Q1. Who is the author of "Fire on the Mountain"?
Anita Desai is the author of "Fire on the Mountain"/The novel was written by the renowned Indian author Anita Desai.
Q2. When was the novel published?
It was first published in 1977.
Q3. What major award did the novel win?
It won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978.
Q4. Where is the novel set?
It is set in Kasauli, a hill station in the Himalayas, specifically in a house named Carignano.
Q5. Who is the protagonist of the novel?
Nanda Kaul, an elderly widow living in self-imposed isolation.
Q6. What is the name of Nanda Kaul’s house?
The house is named **Carignano**.
Q7. Why does Nanda Kaul live in Kasauli?
She moved there to escape the busy, demanding social life she led as a Vice-Chancellor's wife and to find peace.
Q8. Who is Raka?
Raka is Nanda Kaul’s great-granddaughter who comes to stay with her.
Q9. Why is Raka sent to Carignano?
She is recovering from typhoid, and her mother (Tara) wants her to recuperate in the fresh hill air.
Q10. How does Nanda Kaul initially react to Raka’s arrival?
She is unhappy and sees Raka as an unwanted intrusion into her treasured privacy.
Q11. What does the name "Raka" mean?
It means "Moon," but Nanda Kaul finds her looking more like a mosquito or an insect.
Q12. Who is Ram Lal?
Ram Lal is the cook and caretaker at Carignano who takes a liking to Raka.
Q13. How is Raka different from other children?
Raka is reclusive, independent, and prefers wandering the wild hillsides to playing games or socializing.
Q14. What common bond do Nanda and Raka share?
They both share a deep desire for privacy and a rejection of social interaction.
Q15. Who built Carignano?
It was built by Colonel Macdougall in 1843 for his wife.
Q16. What is the "Pasteur Institute" mentioned in the book?
It is a research institute in Kasauli (known for dog bite serum) that fascinates Raka due to its smoky chimneys.
Q17. Who is Ila Das?
She is Nanda Kaul’s childhood friend, a poverty-stricken social worker with a shrill voice.
Q18. Describe Ila Das’s voice.
Her voice is described as a "hideous, cawing sound" or like a "shriek," which annoys Nanda.
Q19. What happened to the umbrella in the wind?
It is a memory of Nanda's where Ila Das’s umbrella was blown away, symbolizing Ila's helplessness.
Q20. Why does Ila Das visit Carignano?
She visits to have tea with Nanda Kaul and to reconnect with her past.
Q21. What is Raka’s favorite place to explore?
She loves the burnt-out house on the hill and the ravine, drawn to scenes of devastation.
Q22. How does Nanda Kaul try to impress Raka?
She starts inventing fantasy stories about her father’s zoo and adventures, which are lies.
Q23. What was Nanda Kaul’s husband’s profession?
He was the Vice-Chancellor of a university.
Q24. Was Nanda Kaul’s marriage happy?
No, her husband had a lifelong affair with a Christian woman (Miss David), and Nanda was merely a hostess.
Q25. What is the "Bronze Buddha" statue significance?
Nanda Kaul wants to be like the statue—still, detached, and free from worldly attachments.
Q26. Why does Raka ignore Nanda Kaul’s stories?
Raka senses the falseness in them and prefers the harsh reality of nature over fantasy.
Q27. Who is Preet Singh?
He is a villager and priest whom Ila Das opposes because he wants to marry off his seven-year-old daughter.
Q28. What does Ila Das do for a living?
She is a Welfare Officer working for the upliftment of villagers in the Kasauli area.
Q29. What tragic event happens to Ila Das?
She is raped and murdered by Preet Singh while walking home through the forest.
Q30. How does Nanda hear about Ila’s death?
She receives a telephone call from the police at night informing her of the tragedy.
Q31. What are the "Apricot trees" at Carignano noted for?
Nanda Kaul enjoys their stillness, but Raka prefers the wild pine trees and the agaves.
Q32. How is Raka compared to Nanda Kaul regarding isolation?
Nanda is a recluse by **vengeance** (forced by life), while Raka is a recluse by **nature** (born that way).
Q33. What does the "postman" bring?
He brings the letter announcing Raka's arrival, which disturbs Nanda’s peace.
Q34. What is the tone of the novel?
The tone is somber, psychological, and reflective, focusing on inner loneliness and alienation.
Q35. What does the title "Fire on the Mountain" symbolize?
It symbolizes the destructive force of nature, Raka's suppressed rage, and the final apocalypse of their world.
Q36. Why does Nanda Kaul lie to Ila Das about Raka?
She pretends Raka is loving and plays with her to maintain a facade of a happy family life.
Q37. What does Raka do at the very end of the novel?
She sets the forest on fire with a box of matches.
Q38. What are Raka's final words to Nanda?
"Look, Nani, I have set the forest on fire."
Q39. What realization crushes Nanda Kaul at the end?
The news of Ila's death shatters her "lies" and forces her to confront the futility of her own life.
Q40. How is Tara (Raka's mother) described?
She is described as a troubled woman with an abusive, alcoholic husband, leading to Raka’s trauma.
Q41. What animals act as a motif in the novel?
Jackals, eagles, and langurs serve as motifs of the wild, predatory nature of the setting.
Q42. Why does Nanda not invite Ila to stay the night?
Because she is selfish about her privacy and cannot stand Ila’s shrill voice and chaotic presence.
Q43. What does Carignano represent to Nanda?
It represents her final refuge, a place stripped of excess, reflecting her desire for emptiness.
Q44. What social issue is highlighted through Ila Das?
The novel highlights the vulnerability of women, child marriage, and the violence inherent in rural patriarchy.
Q45. What contrast exists between Ila and Nanda?
Nanda is wealthy but emotionally dead; Ila is poor and suffering but retains a desperate engagement with life.
Q46. What does the "forest fire" signify in the climax?
It signifies a purging or cleansing destruction that wipes away the false pretenses of the characters.
Q47. Why is Raka fascinated by the burnt house?
She identifies with its ruin and desolation, feeling it matches her own internal state.
Q48. How does Anita Desai describe childhood in this novel?
Not as a time of innocence, but as a time of trauma, loneliness, and sharp perception of adult failures.
Q49. What literary device is the "telephone call"?
It acts as the *Deus ex machina* or the catalyst that finally breaks Nanda Kaul’s psychological defense.
Q50. Is "Fire on the Mountain" a plot-driven novel?
No, it is a psychological novel driven by character introspection, atmosphere, and imagery rather than action.
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