Dear Class 12 students, please make use of the English Supplementary lesson The Midnight Visitor Text Book Solutions for your study and reference.
The Midnight Visitor Summary
Theme: The power of intelligence over physical appearance.
The Midnight Visitor is a thrilling short story by Robert Arthur that showcases the cleverness and resourcefulness of an unassuming secret agent named Ausable. The story begins with Fowler, a young and romantic writer, who is eager to meet Ausable and experience the life of a secret agent first-hand. Fowler’s expectations are high, anticipating a glamorous and dangerous adventure filled with espionage and excitement. However, he is quickly disillusioned when he meets Ausable, who is far from the stereotypical image of a spy.
Ausable is fat and sloppy, with an American accent, none of which fit Fowler’s preconceived notions of a secret agent. Despite his disappointment, Fowler follows Ausable to his room in a gloomy French hotel. The setting is dull and uninspiring, further deepening Fowler’s disillusionment. As they enter the room, Ausable assures Fowler that an important paper, for which many have risked their lives, is about to be delivered. This paper could potentially alter the course of history, hinting at the gravity of Ausable’s work.
As Ausable turns on the light in his room, both he and Fowler are startled to find a man named Max already there, holding a small automatic pistol. Max is slender and fox-like in appearance, and his presence immediately injects a sense of danger and urgency into the situation. Max demands the report concerning new missiles, believing it will be safer in his hands than in Ausable’s.
Ausable, however, remains remarkably calm and composed. He sits down heavily in an armchair and begins to weave a story about a balcony outside his window, which he claims has been used before by intruders to enter his room. Fowler, unfamiliar with the room’s layout, listens intently. Max, unaware of Ausable’s ruse, believes the story about the balcony. Ausable explains that the balcony belongs to the next apartment and can be accessed from an empty room two doors down. He expresses irritation that the hotel management has not yet blocked it off.
As they wait for the report, a knock at the door startles Fowler and makes Max nervous. Ausable seizes the opportunity and tells Max that the police are at the door to provide extra protection for the important paper. Max panics and decides to hide on the balcony until the police leave. Ausable warns that if he does not answer the door, the police will enter anyway and may shoot. This convinces Max to make his escape through the window.
Max carefully backs towards the window, keeping his gun pointed at Ausable and Fowler. He swings one leg over the sill and grasps the window frame with his free hand. Just as he attempts to lower himself onto the balcony, the door knob turns. Max, desperate to avoid the police, quickly swings his other leg over the window sill and pushes off. However, as he lets go, he screams and falls to his death, for there is no balcony.
The door opens to reveal Henry, a waiter, bringing drinks that Ausable had ordered earlier. Fowler is shocked and confused by the turn of events, stammering about the police. Ausable calmly explains that there were no police, only Henry. Fowler then realizes that the entire story about the balcony and the police was a fabrication created by Ausable to outwit Max. The cleverness and quick thinking of Ausable turn what seemed to be a perilous situation into one where he and Fowler are safe, and Max is no longer a threat.
The Midnight Visitor is a masterful tale of deception and quick-wittedness. Ausable’s appearance and demeanor may not align with the traditional image of a secret agent, but his intelligence and resourcefulness prove to be his greatest assets. Through his calm and strategic manipulation of the situation, he successfully eliminates the threat posed by Max without any physical confrontation. The story ultimately highlights the importance of mental acuity over physical attributes in the realm of espionage.
Moral: Resourcefulness and presence of mind can outwit even the most dangerous adversaries.
1. Answer in a sentence or two the following questions.
a) Mention two features of Ausable that were uncharacteristic of a detective.
Answer: Ausable was very fat and had an American accent, which were uncharacteristic of a detective.
b) What was Ausable waiting for?
Answer: Ausable was waiting for a report concerning some new missiles.
c) Who was the Midnight Visitor? What was the purpose of his visit?
Answer: The Midnight Visitor was Max, who came to take the report concerning the missiles from Ausable.
d) How had Max actually entered the room?
Answer: Max entered the room using a passkey.
e) Did Max’s presence alarm Ausable?
Answer: No, Max’s presence did not alarm Ausable, but he was taken by surprise.
f) How did Ausable describe the balcony and the manner in which one could get into his room, through it?
Answer: Ausable described the balcony as a nuisance belonging to the next apartment, accessible from the empty room two doors down.
g) Where did Max try to hide himself?
Answer: Max tried to hide himself on the balcony.
h) Who was Henry? Why had he visited Ausable’s room?
Answer: Henry was a waiter who visited Ausable’s room to deliver drinks that Ausable had ordered.
i) What happened to Max finally?
Answer: Max fell to his death because there was no balcony.
2. Answer the following questions in about three to four sentences each.
a. Who was Fowler? Why did he meet Ausable?
Answer: Fowler was a young and romantic writer who met Ausable because he was intrigued by the life of a secret agent and wanted to experience some excitement and adventure.
b. Why was Fowler initially disillusioned with Ausable?
Answer: Fowler was initially disillusioned with Ausable because he expected a glamorous and thrilling spy, but instead found a fat, sloppy man with an American accent who led a seemingly dull life.
c. Fowler was thrilled when he entered Ausable’s room. Why?
Answer: Fowler was thrilled when he entered Ausable’s room because he encountered Max, a man with a pistol. This created the kind of dramatic and dangerous situation he had been hoping to witness.
d. How, according to Ausable, had Max entered the room?
