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The Address

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Class XI- ENGLISH

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The Narrator’s First Visit To Mrs. Dorling’s house

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- The chapter "The Address" introduced Mrs. S's daughter, a

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grown-up woman, who had decided to visit an old address

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having significant memories for her family.

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- She arrived at the house, which belonged to Mrs. Dorling,

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and introduced herself as Mrs. S’s daughter who had come to

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take her mother’s possessions.

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- Mrs. Dorling was surprised to see the narrator and tried to
hide herself behind the door. For an instant, the narrator
thought that she might have reached a wrong address but as
soon as she noticed her mother’s green cardigan, she
became sure about the place.
The Flashback

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- The narrative shifted to a flashback during World War II.

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Mrs. S's daughter recalled the times her family, who were

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Jewish, faced during the Nazi occupation. They were forced

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to leave their house and possessions behind as they went

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into hiding to escape persecution.

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- She recalled her past when she had returned home and

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found some things missing. Her mother explained that it was
Mrs. Dorling who was carrying all their valuable items to her
home in order to keep them safe.

- The narrator got a glimpse of Mrs. Dorling and her mother

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- In the final part, the story returned to the present as

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Mrs. S's daughter returned to Mrs. Dorling's house. This

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time Mrs. Dorling’s daughter opened the door and

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welcomed her in.

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- She noticed her unused Hanukkah candle stand and

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was shocked to find her mother's belongings arranged
tastelessly. The furniture was unattractive, and the room
had a musty smell that repelled her. The setting made
her disinterested and she considered leaving.
Narrator’s second visit

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- Mrs. Dorling's daughter offered her tea, and the

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narrator noticed a burnt mark on an old tablecloth. As

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she was shown silver forks and spoons that originally

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belonged to her family, she suddenly stood up and left

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abruptly. Overwhelmed by memories of the past, she

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decided to never return to the house again.

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- The experience prompted her to want to forget the
address altogether and moved on in life.
 TITLE

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The Address refers to Number 46, Marconi Street, which has a strange kind of

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attraction and attachment for the narrator. It was at that address that her

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mother’s belongings were ‘stored safely’. The narrator wanted to visit the

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given address to see, touch and remember her mother through her

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possessions left behind by her.

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Strangely through all the trials and tribulations that the narrator must have

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gone through due to the war in Holland, she did not forget the address told

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by her mother only once. At present, Mrs. Dorling had occupied that space on
the pretext of preserving them for her because of the arrest of the Jews.
However, after visiting that place she left intending to forget ‘the address’
and to move on with life.
 QuEsTIons

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1) How did Mrs. Dorling treat the author when she visited her?

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A. Warm & welcoming

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B. Cold & inhospitable

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C. Overjoyed

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D. Both (A) and (C)

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2) “Her face gave absolutely no sign of recognition.” Who is her?

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A. Mrs. S

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B. Mrs. Dorling’s daughter

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C. Mrs. Dorling
D. Mrs. S’s daughter

3) “Her face gave absolutely no sign of recognition.” What does it tell us about the lady’s
nature ?
A. She was helpful and kind
B. She was greedy and indifferent
C. She was empathetic towards author’s situation
D. All of the above
 QuEsTIons

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4) ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had

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come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes,

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what is it?

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Ans- The statement indicates that the two families knew each other. They

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stayed nearby and were probably acquaintances. When the war was going

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on, some people left their homes to take refuge in distant lands. Few

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people who remained there thought that those who had left their land
would never return. Mrs. Dorling, a non-Jew, thought that the entire family
of Mrs. S, a Jew, was killed during the war. So instead of receiving her
warmly, the lady gave the girl a cold reception.
 QuEsTIons

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5) The story is divided into pre-War and post-War times. What hardships do you

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think the girl underwent during these times?

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Ans- Marga Minco has very well explained the crisis of both pre-War and post-

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War times through the story, ‘The Address’. The constant fear of getting into

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concentration camps among Jews was evident through Mrs. S’s character which

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kept them away from their own possessions. Greedy people like Mrs. Dorling, an

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old acquaintance of Mrs. S, took advantage of such situations who renewed her

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long lost contact with her and started visiting their house. She took away all their
valuables under the pretext that she wanted to save all their belongings.
However, as the war ended, their retreat to their previous life couldn’t bring that
lost connection and emotions. Mrs. Dorling refused to entertain Mrs. S’s
daughter and had been using her belongings recklessly. Mrs. S’s daughter
realized suddenly that she has lost all the connection and interest towards her
belongings and preferred moving on without thinking about the past.
 QuEsTIons

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6) ‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.

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Ans- War always leads to ‘a victory with no survivors’. It always emerge out of

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the emotions of cruelty, selfishness, greed and kills the finer feelings of love

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and humanity.

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Mrs. Dorling, who lived at 46, Marconi Street had carried narrator’s valuable

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items to her home under the pretext that she would keep it safe. The war

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brought death to narrator’s mother. When she claimed for her mother’s

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belongings, Mrs Dorling pretended that she did not recognize her although she
was shocked at her unexpected return from the war.
Narrator’s second visit to her house made her feel emotional about all her
valuable items kept carelessly. They were now in a strange environment and
narrator was not able to restore the lost connection. So, she decided to forget
everything so as to move on in life with a positive outlook.
 QuEsTIons

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7) Why was Mrs. Dorling cautious while opening the door?

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Ans- Years ago, Mrs. Dorling took the narrator's belongings under the

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pretext that she would keep them safe, hoping the war would force the

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family away permanently. However, she was worried about a family

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member returning to reclaim the items. This made her cautious while

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opening the door.

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