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The Pot Maker | Class 9 English | Explanation With Summary, NCERT Solution, MCQs & Competency Questions
- M
- Apr 5
- 16 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Illustration of The Pot maker
Lesson Architecture
Author Information
Temsula Ao (1945–2023) was one of India's foremost tribal writers, poet, and academic from Nagaland. She belonged to the Ao Naga tribe and wrote extensively about Naga life, culture, and identity. She was a Professor of English and served as the Head of the Department at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. She received the Padma Shri in 2007 for her contributions to literature.
The Pot Maker is taken from her celebrated short story collection "These Hills Called Home: Stories from a War Zone" (2006), which captures the lives of ordinary Nagas caught in the crossfire of insurgency, tradition, and modernity. Ao's writing is known for its simplicity, emotional depth, and authentic portrayal of Northeastern Indian tribal culture.
Theme
The central theme of The Pot Maker is the power of passion and determination over social and familial pressure. The story celebrates:
Intergenerational transmission of traditional craft — skills passed silently from one generation to another.
Individual identity through vocation — work is not just livelihood but a source of dignity and self-worth.
Quiet defiance — Sentila's resistance is not loud or rebellious; it is patient and persistent.
Tradition vs. utility — the conflict between preserving cultural craft and adapting to more economically rewarding trades.
Socio-Cultural Context
The story is set in a Naga tribal village in Nagaland, Northeast India. Understanding the cultural backdrop enriches reading:
Naga tribal society has a rich tradition of craftsmanship — pottery, weaving, and woodcarving are among the oldest arts.
Pot making is traditionally a communal activity, carried out by women using hand-coiling techniques (not the potter's wheel). Clay is sourced from riverbeds.
Weaving is considered more prestigious and economically rewarding in Naga society, as handwoven shawls are valued commodities.
Village councils (elders) hold social authority and can question individual choices that deviate from community norms.
The story reflects tension between modernisation and tradition — as newer crafts become more profitable, older ones like pottery risk dying out.
The kiln (firing oven for pots) is a communal space, symbolising shared cultural heritage.
Story in Brief
Sentila, a young Naga girl, is passionately drawn to pot making — a traditional craft she watches the village women practise since childhood. Her mother Arenla, however, wants her to learn weaving, which is cleaner, done indoors, takes less time, and earns more money.
Secretly, Sentila visits the potters, watches every detail — the pounding of clay, the shaping, the firing — and teaches herself. When her mother discovers this, she is upset and approaches
Mesoba, the head potter, to discourage Sentila. Mesoba, however, speaks wisely, recognising that the girl has a genuine gift and that pot making is a dying art that needs young hands.
Eventually, Arenla relents. Sentila is formally mentored. In a climactic moment, she successfully makes her first pot alone — and it is perfect. Her grandmother Onula, who had silently encouraged her all along, witnesses this moment with deep pride. The story ends on a note of quiet triumph — tradition has found a new keeper.
