Summary: “The Hack Driver” is a short story written by Sinclair Lewis. It is about a young lawyer who, after graduating with honours, joins a law firm as a junior assistant clerk. Instead of preparing legal briefs, he is assigned the unpleasant task of serving summons on people. He is sent to a small town called New Mullion to serve a summons on a man named Oliver Lutkins, who is needed as a witness in a court case. Upon arriving at the train station, the lawyer meets a friendly and cheerful hack driver who introduces himself as Bill Magnuson. Bill offers to help the lawyer find Lutkins for two dollars an hour. Bill takes the lawyer on a tour of the entire village, visiting Fritz’s shop, Gustaff’s barber shop, Gray’s barber shop, the poolroom, and finally Lutkins’ mother’s farm. At every place, they are told that Lutkins has just left. Bill describes Lutkins as a clever and dishonest man who owes money to many people. At the mother’s farmhouse, the old woman threatens them with an iron rod and chases them away. They fail to find Lutkins. The lawyer returns to the city and is scolded by his boss. He is sent back to New Mullion the next day with a person who knows Lutkins by sight. At the station, this companion points out the hack driver and reveals that he is Oliver Lutkins himself. Lutkins and his mother laugh at the lawyer, and the young man feels deeply humiliated. The story teaches us that appearances can be deceptive and one should not blindly trust strangers.
Think About It (NCERT Textbook Questions)
Q1. Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Ans: The lawyer is sent to New Mullion to serve a summons on Oliver Lutkins, who is needed as a witness in a court case. Before arriving, the lawyer imagines New Mullion to be a sweet and simple country village with pleasant scenery. However, when he reaches there, he finds that the streets are full of mud, and the shops are made of wood, either painted a dull brown colour or left unpainted. His expectations are severely disappointed.
Q2. Who befriends the lawyer? Where does he take him?
Ans: A hack driver at the railway station befriends the lawyer. He introduces himself as Bill Magnuson and offers to help the lawyer find Lutkins. He takes the lawyer to several places in the village — Fritz’s shop, Gustaff’s barber shop, Gray’s barber shop, the poolroom, and finally to Lutkins’ mother’s farmhouse. However, they fail to find Lutkins at any of these places because the hack driver himself is Oliver Lutkins.
Q3. What does Bill say about Lutkins?
Ans: Bill describes Lutkins as a clever and dishonest man who is hard to find. He says that Lutkins is always busy with something or the other. He tells the lawyer that Lutkins owes money to many people in the village and never pays back. Bill also says that Lutkins is very good at deceiving people, especially at poker. He seems to admire Lutkins’ talent for dishonesty.
Q4. What more does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?
Ans: Bill describes Lutkins’ mother as a terror. He says she is about nine feet tall and four feet thick, and as quick as a cat. He tells the lawyer that once he took a trunk to her house and she almost took his skin off because he did not treat it carefully enough. Bill warns the lawyer that if they go to her house, they should be very careful. He suggests that Lutkins might be hiding at his mother’s farm.
Q5. Does the narrator serve the summons that day?
Ans: No, the narrator does not serve the summons that day. He spends the entire day with the hack driver searching for Lutkins in various places around the village but fails to find him. He returns to the city empty-handed. He is sent back to New Mullion the next day with a companion who knows Lutkins by sight, and only then is the summons finally served.
Q6. Who is Lutkins?
Ans: The hack driver himself is Oliver Lutkins. He pretends to be Bill Magnuson, a friendly and helpful hack driver, in order to trick the lawyer and avoid being served the summons. He takes the lawyer on a wild goose chase throughout the village so that the lawyer never discovers his true identity. The truth is revealed only when the lawyer returns to New Mullion with a person who recognises Lutkins.
Q7. When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins? When do you think ‘Bill’ came up with his plan to fool the lawyer?
Ans: No, Bill did not initially know that the lawyer was looking for Lutkins. He must have come up with his plan to fool the lawyer the moment the lawyer told him that he was looking for a man named Oliver Lutkins. Since Lutkins knew that he was wanted as a witness in a court case, he quickly devised a scheme to avoid being served the summons. His quick thinking and cunning nature allowed him to deceive the inexperienced young lawyer successfully.
