wind but still she chose to stand with her family and chose to fight.
Jonathan: The captain’s 6-year old tot. This little kid doesn’t go hand in hand with his age, in a phase where death scares even the strongest of men he was all set to fight the circumstances if his family is together with each other.
Larry Vigil: Crewman hired from Cape Town
Herb Siegler: Crewman hired from Cape Town
We are not afraid to die class 11 summary in short:
The story is all about a businessman who decides to duplicate the sea voyage after 200 years with three membered family which included his wife Mary, a daughter Suzanne and a little son named Jonathan. The story beautifully showcases how a family even after suffering all the hardships and hurdles is there intact to conquer all that they had planned.
From the youngest member of the family to the oldest member everybody had only one vision to achieve their goal and not to forget the two strong willed crewmen who thought nothing all pumped out the water all night long when the electric pump got damaged. It all takes a strong and firm belief in yourself and never lose hope in whatever you are investing.
Seafaring skills: skills required while travelling in a sea
Crewmen: people who are assigned to work or operate on a ship
Strong gales: winds usually having a speed of 75 to 87 kilometers per hour speed
Storm jib: a triangular stay still used during a high wind
Oilskins: a waterproof material of cloth used for covering
Ominous silence: worried or inauspicious silence
Sloshed: intoxicated
Mayday calls: used internationally especially when there is a life threatening emergency in remoted areas where there is no access to networks
Pinpricks in the vast ocean: searching of two small islands in the vast ocean
Paraffin: a white translucent waxy solid
A tousled head: disordered hair
We are not afraid to die class 11
We are not afraid to die class 11 short Question Answers:
1. Who were the members in the family of the captain?
Ans: Their were three members: his wife Mary, his 7-year old daughter named Suzanne and a 6 year-old little son named Jonathan.
2. What was the motive behind the narrator’s voyage?
Ans: The narrator wanted to duplicate the voyage just the way famous captain James Cook did 200 years ago.
3. Give the description of the Wave walker?
Ans: The boat was 23 meters long and weighted 20 tons of wooden hulled.
4. What did the narrator do to the boat before taking it out for the voyage?
Ans: The narrator took it to test the boat in the toughest of the conditions to check whether if it could survive the waves of the sea or not.
5. What happened on July 1976?
Ans: The narrator and his family set out to sail from Plymouth, England.
6. Whom did the narrator hire for the voyage?
Ans: The narrator hired the two crew men from Cape Town.
7. What were the names of the crew men?
Ans: Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Siegler
8. Why did the narrator hire the two crew men?
Ans: He hired them to tackle the world’s most roughest seas i.e., the Southern Indian Ocean.
9. Where did they started sailing from?
Ans: They started sailing from Africa to Cape Town.
10. What happened by December 25?
Ans: They all managed to reach 35,000 kilometers East of Cape Town.
11. What happened on January 2?
Ans: The weather changed for the worse and the heavy waves hit them hard.
12. What did they all carry ?
Ans: They carried their life-jackets, oilskins, attach lifelines and their life raft drill.
13. What happened to the narrator later that evening?
Ans: The narrator was thrown from the ship when the heavy splash of waves hit him and injured himself because his left ribs cracked, mouth was filled with blood and broken teeth.
14. What instructions did he give to his wife?
Ans: He instructed his wife Mary to guard the wheel as he realizes that the ship has water in the lower parts.
15. What were the crewmen doing when this happened?
Ans: The crewmen were pumping out the water all night long.
16. How did this situation arise?
Ans: Because the electric pump broke out.
17. What did Sue inform the narrator?
Ans: Sue informed the narrator about the bump that she got due to all this dangerous scenario.
18. What did all of them finally eat after two long days?
Ans: All they could eat was some corned beef and crackers.
19. What are Mayday calls?
Ans: Mayday calls are provided in a situation where there are no access to network or the internet most probably in the remotest areas of the world that too internationally.
20. What was noticed about Sue?
Ans: Sue’s condition had worsened and that now she had swollen black eyes and a deep cut in her arm.
21. What was Sue’s reply after this?
Ans: Sue said that she didn’t want to worry the narrator because he was trying to save everyone’s live.
22. What happened after the situation went under control?
Ans: The narrator decided to work in rotation and take rest. The water levels were controlled but there were still some leaks below the waterline of the boat.
23. Why did they decide to reach to the nearest island Ile Amsterdam and not Australia?
Ans: Because the ship was not in a good condition and shape to reach till Australia.
24. What happened after they reached the Ile Amsterdam?
Ans: The narrator was amazed as it seemed to him the world’s most beautiful and soothing islands.
25. How did the inhabitants behaved with the narrator and his family?
Ans: The inhabitants welcomed them with respect and smile.
We are not afraid to die class 11 MCQ’s:
1. What was the reason behind the captain’s voyage? a. To duplicate the voyage after 200 years b. To have adventure with family c. To explore world’s roughest seas i.e., the Southern Ocean
a. To duplicate the voyage after 200 years
2. What were the ages of the children in the story? a. Jonathan-7, Suzanne-6 b. Jonathan-6, Suzanne-7 c. Jonathan- 8, Suzanne- 6
b. Jonathan-6, Suzanne-7
3. What were the names of the crew members? a. Ferdinand Magellan, Copernicus b. American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Siegler c. Leornado da Vinci
b. American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Siegler
4. What was the name of the boat used for sailing? a. Spice jet b. Wave walker c. Titanic
b. Wave walker
5. From where did the ship sail for voyage? a. Liverpool, England b. Plymouth, England c. Bristol, England
b. Plymouth, England
6. In which year did the captain start his voyage? a. 1976 July b. 1965 May c. 1988 January
a. 1976 July
7. What was the main livelihood occupation of the captain? a. Doctor b. Businessman c. Artist
b. Businessman
8. How many years of leisure time did the captain and his wife spent on honing his seafaring skills? a. 20 years b. 16 years c. 12 years
c. 12 years
9. How much did the waves size alarmed up to? a. 22 meters b. 15 meters c. 12 meters
b. 15 meters
10. When did the first indication of impending disaster came about? a. At 6 p.m. b. At 7 p.m. c. At 4 p.m.
a. At 6 p.m.
