Going Places [AHSEC Class 12 English Notes for 2025 Exam]

About the Author

A.R. Barton is a modern writer who lives in Zurich and writes in English.

Brief Summary of the Lesson

The story was set in Ireland in the 20^th century when there was a shift from an agrarian society to an industrialized one, and gender roles were also changing. Sophie, a school going teenager, wants to escape the drudgery of her life. She escapes into the world of fantasy and imagination. At home, she sees her mother slaving away and her father messing about. She looks up to her older brother Geoff and shares all her secrets with him. She makes up a tale of meeting young football star Danny Casey, but nobody believes her. On the night of their meeting, she waits for him. Here her imagination blends with reality. In her imagination, Casey is like her, shy, not bold, not taller than her and gentle. 

Chapter-wise summary of the Lesson

Sophie’s Dreams

Sophie and Jansie are on their way home from school. Sophie tells Jansie that once she leaves school, she would have a boutique. Jansie reminds her that it would require money, to which Sophie says that she would be a manager in the beginning. Jansie points out that no one would make her a manager immediately. Sophie continues to be confident and optimistic and says that she would have the most amazing shop the city had ever seen. Jansie, being realistic, knows that both of them are destined to work in the biscuit factory. She became sad and wished that Sophie didn't say such things. On reaching Sophie's street, Jansie reminds her that there are only a few months left to leave school, and Sophie should be more sensible. Working in a shop would not be permitted by her Dad, and neither would she earn much money. Sophie tells her friend that she could be an actress, which would fetch her a lot of money. Besides, she could have a boutique as well. She also considers something sophisticated, like being a fashion designer. Saying this, she enters her home.

Grim Reality

As soon as Sophie enters her home, she says that if she ever had money, she would buy a boutique. Her father, in the process of eating shepherd's pie retorts that she should buy them a decent house to live in if ever she came into money. Her brother Derek mocks her. Her mother is bent over the sink, busy with washing. Sophie takes in the surroundings of the small room, steamy from the stove, cluttered by the dirty laundry piled up in a corner and her father at the table. She experiences a sense of anxiety and goes to look for her older brother Geoff.

Sophie’s Bond with Geoff

Geoff, an apprentice mechanic, is tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over a newspaper spread on the carpet. Geoff spoke less, and Sophie was curious about certain areas of his life, about which he said nothing. He didn't make friends easily. However, Sophie thought that he may have some exotic people in his life. She wished to meet them. She also wished that her brother would be more affectionate towards her and take her with him. Her father had forbidden Geoff to take Sophie with him, and Geoff also thought of Sophie as too young. However, Sophie was impatient and wanted to be out there in the vast wide world, waiting for her arrival. She saw herself riding behind Geoff dressed in a yellow dress with a cape flying out behind. Geoff would be clad in shining black leather, and the world would rise to applaud them.

Sophie’s Story about meeting Casey

Sophie tells Geoff that she met Danny Casey, a young rising Irish football player, in the arcade,  while she was looking at the clothes in  Royce's window. Geoff doesn't believe her initially and asks her to describe him. He tells their father that Sophie met Casey, and their father also doesn't believe her. Geoff confirms that Sophie met Casey. The father says that a long time ago, he knew a man who had known Tom Finney,  one of the greatest football players, and Casey also might be that good one day. Sophie said that Casey told her he would be buying a shop. Her father asks her if this is another wild story of hers. Geoff admires Casey and has put up his posters on his bedroom wall. Sophie tells him details about her meeting with Casey. Casey was cute, and he did not have many girlfriends. She said that it was she who spoke to him first, asking him if he was Danny Casey. She asked him for an autograph, but neither of them had a pen or paper. They spoke for a bit, and he seemed lonely. Before leaving, he asked her to meet him next week, and he would give her an autograph then. Geoff does not believe her and puts on his jacket. Sophie feels that he should pay more attention to his looks since he is tall and handsome.

Casey in Action

On Saturday, Sophie and her family go to watch United in action. United won the match, and the second goal was driven home by Casey. Sophie and Geoff were exultant. Her father goes to celebrate by drinking and sends Derek home with Sophie by bus.

Jansie Questions Sophie

Jansie asks Sophie about her tale of meeting Casey. Geoff had told it to Jansie's brother Frank. Sophie is irritated at Geoff for speaking about her secret publicly. She tells Jansie to keep it a secret, saying that if her father gets to know, he would be angry.

