On Saying “Please” Summary and Explanation
PSEB Class 12 English Chapter 4 On Saying “Please” Summary, Theme, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from A Rainbow of English Book
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PSEB Class 12 English Chapter 4 – On Saying “Please”
by A.G. GARDINER
The chapter delves into the necessity and impact of civility on society. It covers most of the aspects of civility with various examples and happenings from the author’s life. The author aims to cover all the scenarios to understand the delicate line between what is right and wrong, and what is lawful and illegal.
This essay tells us about the value of good manners. Bad manners are anti-social. But they are not a crime in the eyes of the law and therefore the law does not permit us to hit back if we have been the victims of bad manners. People begin to avoid a man with bad manners. A person with good manners brings us happiness. His company is indeed very pleasant.
This essay deals with little but socially important incidents from daily life. It shows us the importance of words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in our everyday life. They settle bitter quarrels and soften bad tempers.
- On Saying “Please” Summary
- On Saying “Please” Summary in Hindi
- On Saying “Please” Theme
- On Saying “Please” Lesson Explanation
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The author describes an instance where a young lift-man threw a passenger out of the lift one morning. The passenger rudely told the young lift-man to operate the lift and so the lift-man demanded him to say ‘please’. When the passenger refused, the lift-man threw the person out of the lift. The author said that while the lift-man’s frustration, hurt, and the need for basic respect were understandable, his way of conveying his frustration was not good. He said that the reason why the lift-man was being punished was because he acted physically violent, which is punishable by the law. However, being rude and insolent is not punishable by the law. The author then points out how being rude to one person leads to the person being rude to another person, and with that a negative and tense atmosphere is created in a vicious chain of passing bad temper. The author also then acknowledges that the law could not enforce civility and it was a social practice more sacred and older than the law. Civility had to be enforced and encouraged by society. Humans are social beings and civility makes social interactions smooth and positive. He then talks about how people providing a service should be appreciated for their tireless efforts to make us satisfied. He criticizes the people who look down on people with lower jobs, treat them like servants than as fellow human beings. He then takes the example of bus conductors. He acknowledges and compliments the efforts they put in ensuring that every passenger has a pleasant and safe journey. He says that only very few people could work in such a difficult and annoying job to make a living. He also discusses a scenario in which a bus conductor is loud and aggressive because he thinks that every passenger is his enemy, people who will cheat and disrespect him. He says that such conductors created an uncomfortable and tense atmosphere in the bus and the passengers feel intimidated and scared to be comfortable. He then speaks of a kind and polite conductor who lets him ride the bus even when he has forgotten his wallet back at home. He also speaks of another bus conductor who once stepped on his sensitive toe with heavy boots. The conductor was so cheerful, patient, apologetic and concerned, that even though the author was in agony, he convinced the conductor that he was not hurt and easily forgave him. Out of curiosity, the author began to observe the conductor’s cheerful disposition. The conductor was solicitous and cheerful. He would work hard to make sure the journey was smooth and every passenger felt comfortable and understood. He was patient and understanding like a son to the elderly people and solicitous and concerned with children like a father. He was helpful to blind people and made sure they reached their destination safely. He asked the driver to wait for him while he personally ensured the safety of the blind passenger while they were crossing the road. He engaged in merry jest with youthful passengers. The author compared him to the quote from Keats- “Nothing clears up my spirits like a fine day”, saying that the conductor was like a blessing to clear up the gloomy days. When he didn’t see the conductor on the same route, he hoped that the conductor had taken his sunshine and was now spreading it on another route. While he praised the conductor’s ability to irradiate a warm glow, he also noticed that the world was so dull and negative that the glow was hard to spread. From the passenger’s peacemaking demeanor, he learned that the best way to fight incivility is civility. The person should not lose sight of their own manners and etiquettes in order to have a material victory over the haughty and boorish person. He then narrated a brief story of Chesterfield, saying how Chesterfield politely bowed and supported the poor wall-climbers of old England in front of a man who openly declared that the wall-climbers were scoundrels and should not touch his walls.
