The Interview Class 12 animation in English

Summary

The video script features an interview with Umberto Eco, discussing his dual career as a scholar in semiotics and a novelist. Eco shares his views on the interview process, his writing approach, and the unexpected popularity of his novel 'The Name of the Rose,' which blended medieval history with a detective story. He reflects on the misconception that the public only enjoys easy reading, asserting that many seek challenging experiences, and ponders the unpredictable nature of his book's success.

Takeaways

• 📚 The interview has become a staple of journalism since its invention around 130 years ago.
• 👥 Opinions on interviews vary widely, with some seeing them as a source of truth and others as an intrusion.
• 📸 Some celebrities, like Lewis Carroll, detest interviews, comparing the feeling to having their soul stolen by a photograph.
• 🗣️ Rudyard Kipling viewed interviews as immoral and criminal, despite himself conducting them.
• 😅 H.G. Wells referred to interviews as an 'ordeal', indicating their often unpleasant nature.
• 🎭 Sol Bellow felt suffocated by interviews, likening them to thumbprints on his windpipe.
• 💡 Umberto Eco sees interviews as a powerful medium of communication, reaching a broad audience.
• 📈 Eco's writing style in his scholarly work is playful and personal, diverging from the dry academic norm.
• 📈 He believes in storytelling in academic writing, which he started doing from his first doctoral dissertation.
• 📚 Despite being a prolific academic, Eco is more widely recognized as a novelist.
• 🏰 The success of 'The Name of the Rose' might be attributed to its blend of detective story and deep dives into metaphysics, theology, and medieval history.

Q & A

What is the general attitude of celebrities towards interviews, as described in the transcript?

Celebrities have varying opinions about interviews. Some view them as a source of truth or an art, while others, especially those who see themselves as victims, dislike interviews, feeling they are an intrusion into their private lives and diminish their individuality.

How did Lewis Carroll, the creator of 'Alice in Wonderland,' feel about interviews?

Lewis Carroll had a strong aversion to interviews, described as a 'horror' of being lionized. He avoided public attention, rejected interview requests, and found amusement in maintaining his privacy.

What was Rudyard Kipling's view on interviews?

Rudyard Kipling considered interviews to be immoral and a form of assault. He believed they were cowardly and undeserving of respect, comparing them to crimes against a person. Despite his stance, Kipling himself once interviewed Mark Twain, which is seen as ironic.

How did H.G. Wells perceive interviews, and what is ironic about his view?

H.G. Wells referred to interviews as an 'ordeal' and found them unpleasant. However, he was often interviewed himself and even conducted high-profile interviews, such as one with Joseph Stalin, making his negative view somewhat ironic.

How did Saul Bellow describe the experience of being interviewed?

Saul Bellow compared interviews to having 'thumbprints on his windpipe,' implying that he felt suffocated and restricted by the process of being interviewed.

What does Dennis Bryan suggest about the role of interviews in modern society?

Dennis Bryan states that interviews are a crucial medium of communication in contemporary society, offering one of the clearest ways to learn about contemporaries. Interviews hold unprecedented power and influence because so much information is conveyed through one person asking questions of another.

How does Umberto Eco manage to accomplish so many things in his career?

Umberto Eco believes he is always doing the same thing, despite appearing to engage in many different activities. He credits his productivity to working in what he calls 'interstices,' or the empty spaces in life, like waiting for an elevator, during which he can write articles and accomplish small tasks.

Why does Umberto Eco believe his scholarly work has a playful and personal quality?

Eco explains that he began writing his scholarly works with a narrative approach, telling the story of his research, including his trials and errors. This narrative style sets his work apart from traditional, dry academic writing, which likely contributed to his ability to write engaging novels.

How did Umberto Eco transition from being an academic to writing novels, and at what age did he start?

Umberto Eco began writing novels at the age of 50, largely by accident. He never felt frustrated by only being an essayist like his friend Roland Barthes, but one day, having nothing else to do, he started writing novels, which fulfilled his narrative storytelling desires.

Why does Eco think 'The Name of the Rose' became a mass success despite its challenging themes?

