by Sinclair Lewis
NCERT Questions & Answers + Important Extra Questions
NCERT Textbook Questions
Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion?
Answer
The young lawyer is sent to New Mullion to serve a summons on a man named Oliver Lutkins. Lutkins was needed as a witness in a law case. The lawyer worked for a law firm in the city and hated his job — he was given unpleasant tasks like serving court papers on difficult, dishonest people. He had been trying to find Lutkins, and when he was finally assigned to go to New Mullion (a small country town about forty miles from the city), he was initially delighted — he imagined a beautiful, peaceful village as a welcome escape from the dirty city.
Who is the hack driver? What does he tell the narrator about Lutkins?
Answer
The hack driver is a friendly, cheerful man about forty years old who meets the lawyer at the train station and offers to drive him around town in his horse-drawn carriage (hack) for two dollars an hour. He introduces himself as Bill Magnuson. He tells the lawyer that: (i) Oliver Lutkins is a tricky, elusive character who's hard to catch. (ii) Lutkins is always moving around — he might be at Fritz's shop, or at the barber's, or at Gray's shop, or playing poker somewhere. (iii) He offers to help the lawyer find Lutkins — driving him all over town to various places. The twist is that Bill Magnuson IS Oliver Lutkins himself — he was fooling the lawyer the entire time, leading him on a wild goose chase around town so he would never be served the summons.
Does the__( lawyer realise who Bill is? When?
Answer
No, the lawyer does not realise who Bill is during his first visit. He is completely taken in by Bill's friendly, helpful manner. He spends the entire day being driven around New Mullion, visiting Fritz's shop, the barber, the poolroom, Gray's shop, and even Lutkins's own mother's farmhouse — all without realising that his driver IS Lutkins. He returns to the city having failed to serve the summons. The truth is revealed only on his second visit: his law firm sends him back with a colleague who knows Lutkins by sight. When they arrive at the station, the colleague immediately points to the hack driver and says, "That's Lutkins." Lutkins and the entire town (who were in on the joke) burst out laughing. The lawyer feels humiliated and foolish.
Why was the lawyer easily fooled?
Answer
The lawyer was easily fooled because: (i) He was young and inexperienced — fresh out of law school, naive about the world. (ii) He was desperate to escape city life — he romanticised the countryside and was predisposed to see everything positively. (iii) Bill/Lutkins was extremely charming and convincing — friendly, funny, helpful, and warm. The lawyer immediately trusted him. (iv) The lawyer never suspected that the person offering to help find Lutkins might BE Lutkins — a fundamental failure of detective instinct. (v) He was flattered by Bill's attention — Bill treated him like a friend, bought him lunch, and told entertaining stories. (vi) The whole town was in on the joke — everyone they visited played along, ensuring the lawyer never got close to the truth.
Important Extra Questions
What is the message of the story?
Answer
(i) Appearances are deceptive: Bill seemed like the friendliest, most helpful person — but he was the very man the lawyer was looking for, deliberately misleading him. (ii) Don't be naive: The lawyer's trusting nature made him an easy victim. In professional life, one must be vigilant and questioning. (iii) Experience is a great teacher: The lawyer learned a painful but valuable lesson about human cunning. (iv) Small-town charm can be a trap: The lawyer romanticised country life and country people — this made him blind to their deception. (v) Know the people you're dealing with: Had the lawyer done his homework (asking what Lutkins looked like), he wouldn't have been fooled.
Compare the lawyer's first and second visits to New Mullion.
Answer
First visit: The lawyer is charmed by New Mullion — he finds it beautiful and pleasant. He trusts Bill completely, enjoys the day, has a wonderful lunch, and even considers moving to the town. He fails to serve the summons but doesn't mind. Second visit: Everything changes — he arrives with a colleague who identifies Lutkins immediately. The lawyer realises he was fooled all day. Lutkins and the townspeople laugh at him openly. He feels deeply humiliated and foolish. The same town that seemed charming and friendly now represents deception and mockery. The contrast shows how our perception of places and people changes when we discover the truth.