Summary of the Lesson in Hindi
लेखक ने एक घटना का वर्णन किया है जिसमें एक युवा लिफ्टमैन ने एक सुबह एक यात्री को लिफ्ट से बाहर फेंक दिया। यात्री ने अशिष्टता से युवा लिफ्टमैन से लिफ्ट चलाने को कहा और इसलिए लिफ्टमैन ने उससे ‘कृपया’ कहने की मांग की। जब यात्री ने इनकार कर दिया, तो लिफ्टमैन ने उस व्यक्ति को लिफ्ट से बाहर फेंक दिया। लेखक ने कहा कि लिफ्टमैन की हताशा, चोट और बुनियादी सम्मान की आवश्यकता समझ में आती है, लेकिन अपनी हताशा व्यक्त करने का उसका तरीका अच्छा नहीं था। उन्होंने कहा कि लिफ्टमैन को दंडित करने का कारण यह था कि उसने शारीरिक रूप से हिंसक व्यवहार किया, जो कानून द्वारा दंडनीय है। हालाँकि, असभ्य और ढीठ होना कानून द्वारा दंडनीय नहीं है। लेखक ने तब बताया कि कैसे एक व्यक्ति के प्रति असभ्य होने से वह व्यक्ति दूसरे व्यक्ति के प्रति असभ्य हो जाता है, और इसके साथ ही एक नकारात्मक और तनावपूर्ण माहौल बनता है जो गुस्से के एक दुष्चक्र में बदल जाता है। लेखक ने यह भी स्वीकार किया कि कानून शिष्टाचार को लागू नहीं कर सकता और यह कानून से भी अधिक पवित्र और प्राचीन सामाजिक प्रथा है। शिष्टाचार को समाज द्वारा लागू और प्रोत्साहित किया जाना चाहिए। मनुष्य सामाजिक प्राणी हैं और शिष्टाचार सामाजिक संबंधों को सहज और सकारात्मक बनाता है। फिर उन्होंने बताया कि सेवा प्रदान करने वाले लोगों की हमें संतुष्ट करने के उनके अथक प्रयासों के लिए सराहना कैसे की जानी चाहिए। उन्होंने उन लोगों की आलोचना की जो निम्न पदों पर बैठे लोगों को तुच्छ समझते हैं और उन्हें साथी मनुष्यों की बजाय नौकरों जैसा समझते हैं। फिर उन्होंने बस कंडक्टरों का उदाहरण दिया। उन्होंने हर यात्री की सुखद और सुरक्षित यात्रा सुनिश्चित करने के लिए उनके प्रयासों की सराहना की। उन्होंने कहा कि बहुत कम लोग ही इतनी कठिन और कष्टप्रद नौकरी करके जीविकोपार्जन कर पाते हैं। उन्होंने एक ऐसे परिदृश्य का भी जिक्र किया जिसमें एक बस कंडक्टर शोरगुल करता है और आक्रामक होता है क्योंकि उन्हें लगता है कि हर यात्री उनका दुश्मन है, ऐसे लोग जो उन्हें धोखा देंगे और उनका अपमान करेंगे। उन्होंने कहा कि ऐसे कंडक्टर बस में एक असहज और तनावपूर्ण माहौल बना देते हैं और यात्री भयभीत और सहज महसूस करने से डरते हैं। फिर उन्होंने एक दयालु और विनम्र कंडक्टर का जिक्र किया जिसने उन्हें बस में सफर करने दिया जबकि वह अपना बटुआ घर पर भूल गए थे। उन्होंने एक अन्य बस कंडक्टर का भी जिक्र किया जिसने एक बार उनके नाजुक पैर के अंगूठे पर भारी बूटों से कदम रखा था। कंडक्टर इतना हंसमुख, धैर्यवान, क्षमाप्रार्थी और चिंतित था कि हालांकि लेखक पीड़ा में था, उसने कंडक्टर को आश्वस्त किया कि उसे कोई दुख नहीं हुआ है और उसे आसानी से माफ कर दिया। जिज्ञासावश, लेखक ने कंडक्टर के हंसमुख स्वभाव का अवलोकन करना शुरू किया। कंडक्टर चिंतित और हंसमुख था | वह वृद्धों के प्रति पुत्र की तरह धैर्यवान और समझदार थे, और बच्चों के प्रति पिता की तरह संवेदनशील और चिंतित। वह नेत्रहीन लोगों की मदद करते थे और यह सुनिश्चित करते थे कि वे सुरक्षित रूप से अपने गंतव्य तक पहुँचें। उन्होंने ड्राइवर से उनका इंतज़ार करने को कहा, जबकि सड़क पार करते समय वे स्वयं नेत्रहीन यात्री की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करते थे। वे युवा यात्रियों के साथ हँसी-मज़ाक करते थे। लेखक ने उनकी तुलना कीट्स के इस कथन से की है- “एक अच्छे दिन की तरह कुछ भी मेरे मन को शांत नहीं कर सकता”, और कहा कि कंडक्टर उदास दिनों को दूर करने के लिए एक आशीर्वाद की तरह था। जब उन्हें उसी रास्ते में कंडक्टर नहीं दिखता था, तो उन्हें उम्मीद होती थी कि कंडक्टर ने उनकी धूप ले ली है और अब उसे किसी दूसरे रास्ते पर फैला रहा है। जहाँ उन्होंने कंडक्टर की