THE INTERVIEW (CBL)

The Interview

By Christopher Silvester

A. VIEWS OF EMINENT PEOPLE ON INTERVIEWS

Celebrity	Statement / View on Interview
V. S. Naipaul	“Some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.”
Lewis Carroll	He had “a just horror of the interviewer” and never consented to be interviewed.
Rudyard Kipling	“It is immoral! It is a crime… an assault.”
H. G. Wells	He referred to an interview as “the interviewing ordeal.”
Saul Bellow	Interviews were “like thumbprints on his windpipe.”
Denis Brian	“Our most vivid impressions of our contemporaries are through interviews.”
Christopher Silvester	The interview is a “supremely serviceable medium of communication.”

UMBERTO ECO’S INTERVIEW

SN	Head	Key Points
1	Eco’s Intellectual Life & Identity	Scholar, philosopher, novelist, essayist, one core intellectual interest, philosophy, ethics, semiotics, academic work, children’s books, intellectual curiosity
2	Interstices & Productivity	Empty spaces of time, waiting periods, productive use of spare moments, elevator example, efficient time management, continuous intellectual activity
3	Writing Style & Journey to Novels	Narrative academic writing, personal style, playful approach, research as a story, love of narration, started novels by accident, novels as a form of storytelling
4	The Name of the Rose: Themes, Readers & Success	Detective story, metaphysics, theology, medieval history, complex subject matter, challenging readers, unexpected popularity, millions of copies, success cannot be predicted

A. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

SAQ 1 Eco's non-fictional writing and scholarly work is a marked departure from a regular academic style. Comment on Umberto Eco's writing style. [CBSE 2026]

Answer Eco's academic writing was innovative because he presented his research as a story rather than merely recording conclusions. He included his trials, errors and experiences in a personal, informal and engaging manner. His style therefore made serious scholarly subjects more accessible, interesting and lively to readers.

SAQ 2 What does Umberto Eco refer to as ‘interstices’ in The Interview? [CBSE 2026]

Answer Eco calls the small, apparently empty spaces between activities “interstices.” Examples include waiting for an elevator or travelling between places. Instead of allowing these moments to remain unproductive, Eco uses them for writing and thinking. His concept demonstrates his exceptional ability to manage time efficiently.

SAQ 3 Despite criticism, why does the author suggest that interviews remain important in journalism? [CBSE 2026]

Answer Interviews remain important because they are a powerful medium of communication. They provide readers with direct impressions of public figures and allow journalists to explore ideas, experiences and personalities. Denis Brian observes that many important impressions of our contemporaries reach us through one person asking questions of another.

SAQ 4 Most celebrity writers despise being interviewed. Why? [CBSE 2026]

Answer Many celebrity writers regard interviews as an intrusion into their private lives. They feel that probing questions expose aspects of their personality that they would rather keep private and may diminish their individuality. V. S. Naipaul, Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling and Saul Bellow expressed strong reservations about interviews.

SAQ 5 Eco says, “I started writing novels by accident.” Explain. [CBSE 2026]

Answer Eco considered himself primarily an academic scholar and university professor. He began writing fiction only after establishing himself through scholarly work. His first novel, The Name of the Rose, emerged unexpectedly from his interests in medieval history, semiotics and literary studies. Thus, novel writing was not his original professional aim.

SAQ 6 What valid reason does Rudyard Kipling have to call an interview immoral? [CBSE 2025]

Answer Kipling considered an interview immoral because he regarded it as an intrusion into a person's private life and an offence against one's dignity. He described it as a crime and an assault and believed that no respectable person should ask for or agree to give an interview.

SAQ 7 How did Umberto Eco display his innovative style in the presentation of his dissertation? [CBSE 2025]

Answer Eco presented his dissertation as the story of his research, including his trials and errors instead of giving only the final conclusions. Unlike conventional academic writing, his approach was personal, narrative and engaging. This innovative method transformed potentially dry scholarly material into something accessible and interesting.

SAQ 8 What evidence from the text reveals that Rudyard Kipling did not “walk the talk”? [CBSE 2024]

Answer Kipling strongly condemned interviews as immoral, cowardly and intrusive. However, the chapter reveals that he himself had interviewed Mark Twain only a few years earlier. His own conduct therefore contradicted his public condemnation of interviews, creating an obvious irony and exposing his inconsistency.

SAQ 9 What according to Umberto Eco is the belief that most journalists and publishers have? [CBSE 2024]

Answer Eco says that most journalists and publishers believe that readers prefer easy and accessible writing rather than serious or intellectually demanding works. The enormous success of The Name of the Rose, despite its complex subject matter, challenged this assumption and surprised publishers and journalists.

SAQ 10 Did Umberto Eco like to be identified as a novelist? Give reasons in support of your answer. [CBSE 2024]

Answer No, Eco preferred to identify himself as a university professor rather than primarily as a novelist. He regarded academic work as his principal identity and said that he wrote novels on Sundays. He participated in academic conferences and considered novel writing a secondary activity that began relatively late.

B. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1 “The Last Lesson” and “The Interview” highlight the importance of language in one's life. Comment with reference to the given texts. [CBSE 2026]

Answer

In The Last Lesson, language represents cultural identity, freedom and national pride. The order to replace French with German makes Franz and the villagers suddenly realise the value of their mother tongue. M. Hamel's final lesson becomes an emotional reminder that language connects people to their history and identity. Their earlier neglect of French becomes a source of regret when they realise that they are losing the freedom to learn and use it. Thus, language becomes a symbol of resistance against cultural domination.

In The Interview, language serves a different but equally significant purpose: it becomes a medium of communication, knowledge and intellectual exchange. Mukund Padmanabhan uses carefully framed questions to communicate Umberto Eco's ideas to readers across cultures. The interview demonstrates how language can bridge the distance between an interviewer, a celebrated scholar and a large readership. While The Last Lesson emphasises language as a marker of cultural identity, The Interview highlights its role in sharing ideas and understanding personalities.

Q2 Umberto Eco has a talk with Danny Casey from Going Places. Danny, being a football prodigy, feels his popularity may affect his game as he cannot devote much time to it. What advice will Umberto Eco give Danny about time management? Write a paragraph on the interaction between the two and the advice given by Eco. [CBSE 2024]

Answer

Umberto Eco would advise Danny Casey not to regard lack of time as an unavoidable obstacle but to learn how to use the small intervals available between major activities. Eco calls these intervals “interstices”, or empty spaces in everyday life. He explains that he uses such moments productively; for instance, while waiting for an elevator, he can already write an article. His approach demonstrates that productivity depends not merely on having large blocks of free time but on using short intervals intelligently.

Eco would therefore advise Danny to organise his day around his football practice, matches, rest and public commitments while making productive use of the gaps between them. Instead of allowing popularity to consume all his time, Danny could use these interstices for planning, reflection and mental preparation. Eco might also remind him that popularity should not be allowed to interfere with his primary goal of developing his sporting ability. Efficient time management, discipline and purposeful use of small intervals could help Danny balance fame with his career.