Difficult Vocabulary — Meanings and Context Examples
Word | Meaning | Context in Story | Example Sentence |
Fascination | A strong attraction or interest in something | Sentila felt fascination for pot making from a young age | She had a deep fascination for classical music since childhood. |
Disclose | To reveal or make known something hidden | Sentila did not disclose her interest in pottery to her mother | He refused to disclose the identity of his source. |
Pounded | Beat or struck repeatedly to soften | The clay was mixed with water and pounded to make it workable | She pounded the spices in a mortar and pestle. |
Intuitively | Based on instinct rather than reasoning | She intuitively sensed that something momentous had happened | She intuitively knew something was wrong even before he spoke. |
Momentous | Of great importance or significance | The completion of her first pot was a momentous occasion | Winning the award was a momentous moment in her career. |
Dormitory | A large room with many beds, as in a hostel | The girls lived in school dormitories away from their families | The dormitory had beds for thirty students. |
Resolved | Determined to do something; firmly decided | Sentila was resolved to master the craft of pot making | She was resolved to finish the project before the deadline. |
Outgrow | To grow too old or mature to continue interest in something | Her mother hoped Sentila would outgrow her interest in pottery | Children often outgrow their favourite toys within a year. |
Reluctance | Unwillingness; lack of enthusiasm to do something | The village council sought explanation for Arenla's reluctance | He agreed with great reluctance to attend the meeting. |
Catered | Provided what is needed or required | Pot making catered to the needs of the people in the village | The new policy catered to the requirements of rural students. |
Momentum | Increasing speed or force of movement or progress | Like a sprinter who had suddenly found momentum, she worked faster | The campaign gained momentum as more people joined. |
Kiln | A furnace or oven for baking or firing pottery | The pots were dried and then fired in the communal kiln | The kiln must reach the right temperature for the clay to harden properly. |
Protagonist | The main character of a story | Sentila is the protagonist of The Pot Maker | The protagonist of the novel faces great personal challenges. |
Spontaneous | Happening naturally, without planning | Her decision to try shaping the pot alone was almost spontaneous | Their laughter was spontaneous and genuine. |
Perseverance | Continued effort despite difficulty | Sentila's perseverance finally won her mother's approval | Success in any field requires patience and perseverance. |
Easy Translation of the Story
Original Text | Para 1 | Sentila's Hidden Dream
Ever since Sentila became old enough to accompany her mother to the fields and forests, she began to dream of becoming a pot maker like her mother and grandmother. However Arenla, her mother, wanted her to become a weaver. On days when she managed to stay at home while her parents went to the fields, Sentila approached expert potters to learn the skill. They were at first amused by the little girl's insistence as they thought that she would soon outgrow her childish passion for the craft.
Simple English :
From the time Sentila was old enough to go with her mother to the fields, she dreamed of becoming a pot maker — just like her mother and grandmother. But her mother Arenla had a different plan: she wanted Sentila to learn weaving. Whenever her parents were away in the fields and Sentila could stay home, she would go to the expert pot makers and watch them work. At first, the potters found the little girl's eagerness amusing. They expected her to soon lose interest, the way children lose interest in most things — but she never did.
Original Text | Para 2 | Why Sentila Kept Her Passion Secret
Sentila did not disclose her fascination with pot making at home as she had overheard a conversation between her parents one night. Her mother was complaining about Sentila's indifference to weaving. She said, "I shall not teach her pot making as it has brought no joy to me and only a pittance for my troubles. The riverbank, where the grey and red clay required for making pots is found, is sixteen kilometres from here. I need to climb down a sheer drop to the riverbank and my back aches from carrying the heavy load uphill all the way to the village. Pounding the stubborn clay inside bamboo cylinders to soften it, is also tedious. So many times, I've dropped the mould out of sheer exhaustion and have had to start all over again. It takes months to bring out a batch of pots after so much labour. And the reward? A few rupees. But if Sentila learns weaving, she can make much more money besides providing enough cloth for the family. Weaving is not messy like pot making and can be done indoors in all seasons. Also, the time spent on weaving one shawl is much less and the return is handsome."
Simple English :
Sentila never told her family about her love for pot making. One night she had accidentally overheard her parents talking. Her mother was upset that Sentila showed no interest in weaving. Arenla said she would not teach Sentila pot making because the craft had never made her happy and earned almost no money. She explained all the hardships: the clay is found 16 kilometres away, at the bottom of a steep riverbank. Climbing down to get it and carrying the heavy load back up hurt her back terribly. Then pounding the hard clay soft inside bamboo tubes was exhausting — she had dropped and ruined batches many times and had to start over. All of this took months, and at the end, the income was just a few rupees. Weaving, on the other hand, was clean, could be done inside the house in any weather, took far less time, and earned much better money. Arenla wanted this easier, better life for her daughter.
