The short story Going Places by A. R. Barton is an engaging part of the Class 12 English syllabus, exploring themes of dreams, aspirations, and the clash with reality. In this post, we’ll walk through a detailed summary, highlight key themes, and provide extract-based MCQs and important Q&A. This guide is crafted to help students better understand the story‘s deeper meanings and character dynamics, making exam preparation easier and more effective.
- Summary of Going Places
- The Theme of adolescent hero-worship and fantasizing in Going Places
- The theme of relationships with family and friends in Going Places
- Think as you read – I (Q&A of Going Places)
- Think as you read – II (Q&A of Going Places)
- Think as you read – III (Q&A of Going Places)
- Understanding the text (Q&A of Going Places)
- Working with words
- Noticing form
- Thinking about language
- Writing
- Extract-based MCQs from Going Places focusing on inferential comprehension:
Summary of Going Places
The chapter “Going Places” by A.R. Barton revolves around Sophie, a teenager with big dreams and a vivid imagination. Sophie, from a working-class background, dreams of a glamorous life, wanting to become a boutique owner, an actress, or a fashion designer. Her friend Jansie, who is more practical and grounded, discourages these fantasies, knowing they will both likely end up working at a local biscuit factory.
Sophie admires her older brother Geoff, an apprentice mechanic, who she feels leads an adventurous life beyond her reach. She tries to gain his attention by telling him that she met Danny Casey, a famous Irish football player she admires. Geoff doubts her story, but he listens patiently. When Sophie tells her father, he dismisses it as another one of her imaginary tales. Despite knowing her encounter with Casey was only a fantasy, Sophie clings to it, even imagining a secret meeting with him by the canal.
Through Sophie’s dreams, the story highlights the struggles of adolescents dealing with reality versus fantasy, and the desire for a better life. It shows the theme of teenage yearning and hero worship, portraying Sophie’s conflict between her imaginative mind and the harsh realities of her world.
The Theme of adolescent hero-worship and fantasizing in Going Places
The theme of adolescent hero-worship and fantasizing in Going Places highlights the longing and aspirations of young minds as they navigate the boundary between dreams and reality. This theme reflects a crucial part of teenage years when individuals look up to people they admire and often romanticize an idealized version of their own lives.
In the story, Sophie embodies the youthful spirit of dreaming beyond her circumstances. Coming from a working-class background, she finds herself drawn to glamour and fame, two things that feel unreachable but provide an escape from her monotonous reality. Her fascination with Danny Casey, a celebrated footballer, represents her deep-seated wish to be connected to someone famous, symbolizing a life far removed from her daily struggles. Sophie doesn’t just admire Casey; she constructs elaborate fantasies around him, even convincing herself and others (to a degree) that she has met him. For Sophie, Casey represents freedom, excitement, and the possibility of a life that breaks away from the limitations of her socioeconomic status.
Hero-worship, as shown through Sophie’s adoration of Casey, reveals the vulnerability of adolescence. Young people often look up to celebrities or people who seem to embody success and adventure, sometimes projecting onto them qualities they wish for themselves. For Sophie, idolizing Casey provides a sense of hope and helps her temporarily forget the reality that she and her friend Jansie will likely end up working in a biscuit factory. Her fantasies are an emotional outlet—a way to keep her dreams alive in a world that doesn’t offer many opportunities.
This theme also suggests that while fantasizing can inspire ambition, it can also lead to disappointment. Sophie’s inability to bridge the gap between her dreams and reality ultimately leaves her feeling isolated and misunderstood. It’s a portrayal of the bittersweet nature of adolescence, where aspirations often meet the constraints of reality. The story encourages readers to reflect on the importance of dreams but also gently reminds them of the need to balance these dreams with practical outlooks as they grow.
The theme of relationships with family and friends in Going Places
The theme of relationships with family and friends in Going Places delves into the dynamics between family members and close friends, illustrating how they shape Sophie’s identity and dreams. This theme highlights the contrasting perspectives of Sophie’s loved ones regarding her ambitions, showing the balance between support, skepticism, and grounded realism.
Sophie’s family, particularly her father and brother Geoff, play significant roles in her life. Her father, a hardworking man who has seen life’s struggles firsthand, represents the voice of reality and pragmatism. He disapproves of Sophie’s fantastical dreams and is quick to dismiss her stories as nonsense, feeling that she needs to be more grounded and realistic. His reaction to Sophie’s tale about meeting Danny Casey is disbelief, and he even ridicules her ambitions. While his reaction seems harsh, it’s also rooted in his desire to protect Sophie from the disappointment that he knows all too well. This tension between Sophie’s dreams and her father’s realism highlights a common generational clash, where young people dream big, while older generations, shaped by life’s hardships, adopt a more practical outlook.
