Exploring the depths of The Interview in Class 12 English can be an enlightening journey for both students and their teachers. This piece, a part of the Class 12 English curriculum, is not just a chapter but a window into the art of interviewing and the nuances that come with it. The interview, as explored in Class 12, is more than just a conversation; it's a dance of words and insights that reveals much about the people involved.
Delving into the summary of The Interview for Class 12, students get to understand the intricate layers of this interaction. It's not just about the questions and answers; it's about the underlying emotions, the unspoken thoughts, and the subtle interplay between the interviewer and the interviewee. This summary helps in grasping the main points and the essence of the chapter, making it easier for students to relate to and analyze.
For those seeking to deepen their understanding, the explanation of The Interview in Class 12 English is a valuable resource. It breaks down the chapter into comprehensible segments, illuminating the author's intent and the context of the piece. This explanation is a great aid for students to get a clear grasp of the complex themes and ideas presented in the chapter.
CHAPTER 7: THE INTERVIEW CLASS 12
THE INTERVIEW CLASS
12 SUMMARY
-by Christopher
Silvester
Part 1
Background
of the Interview
Having a history of over 130 years, different people
have varied opinions about the uses, modes and advantages of interviews. Till
now, thousands of celebrities have been interviewed. Every educated person is
familiar with it. Some people claim that it is a source of truth while others
feel that in practice it is an art.
Opinions
about Interviews
Many celebrities despise the interview because it is
an encroachment on their privacy. It depreciates their personality in a similar
manner as depicted in some primitive cultures, where people believed that, if
someone takes a photographic portrait of somebody, then one is stealing that
person's soul.
VS Naipaul is of the opinion that interviews injure
people as they lose a part of themselves. Lewis Carrol, the creator of 'Alice
in Wonderland' was said to have a just 'horror of the interviewer' because he
thought he would be treated as a celebrity. His refusals for interviews helped
him keep his fans, acquaintances and interviewers at bay. This gave him great
satisfaction and amusement. Later he would narrate such experiences with
aplomb.
Rudyard
Kipling, HG Wells and Saul Bellow's Views on Interviews
Rudyard Kipling vehemently condemned interviews. His
wife, Caroline, writes in her diary that her husband refused giving interviews
because he considered them immoral, a crime and an assault which is worthy of
punishment. According to him, interviews were something vile and cowardly. He
neither held the interviewee in esteem nor the interviewer. Although Kipling
criticised the interview, he had himself interviewed Mark Twain only a few
years before this tirade against interviews.
HG Wells, an eminent science fiction writer,
frequently gave interviews but, in an interview in 1894, referred to 'the
interviewing ordeal'. Forty years after this comment, he interviewed Joseph Stalin,
a great Russian revolutionary.
Saul Bellow felt that interviewers created so much
tension and pressure that he felt suffocated. He describes interviews as
'thumbprints on his windpipe'.
Summing
Up the Genre of Interviews
Despite its disadvantages, the interview is an
excellent medium of communication. Denis Brian gives an elevated position to
the interviewer because of his power and influence over the interviewee. He
terms the interview as an expressive medium.
Part II
-by An Interview with
Umberto Eco
The second part of the chapter is an extract from an
interview of Umberto Eco, who is being interviewed by Mukund Padmanabhan from
'The Hindu'.
Umberto Eco is a renowned scholar who is known for his
ideas on semiotics (the study of signs), literary interpretation and medieval
aesthetics. He is also an author who has an array of works ranging from
literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children's books and newspaper
articles. He rose to prominence with his work 'The Name of the Rose' which sold
a staggering 10 million copies.
Eco's
Views on his Philosophical Interests and 'Interstices'
The interviewer, Mukund Padmanabhan, quotes David
Lodge (an English novelist) who had expressed astonishment at Umberto Eco's
varied and sizeable works. He expresses his surprise by saying that how could
one man do all the things that Umberto Eco did. Umberto Eco says that this is a
delusive impression about him because he has always been doing the same thing
by writing the same philosophical and ethical ideas in different genres.
Eco discloses his secret of producing such voluminous
works. He utilises the 'empty spaces' i.e., the shortest gaps between two
different works. That's the reason why he has produced so many works. He calls
the 'empty spaces' "interstices".
