Important Questions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 6 Prose The Third and Final Continent 2026–27

The Third and Final Continent by Jhumpa Lahiri follows an Indian narrator’s journey from India to England and America.
For CBSE Class 11 English, the story explores migration, adjustment, memory, marriage and human connection.

The Third and Final Continent by Jhumpa Lahiri is a prose chapter from Class 11 English Woven Words. It follows an Indian narrator who leaves India in 1964, lives in London among Bengali bachelors, and later moves to Cambridge, U.S.A., for a job at MIT. The story explores loneliness, cultural adjustment, family duty, marriage, memory and belonging.

Use these Important Questions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 6 Prose to revise the story for the 2026–27 exams. Practise Mrs Croft’s character, Mala’s arrival, the narrator’s adjustment, Indian and American contrasts, family memories, gentle humour, conversation and CBSE important questions.

Key Takeaways

• The Third and Final Continent: The story is written by Jhumpa Lahiri.
• Narrator: He leaves India in 1964 and later moves to America for a job at MIT.
• Mrs Croft: She is an elderly American woman who becomes important to the narrator.
• Mala: Her visit to Mrs Croft helps lessen the distance between husband and wife.

Need help with this chapter?
Practise character-based answers, migration themes and CBSE literature responses on the Extramarks Learning App. Sign Up Free

Very Short Answer Questions for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 6 Prose

These questions check the narrator’s journey, important places and key people. They help explain migration, adjustment and relationships in longer answers.

Q1. Who is the author of The Third and Final Continent?

The Third and Final Continent is written by Jhumpa Lahiri.

The story is from her collection Interpreter of Maladies. Her stories often deal with Indians living abroad.

Q2. In which year did the narrator leave India?

The narrator left India in 1964.

He left with a certificate in commerce and very little money. This detail shows the difficult beginning of his journey abroad.

Q3. Which ship did the narrator sail on to England?

The narrator sailed on the SS Roma.

It was an Italian cargo vessel. He travelled for three weeks in a third-class cabin near the ship’s engine.

Q4. Where did the narrator live in London?

The narrator lived in Finsbury Park, North London.

He shared a house with many penniless Bengali bachelors. They were all trying to educate and establish themselves abroad.

Q5. Where did the narrator get a job in America?

The narrator got a job at MIT in America.

He worked in the processing department of a library. The job gave him enough salary to support a wife.

Q6. Where did the narrator spend his first night in Cambridge, U.S.A.?

The narrator spent his first night at the YMCA in Central Square, Cambridge.

The place was recommended by his guidebook. It was inexpensive and close to MIT.

Q7. Who was Mrs Croft?

Mrs Croft was the elderly American woman from whom the narrator rented a room.

She was over a hundred years old. She was strict, proud, independent and memorable.

Q8. What was the name of the narrator’s wife?

The narrator’s wife was named Mala.

Their marriage was arranged by the narrator’s brother and sister-in-law. Mala later joined him in America.

Objective Questions from The Third and Final Continent Important Questions

Objective questions test exact details about dates, places, language and small incidents. These details help with recall-based and interpretation-based answers.

Q9. Choose the correct What reminded the narrator of his wedding?

1. a) Mrs Croft asking him to say “splendid”
   b) His first meal in America
   c) His job at MIT
   d) Helen’s visit
2. a) Mrs Croft asking him to say “splendid.”

The command reminded him of repeating Sanskrit verses after the priest during his wedding ceremony.

Q10. Choose the correct When did the distance between the narrator and Mala begin to lessen?

1. a) When Mala first arrived at the airport
   b) When Mala cooked egg curry
   c) When they visited Mrs Croft
   d) When they moved to America
2. c) When they visited Mrs Croft.

Mrs Croft called Mala “a perfect lady.” This shared moment made the narrator and Mala smile at each other.

Q11. Fill in the blank: Even the simple ______ of ______ was new to the narrator.

chore, buying milk.

The narrator had to adjust to ordinary American routines. In London, milk was delivered to the door.

Q12. True or False: The narrator attended lectures at the LSE and worked at the university library.

True.

The narrator attended lectures at the LSE. He also worked at the university library to manage his expenses.

Q13. True or False: The narrator learned that Americans drove on the left side of the road.

False.

The narrator learned that Americans drove on the right side of the road. This was different from Britain.

Q14. What does the word “heralded” mean in the story?

“Heralded” means announced or signalled.

In the story, flashing sirens heralded endless emergencies. The word helps describe the noisy American street.

Q15. What does the word “mortified” mean in the story?

“Mortified” means deeply embarrassed, shocked or disturbed.

The narrator feels mortified after learning that Mrs Croft is over a hundred years old and lives alone.

Q16. What is the difference between “lift” and “elevator” as used in the chapter?

“Lift” is British English, while “elevator” is American English.

The narrator learns such differences from his guidebook. These details show his adjustment to American life.

Short Answer Questions from Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 6 Prose Important Questions

Short Answer Questions from The Third and Final Continent usually ask how the narrator adjusts to unfamiliar places and people. Connect each answer with loneliness, routine or cultural change.

Q17. Indicate the details that tell us that the narrator was not financially comfortable during his stay in London.

The narrator’s life in London shows that he was not financially comfortable.

He lived with many penniless Bengali bachelors in Finsbury Park. They shared rooms, used a single icy toilet and cooked simple egg curry in turns.