Original Text | Para 3 | Sentila Watches and Learns
Sentila continued her visits to watch the potters at work. She saw how the clay was mixed with water and pounded, how careful they were when they pushed their left hand into a lump of the softened clay and how deftly they rotated the lump as they started giving shape to the rotating clay with a spatula held in the right hand. The regular tap, tap of the spatula on the clay was music to her ears as she watched in fascination the pot emerging out of a shapeless lump right in front of her eyes. After two or three days, the pots would be given a final touch up to retain the required shape and to test the consistency. Only then would the pots be taken out to dry in the sun before being loaded on to a kiln in a uniform pattern on a bed of hay and dried bamboo and covered with another layer of the same materials, and then the kiln would be fired. One had to tend the fire carefully as over firing or under firing would ruin the entire batch.
Simple English :
Secretly, Sentila continued visiting the potters and watching them work. She noticed how they mixed clay with water and beat it soft. She watched how carefully the left hand was pushed into the lump to begin forming its shape, and how skillfully the potter's right hand held a flat tool (spatula) to tap and smooth it while rotating the clay. To Sentila, the rhythmic tapping sound was like beautiful music. She was mesmerised watching a shapeless lump turn into a beautiful pot right before her eyes. After a couple of days, the pots were checked and given their final shape. Then they were laid out in the sun to dry. Once dry, they were arranged in a special pattern on a layer of hay and dried bamboo in the kiln (a kind of large oven), covered with more hay and bamboo, and then set on fire. The fire had to be watched very carefully — too much heat or too little would destroy the entire batch of pots.
Original Text | Para 4 | The Village Council Steps In
Arenla heard of her daughter's visits but pretended to be ignorant of them. By late afternoon, Sentila had to return home quickly, so that when her mother came back from the fields, she would be there. Gradually, Sentila's visits became a topic of village gossip. People wondered why Arenla was refusing to teach the skill to her daughter. They were worried that if all pot makers followed suit, then there would be no expert potters to take their place. One day, Sentila's father, Mesoba was summoned by the village council and asked to explain why Arenla was refusing to pass on the skill to her daughter. He replied in a humble tone, "Uncles and elder brothers, Arenla has never said that she will not teach our daughter pot making; it is only that we wanted her to grow stronger after her illness. You will soon see Sentila making the best pots in the village." After listening to Mesoba's explanation, the elders decided to let him go, cautioning him to remind Arenla that it was her duty to teach her daughter the skill that was handed down from generation to generation. They also told him that skills such as pot making, which not only catered to the needs of the people but also symbolised the tradition and history of the people, did not 'belong' to any individual. And experts were obliged to pass on their skills not only to their own children but also to anyone who wished to learn. Mesoba went home and discussed the matter with Arenla.
Simple English :
Arenla knew about Sentila's visits but chose to pretend she didn't. Sentila was always careful to rush home before her mother returned from the fields. But over time, people in the village began talking. Why was Arenla not teaching her daughter the craft? The community was worried: if all expert potters stopped teaching their children, soon there would be no potters left at all. One day, the village elders called Sentila's father Mesoba to a meeting and asked him to explain. Mesoba was polite and calm. He told the elders that Arenla had never refused — they had only been waiting for Sentila to recover her strength after an illness. He promised the elders would soon see Sentila making the finest pots in the village. The elders accepted his answer but warned him firmly: Arenla had a duty to pass on this skill. Pottery, they said, was not a private family skill — it belonged to the whole community and to history. Experts had an obligation to teach it to any willing learner, not just their own children. Mesoba went home and had a serious conversation with Arenla.
Original Text | Para 5 | Training Begins, But Struggles Follow
The following year, Arenla took Sentila to the riverbank where the grey and red clay was found. She taught Sentila how to dig the clay with a dao, load it on to her carrying basket and soak it in the trough in the work shed before stuffing it into the bamboo cylinder in the right proportion to pound it. Sentila was a quick learner and turned the clay into malleable dough. But when she tried her hand at the shaping of the lump into a pot, she could not even hold the lump of dough properly. The mother simply sat in a corner and watched the girl try again and again. While Sentila hung her head in shame and frustration, Arenla took over the job, and transformed the lump into a beautiful pot. These sessions continued for almost a year but Sentila was unable to learn anything from her mother.
