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 95
COMPANION LTERATURE
-12(CORE) ENGLISH
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12 ENGLISH 96 COMPANION UTERATURE
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 (CORE) ENGLISH
17 - 98
COMPANION ATURE
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 innermost thought of the celebrityvery truthfullythe celebrity being interviewed. He holds the
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influence'
one's mind. However, some celebrities detest it as a positionofgreat'power and
it is an ordeal for them and it encroaches upon Q17. Umberto Eco's staggeringly large and wide.
their privacy. ranging work puzzles everybody. What does the
Q12. What grudge did Lewis Carroll have against scholarhave to sayabout it?
interview? Very modestly, Umberto Eco says that it is a
Having a morbid horror of interviews and the fallacious impression that he does many things
interviewers, Lewis Carroll never consented t9 Infact he has a few philosophical ideas and he
grant one. He hated to be treated as a celebrityand keeps on pursuing the same ones in different works
he felt a great satisfaction and amusement on However, he shares the secret of accomplishing
succeeding in evading interviewers and autograph so much of work by revealing that he utilizes
seekers, time-gaps between different pieces ofwork.
Q13. What was odd about Rudyard Kipling interviewing Q18. What does Umberto Eco mean by 'interstices'?
Mark Twain?
The dictionary meaning of interstice is a 'crevice',
Rudyard Kipling had a very condemnatory a 'crack' or a 'gap'. By 'interstices', Umberto Eco
atitude towards interviews and interviewers. He
means removing all empty spaces to make the
considered it to be 'immoral', 'a crime', 'an assault' universe and our lives very compact. It can be
on the interviewee, yet, ironically, he himself had
done by utilizing every moment, including the
interviewed Mark Twain afewyears back.
ones that we waste in between two different pieces
Q14. What are the drawbacks of an interview?
ofwork, to lend intensity to our lives.
Interview is an encroachment upon an individual's Q19. How does Umberto Eco utilize his 'interstices'?
privacy. Most of the times it is an ordeal forthe
celebrity. At times it is condemned for_its Umberto Eco uses his interstices to plan and sketch
'diminishing effect'attimes it is dreaded because out whatever workhe is to take up next. This helps
it lionizes' the subject. him to do a lot of work within the same time
Sometimes it 'wounds'
and at other times it 'robs' one ofapart of
oneself. givingtheimpression ofbeing a prolificperson.
Q15. Why is interviewa supremely Q20. Bring out Umberto Eco's humility and modesty
of communicationdespite its
serviceable medium as evident in "The
drawbacks? Interview".
Despite all its drawbacks,
interview is a In spite of the unparalleled intellectual stardom
medium of communication as it givesserviceable
us a
that Umberto Eco acquired, he talks abouthis
into the mind of acelebrity.The peep
achievements in all modesty. He attributes the
through this medium are truthful, revelations
sincere
made
spectacular fame of "The Name of the Rose" to
andvivid
and they help us to understand the working of a
creative mind.
Pegple's capability.of appreciating difficult
reading experiençes,With regards to his ability to
Q16. What are Denis do so many things, he feels that it is a fallacious
Brlan's views about interviews
and the interviewers?
impression, In fact, he clarifies that he is always
Denis Brian defines pursuing the same philosophic and ethical ideas
interview as a
leaves behind the most vivid medium that but in different works and forms that gives the
impression about impression of variance.
LTERATURE COMPANION
100 ENGLISH (CORE)-12
Q21. How did Umberto Eco get to adopt an
informal of the Rose" puzzle the journalists and the
approach and a playful personal style in writing publishers?
scholarlywork? "The Name of the Rose' in spite ofbeing adetective
While presenting his first Doctoral dissertation, story, delved into metaphysics, theology and
Eco also gave along the entire story of his research medieval history. The journalists and publishers
incuding all his trials and errors. One of his did not have much faith in people's capacity for
appreciating such a difficult reading experience.
professors not only approved of this style but
also published the dissertation as a book. This
Hence, they didn't expect a very encouraging
response to the book.
encouraged the then 22 years old young Umberto
Q26. How do Umberto Eco's idea about people's taste
Eco, and thus he stuck to this style ever after.
