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With the Photographer

ICSE · Class 10 · English Literature-Treasure Chest ( Poems and Short Stories)

Step-by-step guide to study With the Photographer in ICSE Class 10 English Literature-Treasure Chest ( Poems and Short Stories). Topics to cover, practice strategy, and time allocation.

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An illustration depicting the narrator sitting uncomfortably in a photographer's studio, with the photographer examining him critically, perhaps with a measuring tape or a magnifying glass. The studio
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Study Plan

1
Day 1–2

Learn the Theory

Read the textbook chapter carefully. Note down definitions, formulas, and key concepts.

2
Day 3

Practice Problems

Solve textbook exercises and additional practice questions. Focus on numerical problems and application-based questions.

3
Day 4

Revise & Test

Revise key formulas and concepts without looking at notes. Take a practice quiz to test your understanding. Mark weak areas for re-revision.

4
Day 7

Spaced Revision

Revisit With the Photographer after a week. Use flashcards for quick recall. Solve previous year questions from this chapter.

What to Focus On

  • Stephen Leacock (1869–1944): Canadian humourist, economist, and professor at McGill University
  • 'With the Photographer' is from the collection 'Literary Lapses' (1910)
  • Leacock was the best-selling English-language author in the world for a period in the early 20th century

  • Setting: A photographer's professional studio in the early twentieth century
  • Having a portrait taken was a formal occasion — people expected dignity and a flattering likeness
  • The studio is a space defined by image and presentation — deeply ironic given what happens to the narrator

  • The Narrator: ordinary, self-deprecating, mild-mannered everyman who wants a simple portrait
  • The Narrator's passivity is a key comic device — it allows the photographer's absurdity to escalate unchecked
  • The Narrator's tears are comic but also genuinely sympathetic — he has been erased

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The story is purely funny entertainment with no deeper meaning — it is just a joke about a bad photographer.

The photographer is the villain of the story — he is dishonest, cruel, and deliberately trying to humiliate the narrator.

The narrator is a vain, self-obsessed person who is upset because he thinks he is better-looking than he is.

Memory Tips

The photographer's key question — 'Which would you rather have — a good photograph or a good likeness?'

The three main faults the photographer finds with the narrator's face: ears uneven, eyes too far apart, mouth too large/crooked

Stephen Leacock — who he was and why he matters

Comic escalation as the structural device of the story

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the important topics in With the Photographer for ICSE Class 10 English Literature-Treasure Chest ( Poems and Short Stories)?
Key topics in With the Photographer include With the Photographer — Chapter Overview, Narrative Arc — Comic Escalation in With the Photographer, The Five Stages of the Story — Comic Escalation. These are the concepts ICSE Class 10 examiners draw on most — study them first, then practise related questions.
How to score full marks in With the Photographer — ICSE Class 10 English Literature-Treasure Chest ( Poems and Short Stories)?
Start by understanding all key concepts. Practise previous year questions from this chapter. Revise formulas and definitions regularly. Use flashcards for quick revision before the exam.

Sources & Official References

Content is aligned to the official syllabus. Refer to the board website for the latest curriculum.

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