Eco's
Intimate and Playful Style
The interviewer, questions him about his personalised
style of writing which is quite different from the dull and drab style adopted
for writing academic works. He asks him if this comes naturally to him or
whether he has to make a conscious effort to develop this style.
At this, Umberto Eco replies that he learnt this style
of writing when he was 22 years of age. At that time he had presented his first
Doctoral dissertation in Italy. His Professor was impressed because he had
included his trials and errors in it. He had told the story of his research.
His Professor published his dissertation as a book which was his way of
complimenting his student. Eco understood that he had to adopt the narrative
style in his works also. This led him to become a novelist at the ripe age of
50.
At this stage, Umberto Eco remembers his friend,
Roland Barthes. Who was, an essayist and died frustrated because he could not
fulfil his wish of being a creative writer. Umberto says that he never felt
this frustration, as even his essays had a narrative aspect to them. He says
that he started writing novels by accident. They catered to his taste for
narration.
The
Phenomenal Success of ‘The
Name of the Rose’
One day when Umberto Eco had nothing to do, he tried
his hand at writing a novel. "The Name of the Rose' made him famous as a
novelist although he is an academician with over 40 works in non-fiction.
Most people know Umberto Eco as a novelist but this
doesn't please him. He belongs to the academic community and participates in
academic conferences. He writes novels only on Sundays. He accepts the fact
that by writing fiction he can reach more people. He says, "I cannot
expect to have one million readers with stuff on semiotics".
Mukund, the interviewer, asks him if he is surprised
by the staggering success of the novel, 'The Name of the Rose'. As the 'The
Name of the Rose' is a serious novel that spins a detective yarn at one level
and also ventures into metaphysics, theology and medieval history, it is
considered, a difficult and serious read.
Umberto Eco says that he is not puzzled by its
staggering sales figures. The only people who look at this in disbelief are
journalists and publishers. They believe that people like trash and don't like
difficult reading experiences". He applies his own mind to this. He says
that after working the whole day he refreshes himself by watching light
entertainment programmes such as 'Miami Vice' or 'Emergency Room' after dinner.
Similarly, everybody likes light reading only to a certain extent. As such, serious
reading does have the capability to draw people.
The medieval period to which this book belongs could
have played a major role in its success. For Umberto Eco, the success of the
book is a mystery. If he had written it ten years earlier or ten years later it
might have not been such a remarkable success story.
Conclusion
of The
Interview
To sum up, The Interview summary, we learn how
many people differ when it comes to interviews, nonetheless, they are very
interesting and informative as seen from Umberto’s interview.
NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 12 ENGLISH FLAMINGO CHAPTER 7
Questions (Page No. 73)
(Understanding The
Text)
The Interview Class
12 Question Answers
Question
1. Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your
opinion
Answer: Yes,
Umberto Eco enjoys being interviewed, as evidenced by the animated tone with
which he responds to the questions. He had no qualms about disclosing his
writing secrets or his personal life experiences. Throughout the interview, his
constant laughter and honest tone demonstrate his genuine interest in being
interviewed.
Question
2. How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Answer: While
explaining his ability to catch up with so many things in such a short period
of time, he says he works in between the empty spaces he refers to as
“interstices.” He actively uses the time we normally waste while waiting for
somebody or doing something likewise unproductive to finish his work.
Question
3. What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer: Eco’s
writings, in contrast to other academic writings, are not boring or tedious to
read. His work takes a depersonalized and informal approach, which makes his
style interesting and thus appealing. Instead of formal essays, he prefers to
write creative and narrative pieces.
Question
4. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer: Umberto
Eco’s primary work was in academia, but he also wrote novels on occasion. He
also stated that he attended academic conferences rather than meetings of Pen
Clubs and writers. As a result, we can conclude that Umberto Eco saw himself
first and foremost as an academic scholar.
Question
5. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer: Umberto Eco’s primary work was in academia, but he also wrote novels on occasion. He also stated that he attended academic conferences rather than meetings of Pen Clubs and writers. As a result, we can conclude that Umberto Eco saw himself first and foremost as an academic scholar.
Download