The Meeting that Never was

After dark, she walked by the canal and sat under a wooden bench under a solitary elm tree. It was the perfect place for a tryst, and she knew that Casey would approve the place. She imagined that he was coming to meet her. Imagination merges with reality, and she waits for him to come. She realizes that he won't be coming. Geoff had said that Casey would not come. She wonders what she answers she would give to her family at home. They would again doubt her. She is sad and visualizes Geoff’s disappointed face when she told him that Casey had not come. She starts on her way back home. She sees her father's bicycle outside the pub and is glad that she would not have to face him on reaching home.

Imagination Again

She again imagines Casey and herself outside Royce's and their conversation. They were eye to eye, his nose was freckled, he had green eyes and teeth with gaps. He has a shy smile, and his eyes look gentle, almost afraid. She confides that their family watches him play every week. Her brothers will be sorry for not getting his autograph. After he leaves, she stands there, remembering his soft voice and shining green eyes. He wasn't taller than her or older than her. He was the great Danny Casey, the innocent genius and prodigy. Her mind goes back to the game on Saturday, where Casey's goal erupted into thunderous applause.

Also Read: English AHSEC Class 12 Chapterwise Notes

Answer the following questions : 1 Marks

1. Who is the writer of ‘Going Places’?         2014

Ans. A. R. Barton is the writer of the short story 'Going Places.'

2. Who are the two friends in the story, ‘Going Places’?

Ans. Sophie and Jansie are the two friends in the story, 'Going Places.'

3. What does Sophie want to have when she grows up?         2012

                         Or

    What did Sophie dream of?         2019

Ans. Sophie wants to have a boutique when she grows up.

3. Where was it most likely that the girls would find work after school?         2015

Ans. The girls Sophie and Jansie were most likely to find work in the Biscuit factory after school.

4. Who is Derek?         2019

Ans. Derek is Sophie’s younger brother.

5. Who is Geoff?         2017

Ans. Geoff is Sophie’s elder brother. He is an apprentice mechanic.

6. Who is Danny Casey?

Ans. Danny Casey is a young Irish football player.

7. Which country did Danny Casey play for?         2018

Ans. Danny Casey played football for Ireland.

8. For whom did Sophie ask Danny Casey an autograph?         2016

Ans. Sophie asked Danny Casey for an autograph for her younger brother, Derek.

9. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?          2015

Ans. Sophie did not meet Danny Casey. It was a stretch of her imagination.

10. Which is the only occasion that Sophie gets to see Casey in person?         2017

Ans. The only occasion that Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she went to see United’s football match. Casey was playing in the United football team.

11. Why was Jansie doubtful about Sophie’s dream of having a boutique?

Ans. Jansie is doubtful of Sophie's dream of having a boutique because Sophie comes from a middle-class family, and having a boutique would require a lot of money that she would not be able to afford.

12. ‘I'll be like Mary Quant.. . .‘ What does Sophie mean by that?

Ans. Mary Quant is an English fashion designer and an instrumental figure in the youth fashion movement. Sophie aspires to be a fashion designer like Mary Quant.

13. Why was Jansie melancholic?

Ans. Jansie is practical by nature and knows that for girls from middle-class families like Sophie and her, the Biscuit factory was their destined workplace. Hence when Sophie spoke about a career in fashion, she felt melancholic.

14. ‘The delicate- seeming bow and the crooked back. ‘What does the two together suggest?

Ans. It suggests that there is an incompatibility between the delicate bow and the crooked back. Sophie’s mother slaves away in her home and has a tough life.

15. Why did Sophie feel a tightening in her throat?

Ans. Sophie felt a tightening in her throat because of the suffocation by the atmosphere in her home.

16. How would you describe Geoff as a person?

Ans. Geoff is a quiet person. He is tall and handsome. He is responsible and works as an apprentice mechanic.

17. Why was the world of Geoff fascinating for Sophie?

Ans. Geoff had more freedom than Sophie. There were certain aspects of his life which he did not speak about. Sophie thought that when he was silent, he was in those places where she had never been. Geoff’s world was fascinating for Sophie because it was unknown to her and beyond her reach.

