What traumatic event does Zitkala-Sa describe at the school?

The forcible cutting of her long hair

Why was the cutting of her hair so humiliating to Zitkala-Sa?

Among her people, shingled hair was worn by cowards and mourners

Where was it most likely that Sophie and Jansie would find work after school?

Both girls were earmarked for the local biscuit factory, which was the realistic prospect for them given their circumstances.

What options was Sophie dreaming of, and why did Jansie discourage her?

Sophie dreamt of owning a boutique or becoming an actress or fashion designer; Jansie, knowing their poverty and the realities of shop work, urged her to be sensible.

Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than anyone else?

She admired him deeply because his silence and his journeys to work symbolised an unknown, fascinating adult world beyond her reach, into which she longed to be admitted.

What did Geoff symbolise from Sophie's perspective?

He represented the wider, exotic world of places and people she had never known, a life of freedom and possibility that she yearned to share.

What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to?

A poor working-class family — indicated by the cramped, steamy house, her father's grimy exhaustion, the piled dirty washing and the expectation of factory work.

Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?

No; the meeting was a product of her vivid imagination, part of her fantasy and hero-worship rather than a real event.

Which was the only occasion when Sophie actually saw Danny Casey in person?

She saw him only from a distance at the Saturday football match, where he scored a goal and she glowed with pride.

Why didn't Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny?

It was meant to be a special secret shared only with Geoff; she feared the gossipy Jansie would spread it and that her father would be furious.

How does Sophie feel as she waits for Danny by the canal?

She moves from hope and excitement to pangs of doubt and finally a heavy, resigned sadness as she realises he will not come.

What is the central theme of 'Going Places'?

It explores adolescent fantasising and hero-worship, showing how a young girl's dreams and disappointments are all created within her own mind.

Going Places

Class 12 English · Flamingo · Chapter 8

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CBSE Class 12 · English Core

All 13 Flamingo texts, with what 2025 asked

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CBSE Class 12 · English Core

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The story in short

Written by A.R. Barton, this story explores the theme of adolescent fantasising and hero-worship. Sophie, a schoolgirl from a poor working-class family, is a daydreamer who imagines a glamorous future — owning a boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer — although she and her friend Jansie are both earmarked for the local biscuit factory. Jansie, more practical and down-to-earth, gently discourages her unrealistic dreams. At home, Sophie's tired father, her stooped, overworked mother and her quiet, motorcycle-loving brother Geoff reveal the family's hard circumstances. Sophie idolises Geoff, who symbolises the unknown, exciting adult world beyond her reach, and longs to share his life. She invents a story that she met Danny Casey, a young Irish football prodigy she admires, in the arcade, and that he has promised to meet her again to give an autograph. Geoff half-believes her, her father dismisses the tale, and Sophie is annoyed when Geoff tells Jansie. On the appointed evening, Sophie waits alone on a bench by the canal for Danny, slowly realising he will not come, and feeling the pangs of doubt and a heavy sadness settle on her — yet she clings to the private fantasy that 'we know how it was, Danny and me'. The story shows how Sophie's dreams and disappointments exist entirely in her own mind, contrasting fantasy with the constraints of her real life.

Adolescent fantasisingHero-worshipDreams versus realityFamily relationshipsSocio-economic constraints

Characters & key ideas

SophieThe working-class schoolgirl who lives in dreams and fantasy.

JansieSophie's practical, realistic friend and classmate.

GeoffSophie's quiet brother, an apprentice mechanic she idolises.

Danny CaseyThe young Irish football prodigy Sophie fantasises about.

Hero-worshipSophie's adoration of the football star she admires.

FantasisingThe daydreaming that shapes Sophie's inner world.

Extra questions & answers (board-style)

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Who is the author of "Going Places"?

Flashcards & interactive practice