Summary
Chapter 2 of NCERT Class 11 English (Snapshots), "The Address", is a short story by Marga Minco in which a daughter travels to Number 46, Marconi Street, to retrieve her late mother's belongings that were kept safe by Mrs Dorling during the War, only to decide she must forget the address and leave the past behind.
After the War, the narrator visits Number 46, Marconi Street in Holland to find the possessions her mother had entrusted to an old acquaintance, Mrs Dorling, for safekeeping. On her first visit, Mrs Dorling refuses to let her in. On a second visit, Mrs Dorling's daughter admits the narrator into a living room crowded with her mother's familiar objects — the woollen tablecloth, the silver cutlery, the antique plates, a still life painting — all now arranged tastelesslyamid strange, musty surroundings. Overwhelmed and unable to reconcile the beloved objects with their new environment, the narrator leaves abruptly and resolves to forget the address entirely, choosing to move forward rather than cling to a severed past.
Key points & formulas
- 01The narrator is the daughter of a Jewish woman ('Mrs S') who lived in Holland; she makes two post-war visits to Number 46, Marconi Street to find her mother's belongings.
- 02Mrs Dorling is an old acquaintance of the narrator's mother who, during the first half of the War, repeatedly came and carried away silver, antique plates, large vases, crockery, and other valuables, claiming she wanted to save them.
- 03The address — Number 46, Marconi Street — is central to the story; the narrator's mother told her to remember it, and it represents both hope of retrieval and a link to the past.
- 04On the second visit, the narrator recognises her mother's possessions (the woollen tablecloth with a burn mark, the silver cutlery, antique plates on the wall, a white tea pot with a gold-bordered lid, a still life of an apple on a pewter plate) but feels oppressed seeing them in the alien, tasteless surroundings of Mrs Dorling's house.
- 05The narrator resolves to forget the address because objects severed from their original context and familiar life lose their value when seen in strange surroundings; she also has no space for them in her small rented room.
- 06The story explores war's emotional aftermath: displacement, loss, the difficulty of returning to a pre-war life, and the choice to move on rather than remain anchored to painful memories.
- 07Mrs Dorling's broad-backed daughter mirrors Mrs Dorling physically, and through her the narrator glimpses how the objects have been absorbed into a foreign domestic life, clinching her decision to leave.
Frequently asked questions
01What is 'The Address' about?
'The Address' by Marga Minco is a post-War short story in which a daughter goes to Number 46, Marconi Street to reclaim her late mother's belongings that had been kept by Mrs Dorling during the War. After two visits she recognises her mother's familiar objects in Mrs Dorling's house but, finding them oppressive in their strange new setting, resolves to forget the address and move on.
02Who is Mrs Dorling in 'The Address'?
Mrs Dorling is described as an old acquaintance of the narrator's mother whom the mother had not seen for years. She suddenly renewed contact during the first half of the War and began regularly taking away the mother's valuables — table silver, antique plates, large vases, crockery — claiming she wanted to save them from being lost if the family had to leave.
03What is the significance of the address 'Number 46, Marconi Street'?
The address is the location of Mrs Dorling's house, where the narrator's mother's belongings were stored during the War. The narrator's mother told her to 'remember that' address. Throughout the story the address symbolises the narrator's link to her pre-war life and possessions, and her final decision to forget it signals her choice to let go of the past.
04Why did the narrator's mother give her belongings to Mrs Dorling?
Mrs Dorling herself suggested and insisted on taking the belongings, saying she wanted to save the mother's nice things in case the family had to leave and lost everything. The mother trusted her old acquaintance and felt it would be an insult to ask for guarantees about keeping the objects.
05What does the narrator find when she visits Mrs Dorling's house the second time?
The narrator is admitted by Mrs Dorling's daughter and enters a living room filled with her mother's possessions — the woollen tablecloth (with the burn mark she remembers), silver cutlery, the white tea pot with a gold-bordered lid, antique plates on the wall, and a still life of an apple on a pewter plate. However, the objects are arranged tastelessly amid ugly furniture and a muggy smell, making the narrator feel horrified and oppressed.
06Why did the narrator decide to forget the address?
The narrator explains that objects linked in one's memory to a familiar former life instantly lose their value when, severed from that life, they are seen again in strange surroundings. She also reflects that she had no room for them in her small rented room. She therefore resolves to forget the address, saying it would be the easiest of all the things she had to forget.
07What is the theme of 'The Address'?
The central theme is the emotional aftermath of war — displacement, loss, and the difficulty of reconnecting with a past that no longer exists. The story also explores how material possessions, though once laden with memory and meaning, lose their value when torn from their original context, and how survivors must choose between holding on to the past or moving forward.
08What was the first visit to Mrs Dorling's house like?
On the first visit, Mrs Dorling herself opened the door a chink. She showed no recognition until the narrator mentioned she was 'Mrs S's daughter.' Mrs Dorling then said she regretted she could not do anything for her, that it was not convenient, and cautiously closed the door, effectively turning the narrator away.
09How did the narrator recognise Mrs Dorling at the door despite seeing her only once before?
When Mrs Dorling stepped slightly aside, the narrator noticed she was wearing her mother's green knitted cardigan with wooden buttons that had gone pale from washing. That detail confirmed the narrator's suspicion, even though Mrs Dorling showed no recognition.
10Why did the narrator wait a long time before going to the address after the War?
Initially after the Liberation the narrator had no interest in the stored belongings and was also afraid of being confronted with things that had belonged to a life that no longer existed — objects hidden away, waiting in vain to be put back in their place. Only gradually, as life became more normal, did curiosity about the possessions grow and prompt her to visit.
11What does the woollen tablecloth with the burn mark represent in the story?
The tablecloth with a burn mark that had never been repaired is one of the specific, intimate details through which the narrator recognises her mother's belongings in Mrs Dorling's house. She searches for the mark by touch, confirming the object is truly from her former home, which intensifies the emotional weight of seeing it in alien surroundings.
12Is the NCERT Snapshots Class 11 PDF free to download?
Yes, the NCERT Snapshots Class 11 PDF is completely free to read and download on CBSE PrepMaster. No sign-up or payment is needed — just open the chapter directly in your browser.
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