Geoff, Sophie’s older brother, is a quieter and more reserved figure. She deeply admires him and sees him as a symbol of adventure and the unknown. Unlike her father, Geoff listens to Sophie’s stories, though he’s not fully convinced by them. His reserved nature and mysterious life as an apprentice mechanic make Sophie view him as someone who understands her dreams more than anyone else in the family. She yearns to be a part of his world, imagining herself joining him in an exciting life outside her immediate reality. Her relationship with Geoff reflects her desire for connection and validation, which she doesn’t receive from other family members.
Friendship, too, is significant in Sophie’s life. Her friend Jansie represents a stark contrast to Sophie’s dreaminess. While Sophie dreams big, Jansie is pragmatic, knowing that their economic reality will likely lead them both to work at the biscuit factory. Jansie’s grounded perspective makes her seem almost like an older sister, attempting to shield Sophie from the potential heartbreak that comes with unrealistic dreams. Their friendship illustrates how, even among peers, there can be different ways of viewing life’s possibilities. Jansie’s role as a friend who cares but doesn’t encourage Sophie’s fantasies reinforces the idea of friendship as a space for support but also for honesty.
Through these relationships, Going Places shows how family and friends influence a young person’s dreams and identity. While Sophie’s family and friends care for her, they also challenge her, each in their own way, to understand the difference between dreams and reality. The story reveals the delicate balance of support, protection, and individuality within relationships that is central to adolescent growth and self-discovery.
Think as you read – I (Q&A of Going Places)
- Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?
It was most likely that the two girls would find work in a biscuit factory. - What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams?
Sophie dreamed of being a boutique owner, an actress, or a fashion designer. Jansie discouraged her because these dreams were unrealistic, and Sophie did not have enough money.
Think as you read – II (Q&A of Going Places)
- Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey?
Sophie wriggled because she was nervous that her father wouldn’t believe her story about meeting Danny Casey. - Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey?
No, Geoff does not fully believe Sophie’s story, but he wishes it were true. - Does her father believe her story?
No, Sophie’s father does not believe her story. He thinks it is just another one of her lies. - How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future?
Sophie imagines herself riding with Geoff on his motorcycle and exploring the world together. - Which country did Danny Casey play for?
Danny Casey played for Ireland.
Think as you read – III (Q&A of Going Places)
- Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?
Sophie didn’t want Jansie to know because she thought Jansie would tell others, making it less special and secret. - Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?
No, Sophie did not really meet Danny Casey; it was just her imagination. - Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person?
The only time Sophie saw Danny Casey in person was when she watched him play football in a stadium.
Understanding the text (Q&A of Going Places)
- Sophie and Jansie were class-mates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up in the story?
Sophie was a dreamer who wanted a better life and imagined big things. Jansie was practical and accepted her reality. - How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father?
Sophie’s father was a tough, hardworking man who didn’t believe in dreams and was often grumpy. - Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? From her perspective, what did he symbolize?
Sophie liked Geoff because he was silent and mysterious. To her, he symbolized freedom and the exciting life outside their small world. - What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to? What are the indicators of her family’s financial status?
Sophie belonged to a lower-middle-class background. The family’s small house, her father’s simple job, and her lack of money for her dreams show their financial status.
Working with words
- Words had to be prized out of him like stones out of a ground.
This means that it was very hard to get him to talk. He didn’t speak much, and it took effort to make him share his thoughts. - Sophie felt a tightening in her throat.
This means that Sophie felt nervous or upset. Her throat felt tight because she was holding back emotions. - If he keeps his head on his shoulders.
This means that if he stays sensible and doesn’t let success get to him, he will do well. - On Saturday they made their weekly pilgrimage to the United.
This means that every Saturday, they visited United’s stadium to watch a football game, treating it as something important or special. - She saw… him ghost past the lumbering defenders.
This means that Danny Casey moved quickly and smoothly past the slow defenders, as if he was barely seen.
Noticing form
- “When I leave,” Sophie said, coming home from school, “I’m going to have a boutique.”
Here, “coming home from school” describes what Sophie was doing while she was talking about her plans. - Jansie, linking arms with her along the street, looked doubtful.
“Linking arms with her” shows that Jansie was walking with Sophie while feeling doubtful about her ideas. - “I’ll find it,” Sophie said, staring far down the street.
“Staring far down the street” shows that Sophie was looking out into the distance while she was speaking. - Jansie, knowing they were both earmarked for the biscuit factory, became melancholy.
“Knowing they were both earmarked for the biscuit factory” means that Jansie felt sad because she realized they would end up in the factory. - And she turned in through the open street door, leaving Jansie standing in the rain.
“Leaving Jansie standing in the rain” shows that Sophie left her friend outside in the rain while she went inside.
Other examples of present participles in the story:
- Sophie imagined her brother Geoff riding his motorcycle, taking her along.
- Geoff sat frowning at his motorcycle part, trying to fix it.
- Sophie’s father turned his head, looking at her with disbelief.
- Sophie was standing alone in the arcade, remembering her moment with Danny Casey.
- She sat waiting for Danny by the canal, hoping he would show up.
