Going Places by A. R. Barton

Introduction

Going Places by A.R. Barton is a short story about adolescent daydreaming and fantasizing. It outlines the story of Sophie, a teenage girl with a wild imagination and unrealistic expectations in life. She finds a confidant in her brother Geoff and tells him about her meeting with a famous football player named Danny Casey. Geoff does not believe her, nor does her father. She gives more appealingly realistic descriptions of Danny while talking to her brother hoping to gain his trust. Her fantasy peaks when she tells Geoff that Danny has asked her on a date. Since Geoff does not believe her, she decides to prove everyone wrong. She goes to meet Danny only to realize later that she has unreal expectations.

Going Places Summary

The story begins with Sophie and her friend Jansie talking to each other while returning from school. Sophie is telling Jansie about her plans to open a boutique after she completes her schooling. She wants to become a famous fashion designer or an actress. She also wants to open a boutique. Jansie, who is more practical, is aware that they are supposed to join the biscuit factory after their studies.

Everyone in the family knows about Sophie’s temperament and her day dreaming. Her brother Geoff is an apprentice mechanic and travels to the far side of the city every day for his work. He does not speak much, and she feels jealous of his silence. Sophie reveals to Geoff that she met Danny Casey, a renowned footballer.  

Geoff passes this news to his father. He looks at Sophie disdainfully but he knows about Sophie’s wild stories. Sophie tells her brother about her date with Danny Casey. Her brother finds it unbelievable. Sophie narrates how she met Danny and asked for his autograph for Derek. But neither of them had a pen and paper. So, Danny asked Sophie if she would like to meet him the next week for the autograph.

Sophie goes with her father and her brothers to watch a football match that Danny is playing. Danny’s team wins, and Sophie feels proud. Sophie goes to meet Danny at a spot by the canal. She used to play there during her childhood. She considers it a perfect place to meet Danny. While she waits for Danny, she imagines how the meeting will be. Danny would appear from the shadows, and her reaction would be that of excitement. After a while, she realises that Danny will not come. Sophie goes into a state of worry and despair – she would not be able to prove to Geoff or the others that she is telling the truth about Danny. She returns back home. 

Questions and answers.

Q1.Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?

Ans: Sophie and Jansie would soon pass out of their school. Only a few months were left. Jansie knew very well that both of the them were earmarked for biscuit factory. Sophie had wild dreams about her career. Jansie was a realist. 

Q2. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?

Ans: Sophie wanted to open a boutique. It would be the most amazing shop that city had ever seen. Alternatively, she would become an actress and have the boutique as a side business. She also thought of being a fashion designer. Jansie had her feet firmly planted to the ground. She wanted Sophie to be sensible and drop all her plans because all of them required much money and experience.

Q3.Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?

Ans: Sophie knew her father well. He would be angry if he knew of her meeting with the young Irish footballer, Danny Casey. She didn’t tell him. When Geoff told his father about it, he became angry.

Q4. Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?

Ans: No, Geoff doesn’t believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey. First, he looks round in disbelief and says, “It can’t be true”. Again he says, “I don’t believe it.” Sophie then narrates how Danny Casey came and stood beside her. Geoff asks her, “What does he look like?” So, he doesn’t seem to be convinced that Sophie met Danny Casey.

Q5. Does her father believe her story?

Ans: No, Sophie’s father does not believe her story. When Geoff tells him that Sophie met Danny Casey, his father looked at Sophie with disdain. He ignores her totally. 

Q6. How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future?

Ans: Geoff was always the first to share her secrets. So, she told him about meeting Danny Casey. She also told him about her plan to meet him next week.

 Q. 7 Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?

Ans: Jansie was very interested in things that did not concern her. She wanted to know other people’s affairs. She would spread the news in the whole neighbourhood. So, Sophie didn’t want Jansie to know about her story with Danny.

Q8. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey? 

Ans: No, Sophie did not really meet Danny Casey. She was very fascinated by the young Irish footballer. She imagined his coming. She sat in the park, waiting for Casey and knowing that he would not come. She felt sad. She was always lost in a dreamy world where she imagined Casey meeting her.

Q9. Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person?