Umberto
forreading differ from that ofthejournalists?
022. Why did Roland Barthes, a dear friend of Journalists believe that people like trash and they
Eco die a frustrated man? Why did Umberto never
feel that frustration? shirk difficult reading experiences. Umberto
Eco's views about readers differ as he believes
Roland Barthes was an essayist. His scholarly that though one might be drawn towards trash
essays did not satisfy him fully. He yearned to do now and then, one doesn't always look for easy
some creative writing. Unfortunately, he died reading experiences. At times, books with serious
before tasting_ success asa çreative.writerof themes are also enjoyed by the readers.
fiction. Umberto Eco, on the other hand, had no Umberto
Q27. What sort of television programmes does
such problem as his scholarly work also hasa Eco watch after dinner and why?
narratiye aspect. This never lets him experience After dinner, Umberto Eco watches light television
any frustration about creativity even when not to
programmes that donot tax his mind.Wishing
writing fiction. either
relax after a hard day's work, he watches
Q23. Explain:"I started writingnovels by accident. " 'Miami Vice' or 'Emergency Room'. However such
the time
Ümberto Eco, basically an academic schola, programmes don't catch his interest all
work.
produced 'staggeringly large and wide-ranging' as he devotes hisday hours to serious
scholarly works and till the age of 50, he did not Silvester describes
Q28. Why do you think Christopher
have even a single novel to his credit. One day, and authors
the viewpoints of other writers
interview?
having nothing to do, he started writing a novel. when discussing the concept of an
to any one
Thus he took to novel-writing accidentally. Support your opinion with reference
(CBSE Question Bank}
24. How did Umberto Eco become spectacularly writer cited.
of
famous? Christopher Silvester describes the viewpoints
discussing the
Umberto Eco had earned a good reputation for other writers and authors when
wants to convey
himself in the field of semiotics_ (the study of concept ofan interview because he
nmethods, andmerits
SIgns). The scholarly works that he produced were that opinions about functions,
example Rudyard
Staggeringly large and wide-ranging. However, his of interiew varyeonsiderably. For
he himself
Spectacular fame came to him with his novel "The Kipling despised being interviewed yetinterview.
Name of the Rose" which stormed the world and putMarkTwainthrough the ordeal ofan
sold more th¡n 10 millioncopies. would you evaluate Mukund Padmanabhan
Q29. How qualities
Mention at least two
Q25. Why did the spectacular success of "The Name as an interviewer?
ENGLISH (CORE)- 12

LTERATURE COMPANON 101

 there is no justification
of these drawbacks,
he displays in his interview, supported by textual condemninginterviewsoutright;after allinterviewS
evidence. Or (CBSE Question Bank}
us an insight into the personalities of the
give
celebrities. They bring out truth. and theyinspire
Is Mukund Padmanabhan a good interviewer?
fan-following of the celebriti
Support your observation with evidence. the masses. The satisfactionin)
ahaving aglimpse
Mukund Padmanabhan is objective as an gets a pleasure and
from such close quarters
interviewer. He does not ask anyembarrassing or oftheirbheroes' inner selves and vivid
controversialquestions.from his-guest. In his Interviews leave behind indelible
'supremely
interview with Umberto Eco he seeks responses
impressions and they are undoubtedly aHence
Eco.Na. serviceable medium of communication'.
related solely to the creative abilities of condemnedaltogether
personal questions are asked. theydonot deservetobe
Umberto Eco on the basis
Christopher Silvester shares authors'
reservations Q2. Give a pen portrait of
Q30. ofthe chapter"The Interview".
mind, would
about interviewing. Bearing that in University of
your choice? If so, Umberto Eco is a professor at the
you interview a writer of
what would youpay particular
attention to in Bologna in Italy, who apart from being an authority
reputed
interviewing the said writer? (CBSE Question Bank} on semiotics (the study of signs) is a
Or novelist. His.scholarly works comprise academic
newspaper
According to you, what is the right way of texts, essays, children's.booksand
written
interviewing an author? articles, The range and volumne of his
outputis mind boggling.