गर्मजोशी भरी चमक बिखेरने की क्षमता की प्रशंसा की, वहीं उन्होंने यह भी देखा कि दुनिया इतनी नीरस और नकारात्मक थी कि उस चमक को फैलाना मुश्किल था। यात्री के शांत व्यवहार से, उन्होंने सीखा कि असभ्यता से लड़ने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका शिष्टाचार है। घमंडी और असभ्य व्यक्ति पर भौतिक विजय पाने के लिए व्यक्ति को अपने शिष्टाचार और शिष्टाचार को नज़रअंदाज़ नहीं करना चाहिए। फिर उन्होंने चेस्टरफ़ील्ड की एक संक्षिप्त कहानी सुनाई, जिसमें बताया गया था कि कैसे चेस्टरफ़ील्ड ने पुराने इंग्लैंड के बेचारे दीवार पर चढ़ने वालों का विनम्रता से झुककर समर्थन किया, जबकि एक व्यक्ति ने खुलेआम घोषणा की थी कि दीवार पर चढ़ने वाले बदमाश हैं और उन्हें उसकी दीवारों को नहीं छूना चाहिए।
Theme of the Lesson On Saying “Please”
The lesson is themed on the importance and impact of civility on day-to-day interactions. It sheds light on how politeness and kindness can create a positive atmosphere and encourage smooth functioning of the society. Humans are social beings, and so we need to know how to properly address and converse with others in order to be a part of society.
The lesson also differentiates between legal and illegal acts and comments that impolite behaviour is a personal act and not punishable under law.
Also, impoliteness is like an infectious disease which is passed on from the recipient to the next person with whom he interacts. Thus, it can spoil the entire day which shows the power of such acts which impact a person’s mind.
On Saying “Please” Lesson Explanation
Passage: The young lift-man in a city office who threw a passenger out of his lift the other morning and was fined for the offence was undoubtedly in the wrong. It was a question of “Please”. The complainant entering the lift said, “Top.” The lift-man demanded “Top please,” and this concession being refused, he not only declined to comply with the instruction, but hurled the passenger out of the lift. This, of course, was carrying a comment on manners too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it does not excuse assault and battery. If a burglar breaks into my house and I knock him down, the law will acquit me, and if I am physically assaulted it will permit me to retaliate with reasonable violence. It does this because the burglar and my assailant have broken quite definite commands of the law. But no legal system could attempt to legislate against bad manners, or could sanction the use of violence against something which it does not itself recognize as a legally punishable offence. And whatever our sympathy with the lift-man, we must admit that the law is reasonable. It would never do if we were at liberty to box people’s ears because we did not like their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, or the scowl of their faces. Our fists would never be idle, and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day.
Word-meanings:
offence (n): an illegal act
complainant (n): a person who files a complaint or accuses someone of doing something malicious
concession (n): something that you allow or do, or allow somebody to have in order to end an argument
comply (v): to act according to one’s wish or command
hurl (v): to abuse, insult (Rival fans hurled abuse at each other.)
