2

The Fringe Benefits

Prose:
of Failure, and the
Importance of Imagination
JK Rowling

Pre-reading Activity
to you?
you define success?And what is failure
How would
failurein life?
Haveyou ever experienced or attempting something?
the fear of failure stop you from doing
Does
a bad thing?
Do you think failure is always
we learn from our failures?
Whatlife lessons can from 'sympathy'?
what 'empathy' means and how it is different from
• Do you know sets them apart
that human beings have that
Whatdo you think is the capacity
other creatures? think we have some
only about ourselves or do you
should worry
• Do you think we those who are less fortunate
than us?
others, particularly
responsibilitytowards

About the Author

a British novelist, screenwriber
1965), best known as JK Rowlin8, 1S
Joanne Rowling (born series Harry Potter
She isthe author of the best-seIing tantasy
and film producer. story. She cama
seven books. Rowling's lite is a classic rags-to-riches
Comprising before she becanme an international
and lived on welfare
humble economic background
Sensation in 1999 with her
first book Harry Porter aa the Sorcerer's Stone. Six othor

millions of copies and were turned into

of
blockbuster
followed and they sold hundreds with an estimated
the richest women, wealth of £600 million.
films, and today, she isone of

71
 remember
things list
do
to
tfek.lst/:
al

of

you
checklist
must
activity particular
realised,
alive, still
daughter still
adored,
/
/'ri:.n/: been
had

was
and

area
fear

arena
had
and

of
whom

a
succeed
and
truly believed arena
I

a
I
I
free, belonged.
I
I
greatest because
I
the

one
in
to

was
succeeded really
my
else, anything
found never might
determination
Glossary
Had
me.

at

the
began whatI
set have
energy direct
I
finishing
I
mattered
and

my
to
was,

better.
all

into
imagine
that
work
only
pretending stopped inessential.
power anything myself
other
already:
ourselves
to
inside
the

power
of
away

carry
the
to than
to
world,
was
the that

we
I

have
change nagic failure? benefits about
I
stripping meant failure because Simply
need
the
all

we
change.
the

we
helped
the
talk
why

reality
to
of
do
So

whose
people
millions
I

not
thousands
do

need
one... dark
We
have
existence,
you
celebrate
families
proud
and
a was

ddvantages, stand going

but
failure
period
your
who
will

be

your
not
am

only
those lives
you
tell
and
to

then
yourself
Now,

it
imagine ability
my
of
is
that
here
retain
I

lite
That
fun.
standard, usual every
biggest
not
who
knew. failure
do

your
have
into

of
the
powerless;
you

of not to
the
powerful,
the

identify choose
voice;
parents
I

myself,
I
pass, both
but

with
the
to

with
only
not
if
no

you
have
those behalf voice
had
for
had
had
and
was me,
for
had

raise influence status

and
your choose
to
that

possible
come
being without Britain, modern
I

the of
fears homeless.,
who
to
to

and

on
use
you

your
had is
it
as
my as

It
The
in
be
to
poor

short-lived exceptionally
responsibilities.. unique imploded, marriage
Status, parent, jobless,
and
had

unique
was

lone
received, earned
education work, capacity graduation after years seven measure,
scale.
a
failed
you
and
you
hard
for

give
had
my
a

have
by thatand An
an

your
and day,
intelligence,
epic
lives? people's other touch likely criteria
II
conventional fair thínk
to
So
mere set

are
much
how
But
any
say
it
it.
let
you

to
if
of
to

on by

Your
...
the you,
more
a

ourselves decide
I
existing. simply eager quite world failure, constitutes what
lives people's other
touch
for
give all

but
to
we

by
is
you have

we
..Ultimately, failure. poverty, myself feared
world, outside connection inescapable part, expresses, Iives.
that the but
not
was
age
for

at

the
with
our
your
most
What

in

the
I

fact
It
failure. benefits about talk decided have
statement astonishing
every times thousand proven
of
to
to

the
you

of
yet
and

that our
day
an
is
I

a
That
success, academic your celebrate together gathered when wonderful this
reality.
outer change inwardly achieve Plutarch: author
to
On

are
we
day

will
we
What
written learned... things
Greek this,
the
One

was
age
the
of

the
of
at
many

...
18,
(Extract)
by
I
vicissitudes.
its
humility control, total anyone's beyond
survive enable
know
the
and

to
to

you
will
that
people Rowling
confuse older
difficult,
complicated,
JK

of

the
my

who
and
age

and
Life

and
achievement.
qualifications,
though life,
Importance Failure, Benefits Fringe
Imagination
will
you
two. not
are
CV,

many
your
Your
happiness Personal
meet
isyour
knowing
the
and
The

acquisition checklist
of

of

...

