English LiteratureISC Class 12 · The Medicine Bag

The Medicine Bag: Peer Pressure and Martin's Change of Attitude (ISC Class 12)

Q: Is the story printed on this site?

No; it is in copyright, so read it in Prism.

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In The Medicine Bag, Martin is embarrassed by his Sioux grandfather because he does not match the television image of Indians his friends know. When Grandpa dresses for the occasion and tells the boys how he killed a deer, they listen in awe. Their admiration, a positive form of peer pressure, removes Martin's fear and makes him see Grandpa in a new light.

Understand Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag)

A note on sources. The story is in copyright, so this page does not reproduce it. Points come from the CISCE 2025 specimen and marking scheme.

Why Martin is embarrassed. Martin has a Sioux grandfather who lives on a reservation. He bragged about Grandpa to his friends, but he never showed them Grandpa's picture, afraid they might laugh. Grandpa was not tall and stately like the Indians his friends saw on television, and he did not live in a tepee but in a part tar-paper shack. The image Martin projected did not match the reality.

Why the friends appreciate Grandpa (2025 10-mark question). Martin's sister's friends meet Grandpa and spread wonderful stories about him, so Martin's friends want to see him. Grandpa dresses for the occasion, and his appearance makes them murmur 'wow'. They listen in awe as he tells them how he killed a deer and that his vest is made from its skin. To them he seems an exotic, unusual figure from a world they have never known. They sit respectfully quiet and are reluctant to leave; Martin's mother has to send them home.

How peer pressure acts. Fear of the friends' laughter first made Martin hide his grandfather: negative peer pressure. Their admiration then makes him proud: it is, in the words of the scheme, 'actually peer pressure that makes Martin see his grandfather in a new light', and it perhaps makes him accept the medicine bag willingly.

Relating to real life. The examiners found that most candidates wrote a summary and asked teachers to help students relate events and characters to the lives of the children in the story. Compare Martin's worry with the worries of school students about what friends think of their family, and show how acceptance by friends can change self-image.

Themes. Stereotype versus reality; peer pressure in both directions; embracing one's cultural roots (the central idea in the specimen key).

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

I felt a hard squeeze from where my heart is supposed to be and was scared, but I answered, 'OK, Grandpa.'
Martin: His response to Grandpa about the medicine bag; Statement II in the 2025 MCQ.
Shows his awe at the responsibility and his acceptance of it.

Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag): key facts

Why Martin is embarrassed: friends might laugh
Grandpa not tall and stately like the television Indians
tar-paper shack, not a tepee
image he projected did not match; Cover all four causes in a 5-mark answer.
Why the friends admire Grandpa: sister's friends' stories
dressed for the occasion: wow
deer story and vest
exotic world
reluctant to leave; Use these for the 2025 10-mark pattern.
Peer pressure in both directions: fear of ridicule: hides Grandpa | admiration: sees him in a new light; State both directions.

How to answer Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag) questions

Use this for 10-mark questions on appreciation and peer pressure.

1Answer the first part: why the friends appreciate Grandpa, with incidents.
2Answer the second part: how peer pressure affects Martin, before and after.
3Relate to the lives of students.
4Avoid summary of the entire plot.
5Keep to 200-250 words.

Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag) in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Peer opinion changes how we see our family

Suppose a student hides that her grandmother sells vegetables at a small stall, until her friends visit the stall, praise the freshness of the produce and her grandmother's cheerful manner.

How does this show the way peer pressure can work both ways, as in Martin's case?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Fear of ridicule made her hide the truth.
Admiration from friends made her proud.
The fact was the same; only the opinion of others changed her view.

Answer: Like Martin, she is first ashamed because of what others might think and then proud because of what they actually think. The story shows how strongly friends' opinions shape our attitude to our own family.

Memory hook: Friends can make us hide, or help us shine.

Tricks to remember Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag)

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Hide, Wow, Proud
Martin hides Grandpa, friends say wow, Martin is proud.
Use it when: Order of his change.
T-T-S
Television image, tar-paper shack, stories.
Use it when: Causes of embarrassment and admiration.

Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag): solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Television and stereotype · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The story contrasts television images of Indians with the real Grandpa. This mainly shows:
(a) the dangers of television (b) how stereotypes distort ideas of identity (c) the wealth of the reservation (d) Grandpa's skill with cameras

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The television Indians are tall and stately; Grandpa is not (0.5).
The gap exposes how stereotypes distort identity (0.5).

Answer: (b) how stereotypes distort ideas of identity.

Example 2: Why Martin is relieved · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonBoard level

Finish the sentence with the cause: Martin's fear of embarrassment is removed after the boys meet Grandpa because ____

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The boys do not laugh (0.5).
They admire Grandpa and listen in awe (0.5).

Answer: his friends admire Grandpa and listen to him in awe instead of laughing.

Example 3: The embarrassment (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

How does the gap between what Martin told his friends and what Grandpa was really like produce Martin's embarrassment? (100-150 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Fear of laughter (1).
Television image (2).
Tar-paper shack (1).
Mismatch with what he said (1).

Answer: Martin was embarrassed about his Sioux grandfather for several reasons. He had bragged about Grandpa to his friends but never showed them his picture, afraid they might laugh. The image his friends held of Indians came from television, where they were tall and stately, and Grandpa was not tall. He also did not live in a tepee but in a part tar-paper shack on the reservation. The picture that Martin had given his friends did not match the real Grandpa, and he feared they would think he had lied. His embarrassment is therefore the result of stereotypes and of his anxiety about the opinion of his friends, and it prepares for the change that follows.

Example 4: Why the friends admire Grandpa (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Why do Martin's friends appreciate his Grandpa? Support your answer with incidents. (100-150 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Stories spread by sister's friends (1).
Dressed for the occasion: wow (2).
Deer story and vest (1).
Reluctant to leave (1).

Answer: Martin's friends appreciate Grandpa because he seems to belong to a world they have never known. Martin's sister's friends first meet him and spread wonderful stories, so the boys want to see him. Grandpa dresses for the occasion, and his appearance makes them murmur 'wow'. They then listen in awe as he tells them how he killed a deer and that his vest is made from its skin. He appears to them an exotic, unusual figure, not an embarrassing relative. They sit respectfully quiet and are reluctant to leave, so Martin's mother has to send them home. Their reaction shows curiosity, respect and acceptance of cultural difference.

Example 5: Peer pressure (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

How does peer pressure affect Martin's attitude to his Grandpa? Relate your answer to the lives of students your age. (100-150 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Before: fear of ridicule (2).
After: admiration changes him (2).
Relate to students (1).

Answer: Peer pressure changes Martin's attitude twice. At first, fear of what his friends would think makes him hide Grandpa and feel mild embarrassment. When the friends instead admire Grandpa, saying 'wow', listening in awe and not wanting to leave, Martin's fear goes and he sees his grandfather in a new light. As the marking scheme observes, it is actually peer pressure that makes him change. Many students feel the same: they may be ashamed of a family tradition or background until classmates respect it. The story suggests that opinions of friends can make us hide or accept our roots, and that we should value our heritage without waiting for approval.

Where students lose marks in Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag)

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Writing a summary of the whole story
The examiners said most candidates summarised instead of answering.
Wrong working
A full retelling of the story from the beginning.
Right working
Reasons for appreciation and the effect of peer pressure, with incidents.
Do this: Answer both parts of the question.
Usually costs: 4 of 10 marks
Mistake: Ignoring the second part of the question
The question has two parts.
Wrong working
Only why the friends admire him.
Right working
Also how peer pressure affects Martin.
Do this: Write two headings.
Usually costs: 3 to 4 marks
Mistake: Adding invented details
Only facts in the sources should be used.
Wrong working
Grandpa came by train with a medicine bag full of herbs.
Right working
Grandpa travelled alone; the bag is a symbol of heritage.
Do this: Use only details you are sure about from your text.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks
Mistake: Indirect reasons in completion items
The examiners found answers indirect.
Wrong working
The family felt bad.
Right working
They were his only living descendants and had neglected him.
Do this: Give the exact cause.
Usually costs: 1 mark

Exam tips

Answer both parts of a two-part question in order.
Mention at least three incidents from the boys' visit.
State peer pressure in both directions.
Relate the story to students' lives, as the examiners asked.
Never reproduce the story: use only what you can support.