discourtesy (n): behaviour or an action that is not polite
assault and battery (n): the crime of threatening to harm somebody and then attacking them physically
acquit (v): to declare or find not guilty
retaliate (v): to take revenge
assailant (n): a person who attacks somebody/attacker
legislate (v): to make laws
sanction (v): to fine someone for breaking a rule or law
box people’s ears: (idiom) to slap someone on the side of the head, close to the ears
scowl (n): an angry look or annoyed way or expression
idle (v): to do nothing
Explanation of the Passage: The author begins to explain something that he saw one morning. The occurrence took place in a city office. The lift of the city office was operated by a young lift-man. A passenger who wanted to go to the top floor entered the lift. However, the passenger was soon thrown out of the lift by the young lift-man. According to the lift-man, he threw him out because of the passenger’s impolite and ill-mannered behavior. The passenger was not courteous when asking the young lift-man to take the lift to the top floor. The lift-man then asked the passenger to say ‘please’ and request instead of ordering him. The passenger declined the lift-man’s request. If the passenger would have said yes to the request, the matter would have ended there. However, the lift-man forcefully and abusingly threw him out of the lift. While the lift-man’s frustration and upsetness is understandable, his actions are not reasonable. The author points out that being discourteous and rude does not break the law. There is no law in the constitution that states that being rude and ill-mannered is punishable. Therefore, the lift-man throwing the passenger out of the lift was taking things to a much more extreme side. The author then takes a scenario of a burglar or thief breaking into his house. If there is a burglar in his house and he stops the burglar with physical force, then his actions will be excusable. Similarly, if he gets harmed by an attacker, he has the right to fight back against the assailant. This is because the law states that in case of someone breaking into one’s house or attacking someone, it is the person’s right to defend themselves with physical force if necessary. Breaking into someone’s house or attacking someone breaks many laws and hence, it is punishable by the law. However, being rude and insensitive is not punishable by the law as it does not break any human rights or laws. The author sympathises with the young lift-man, but also agrees with the law. If discourtesy was punishable, fights and violence would break out every single day. We often do not like the behavior, tone or expression on someone’s face, and if we were free to hit people for beahving in a certain manner, the gutters would have been running with blood due to the immense violence that would have broken out. Everyone would be fighting because they did not find a person to be polite and nicely behaved.
Passage: I may be as uncivil as I may please and the law will protect me against violent retaliation. I may be haughty or boorish and there is no penalty to pay except the penalty of being written down an ill-mannered fellow. The law does not compel me to say “Please” or to attune my voice to other people’s sensibilities any more than it says that I shall not wax moustache or dye my hair or wear ringlets down my back. It does not recognize the laceration of our feelings as a case of compensation. There is no allowance for moral and intellectual damages in these matters.
Word-meanings:
uncivil (adj): something that is not seen as civil or acceptable by the society
violent (adj): something that is harmful and harsh done due to extreme anger, frustration or sorrow
haughty (adj): arrogant or behaving in an unfriendly way
boorish (adj): rough and ill-mannered
compel (v): to force someone to do something with persuasion
attune (v): to adjust
wax (v): to polish or make something shine
ringlets (n): locks of hair in a corkscrew-shaped curls
laceration (n): to cut with something sharp (She suffered multiple lacerations to the face.)
compensation (n): something that is given to the person in harm or inconvenience as an apology, typically money
allowance (n): money or charges
Explanation of the Passage: The author said that he could be rude, ill-mannered and anti-social verbally because it was not against the law. Moreover, if someone attacked the author for being uncivil, the law would protect the author. The only punishment the author will get for being arrogant and ill-mannered is being seen as a rude person by the people around him. However, he would not be punished by the law. The law did not ask anyone to say polite words like please, or to adjust one’s voice to the sensitivity of other people. We are taught to be polite and sensitive so that we will be liked by others. However, it is not something which is compulsory to do by the word of law. The law does not specify exactly how our behavior and appearance should be. So, we are free to be as rude as we wish to be just as we are free to not polish and groom our appearance and to have any hair colour and hairstyle as we please. The author pointed out that the law does not see the sharp attack on our feelings as something that should be compensated. A person who is harmed by a rude and bad mannered man is not given any money for the moral and intellectual damage done to the person.
Passage: This does not mean that the damages are negligible. It is probable that the lift-man was much more acutely hurt by what he regarded as a slur upon his social standing than he would have been if he had a kick on the shin for which he could have got a legal redress. The pain of a wound to our self- respect or our vanity may poison a whole day. I can imagine that lift-man, denied the relief of throwing the author of his wound out of the lift, brooding over the insult by the hour, and visiting it on his wife in the evening as the only way of restoring his equilibrium. For there are few things more catching than bad temper and bad manners. When Sir Anthony Absolute bullied Captain Absolute, the latter went out and bullied his man Fag, whereupon Fag went downstairs and kicked the page-boy. Probably the man who said “Top” to the lift-man was really only getting back on his employer who had not said “Good Morning” to him because he himself had been hen-pecked at breakfast by his wife, to whom the cook had been insolent because the housemaid had “answered her back”. We infect the world with our ill humours. Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar. For one wife who gets a black eye from an otherwise good-natured husband, there are a hundred who live a life of martyrdom under the shadow of a morose temper. But all the same the law cannot become the guardian of our private manners. No Decalogue could cover the vast area of offences and no court could administer a law which governed our social civilities, our speech, the tilt of our eyebrows and all our moods and manners.