in

of
life
that
lies

not

or
is
qualification
a
Iever
lo
earned.
imagination
better create others feel
everyone. world
any
one
can

and
pain
the

knowledge
for
of

painfully gift, position privileged

worth emphasises needy. serve
a

through
all
tor
is

been
has
and
is
it
a
to

true
use

than
to

that
them

strength
She
the

won,
relationships,
more
that

tested until
their

adversity.
advises terms. their failure
exhorts failre, afraid them
the

of
or
on

your
to
She
own
and

by
have
both
after,
only and
be
not

Such
ability secure
of

never survive. pursue students graduating

yourselt, truly encourages Rowling success,
success redefine
vou

it been will
You
the

in
ever
are,
to

know
them

to
to

your
knowledge
emerged speech. insightful delivers
means setbacks stronger wiser given routinespeech Instead
motivating occasions
you
The

from
and
an

such

have
that
ofa

Recalling
thàt
ceremony graduation
Rowling experiences, drawing
rubies. price above truly value whose friends
own
her

and

the
was
on

on her

of
life

bad
Imagination Importance Failure Benefits Fringe Livs: title
(2015).
suspected; discipline will, strong
found
of
of

the
The
Ver

and
had
bat
Good

out
also
had
University Harvard
than
more
published later speech 2008.
that
a
taught Eailure
discovered other learned could myself about things
I

I
I
and was
The

with
book
June

me
as

Rowling delivered speech graduation extract selection current

way.
have
a
5,

Failure
examinations. passing attained never security
I
the
from

the at
by
an
onis
The

had

no by
an
me
gave

that that
iner

II
default.
case, which
all-in Speech
lived
have
l

you
impossible
fail
might

unless
I e,
the

not

at
well
cautiously
as
something,
failing
without
About

by you

so
live

you
that
at
failure
inevitable. some
live
did,
scale never
in
You

charities.
but

is
life
I
on
fortune
the

is
to might

fail

It
to

rebuilt proportion large

donating
celebrities, benevolent
life. Britain's
on

which
of

her

became
bottom
my
of

solid
a
She

I
most

foundation idea.
one
also
is

typewriter
the
Ihad

rock
And
big

so
an

and
old

a
Sudents College
Tertbook
Action:
English
Imagination
for

Importance
A
in

Failure,
Benefits
Fringe
Prose:
72

of
the
and

73
of
The
 essays.
speeches
distinguish features
ldentify
too"), issue
from
the
equality "Gender Watson's
speech Benefits..."
Fringe
Emma

is
was
that(as
was
your"The

a
Activity
Post-reading
privileges? enjoy people
message Rowling's
who
final

to
What

others. about
is

knowledge self-knowledge
failure
Explain
how

and
to
can

lead
learnt failure
faced Rowling
Describe
from
she

it.
how

and

what
benefits?
failure Rowling, according
What,
its
are
and
is
to

what
graduation. after Rowling's
Describe
life
5.4.3.2. 1.

Comprehension
Il

world?
change need what Rowling,
According
to
do

the
we
10.

to

world? outside
responsible people educated
the
to
are
why
and

reality"? outer change

inwardly achieve "what
Rowling
will
mean

we
by
does
How What

happiness?
personal define
Rowling, According
how

we
to

failure? gift" the"true

Rowling, according What,
of
do is
to

Rowling? teach
failure
did
What

succeeded? found have would Rowling, According

she
had
not
she
to

what

failure? respond Rowling

did

to

failure? describe Rowling

her
How How

graduation? after Rowling's

does was

like
life
What
9.8.7.6. 5.4. 3.2. 1.

Comprehension
I

change unforeseen SIS.I.tfu:dz/: vicissitudes/vT

fortunes life one's
or
in

virtue ethics essays known philosopher, Greek Plutarch:

on

and
his
for
best
a

certain unavoidable; nev.i.t.b/: inevitable

happen
to

necessary absolutely
in.t'sen.y: inessential/
not

implodefn'pud
violently inward collapse crash
to

or

modesty humbleness; humility/fhju:

ml

ti:

fringe
occasion? ben..ft/: frindz benefit/
appropriate Debate. addition extra something
speech
subject
think for

the

was
in
get
you

to

"success".
pay

exceptionallyAk'sepfn
her
your

unusually,
which celebrate normal greater
of
ceremony
oasion
you
graduation
Do
failure"
15
benefits
l/:

a
to
that than

about
spoke
you. scale large
the at
Dowling extremely scale: ep.ik/ epic/
taught
of

a
have
the
they
what
failures
Successes
life. your
and
about decided judged
alite
and
example
own
proverb. with
from

your
or
be

well-knowT explain
ti.ri.a: criteria/krat
an
means, something which standards principles eriterion; plural
orphan"
it

n
and
failure
out

Find
while
is
by
of

what
may

it
or

a
"Success
fathers,
is
an
many
has
ha:

Imagination
College Textbook Action: English
Importance Students
75
of
Failure,
in

for
A

the
Benefits
and
Fringe
of
Drose:
The