18. What is ‘the arcade'?

Ans. The arcade is a covered area or passage in which there are shops. It is also an area where there are electronic or coin-operated games for the public.

19. Why did Sophie’s family cheer for Casey?

Ans. Sophie's family were big fans of the football team 'United.' Casey was a player of the team. They cheered for Casey when he scored a goal against the other team.

20. What is a wharf?

Ans. Wharf is a structure built along or at an angle from the shore so that ships can lie alongside to receive and discharge cargo and passengers.

21.  How was Geoff employed?         2016

Ans. Geoff was employed as an apprentice mechanic.

Answer the following questions : 2 Marks

1. What theme does the story, ‘Going Places’ explore?         2014

Ans. The story, 'Going Places' explores the theme of adolescent fantasizing and hero worship. Sophie, a young girl, spins a yarn about meeting star footballer Danny Casey, to win respect and admiration of her family. Her father and brothers are fans of the football team 'United' and young Irish football player, Danny Casey.

2. What are the other options that Sophie dreams of besides owning a boutique?

Or

What other dreams Sophie had besides having a boutique?   2013, 2015, 2017, 2020

Ans. Sophie wants to have a boutique when she grows up. She would like to be a manager, to begin with. She is also keen on becoming an actress or a fashion designer. She wants a sophisticated career which would also earn her a lot of money.

3. What job is Geoff engaged in? Does he entertain wild and impractical dreams like his sister? 2012, 2017, 2018

Ans. Geoff is an apprentice mechanic. He is involved in his job to such an extent that even at home, he is found tinkering with motorcycle parts. He did not entertain wild and impractical dreams like his sister. He is older than her and aware of his family’s financial situation.

4. What is incongruous about the delicate bow which fastened the apron strings of Sophie’s mother?         2016

Ans. The delicate bow fastened to the apron strings of Sophie's mother appears out of place in the surroundings. Her mother is bent uncomfortably over the sink, as indicated by the crooked back.  She doesn't have a life apart from fulfilling the needs of her family and serving them. The bow is delicate, but Sophie's mother wearing it has a tough life.

5. What kind of a person is Geoff?         2018

Ans. Geoff is a quiet person. He is tall and handsome, according to Sophie. He does not bother much about his clothes or appearance. He is responsible and works as an apprentice mechanic. He travels to the other end of the city to reach his workplace. He does not speak much and words had to be prized out of him like stones from the ground.

6. Why is Sophie 'jealous of Geoff’s silence'?

Ans. Geoff is quiet and speaks less. Sophie was ’jealous of Geoff's silence’ because she thought that when he was not speaking, he was away, out in the world, in places where she had never been before. The places were fascinating for her as they were unknown to her and beyond her reach.

7. Why does Sophie choose her brother Geoff to tell about her meeting with Danny Casey in the arcade?

Ans. Sophie looks up to her brother Geoff and wants his approval and respect. She also knows that Geoff admires the young Irish football player Danny Casey. Hence she chooses to tell him about her meeting with Danny Casey in the arcade.

8. How does Danny Casey look like?

Ans. Danny Casey has green eyes and a shy smile. His eyes resemble that of a gazelle, gentle, and almost afraid. He is not so tall. His nose is freckled and turned upwards.

9. Why doesn’t her father believe Sophie?

Ans. Sophie is young and prone to fantasizing. Her father knows that she is very imaginative and makes up stories. He suspects that the incident of her meeting Danny Casey at the arcade is not true but another one of her wild stories.

10. Why doesn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her supposed meeting with Casey?  2019

Or

. ‘Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing, not a Jansie thing.' Why did Sophie say so?

Ans. Sophie knew that her friend Jansie was a bit nosey. She was also a rumor-monger. Sophie feared that Jansie would spread the story about this meeting with Danny, and then people would come to her house asking about it. That was why she was annoyed with her brother Geoff for telling others the information she had shared with him.

11. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from entertaining thoughts about the sports star, Danny Casey?

Ans. Jansie discouraged Sophie from entertaining thoughts about the sports star, Danny Casey, because she was aware that they belonged to working-class families with financial constraints. Their life was hard, involving struggle, and there was no place for dreams, far removed from reality.

4. How does Sophie’s father react when Geoff told him about her meeting with Danny Casey?

  Or

Does her father believe her story?