Q8. Lutkins openly takes the lawyer around the village. How is it that no one lets out the secret?
Ans: Lutkins uses several clever strategies to prevent the secret from being revealed. First, he always enters the shops and other places ahead of the lawyer and speaks to people alone, keeping the lawyer at a distance. This gives him the opportunity to alert people about the deception. Second, the villagers seem to be in on the joke and enjoy the prank being played on the city lawyer. The entire community appears to cooperate with Lutkins, either out of loyalty or simply for amusement.
Q9. Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?
Ans: Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer because they had heard about the clever trick that Lutkins had played on the young city lawyer. They found the whole incident very funny and entertaining. They wanted to see the gullible young man who had been fooled so easily by their neighbour. It was a source of great amusement for the entire village to see how a well-educated lawyer had been taken for a ride by a simple hack driver.
Q10. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver, the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
Ans: Yes, the lawyer would certainly have reconsidered his idea of practising law in New Mullion after his second visit. During his first visit, he was charmed by the village life and the friendliness of its people, especially Bill. He found Bill to be deeply and richly human. However, after discovering that the friendly hack driver was actually Lutkins, who had tricked and humiliated him, and that the entire village had laughed at him, the lawyer would never want to return to New Mullion. He would feel too embarrassed and betrayed to consider living or working there.
Q11. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Ans: Yes, the lawyer was certainly very gullible. He blindly trusted a complete stranger without verifying any of the information provided to him. He could have avoided being tricked in several ways. First, he should have asked other villagers about Lutkins independently instead of relying entirely on the hack driver. Second, he should have been more suspicious when they kept missing Lutkins at every location. Third, he could have carried a photograph or description of Lutkins for identification. Fourth, he should have maintained professional caution and not shared all the details of his assignment with a stranger.
Talk About It
Q1. Do you think people like Lutkins are colourful characters who are to be found only in fiction, or do such people exist in real life too?
Ans: People like Lutkins exist in real life too, not just in fiction. We often read in newspapers about con men and tricksters who cheat innocent people by winning their trust. Such people use their charm, friendliness, and cleverness to deceive others for personal gain. History and daily news are full of examples of people who pretend to be someone they are not in order to avoid responsibility or to cheat others. Sinclair Lewis based his stories on real American small-town life, making Lutkins a very realistic character.
Q2. Who is a ‘con man’ or a confidence trickster?
Ans: A ‘con man’ or confidence trickster is a person who deceives and cheats others by first winning their trust and confidence. Such a person appears to be friendly, honest, and helpful, but actually has selfish motives. Once the victim trusts the con man completely, the con man takes advantage of that trust to cheat or deceive the victim. In this story, Oliver Lutkins is a perfect example of a confidence trickster. He won the lawyer’s trust by appearing as a friendly and helpful hack driver, and then used that trust to fool him completely.
Short Answer Type Questions (2-3 Marks)
Q1. What job did the narrator get after his graduation? Did he enjoy it?
Ans: After graduating with honours, the narrator got the job of a junior assistant clerk in a magnificent law firm. He did not enjoy the work at all because instead of preparing legal briefs, he was assigned the task of serving summons on people. He had to visit dirty and dangerous places in the city, and some of the people he served even threatened to beat him up.
Q2. Why was the lawyer sent to New Mullion?
Ans: The lawyer was sent to New Mullion to serve a summons on a man named Oliver Lutkins. Lutkins was needed as a witness in a court case, and the law firm required his testimony. The lawyer had to locate Lutkins and deliver the court summons to him.
Q3. What were the lawyer’s first impressions of New Mullion?
Ans: The lawyer was initially disappointed by New Mullion. He had expected it to be a sweet and simple country village, but instead he found muddy streets and wooden shops that were either painted dull brown or left unpainted. The only pleasant sight at the station was the cheerful hack driver who greeted him warmly.
Q4. Describe the appearance of the hack driver.
Ans: The hack driver was about forty years old with a red face and cheerful expression. He wore worn and dirty clothes. Despite his rough appearance, he had a friendly and open manner that immediately put the lawyer at ease. He seemed like someone who genuinely liked people and enjoyed talking to them.
Q5. How did the hack driver offer to help the lawyer?
