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| Neb English Support Class 12 |
A Deal in Wheat Exercise: Questions & Answers
Frank Norris | Summary
Major English Class 12
A DEAL IN WHEAT
ABOUT THE STORY
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
The story "A Deal in Wheat" was published in 1902 at first. Later, in 1903, it was published again in a story collection by Frank Norris entitled "A Deal in Wheat and Other Stories of the New and Old West."
It is quite a naturalistic story about a wheat farmer named Sam Lewiston. He faces difficult times due to the fall of wheat prices in Chicago, USA.
The story has mainly addressed the monopoly of large corporations that scapegoat poor farmers using their tricks.
SETTING (TIME & PLACE)
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
The setting of the story presents two major places such as Kansas and Chicago, America. It presents the time at the turn of the century (end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century).
NARRATION
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
The story is narrated using the third-person narration.
THEMES
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
Here in the story, we find a variety of themes such as corrupt and greedy business monopolies, scapegoating/victimization of the poor class people, and the power of nature over man.
SUMMARY
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
The story "A Deal in Wheat" is a naturalist story. The author of this story is Frank Norris, an American author.
The story "A Deal in Wheat" was first published in 1902 as a serial. Later, it was included in a collection called "A Deal in Wheat and Other Stories of the New and Old West" in 1903 after the death of the author.
The story is divided into five parts. It mainly focuses on wheat trading at the Chicago Board of Trade. The main character, Sam Lewiston from Kansas, suffers a lot as two powerful traders fight over wheat prices. Due to their fight, the price of wheat dropped. It causes him to lose his farm. In the end, he moves to Chicago, but due to rising wheat prices, he is unable to get free bread.
In most naturalist stories, characters are often from the lower or working class. They become victims of their environment and heredity.
The author was influenced by naturalism, which he saw as different from realism. He thought realism focused too much on small details, while naturalism aimed to show the deeper truth by highlighting the connections and struggles between people from different classes in everyday life.
The story is divided into five parts:
a. The Bear - Wheat at Sixty-Two
b. The Bull - Wheat at a Dollar-Ten
c. The Pit
d. The Belt Line
e. The Bread Line
1. THE BEAR-WHEAT AT SIXTY-TWO
The first part of the story entitled "The Bear- Wheat at Sixty-Two", takes place in rural Kansas. Sam Lewiston leaves his wife, Emma, at their home on the ranch and goes to town one last time to sell his wheat to Bridges & Co., Grain Dealers. When he knows the price of wheat as only sixty-two cents per bushel, he becomes quite disappointed. The price of 62 cents is quite low for Sam to continue farming. Due to this low price of wheat, he decides to give up farming and plans to work for his wife’s brother in Chicago.
2. THE BULL-WHEAT AT A DOLLAR-TEN
The second part of the story, "The Bull- Wheat at a Dollar-Ten", introduces the two major wheat traders in the Chicago wheat trade. They are Truslow (The Bear) and Hornung (The Bull). When Truslow dropped the price of wheat to sixty-two cents, Hornung almost drove him out of business. However, Mr. Gates, a person working for Hornung, makes a deal with Truslow to buy 100,000 bushels of wheat for export at $1.10 each.
3. THE PIT
In the third part of the story "The Pit", Hornung is seen controlling the wheat market. He sells wheat at $1.50 per bushel. One day, in "The Pit", a mysterious man named Kennedy sells 1,000 bushels to Hornung's three workers: Going, Kimbark and Merriam. They hear that 25,000 bushels are being sold in Chicago by someone other than Hornung. Hornung asks them to keep buying. But they are confused because they really don't have any idea who is selling them. At the time they believe that Truslow (The Bear) is no longer in the wheat market.
4. THE BELT LINE
The fourth part of the story, "The Belt Line", takes place at the home of Hornung. Billy, his broker and a detective, Cyrus Ryder, are there to discuss the 80,000 bushels Hornung has bought. Ryder explains that these are the same bushels Truslow had purchased for export. Truslow had been moving the wheat in every part of the city on trains to make it look like it was new stock. When Hornung realizes he has been cheated, he starts laughing. He decides to raise the price even higher.
