Rohit Yadav
Q1. What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Answer
Interview, in the 130 years of its existence, has become an inherent part of journalism. It is a useful means of communication that is, at times, considered to be an art, serving as a source of truth. Denis Brian has stated that in today’s world we get to know “our contemporaries” through their interviews.
Q2. Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Answer
Celebrity writers believe that interviews unduly interfere in their private lives. They regard themselves as victims of interviews. They claim that the interview in some way ‘diminishes’ them, just like some ancient cultures believed that a portrait of a person takes away his soul. Certain celebrities like V.S Naipaul have claimed that interviews leave them wounded, while others like Rudyard Kipling have referred to it as a crime and an immoral act.
Q3. What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Answer
Some primitive cultures believed that photographing a person is no less than stealing his/her soul out of the body and rendering him incomplete and slighted.
Q4. What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his windpipe”?
Answer
The expression means having been strangulated. The interview is an assault on a person as it makes him/her so tense that he/she feels as good as being choked.
Q5. Who, in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Answer
In modern times, the chief source of information on personalities is the interviewer who, through his power and influence, gathers information and provides us with the best possible information on the interviewees. He extracts everything significant through his questions for us.
Understanding the Text
Q1. Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Answer
Yes, Umberto Eco, in all possibilities, likes being interviewed. He felt just at ease with the interviewer and answered all the questions fully and patiently without showing any hurry. He stated his achievement in a very modest manner and explained his philosophical views and interest clearly. He let the interviewer enter the secret about his craft with a loud laugh. Also, he elaborated his approach which was unique. He was mannerly, warm and properly responsive as well.
Q2. How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Answer
There are two factors that explain how Eco was able to write so much. In his own words, the life of every person has exply spaces- periods with no important jobs. He says that he did most of his writing during these free intervals. Second, he explains that people wondered that he (Eco) had written so much on various subjects. But the fact is that he was writing on the same lines and same interests-peace, non-violence, etc. All his works were linked with the thread of common interests. It saves his time and he could write a lot in a short period of time. That was the secret behind Eco’s prolific pen.
Q3. What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer
Umberto Eco’s academic writing style is quite distinctive. It has a certain playful and personal quality about it. It is a marked departure from a regular academic style, which is usually depersonalised and often dry and boring.
Q4. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer
Umberto Eco considered himself an academic scholar first and a novelist later. He makes his preference clear by saying, “I consider myself a university professor who writes novels on Sundays”. On week days he attends academic conferences and does other scholarly, non-fictional work.
Q5. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
Answer
‘The Name of the Rose’ is different sort of noveL It is quite serious noveL It is a detective story at one leveL But it also probes into metaphysics theology and medieval history. The reasons for the success of the book, however, remain a mystery.
Talking about the Text
Discuss in pairs or small groups.
Q2. The medium you like best for an interview, print, radio, or television.
Answer
The medium I like best for an interview is the television. It has both audio and visual effect. It presents the interviewer and interviewee before the audience in their true colours. Usually celebrities accuse the reporters of misquoting them or misreporting them in the print media or the radio. This is not possible when they are face-to-face on the television. Their lip movement and body movement while replying to probing questions are there for all to see. The recording of various expressions coming on the face of the interviewee and his/her gestures and words are the additional advantages that television holds over the print media or the radio. The print media has dull, dry words alongside a picture whereas the radio tries to create the atmosphere by skilful variation of the sound. Both expect a lot of attention from the reader/audience.
Q3. Every famous person has a right to his or her privacy. Interviewers sometimes embarrass celebrities with very personal questions.
Answer
Interviewers want to present exculsive and intimate details about the famous person they are interviewing. Some interviewrs focus on the public life and achievements of the individual only. They try to be objective in their approach as well as assesment. However, there are others who want to make their interviews more spicy and usually cross the thin limit of privacy of the individual. In their zeal to present good copy they embrass the famous person with the personal questions. Sometimes impact of such questions on famous person reveals his/her aversion as well as irritation at the silliness of the person. If they shout, they are accused of being rude and proud and if they keep mum thy are labelled as arrogant. In my opinion privacy of an individual must be respected.
MCQs
Question 1.
What do Rudyard Kipling and his wife express about interviews?
(a) immoral
(b) not good
(c) very bad
(d) immoral and offensive crime against a person
Answer
(d) immoral and offensive crime against a person
Question 2.
Why were the journalists and publishers puzzled by the success of The Name of the Rose?
(a) because readers like trash and it was a serious novel
(b) because it was becoming popular
(c) because of its high rated success
(d) none
Answer
(a) because readers like trash and it was a serious novel
Question 3.
What was Lewis Caroll’s opinion of interviews and autographs?
(a) wonder
(b) terror
(c) horror
(d) none
Answer
(c) horror
Question 4.
Which period of history do Umberto’s novels deal with?
