CBSE Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2 PDF Notes – The Address 2026-27 | Nextoper Notes
What is The Address about?
The Address is a short story by Marga Minco. It is Chapter 2 of Snapshots, the Class 11 English supplementary reader. After the Second World War, a young woman goes to Mrs Dorling’s house. Her dead mother’s belongings are kept there. She finds them, but she leaves them behind forever.
The story is quiet and sad. It shows what war takes away from people. Use this table for quick facts.
| Fact | Detail (from the NCERT text) |
|---|---|
| Chapter | Chapter 2, Snapshots (NCERT Supplementary Reader, Class 11 English Core) |
| Author | Marga Minco |
| Type | Short story, told in the first person |
| Narrator | An unnamed young woman, “Mrs S’s daughter” |
| Main characters | The narrator, her mother (Mrs S), Mrs Dorling, Mrs Dorling’s daughter |
| Setting | Holland, after the War; a house in Marconi Street |
| The address | Number 46, Marconi Street |
| Visits | Two. The first fails; the second lets her inside. |
| Central conflict | Wanting to hold on to the past versus needing to move on |
| Ending | She resolves to forget the address |
You can read the full chapter free on the official NCERT textbook site.
What happens in The Address? (Summary)
In this Class 11 Snapshots story, a daughter returns after the War. She goes to Number 46, Marconi Street. Mrs Dorling refuses to let her in. On a second visit, Mrs Dorling’s daughter lets her inside. She sees her mother’s things in an ugly room. Hurt and unsettled, she leaves and decides to forget the address.
1. The first knock
The narrator rings a bell and asks a woman if she remembers her. The woman says no. Then the narrator sees her mother’s green knitted cardigan on the woman. Now she knows she is at the right house.
2. “Have you come back?”
The woman, Mrs Dorling, says she thought no one had come back. The narrator answers that only she did. Mrs Dorling says it is not convenient and closes the door.
3. A memory of the War
Walking to the station, the narrator remembers her mother. During the War, things began to vanish from their home. Her mother explained that Mrs Dorling took them away for safe keeping.
Mrs Dorling had taken the table silver, antique plates and large vases. Her mother trusted her completely. The narrator was not fully convinced, even then.
4. The first meeting with Mrs Dorling
The narrator remembers seeing Mrs Dorling once. She had a broad back, a brown coat and a shapeless hat. She was carrying a heavy suitcase out of the house. Her mother said: Marconi Street, Number 46. Remember that.
5. Waiting before going back
After the Liberation, the narrator did not want those things. She was afraid of them. Slowly, life became normal again. Then she grew curious and wanted to see and touch her old possessions.
6. The second visit
This time, a girl of about fifteen opens the door. Her mother is out on an errand. The narrator says she will wait.
In the passage, she sees her family’s old iron Hanukkah candle-holder. In the living room, she feels shocked. It is a room she knows and does not know.
7. Things she knows by touch
She sits at her family’s woollen tablecloth. She searches for an old burn mark and finds it. The girl pours tea from her family’s white pot. She takes spoons from a box the narrator knows.
A still life hangs on the wall. As a child, the narrator loved the apple on the pewter plate.
8. The silver cutlery
The narrator tells the girl a story. As a child, she never knew her family’s everyday cutlery was silver. The girl does not know either. She goes to the drawer to check.
9. The decision
The narrator suddenly leaves to “catch her train.” Outside, she checks the street sign. The address is correct. But she will not return.
Objects lose their value away from their old life, she feels. Besides, she lives in a small rented room. She resolves to forget the address.
Who are the characters in The Address?
The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, has four characters. The narrator is a young woman who survived the War. Her mother, Mrs S, trusted Mrs Dorling with her things. Mrs Dorling is a cold, greedy acquaintance. Her daughter, a girl of about fifteen, uses the things without knowing their story.
| Character | Who she is | Key traits (with proof) |
|---|---|---|
| The narrator | Mrs S’s daughter; unnamed | Brave, sensitive and practical. Returns twice. Recognises objects by touch. Chooses to let go. |
| Mrs S (the mother) | The narrator’s mother | Trusting and generous. Believes Mrs Dorling is saving her things. Would think it an insult to ask for promises. |
| Mrs Dorling | An old acquaintance of the mother | Cold and greedy. Wears the mother’s cardigan. Refuses to talk. Keeps everything. |
| Mrs Dorling’s daughter | A girl of about fifteen | Friendly and unaware. Has a broad back like her mother. Calls the things nothing special. |
Character sketch of the narrator
The narrator is a young survivor of the War. She is the only one of her family who came back. She is brave enough to face Mrs Dorling twice.
She is also deeply sensitive. She knows her mother’s things by touch and memory. Yet she is wise. She sees that the past cannot be brought back. So she lets the things go.