Ans: When the lawyer told the hack driver that he was looking for Oliver Lutkins, the driver immediately said he knew Lutkins well. He offered to take the lawyer around the village to find Lutkins. He charged two dollars an hour for his hack and claimed to know all the places where Lutkins might be found.
Q6. Which places did the lawyer and Bill visit in search of Lutkins?
Ans: The lawyer and Bill visited several places in search of Lutkins. They first went to Fritz’s shop where Lutkins was known to play poker. Then they went to Gustaff’s barber shop, followed by Gray’s barber shop. After that, they checked the poolroom. Finally, they drove to Lutkins’ mother’s farmhouse in the countryside.
Q7. What did Fritz say about Lutkins?
Ans: Fritz hesitated when asked about Lutkins. He then admitted that Lutkins had been in his shop a little while ago but had left. Fritz was likely in on the joke and cooperated with Lutkins to mislead the lawyer. His hesitation suggests he was not entirely comfortable with the deception.
Q8. What did Gustaff say about Lutkins?
Ans: Gustaff, the barber, said that he had not seen Lutkins for a couple of days. He added that he did not care to see him either because Lutkins owed him thirty-five cents for a haircut. This was likely part of the act to make the lawyer believe that Lutkins was a dishonest man who owed money to everyone.
Q9. Why did the hack driver take the lawyer to Wade’s Hill for lunch?
Ans: The hack driver discouraged the lawyer from eating at a restaurant in the village, saying that the food there was terrible. Instead, he suggested that his wife could pack lunch for them. They ate the lunch at Wade’s Hill, a scenic spot. This was another trick by Lutkins to keep the lawyer away from the village and prevent him from asking anyone about Lutkins independently.
Q10. Describe what happened at Lutkins’ mother’s farmhouse.
Ans: When the lawyer and Bill reached Lutkins’ mother’s farmhouse, the old woman came out and became furious upon learning their purpose. She grabbed an iron rod from the kitchen and chased them out, shouting and threatening them. Bill and the lawyer had to retreat quickly. The whole episode was an act staged by Lutkins and his mother to scare the lawyer away.
Q11. What did the narrator call “pretty disrespectful treatment”?
Ans: The narrator called the behaviour of Lutkins’ mother “pretty disrespectful treatment.” She had insulted them, shouted at them, chased them with an iron rod, and mocked them as they ran away. The narrator considered this treatment very rude and undignified, especially since he was there on official legal business.
Q12. Why did the lawyer not suspect that the hack driver was Lutkins himself?
Ans: The lawyer did not suspect the hack driver because Bill appeared genuinely friendly and helpful. The lawyer had never seen Lutkins before, so he had no way of identifying him. Also, Bill’s detailed descriptions of Lutkins and his willingness to help find him made the lawyer believe that they were two different people. The lawyer was also young, inexperienced, and too trusting.
Q13. What impression did the lawyer form of the village people after his first visit?
Ans: After his first visit, the lawyer formed a very positive impression of the village people. He was fascinated by Bill’s character and found him to be deeply and richly human. He believed the villagers were simple, wise, and honest. He was so impressed that he even considered returning to New Mullion to practise law there.
Q14. How was the lawyer received at the law firm after his first visit?
Ans: The lawyer was received with anger and disappointment at the law firm. His boss was very upset because the lawyer had failed to serve the summons on Lutkins. The chief called him a useless fool and decided to send him back to New Mullion the next day, this time accompanied by a person who knew Lutkins by sight.
Q15. How was the truth about Lutkins finally revealed?
Ans: The truth was revealed during the lawyer’s second visit to New Mullion. He was accompanied by a person who had previously worked with Lutkins and knew him by sight. When they arrived at the station, the hack driver came forward to greet them. The companion immediately recognised him and told the lawyer that the hack driver was Oliver Lutkins himself. The lawyer was shocked and deeply humiliated.
Q16. What hurt the narrator the most about the whole experience?
Ans: What hurt the narrator the most was that when he finally served the summons on Lutkins, both Lutkins and his mother laughed at him as though he were a bright boy of seven. The fact that he had been made a fool of by a simple hack driver and that the entire village had been laughing at him was deeply humiliating for the young lawyer.
