The Midnight visitor Flashcards
How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his
room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
When Ausable says that he had complained to the hotel management earlier as well about someone entering the room from the balcony that was below his room, Max started thinking that had he known there was a balcony, it would have been much easier for him to get to Ausable’s room. Ausable then tells Max that he wanted extra protection for the papers that were supposed to
come in that day and that he had informed the police who were knocking on the door, checking on him. This made Max very nervous and he thought that he would wait for the police to go on the balcony. Without realizing, he jumped out of the window and did not realize that there was no balcony. So the way Ausable thinks calmly and quickly makes the story a lot more convincing.
How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
Ausable is different from other secret agents because he was very fat, lived in a room on the top floor of a gloomy French hotel and could only speak French passibly although he had been living in Paris for over 20 years. His voice still had an American touch to it . He used to receive messages via telephone instead of dark eyed beauties getting him his messages. So he was very different from the way other secret agents are.
Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
Fowler is a young writer who comes to meet Ausable. He is bored sitting with Ausable in a music hall as he had thought that the country’s secret agent would be thrilling and exciting but nothing of that sort happened. After some time when they were coming back to Ausable’s room, Fowler saw a man holding a gun standing in the room. So that is when he feels that the life of a secret agent can be exciting.
How has Max got in?
Max had got in with a masterkey or passkey.
. How does Ausable say he got in?
Ausable says that he thought that Max had got in through the balcony. He said that it was a
nuisance as it was not even his own balcony and that it was the second time somebody had got in
using that same balcony.
In this story, Ausable shows great ‘presence of mind,’ or the ability to think quickly, and act calmly and wisely, in a situation of danger and surprise.
Ausable is an intelligent, calm and wise man who know how to get rid of danger situation. He reacts wisely when Max was pointing pistol on him. Instead of reacting like a scary man he stays strong, uses his presence of mind and try to manipulate Max so he can believe on his story about his balcony where he can possibly move out of window. Max was scared of being caught by Police man, Ausable took advantage of his state of mind and make a story so that he can stay safe without harming another.
What is the theme of Midnight Visitor?
There are various themes in Midnight Visitor Class 10 such as the theme of how appearances deceive. Fowler’s idea of a spy is completely different from how Ausable turns out to be and the story also breaks the stereotypes around detectives as we expect them to look sharp, slim and tall while they can fat and sloppy while also smart and intelligent at the same time.
Describe Aussable
He is a different kind of secret agent. Generally, secret agents that are described in detective books and shown in films, are very smart and gun-friendly. Wine and dark-eyed beauties are associated with them. However, Ausable doesn’t present such a romantic picture. He is very fat and sloppy. Physically, he may be fat but mentally he is very agile and quick-witted. He knows all the tricks of his trade. He is very quick to react and can cook up stories that may fit in all kinds of situations. He convinces even the crafty Max that there is a balcony below the window of his room.
Describe Max
Max is a secret agent and a rival and enemy of Ausable. He is slender, a little less than tall. He appears crafty and has a countenance of a fox. There is nothing especially menacing about him except his pistol. He enters Ausable’s room to take away a very important paper concerning some new missiles.
Describe Fowler
Fowler is a young and romantic writer. He wants to write a book on detectives. Fowler forms a very romantic and grand picture of a secret agent in his mind. He finds Ausable not cracking pistols or surrounded by dark-eyed beauties like James Bond. He feels let down after meeting Ausable.
What was the report about?
The report was about some new missiles.
