First Phase : 50 Objectives & Answers
- Who is the author of ‘The Artist’?
Answer: Shiga Naoya - What type of literary piece is ‘The Artist’?
Answer: A short story - Where did Seibei live?
Answer: A harbor town - How old was Seibei?
Answer: 12 years - What was Seibei’s hobby?
Answer: Collecting gourds - What type of gourds did Seibei like?
Answer: Round and symmetrical - Why did Seibei wander about the town?
Answer: To look for gourds - Seibei knew every place that sold:
Answer: Gourds - How much did Seibei pay for a five-inch gourd?
Answer: Ten sen - What did Seibei do with the gourds at home?
Answer: Polished them with alcohol
- Seibei used to polish gourds with:
Answer: Alcohol - Where did Seibei keep his gourds?
Answer: In his desk at school - What did Seibei’s teacher do with the gourd he found?
Answer: Smashed it - Who was the old man who appreciated Seibei’s gourd?
Answer: A curator from a local museum - What did Seibei start collecting after the gourd incident?
Answer: Paintings - Seibei’s new interest was in:
Answer: Art and paintings - What was the shape of the gourd Seibei bought for ten sen?
Answer: Even and symmetrical - Seibei’s father reacted to his gourd collection by:
Answer: Burning them - How did Seibei feel after his gourds were destroyed?
Answer: Hurt but shifted to paintings - The story ‘The Artist’ highlights the theme of:
Answer: Suppressed creativity - Seibei’s school was located in:
Answer: Japan - The currency used in the story is:
Answer: Sen - Seibei bought gourds from:
Answer: Small shops and vendors - What time of day did Seibei usually search for gourds?
Answer: After school - Seibei’s teacher considered his hobby:
Answer: A distraction - The gourd Seibei loved was about:
Answer: Five inches long - Seibei polished gourds to make them:
Answer: Shiny and beautiful - Who scolded Seibei for bringing a gourd to school?
Answer: His teacher - The old man who saw Seibei’s gourd worked at:
Answer: A museum - What did the old man offer Seibei for his gourd?
Answer: Fifty sen - Seibei’s father was a:
Answer: Traditional man - The story is set in:
Answer: Japan - Seibei’s artistic talent was:
Answer: Innate - The teacher’s action reflects:
Answer: Rigidity of the education system - Seibei’s new hobby after gourds was:
Answer: Collecting pictures - The gourd incident happened during:
Answer: An ethics class - Seibei used to hide his gourds in:
Answer: His school desk - The story portrays conflict between:
Answer: Individual passion and societal norms - Seibei’s gourds were:
Answer: Small and artistically shaped - The old man praised Seibei’s gourd for its:
Answer: Shape and polish - Seibei’s father destroyed the gourds because:
Answer: He thought they were useless - The story ends with Seibei:
Answer: Pursuing art silently - The title ‘The Artist’ refers to:
Answer: Seibei - Seibei’s teacher was:
Answer: Strict and old-fashioned - The gourd was polished using:
Answer: Sake (alcohol) - Seibei’s passion shows his:
Answer: Aesthetic sense - The society in the story values:
Answer: Discipline over creativity - Seibei’s final interest in paintings shows:
Answer: Resilience of his artistic spirit - The author uses the gourd as a symbol of:
Answer: Beauty and individuality - The central message of the story is:
Answer: True art cannot be suppressed
Second Phase : 10 Short Answer Type Questions —
- What was Seibei’s hobby?
Answer: Seibei loved collecting small, symmetrical gourds.
He bought them for 5–10 sen and polished them with alcohol at home. - Where did Seibei keep his gourds at school?
Answer: He kept his polished gourds hidden inside his school desk.
He admired them secretly during class. - What happened to the gourd in school?
Answer: The teacher found it during ethics class.
He scolded Seibei and smashed the gourd. - Who appreciated Seibei’s gourd?
Answer: An old museum curator saw and praised it.
He offered fifty sen for its perfect shape. - What did Seibei’s father do with the gourds?
Answer: His father called them useless.
He burned all the gourds in the garden. - What new hobby did Seibei take up?
Answer: Seibei started collecting paintings and pictures.
He quietly pursued art after losing his gourds. - Why was Seibei scolded in class?
Answer: He was looking at a gourd instead of studying.
