Test: The Interview- 2 - Class 12 MCQ

Most of the celebrity writers shun interviews as they feel that interviews leave a disparaging effect on their personalities. They consider them as an encroachment on their privacy. Writers like V.S. Naipaul feel they are being wounded by interviews and thus losing a part of themselves.

There are several celebrities mentioned in this chapter like Rudyard Kipling, V.S. Naipaul, H.G. Wells, Saul Bellow and etc. who dislike interviews very strongly. They never became ready to be interviewed. Most of them considered interviews as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives. They did not want to reveal the secrets of their personal lives.

Even an interview is considered as an immoral activity, as a crime or sometimes as an assault. They feel that the interviewers waste their precious time which can be used by them for more creativity. On the other hand, common mass take interviews very positively as they come to know about the inner and hidden things of their ideals. But interviews have their drawbacks also.

Celebrities feel shy and disappointed when they are asked for interviews but they forget that they become famous and wealthy through the successful interviews. General mass become their fan and devotee by knowing more and more about their ideals. Celebrities are even worshipped. In this regard, it can be said that interview cannot be termed as an immoral activity.

Eco’s writing style was a personalised and interesting one, contrary to regular academic writings. In his writings, he told the story of his research, instead of simply presenting his research, which gave his academic writing a narrative quality.

Most celebrities despise being interviewed because they see it as unwanted interference in their private lives.

Umberto Eco started to write novels accidently at the age of 50. Then only on Sundays, he used to write the content of the novels.

The expression 'thumbprints on his windpipe' means an aggressive invasion into the private views and utterances of the interviewee, ft is also suggestive of answers being forced out of the person who is being interviewed.

Umberto Eco has many philosophical interests. He pursues them through his academic works and novels. Even his children’ works are about non-violence and peace. They are the same bunch of ethical and philosophical interests. Eco wrote more than 40 scholarly works on non-fiction. Eco considers himself ‘a university professor who writes novels (only) on Sundays’. He prefers to be called an academician.

Umberto Eco has manDenis Brain has appropriately said that almost everything reaches us through one man asking questions of another. Hence the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence. Every famous person has a right to his or her privacy. Interviewers sometimes embarrass celebrities with very personal questions.y philosophical interests. He pursues them through his academic works and novels. Even his children’ works are about non-violence and peace. They are the same bunch of ethical and philosophical interests. Eco wrote more than 40 scholarly works on non-fiction. Eco considers himself ‘a university professor who writes novels (only) on Sundays’. He prefers to be called an academician.

In his interview with Mukand Padmanabhan, Umberto Eco points out that he is a university professor who writes novels on Sundays. Though he readily participates in academic conferences but he has no interest to attend to the meetings of Pen Clubs and the writers. He is very much clear about himself and identifies himself with the academic community. One can estimate that Eco is a modest cooperative and firm in his convictions. He does not call himself a successful novelist. Through his interview with Mukund we get aspects of his writings, style and ideas. Even then most of the people take him to be a novelist because of the huge success of his novel “The Name of the Rose” yet he remains committed to his regular professional academic work. In his novels for children one can find non-violence and peace.

In his philosophy and the secret of his work, Eco tells that there are empty spaces in the universe. He calls them ‘interstices’ and he works in them. He has written five novels. More than 40 scholarly works are at his credit including a book on semiotics. At a late age of 50 he first started writing novels by accident. In his writing, Eco follows a narrative aspect, i.e. an informal approach. It is a marked departure from the regular academic style. This narrative aspect of writing has brought a huge success to his novel, ‘The Name of the Rose.’ It includes experiences of metaphysics, theology and medieval history in its detective yarn. It has attracted a mass audience. It has narration and with its surprising praise, Eco thinks his success a mystery.

Mukund Padmanabhan was surely a successful and well thought-out reporter who always used to ask answerable and dexterous questions to his interviewees. He used to plan and prepare to con-duct an interview of a celebrity. He never asked ugly or embarrassing questions and on the other hand, the celebrity whom he interviewed always seemed to be comfortable with his questions. Through the interviews, readers not only got the informations about the celebrities but many other important aspects of Mukund’s personality also came in their knowledge. He asked brief and quality questions to his interviewees scrupulously. He let the interviewees spoke in their own manner and never tried to interrupt or cross-questioned them. His interviewees used to be free and frank with him. He was always a prepared interviewer. Mukund, in advance arranged the informations and personality traits of his interviewees and then with full preparations, started his sessions. In all we can say that Mukund Padmanabhan was a disciplined and dedicated interviewer.

Umberto Eco points out towards empty space in this universe. According to him if the empty space is eliminated from the universe, and as well as from the atoms, this universe will turn as big as our fist. In the same way, our lives are full of empty spaces. Umberto Eco calls them interstices. Eco says: “ Suppose you are coming over to my place on the third floor. You are in an elevator from the first to third floor and I am waiting for you. This is an interstice.”

There is no one reason for the huge success of the novel “The Name of the Rose’. Umberto Eco himself calls its success a mystery. It is possible that this detective story that delved into metaphysics, theology and medieval history, interested the readers because the time in which it was written was most appropriate, neither a decade earlier nor a decade later.

The American publisher thought that the novel The Name of the Rose won't sell in America because it was a country where nobody had seen a cathedral or studied Latin. The novel, however, sold two or three million copies in the U.S. Umberto Eco rightly pointed out that the success is a mystery.

Umberto Eco’s famous novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ is a very ‘serious novel’ But it enjoyed a mass audience. The interviewer wants to know the reason of its huge success. Even journalists and publishers are puzzled. People like what is served to them. If they are given to read even serious novels, they will read them. They accepted and digested a serious novel like ‘The Name of the Rose’. Its ‘timing’ was perfect. About 10 to 15 million copies of the novel were sold.

Umberto shares a secret with the interviewer. He thinks that if we eliminate the empty spaces from the universe, the world will shrink. It will become as big as a fist. Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces or ‘interstices’ in our lives. He works in these spaces and uses them to his advantage.