11. Identify the type of silence that occurred during the impending disaster? a. Eerie sounds b. Ominous silence c. Quirky noise
b. Ominous silence
12. What part of the journey was pleasant for them? a. First few months b. Never c. First leg-from England to Cape Town
c. First leg-from England to Cape Town
13. Why did the captain hire the two crewmen? a. He wanted to spent time with his family b. To help tackle him on of the world’s roughest seas i.e., the Southern Indian Ocean c. Because he was not enough to sail the ship alone
b. To help tackle him on of the world’s roughest seas i.e., the Southern Indian Ocean
14. What was the captain aware of? a. That he is going to die b. He was aware that he was flying overboard and sinking below the waves c. He could not breathe
b. He was aware that he was flying overboard and sinking below the waves
15. What happened when the captain’s head popped out of the water? a. Wave walker was almost capsizing, her masts almost horizontal b. The baseline of the boat was visible c. The rails of the boat had broken
a. Wave walker was almost capsizing, her masts almost horizontal
16. What happened when the captain after the subsequent waves tossed him? a. His spinal cord was injured b. His jaws were dislocated c. His left ribs cracked, mouth filled with blood and broken teeth
c: His left ribs cracked, mouth filled with blood and broken teeth
17. What could the captain feel? a. That the ship had water below b. The ship was surrounded by whales c. Few of the stuffs were floating around the ship
a. That the ship had water below
18. What happened after the front hatch threw open? a. Mary appeared screaming that they were sinking b. Water gushed all over Mary c. Mary couldn’t breathe
a. Mary appeared screaming that they were sinking
19. What happened just after this incident took place? a. The captain swam immediately to help his wife b. He told her to calm down c. He shouted her to take the wheel
c. He told her to take the wheel
20. What were the items that sloshed deep in the water? a. Fruits, blankets b. Broken timbers, clothes, crockery, charts, tins and toys c. Toys and wine
b. Broken timbers, clothes, crockery, charts, tins and toys
21. How did the captain reached the children’s cabin? a. Half swimming b. Half crawling c. a and b both
b. Half crawling
22. What did the children answer? a. Yes b. No c. Nothing
a. Yes
23. What was Sue’s reaction to this very question of the captain? a. A rude yes b. A calm no c. Yes, “But my head hurts a bit,” said Sue
c. Yes,” But my head hurts a bit,” said Sue
24. What was not surprising in this remote corner of the world? a. They were no access to wi fi b. There were no mobile networks available c. They were not getting replies to their Mayday calls
c. They were not getting replies to their mayday calls
25. What was the condition of Sue? a. Her head had swollen alarmingly, she had two enormous black eyes now showing us a deep cut in her arm b. She underwent spinal injury c. Suffered from high fever
a. Her head had swollen alarmingly, she had two enormous black eyes now showing us a deep cut in her arm
26. What was Sue’s reply when she was asked why didn’t she inform anyone about her injuries? a. She couldn’t connect to anyone b. She was herself not aware of her injuries c. She didn’t want to worry anyone while they were trying to save each other
c. She didn’t want to worry anyone while they were trying to save each other
27. For how many hours had the captain and his family along with the crew members survived after the wave hit them? a. 12 hours b. 15 hours c. 20 hours
b. 15 hours
28. Which was one of the islands was a French scientific base? a. Ile Amsterdam b. Bahamas c. Madagascar
a. Bahamas
29. What was the only hope of the captain? a. To reach to some nearby islands and go home b. To reach safely to his home c. To reach those pinpricks of the vast ocean
a. To reach to some nearby islands and go home
30. When and after how many hours of continuous pumping did they reach the last few centimeters of water? a. On January 4, after 36 hours b. On September 10, after 22 hours c. On December 4, after 36 hours
a. On January 4, after 36 hours
31. What was their first meal they finally after the two days gap? a. Milk, Cakes b. Cheesecakes, bread c. Corned beef and some cracked biscuits
c. Corned beef and some cracked biscuits
32. When did the black clouds began to build up again behind them? a. At 2 p.m. b. At 4 p.m. c. At 11 p.m.
a. At 2 p.m.
33. What did Jon asked when the captain went in to comfort him? a. Jon asked ,”Daddy are we going to die,” b. He asked about the status of the wind and the sea c. He asked about his toys that went missing in the sea
a. Jon asked, “Daddy are we going to die,”
34. What was Jon’s sudden continued reply before the narrator could assure him? a. He said,’ we aren’t afraid of dying if we can all be together- you and mummy, Sue and I b. He said,’ we are all going to die c. He said ,’we shouldn’t have planned for this voyage
a. He said,’ we aren’t afraid to die if we can all be together-you and mummy, Sue and I
35. What was it that Sue gave it to the narrator? a. A doll b. A card c. Only a
A. A doll
36. What had the narrator noticed even after rechecking his calculations? a. They had lost their major compass b. They had lost their sand glass c. None of the above