Ans. Sophie is young and prone to fantasizing. Sophie's father does not believe that she met Danny Casey. Her father knows that she is very imaginative and makes up stories. He suspects that the incident of her meeting Danny Casey at the arcade is not true but another one of her wild stories. He warns her that one day she would get into trouble on account of her stories.

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

Ans. Though Geoff knows Sophie’s habit of telling stories, he believes what she said about her meeting with Danny Casey. He tells his father that Sophie did meet Danny in the arcade. He also tells his friend Frank about Sophie meeting Danny.

6. What did Sophie imagine about her meeting with Danny Casey?

Ans. Sophie imagined that she met Danny Casey in the arcade while she was looking at clothes in Royce's window. She looked around and saw Casey standing beside her. She spoke to him first and asked him for his autograph, but neither had a pen nor paper. They spoke for a bit, and before leaving, he asked if she met him next week, he would give her an autograph then.

9. “Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind. “ Discuss.

Ans. Sophie imagines things and dreams about the future. Sometimes her imaginative stories lead to disappointments. Like, in the case of the story of meeting Danny Casey at the arcade, she actually waits for him by the canal and is disappointed when he doesn’t appear.

10. What thoughts came to Sophie’s mind as she sat by the canal?

Ans.  She imagined that Casey was coming to meet her. Imagination merges with reality, and she actually waits for him to come. She realizes that he won't be coming.  She wonders what answer she would give to her family at home. They would again doubt her. She is sad and visualizes Geoff's disappointed face when she told him that Casey had not come

Answer the following questions : 5 Marks

1. What do you learn about the socio-economic status of Sophie’s family?

Ans. Sophie hails from a middle-class family in Ireland. She lives in a small house with her parents and two brothers. As soon as she comes home from school and looks around, she feels a tightening in her throat. The children are also expected to work after school and contribute to the family income, instead of pursuing higher education. Sophie's mother is bound by the conventional role of a woman and slaves away at home. It is expected from Sophie, that on completing school, she would get work at the biscuit factory. She dreams of having a boutique, being an actress, or a fashion designer, but these dreams are frowned upon by her family and friends.

2. Describe the character of Sophie's father and the role played by him in the story "Going Places."         2019

Ans: Sophie's father was a man of authority, truth, hard-working, and deep senses. He understood, saw, experienced, and realised the very truth about life, but he was not well-off. He had to work hard to keep his family alive. He had a realistic approach towards life and had firm faith in social interactions. Being a considerate, kind, and sensible father, he understood the nature of his family but was deadly against wild stories. He always wanted to keep his family members happy and peaceful, but financially he was not well-off. The day's hard work was visible on his plump face.

He was a sports lover and used to go with his family on a weekly pilgrimage. While seeing the United Team winning, he boosted Danny's morale. After the victory, he went to the pub for a celebration and drink. When Sophie told that Danny was buying a shop, he made an ugly expression on his face to show disgust. He did not approve Sophie's wild stories for Danny and instead warned as well as advised her about a lot of trouble she was going to be entrapped in. Though he was an aggressive yet he was a true and rightful person. Sophie was much scared of him and told Jansie, "You know what a misery he is".

3. “... And it is a hard burden to carry, this sadness. “ Why is Sophie sad?

Ans. Sophie had told Geoff that she met football star Danny Casey in the arcade, and they would be meeting again. On the day of the supposed meeting, she goes by the canal and sits on a bench under an elm tree, waiting for him to come. She imagined that Casey was coming to meet her. Imagination merges with reality, and she waits for him to come. She realizes that he won't be coming.  She wonders the answer she would give to her family at home. They would again doubt her. She is sad and visualizes Geoff's disappointed face when she told him that Casey had not come. She realizes that she has become sad, and sadness is a hard burden to carry.

4. How does Jansie come to know of the story of Sophie’s meeting with Casey? How does she react?

Ans. Jansie comes to know of the story of Sophie's meeting with Casey from her brother Frank. Geoff had told Frank about Sophie's meeting with Danny Casey. She does not believe the story and questions Sophie about her tale.  She refuses to believe that Sophie met Casey in the arcade as she is aware of Sophie's flights of fantasy and her habit of telling imaginative stories. Sophie tries to convince her that she had indeed met Casey and urges her to keep it a secret since she is aware of Jansie's habit of telling everything to everyone.