Simple English :
The next year, Arenla finally began teaching Sentila properly. She took her to the riverbank to dig clay with a special tool called a dao, carry it back in a basket, soak it in a trough in the work shed, then pound it inside a bamboo cylinder until it was soft enough. Sentila picked up all of these preparation steps quickly — she was a fast learner. But the real challenge was shaping the soft clay into an actual pot. When she tried, she could not even hold the lump properly. Arenla sat quietly in a corner and watched her struggle without saying a word. When Sentila finally gave up in shame and frustration, Arenla stepped in and shaped the same lump into a perfectly beautiful pot — without any visible effort. This pattern repeated for almost a full year. Sentila's hands just could not learn from watching her mother.
Original Text | Para 6 | Onula: The Unexpected Teacher
The next year, when Sentila matured, according to custom, she was sent to stay for some nights in one of the girls' dormitories supervised by a kind, middle-aged widow whom the girls called 'Onula' or Aunty. She had heard of the discord in Sentila's family and resolved to help the girl in every possible way. One evening, when everyone except Sentila went to attend a musical evening, Onula saw her taking out some clay and the implements from her basket quietly. She watched Sentila's clumsy efforts to make a pot and noticed that Sentila was too tense. As a result, the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape. When Sentila wearily let the misshapen lump fall flat on the ground, Onula went to her and said, "Don't worry, little one, I shall teach you how to make a perfect pot." Sentila watched in amazement as Onula fashioned a beautiful pot and asked her to try again. Sentila took another lump of clay and with a confidence she had never felt before, started the process all over again following the instructions she had just received. She created a beautiful pot! When it was done, she sat there admiring her work but Onula said, "The mouth of the pot is all wrong." Sentila looked at Onula in frustration who smiled and said, "When you work with your mother next time, watch her carefully when she is shaping the mouth of the pot. You are a quick learner and you will do well."
Simple English :
According to the village's custom, when Sentila reached adolescence, she was sent to live for some nights in the girls' dormitory — a place supervised by a kind, middle-aged widow the girls called Onula (which means Aunty). Onula had already heard about the disagreement in Sentila's home over pot making, and she quietly decided to help. One evening, when all the other girls had gone to a musical event, Onula noticed Sentila secretly taking out her clay and tools. She watched as Sentila tried to make a pot — and saw right away that the girl was gripping the clay too tensely. Because she was nervous, the clay would not cooperate. When Sentila finally gave up and let the misshapen lump fall to the ground in exhaustion, Onula walked up gently and said, "Don't worry, little one, I will teach you how to make a perfect pot." Sentila watched wide-eyed as Onula effortlessly shaped a beautiful pot before her. Then Onula asked her to try again. This time, with new confidence flooding through her, Sentila followed the instructions she had just seen — and made a beautiful pot! She sat admiring it — but Onula pointed out quietly that the mouth of the pot was still not right. When Sentila looked up in frustration, Onula smiled and said: "The next time you work with your mother, watch very carefully how she shapes the mouth. You learn fast — you will get it."
Original Text | Para 7 | Sentila Observes the Final Secret
During the next pot making session, Sentila observed how her mother held the left hand and the spatula, how she slackened the rhythm when fashioning the mouth of the pots and how a strip of elongated dough was added to the mouth to make the rim. Then, on a bright sunny day, Arenla told Sentila that they should try to make as many pots as they could, otherwise they would not have enough days of sunshine to dry them. They went to the shed quite early to begin. As usual, Arenla completed a batch quickly and asked Sentila to take over. Complaining that she had a headache and a backache, she went out telling Sentila to try and make as many pots as she could. Sentila was surprised and reluctantly began to beat the dough in perfect coordination with her left hand.
Simple English :
The next time Sentila worked alongside her mother, she watched with sharper eyes than ever before. She noticed exactly how Arenla held her left hand and the spatula. She saw how her mother slowed down the rhythm of her hands specifically when forming the mouth — the hardest part — and how she added a small strip of extra clay to build up the rim perfectly. Sentila absorbed all of it like a sponge. Then one clear, sunny morning, Arenla said they must make as many pots as possible before the sunshine ran out for drying. They went to the work shed early. Arenla finished her own batch quickly as usual, then turned to Sentila and said she was feeling unwell — a headache and backache — and asked Sentila to carry on and make as many pots as she could. Then she walked out. Sentila was surprised to be left alone, but took a breath and slowly, hesitantly, began to pound the clay in coordination with her hands.