Word-meanings:
acutely (adv): intensely unpleasant
Slur (n): insult (She had dared to cast a slur on his character.)
legal redress: the right to seek a remedy or compensation for a wrong, harm, or injustice through legal means
vanity (n): the quality of being worthless or futile
brooding (adj): sad and mysterious or threatening
henpecked (adj): a man who has a wife who is always telling him what to do and is too weak to disagree with her
insolent (adj): extremely rude and showing a lack of respect (an insolent child)
morose (adj): unhappy, gloomy (She just sat there looking morose.)
decalogue (n): the 10 commandments by God, here, a set of rules that have the weight of authority
Explanation of the Passage: While the author agreed with the law, that it is unreasonable to be physically violent towards a verbally rude person, the author sympathized with the damage that can occur by an ill-mannered person. Just because the damage is not compensable by the law, it does not mean that there is no damage done or that the damage done is not significant enough. The author pointed out that sometimes words hurt more than actions, and it is normal and natural for people to be more hurt by insolence than getting kicked in the shins. However, a person could be compensated by the law for only one type of hurt- physical assault. Rudeness and disrespect make a person feel worthless, which can ruin their entire day. It was possible that if the lift-man had not thrown the passenger out of the lift, he would have been in a bad mood throughout the day and would have calmed down only when he got back home to his wife. It was also possible that the passenger who was discourteous to the young lift-man was also in a bad mood because someone else had been discourteous to him. Maybe the passenger was rude to the lift-man because he had been polite to his employer or boss and the boss had responded back in a displeasing manner. The employer’s bad mood could be because his wife kept ordering him to do this and that and he had left his house completely overwhelmed and exhausted to be polite. The wife could be affected because the cook had shouted at her because the maid had not quietly followed his orders. What the author is pointing out is that when we are rude, insensitive and disrespectful to a person, it creates a vicious chain of bad behavior. In this vicious chain, a person takes out their frustration on another person, and then they act rudely to the next person because they are hurt by the previous person. Therefore, while being insolent is not legally punishable or a crime, it creates the same unhappy and gloomy atmosphere made by a punishable crime. There are many people who simply struggle from this in silence because the law does not regard this to be punishable. Like a wife who is abused by a man who is usually a good person, there are many people who are victims of someone’s bad temper. However, the law also cannot dive into everyone’s private lives. The law cannot specify how people are supposed to act, behave, speak or even tilt our eyebrows. Not everything can be monitored, or else there will be no privacy anymore.
Passage: But we are bound to endorse the verdict against the lift-man. Most people will have a certain sympathy with him. While it is true that there is no law that compels us to say “Please” there is a social practice much older and more sacred than any law which enjoins us to be civil. And the first requirement of civility is that we should acknowledge a service. “Please” and “Thank you” are the small changes with which we pave our way as social beings. They are the little courtesies by which we keep the machine of life oiled and running sweetly. They put our intercourse upon the basis of friendly co-operation, as easy give and take instead of on the basis of superiors dictating to inferiors. It is a very vulgar mind that would wish to command where he can have the service for the asking, and have it with willingness and good feeling instead of resentment.
Word-meanings:
endorse (v): to publicly support
verdict (n): final decision regarding a criminal or civil case
enjoin (v): to instruct or urge
acknowledge (v): to take notice and respect or thank an effort or service
resentment (n): a feeling of anger or unhappiness about something that you think is unfair
Explanation of the Passage: The author then points out that while the legal decision against the lift-man is correct and the lift-man was indeed guilty, there are people who would sympathize with him. This was because the lift-man only expected something called civility from the passenger. Civility is a social practice which is older and more dutifully followed than the law. The law might not instruct us to be civil but it is still our social duty to be civil. It is a duty that is put on us by the society and people follow it because of the human tendency to want acceptance and approval of others. Civility says that it is good manners to respect and thank a service and the one providing the service. Two phrases- ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ are used for the same. ‘Please’ is used to politely ask for a service and ‘thank you’ is used to show gratitude to the person for providing the service. Humans are social beings, and these rules of how we should treat one another is how humans thrive in a social and necessary setting. Saying these words are small but significant gestures that help maintain a good-natured and happy atmosphere. It helps make our lives easy by not putting us in a bad temper and making us feel appreciated and respected. When we are polite and grateful, it makes our interactions respectful as it puts both people on an equal status. However, if we are rude, arrogant, and commanding, the one impolitely asking for the service becomes superior and the other becomes inferior. It is disrespectful to treat a person like they are below you and then expecting them to be willing to help you with the kindness and goodness of their heart. It is normal for a person who is being disrespected to feel angry and unhappy at the person.