5. Why does Sophie feel close to her brother Geoff more than anyone else in her family? What does he symbolise to her?

Ans. Sophie lives with her parents and two brothers Geoff and Derek. Her father is very strict with her. Her mother's influence on her is not seen at all in the story. Her younger brother Derek also makes fun of her dreams. Geoff is older than her and works as an apprentice mechanic. He travels to the other end of the city for his work. He has more freedom than her. He is interested in bikes and football. He speaks less and appears as a strong, silent person. She feels closer to Geoff than to anyone else in her family and shares all her secrets first with him.  His world appears fascinating to her. She thinks that he must be having exotic people in his life. He symbolizes freedom to her, and she wants him to rescue her from her dreary life. She dreams of herself riding behind him dressed in yellow and with a cape flying behind. He would be dressed in shiny black leather, and the world would rise to applaud them.

6. Who is Geoff? How is he different from his sister? What makes him share Sophie’s secrets?

Ans. Geoff is Sophie's elder brother. It has been three years since he left school, and he works as an apprentice mechanic at the other end of the city. He is quiet and speaks less. Even his interests are masculine- bikes and football. Words have to be prized out of him like stones from the ground. He is different from Sophie. He is aware of his family's economic situation and contributes by working as an apprentice mechanic. Sophie looks up to him and wants to win his respect and approval. She shares all her secrets with him first. Even though he knows that she tells imaginative stories, he patiently listens to her. When she tells him about meeting Danny Casey, he tells her that she is very young and still in school and he must have had several girlfriends. He believes that she met Casey since he tells his father about it and also his friend Frank.

7. “While Sophie has no touch with reality, Jansie’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. “ Show how Sophie and Jansie, though friends, are poles apart in character and temperament?

Ans. Sophie and Jansie study in the same school and are friends. They are on their way back home from school at the beginning of the story. Though they are at the same age, they are very different from one another. Jansie is grounded in reality. She is aware that Sophie and she would have to start working at the biscuit factory as soon as they finish school. She knows that their families have financial difficulties, and they have to be realistic instead of pursuing flights of fantasy. Sophie, on the other hand, wants to have a boutique. Jansie points out to her that running a boutique would require a lot of money, which Sophie doesn't have. Sophie says that she would like to be an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie feels sad hearing this kind of talk from Sophie as she knows that working-class people like them do not have many choices in front of them.

8. How does Sophie build up her emotions as she waits for him in the arcade by the canal?

Ans. Sophie experiences a roller coaster of emotions as she waits for Danny Casey to turn up at their tryst. She was initially excited, waiting for him to come. Excitement gives way to doubt when time passes, and he fails to make an appearance. Then she becomes despondent and accepts the reality that he will not come. She is sad and finds sadness a heavy burden to carry. She worriedly anticipates the reactions from her family when they will know that Casey did not turn up. They would doubt her and not believe her in the future. Geoff would also be disappointed. In the arcade, she remembers his soft voice and shining green eyes. He was not taller than her or older than her. He was the great Danny Casey, the innocent genius and prodigy. Her mind goes back to the game on Saturday, where Casey's goal erupted into thunderous applause.

9. How does the real and the imaginary blend in ‘Going Places’?

Ans. After dark, she walked by the canal and sat under a wooden bench under a solitary elm tree. It was the perfect place for a tryst, and she knew that Casey would approve the place. She imagined that he was coming to meet her. Imagination merges with reality, and she waits for him to come. She realizes that he won't be coming. Geoff had said that Casey would not come. She wonders what she answers she would give to her family at home. They would again doubt her. She is sad and visualizes Geoff's disappointed face when she told him that Casey had not come. She starts on her way back home. She sees her father's bicycle outside the pub and is glad that she would not have to face him on reaching home. She again imagines Casey and herself outside Royce's and their conversation. They were eye to eye, his nose was freckled, he had green eyes and teeth with gaps. He has a shy smile, and his eyes look gentle, almost afraid. She confides that their family watches him play every week. Her brothers will be sorry for not getting his autograph. After he leaves, she stands there, remembering his soft voice and shining green eyes. He was not taller than her or older than her. He was the great Danny Casey, the innocent genius and prodigy. Her mind goes back to the game on Saturday, where Casey's goal erupted into thunderous applause.