Sabtina Ma'am

THE INTERVIEW
BY:CHRISTOPHER SILVESTER

GIST OF THE LESSON

PART I
The Interview has become a commonplace of journalism. Opinions on the
functions, methods and merits of Interview vary considerably.
Some claim it to be the highest form, a source of truth and in its practice an
art.
Some despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into lives, which
diminishes their personality.
o V.S. Naipaul feels that 'some people are wounded by interviews and
lose a part of themselves'.
o Lewis Carroll never consented to be interviewed for he believed it to 3
be 'a just horor of the interviewer'.
o Rudyard Kiplingconsidered it 'immoral, a crime, an a_sault that
merits punishment'.
o H.G. Wells referred interviewing to be an 'ordeal'.
o Saul Bellow describes it 'like thumbprints on his windpipe'.
Despite the drawbacks interview is a supremely serviceable medium of
communication. Interviews are the most vivid impression of our
contemporaries and the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented
power and influence.

PART II

. An extract from an interview of Umberto Eco interviewed by Mukund

Padmanabhan.
Umberto Eco wasa professor with a formidable reputation as a scholar for
his ideas on Semiotics, literary interpretation and medieval aesthetics
before he turned into writing literary fiction. He attained intellectual
superstardom with his publication "The Name of the Rose",
In the interview Eco shares his idea of empty spaces in our lives just as
they exist in an atom, which he calls Interstices. He says that he makes use
of these empty spaces to work.
Eco's essays were scholarly and narrative. He likes to be identified more as
auniversity professor who writes novels.
. Eco's The Name of the Rose", a serious novel, which delves into
metaphysics, theology and medieval history, enjoyed a mass audience. It
 dealt with medieval past. He feels that the novel wouldn't have been so
received had it been written ten years earlier or later. WE

Page No: 69 Think As you Read

1. What are some of the
Answer: positive views on
in the 130years of its interviews?
Interview,
of journalism. It is a useful existence, has become an inherent part
to be an art, serving as a means of
communication that is, at times, considered
world we get to know "our source of truth. Denis Brian has stated that in today's
2. Why do
contemporaries" through their interviews.
most
Answer: Celebritycelebrity
writers
writers despise being interviewed?
believe
lives. They regard themselves as that interviews unduly interfere in their private
victims
interview some way diminishes' them, just like
in of interviews. They claim that the
that a portrait of a person some
takes away his soul. Certain ancient cultures believed
have claimed that interviews leave them wounded, celebrities like V.S Naipaul
Kipling have referred to it as a crime and an while others like Rudyard
immoral act.
3. What is the belief in some
Answer: Some primitive culturesprimitive cuitures about being photographed?
believed that photographing a person is no less
than stealing his/her soul out of the body and
slighted. rendering him incomplete and
4. What do you understand by the
windpipe"? expression "thumbprints on his
Answer: The expression means having been strangulated. The
assault on a person as it makes interview is an
him/her so tense that he/she feels as good as
being choked.
5. Who, in today's world, is our chief source of information about
personalities?
Answer: In modern times, the chief source of information on personalities is the
interviewer who, through his power and influence, gathers information and
provides us with the best possible information on the interviewees. He extracts
everything significant through his questions for us.

Page No: 73 Understanding the Text

1. Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for
your opinion.
Answer: Yes,Umberto Eco, in allpossibilities, likes being interviewed. He felt
just at ease with the interviewer and answered all the questions fully and
without showing any hurry. He stated his achievement in a very modest mannerpatiently
and explained his philosophical views and interest clearly. He let the interviewer
enter the secret about his craft with a loud laugh. Also, he elaborated his
approach which was unique. He was mannerly, warm and properly responsiVe as
well.

2. How does Eco find the time to write so much?

Answer: There are two factors that explain how Eco was able to write so much.
In his own words, the life of every person has exply spaces- periods with no
important jobs. He says that he did most of his writing during these free intervals.
Second, he explains that people wonderedthat he (Eco) had written so much on
various subjects. But the fact is that he was writing on the same lines and same
interests-peace, non-violence, etc. All his works were linked with the thread of
a short period of
Common interests. It saves his time and he could write a lot in
time. That was the secret behind Eco's prolific pen.
3. What was distinctive about Eco's academic writing style?
distinctive. It has a certain
Answer: Umberto Eco's academic writing style is quite
departure from a regular
playfuland personal quality about it. It is a marked and boring.
academicstyle, which isusually depersonalized and often dry
himself a novelist first or an aademic
4. Did Umberto Eco consider
scholar?
Answer: Umberto Eco consideredhimself an academic scholar first and a
novelist later. He makes his preference clear by saying, "Iconsider myself a
Sundays". On week days he attends
university professor who writes novels on non-fictional work.
academic conferences and does other scholarly,
of the novel, The Name of the
5. What is the reason for the huge success
Rose?
noveL It is quite serious
Answer: The Name of the Rose' is different sort of metaphysics
probes into
noveL It is a detective story at one levelL But it also success of the book,
theology and medieval history. The reasons for the
however, remain a mystery.
Talking about the Text
Discuss in pairs or small groups.
2. The medium youlike best for an interview, print, radio, or television.
Answer: The medium Ilike best for an interview isthe television. It has both
audio and visual efect. It presents the interviewer and interviewee before the
audience in their true colours. Usually celebrities accuse the reporters of
misquoting them or misreporting them in the print media or the radio. This is not
possible when they are face-to-face on the television. Their lip movement and
 replying to probing questions are there for all to see, The
body movement while of the interviewee and
coming on the face
recording of various expressions additional advantages that television holds
his/her gestures and words are the print media has dul, dry words alongside a
over the print media or the radio.to The atmosphere by skilful variation of the
picture whereas the radio tries create the readerlaudience.
sound. Both expect a lot of attention from the
has a right to his or her privacy. Interviewers
3.Every famous personcelebrities
sometimes embarrass with very personal questions.
about the
Answer:Interviewers want to present excusive and intimate details public life
famous person they are interviewing. Some interviewers focus oninthe approach
and achievements of the individual only. They try to be objective their
their
as well as assessment. However, there are others who want to make
interviews more spicy and usually cross the thin limit of privacy of the individual.
In their zeal to present good copy they embrass the famous person with the
personal questions. Sometimes impact of such questions on famous person
reveals his/her aversion as well as iritation at the silliness of the person. If they
shout, they are accused of being rude and proud and if they keep mum thy are
labeled as arrogant. In my opinion privacy of an individual must be respected.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?

Ans. Most celebrity writers despise being interviewed as they consider it as
an undesirable intrusion into their personal lives. Some viewed it an
immoral and offensive activity.Some others feel it would 'diminish' them.
2. How is Umberto Eco's non-fictional writing style different from
academic writing style?
Ans. Umberto Eco's non-fictional writing style has a certain playful,
narrative and personal quality about itwhereas his academic writing is
depersonalized and often dry and boring.
LONG ANSWER QUESTION

1. "Interviews an unwarranted intrusion in the lives of others". Elucidate

with reference to The Interview.
Ans. Value points:
Interviews are common feature in Journalism -Most celebrities consider
them as an unnecessary intrusion in their lives - "a horror of the interview",
"an ordeal", "thumbprints on windpipe"- interview is a supremely
serviceable medium of communication- the most vivid impression of our
contemporaries -the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power
and influence.