NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter A Case for the Defence

This worksheet for Class 10 English provides complete and accurate NCERT Solutions for the supplementary reading chapter A Case for the Defence by Graham Greene, featured as a recommended text in the Footprints without Feet curriculum. The chapter introduces students to a gripping legal thriller and psychological short story that questions the reliability of human perception and the concept of divine justice. It deals with a murder trial where an eyewitness is absolutely certain of the killer's identity, only for a bizarre twist involving identical twins to shatter the prosecution's entire framework. This text is important for students as it sharpens their literary comprehension, analytical thinking, and capability to grasp situational irony and suspense in English literature. Parents and teachers can confidently use this worksheet to support students in mastering their homework, reinforcing core reading values, and preparing comprehensively for text-aligned assessments.

Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes

The chapter presents a suspenseful short story by British author Graham Greene that focuses on a sensational murder trial known as the Peckham murder. Through the eyes of a narrative observer, students learn about the trial of Adams, a man accused of brutally murdering an elderly woman, Mrs. Salmon being the primary eyewitness who swears she saw him with a bloodstained chisel. The main theme centers on the fallibility of human justice and the intervention of coincidence or fate, showcasing how the appearance of an identical twin brother creates an unresolvable legal deadlock. The narrative guides students to understand that while human legal structures can fail to deliver punishment due to reasonable doubt, an uncanny, accidental death at the end of the story introduces a dark form of poetic or divine retribution.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

* Vocabulary development through legal and courtroom terminology such as prosecution, acquittal, eyewitness, and capital punishment.
* Advanced reading comprehension skills by tracking the buildup of suspense and the subversion of reader expectations.
* Identification and analysis of literary devices such as situational irony, foreshadowing, and dramatic climaxes.
* Writing skills focused on structural answer formulation for both short-answer and long-answer competency prompts.
* Analytical thinking regarding the concepts of reasonable doubt, structural coincidence, and systemic justice.

How to use these NCERT solutions?

Students should begin by reading the complete narrative text independently to formulate their own interpretations before consulting external guides. Use this worksheet to cross-examine your draft answers, checking for chronological accuracy and thematic depth. Parents can leverage these standard solutions to track their child's academic progress, review homework correctness, and reinforce proper sentence construction. The solutions follow the exact framework and order of the chapter curriculum, making them an excellent tool for quick revisions before classroom unit tests and final examinations.

Student tips & learning tricks

* Pay close attention to situational irony, noticing how the ultimate resolution of the trial depends on an unpredictable physical coincidence rather than legal debate.
* Avoid basic, one-line answers for descriptive questions; ensure you link the legal outcome directly to the concept of "reasonable doubt."
* Utilize precise vocabulary such as eyewitness testimony, gridlock, poetic justice, and subjective certainty to maximize language evaluation marks.
* Carefully track the structural transition of the story, comparing Mrs. Salmon's absolute certainty at the beginning with the courtroom's confusion after the second twin stands up.

Why NCERT solutions are important?

NCERT-aligned solutions are crucial for building a strong foundational grasp of advanced literary themes in high school English. They remove ambiguity by showing students how to construct precise, textually supported arguments that evaluators look for during marking. Developing a routine of practicing with clear and reliable solutions dramatically improves a student's confidence, writing fluency, and readiness for competency-based exam questions.

Complete answer key – NCERT solutions

Section A Short answer questions

1. Who was murdered in the Peckham case, and who was the primary suspect?
Answer: Mrs. Parker was the elderly woman murdered in the Peckham case, and a man named Adams was the primary suspect arrested for the crime.

2. Why was Mrs. Salmon considered an excellent and reliable witness by the court?
Answer: Mrs. Salmon was considered reliable because she had a clear, unhurried view of the suspect from her window, possessed excellent eyesight, and spoke with absolute clarity and lack of malice or emotion.

3. What unexpected event completely destroyed the prosecution's case against the prisoner?
Answer: The defense counsel asked a man sitting at the back of the court to stand up, revealing an identical twin brother who looked exactly like the prisoner, making it impossible for any witness to swear which brother was actually present at the crime scene.

Section B Long answer questions

4. Analyze how Graham Greene explores the conflict between human legal justice and divine intervention in the story.
Answer: The story presents a stark contrast between man-made legal systems and the unpredictable nature of fate. The human court relies heavily on eyewitness testimony and empirical evidence to establish guilt. Mrs. Salmon's testimony seems flawless until the defense introduces the prisoner's identical twin brother. Because the law demands proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the court is forced to acquit the suspect, resulting in a failure of human justice to punish a clear crime. However, Greene subverts this legal failure in the final moments of the story. As the twins leave the court, one of them is pushed by the crowd into the path of a bus and killed instantly. This horrific coincidence provides an immediate, supernatural form of retribution, suggesting that where human laws are blocked by technicalities, a higher form of cosmic or divine justice takes over.

Section C Creative writing and open-ended tasks

5. Imagine you were a juror present during the trial. Draft a short diary entry explaining your emotional reaction to the acquittal and the sudden accident outside the courtroom.
Answer: Answers may vary.

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