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MYSTERY OF THE TALKING FAN 

Summary

-by Maude Rubin

The poem “Mystery of the Talking Fan” is written by Maude Rubin. It deals with the speaker wondering about a ceiling fan in the room. The fan makes a lot of noise. The speaker refers to the fan as a human being and addresses it as “he“. The noise is referred to as an electrical chatter. The speaker is curious as to what the fan is trying to convey. He assumes that the noise is the fan’s way of communicating its emotions. It remains a mystery to the speaker. But one day, someone pours some oil into the motor of the fan. Oil makes the fan less squeaky. It runs as still as water. The speaker is worried that he will never know what the fan was trying to say. He is disappointed that he will never unravel the mystery of the talking fan.

Conclusion

In this poem, the poetess draws our attention to a noisy electric fan. The poetess imagined that fan was trying to talk and tries to understand the mystery of its sounds. The poet could not make any sense of the electric chatter of the fan. One day an electrician came and put oil in the noisy motor of the fan.

NCERT SOLUTIONS

Questions (Page No. 97-98)

(Working with the Poem)

Question 1. Fans don’t talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds like the fan’s chatter?

Answer: The noise produced by the fan’s motor with less oil sounds like the fan’s chatter.

Question 2. Complete the following sentences.

  1. The chatter is electrical because ____________________.
  2. It is mysterious because ____________________.

Answer:

  1. The chatter is electrical because the noise is being produced by electrical motor of the fan.
  2. It is mysterious because we cannot understand what the fan is speaking.

Question 3. What do you think the talking fan was demanding?

Answer: The talking fan was demanding some oil. It was seeking attention of the people at home to put oil into the motors. Once it got oiling, it became silent.

Question 4. How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?

Answer: An electric fan manages to throw so much air when it is switched on as it has an electric motor which rotates and makes the three blades of the fan move round and round at a specified speed.

Question 5. Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.

Answer: Mechanic: Hey! I just realized that you are a talking fan.

Fan: Oh, thank God! Yes, I do talk. It’s just that people don’t listen.

Mechanic: Alright, so tell me. What is the matter?

Fan: I need some oiling. My motor is struggling to rotate.

Mechanic: Oh. I will put oil in the motor now.

Fan: Thank you so much!