In this chapter, I am sharing Chapter 14 The Christmas Truce Summary, Analysis, and Questions & Answers.
Summary of The Christmas Truce:
The chapter “The Christmas Truce” tells the story of the Christmas Eve during the First World War when soldiers from the British and German sides temporarily stopped fighting and celebrated the festival together. The chapter is narrated through the eyes of a soldier named Tom, who writes a letter to his sister describing the events of that day.
Tom describes how the conditions in the battlefield were terrible, with the soldiers constantly living in fear of death. The British and German sides were not fighting seriously, and both feared being attacked. However, on that Christmas Eve, something extraordinary happened. Tom suddenly wakes up at night and sees a beautiful sight in the distance, clusters of tiny lights shining all along the German line. These were Christmas trees lit by candle or lantern, and the German soldiers had placed them in front of their trenches.
Soon, the German soldiers started singing Christmas carols. The British soldiers joined in, and soon the two sides met on no-man’s land and shook hands with each other. The officers on both sides decided to stop the fighting for a few hours, and the soldiers exchanged gifts and sang more songs together, even making plans to play a football match together.
Tom describes how the interaction between the British and German soldiers was friendly and how the soldiers from both sides mingled happily around the bonfire, exchanging stories about their families. Tom also reflects on how the soldiers from both sides had more in common than they had differences and how the Christmas truce brought them together.
In the end, Tom expresses his wish that the war would soon end and that they could all return home to their families. The story is a reminder of the power of humanity, compassion, and the spirit of Christmas in bringing people together, even in the midst of the most brutal of conflicts.
Reading
A. Rearrange the sentences in the order in which the actions took place. (The Christmas Truce)
1. Tom suddenly wakes up at night and sees a beautiful sight in the distance.
2. Two Germans cross the no-man’s land and come over, unprotected.
3. The German soldiers start singing Christmas carols.
4. The German soldiers had placed Christmas trees in front of their trenches lit by
candle or lantern.
5. They mingle happily with each other around a bonfire and exchange stories about
their families.
6. The British soldiers join them in singing the carols.
7. The British and the German soldiers meet on no-man’s land and shake hands with each other.
8. The officers decide to stop the fighting for a few hours,
9. They even exchange gifts and sing more songs together with promises to meet
the day after.
10. There are also some plans to play a football match together.
Answers: (The Christmas Truce)
- Tom suddenly wakes up at night and sees a beautiful sight in the distance.
- The German soldiers had placed Christmas trees in front of their trenches lit by candle or lantern.
- Two Germans cross the no-man’s land and come over, unprotected.
- The German soldiers start singing Christmas carols.
- The British soldiers join them in singing the carols.
- They mingle happily with each other around a bonfire and exchange stories about their families.
- The British and the German soldiers meet on no-man’s land and shake hands with each other.
- The officers decide to stop the fighting for a few hours.
- They even exchange gifts and sing more songs together with promises to meet the day after.
- There are also some plans to play a football match together.
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Chapter 1 George’s Secret Key to the universe
Chapter 3 The Hound of the Baskervilles
Chapter 4 Macbeth and the Witches
Chapter 6 River, Up Close and personal
Chapter 7 The Ransom Of Red Chief
Chapter 9 The Vulture and the Great Spirit
Chapter 13 it will Never happen to You
B. Read these lines from the text and answer these questions. (The Christmas Truce)
1. I can never hope to see a stranger and more lovely sight. Clusters of tiny lights
were shining all along the German line.
a. Where is the speaker? What is he doing there?
b. Who brought him to see the sight? What had the speaker been doing
at that time?
C. What were the clusters of tiny lights?
d. What did the Germans do next?
Answers: (The Christmas Truce)
a. The speaker is Tom and he is at the British trenches during World War I.
b. No one brought Tom to see the sight. He woke up suddenly at night and saw the clusters of tiny lights in the distance. At that time, he was sleeping in the British trenches.
c. The clusters of tiny lights were Christmas trees lit by candles or lanterns placed by the German soldiers in front of their trenches.
d. The Germans started singing Christmas carols after they lit the Christmas trees.