Passage: I should like to “feature” in this connection my friend, the polite conductor. By this discriminating title, I do not intend to suggest a rebuke to conductors generally. (On the contrary, I am disposed to think that there are few classes of men who come through the ordeal of a very trying calling better than bus conductors do.) Here or there you will meet an unpleasant specimen who regards the passengers as his natural enemies-as creatures whose chief purpose on the bus is to cheat him, and who can only be kept reasonably honest by a loud voice and an aggressive manner. But this type is rare-rarer than it used to be. I fancy the public owes much to the underground Railway Company, which also runs the buses, for insisting on a certain standard of civility in its servants and taking care that the standard is observed. In doing this, it not only makes things pleasant for the travelling public but performs an important social service.
Word-meanings:
feature (v): to introduce or showcase
rebuke (n): a sharp disapproval or criticism
disposed (v): to have an opinion on
ordeal (n): a difficult or unpleasant experience
trying (adj): difficult, annoying or hard to endure
Explanation of the Passage: The author then speaks of another case of where he saw that people lacked civility. He took the example of a polite conductor. He first began by acknowledging the efforts of the conductors. He says that conductors are polite, helpful and patient. Being a conductor is a difficult task which very few men can do. However, there are some conductors who are loud and aggressive with their passengers. Such conductors view the passengers as their enemies, as someone who only wishes to cheat him out of his money. So, to assert his dominance, the conductor becomes loud and aggressive. But despite these conductors, the underground Railway Company displays civility and the servants work hard to make sure that the standard of good service is maintained. Therefore, according to the author, the public who receives and uses the services should be grateful and respectful to the company for making sure that their travels are pleasant.
Passage: It is not, therefore, with any feeling of unfriendliness to conductors as a class that I pay a tribute to a particular member of that class. I first became conscious of his existence one day when I jumped on to a bus and found that I had left home without any money in my pocket. Everyone has had the experience and knows the feeling, the mixed feeling, which the discovery arouses. You are annoyed because you look like a fool at the best, and like a knave at the worst. You would not be at all surprised if the conductor eyed you coldly as much as to say, “Yes, I know that stale old trick. Now then, off you get.” And even if the conductor is a good fellow and lets you down easily, you are faced with the necessity of going back, and the inconvenience, perhaps, of missing your train or your engagement.
Word-meanings:
knave (n): a dishonest person
Explanation of the Passage: The author then began his story by talking about a common thing many people experience when using the public bus. The author climbed the bus and when he looked for the wallet to pay for a ticket, he discovered that he had left his wallet at home. This made him feel annoyed because if someone looked at him with a good point of view, he looked like a fool, and from the worst perspective, he looked like someone trying to cheat the conductor. In such a situation, everyone would expect the conduct to be cold and harsh, immediately calling out on him using an old and cheap trick to get a free ride and then ordering him to get off the bus. Even if the conductor does not fine or scold, the person would have to go back home to get the wallet and they would then miss their bus or the engagement that they are supposed to attend.
Passage: Having searched my pockets in vain for stray coppers, and having found I was utterly penniless, I told the conductor with as honest a face as I could assume that I couldn’t pay the fare, and must go back for money. “Oh you needn’t get off: that’s all right,” said he. “All right,” said I, “but I haven’t a copper on me.” “Oh, I’ll book you through”, he replied. “Where d’ye want to go?” And he handed me a ticket for anywhere from the Bank to Hongkong. I said it was very kind of him, and told him, where I wanted to go, and as he gave me the ticket I said, “But where shall I send the fare?” ‘Oh, you’ll see me some day all right,’ he said cheerfully, as he turned to go. And then, luckily, my fingers still wandering in the corners of my pockets, lit on a shilling, and the account was squared. But that fact did not lessen the glow of pleasure which so good-natured an action had given me.