The teacher saw it as a distraction. - What does the title “The Artist” mean?
Answer: It refers to Seibei’s natural artistic sense.
He saw beauty in simple things like gourds. - How did Seibei polish his gourds?
Answer: He used sake (alcohol) and a soft cloth.
This made the gourds smooth and shiny. - What does the story show about school rules?
Answer: Schools valued discipline over creativity.
They punished students for personal interests.
Third Phase : 10 Long Answer Type Questions–
- Describe Seibei’s love for gourds and how others reacted?
Answer: Seibei, a 12-year-old boy, was passionate about collecting small, even-shaped gourds.
He spent pocket money to buy them and polished them carefully with alcohol to make them beautiful.
But his teacher smashed one in class, calling it a distraction.
His father burned the whole collection, saying they were childish.
Only an old museum curator appreciated his work and offered money.
Despite suppression, Seibei’s artistic spirit remained alive. - Explain the conflict between creativity and society in the story.
Answer: The story shows a clash between Seibei’s artistic nature and rigid social norms.
He found beauty in ordinary gourds and treated them as art, but school and family opposed it.
The teacher punished him for bringing a gourd to class, and his father destroyed his collection.
Society valued discipline and studies, not personal hobbies or creativity.
Yet Seibei quietly shifted to collecting paintings, proving true art cannot be fully crushed.
The story criticizes how systems often suppress individual talent. - Give a short summary of “The Artist.”
Answer: Seibei, a 12-year-old Japanese boy, loved collecting and polishing small gourds as art.
He bought them cheaply and admired their shape, but his teacher smashed one in school.
His father later burned all his gourds, calling them useless.
An old museum curator once praised a gourd and offered fifty sen.
Hurt but unbroken, Seibei then started collecting paintings silently.
The story shows how society crushes creativity but cannot kill the artist within. - How does the story criticize the education system?
Answer: The education system in the story is strict and narrow-minded.
Seibei was punished just for keeping a gourd in his desk during class.
The teacher did not try to understand his interest; he only saw it as disobedience.
This shows schools focused only on discipline and textbooks, not on nurturing talent.
Seibei’s creativity was crushed instead of encouraged.
The incident reflects how rigid rules can harm a child’s natural abilities. - Why is Seibei called an artist in the story?
Answer: Seibei is called an artist because he had a deep sense of beauty and creativity.
He didn’t just collect gourds—he selected perfect shapes and polished them like art.
His careful work showed an artistic eye, even at age 12.
When gourds were taken away, he turned to paintings, proving his talent was real.
The title honors his inner artist, which society failed to recognize.
His passion for simple things made him a true artist in spirit. - What role does the old museum curator play in the story?
Answer: The old curator is the only adult who truly understands Seibei’s talent.
He sees a polished gourd, praises its perfect shape, and offers fifty sen to buy it.
This moment gives Seibei rare validation and encouragement.
Unlike the teacher and father, the curator values art and beauty.
His appreciation shows that Seibei’s work had real artistic merit.
He represents hope that true talent will one day be recognized. - How does Seibei show resilience in the story?
Answer: Seibei faces rejection twice—first from his teacher, then from his father.
His gourd is smashed in school, and his entire collection is burned at home.
Yet he does not give up on art; he quietly starts collecting pictures and paintings.
This shift shows his inner strength and unbreakable artistic spirit.
He adapts without complaining and continues to follow his passion.
His silent pursuit proves that true creativity survives suppression. - What is the central theme of “The Artist”?
Answer: The central theme is the struggle of individual creativity against rigid social norms.
Seibei’s love for gourds is pure and artistic, but school and family crush it.
The story shows how society often values discipline over personal expression.
Yet Seibei’s shift to paintings proves that artistic spirit cannot be fully destroyed.
It delivers a message: true art and passion will find a way to survive.
The gourd becomes a symbol of beauty, individuality, and resilience. - Describe the setting of the story and its importance.
Answer: The story is set in a small harbor town in Japan, with a traditional school and home.
Seibei roams local shops to buy gourds, showing a simple, everyday Japanese life.
The school represents strict discipline, and home shows family control over children.
This traditional setting highlights how old rules suppressed new ideas and creativity.
The calm town contrasts with Seibei’s inner artistic fire.