Q17. Why did the hack driver discourage the lawyer from going to a restaurant?
Ans: The hack driver discouraged the lawyer from going to a restaurant because he did not want the lawyer to interact with other people in the village. If the lawyer spoke to people at the restaurant, someone might reveal the hack driver’s true identity as Oliver Lutkins. To prevent this, Bill suggested they eat lunch prepared by his wife at a secluded spot.
Q18. What strategy did Bill use to keep the lawyer away from other people?
Ans: Bill used several clever strategies to keep the lawyer away from other people. He always entered shops and buildings first while the lawyer waited outside. He spoke to people privately before the lawyer could interact with them. He took the lawyer to a secluded spot for lunch instead of a public restaurant. He also created a frightening image of Lutkins’ mother to discourage the lawyer from approaching her directly.
Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 Marks)
Q1. Give a detailed character sketch of Oliver Lutkins (the hack driver).
Ans: Oliver Lutkins is the central character of the story “The Hack Driver” by Sinclair Lewis. He is a middle-aged man of about forty, with a red face and a cheerful expression. He works as a hack driver at the New Mullion railway station. He is an extremely clever, cunning, and quick-thinking person. When a young lawyer arrives at New Mullion to serve him a summons, Lutkins immediately comes up with a plan to deceive him. He introduces himself as Bill Magnuson and offers to help the lawyer find Lutkins, thereby preventing the lawyer from discovering his true identity. He takes the lawyer on a wild goose chase through the village, visiting several places and always claiming that Lutkins has just left. He is a wonderful storyteller and creates vivid descriptions of Lutkins and his mother that the lawyer finds entirely believable. He is also a good actor who plays the role of a friendly and helpful hack driver perfectly. However, beneath his charming exterior, he is dishonest and irresponsible. He avoids his legal duty as a witness and makes a fool of an innocent young man for his own amusement. He even involves his mother and the entire village in his scheme. While he is entertaining and likeable on the surface, his behaviour shows a lack of moral values and respect for the law.
Q2. How did Oliver Lutkins make a fool of the young lawyer? Describe the events in detail.
Ans: Oliver Lutkins made a fool of the young lawyer through a well-planned and cleverly executed scheme. When the lawyer arrived at New Mullion to serve a summons on Lutkins, Lutkins was already at the station disguised as a hack driver named Bill Magnuson. He quickly realised the lawyer’s purpose and came up with a plan on the spot. First, he won the lawyer’s trust by being extremely friendly and cheerful. He offered to help the lawyer find Lutkins and charged him two dollars an hour for his hack. Then he took the lawyer on a tour of the village, visiting Fritz’s shop, Gustaff’s barber shop, Gray’s barber shop, and the poolroom. At each place, Bill went inside first and spoke to the people privately, while the lawyer waited outside. Everyone they met claimed that Lutkins had just left. Bill also created vivid stories about Lutkins being a dishonest man who owed money to everyone, which made the lawyer believe that Lutkins was a real person different from Bill. When they went to Lutkins’ mother’s farm, the old woman staged a scene with an iron rod, chasing them away. To keep the lawyer from talking to anyone else, Bill took him to a secluded spot for lunch. By the end of the day, the lawyer had failed to find Lutkins and returned to the city empty-handed. The truth was only revealed during the lawyer’s second visit when a companion recognised the hack driver as Lutkins himself.
Q3. “Appearances are often deceptive.” Explain this statement with reference to “The Hack Driver.”
Ans: The statement “Appearances are often deceptive” is the central theme of the story “The Hack Driver.” The entire story revolves around the idea that people and places are not always what they appear to be. The hack driver, who appears to be a simple, honest, and helpful country man, turns out to be the cunning Oliver Lutkins who has been deceiving the lawyer all along. His friendly smile, warm words, and apparent eagerness to help are all part of an elaborate trick. The lawyer, who is supposed to be an educated and intelligent professional, turns out to be gullible and easily fooled. The village of New Mullion, which the lawyer imagines to be a sweet and simple country village, turns out to be a place where people conspire together to deceive an outsider. Even Lutkins’ mother, who appears to be a fierce and angry old woman, is actually part of the scheme and is acting to protect her son. The lawyer’s trust in surface-level appearances leads to his complete failure and humiliation. The story teaches us that we should not judge people by their outward appearance and should always verify facts independently before trusting anyone completely.