5. THE BREAD LINE
The final part of the story, "The Bread Line", reveals Sam Lewiston’s life in Chicago. He waits in a line along with other poor, hungry people to get free bread from a bakery. Due to the high price of wheat, the bakery stops giving bread to them. Sam finds a job as a street cleaner. He slowly works his way up and becomes successful. But because of his struggles as a farmer and worker, he continues to feel angry at those people who are controlling the wheat business.
CHARACTERS
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
Sam Lewiston
Emma Lewiston
Truslow
Mr. Gates
Hornung
Going
Kimbark
Merriam
Kennedy
Billy
Cyrus Ryder
EXERCISE (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris
Short Answer Questions
1. What does 'wheat' symbolize in the story?
Answer:
In the story, wheat has a very vital role in the lives of the characters. The wheat symbolizes survival and strength. For Sam Lewiston and other farmers of Kansas, it means their way of survival and the struggles they face. For rich traders like Truslow and Hornung, it symbolizes the way of profit-making and controlling the market.
2. What kind of economics is reflected in the story? Explain.
Answer:
In the story, we find the concept of capitalism and its various ways of working. The story reflects the concept of capitalist economics. This system links companies and controls the prices of the products to make more profits. This capitalist economic system cares much more about profits than the well-being of poor farmers and workers. This act of marketing control and gambling on the prices of capitalists leads to unfair results and problems for working-class people.
3. Discuss how the story reflects the influence of naturalism.
Answer:
The story reflects naturalism by showing the monopoly of large corporations that scapegoat poor farmers using their tricks. In most naturalist stories, characters are often from the lower or working class. They become victims of their environment and heredity. The story reflects how people, especially those from the lower classes, are affected by things they cannot control, like the economy and greedy companies. The struggles of Sam Lewiston’s life show how outside factors and the world around him decide his future. The story has mainly addressed the monopoly of large corporations that scapegoat poor farmers using their tricks.
4. What is the theme of the story?
Answer:
The main themes are the corruption and greed of big businesses, the victimization of the poor, and the struggle of humans against uncontrollable forces like the economy and nature.
Long Answer Questions
1. Write the summary of the story.
Answer:
The story "A Deal in Wheat" by Frank Norris is about Sam Lewiston. He is a wheat farmer in Kansas. His life is ruined when wheat prices drop. He faces hard times because of the actions of two powerful businessmen, Truslow and Hornung, in the Wheat market. Due to this price drop, Sam loses his farm. He moves to Chicago, where he struggles a lot to survive. When the price of wheat rises, free bread for the poor also stops. Sam finds a job as a street cleaner. He slowly improves his life, but he remains angry at the greedy wheat traders. The story criticizes the greed of all big businesses and shows the struggles of all working-class people.
2. Draw the character sketch of Sam Lewiston.
Answer:
Sam Lewiston is a very hardworking and determined farmer from Kansas. He shows the struggles of lower-class people in an unfair economic system. Even after losing his farm and facing various problems in Chicago, Sam stays strong. He gets a job as a street cleaner and works hard and eventually finds success. However, his tough experiences make him quite aggressive toward the rich businessmen who control the wheat market. Sam represents determination and the strength of the human spirit. His anger represents the unfair treatment of the poor.
3. Write a critical appreciation of the story.
Answer:
"A Deal in Wheat" is a strong example of naturalist writing. It shows the fact that people struggle against powerful forces in society. Frank Norris compares the hard lives of common people like Sam Lewiston to the greed and tricks of rich traders who seek profits. The story is divided into five parts. It helps readers to understand how corporate greed affects everyone in various ways. It talks about economic unfairness, class struggles and human strength. Norris criticizes capitalism and shows the tough and bitter reality of life for all the working class, making the story important even today.
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