Ans: The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when the family went to watch United on Saturday. Sophie, her father and little Derek went down near the goal. Geoff went with his mates higher up. United won two-nil. Her idol Casey drove in the second goal. She was very happy.

Understanding the text

1. Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up in the story?

Ans: Sophie and Jansie are different from each other. Sophie was a daydreamer who had a lot of fantasies, and was not realistic. Sophie aspired to make a lot of money and become famous. Jansie, on the other hand, was realistic, grounded, and aware of her fate. Sophie wants to do something sophisticated. Jansie knows that these things require a lot of money which their families do not possess. Jansie also knows that they were earmarked for the biscuit factory. 

Q2. How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father?

Ans: Sophie’s father is a very practical person who becomes enraged when she tells him about her fantasy dreams. He was characterized as a plum-faced, sweaty man with no refined behavior or appropriate food patterns. He was a football fan who went to a pub to celebrate his team’s victory.

Q. 3 Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective, what did he symbolize?

Ans: Geoff is the only person who listens to Sophie’s fantasies and long cherished dreams. Her father is too bossy and aggressive. He hates Sophie’s fantastic stories. Even little Derek – makes fun of her growing rich. Her classmate Jansie is ‘nosey’ and can’t be trusted with a secret. Only Geoff can be trusted to keep all the secrets of Sophie to himself.

From her perspective, Geoff symbolises an elder brother who has grown up and visited places unknown to her. She wished that someday her brother might take her to those places. He is sympathetic and cautions her by telling her that Casey might have strings of girls. He warns her that he would never show up again. He speaks softly so as not to break the heart of the young dreamer.

Q4. What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to? What are the indicators of her family’s financial status?

Ans: Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family. She is an escapist and has wild dreams. She dreams of things she can’t have in real life. Jansie tells her that boutique needs a lot of money. Sophie knows that the family doesn’t have money. She says, “If ever I earned money, I will buy a boutique.” Even little Derek understands her unrealistic nature.

Geoffs occupation reflects their socio-economic background. He is an apprentice mechanic. He travels to his work each day to the far side of the city. His jacket is shapeless. Her father lacks sophistication. He is a heavy breathing man. He sits in his vest at the table. He grunts and tosses one of little Derek’s shoes from his chair on to the sofa. There is stove in the same room where dirty washing is piled in a comer. Sophie’s father goes to pub on his bicycle. All these indicators confirm their lower middle-class family background.

Q. 5 Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.

Ans: Sophie is a young school-girl belonging to a lower middle-class family. She wants to rise from the situation in which she finds herself. She is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She dreams of opening a boutique. Her classmate Jansie, who had her feet firmly planted on the ground, tells Sophie that opening a boutique requires a lot of money and experience and she has neither of them. Sophie, who floats in a dreamy world of her own, dreams of becoming an actress or a fashion designer. She has dreams of a hero also. She develops fascination for Danny Casey, the wonder-boy of football. She sees him in action only once when he scores the second goal for United. She imagines him coming to her and tells her brother about the meeting. She goes on waiting for him on the next date but he does not turn up. She becomes sad and carries the burden of sadness all the times. Thus, her dreams and disappointments are the creations of her mind.

Q. 6 It is natural for teenagers to have unrealistic dreams. What would you say are the benefits and disadvantages of such fantasising?

Ans: Teenagers have boundless enthusiasm and ambitions. They have sweet dreams and go on fantasising. It is natural for them to do so. Every youth is a dreamer. Every great scientist or writer has a dream. Without some thing to aspire for one can’t strive to achieve that goal. Dreams lead to the golden gate of success. Some teenagers float in the world of fantasy. They have unreal dreams. It is just like a child asking for the moon. Their feet are in the mud and they dream of the stars in the sky. Such fantasising results in disappointment and disillusionment. A dreamer who fails to realise his dream is labelled a failure. Those who realise their dreams become heroes and achievers in their spheres. I think it is better to have dreams even if we fail to realise them. Who would have dreams if the teenagers don’t—will these grey-headed, grey-bearded persons have dreams? Let the teenagers indulge in their natural activity and dream of a golden future. They will strive to translate them into reality.