Q4. What does the story tell us about the contrast between city life and village life as perceived by the narrator?
Ans: The narrator in “The Hack Driver” has a romantic and idealistic view of village life as compared to city life. In the city, he works as a junior assistant clerk in a law firm where he is given the unpleasant task of serving summons. He has to visit dirty, dark, and dangerous corners of the city. He dislikes both the work and the side of city life it reveals to him. He finds city people to be selfish, rude, and threatening. When he reaches New Mullion, despite his initial disappointment with the muddy streets, he is charmed by the hack driver’s friendliness and the seemingly simple, honest way of village life. He is so impressed by Bill’s character and the peaceful countryside at Wade’s Hill that he considers moving to New Mullion to practise law. He believes the villagers are simple, wise, and deeply human. However, his second visit shatters these romantic illusions. He discovers that the villagers are capable of the same dishonesty and deception as city people. The story suggests that goodness and dishonesty are not tied to any particular place. Both cities and villages have honest and dishonest people. The narrator’s romantic idealism about rural life proves to be just as misguided as his initial trust in the hack driver.
Q5. Was Lutkins justified in deceiving the lawyer? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: No, Lutkins was not at all justified in deceiving the lawyer. There are several reasons for this. First, Lutkins was needed as a witness in a court case, which is a legal duty. By evading the summons, he was obstructing the course of justice and showing disrespect for the law. Second, he deliberately humiliated a young and inexperienced lawyer who was simply doing his job. The lawyer had done nothing wrong and did not deserve to be made a fool of. Third, Lutkins involved his mother and the entire village in his deception, encouraging them to participate in a dishonest act. Fourth, he charged the lawyer money for the hack while leading him on a false chase, which amounts to cheating. Fifth, he and his mother laughed at the lawyer when the truth was finally revealed, showing a lack of empathy and basic human decency. While Lutkins’ cleverness may be admired in some ways, his actions were morally wrong because they involved dishonesty, obstruction of justice, and deliberate humiliation of an innocent person. A responsible citizen should cooperate with the law and not use trickery to evade legal obligations.
Q6. “Intelligence cannot be judged by a person’s profession.” Discuss this statement with reference to “The Hack Driver.”
Ans: The story “The Hack Driver” clearly demonstrates that intelligence and cleverness are not determined by a person’s profession or educational qualifications. The young lawyer, despite having graduated with honours and working at a prestigious law firm, proves to be gullible and easily deceived. On the other hand, the hack driver, who holds a humble and seemingly uneducated position, proves to be extraordinarily clever and intelligent. Lutkins, the hack driver, demonstrates remarkable quick thinking when he instantly devises a plan to fool the lawyer. He shows excellent acting skills by playing the role of the helpful Bill Magnuson convincingly. He displays strategic intelligence by keeping the lawyer away from other villagers, entering buildings first to warn people, and creating believable stories about Lutkins’ character and his mother’s fierce temperament. He even manages to involve the entire community in his scheme. The lawyer, despite his formal education, fails to see through these tricks. This contrast between the educated lawyer and the uneducated hack driver proves that real intelligence lies in practical wisdom, quick thinking, and understanding of human nature, not merely in formal education or professional status.
Q7. Describe the narrator’s first and second visits to New Mullion. How did his experience differ on both occasions?
Ans: The narrator’s two visits to New Mullion were completely different experiences. During his first visit, the narrator arrived with hopeful expectations of a charming country village. Although the village disappointed him initially, meeting the friendly hack driver Bill Magnuson changed everything. Bill offered to help find Lutkins and took the lawyer on a tour of the village. The narrator enjoyed the countryside, the lunch at Wade’s Hill, and Bill’s entertaining stories. He was charmed by the apparent simplicity and friendliness of the village people. He returned to the city feeling happy despite failing to find Lutkins, and even considered moving to New Mullion to practise law. During his second visit, the narrator returned with a companion who knew Lutkins by sight. The moment they arrived at the station, the companion pointed out the hack driver and identified him as Oliver Lutkins. The narrator was shocked and deeply humiliated. When the summons was finally served, Lutkins and his mother laughed at the narrator. The experience was painful and embarrassing. The first visit left the narrator with a romantic and positive impression of village life, while the second visit shattered those illusions completely and left him feeling foolish and betrayed.