Character sketch of Mrs Dorling
Mrs Dorling is the story’s most unpleasant figure. She offered to “save” the family’s things. Really, she kept them for herself.
At her door, she claims not to know the narrator. Then she gives herself away by asking if she has come back. She wears the mother’s cardigan without shame. She shows no pity at all.
Character sketch of the mother
The mother is kind and trusting. She thinks Mrs Dorling is taking a risk to help her. She feels sorry when Mrs Dorling struggles with heavy vases.
Her trust is touching but tragic. She never imagines she will be betrayed.
Character sketch of Mrs Dorling’s daughter
The girl is about fifteen. She is polite and offers tea. She proudly shows off the “antique” things.
She does not know they were taken from someone else. She even thinks the plates are nothing special. Her innocence makes the scene more painful.
What are the main themes of The Address?
The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, has three main themes. They are war and loss, memory, and betrayal of trust. Other themes are moving on and the meaning of home. The big idea is that objects only matter within the life they belonged to. Away from that life, they lose their value.
| Theme | Where you see it in the story |
|---|---|
| War and loss | Mrs Dorling thought no one had come back. The narrator says only she did. Her family is gone. |
| Memory | The narrator remembers the burn mark, the apple painting and the teapot’s gold border. |
| Betrayal of trust | The mother trusted Mrs Dorling. Mrs Dorling kept everything and wears the cardigan. |
| Greed in hard times | Mrs Dorling turns up suddenly during the War and carries away suitcase after suitcase. |
| Letting go and moving on | The narrator chooses to forget the address. She looks to a new life instead. |
| Home is more than things | Her things feel wrong in a “strange atmosphere.” Home was the life around them. |
Why is the story called The Address?
The address is the story’s link between past and present. The mother told the narrator to remember it. The narrator kept it for years. In the end, she chooses to forget it. So the address stands for memory itself.
Which objects in The Address matter most for exams?
In The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, every object carries a memory. The green cardigan proves the narrator is at the right house. The tablecloth’s burn mark proves the things are hers. The silver cutlery shows how little we notice daily things. Use this table to explain each object in answers.
| Object | Where it appears | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Green knitted cardigan | Mrs Dorling wears it at the door | Proof of theft; shows Mrs Dorling’s lack of shame |
| Iron Hanukkah candle-holder | Hangs next to a mirror in the passage | A family and religious memory; now just decoration |
| Woollen tablecloth | Living-room table | She finds the old burn mark. Memory lives in touch. |
| White teapot with gold border | Girl pours tea from it | Even small details are remembered |
| Still life with apple | Over the tea-table | A childhood joy now hanging in a stranger’s room |
| Silver cutlery | In the sideboard drawer | Daily things go unnoticed until they are lost |
| Plates on the wall | Used by Mrs Dorling’s family | The girl says they were nothing special |
What do the difficult words in The Address mean?
Hard words in Snapshots Chapter 2, The Address, describe doors, rooms and feelings. A chink is a narrow opening. To oppress means to weigh heavily on someone. Hanukkah is the Jewish Feast of Lights. Learning about twenty such words makes this short story far easier to read.
| Word | Simple meaning |
|---|---|
| Chink | A narrow gap |
| Searchingly | Looking closely, trying to find out |
| Recognition | Knowing someone you have seen before |
| Fleetingly | Very briefly |
| Cardigan | A knitted sweater that opens at the front |
| Musty | Stale and damp-smelling |
| Bay window | A window that sticks out from a wall |
| Jamb | The side post of a door frame |
| Acquaintance | Someone you know a little, not a close friend |
| Lugging | Carrying something heavy with effort |
| Crick | A sudden painful stiffness, like in the back |
| Crockery | Plates, cups and dishes |
| Reprovingly | In a way that shows disapproval |
| Liberation | Being set free; here, the end of enemy occupation |
| Hanukkah | The Feast of Lights, a Hebrew festival in December (NCERT footnote) |
| Cumbersome | Heavy and awkward to use |
| Oppressed | Weighed down; made to feel heavy and sad |
| Muggy | Warm, damp and stuffy |
| Still life | A painting of objects like fruit or dishes |
| Pewter | A grey metal used for plates and mugs |
| Sideboard | A low cupboard for dishes and cutlery |
| Severed | Cut off |
| Black-out paper | Dark paper that hid lights from enemy planes |
What are the NCERT answers for The Address?
The NCERT exercise for The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, has four questions. They ask about Mrs Dorling’s words “Have you come back?” and the narrator’s hardships. They also ask why she wanted to forget the address. The last asks how the story shows the human cost of war.
Questions are from the NCERT text. Answers are written by Nextoper.
Q1. ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?
Yes, it gives two big clues. First, it shows that Mrs Dorling did recognise the narrator. She only pretended not to know her.