Eco believes the success of 'The Name of the Rose' is a mystery. While it deals with complex topics like medieval history, metaphysics, and theology, he suggests that readers don’t always want easy reading. He notes that the novel reached a specific audience who were seeking more challenging experiences, though he admits timing also played a role.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Evolving Perception of Interviews

The paragraph delves into the history and impact of interviews in journalism, highlighting how opinions on interviews have varied significantly over time. It mentions that despite the invention of the interview format being relatively recent, it has become a staple in journalism. The narrative explores different perspectives, from those who view interviews as a noble pursuit of truth and an art form to those who see them as intrusive and demeaning. The paragraph also touches on the personal experiences of famous figures like Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Kipling, who had strong negative reactions to being interviewed. It discusses the idea that interviews can be both powerful and invasive, with some interviewees feeling as though they lose a part of themselves during the process.

05:02

🎓 Umberto Eco: Scholar and Novelist

This paragraph focuses on Umberto Eco, a renowned scholar at the University of Bologna, known for his work in semiotics, literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics. It discusses his transition from academic writing to fiction, resulting in the highly successful novel 'The Name of the Rose,' which sold over 10 million copies. The summary explores Eco's unique approach to writing, which combines scholarly rigor with a narrative style that is both playful and personal. The paragraph also touches on his views on the interplay between his academic work and his fiction, and how he sees himself primarily as a scholar who writes novels.

10:04

📈 The Mass Appeal of 'The Name of the Rose'

The final paragraph discusses the unexpected mass appeal of Umberto Eco's novel 'The Name of the Rose,' which, despite its complex themes of metaphysics, theology, and medieval history, reached a wide audience. Eco reflects on the success of the book, suggesting that it may be due to the public's interest in medieval history, but also acknowledges the unpredictable nature of what makes a book successful. He shares anecdotes about publishers' expectations and the actual sales figures, emphasizing the mystery and variability of what resonates with readers.

Keywords

💡interview

An interview is a conversation where questions are asked about someone's opinions or experiences. In the context of the video, interviews are portrayed as both a journalistic tool and an art form, with varying opinions on their impact and value. Celebrities and public figures often have complex relationships with interviews, as they can be seen as a means of sharing truth or an intrusion into privacy.

💡medieval history

Medieval history refers to the period of history that spans from the 5th to the 15th century, often characterized by feudalism and chivalry. The script mentions that the success of Umberto Eco's novel, 'The Name of the Rose,' might be related to its engagement with medieval history, suggesting that there is a broad interest in this historical period among readers.

💡semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Umberto Eco, featured in the script, is known for his scholarly work in semiotics. The term is relevant to the video's theme as it reflects Eco's academic background and his approach to writing, which often involves the analysis of signs and their meanings.

💡narrative

A narrative is a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious. The script discusses how Umberto Eco's academic writing has a narrative aspect, which is unusual in scholarly work that tends to be more formal and impersonal. This narrative style is part of what makes his work accessible and engaging to a broad audience.

💡Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco is an Italian philosopher, semiotician, and novelist. He is mentioned extensively in the script as an example of an academic who also gained fame as a novelist. His dual identity as a scholar and a fiction writer is central to the discussion in the video, illustrating the intersection of academia and popular culture.

💡The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose is a novel by Umberto Eco that became extremely popular, selling over 10 million copies. The script discusses the novel's success and its broad appeal, despite its complex themes that include metaphysics, theology, and medieval history. It serves as an example of how high-brow literature can achieve mass market success.

💡academic style

Academic style refers to the formal and often impersonal manner in which scholarly work is written. The script contrasts Umberto Eco's work with the typical academic style, noting that his writing is more narrative and personal, which makes it more accessible to readers and contributes to his popularity.

💡lionized

To be lionized means to be made important or to be treated as a celebrity. The script mentions that Lewis Carroll had a horror of being lionized, indicating his dislike of publicity and fame. This term is used to illustrate the varying attitudes of public figures towards the attention that comes with interviews and fame.

💡interviewee

An interviewee is a person who is being interviewed. The script discusses the experiences of various interviewees, such as Sol Bellow, who felt suffocated by interviews, suggesting that while interviews can be a means of communication, they can also be invasive and uncomfortable for the subjects.

💡contemporaries

Contemporaries are people living at the same time as oneself. The script mentions that interviews provide a way for us to form impressions of our contemporaries, indicating the role of interviews in shaping public perception and understanding of notable figures in society.