Q8. “People who easily trust others are sometimes made to look foolish.” Explain this with reference to “The Hack Driver.”
Ans: The statement perfectly describes the experience of the young lawyer in “The Hack Driver.” The lawyer trusts the hack driver completely from the moment they meet. He shares his entire purpose of visiting New Mullion with a complete stranger. He allows Bill to lead him around the village without ever questioning his motives or verifying his claims. He believes every story Bill tells about Lutkins and his mother. He eats lunch at a secluded spot arranged by Bill instead of interacting with other villagers at a restaurant. He even pays Bill two dollars an hour for a hack ride that leads nowhere. All of this happens because the lawyer is too trusting. He trusts Bill’s friendly appearance and open manner without considering that the hack driver might have his own reasons for being so helpful. If the lawyer had been more cautious and less trusting, he would have asked other people in the village about Lutkins independently, verified Bill’s claims, or simply been more alert to the suspicious circumstances. Instead, his blind trust in a stranger made him look foolish in front of the entire village. The story teaches us the important lesson that while trust is a good quality, blind and excessive trust can make us vulnerable to deception and manipulation.
Q9. What precautions should the lawyer have taken to avoid being tricked by Lutkins?
Ans: The lawyer could have taken several precautions to avoid being tricked by Lutkins. First, before visiting New Mullion, he should have gathered information about Lutkins from the law firm, including a photograph or physical description, so that he could identify him. Second, he should not have disclosed his purpose to a stranger at the station. Third, he should have made independent enquiries about Lutkins from multiple people instead of relying solely on the hack driver. Fourth, he should have entered the shops and buildings himself to ask about Lutkins directly, rather than waiting outside while Bill went in alone. Fifth, he should have eaten at a local restaurant where he could have talked to other villagers instead of going to a secluded spot for lunch. Sixth, he should have been more suspicious when they kept narrowly missing Lutkins at every location. Seventh, he could have sought help from local authorities or the post office to locate Lutkins. By taking these simple precautions, the lawyer could have easily discovered the truth and avoided the humiliation he suffered.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of “The Hack Driver”?
(a) Guy de Maupassant
(b) Sinclair Lewis
(c) K.A. Abbas
(d) Claire Boiko
Ans: (b) Sinclair Lewis
Q2. What job did the narrator get after graduation?
(a) Partner in a law firm
(b) Lawyer
(c) Senior associate
(d) Junior assistant clerk
Ans: (d) Junior assistant clerk
Q3. Why was the narrator sent to New Mullion?
(a) To arrest Lutkins
(b) To serve summons on Oliver Lutkins
(c) To live permanently
(d) To investigate a crime
Ans: (b) To serve summons on Oliver Lutkins
Q4. How did the narrator travel to New Mullion?
(a) By car
(b) By train
(c) By bus
(d) By hack
Ans: (b) By train
Q5. What was the only pleasant sight at the New Mullion station?
(a) The weather
(b) The raw shops
(c) The delivery man (hack driver)
(d) The muddy streets
Ans: (c) The delivery man (hack driver)
Q6. What false name did Lutkins give to the lawyer?
(a) Fritz
(b) Gustaff
(c) Bill Magnuson
(d) Gray
Ans: (c) Bill Magnuson
Q7. What vehicle did the hack driver have?
(a) An autorickshaw
(b) A cab
(c) A hack
(d) A cart
Ans: (c) A hack
Q8. Oliver owed fifty cents for a game of ___.
(a) Chess
(b) Poker
(c) Horse race
(d) Cards
Ans: (b) Poker
Q9. What did Lutkins’ mother chase them with?
(a) A pistol
(b) A knife
(c) An iron rod
(d) A stick
Ans: (c) An iron rod
Q10. Where did the narrator and Bill have lunch?
(a) Wade’s Hill
(b) Bill’s home
(c) A restaurant
(d) Oliver’s mother’s farm
Ans: (a) Wade’s Hill
Q11. How many times did the narrator visit New Mullion?
