Class 10 The Midnight Visitor by Robert Arthur

 The Midnight Visitor by Robert Arthur

Central Idea:

The story centers around Ausable, a secret agent, who, despite his unusual appearance and calm demeanor, outsmarts a dangerous spy using his intelligence and presence of mind. It highlights how brains and clever thinking can be more powerful than brawn or violence.

Themes:

1. Intelligence vs. Appearance – Ausable doesn’t look like a typical spy but proves that real strength lies in wit, not looks.
2. Calmness Under Pressure – Staying calm in tense situations can help solve problems more effectively.
3. Deception and Misdirection – Ausable creates false stories to fool his enemies, showing how deception can be used for self-defense.
4. Courage and Presence of Mind – The story underlines the importance of thinking clearly during emergencies.

Message / Moral: The story teaches us that:

• Presence of mind and cleverness are more effective than fear or aggression.
• Don’t judge people by how they look; true capability lies in their actions.
• In dangerous situations, staying calm can be your best defense.

Literary Devices:

1. Irony – Ausable is a spy but looks nothing like one.
2. Humour – The way Ausable handles the situation calmly adds a touch of dry humor.
3. Suspense – The sudden appearance of Max with a gun creates tension.
4. Dialogue – The story is built mainly through conversations that reveal the characters and plot.
5. Imagery – Descriptions of the room and the setting help the reader visualize the scene.

Narrative Perspective:

• The story is written in third-person narration, focusing on Ausable’s actions and conversations, as seen by Fowler, a young writer.
• It allows the reader to observe Ausable’s cleverness as an outsider, much like Fowler.

Setting:

• The entire story takes place in a hotel room in Paris, late at night.
• The time and setting create a tense, mysterious atmosphere perfect for a spy thriller.

Character Sketches:

1. Ausable:

• Looks: Fat, slow, and not at all like a spy.
• Traits: Intelligent, calm, confident, quick thinker.
• Role: Secret agent who outwits his enemy through clever lies.
• Memorable Qualities: His cool mind and storytelling ability are his biggest weapons.

2. Fowler:

• Profession: A writer interested in the lives of spies.
• Traits: Curious, impatient, easily impressed.
• Role: Observer; serves as a contrast to Ausable’s calmness.
• Growth: Learns that spy life isn’t about action but smart thinking.

3. Max:

• Profession: A rival spy trying to steal important information.
• Traits: Aggressive, overconfident, not very bright.
• Role: Antagonist who is fooled by Ausable.
• Fate: Likely killed after jumping out of the window that didn’t exist (as per Ausable's trick).

Title Justification – "The Midnight Visitor":

The title is appropriate and symbolic:

• Refers to Max, the uninvited and dangerous visitor who comes to Ausable’s room at midnight.
• It sets the tone for a mysterious, suspenseful spy story.
• The word "Visitor" adds an ironic twist, as Max’s visit ends badly for him, thanks to Ausable's cleverness.

NCERT

How is Ausable different from other secret agents? How does he deal with Max?

Answer:  Ausable is different from other secret agents in more ways than one. He has a small room in the musty corridor of a gloomy French hotel. It was on the sixth and top floor and it was scarcely the setting for a romantic adventure. He was extremely fat. In spite of living in Paris for over twenty years, he spoke French and German with difficulty and had an American accent. Instead of getting messages passed secretly to him by beautiful girls, he got only a routine telephone call making an appointment. In these ways, he was different from the conventional notion of a secret agent.
He dealt with Max by inventing some stories and convincing Max to act on them, so that he could get rid of Max permamanently.

Question 2:  Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?

Answer: Fowler is a writer and he had come to meet Ausable. His first authentic thrill of the day came when he saw a man in Ausable’s room pointing a pistol towards Ausable and himself.

Question 3: How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?

Answer: Ausable creates a detailed description of how his office was part a bigger apartment and how the next room had a direct connection with a balcony. His statement that . somebody else also broke into his office through that balcony earlier made it a convincing story. Ausable’s ability to think quickly and calmly in a situation of panic makes it convincing.

HOTS Question:

Q. Ausable was calm and composed even when he faced a man with a gun. What does this tell you about the importance of presence of mind in handling difficult situations?

Answer: Ausable’s calm behavior in the face of danger shows that presence of mind is more powerful than panic or force. He didn't react emotionally but thought quickly and used his cleverness to create a believable story about the non-existent balcony and the police. His presence of mind not only saved his own life but also turned the situation in his favor. This teaches us that staying calm and thinking smartly can help us overcome even the most dangerous situations.

VBQ (Value-Based Question):

Q.What values or life lessons do you learn from Ausable’s way of handling the situation? How can these be applied in real life?

Answer: Ausable teaches us the values of self-confidence, presence of mind, quick thinking, and non-violence. Instead of using physical strength, he used his brain to solve the problem. In real life, we often face challenges where reacting calmly and thinking wisely can lead to better outcomes than reacting impulsively. These values are especially useful in conflict resolution, decision-making, and stressful situations in daily life.