💡interviewing ordeal

The term 'interviewing ordeal' is used by H.G. Wells in the script to describe the process of being interviewed as an unpleasant experience. This phrase captures the sentiment of some public figures who view interviews as an ordeal, suggesting the stress and discomfort that can be associated with the interview process.

Highlights

The interview has become a common place of Journalism since its invention a little over 130 years ago.

Celebrities have been interviewed over the years, some of them even repeatedly, leading to varied opinions on interviews.

Some believe interviews are a source of Truth and an art, while others see them as an intrusion into their lives.

Lewis Carroll had a horror of interviews and never agreed to be interviewed.

Rudyard Kipling viewed interviews as immoral and a crime, yet he himself interviewed Mark Twain.

H.G Wells referred to interviews as an unpleasant experience but was a frequent interviewee.

Saul Bellow described interviews as being like thumbprints on his windpipe, indicating a feeling of suffocation.

Interviews are considered a supremely serviceable medium of communication.

Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna, is known for his ideas on semiotics, literary interpretation, and medieval Aesthetics.

Eco's novel 'The Name of the Rose' sold more than 10 million copies and made him extremely popular.

David Lodge remarked on Eco's ability to do many things, to which Eco responded that he's always doing the same thing.

Eco believes there are a lot of empty spaces in our lives which he calls 'interstices' where he finds time to work.

Eco's non-fictional writing has a playful and personal quality, departing from the regular academic style.

Eco started writing novels at the age of 50 by accident, to satisfy his taste for narration.

Eco identifies himself as a university professor who writes novels on Sundays.

Despite writing more scholarly works, Eco is known more as a novelist than as an academic of semiotics.

Eco is not bothered by being known as a novelist because he reaches a higher audience with his novels.

The success of 'The Name of the Rose' is considered a mystery, even by Eco himself.

Eco suggests that the success of his book might be related to the period of medieval history it dealt with.

