CHAPTER 7- THE INTERVIEW

4^th April, 2020 (Saturday)

Day - 3

                                                        

                                             Ch – 7 Interview (Blog 3)

Good Morning Gentlemen

             I hope that these classes are proving to be fruitful for you all and the learning outcomes are well achieved.

              Before we move on to today’s task, here are the learning objectives for today’s blog. These objectives will be achieved by assessing you on the basis of tasks given below.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

·                               :distinguish between positive and negative opinions about interviews

·                                :explain the reasons behind Umberto Eco’s literary merit

           This blog contains three tasks. You have to do all these tasks in your English notebooks except MCQs

Task 1

Gentlemen, by now we have read the chapter, we have read the key points in the two blogs shared with you. Let us try and attempt the MCQ questions based on the second part of the chapter.

MCQs

1. What is semiotics?

a. Study of syntax

b. Study of letters

c. Study of phonetics

d. Study of signs

2. Which book brought intellectual super stardom to Umberto Eco?

a. Alice in Wonderland

b. The Penguin Book of Interviews

c. Jungle Book

d. The Name of the Rose

3. What is ‘a lot of empty spaces in our lives’ called by Eco?

a. Semiotics

b. Metaphysics

c. Interstices

d. d. Theology

4. Why did Eco prefer to write essays that have narrative aspects?

a. Easy to conclude

b. Easy to write

c. Provides a way of creative writing

d. Provides an escape from journalism…. L

5. What makes ‘ The Name of the Rose’ a serious novel?

a. It is a detective yarn

b. It has no humour

c. It is about history.

d. It is autobiographical

6. Why was Umberto Eco given an advance for 3000 copies only?

a. Publisher could sell only 3000 copies

b. Publisher didn’t expect to sell more than 3000 copies

c. Eco wanted to sell 3000 copies

d. d. Eco wanted to publish a few copies

7. Who were the most puzzled with the success of Eco’s book?

a. Readers and critics

b. Eco and his friends

c. Caroll and Kipling

d. Journalists and publishers

8. Unlike Eco , what problem did Roland Barthes face?

a. He was unable to write

b. He was unable to write essays

c. He was unable to do creative writing

d. He was unable to sell 3000 copies

9. Despite being spectacularly famous after the publication of ‘The Name of Rose’ with whom does Eco identify himself?

a. Novelist’s community

b. Academic community

c. Readers’ community

d.  Journalism community

Task 2

Now, on the basis of your reading, attempt these short answer type questions in your notebooks. Write the answers in your own words by using the given points.

Short answer type questions.

Part 1 - Essay on Interview

1. What are the writer's views about interviews as a form of journalism?

         - interviews came into being over 130 years ago,

         -since then have become a quite common in journalism.

        - thousands of celebrities have been interviewed over time

        - almost all literate persons have read atleast one interview at some point in their lives

       - while it is considered to be source of truth and an art, it is also seen as an intrusion into the privacy of its victims.

2. What are two divergent views about interviews?

             -widely popular among the readers therefore, opinions about its function, methods and merit vary.

           -while it is considered to be source of truth and an art, it is also seen as an intrusion into the privacy of its victims.

          -Some consider that it diminishes their image just like in some primitive cultures, taking someone's photograph is believed to stealing their soul.

3. What were Lewis Caroll's views about an Interview?

         -  Lewis Caroll (author of 'Alice in Wonderland')

        - terrified of interviewers ' a just horror of interviewers

        - never consented to be interviewed 

        - feared that he would be lionized/ treated like celebrity/get too much public attention

        - pushed away would-be acquaintances, interviewers and autograph seekers

        - enjoyed telling stories about his success 

4. What were Rudyard Kipling's views?

          - calls interviews immoral

        - equated it to a crime against him, an assault that deserved punishment

        -said it was cowardly and vile.

        -no respectable person would ask it, much less give it

        -ironically he himself had interviewed Mark Twain a few years ago.