(a) One
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) Four
Ans: (b) Two
Q12. Bill seemed to ___ Lutkins’ talent for dishonesty.
(a) Dislike
(b) Hate
(c) Criticise
(d) Admire
Ans: (d) Admire
Q13. The summons for Lutkins was for ___.
(a) A theft case
(b) A murder case
(c) A cheating case
(d) Being a witness in a case
Ans: (d) Being a witness in a case
Q14. Who accompanied the lawyer on his second visit to New Mullion?
(a) His boss
(b) A person who knew Lutkins
(c) A policeman
(d) His friend
Ans: (b) A person who knew Lutkins
Q15. What did Gustaff say Lutkins owed him?
(a) Fifty cents
(b) Thirty-five cents
(c) One dollar
(d) Two dollars
Ans: (b) Thirty-five cents
Extract-Based Questions
Passage 1: “After graduating with honours, I became a junior assistant clerk in a magnificent law firm. I was sent, not to prepare legal briefs, but to serve summons, like a cheap private detective. I had to go to dirty and shadowy corners of the city to serve summons on the most unwilling people.”
(a) What job did the narrator get after graduation?
Ans: The narrator got the job of a junior assistant clerk in a magnificent law firm after graduating with honours.
(b) What work was assigned to the narrator?
Ans: The narrator was assigned the work of serving summons on people, instead of preparing legal briefs as he had expected.
(c) Why did the narrator compare himself to a “cheap private detective”?
Ans: The narrator compared himself to a cheap private detective because, like a detective, he had to visit dirty and dangerous corners of the city to track down people and serve them summons, which he found demeaning.
(d) Find a word from the passage that means “court order.”
Ans: The word “summons” means “court order.”
Passage 2: “He was so open and friendly that I glowed with the warmth of his affection. I knew, of course, that he wanted the business, but his kindness was real. I was going to find Lutkins and serve my summons, and the hack driver would get the fee for the ride.”
(a) Who is “he” in this passage?
Ans: “He” refers to the hack driver who introduced himself as Bill Magnuson. In reality, he was Oliver Lutkins himself.
(b) Why did the narrator feel warmth towards the hack driver?
Ans: The narrator felt warmth towards the hack driver because he was so open, friendly, and affectionate. His kindness appeared to be genuine and real, which made the narrator trust him immediately.
(c) What did the narrator think the arrangement would be?
Ans: The narrator thought it would be a mutually beneficial arrangement — the narrator would find Lutkins and serve the summons, while the hack driver would earn the fee for the ride.
(d) Find a word from the passage that means “fondness.”
Ans: The word “affection” means “fondness.”
Passage 3: “So we pursued him, just behind him but never catching him, for an hour till it was past one o’clock. Then Bill suggested lunch. I know just the place. We drove out to Wade’s Hill and there we sat under the trees.”
(a) Who was pursuing whom?
Ans: The narrator and Bill (the hack driver) were pursuing Oliver Lutkins around the village. However, in reality, Bill himself was Lutkins, so the pursuit was entirely fake.
(b) Why could they never catch the person they were pursuing?
Ans: They could never catch the person because the hack driver was Lutkins himself. He was deliberately leading the lawyer on a wild goose chase, pretending to look for someone who was right there with them the whole time.
(c) Why did Bill suggest going to Wade’s Hill for lunch?
Ans: Bill suggested going to Wade’s Hill because he wanted to keep the lawyer away from the village restaurants and public places where someone might reveal his true identity as Lutkins.
(d) Find a word from the passage that is a synonym of “followed.”
Ans: The word “pursued” is a synonym of “followed.”
Passage 4: “What really hurt me was that when I served the summons, Lutkins and his mother laughed at me as though I were a bright boy of seven. With loving hearts they pointed me out to the neighbours and they too laughed at my discomfiture.”
(a) When was the narrator finally able to serve the summons?
Ans: The narrator was finally able to serve the summons during his second visit to New Mullion, when he was accompanied by a person who knew Lutkins by sight and identified the hack driver as Lutkins.
(b) Why did Lutkins and his mother laugh at the narrator?
Ans: They laughed at the narrator because they had successfully fooled him during his first visit. They found it extremely funny that a well-educated lawyer had been tricked so easily by a simple hack driver and his mother.
