Updated on 21/11/2024
7.
The Interview Part I & II (Christopher Silvester)
Main Points
of the chapter:
Ø This chapter
has been put in two parts. The first part is about the use of interview in
journalism.
Ø Some call it
a punishable crime while others call it the highest source of truth.
Ø It has
become an extremely useful medium of communication.
Ø The second
part gives and extract of the interview Mukund Padmanabhan with Umberto Eco.
Ø In his
interview, Mukund tries to know from Eco how he became a successful novelist.
Ø Eco tells
Mukund that he became a novelist because he liked narrating things.
Ø He wrote
novels only in his empty spaces as on Sunday.
Ø He tells the
interviewer that he is an academic first and a novelist afterwards.
Ø His novel
‘The name of the Rose’ is world famous. About 10-15 million copies of it were
sold.
Very
Short Type Q-Ans.
1. Who is the
writer of the story ‘The Interview’?
Ans. Christopher Silvester
2. What do many
people believe about the interview?
Ans. It is a source of truth and it is an art
3. To which
field is the interview related?
Ans. To Journalism
4. When was the
interview, as a genre, invented?
Ans. About 130 years ago
5. Why do many
celebrities hate the interview?
Ans. They think, it is an intrusion in their life
6. What did
Rudyard Kipling think an interview to be?
Ans. A crime, an assault and a cowardly act
7. Which leader
did HG Wells interview?
Ans. Joseph Stalin
8. Who
interview of Umberto Eco?
Ans. Mukund Padmanabhan
9. What kind of
interests does Umberto Eco have?
Ans. Philosophical
10.What is the
quality of Umberto Eco’s non-fictional writing?
Ans. Personal and peculiar
11.How many
non-fiction books has Umberto Eco written?
Ans. Forty
12.How many
novels has Umberto Eco written?
Ans. Five
13.When does
Umberto Eco write novels?
Ans. On Sundays
14.What is the
name of Umberto Eco’s famous book?
Ans. The Name of the Rose
15.What does
Umberto Eco’s book ‘The Name of the Rose’ deal with?
Ans. Metaphysics, Theology and Medieval History
16.Who were
puzzled by the success of the book ‘The Name of the Rose’?
Ans. Journalists and publishers
17.Who was
Roland Barther?
Ans. An essayist
1. What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Ans. Some people thinks that it is the highest form of
journalism . It is the best source to bring the truth out. It is a kind of art. We can have the most vivid impression of a person through interview.
2. Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Ans. Most of them think that it is an unwanted intervision in
their lives. They feel that it makes them feel small. Some of them
also called it an immortal crime. They think it is a punishable crime.
3. What do you understand by the expression ‘thumbprints on his
windpipe’?
Ans. It means to force somebody to act according not to his wish. Saul Below was an American writer. He was himself interviewed on many occasions. But he did not like being interviewed. He thought it is an assault on man's privacy.
4. What does the writer say about the importance of the interview?
Ans. He says that the interview leaves most vivid impressions on our mind. It is a supreme medium of communication. Over the years, many celebrities have been interviewed. They believe that the interview is a source of truth.
5. Who, in today's world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Ans. In today's world, the interview has become an important part of of journalism. The interview is ideas and views given by famous personalities.
6. What did Lewis Carrol, Kipling and H.G.Wells think about the interview?
Ans. Lewis Carrol never consented to be interviewed. He took it as horror. Rudyard Kipling considered it a crime, an assault and a cowardly act. H.G. Wells took it as 'interviewing ordeal'. Once he himself interviewed Joseph Stalin, the Russian leader.
7. What does Umberto Eco say about the success of his book 'The Name of the Rose'.
Ans. Umberto Eco says that he loved his novel 'The Name of the Rose'. He says that the success of a book is always a mystery. no one can predict it. The author has given an advance to publish 3000 copies. But in the end, it sold two-three million.
Long Answer
1. What are the different views about the interview as a form of communication.
Ans. In today's world, the interview has become an important part of journalism. The interviews are ideas and views given by famous personalities. He says that the interview leaves most vivid impressions on our mind. It is a supreme medium of communication. Over the years, many celebrities have been interviewed. They believe that the interview is a source of truth. Lewis Carrol never consented to be interviewed. He took it as horror. Rudyard Kipling considered it a crime, an assault and a cowardly act. H.G. Wells took it as 'interviewing ordeal'. Once he himself interviewed Joseph Stalin, the Russian leader. The interview holds a position of power and influence.