NCERT Solutions - The Interview

Think As You Read

Q1: What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Ans: The interview has been a significant part of journalism for over 130 years. It serves as an important means of communication and is often regarded as an art form. 
Here are some positive views on interviews:

• Interviews provide a source of truth about individuals and events.
• They help us understand our contemporaries and their perspectives.
• Interviews can reveal insights that are not available through other forms of media.
• They foster a connection between the interviewer and the interviewee.

Q2: Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Ans: Many celebrity writers dislike interviews because they view them as an intrusion into private life and as a reduction of their complex identities to a few soundbites. Some writers feel exposed or wounded by probing questions; for example, V.S. Naipaul said interviews left him feeling hurt. Others, like Rudyard Kipling, went further and described interviews as immoral or akin to an assault. For such writers, the exchange can feel invasive rather than illuminating.

Q3: What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Ans: In certain primitive cultures there is a belief that taking a person's photograph is equivalent to stealing that person's soul. People who hold this belief may feel that a photograph makes someone incomplete or slighted, because a part of the person's essence has been taken away by the camera.

Q4: What do you understand by the expression "thumbprints on his windpipe"?
Ans: The expression "thumbprints on his windpipe" is a powerful metaphor for the sensation of being strangled. It suggests that the pressure of the interview - the intensity of questioning or scrutiny - can feel suffocating and painful, creating a sense of emotional or psychological choking.

Q5: Who, in today's world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Ans: Today the interviewer is the chief source of information about personalities. By choosing questions, guiding the conversation and using their influence, interviewers shape what the public learns about a person. A skilful interviewer can extract significant facts, attitudes and anecdotes that reveal the essence of the interviewee.

Understanding the Text

Q1: Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Ans: Yes. Umberto Eco appears to enjoy interviews because he comes across as relaxed and patient when answering questions. He replies fully and thoughtfully rather than curtly, speaks modestly about his achievements, and shows a readiness to explain his ideas. His warmth and occasional laughter make the exchange seem pleasant and indicate that he sees interviews as an opportunity to discuss his work and views.

Q2: How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Ans: Eco managed to write so much by using small pockets of otherwise idle time productively and by returning to a set of related interests rather than scattering his attention among unrelated topics. He made use of the "empty spaces" in daily life to write, and he often explored similar themes - for example, questions of peace and non-violence - which made it easier to build substantial work over time.

Q3: What was distinctive about Eco's academic writing style?
Ans: Eco's academic style stood out because it was personal and occasionally playful. Unlike much academic writing that is impersonal and dry, his style acknowledged the research process and the author's own trials and errors. This made difficult ideas easier to follow and helped readers engage with scholarly subjects on a more human level.

Q4: Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Ans: Umberto Eco considered himself an academic scholar first. He described himself as a university professor who wrote novels on Sundays, indicating that scholarship was his primary identity. He continued to take part in academic conferences and produced over forty non-fiction works, all of which show his commitment to academic life despite his fame as a novelist.

Q5: What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
Ans: The success of The Name of the Rose can be attributed to its blend of elements: it functions as a detective story while also engaging with metaphysics, theology and medieval history. This unusual combination made the novel attractive to a broad audience. Its timing and the curiosity it generated about such a mixture of genres also helped its popularity, though the precise causes of its extraordinary success are not easy to pinpoint.

Talking about the Text

Q1: Talk about any interview you watched on television or read in a newspaper. How did it add to your understanding of the celebrity, the interviewer and the field of the celebrity?
Ans: An interview can reveal private facets of a celebrity's life and work that are not obvious from their public image. It helps the audience see the celebrity as a person with real motives, doubts and achievements. The interviewer's technique also becomes clear: a probing but respectful interviewer can elicit thoughtful answers, while a more superficial approach may only produce rehearsed replies. Finally, when the celebrity discusses their work, the interview often clarifies aspects of the field - its challenges, methods and current trends - and so deepens the audience's understanding of both the person and their profession.

Q2: The medium you like best for an interview, print, radio, or television.
Ans: I prefer television for interviews because it combines sight and sound, allowing viewers to judge both what is said and how it is said. Television helps prevent misquoting, since the original words and gestures are visible, and it conveys body language and tone that add meaning to spoken replies. In contrast, print depends on editing and can omit subtle cues, while radio conveys tone but lacks the visual context that often enriches understanding.

Q3: Every famous person has a right to his or her privacy. Interviewers sometimes embarrass celebrities with very personal questions.
Ans: It is true that every public figure has a right to privacy, and interviewers vary in how they balance public interest against personal boundaries. Some limit themselves to a person's public life and achievements, while others pursue intrusive personal questions to create sensational content. Such intrusions can make interviewees feel uncomfortable; their reactions are then judged unfairly by the public. Respect for privacy and careful judgement about what is relevant to the audience are therefore essential in any responsible interview.