Original Text | Para 8 | The Breakthrough Moment
Before long, she realised that the pot was ready. She started on the next one, and like a sprinter who had suddenly found momentum, she continued making pot after pot with the same speed and dexterity that she had noticed in her mother's hands. Finally, when she looked at her row of pots, she saw that she had made just one short of her mother's tally.
Simple English :
Very soon, she looked down and realised — the pot was done. It was complete. She moved to the next lump of clay and began again. And then something remarkable happened: like a runner who suddenly hits her stride and cannot stop, Sentila moved from one pot to the next with speed and skill she had never felt before. Her hands finally knew what to do. When she finally looked up and counted, she had made all but one of the pots her mother would have made. She had almost matched her mother's total.
Original Text | Para 9 | Tragedy Strikes
Exhausted from the labour, she decided to go into the house and join her mother for lunch. When she reached the threshold, she found her mother lying on the floor. She was not breathing. Sentila ran towards the common area in the village for help. The villagers raced to the house, and sent for Mesoba. When Arenla's body was being carried out of the house the next morning, Sentila ran after it, shouting, "Mother, I did not wish it to happen this way; it simply came to me. Please forgive me."
Simple English :
Tired from the hard work, Sentila went inside to call her mother for lunch. At the doorway, she stopped. Her mother was lying on the floor. She was not breathing. Arenla had passed away. Sentila ran out screaming for help. The villagers rushed to the house and sent word to her father Mesoba. The next morning, as the villagers carried Arenla's body away, Sentila ran after it, crying out: "Mother, I did not want it to happen this way — it just came to me suddenly. Please forgive me." No one understood what she meant — except Onula.
Original Text | Para 10 | Onula Discovers the Truth
Those who heard her, did not understand what she meant, except for Onula. She intuitively sensed that something momentous had happened. On her way back, Onula noticed that the door to the work shed was slightly ajar. Out of curiosity, she stepped inside and abruptly stopped in her tracks; two neat rows of newly-made pots stood side by side. She could find nothing to tell one batch from the other. She was sure that it was not the handiwork of one person alone. Onula stood there for a long time as if trying to absorb a new phenomenon. Slowly she walked away from this place of wonder, as she considered it to be, because she believed that she had just witnessed a profound revelation in the two batches of still moist pots, standing side by side in perfect symmetry inside the shed. A new pot maker was born.
Simple English :
Only Onula understood the meaning of Sentila's heartbroken words. She had a strong inner feeling that something very important had happened. On her way back, she noticed the work shed door was slightly open. She stepped inside — and froze. Two perfect rows of freshly made pots stood side by side. She looked from one row to the other and could not tell which had been made by Arenla and which by Sentila. They were identical in quality, shape, and skill. Onula stood there for a long time, almost as if she was processing something too large and beautiful to understand quickly. Then, slowly, she walked away from what she could only call a place of wonder. She had just seen something profound: a skill had been completely and perfectly passed on. A mother's art lived on in her daughter's hands. A new pot maker was born.
Message of the Story
Follow your passion with quiet determination. Sentila never argued loudly or rebelled openly. She simply kept returning to what she loved — and that persistence eventually won over everyone around her.
Traditional crafts are part of our cultural identity. Pot making in the story is not just a job — it is history, identity, and art. When a craft dies, a part of culture is lost forever.
Every vocation has dignity. Whether it is weaving, pottery, farming, or any skilled work — all honest work deserves respect. The story challenges the idea that some crafts are "lesser" than others.
Elders can be bridges, not barriers. Grandmother Onula and the potter Mesoba play gentle, wise roles — they do not force change, but guide it with love and patience.
Skills pass from hand to hand, generation to generation. The most moving moment in the story is when Onula realises the craft has been inherited by Sentila — a living continuation of tradition.
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