2. Before long, a bonfire was built and around it we mingled-British khaki and
German grey. Only a couple of our men knew German but more of the Germans knew English.
a. What does the speaker refer to as ‘British khaki’ and ‘German grey’?
b. How did many of the Germans know English?
C. Describe the gifts exchanged by the two sides.
d. What did the old German soldier ask the speaker as they were leaving?
Answers: (The Christmas Truce)
a. ‘British khaki’ and ‘German grey’ refer to the uniforms worn by British and German soldiers, respectively.
b. Many of the Germans knew English because they had learned it in school.
c. The two sides exchanged gifts such as cigarettes, food, and souvenirs from their respective countries.
d. The old German soldier asked Tom if he would visit his home in Saxony and if he could find his family there.
C. Answer in detail. (The Christmas Truce)
1. Why were the two sides not fighting seriously?
2. Which fear loomed constantly over them?
3. How do we know that the conditions on the battlefield were terrible?
4. What did the British soldiers feel about the other side?
5. What did the officers on both sides decide?
6. Describe the interaction between the British and German soldiers.
7. What idea does Tom express at the end of his letter?
Answers: (The Christmas Truce)
- The two sides were not fighting seriously because it was Christmas Eve and both the British and German soldiers were feeling homesick and nostalgic for their families. They were tired of the continuous fighting and were looking for a break from the violence.
- The fear of death loomed constantly over them. They were aware that a sudden attack from either side could happen at any moment, and they could be killed.
- The conditions on the battlefield were terrible because there was mud everywhere, and the soldiers had to live in the trenches that were filled with rats and lice. The weather was cold, and they had to endure the bitter cold without proper clothing.
- The British soldiers felt that the other side was not different from them. They saw the Germans as human beings like themselves who were fighting a war that they did not start.
- The officers on both sides decided to stop the fighting for a few hours and celebrate Christmas together. They agreed not to fire at each other and to exchange gifts, sing carols and enjoy a friendly football match.
- The interaction between the British and German soldiers was heartwarming. They sang Christmas carols together, exchanged gifts and played football. They shared stories about their families and homes and even gave each other a tour of their trenches. They shook hands and hugged each other and promised to meet again the next day.
- At the end of his letter, Tom expresses the idea that the Christmas truce was a sign that peace was possible between the two sides. He believes that the soldiers should take charge and put an end to the fighting.
D. Think and answer. (The Christmas Truce)
1. Why did Tom feel compelled to write to his sister about Christmas Eve?
2. Do you think there is a conflict going on in Tom’s mind? Give reasons for your
answer.
3. The letter is a chatty one, which ends on a reflective note. Why do you think
it does so?
Answers: (The Christmas Truce)
- Tom felt compelled to write to his sister about Christmas Eve because he had witnessed an extraordinary event that he felt needed to be shared with his family. He had experienced a brief moment of peace and camaraderie with the enemy soldiers, which was unexpected given the violent and brutal nature of war.
- Yes, there may be a conflict going on in Tom’s mind. On the one hand, he is a soldier who has been trained to fight and kill the enemy. On the other hand, he has just experienced a moment of humanity and brotherhood with the same enemy soldiers he is supposed to fight against. This may create conflicting emotions and thoughts within him, especially since he knows that he may have to resume fighting them in the near future.
- The letter ends on a reflective note because Tom has just witnessed a remarkable event that has left him with mixed emotions. He is happy that he was able to experience a moment of peace and friendship with the enemy soldiers, but he is also saddened by the fact that they will soon have to resume fighting each other. The reflective tone of the letter suggests that Tom is contemplating the larger implications of this brief moment of peace and what it might mean for the future.
E. Know your values. (The Christmas Truce)
In the story, we see how a Christmas truce brings British and German soldiers together as they celebrate Christmas.
Answers: (The Christmas Truce)
The story highlights the value of humanity and the power of connection and understanding between people, even in times of war. It shows that despite being on opposing sides, the soldiers were able to put their differences aside and come together to share in the joy of the holiday season. The story also emphasizes the importance of empathy and compassion towards others, regardless of their nationality or beliefs. Ultimately, it reminds us that we all share a common humanity and that we should strive to find common ground and work towards peace and understanding in all situations.
(The Christmas Truce)
(The Christmas Truce)
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