Thinking about language
Here are ten more informal, colloquial words:
- Bloke (man)
- Lad (boy)
- Flicks (movies)
- Grub (food)
- Rubbish (nonsense)
- Gutted (disappointed)
- Dodgy (suspicious)
- Cheeky (bold, rude)
- Knackered (very tired)
- Miffed (upset)
Writing
Think of a person who you would like to have as your role model. Here are sample questions for an interview:
- What inspired you to choose your career path?
- What were the biggest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
- Who was your role model growing up?
- What is one piece of advice you would give to young people?
- How do you handle failures and setbacks?
- How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?
- What habits do you think are most important for success?
- What are your future plans or dreams?
- What values do you think are most important in life?
- How do you balance your personal life with your work?
Extract-based MCQs from Going Places focusing on inferential comprehension:
Extract 1
“When I leave,” Sophie said, coming home from school, “I’m going to have a boutique.”
Jansie, linking arms with her along the street, looked doubtful. “Takes money, Soaf, something like that.”
- Why does Sophie mention wanting to have a boutique?
- A. She is trying to be practical.
- B. She wants to impress Jansie.
- C. She dreams of a glamorous future.
- D. She dislikes school and work.
- What does Jansie’s reaction (“looked doubtful”) suggest about her character?
- A. She is supportive of Sophie’s dreams.B. She is sceptical and practical.C. She is uninterested in Sophie’s ambitions.D. She envies Sophie’s dreams.
- What does the dialogue imply about the friendship between Sophie and Jansie?
- A. They both share similar dreams and ambitions.B. They support each other’s aspirations.C. Jansie tends to challenge Sophie’s unrealistic ideas.D. Sophie feels resentful towards Jansie’s scepticism.
Extract 2
“I’ll be like Mary Quant,” Sophie said. “I’ll be a natural. They’ll see it from the start. I’ll have the most amazing shop this city’s ever seen.”
Jansie, knowing they were both earmarked for the biscuit factory, became melancholy.
- What does Sophie’s comparison to Mary Quant reveal about her aspirations?
- A. She wants to work in a biscuit factory.
- B. She admires famous designers.
- C. She thinks she’ll become a sports star.
- D. She wants to be a manager.
- What does “earmarked for the biscuit factory” imply about Jansie’s and Sophie’s future?
- A. They are destined to do glamorous jobs.
- B. They have limited career options.
- C. They are wealthy and have many choices.
- D. They plan to travel the world.
- How does this extract highlight the theme of adolescence?
- A. It shows the carefree nature of youth.
- B. It reflects how adolescents are often realistic about their future.
- C. It explores the clash between dreams and reality in youth.
- D. It emphasizes wealth and ambition.
Extract 3
“Sophie met Danny Casey,” Geoff said.
Sophie wriggled where she was sitting at the table.
Her father turned his head on his thick neck to look at her. His expression was one of disdain.
- What is suggested by Sophie’s reaction to Geoff’s comment?
- A. She is proud of her story.
- B. She feels uncomfortable and nervous.
- C. She wants to elaborate on her story.
- D. She is eager for her father to believe her.
- What does Sophie’s father’s expression of “disdain” suggest?
- A. He is angry with Geoff.
- B. He believes Sophie and is impressed.
- C. He does not take Sophie seriously.
- D. He feels proud of Sophie’s imagination.
- How does Geoff’s role in this moment affect the family dynamic?
- A. He acts as a bridge between Sophie’s dreams and the family’s reality.
- B. He encourages Sophie to be more imaginative.
- C. He makes Sophie feel doubtful of her story.
- D. He tries to discourage Sophie’s ambition.
Extract 4
“I met Danny Casey,” Sophie said.
He looked around abruptly. “Where?”
“In the arcade — funnily enough.”
- What does Geoff’s abrupt reaction indicate about his feelings?
- A. He is disappointed in Sophie.
- B. He is excited to meet Danny Casey.
- C. He is curious but unsure of the story’s truth.
- D. He is angry with Sophie for lying.
- Why does Sophie add “funnily enough” when describing where she met Danny?
- A. To make the story seem more believable.
- B. To convince Geoff of her intelligence.
- C. To mock Geoff’s curiosity.
- D. To highlight that she is serious.
- What is implied by Sophie’s choice of the arcade as the meeting place?
- A. It is a place she frequently visits.
- B. It is a common spot for celebrities.
- C. It is a believable yet unremarkable location.
- D. It is the first place she thought of.
Extract 5
“One of these days you’re going to talk yourself into a load of trouble,” her father said aggressively.
- What does Sophie’s father’s warning suggest?
- A. He worries about her future.
- B. He believes in her stories.
- C. He thinks she talks too much.
- D. He sees her dreams as a potential risk.
- What is the tone of Sophie’s father in this line?
- A. Amused
- B. Concerned
- C. Aggressive and frustrated
- D. Encouraging
- What does this statement imply about Sophie’s character?
- A. She is a cautious and realistic person.
- B. She is prone to creating stories and exaggerations.
- C. She is quiet and shy.
- D. She is highly intelligent.