NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 2 - Non Fiction

The Mark on the Wall is a Non-Fiction story written by Virginia Woolf. In this story, she has very well captured the flow of time and has showcased the delicate shades that our human minds go through.

The story starts by introducing an anonymous woman to the reader. It is the middle of January. While she is sitting, she notices a mark on the wall. To recall the exact remembrance date, she starts to look around at other things to remember the very moment. A fire is burning in the wood place. The light casts from the pages of her book. There are flowers neatly kept in a bowl. These were the events when her eyes fell on the mark on the wall.

The mark was small, which gave a clear contrast to the other parts of the wall. The mark was located just about half a foot above the fireplace. The precise details let readers visualize the complete story setting. The narrator takes the attention from the room to the reasons why the mark was on the wall in the first place. Could the mark be made by a nail that was hung to put up a picture frame? The idea takes her to analyze the personalities of the previous occupants of the house.

She is tempted to get up and get a closer look at the mark to inspect it better. However, that takes her on a philosophical twist where she starts to reflect on the number of possessions that are lost in a lifetime. She starts to recount the many things that she once owned but is gone forever now. The act of being alive is like something in a package that zips through a parachute which is so haphazard. Thinking about this, she starts to ponder over death and sees the mark on the wall from a new angle. Now she feels that the mark is not exactly a hole, but it is just a circular and inky substance on the wall.

The thoughts are interrupted when she hears the sound of a tree that is taping on her window. Her thoughts start to change, and she is drawn to the images of Shakespeare sitting in a room with a burning fire, and great and creative thoughts start to rain down from heaven into his mind. Her mind gets tired of these thoughts of the bard. Then she moves to the conclusion that one day the writers will themselves realize the value of being found in their characters which are based on the phantom that are the faces that keep changing. The writers will leave behind their attempts to show the false realities of the world, and they will then start to pursue and bring forth the real truths of life that are mostly left unseen.

These realities bring the thought of etiquette of setting tables in the mind of the narrator. This is for the Sunday lunch as there is a difference between the female analogy and the male dignity of etiquettes. The narrator now sees the mark not to be circular, but she feels that it is projecting out from the wall. Perhaps she feels that it could be a shadow. She starts to wonder about South Downs and the tumuli and whether these could be tombs or camps. However, it is something that only one who has a career in Antiquary would know. She then wonders the kind of personality one needs to get into the Antiquary career. This ultimately leads her to believe that something will only be known when it is touched. If something cannot be proven, then it cannot be known.

She is once again tempted to get up and touch the mark. Then she conflicts her thoughts stating that ultimately to gain knowledge, one needs to think and one can think irrelevant of whether one is sitting or standing.

The narrators’ thoughts are jumbled, and they are entering and exiting her mind. However, at last, they intersect at a point when she decides that it is time that she solves the mystery of the mark, and then she resolutely gets up. However, she then thinks that if she did get up, she would be playing a victim to Natures’ trap which Nature is setting up for her. When she thinks about the mark, it brings pain and excitement in her. However, if she gets up and touches it, as Nature wants her to do, this will be the end of her thoughts. So she takes her thoughts to examine the sensuality of the wood.

Her pleasant thoughts are distracted when a second person enters. This could mostly be the Narrators’ husband. He enters the room and then shows his intention to go out to buy a newspaper. He complains that even though there is not a lot that the newspaper has to offer these days apart from some bad news about the war, yet he wants to get it and read it. The anger about the news going round is intensified in his personal life where he feels dissatisfied and outraged, and he then exits from the room saying why there should be a snail on the wall. This is when the narrator finally realizes that yes, The Mark on the Wall was nothing but a snail.

Key Features of NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 2

NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 2 The Mark on the Wall available on Vedantu’s platform has been prepared by experts who have poured in all their expertise to explain the important concepts easily. They have prepared the solutions after analyzing the previous year’s exam papers. Once students go through the solutions, they will never find the topics difficult to understand.

• The solutions will come handy to help students prepare well for their school as well as board examination.

• Class 12 is important for students’ career, and this is why it is important to go through the English Solutions well to not miss out on marks.

• The solutions help students to understand the complex chapter with ease, and it also lays the foundation of concepts to perform well in life.

Conclusion 

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 2 - Non Fiction are an invaluable resource for students. These solutions provide a deep understanding of the non-fiction genre, helping students analyze and appreciate the various aspects of real-life writing. By offering comprehensive explanations and well-crafted answers, these solutions enable students to excel in their English studies. They not only enhance comprehension but also improve critical thinking and writing skills. NCERT Solutions play a pivotal role in helping students prepare for their exams and achieve academic success. So, make the most of these solutions, and embark on a rewarding journey of mastering the world of non-fiction literature.