Having read the reservations that authors have
stece.6

intellectual
about being interviewed, I willstill interview the In spite of having achieved such
writer of my choice. I will pay particular attention stardom, Eco is a very humble and modest scholar.
to exploring the skill of the writer, his/her creative
Far from boasting and bragging about his
achievements, he brushes aside compliment and
journey and his/her_vision about writing as a
craft. I shall not broach up any controversial or. makeshimselflookvery ordinary.
embarrassing issue. He shares his experiences with others readily and
talks about the utilization of the 'interstices' as
the secret ofhis success. Eco's arguments are very
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS logical anda subtle wit and playfulness is evident
(to be answered in about 150 words each) na professor
in his conversation all through. 'I am

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS who writes novels on Sundays' and 'I give impression
ofhis
of doing many things' are good examples
O1. Are the different celebrities in "The Interview" spirited style.
justified in condemníng interviews? academic
Q3. Though Eco identified himself with
Celebrities like V.S. Naipaul, Lewis Carroll, Rudyard community, his taste for narration was itself
Kipling, Saul Bellow and H. G. Wells have expressed right from the beginning and it sustained
strong dislike for interviews. They go to the extent throughout. Comment. novelist,
ofcalling them immoral- 'a crime', 'an assault' and
the like. There is no denying the fact-that the Despite getting spectacular fame as aacademic
Eco always associated himself with occupied
interviews, in some way, encroach upon their privacy work
and at times project them to be shatie than their community. His non--fictional However
him for the first fifty years of his life. narrative
stature and at other times lignie them. In spite his tastefor
the
right from the beginning,
 Based on adetective plot, it delves into metaphysics,
was evident even in his scholarly writings. When
he submitted his first Doctoral dissertation, his theology and medieval history which obviously
makes it a difficult reading experience. Hence,
professor was impressed with his playful and
personal style which was far removed from
dul. when Eco took the book to the publisher, she
liked it but she didn't expect it to find much
drab and depersonalised traditional manner of favour with the readers. So, initially, Eco was given
writing research. The narrative aspect of his
an advance for 3000 copies only. But once the
dissertation was complimented and it was published
book was out, it stormed the literary world and
too. Ever since that time, Eco sustained this style
research in surprised everyone. Though, somewhat a heavy
and told the details of the story of his
first time reading experience, the book attracted mass
his essays too. He used this style for the audience and Eco came to be knoWn talt over the
novel
in anovel that he wrote at the age of 50, This world) as a novelist, rather than an academic
and to
"The Name of theRose", stormed the world scholar. Although Eco is more comfortable with
the utter surprise of the publishers and jounalists, the identity as a scholar but it was this
book that
thus
drew mass audience. His engrossing narration connected him to amuch larger audience.
made
grew from his initial scholarly pursuits and Silvester. You
Q6. Imagine that you are Christopher
wayto his fictional works, too. have been invited to a seminar
series titled
impress
Q4. How far does Mukund Padmanabhan 'Ethics and Techniques of Interviewing'.
considerhis interview
you as an interviewer. Do you the
with Umberto Eco a success? The organisers would like youto speakabout
skills
challenges of conducting interviews, and
Padmanabhan's interview with Umberto Eco interviewers must have in order to conduct good
successful
gives evidence of his capabilities as a and ethical interviews.
interviewer. Neither does he encroach upon Eco's Based on your reading of The
Interview', Part I
questions,
privacyand embarrass him with personal Include relevant
the and I, draft your speech.
nor does he stand between the celebrity and details from the text in support ofyour
answer.
readers. He poses brief, well-worded andsuggestive (CBSE Question Bank}
questions which draw out responses that all fans Good morning everyone!
had wanted to kaow. With every question,
the
Iam delighted to be a part of
this seminar series
interviewer withdraws to the background leaving Interviewing'.
