The Interview

THE INTERVIEW

Q1     What are some of the positive views on interviews?

Ans    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?

Ans    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?

Ans    Some primitive cultures believed that getting oneself photographed would rob them of their souls.

Q4     What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his windpipe”?

Ans    “Thumbprints on his windpipe” means to choke or suffocate somebody by applying pressure on his throat. Saul Bellow uses this expression to refer to the pressure and discomfort felt by a celebrity while giving an interview.

Q5     Who, in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?

Ans    Interviews help us know our contemporaries and their opinions. They serve as a means of communication between the celebrities and the audience. In this case, the interviewer is endowed with a very special power and he becomes our chief source of information about personalities.

Q6     Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.

Ans    Umberto Eco, in all possibilities, likes being interviewed. He readily answers every question asked by Mukund Padmanabhan in an energetic and lively manner. He does not seem apprehensive about sharing his secrets, experiences and opinions with the interviewer, and consequently, the world. There is no indication throughout the interview that he dislikes being interviewed.

Q7     How does Eco find the time to write so much?

Ans    During the interview, Mukund Padmanabhan reiterates David Lodge’s astonishment on Umberto Eco’s large amount of works and how he manages to write them all. Eco replies that just like the universe has empty spaces, our lives too, have a lot of empty spaces or ‘interstices’, as he calls them. Whenever he has a few moments to spare in between two different tasks, instead of wasting them, he uses the time to write. He even gives an example of his working technique. He says that while waiting for someone to come up the elevator he keeps himself busy.

Q8     What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?

Ans    Eco’s writing style is strikingly different from that of the standard academic mode. The academicians first make a thorough research, then move on to prove their hypotheses, and finally, give their conclusion on that subject. The final outcome, therefore, comes out as tedious. Eco, on the other hand, tells the story of his research, including his “trials and errors”. While the scholars usually use a very depersonalised and dull manner, Eco’s style is personalised and playful, and in the form of a narrative.

Q9     Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?

Ans    Umberto Eco considered himself an academic scholar first and then a novelist. He wrote more scholarly articles as compared to novels; and, he attended academic conferences and not meetings of Pen Clubs and writers. According to him, he was a university professor who wrote novels on Sundays. “I started writing novels by accident”, he said.

Q10    What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?

Ans    Umberto Eco has rightly pointed out that the success behind The Name of the Rose is a mystery. It is not possible to know the exact reason behind a book’s success or failure; one can only make wild guesses. Perhaps the time in history when it was written has proved favourable for its success. According to Mukund, the novel’s setting in the medieval past might have contributed to its success. But many novels written about the medieval past have failed to get as much success.

Q11    If the interviewer Mukund Padmanabhan had not got the space in the newspaper to reproduce the interview verbatim, he may have been asked to produce a short report of the interview with the salient points.

Write this report for him.

Ans

A CHAT WITH UMBERTO ECO

By Mukund Padmanabhan

Delhi, 6 September

Umberto Eco, the renowned scholar and writer, in a short interview with The Hindu claimed to be an academician first and a novelist later. He is a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy. His works range from semiotics to literary interpretation, medieval aesthetics and finally to novels and children’s books.  When asked about his wide-ranging works, he clarified his position saying “I am a professor who writes novels on Sundays”.

One is amazed by his ability to manage time. He revealed his secret theory of empty spaces or ‘interstices’, as he calls them. Eco explained his way of utilising every second, even the free ones between two different tasks.

All of Eco’s works including his academic publications have a personal touch to them. This is Eco’s unique style of writing which, he declared, began at the age of 22 when he was a research scholar. His inclination towards creative writing led him to novel-writing in his later years.

His detective novel The Name of the Rose has sold 10 million copies, but its success apparently did not surprise him. He stated that the success of the book proves that there are people who read difficult texts.

All in all, Eco turned out to be a dynamic personality who loves his work. His enthusiasm is apparent in the way he gave the replies to all the questions, without any apprehension or qualms.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

Q1 How can you justify the importance of interview in modern journalism?

Ans      The interview is the most serviceable medium of communication in the modern times. It has become a commonplace of journalism. Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years. Interviews provide an insight into their lives and minds.

Q2       What was the attitude of Lewis Carroll towards interviews?

Ans      Lewis Carroll feared an interviewer and always refused to be interviewed. He repelled all interviewers and people pestering him for autographs. He felt satisfied and amused at silencing all such people.

Q3       Who is VS Naipaul? What are his views about interviews?

Ans      VS Naipaul is a celebrated cosmopolitan writer. He has written novels, travel books and documentaries presenting his views about India. He says that some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.

Q4       Why did Rudyard Kipling refuse to be interviewed?

