EXERCISE

Let’s Discuss :

Q.1. What was the banker’s view on the capital punishment and life imprisonment ?

Ans. The banker disagreed to the different view of others who attended the party while discussing capital punishment and life imprisonment. The banker’s view was that capital punishment was more moral and more humane than life imprisonment. His opinion was that capital punishment or execution kills instantly while life imprisonment. Kills by degrees.

 

Q.2. What was the view of one of the guests at the party on capital punishment and life imprisonment ?

Ans. One of the guests at the party remarked that capital punishment and life imprisonment, both are equally immoral . In this view , both had the same purpose, to take away that which it can not give back, if should so desire.

 

Q.3. What were the terms and conditions of the bet ?

Ans. According to the terms and conditions of the bet, the young lawyer had to stay in confinement for fifteen years. During that period he was barred to cross the door and would not meet any person. He would have books, newspapers, musical instruments, wine, tobacco and other things through the window. He was to remain there solitary. The prison even two minutes before the fixed time, he would forfeit his claim and would get no money.

 

Q.4. How did the lawyer pass the first two years of imprisonment ?

Ans. The lawyer had to suffer a lot during the first year of imprisonment. He had to labour hard to adjust with the new life as he felt too much lonely and even bored. During this time he only played on piano. He did not drink or smoke but read novels and stories. In the second year of imprisonment, he stopped playing on piano and spent most of his time in reading classics.

 

Q.5. Why was the banker afraid of honouring the bet ?

Ans. After a good phase of time, the banker had gone in trap of debt. He thought that had he paid the amount of the bet, he would be completely ruined . This would make him a pauper. He thought the lawyer would get rich after receiving the bet’s amount from him. All this kind of thinking made the banker afraid of honouring the bet.

 

Q.6. What did the lawyer write in his note in the cell ?

Ans. The lawyer, after fifteen years of his imperisonment , wrote in his note, in the cell that ……now he had got the wisdom. He now hated freedom, health, life and all that the books called the blessings of the world. He felt that the books had given him wisdom. He knows that all earthly things were transitory and imaginary. And, everything is bound to be destroyed and disappear from the globe. So, he will break the terms of the bet. He will come out of the cell just five minutes before the fixed time and thus deprive himself of his right or claim out of the cell just five minutes before the fixed time and thus deprive himself of his right or claim of the two million roubles.

 

Q.7. How many volumes of books were were purchased at the request of the lawyer in the span of four years ?

Ans. Six hundred volumes were purchased at the request of the lawyer in the span of four years ?

Ans. Six hundred volumes were purchased at the request of the young lawyer, in the span of four years.

 

Q.8. When did the lawyer read the New Testament ?

Ans. The lawyer read the New Testament after the tenth year of his imprisonment.

 

Q.9. What did the lawyer read the New Testament ?

Ans. The guests at the banker’s party disapproved of capital punishment.

 

Q.10. How did the banker challenge the young lawyers contention ?

Ans. The banker challenged the young lawyer’s contention by telling him that he was ready to after him two million roubles of he lived alone in a cell even for five years.