The Hack Driver
Question and Answers
Why was the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
The lawyer was sent to New mullion to serve a summon to a man named Oliver Lutkinss.
He first thought New Mullion to be a Sweet and Simple country village.
Who befriends him? Where does he take him?
A forty year old delivery man, who called himself Bill Murguson befriends him.
He claimed that he knew Oliver Lutkinss and would help him to find him, so he took the lawyer whereever Lutkins expected to be. He took the lawyer to Fritz’s shop where Lutkins played a lot of poker. Then he took him to Gustaf's barber shop and Gray’s barber shop and then to the pool room and finally to Lutkins mother’s firm house.
What does he (Bill) say about Lutkins?
Bill told the lawyer that it is very hard to catch Lutkins and he owed a lot of money from many people including him. He played a lot of poker and he is very good at deceiving people.
What does Bill say about Lutkins Mother?
Bill told the lawyer that Lutkins’ mother is a real terror. She is about nine feet tall and four feet thick and could talk a lot. He also assured the lawyer that Lutkins must have gone there to hide behind his mothers skirt as soon as he came to know that somebody was chasing him.
Does the Narrator serve the summons that day?
No, as he couldn't find Lutkins that day so he was unable to serve the summon that day.
Who is Lutkins?
The Hackdriver was Lutkins Himself. He pretended to be Bill Murguson to trick the lawyer to avoid the summons.
Think about the text
When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins ? When do you think ‘Bill’ came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?
No, Bill did not know that the lawyer was looking for Lothkins.
When the lawyer told him that he was looking for a man called Oliver Luthkin, then Bill came up with the plan for fooling the lawyer.
Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is that no one lets out the secret? (Hint : Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.) Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?
First of all nobody actually knows that the lawyer didn’t know Oliver Luthkin; moreover Bill has convinced the lawyer that Lutkin will run away if he knew someone is looking for him so the lawyer was always kept out of sight. The stories Bill fabricated in the journey made the lawyer believe that Oliver Lutkin was a different person and thus he manipulates the entire tour.
Why do you think Lutkin’s neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?
Almost everyone in the village had seen the lawyer who had been made a fool by Luthkins. So when the lawyer came back the next day, the neighbour who missed the sight of the gulible man was anxious to meet the lawyer.
After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
No, absolutely not. After knowing how Lutkins had made a fool of him, he would never return to New Mullion to practise law.
Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Yes, the lawyer was gullible. He believed every word of what Oliver Lutkins said. He should have asked about Lutkins from other villagers. Instead, he depended completely on the hack driver.
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