CHAPTER 7 (FLAMINGO) THE INTERVIEW

About the author:

Christopher Silvester was born in 1959 and educated at Lancing College, Sussex, and
Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he read history. He has written for several newspapers and
magazines, including the Evening Standard, the Guardian, the Observer, the Independent on
Sunday and Vanity Fair. He is also the editor of the Penguin Book of Interviews: An Anthology
(published poems and pieces of writings) in 1859.
Summary:
The lesson begins with the introduction to interview as a commonplace of journalism since its
invention, which was a little over 130 years ago. According to the author, it is not very
surprising that people have very distinct opinions about the usage of interview. Some think of
it in its highest form whereas some people can’t stand being interviewed. An interview leaves
a lasting impression and according to an old saying, when perceptions are made about a
certain person, the original identity of his soul gets stolen. Famous celebrities, writers and
artists have been heard criticizing interviews. Rudyard Kipling’s wife wrote in her diary how
their day in Boston was ruined by two reporters. Kipling considers interviewing an assault, a
crime that should attract punishment. He believes that a respectable man would never ask or
give an interview. There is an excerpt from the interview between Mukund (from The Hindu
newspaper) and Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy who had
already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics (the study of
signs), literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics before he turned to writing fiction. The
interview revolves around the success of his novel, The Name of the Rose whose more than
ten million copies were sold in the market. The interviewer begins by asking him how
Umberto manages to do so many different things to which he replies by saying that he is
doing the same thing. He further justifies and mentions that his books about children, talk
about peace and non-violence which in the end, reflect his interest in philosophy. Umberto
identifies himself as an academic scholar who attends academic conferences during the week
and writes novels on Sundays. It doesn’t bother him that he is identified by others as a
novelist and not a scholar, because he knows that it is difficult to reach millions of people
with scholarly work. He believes there are empty spaces in one’s life, just like there are
empty spaces in atoms and the Universe. He calls them interstices and most of his productive
work is done during that time. Talking about his novel, The Name of the Rose, he mentions
that it is not an easy-read. It has a detective aspect to it along with metaphysics, theology and
medieval history. Also, he believes that had the novel been written ten years earlier or later,
it would have not seen such a huge success. Thus, the reason for its success still remains a
mystery.
Understanding the text (Pg 73)

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

Ans.  Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu interviewed Umberto Eco. During the

interview, Umberto does not show any irritation or despises any questions. He freely
answers the queries like V.S. Naipaul and he does not consider it as an unwarranted
intrusion into one’s life. He is quite modest and considerate while giving every answer.
When Mukund asks him how he can do all the things, Eco answers that he is always
doing the same thing though to some it may look like he is doing many things. Like
Rudyard Kipling, Eco does not think the act of interviewing as immoral, criminal or an
assault to an individual.  He cooperates with Mukund and shows interest in all the
questions put to him. H.G.Wells feels that interviewing is a sort of an ordeal but Eco is
happy with it and he also expresses his ‘philosophical interests’ to Mukund. He tells the
secret of his work which is his ability to work in empty spaces. He Is humble about the
utmost success of his novel, 'The  Name of the Rose’ and he even tells about the sale
and other facts put to him by Padmanabhan. Thus Umberto Eco does not present any
sort of dislike at being interviewed.

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

Ans.  According to Eco, there are two factors that explain how he was able to write so much. 
He says that the life of every person has exactly spaces that are periods with no
important jobs. He does most of his writing during these free intervals and so is able to
put to use these free periods. Secondly, he says that people wonder what he (Eco) had
written so much on various subjects whereas the fact was that he was writing on the
same lines and same interests-peace, non-violence etc. All his works were linked with
the thread of common interests and this thread saves his time and he is able to write a
lot in a short period of time. That was the secret behind Eco’s prolific pen which made
him achieve much in a short period of time.

3.  What was distinctive about Eco's academic writing style?

Ans.  Eco's writing style is uniquely academic and is narrative in nature. His writing reflects
his personal feelings and this makes It very interesting. It is much different from the
regular academic style of writing which is thought to be dull, boring and
depersonalised. This is why Eco’s books are loved both by adults and children.

4.  Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Ans.  Umberto Eco is a writer whose narrative is creative and appealing both to adults as well
as children. He considers himself an academic scholar first and then a novelist.  He
participates in academic conferences and not meetings of writers and pen clubs. He
considers himself as a university professor who writes novels on Sundays.

5.  What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose in the lesson
The Interview?

Ans.  The novel 'The Name of the Rose' success is a mystery as the novel has a very serious
theme. It's a detective story at one level and on the other hand, it delves into theology,
metaphysics, and medieval history too. Publishers feel that people like trash but the
fact is that people like serious matter and also Eco's skill at narrating stories like the
Chinese, added to the success of the novel. Eco also feels that the time of its publication
was right and had the novel been published ten years earlier or later it might not have
enjoyed the same success.

MORE QUESTIONS FOR REFERENCE

(NOT FOR WRITING)

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

Question 1.
Other than celebrities, what do some people think about an interview?
Answer:
Other than celebrities, mostly common people think that an interview is the only and best
source of truth. According to them, it is an art.

Question 2.
In which way do the celebrities view an interview?
Answer:
Celebrities find themselves as victims, they view an interview as an unwarranted intrusion
into their lives which somehow diminishes them.

Question 3.
What did ‘Caroline’, the wife of ‘Rudyard Kipling’ write in her diary?
Answer: Caroline wrote that two reporters from Boston destroyed their whole day on 14
October, 1892.