Practice questions on Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag)

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of these is NOT a reason for Martin's embarrassment?
(a) Grandpa was not tall and stately like television Indians (b) Grandpa lived in a part tar-paper shack (c) Martin feared his friends might laugh (d) Grandpa had refused to meet his friends
Hint
Check each against the story as given in the scheme.
Answer
(d) Grandpa had refused to meet his friends; the story does not say this.
Q2 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Explain how stereotypes influence Martin's attitude at the start of the story. (100-150 words)
Hint
Television against reality.
Answer
Martin's friends have a picture of Indians taken from television: tall, stately figures who live in tepees. This stereotype affects Martin's attitude because he knows that his own grandfather does not fit it. Grandpa is not tall, and he lives in a part tar-paper shack on the reservation. Martin had bragged about Grandpa, so he fears the friends will laugh when they see the real person. The stereotype therefore makes him ashamed of something he should be proud of. The story exposes how media images can distort the way minorities see themselves and how truth can be hidden by a false image.
Q3 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Martin 'felt a hard squeeze from where my heart is supposed to be' and still answered 'OK, Grandpa.' What does this show about his change? (100-150 words)
Hint
Fear and acceptance together.
Answer
Grandpa tells Martin that the next day it will be time to give him the medicine bag. Martin feels a hard squeeze near his heart and is scared, but he answers, 'OK, Grandpa.' The squeeze shows how seriously he takes the responsibility: the bag is a symbol of Sioux heritage. His answer shows that he now accepts it. At the beginning he was embarrassed by Grandpa and hid his picture; now he agrees to carry the family's tradition. The mixture of fear and acceptance shows that the change is real, because he feels the weight of what he is accepting. It is the final step in the movement from embarrassment to appreciation.
Q4 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Martin accepts his grandfather only because his friends do.' Do you agree? (100-150 words)
Hint
Cause and growth.
Answer
The statement is partly true. The marking scheme itself says that peer pressure makes Martin see his grandfather in a new light, and his fear is removed only after his friends admire Grandpa. But the story also suggests another cause. Grandpa's lonely journey has made the family feel guilty and has shown Martin how old and infirm he is, so Martin has reasons of his own for respect. When Grandpa speaks of the medicine bag, Martin responds out of awe, not out of concern for his friends. The friends' reaction begins the change, but his later acceptance of the bag shows real growth. I therefore agree that friends start the change, but not that they are the only cause.
Q5 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
What is the importance of the stories told by Martin's sister's friends in the development of the story? (100-150 words)
Hint
They lead to the boys' visit.
Answer
Martin's sister's friends meet Grandpa and spread wonderful stories about him. These stories have an important function: they make Martin's own friends curious, and they ask to see Grandpa. Without the stories the boys would not visit, and Martin's fear of ridicule would stay unchallenged. The stories also show that people outside the family can see Grandpa's worth before Martin does. They create the situation in which Grandpa dresses for the occasion, tells of the deer, and wins the boys' respect. So the stories are the first link in the chain that changes Martin's attitude from embarrassment to appreciation. They show that Grandpa's worth is clear to others even when his own grandson cannot see it.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who is the narrator?Show answer
Martin.
2.What does Martin fear?Show answer
That his friends will laugh at Grandpa.
3.What do the friends murmur?Show answer
'wow'.
4.What is Grandpa's vest made from?Show answer
Deer skin, from a deer he killed.
5.What does Grandpa promise Martin?Show answer
The medicine bag.
6.What is the central idea?Show answer
Embracing one's cultural roots.

Peer Pressure and the Change in Martin's Attitude (The Medicine Bag): frequently asked questions

Where is The Medicine Bag in the ISC syllabus?

It is one of the five Class XII stories in Prism: A Collection of ISC Short Stories.

Was it set in 2025?

Yes, in both the specimen and the board paper.

What was the 2025 10-mark question?

Why Martin's friends appreciate Grandpa and how peer pressure affects Martin's attitude.