The Boy Who Broke the Bank - ICSE Class 9 High-Yield Flashcards

High-yield vocabulary and character-based flashcards for the ICSE Class 9 English Literature chapter 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' by Ruskin Bond.

Nathu

The sweeper-boy at the Pipalnagar Bank who triggers the bank's collapse by grumbling about his delayed salary of $5$ rupees.

Sitaram

The washerman's son and uncritical messenger who unintentionally starts the rumor cycle by misinterpreting Nathu's grievance to Mrs. Srivastava.

Seth Govind Ram

The owner of the Pipalnagar Bank who is erroneously believed to have fled the country while he is actually vacationing in Kashmir.

Mrs. Srivastava

The character who hears that the bank cannot pay its sweeper and passes this information to Mrs. Bhushan, inflating it into a bankruptcy rumor.

Mrs. Bhushan

The individual who talks to her husband at Kamal Kishore's photo shop, spreading the distorted claim that the bank has collapsed.

Old Ganpat

A beggar who exposes his long-term deception of having a crooked leg by sprinting to the bank to save his secret hoard of $1000$ rupees.

Deep Chand

The town barber who becomes so agitated by the news of the bank's failure that he nicks a customer's ear.

Kamal Kishore

The owner of a photography shop who receives the rumor from Mrs. Bhushan and passes it on to Deep Chand the barber.

The Bank Manager

A powerless figure who is unable to placate the mob because emergency funds are $30$ miles away and the owner is unreachable.

Situational Irony

A narrative tool used when Old Ganpat, who pretended to be a cripple for years, suddenly runs to save his money.

Dramatic Irony

The literary device at the end of the story where Nathu remains completely oblivious to the fact that his own grumbling caused the bank's downfall.

Satirical Critique

The tone Ruskin Bond uses to examine the flaws of human nature, hysteria, and the destructive mechanics of rumors in a small town.

Tamarind Tree

The specific setting and meeting point where Mrs. Srivastava and Mrs. Bhushan interact, marking the 'second distortion' of the rumor.

Liquidity Issue

The short-term financial dilemma where a wealthy bank collapses simply because it cannot provide immediate cash to a panicked mob.

Hysteria

The unreasoning collective panic that drives the townspeople to gather as a violent mob and smash the bank's windows.