Transcripts

could the huge success of the novel have

anything to do with the fact that it

dealt with a period of medieval history

that that's possible

since its invention a little over 130

years ago the interview has become a

common place of Journalism

Christopher Sylvester

he talks about the opinions of different

celebrities about interview

today almost everybody who is literate

will have read an interview at some

point in their lives and from the other

point of view many thousand celebrities

have been interviewed over the years

some of them even repeatedly so it is

not surprising that opinions of the

interview of its functions methods and

merits changed considerably some might

even make extravagant claims that in its

higher form it is a source of Truth and

in its practice it is an art others

usually celebrities who see themselves

as its victims might hate the interview

as an unwarranted intrusion into their

lives or they feel that it diminishes

them just like in an ancient culture

it's believed that if one takes a

photograph of somebody then one is

stealing his soul these Nepal feels that

some people are wounded by inter views

and lose a part of themselves

Lewis Carroll the creator of Alice in

Wonderland was said to have a just

horror of the interviewer

and he never agreed to be interviewed it

was his horror of being lionized

lionized means made important

which made him repel his acquaintances

interviewers and the persistent

applicants for his autograph

acquaintances are known people he didn't

like publicity in this way rather he

would silence all such people with much

satisfaction and amusement by his

creations

Rudyard Kipling expressed an even more

contemnatory attitude towards the

interviewer condemnatory means and

acceptable his wife Caroline writes in

her diary for the 14th of October 1892

that their day was wrecked by two

reporters from Boston she writes that

her husband said to the reporters why do

I refuse to be interviewed

you ask

because it is immoral

it is a crime

just like a crime as an offense against

a person like an assault

and it deserves a punishment assault

means physical attack it is cowardly and

vile vile means very unpleasant no

respectable man would ask it and give it

though he made such statements yet he

himself made such an assault on Mark

Twain a few years before yes

some years before he himself interviewed

Mark Twain

ironic

H.G Wells in an interview in 1894

referred it as the interviewing ordeal

ordeal means unpleasant experience he

considered the interview as an

unpleasant experience but he himself was

a frequent interviewee

he had interviewed Joseph Stalin

Saul Bello who has agreed to be

interviewed on some occasions had once

described interviews as being like

thumbprints on his windpipe Sol Bello

described interviews as thumbprints on

his windpipe what does this mean

it means he felt suffocated being

interviewed

yet despite the drawbacks of the

interview it is a supremely serviceable

medium of communication Dennis Bryan has

written these days more than any other

time our most clear impressions of our

contemporaries contemporaries are the

people living at the same time are

through interviews almost everything at

moment reaches us

through one man asking questions of

another because of this the interviewer

holds a position of unprecedented power

and influence now you will watch an

extract from an interview of

Umberto week the interviewer is

from the Hindu

Umberto Eco a professor at the

University of Bologna has already

acquired reputation as a scholar for his

ideas on semiotics literary

interpretation and medieval Aesthetics

semiotics is the study of signs signs

not science then he turned to writing

fiction he has written large and

wide-ranging forms ranging from fictions

articles books academic texts he became

extremely popular in 1980 with the

publication of his novel the name of the

Rose which sold more than 10 million

copies the English novelist David Lodge

once remarked I can't understand how one

man can do all the things Eco does how

do you have enough time maybe I seem to

be doing many things but in the end I'm

convinced that I'm always doing the same

thing

and then I have a secret

did you know what will happen if you

eliminate the empty spaces from the

universe eliminate the empty spaces in

all the atoms

the universe will become as big as my

fist

similarly we have a lot of empty spaces

in our lives

I call them interstices

say you are coming over to my place

you are in an elevator and while you're

coming up I'm waiting for you this is an

interstice an empty space I work in

empty spaces while waiting for your

elevator to come up from the first to

the third floor I have already written

an article

not everyone can do that of course your

non-fictional writing your scholarly

work has a certain playful and personal

quality about it it's a marked departure

from a regular academic style which is

the personalized and often dry and

boring have you consciously adopted an

informal approach or is it something

that just came naturally to you when I

presented my first doctoral dissertation

in Italy dissertation is a long essay

for a University degree one of the

professors said Scholars learn a lot

about a certain subject then they make a

lot of false hypothesis then they

correct them and at the end they put the

conclusions you on the contrary told the

story of your research

even including your trials and errors at

the same time he recognized I was right

and he went on to publish my

dissertation as a book which meant he

appreciated me at that point at the age

of 22. I understood scholar books should

be written the way I had done that is by

telling the story of the research this

is why my essays always have a narrative

aspect

and this is why probably I started

writing novels so late at the age of 50

more or less I remember that my dear

friend Roland barths was always

frustrated that he was an essayist and

not a novelist he wanted to do creative

writing one day or another but he died

before he could do so I never felt this

kind of frustration I started writing

novels by accident one day I had nothing

to do and so I started novels probably

satisfy my taste of narration talking

about novels

from being a famous academic you went on

to becoming famous after the publication

of the name of the Rose you've written

five novels against many more scholarly

works of non-fiction at least more than

20 of them

over 40 over 40 among them you've

written a seminal piece of work on

semiotics but ask most people about

Umberto Rico and they will say oh

he's a novelist people know you more as

a novelist than as an academic of

semiotics does that bother you

yes because I consider myself as a

university Professor who writes novels

on Sundays it's not a joke I participate

in academic conferences and not meetings

of pen clubs and writers I identify

myself with the academic Community but

okay if they have read only the novels

I know that by writing novels I reach a

higher audience I cannot expect to have

1 million readers with stuff on

semiotics which brings to my next

question the name of the Rose is a very

serious novel

it's a detective yarn at one level but

also delves into metaphysics Theology

and medieval history yet it enjoyed a

huge mass audience were you at all

puzzled by this no

journalists are puzzled

and sometimes Publishers and this is

because they believe that people like

trash and don't like difficult reading

experiences consider there are 6 billion

people on this planet the name of the

Rose sold between 10 and 15 million

copies so in a way I reached

only a small percentage of readers but

it is exactly these kind of readers who

don't want easy experiences

or at least don't always want this I

myself at 9 00 PM after dinner watch TV

and want to see either Miami Vice or

emergency room I enjoy it and I need it

but not all day could the huge success

of the novel have anything to do with

the fact that it dealt with a period of

medieval history that that's possible

but let me tell you another story I

often tell stories like a Chinese wise

man my American publisher loved my book

but she said she didn't expect to sell

more than 3 000 copies in a country

where nobody has seen a cathedral or

studies Latin so I was given an advance

for 3 000 copies but in the end it sold

two or three million in the U.S

a lot of books have been written about

the medieval past far before mine I

think the success of my book is a

mystery nobody can predict it I think if

I had written the name of the Rose 10

years earlier or 10 years later it

wouldn't have been the same why it

worked at that time is a mystery