Ch 7: “My Financial Career” : Book 2

  

Ch # 7     “My Financial Career”

                                                                             (Stephen Leacock)

About the Author:

Stephen Leacock (1869- 1944) is known for his humor and critic of our follies. He describes his experience of opening a bank account and soon closing it. This is like putting one’s gold in a locker and soon taking it out and putting it in one’s pocket.

Textbook Exercise:

Q1. What light do the following expressions throw on Leacock’s state (condition) of mind when he entered the bank: “looked timidly (fearfully) around,” “shambled in (walked slowly without confidence)”?

Leacock looked timidly around because this was his first encounter with a bank. He did not know about what he had to do, where to go and how to approach the right people. He had never been to a bank before. He walked slowly in because he did not know how he might be treated inside.

Q2. Why did the manager come to think that Leacock had an awful (unpleasant) secret to reveal (tell)?

Leacock entered the bank in a very strange and confuse manner. Then he said that he wanted to see the manager “alone.” He was himself in doubt. “I don’t know why. I said “alone”. The manager perhaps began to perceive that Leacock had some secret about which he wanted to tell him.

Q3. What was the attitude of the manager towards Leacock on learning that he wished to deposit only 56 dollars in the bank?

The manager thought earlier that, Stephen Leacock, wanted to open a very large account. But he was surprised and unhappy at the writer’s approach for a very ordinary account of 56 dollars. He got relaxed, change his mood and got up. The strange and secret manner of the writer for this much account looked foolish to him.

Q4. What other blunders did Leacock commit after leaving the manager’s office?

According to the author, he simply walked into the bank’ safe. The manager asked him to come out and walk the other way. He deposited his 56 dollars. Soon he wanted to draw 6 dollars but drew out all his money. He decided never to deposit his money in a bank again.

Q5. Give as many examples as you can to show that Leacock was feeling completely lost in the bank all the time he was there.

The writer, Stephen Leacock, walked into the bank in a strange manner. He told the manager that he wanted to see the manager alone behaving like a secret agent. He walked into the safe where visitors were not allowed. Lastly, he threw the money on the accountant like a ball and wrote down fifty-six instead of six on the cheque. The writer was all along quite upset or nervous.  

 

Write Down the meanings and 2 synonyms for each word given below:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms
Rattled
Wicket
Shambled
Timidly
Sepulchral
Crumpled
Poked
Reckless
Threshold
Solemnly
Mysterious
Conjuring
Convulsive
Echo
Ghastly