Despite such a tender age, what made the two boys Nicola and Jacopo work so hard? (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Despite such a tender age, what made the two boys Nicola and Jacopo work so hard? (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Despite being only twelve and thirteen years old, Nicola and Jacopo worked so hard because they were secretly saving every penny to pay for the medical treatment of their sister, Lucia, who suffered from tuberculosis of the spine. Having lost their father and home in the war, they bore this responsibility quietly and with great dignity.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for stating they worked to pay for their sister Lucia's medical treatment.
- 21 mark for mentioning the disease (tuberculosis of the spine) or the wartime context of family loss.
Hint
The boys had a deeply personal and selfless reason for working so hard. Think about who they were secretly visiting at the hospital.
Quick Oral Answer
Nicola and Jacopo worked tirelessly at multiple jobs because they needed to pay for the hospital treatment of their sister Lucia, who was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine, after losing their family in the war.
Analysis & Explanation
This 2-mark question from 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' tests understanding of the central motivation behind Nicola and Jacopo's relentless work despite their tender age.
Key points (2 marks = 2 distinct facts)
- (i) Purpose of the work — the boys worked tirelessly to pay for the medical treatment of their sister, Lucia.
- (ii) Nature of the illness/context — Lucia suffered from tuberculosis of the spine, and this happened against the backdrop of post-war Verona, where the boys had lost their father and their home to bombing.
Common mistakes
- Answering vaguely with "they worked for survival/money" without naming Lucia or her illness — this loses marks since the question wants specific, textual reasons.
- Omitting that the boys kept their sacrifice secret out of dignity, which is often expected as supporting detail.
Real-world connection
- The story is a study in silent sacrifice and family devotion — themes central to the CBSE value framework about resilience and selflessness in the face of hardship.
Common Mistakes
- 1Stating that the boys worked for their own survival or to buy food, which misses the central point that all their earnings went toward their sister Lucia's medical treatment.
- 2Forgetting to mention the specific disease (tuberculosis of the spine) that Lucia suffered from, which is a key detail expected in a 2-mark answer.
- 3Writing about the boys' various jobs in detail instead of focusing on WHY they worked, which is what the question asks. The question is about motivation, not activities.
Interesting Facts
A.J. Cronin, the author of 'Two Gentlemen of Verona', was a medical doctor before becoming a writer. His medical background gave him deep empathy for characters suffering from illness, which is reflected in Lucia's tuberculosis storyline.
The title 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' is a deliberate allusion to Shakespeare's early comedy of the same name, but Cronin uses it ironically to show that true gentlemanliness belongs to these poor working boys, not to the wealthy.
Tuberculosis of the spine, also known as Pott's disease, was a common and devastating condition in post-World War II Italy. Treatment in the 1940s often required prolonged hospital stays lasting months or years, explaining the boys' desperate need for continuous income.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What different jobs did Nicola and Jacopo do to earn money?
The boys did a variety of jobs including selling newspapers, shining shoes, running errands, selling strawberries, conducting tourists around the town, and even working as night guides at opera performances in the Verona arena.
Why did the boys keep their sister's illness a secret from the narrator?
The boys were proud and did not want sympathy or charity. They preferred to work hard and earn the money themselves, showing their dignity and self-respect despite their difficult circumstances.
Who is the author of 'Two Gentlemen of Verona'?
The story is written by A.J. Cronin (Archibald Joseph Cronin), a Scottish novelist and physician who often wrote about ordinary people showing extraordinary courage and compassion.