the interviewee in the limelight. The questions on 'Ethics and Techniques of
me that however
posed by him cover all those aspects
of Eco's My experience has taught interview is an
works and personality that interest his readers. controversial it may be, the
opinions about
Every question draws out an elaborate
answer integral part of journalism. The interviews
merits of
which, apart from being informative, isalso very the functions, methods and
While the journalists
inspirational. Nowhere does the interview appear may vary considerably. truth and an art in
to be an ordeal forthe interviewee. It is short, crisp consider it to be a source of
it an attempt
and sounds very informal - qualities that
make practice, many celebrities consider
Conducting an interview is
Mukund an impressive interviewer. to steal the soul. interviewed
05. What idea do you form about "The Name of the challenging because the people who areasked while
personal is
Rose" from the chapter "The Interview"? get offended if anything
generally drawn by the
the readers are
Umberto Eco's taste for the narrative that
It was has to balance
interviewer
controversy itself. The interesting
made this academic scholar produce a fictional the interview
his words and make
WorK"The Name of the Rose" when he was over 50.
ENGLISH (CORE) - 12

TERATURE COMPANION 103

 without the element of debate. The questionnaire Itook dueprecaution while interviewing Umben,
should be based on proper research and nothing Eco. Ikeptmyquestions around Feo'sphilosophical
hearsay should be part of an interview. Focus interests, non-fictional works, creative
should be on the creative abilities of the person journey
and unprecedented success of his fictional work
being interviewed in place of any embarrassing The Nameofthe Rose.
episode in his/her lives. An interviewee should be Iwish that whenever journalists interview any
treated like a guest and his/her dignity must be celebrity, they voluntarily abide by the ethics of
protected by the interviewer. their profession. Presenting sensible and thought
Iam sure that in interviews, ethical journalism provoking information to the readers shal benefit
will befavoured more and the readers will get the the entire society.
opportunity to understand the journey ofgrowth. Q8. Part Iof "The Interview' is an excerpt from the
Thank you and best wishes! Penguin Book of Interviews'. Do you thirk that
Q7. Mukund Padmanabhan was gifted the 'Penguin the extract fails to present a balanced perspective
aboutinterviews?
Book of Interviews - An Anthology from 1859 to
the Present Day' edited by Christopher Silvester, Substantiate your answer with relevant textual
after interviewing Eco. details.
He shared his thoughts on his personal blog If this were the entire introduction, what would
exploring hisown concerns about interviewing a your expectation from the book be?
distinguished writer like Eco, followed by an /CBSE Question Bank
evaluation ofthe interview in light ofhis reading.
As Mukund Padmanabhan, write the PartIofthechapterpresents alimited aspect about
blogpost. interviews, It delivers mostly the discomfort and
(CBSE Question Bank)
anger of authors who are interviewed. It does
INTERVIEWING UMBERTO ECO - mention that an interview is a supremely serviceable
A FEW
PERSONAL INSIGHTS
Last week The Hindu published the medium of communication but does notexplore
which I tried to explore the craft of interview a
in the reasons why it is nmisused by
Umberto Eco, journalists.
Ifthis were the entire
scholar on semiotics and a
celebratedwriterof introduction, Iwould expect
the book to put forth the
fiction. My eforts were acknowledged by the perspective on the
publishers and they gifted me the 'PenguinPenguin Book
position of unprecedented power and influence
of Interviews - An held by the interviewer.
Anthology from 1859 to the
Present Day' edited by Christopher Subsequently,
delineation of the responsibilities
the
of the interviewer
book is an excellent analysis of the Silvester. This would also be expected. Analysis of some good
It may be a art of interview. and bad interviews would also be
the interviewiscommonplace part of journalism but part of the book. expected as
certainlynot everybody'scup of tea.
Authors and other celebrities, Iwould not want the
book to remain a mere
being interviewed. The reason in general, dislike compilation of interviews but to be read as a
interviewer poses uncomfortableperhaps is that the
document on the craft of interview - a researcu
attempt to splce up hls work. Thisquestions in an
is definitely project that would teach the ethics and
unethical and brings accountability
useful tool disrepute
Is such a to interview which of the interviewer. This book
be wouiu
for expected to remain a
storles, understanding success distinctive
Interviewas an effectiverechannel
project on
of communication
foreveryone.
TERATURE COMPANION
104
ENGLISH(CORE)-12