(c) Why were the neighbours anxious to see the lawyer?
Ans: The neighbours were anxious to see the lawyer because they had heard about the clever trick that Lutkins had played on him. They wanted to see the gullible young man who had been so easily fooled and found the whole incident amusing.
(d) What does “discomfiture” mean in this passage?
Ans: “Discomfiture” means a feeling of embarrassment, unease, or frustration. Here, it refers to the narrator’s feelings of humiliation and embarrassment at being laughed at by Lutkins, his mother, and the neighbours.
Passage 5: “When I got to New Mullion, my eager expectations of a sweet and simple country village were severely disappointed. Its streets were rivers of mud, with wooden sidewalks only in the centre of the town.”
(a) What were the narrator’s expectations about New Mullion?
Ans: The narrator expected New Mullion to be a sweet and simple country village with pleasant scenery and friendly people. He had romantic ideas about village life.
(b) How was the reality different from his expectations?
Ans: The reality was very different from his expectations. Instead of a charming village, he found muddy streets with wooden sidewalks only in the centre of the town. The shops were made of wood and were either painted dull brown or left unpainted.
(c) What does “severely disappointed” tell us about the narrator’s feelings?
Ans: “Severely disappointed” tells us that the narrator felt very let down and upset by the condition of the village. His romantic expectations of a beautiful country village were completely shattered by the reality he found.
(d) Find a word from the passage that means “keen” or “enthusiastic.”
Ans: The word “eager” means “keen” or “enthusiastic.”
Value-Based Questions
Q1. What values did Lutkins lack? What consequences can such behaviour have in real life?
Ans: Oliver Lutkins lacked several important values. He lacked honesty, as he deceived the lawyer by pretending to be someone else. He lacked a sense of civic responsibility, as he evaded his legal duty to appear as a witness in a court case. He lacked empathy and compassion, as he humiliated the young lawyer without any concern for his feelings. He also lacked respect for the law and the justice system. In real life, such behaviour can have serious consequences. If people evade their legal responsibilities, the justice system cannot function properly. Dishonesty erodes trust in society and damages relationships. People who deceive others for amusement may eventually find themselves isolated when their true nature is discovered. Moreover, obstruction of justice is a punishable offence, and people like Lutkins can face legal consequences for their actions.
Q2. The story teaches us the importance of being cautious and not blindly trusting strangers. How can this lesson be applied in today’s world?
Ans: The lesson from “The Hack Driver” is extremely relevant in today’s world. In the modern age, we encounter strangers not only in person but also online through social media, e-commerce, and various digital platforms. Con men and tricksters have become more sophisticated and operate on a much larger scale. People fall victim to online scams, phishing attacks, and fake identities because they trust too easily. The story teaches us to verify information independently before trusting anyone. We should not share personal or professional details with strangers. We should be sceptical of people who appear overly helpful or friendly without any reason. We should cross-check facts from multiple sources rather than relying on a single person’s word. At the same time, the story also reminds us that being cautious does not mean being suspicious of everyone. It means striking a balance between trust and verification. A healthy amount of scepticism, combined with independent thinking and verification, can protect us from being deceived in both our personal and professional lives.
Q3. “Humour should bring joy, not cause pain to others.” Discuss this with reference to “The Hack Driver.”
Ans: This statement highlights an important distinction between harmless fun and hurtful deception. In “The Hack Driver,” Lutkins treats the whole episode as a great joke. He enjoys fooling the lawyer, takes him on a wild goose chase, and later laughs at him openly with his mother and neighbours. While Lutkins and the villagers find it entertaining, the young lawyer is deeply hurt and humiliated. His professional reputation is damaged, and he feels foolish and betrayed. This shows that what may seem funny to one person can be extremely painful for another. True humour should bring joy to everyone involved, not at the expense of someone’s dignity and self-respect. Laughing with someone is very different from laughing at someone. Lutkins’ brand of humour was cruel because it deliberately targeted an innocent person and made him the subject of ridicule for the entire village. The story reminds us that we should always consider the feelings of others before making them the subject of our jokes. Genuine humour uplifts people; it does not demean or humiliate them.