Part 2 - Umberto Eco's Interview

5. According to Umberto Eco, what are empty spaces? How are they useful for him?

      -  Eco claims that there are empty spaces in the universe which when removed can reduce the whole  universe to the size of a fist. 

     -  He calls them interstices and refers to them as empty time between the task he has finished and is about to begin.

       - Umberto Eco says he utilises time between tasks efficiently.

        -He explains it by saying that he would have finished writing an article while waiting for the interviewer, Mukund to reach his apartment via the elevator.

6. How was Umberto’s doctoral dissertation different from the papers of other scholars?

           -regular academic style used for research papers is invariably depersonalised and often dry and boring.

          -Eco's style is a marked departure (very different) from how research papers are written.

         -He adopts an informal approach and there is a certain playful and personal quality about it.

         -He wrote the story of his research, even including his trials and errors.

This is why all his research essays always have a narrative aspect. (appear to be like a story)

         -He had written over 40 scholarly papers.

7. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?

        -feels bothered when most people identify him as novelist instead of a scholar.

        -considers himself a university professor who writes novels on Sundays.

       -participates in academic conferences and not meetings of Pen Clubs and writers.

       -identifies himself with the academic community.

       -however, he's good-humoured and doesn't mind it too much as he can reach a larger audience through his novels.

8. Describe the reason behind the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose

           -a very serious novel.

          -a detective story at one level but it also delves into metaphysics, theology, and medieval history.

       -initially was paid advance only for 3,000 copies -publisher felt there wouldn't be many takers for difficult reading experience.

        -surprising that it enjoyed a huge mass audience

        -To Umberto Eco, the success of the novel continues to be a mystery.

Since we wish to complete this chapter today, below are the long answer type questions as well to be done in your notebooks.

Kindly attempt them.

Task – 3

Long answer type questions.

1. Interviews as a form of journalism are both hated and hated. Give reasons 

- interviews came into being over 130 years ago,

-since then have become a quite common in journalism.

- thousands of celebrities have been interviewed over time

- almost all literate persons have read at least one interview at some point in their lives

-widely popular among the readers therefore, opinions about its function, methods and merit vary.

-while it is considered to be source of truth and an art, it is also seen as an intrusion into the privacy of its victims.

-Some consider that it diminishes their image just like in some primitive cultures, taking someone's photograph is believed to stealing their soul.

- prominent literary figures seem to detest interviews

- V.S. Naipaul feels interviews diminish the interviewee

- Lewis Caroll never consented to be interviewed 

- Rudyard Kipling believed that interviews were an assault on a person and deserved punishment yet he himself had interviewed Mark Twain.

- Saul Bellow thought that interviews were like thumbprints on his windpipe

- despite such adverse ideas, interviews are a supremely serviceable medium of communication

- helps to create most vivid(detailed) impressions of the celebrities

- all information & impression  about celebrity formed through interviewer’s questions

-interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence.

2. Write a note on Umberto Eco's literary genius.

-a professor at the University of Bologna, Italy

-reputed scholar of semiotics (the study of signs), literary interpretation, & medieval aesthetics.

-Prolific writer - has written literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children’s books, newspaper articles

-attained immense success in 1980, with his book 'The Name of the Rose', which sold more than 10 million copies.

- unlike regular academic style used for research papers is  invariably depersonalised and often dry and boring. Eco's style is a marked departure (very different) from how research papers are written.

- He adopts an informal approach and there is a certain playful and personal quality about it.

-He wrote the story of his research, even including his trials and errors,  had written over 40 scholarly papers.

- says he became a novelist by accident, has written 5 novels

- despite his success as a novelist, feels bothered when most people identify him as novelist instead of a scholar

-considers himself a university professor who writes novels on Sundays

I hope you all have well understood this chapter. Doubts/queries, if any, can be posted in the comment section below.

Happy Learning

God bless you all!

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