Second, it hints at what happened to the family. Mrs Dorling expected none of them to survive. The narrator’s reply, “Only me,” confirms that her family is gone.
The line also shows Mrs Dorling’s motive. She kept the things because she expected no one to claim them.
Q2. The story is divided into pre-War and post-War times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?
During the War, the family lived in fear. They expected to leave their home and lose everything. Their precious things were quietly carried away for “safe keeping.”
After the War, the narrator lost her mother and her home. She lives alone in a small rented room. Black-out paper still hangs on its windows. Even simple comforts, like a safe bed or lighter bread, return slowly.
Then comes a final blow. The woman her mother trusted shuts the door on her.
Q3. Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
The narrator saw her mother’s things in Mrs Dorling’s room. They were arranged badly in a strange, stuffy room. Away from her old home, they had lost their meaning for her.
She also had no space for them. Her small rented room could hold only a handful of cutlery. Visiting again would only bring pain. So she chose to forget the address and move on.
Q4. ‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.
A predicament is a difficult situation with no easy way out. The narrator faces exactly that after the War. Her family is gone. Her home is gone.
The few things that survive are with someone else. That person refuses to help. Getting them back would only reopen old wounds.
The story also shows other effects of war. Some people, like Mrs Dorling, profit from others’ suffering. Survivors must rebuild life from almost nothing. In the end, the narrator chooses memory over objects, and the future over the past.
What MCQs come from The Address?
Here are 10 practice MCQs on The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2. Nextoper wrote them. Each answer has a one-line reason from the NCERT text. They test facts, characters and meaning. Cover the answers, try each question yourself, and then check how you did.
1. What was Mrs Dorling’s house number?
(a) 36 (b) 46 (c) 64 (d) 16
Answer: (b) 46. The mother said Marconi Street, Number 46.
Save Free Notes PDF – Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2 PDF Notes | Click Here to Save
2. What was Mrs Dorling wearing at the first visit?
(a) A brown coat (b) A shapeless hat (c) The mother’s green knitted cardigan (d) A woollen shawl
Answer: (c) The cardigan. That is how the narrator knew she was right.
3. How did the narrator reach the town?
(a) By bus (b) By train (c) On foot (d) By car
Answer: (b) By train. She says she came specially on the train.
4. Who opened the door on the second visit?
(a) Mrs Dorling (b) Mr Dorling (c) A girl of about fifteen (d) A neighbour
Answer: (c) A girl of about fifteen, Mrs Dorling’s daughter.
5. What hung next to the mirror in the passage?
(a) A clock (b) An iron Hanukkah candle-holder (c) A still life (d) A coat-rack
Answer: (b) The Hanukkah candle-holder the family never used.
6. What did the narrator look for on the tablecloth?
(a) A tear (b) A burn mark (c) A stain (d) Her initials
Answer: (b) A burn mark that had never been repaired.
7. As a child, what did the narrator like in the still life?
(a) The pear (b) The jug (c) The apple on the pewter plate (d) The flowers
Answer: (c) The apple on the pewter plate.
8. What did the narrator not know as a child?
(a) Her address (b) That the everyday cutlery was silver (c) Mrs Dorling’s name (d) How to make tea
Answer: (b) She did not know the daily cutlery was silver.
9. What excuse did the narrator give for leaving?
(a) She felt ill (b) She had to catch her train (c) It was getting dark (d) Mrs Dorling returned
Answer: (b) She said she must catch her train.
10. What did the narrator finally decide?
(a) To call the police (b) To come back with friends (c) To forget the address (d) To buy the things back
Answer: (c) She resolved to forget the address.
What should you revise the night before the exam?
To revise Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2 fast, learn three numbers and seven objects. Then remember four people and one big idea. The big idea is simple. Things lose meaning outside the life they belonged to. So the narrator lets them go.
Number trick: 46 – 2 – 15
- 46 – the house number in Marconi Street
- 2 – visits; the first fails, the second gets her inside
- 15 – the age (about) of Mrs Dorling’s daughter
Seven objects: “Can Her Things Tell Sad Stories, Please?”
- Cardigan – green, knitted, wooden buttons
- Hanukkah candle-holder – iron, next to the mirror
- Tablecloth – woollen, with a burn mark
- Teapot – white, gold border on the lid
- Silver cutlery – in the sideboard drawer
- Still life – apple on a pewter plate
- Plates – on the wall; not “anything special” to the girl
Four people, four roles: The narrator returns. Mother trusted. Mrs Dorling kept. The girl uses.
One big idea: Memories live in people and places, not in objects.
Self-check: can you answer these in one line?
| Question | Tick when you can answer |
|---|---|
| How did the narrator know she was at the right house? | [ ] |
| What did Mrs Dorling’s question reveal? | [ ] |
| Why did the mother trust Mrs Dorling? | [ ] |
| Why did the narrator wait before visiting? | [ ] |
| What is the silver cutlery story about? | [ ] |
| Why did she leave before Mrs Dorling returned? | [ ] |
| Why did she decide to forget the address? | [ ] |
What practice questions can you try on The Address?