Ans      Kipling considered interview to be immoral. It was an assault on a person  and on offense against him. He wanted an interviewer to be punished for the same. He called it cowardly and vile and said that no respectable person would ask for it or give it.

Q5       What is ironical about Kipling’s attitude towards interviews?

Ans      Kipling condemned all interviewers and there is even a mention of two interviewers who spoiled his day in Boston. But he himself committed such an ‘assault’ on Mark Twain a few years earlier.

Q6       What do you learn about Umberto Eco’s creative work from the chapter?

Ans      Umberto Eco is a versatile genius, a prolific writer. He has written on wide ranging subjects like literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children’s books and articles. He has 5 novels and 40 non- fiction works to his credit and the diversity and volume of Umberto’s works baffles all readers. He writes in a narrative and informal style. His non- fictional writing too has a personal and playful style which makes it interesting and different from the regular academic style which is dry and boring.

Q7       ‘I am convinced I am always doing the same thing’. How does Umberto Eco explain this?

Ans      Eco says that he pursues his philosophical views through his academic works and his novels. He propagates the same ethics and interests of non- violence and peace through all his literary works, be it children’s books or articles. So, he follows the same values always.

Q8       How does Umberto Eco manage his time?

Ans      Eco mentions interstices, which are empty spaces in our lives. For example, he would already write an articles in his mind while he is waiting for a man to reach his third floor home in an elevator. He works in these interstices which other people ignore or waste.

Q9       How did Eco’s style differ from Roland Barthes?

Ans      Roland Barthes was an essayist who felt frustrated that he could not write a novel. He died before he could do creative writing. Eco never felt that frustration. He enjoyed writing essays as well as novels.

Q10     In what conditions did Umberto Eco start writing novels?

Ans      Eco says that he started writing novels by accident. One day he had nothing to do so he started writing a novel. He admits that novels satisfy his taste for narration. He started writing novels at the age of 50 or so.

Q11     How does Eco react to the observation “Oh, he’s the novelist”?

Ans      This comment bothers Eco because he considers himself an academic scholar first and then a novelist. He considers himself a university professor,  who write novels on Sundays. He participates in academic conferences and identifies himself with the academic community.

Q12     How did Umberto Eco become popular?

Ans      Umberto Eco is popular among the masses because of his novels. His novel “The Name of the Rose” sold ten to fifteen million copies. He can’t expect to reach that kind of readers through his academic books on semiotics.

Q13     Why did the success of novel “The name of the Rose” puzzle people?

Ans      The novel is a detective story which also delves into the metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Eco was not puzzled by its huge success but journalists and publishers were. The publisher did not expect very good response in America in this country nobody had seen a cathedral or studied Latin. In other words, people were ignorant about the medieval past there. Eco himself is mystified by the success of the novel. He thinks that the novel was a success because it came at the right time.

Q14     How do Umberto Eco’s views differ from that of publishers and journalists?

Ans      Journalists and publishers feel that people like trash and don’t enjoy difficult and tedious reading works. Umberto eco disagrees and feels that there are readers who do not want an easy reading experience and not always or all the times. He too watches light entertainment on TV after dinner. He enjoys it and needs it but not all day.

LONG ANSWERS

Q1       Highlight the importance, drawbacks and views of different celebrities regarding interviews.

OR

Describe some of the negative and positive views about interviews.

Ans      Although Interview as a literary genre is not more than 150 years old, it has become an important tool for journalists. Several thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years and their views differ. Some consider it a source of truth and art while others call it an immoral assault and unwarranted intrusion into their lives.

VS Naipaul feels that some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves. Lewis Carroll was horrified of interviewers. Rudyard Kipling considered interviews as assaults. HG Wells, who was frequently interviewed, has referred to it as “an ordeal”. Saul Bellow described interviews as “thumbprints on his windpipe”. Despite all these drawbacks, interviews help us to learn about our contemporaries  and form opinions. In short, interviews are mirrors reflecting the personality of the interviewee.

Q2       What impression do you form of Umberto Eco on the basis of “The Interview”?

Ans      Umberto Eco comes across as a person who is untouched by arrogance even after achieving intellectual super stardom. He remains modest and grounded and wants to be remembered as an academic scholar. His novel “The name of the Rose” sold more than 10 million copies but at the same time he acknowledges that novels are the means to reach the masses. His work on semiotics would not have sold even a million copies. Eco admits that he started writing novels by accident and also that the huge success of his novel remains a mystery to him as well.  He attributes his huge output of literary works to management of time. He specially mentions interstices, as tiny capsules of time hidden and wasted in our daily routine. His 5 novels and more than 40 non- fiction works are testimony to his intellectual scholarship.