Stephen Leacock
Q. What light do the following expressions throw on Leacock’s state of mind when he entered the bank: ‘looked timidly round,’ ‘shambled in’?
A. These expressions imply that the writer was hesitating and behaved in a silly manner in confusion.
Q. Why did the manager come to think that Leacock had an awful secret to reveal?
A. The writer said to the manager, “Can I see you alone?” in such a mysterious way and a tone that the manager felt he had an awful secret to reveal.
Q. What was the attitude of the manager towards Leacock on learning that he only wished to deposit 56 dollars in the bank?
A. The manager got offended and became cold and unkind.
Q. What other blunders did Leacock commit after leaving the manager’s office?
A. After leaving the manager’s office, he poked the ball of money at the accountant in the manner of a conjurer performing some trick. Then he wrote ‘fifty-six’ instead of ‘six’ on the cheque and behaved as if he did so because he was a man with a fearfully quick temper.
Q. After his misadventure in the bank where did Leacock keep his money?
A. He kept his money in cash in his trousers pocket and his savings in silver dollars in a sock.
Q. Give as many examples as you can to show that Leacock was feeling completely lost in the bank all the time he was there.
A. He felt embarrassed at the sight of wickets. He demanded to meet the manager alone. He talked to him so mysteriously that the manager thought he was a detective or a man from one of the rich families. While leaving the manager’s office, he stepped into a safe. He threw the ball of money at the accountant with a jerky movement. He wrote ‘fifty-six’ on the cheque instead of ‘six’ and pretended to have a quick temper. He was lost all the time in the bank.
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