These are Nextoper practice questions for The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2. They are not previous-year board questions. They follow the usual short-answer, long-answer and extract formats. Write full answers first. Then compare them with the summary, characters and themes above.
Practice question These questions are written by Nextoper for practice.
Short answer (about 40-50 words)
- Why was the narrator afraid to visit the address soon after the Liberation?
- What did the mother say about the risk Mrs Dorling was taking?
- How did the narrator feel inside Mrs Dorling’s living room?
- Why did the narrator tell the girl about the silver cutlery?
- What does the black-out paper in her rented room suggest?
Long answer (about 120-150 words)
- Compare the narrator’s mother and Mrs Dorling. How do they show trust and betrayal?
- Why do familiar objects lose their value in strange surroundings? Explain with examples.
- Write a diary entry by the narrator on the night after her second visit.
Extract-based practice
Read: “I resolved to forget the address.”
- Who resolved this, and when?
- Why does she say this would be the easiest thing to forget?
- What does this decision show about her?
What mistakes do students make in The Address?
Many notes on The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, contain errors. Students copy them and lose marks. Common slips include misspelling Mrs Dorling’s name and calling the story a poem. Another is treating the narrator as male. Check each fact below against the NCERT text before you write.
We found each of these errors in notes that currently rank online. Every correction is checked against the NCERT chapter.
| Common mistake | What the NCERT text actually says |
|---|---|
| Calling her “Mrs Morling” | Her name is Mrs Dorling. It is on the name-plate in black letters. |
| Calling The Address a poem | It is a short story, told in the first person. |
| Calling the narrator “he” | The narrator is a woman, “Mrs S’s daughter.” |
| “Acquaintance means a stranger” | An acquaintance is someone you know slightly. Mrs Dorling was an old acquaintance of the mother. |
| “Mrs Dorling truly did not recognise her” | She first says she does not know her. Her next question shows she does. |
| Calling the girl a “housekeeper’s daughter” | The girl is Mrs Dorling’s daughter. She says her mother is out on an errand. |
| “The narrator went back three times” | She visits twice and never returns after the second visit. |
| “The narrator took some things back” | She takes nothing. She leaves everything behind. |
| Quoting exact board marks for this chapter | No mark split is given in the NCERT book. Check the official CBSE syllabus instead. |
What is the short answer on The Address?
Short answer: The Address is Chapter 2 of Snapshots, a Class 11 English book. Marga Minco wrote it. After the War, a young woman visits Mrs Dorling at Number 46, Marconi Street. Mrs Dorling kept her dead mother’s belongings. On her second visit, the woman sees them in a strange room. They feel lifeless to her. So she leaves and decides to forget the address.
What do students ask about The Address?
Students most often ask who wrote The Address and what it is about. They also ask why the narrator forgot the address. Two more common questions are about Mrs Dorling and the story’s central theme. Short, exam-ready answers to all five follow, each based on the NCERT text.
Who wrote The Address?
Marga Minco wrote The Address. It is Chapter 2 of Snapshots, the NCERT supplementary reader for Class 11 English. Minco was a Dutch writer.
What is The Address about in short?
A young woman returns after the War to find her mother’s belongings. They are with Mrs Dorling at Number 46, Marconi Street. Seeing them in a strange room, she decides to forget the address.
Why did the narrator want to forget the address?
Her mother’s things had lost their meaning in a stranger’s house. She also had no room for them. Visiting again would only bring pain, so she chose to move on.
Who is Mrs Dorling in The Address?
Mrs Dorling is an old acquaintance of the narrator’s mother. During the War, she took the family’s valuables, saying she would save them. After the War, she kept them and refused to talk.
What is the theme of The Address?
The main theme is the loss that war leaves behind. The story also shows betrayal of trust and the pain of memory. Above all, it shows the courage to let go and move on.
What is the key takeaway from The Address?
The Address, Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2, teaches one key lesson. Memories belong to people and lives, not to objects. The narrator finds her mother’s things, but they feel empty without her mother. By forgetting the address, she chooses to live in the present.
Revise the 46-2-15 trick, the seven objects and the four characters. With those, you can answer almost any question on this chapter. Next, try the practice questions without looking back.
Related notes
- Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 1: The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse notes
- Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 3: Mother’s Day notes
- All Class 11 English Hornbill and Snapshots notes
Sources
- NCERT, Snapshots, Chapter 2, “The Address” by Marga Minco (Reprint 2026-27). ncert.nic.in
- CBSE Academic, Class 11 English Core (Code 301) curriculum. cbseacademic.nic.in
Last updated: 1 November 2026 | Session 2026-27 | Nextoper.in
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