Question 4.
Who described interview like thumbprints on his windpipe and why?
Answer:
‘Saul Bellow’ once described interviews as being like thumbprints on his windpipe because he
got exhausted by the interviews.

Question 5.
How Umberto Eco managed to write too much in his life?
Answer:
Umberto Eco started to utilize interstices: the empty space which according to him is enough
with everyone.

Question 6.
How can we say that Umberto Eco had a wide range of writing?
Answer:
Umberto Eco was an expertise in semiotics and other than this he started to write fiction,
literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children’s books, newspaper articles etc. So, his
versatility in writings can be easily understood.

Question 7.
What made ‘The Name of the Rose’ a hugely successful novel?
Answer:
According to Umberto Eco, the most possible reason about the success of the novel was a
time’s mystery and actually nobody could predict the exact reason of it.

Question 8.
What is Umberto Eco’s theory of interstices?
Answer:
Umberto Eco says about the elimination of empty spaces from the universe, from all the
atoms and then the universe would become as big as his fist.

Question 9.
How many copies of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ were sold?
Answer:
More than 10 million copies of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ were sold.

Question 10.
How and when did Umberto Eco start to write novels?
Answer:
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.

Question 11.
Umberto Eco does many things, but says, “I am always doing the same thing but that is more
difficult to explain”. What does he mean to say?
Answer:
Umberto Eco says that he has philosophical interests which reflect in all his writings: fiction
and non-fiction. In this way, he does the same thing, though he seems to pursue various
activities: writing notes for newspapers, novels, teaching, writing essays, children’s books etc.

Question 12.
Despite the drawbacks, the interview is a ‘supremely serviceable medium of communication’.
Explain.
Answer:
Despite its drawbacks, the interview has its own advantages. Though, interview is an
intrusion into the personal life of the interviewee, it is always a supremely serviceable
medium of communication. Through the interviews only, we get vivid impressions of our
contemporary celebrities. We get a glance of their way of working.

Question 13.
What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Answer:
Interview is considered as a reliable source of truth. Contemporaries and their success can be
read through the interviews. Now a days an interview is considered to be a very important
part of journalism.

Question 14.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Answers:
Most celebrity writers despise being interviewed because they have faced the fright of
interview. Among them, interview is regarded as an unwarranted entrance into their privacy.

Question 15.
What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Answer:
Some primitive cultures believe that a person’s soul is stolen if he or she is photographed.

Question 16.
What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his windpipe”?
Answer:
“Thumbprints on his windpipe” expresses the blockage to any person’s freedom and privacy.
It can be considered as a sense of suffocation felt by the interviews.

Question 17.
What in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Answer:
In today’s world, our chief source of information about personalities is an interview.

Question 18.
Do you think Umberto Eco like, being Interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Answer:
Umberto Eco surely likes being interviewed as a part of his interview is presented in this
chapter. He answers every question asked by Mukund and never frustrates and criticizes the
interview like many other celebrity writers.

Question 19.
How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Answer:
Umberto Eco uses each and every moment of time. Even he is capable to utilize the little
space between different acts. So, he calls it as usage of interstices; the management of time.

Question 20.
What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer:
Eco’s academic writing style can be called a narrative which is personalized and interesting.
Eco’s writing style is not dull and boring; different from others.

Question 21.
Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer:
Umberto Eco firstly considered himself as an academic scholar because he was a professor
and wrote many academic texts while he wrote his first novel at the age of 50 accidently.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Give a character sketch of Umberto Eco on the basis of the chapter ‘The Interview’.
Answer:
Umberto Eco, a university professor at the university of Bologna in Italy, is an academician
and a famous novelist. He, through various interview discloses his secret of success in life and
never hates the interviewers. He has his taste in various fields of writings as academic texts,
fiction and non-fiction, literary fiction, essays, children’s books, newspaper articles etc.

He always wanted to be called as an academician not a novelist. He used to participate in

academic conferences, on the other hand, he avoided the meetings of writers and Pen Club
Members. He has written forty scholarly works and novels only five. He used to denote time
for writing novels on only ‘Sundays’. He discovered a magical trick of working in interstices.

He used to use even the seconds of his time. He captured the empty spaces for writing notes
or any content. He had an expertise in ‘Semiotics’: the study of signs. He never became a
slave of pride as he openly admitted that his novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ got success
accidently and the time was in his favor. He didn’t have any attitude of the celebrity though
his novel was bought by more than the 10 million of the readers.

Question 2.
‘Mukund Padmanabhan’ was a reporter from ‘The Hindu’. In the context of the chapter, re-
veal his traits as an interviewer.
Answer:
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 conduct an interview of a celebrity. He never asked 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 information about celebrities but
they learnt several other aspects of Mukund’s personality. He asked brief and quality
questions to his interviewees scrupulously. He let the interviewees speak in their own
manner and he never tried to interrupt or cross-question them.

His interviewees used to be free and frank with him. He was prepared well for his interviews.
Thus we can say that Mukund Padmanabhan was a disciplined and dedicated interviewer.

Question 3.
Several celebrities despise being interviewed. Is this justified? Why? Why not?
Answer:
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 were not 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 masses 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 successful interviews. Generally, the masses get to
know more about their favorite personality thus resulting in increase of fame of these
personalities. Celebrities are even worshipped. In this regard, it can be said that an interview
cannot be termed as an immoral activity.