Answer: According to Ausable, Max had entered the room using a passkey.
e. How did the three men react to the knocking at the door?
Answer: When there was a knock at the door, Fowler was startled, Max was nervous and threatened to shoot, while Ausable remained calm and pretended it was the police to further his plan.
f. Was Ausable really waiting for the police? Give reasons.
Answer: Ausable was not really waiting for the police. He had cleverly orchestrated the situation by arranging for Henry, the waiter, to knock on the door, thereby tricking Max into believing the police were coming and forcing him to escape through the nonexistent balcony.
3. Answer in a paragraph in about 150 words the following questions.
a. How did Ausable outwit Max?
Answer: Ausable outwitted Max by fabricating a story about a balcony that did not exist. When Max entered Ausable’s room with the intention of stealing a report, Ausable calmly mentioned that someone had previously used the balcony to enter his room. When there was a knock at the door, Ausable deceived Max into thinking it was the police. The suggestion was that Max could hide on the balcony. Believing Ausable’s story, Max attempted to escape through the window and fell to his death, as there was no balcony.
b. Describe the significance of the balcony.
Answer: The balcony in “The Midnight Visitor” is significant as it represents Ausable’s quick thinking and resourcefulness. By inventing the story about the balcony, Ausable creates a plausible escape route for Max, which ultimately leads to Max’s demise. The fictitious balcony becomes a critical element in Ausable’s plan to outsmart Max, showcasing Ausable’s ability to manipulate the situation and turn it to his advantage despite his unremarkable appearance.
c. Ausable planned to get rid of Max the very moment he noticed him. Explain with supporting evidence from the story.
Answer: Ausable planned to get rid of Max the moment he noticed him by staying calm and fabricating a story about the balcony. He quickly assessed the situation and used his intelligence to create a plausible lie about how someone could enter his room from the balcony. When the knock at the door came, Ausable saw an opportunity to further his plan by suggesting it was the police. This prompted Max to flee through the window, resulting in his fall from the nonexistent balcony. This demonstrated Ausable’s quick wit and strategic thinking.
d. Sketch the character of Ausable.
Answer: Ausable is depicted as an unassuming yet highly intelligent and resourceful secret agent. His physical appearance is far from the stereotypical image of a spy. Yet, he possesses a keen mind and the ability to remain calm under pressure. He effectively uses his quick thinking and ability to fabricate convincing stories to manipulate situations to his advantage. Ausable’s success in outwitting Max, a dangerous criminal, highlights his competence and effectiveness as a secret agent. It demonstrates that his true strength lies in his mental acuity rather than his physical attributes.
e. Do you think physical appearance matters most for a secret agent? Answer giving reasons in the context of the story ‘The Midnight Visitor.’
Answer: Physical appearance does not matter most for a secret agent, as illustrated by the story “The Midnight Visitor.” Ausable’s success as a secret agent is not hindered by his unremarkable and somewhat unimpressive physical appearance. Instead, his intelligence, quick thinking, and ability to stay calm under pressure are what make him effective in his role. Despite not fitting the typical image of a spy, Ausable is able to outwit Max through his resourcefulness and clever manipulation of the situation. This proves that mental acuity is far more important than physical appearance in the realm of espionage
f. The unexpected presence of a criminal wielding a gun triggers different reactions in the two men who entered the room. In this light, discuss the appropriacy of the title.
Answer: The unexpected presence of Max, a criminal wielding a gun, triggers different reactions in Fowler and Ausable, highlighting the appropriacy of the title “The Midnight Visitor.” Fowler, the writer, is initially thrilled by the encounter, craving the excitement he expected from a spy’s life. In contrast, Ausable remains calm and composed, quickly devising a plan to outsmart Max. The title aptly reflects the sudden and unforeseen nature of Max’s visit, which brings suspense and danger into an otherwise mundane setting. Ultimately it showcases Ausable’s true capabilities as a secret agent in dealing with such unforeseen threats.
4. Look at the following expressions used in the story. Match them with their meanings.
let down | disappointed |
chuckled to himself | laughed softly to himself |
take cheer | to be encouraged |
raise the devil | to complain or scold |
black with anger | become enraged |
take chances | try one’s luck! take a risk |
5. Based on your understanding of the story, complete the Graphic Organiser (GO) suitably.
Title: | Author: |
The Midnight Visitor | Robert Arthur |
Setting: | Plot: |
The story is set in a small, gloomy hotel room on the sixth floor of a French hotel, creating an atmosphere of intrigue and suspense. | The story revolves around Ausable, an unassuming secret agent, who cleverly outsmarts a dangerous intruder named Max by fabricating a story about a nonexistent balcony to ensure Max’s demise. |
Characters: | Climax: |
The main characters are Ausable, an unassuming yet clever secret agent; Fowler, a young and romantic writer seeking excitement; and Max, a slender, fox-like intruder with a gun who seeks to steal an important report from Ausable. | The climax occurs when Max, believing Ausable’s fabricated story about a balcony and fearing the arrival of the police, tries to escape through the window, only to fall to his death as there is no balcony. |
6. Given below are pictures of fictitious detective characters in English & Tamil short stories. Match them with the authors who created them.
1. Agatha Christie | Hercuie Poirot |
2. Tamizhvanan | Sankar Lat |
3. Devan | Sambu |
4. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson |
5. Sujatha | Ganesh, Vasanth |
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