(a) Renaissance
(b) dark age
(c) modern era
(d) Medieval period
Answer
(d) Medieval period
Question 5.
Why did Umberto start writing novels?
(a) to avail an opportunity
(b) to be in limelight
(c) to share his views
(d) to make best use of empty spaces means free time
Answer
(d) to make best use of empty spaces means free time
Question 6.
What facts are being showcased in the interview held between Eco and Padamanabhan?
(a) he takes pride in being an academician, a university Professor first
(b) Being a novelist is a secondary thing for him
(c) uses his free time for writing novels
(d) All these
Answer
(d) All these
Question 7.
How many novels has Umberto written?
(a) 10
(b) 8
(c) 15
(d) 5
Answer
(d) 5
Question 8.
What do his works for children speak about ?
(a) his passion for children
(b) children are nuisance
(c) children love to be happy
(d) non-violence and peace
Answer
(d) non-violence and peace
Question 9.
Explain ‘Denis Brain’s statement “Almost everything of moment reaches us through one man
asking questions of others.’
(a) The interviewer has the power
(b) The interviewer has status
(c) The interviewer can elicit the truth and has the power to influence
(d) All these
Answer
(d) All these
Question 10.
Enumerate ‘An Interview is a supremely serviceable medium of communication?
(a) a medium to gossip
(b) a medium to be the talk of the town
(c) a medium to prosper
(d) a noble medium of interaction and introspection
Answer
(d) a noble medium of interaction and introspection
Question 11.
What satisfied Umberto’s taste for narration?
(a) stories
(b) children’s works
(c) interviews
(d) Novels
Answer
(d) Novels
Question 12.
What do you understand by the expression ‘Thumbprints on his windpipes”?
(a) creating excessive pressure on throat
(b) creating excessive pressure on vocal chords
(c) creating excessive pressure and tension for someone
(d) none
Answer
(c) creating excessive pressure and tension for someone
Question 13.
Why do the celebrities feel embarassed most often?
(a) because of question attacks during interviews
(b) because of interviewer’s gestures
(c) because of interviewer’s appearance
(d) none
Answer
(a) because of question attacks during interviews
Question 14.
At what age did he start writing novels?
(a) at the age of 55
(b) at the age of 52
(c) at the age of 57
(d) at the age of 50
Answer
(d) at the age of 50
Question 15.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
(a) they don’t like journalists
(b) unwarranted intrusion in their life
(c) their privacy is hurt
(d) none
Answer
(b) unwarranted intrusion in their life
Question 16.
What is the reason for huge success of the novel The Name of The Rose?
(a) mystic
(b) metaphysics and medieval history period used
(c) detective style and theology
(d) All these
Answer
(d) All these
Question 17.
How does Umberto Eco find so much time to write so much?
(a) using early morning time
(b) using his office time
(c) using his family time
(d) using empty spaces (free times) like waiting for someone, break time
Answer
(d) using empty spaces (free times) like waiting for someone, break time
Question 18.
What did he present in this book?
(a) varied opinions of politicians
(b) varied opinions of civilians
(c) varied opinions of armymen
(d) varied opinions of celebrities regarding an interview
Answer
(d) varied opinions of celebrities regarding an interview
Question 19.
What does Naipaul present in his travel books?
(a) his feelings
(b) his feelings about interviews
(c) impression of the country of his ancestors that is India
(d) none
Answer
(c) impression of the country of his ancestors that is India
Question 20.
Who is the author of the lesson ‘The Interview’?
(a) Christopher Priest
(b) Christopher Silvester (1959)
(c) J.B. Priestley
(d) Alfred John Churchley
Answer
(b) Christopher Silvester (1959)
Question 21.
What kind of a novel was The Name of The Rose?
(a) hilarious
(b) fiction
(c) non-fiction
(d) a serious one
Answer
(d) a serious one
Question 22.
In what way interviews have become a common place of journalism?
(a) because of its power, influence and medium of communication
(b) because of its pomp
(c) because of its glory
(d) because of its rapport
Answer
(a) because of its power, influence and medium of communication
Question 23.
Who has written Alice in Wonderland?
(a) Christopher
(b) Mukand
(c) Rudyard Kripling
(d) Lewis Caroll
Answer
(d) Lewis Caroll
Question 24.
Why does Eco call the success of his book a mystery?
(a) because of its success
(b) because of its popularity
(c) because of many factors
(d) because of many factors and many other books were written on the same medieval period
Answer
(d) because of many factors and many other books were written on the same medieval period
Question 25.
According to Umberto what will happen to the world if we eliminate empty spaces from the universe?
(a) The world will become beautiful
(b) The world will be completely ours
(c) The world will shrink and will become as big as a fish.
(d) The world will be round
Answer
(c) The world will shrink and will become as big as a fish.
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