Short Story
5. An Interview (Richard Gordon)
3. Answer ANY Two of the following question in about 100 words each [2×4=8]
1) The narrator thought that his interview was superfluous. Why?
2) “The Dean began to look interested.” What was he interested in? Why?
3) Why do you think the old man visited the waiting room?
4) “His face suddenly lightened……….” Do you think the Dean was really happy with the narrator? Why?
The Short Story “An interview” is written by Richard Gordon. He was an English surgeon and anesthetic. He wrote numerous novels and screenplays for films and television mostly dealing with medicine.
The narrator came to attend an interview with Dr. Lionel Loftus, The dean of St Swithin’s Medical school. He sits nervously in the waiting room, pre-creating his interview with the dean. Then, a very old man meets the narrator in the waiting room. He says he is the secretary of that school. He examines the narrator critically. He asks a few questions about the narrator’s ability to pay the fees.
Then the dean interviews the narrator, but he didn’t ask any medical questions. The Dean asked him about his interest in football. The narrator replied that he plays Rugby. Then the dean asks the narrator about his position in the Rugby football game. The narrator says he plays wings three quarter. Players in that position are in good demand in that school. That seems to be the only reason for the Dean being happy with the narrator.
The narrator got admitted into St Swith’s. Later, he got to know that all that was unnecessary. The dean generally admits students whom the secretary approved of and rejected those whose looks the secretary didn’t like. So, he thinks the interview is superfluous.
The story discusses the narrator’s experience of facing an interview. It exposes the flaws in admission interviews.
” A lot of times the interview relies not so much on the interviewee, but on the interviewer.”
(OR)
The short story “An interview” is written by Richard Gordon. He was an English surgeon and anesthetic. He wrote numerous novels and screenplays for films and television mostly dealing with medicine.
The narrator came to attend an interview with Dr. Lionel Loftus, The dean of St Swithin’s Medical school. The secretary of the medical school scanned him carefully and asked a few question about himself. The dean didn’t ask any medical questions but asked only about his rugby experience.
The narrator got admitted into St Swithin’s Medical school. Later he got to know that all that was unnecessary. The dean generally admitted students whom the secretary accept and rejected those whose looks the secretary didn’t like. So he thinks this interview is superfluous.