She was not in a position to respond and react to him

She was not in a position to respond and react to him positively. He
was the one who disclosed the fact that the master always beat the
mistress, who in turn showed her anger on the servants.
Comprehension-III
1. The mistress in the story happens to be a woman and a mother. She is
also rich and critic of Carmen and such people. She is a stickler to
discipline and particular about the balanced diet for kids. She also
considers her small child Francoise as an adult. She gives much
importance to her child rather than Carmen. She entrusts her child to
Carmen with confidence. Though she has given birth to Francoise, it
is Carmen who takes very good care of her. But she treats Carmen
with contempt. She never loses any opportunity to humiliate and
insult her servants. She makes derogatory and frivolous comments
on Carmen and the black community in general. She does not have
the heart to understand the feelings and real life problems of Carmen.
When Carmen needed money as advance for her son’s treatment, she
gave advice and a useless tablet like aspirin and a promise to give 500
francs the next day. She loves her kid so much and knows what she
likes. Therefore she recommended grapes. She is insensitive to the
emergency in Carmen’s life.
2. The story reveals the economic, social and racial discrimination in
the white dominated society. Unless and until society and human

nature change, people like Carmen and the mistress would never
come together. Because in today’s world each to his own. The tribal
family cannot uplift themselves unless the mindset of the rich
undergoes a sea change.
Carmen is a dutiful worker. She has put her body, mind and soul into
the making of Francoise’s future. Since she was two months old,
Francoise was taken care of by Carmen. She was almost her second
mother. Though Carmen is diligent, her mistress never respects the
fact. She hardly acknowledges her commitment. It is such a pity that
while her own son was fighting for life, Carmen was singing songs for
Francoise to make her sleep. She had to be with Hector as he needed
his mother very badly but she was duty-bound. Moreover she had to
beg for money for her son’s treatment. She had to bear insulting
comments made by the mistress. Even Carmen wanted a better
future for her son like any mother would have aspired for.
3. Carmen was a champion of love, compassion, grit, promptness and
honesty. She was a resolute woman. She was a working woman. Just
like any employee she had to do justice at home and away. It was a
tight rope walk for her. She balanced her work and fulfil her duties as
a mother. She showed more interest on Francoise than her own son,
Hector. She left her son in the hands of her relatives and rushed to
Francoise’s house. At times she was doubtful about her son’s health
and his recovery. But she had a dream for her son and herself. She
tried giving nutritious food for Hector but could not afford it on a
regular basis.