He attended lectures at the LSE and worked at the university library to get by. These details show his struggle to study and survive abroad.

Q18. How did the narrator prepare his first meal in America?

The narrator prepared his first meal in America with milk and cornflakes.

He bought a small carton of milk and a box of cornflakes from Purity Supreme. He ate the meal at his desk.

This simple meal shows his careful spending and early adjustment in America.

Q19. How did the narrator adjust to life in London?

The narrator adjusted to London by living simply with other Bengali bachelors.

He attended lectures, worked at the library and shared daily chores. On weekends, he drank tea, smoked Rothmans, watched cricket and met other Bengalis.

This shared life helped him survive with little money.

Q20. How did the narrator adjust to life in Cambridge, U.S.A.?

The narrator adjusted to Cambridge by learning new routines slowly.

He stayed at the YMCA, opened a bank account, rented a post office box and bought basic food. He read newspapers to become familiar with American life.

He also learned new words, traffic habits and everyday customs.

Q21. What kind of room did the narrator rent in Mrs Croft’s house?

The narrator rented a small room upstairs in Mrs Croft’s house.

It had a twin bed under a sloping ceiling, a rug, a basin, a chest of drawers, a closet and a bathroom. He found the room satisfactory.

The room gave him a quieter place than the YMCA.

Q22. What routine developed between the narrator and Mrs Croft?

The narrator and Mrs Croft developed a short evening routine.

Each evening she asked him to sit beside her, spoke about the American flag on the moon and made him say “splendid.” Then they sat quietly for some time.

This routine created a gentle bond between them.

Q23. What was improper according to Mrs Croft?

Mrs Croft believed it was improper for an unmarried lady and gentleman to talk privately without a chaperone.

She objected when Helen spoke to the narrator upstairs. Her view reflected an older social code.

This scene also adds gentle humour to the story.

Q24. Why was the narrator mortified after speaking to Helen?

The narrator was mortified because he learned that Mrs Croft was over a hundred years old and lived alone.

He had assumed that she was in her eighties or nineties. Her widowhood reminded him of his own mother’s suffering after his father’s death.

This moment deepens his sympathy for Mrs Croft.

Q25. How did Mala appear when the narrator saw her at the airport?

Mala appeared as a newly married Bengali woman when the narrator saw her at the airport.

The free end of her sari was draped over her head. Her arms were filled with gold bracelets, and she had a red circle on her forehead.

The edges of her feet were tinted with red dye.

Q26. What new things did the narrator find difficult to adjust to after marriage?

The narrator found Mala’s daily presence difficult to adjust to at first.

He was not used to a home smelling of steamed rice, a clean bathroom basin, two toothbrushes side by side, her bracelets, or the smell of coconut oil.

He was used to loneliness, but not yet used to Mala.

Long Answer Questions on The Third and Final Continent

Long Answer Questions from The Third and Final Continent ask students to explain character, migration and human connection together. Use Mrs Croft, Mala and the narrator’s memories as evidence.

Q27. What do you understand of the character of Mrs Croft from the story?

Mrs Croft is strict, independent, old-fashioned and quietly admirable.

She is over a hundred years old, yet she lives with dignity and strong habits. She speaks in a commanding voice and expects discipline from her tenants.

She values punctuality, proper behaviour and respect. She asks the narrator to check the lock, pay rent properly and follow house rules.

Her repeated excitement about the flag on the moon shows her pride in an American achievement.

Mrs Croft also has a vulnerable side. She is old, widowed and dependent on simple routines.

The narrator admires her because she lives alone with courage and self-respect.

Q28. What kind of relationship did Mrs Croft share with her daughter Helen?

Mrs Croft and Helen share a relationship marked by care, irritation and difference in values.

Helen visits once a week to bring groceries and prepare soup for her mother. This shows that she cares for Mrs Croft’s needs.

At the same time, their views are different. Mrs Croft follows strict old ideas about propriety, while Helen belongs to a more modern world.

Mrs Croft criticises Helen for revealing her age and wearing a dress above the ankle.

Their relationship shows affection, duty and generational difference.

Q29. How does the narrator bring out the contrast between the Indian way of life and American society?

The narrator brings out the contrast through food, family, marriage, language and daily habits.

In India, family duty, arranged marriage, sari, vermilion, rice and close family ties shape life. Mala arrives with traditional signs of marriage and adjusts slowly to America.

In America, the narrator faces a faster pace of life, traffic noise, supermarkets, elevators, different food habits and private living.

Mrs Croft lives alone at 103, which contrasts with the Indian family system.

The contrast is shown through small details, not direct criticism. This makes the cultural difference feel natural and personal.

Q30. Do you think Mala adjusted comfortably to the new way of life?

Mala does not adjust comfortably at first, but she gradually settles into the new life.

When she arrives, she is shy, homesick and unfamiliar with American customs. She keeps her head covered and follows traditional habits.

At first, the narrator and Mala remain strangers. However, after their visit to Mrs Croft, the distance between them begins to lessen.

They explore the city, meet other Bengalis, walk by the Charles River and build a life together.

Mala’s adjustment is slow but meaningful. By the end, she becomes part of the narrator’s settled life in America.

Class 11 English Woven Words Short Stories Chapter Wise Important Questions