Word-meanings:
book (v): to book an accommodation or travel
lit (v): to discover something in the dark
squared (v): handled fairly and honestly
Explanation of the Passage: The author searched his pockets but sadly, he did have a single copper coin or shilling. He told the conductor with genuine honesty that he could not pay the fare and had to go back to get money. The conductor’s cold and strict response was as per the author’s expectation. However, the conductor was accommodating and allowed the author to ride the bus. The author repeated and said that he did not have a single copper coin. However, the conductor still booked him for a ticket. The conductor asked him where he wanted to go and then handed in a ticket from the Bank to HongKong. The author thanked the conductor and asked where he had to send the fare. The conductor was cheerful and said that the author could pay him the fare whenever he saw him again. The conductor then turned to go, but luckily, the author’s fingers found a shilling in the corner of the pockets. The fare was paid, but the author felt a glow of happiness at the conductor’s understanding nature. With this, the author pointed out how important it is to be kind, understanding and polite to each other.
Passage: A few days, after my most sensitive toe was trampled on rather heavily as I sat reading on the top of a bus. I looked up with some anger and more agony, and saw my friend of the cheerful countenance. “Sorry, sir,” he said, “I know these are heavy boots. Got’em because my own feet get trod on so much and now, I’m treading on other people’s. Hope I didn’t hurt you, sir.” He had hurt me but he was so nice about it that I assured him he hadn’t. After this I began to observe him whenever I boarded his bus, and found a curious pleasure in the constant good-nature of his bearing. He seemed to have an inexhaustible fund of patience and a gift for making his passengers comfortable. I noticed that if it was raining he would run up the stairs to give someone the tip that there was “room inside”. With old people he was as considerate as a son, and with children as solicitous as a father. He had evidently a peculiarly warm place in his heart for young people, and always indulged in some merry jest with them. If he had a blind man on board it was not enough to set him down safely on the pavement. He would call to Bill in front to wait while he took him across the road or round the corner, or otherwise safely on his way. In short, I found that he irradiated such an atmosphere of good temper and kindliness that a journey with him was a lesson in natural courtesy and good manners.
Word-meanings:
trample (v): to step heavily on something or somebody so that you crush or harm them
agony (n): extreme pain
countenance (n): a person’s face or his expression solicitous (adj) attentive
solicitous (adj): showing interest, attention and concern
merry (adj): warm and good-natured
jest (n): banter, a pleasant talk full of jokes
irradiate (v): to illuminate
Explanation of the Passage: The author then narrated an interaction he had with another conductor. The author was sitting on a seat on the top section of a double-decker bus. He was busy reading when he felt that someone had stepped on his sensitive toe quite heavily. He felt angry and pained and looked up to see who it was. It was the bus conductor, who had a concerned and cheerful expression on his face. The conductor apologised for stepping on his toe and explained that he wore heavy boots so that others would not step and hurt his toes. However, since he was not used to wearing such heavy boots, he was now stepping on others’ toes instead. The conductor was so concerned, polite and patient that the author, who was in so much pain, ended up assuring the conductor that he was okay. The author’s interest arose as he realized how he ended up being more concerned for the conductor than himself. He then began to observe the conductor and his good nature out of curiosity. He found that the conductor had a never-ending supply of patience and politeness, always making sure the passengers were comfortable and happy. If it started raining, the conductor would run to the top section of the double decker bus since the top section did not have a roof over it. He would try to make room for the passengers in the lower section to make sure they did not get too wet in the rain. He was accommodating to all ages. He would be considerate with the old people, reminding the old passengers of a son. With children, he would be concerned and attentive, his behavior similar to that of a father. With youthful people, he would be engaged in warm, hilarious and light-hearted talks. If there was a blind man aboard, the conductor would ask the driver, Bill, to stop the bus while he went out to help the blind man cross the road. The conductor had a warm and hospitable glow around him, and he spread kindness around the bus. This would make the journey pleasant and enjoyable, and the passengers would be in a good mood as well. Therefore, with this, the author pointed out how civility helps create a good atmosphere and helps elevate positivity in social interactions.
Passage: What struck me particularly was the care which he got through his work. If bad manners are infectious, so also are good manners. If we encounter incivility, most of us are apt to become uncivil, but it is an unusually uncouth person who can be disagreeable with sunny people. It is with manners as with the weather. “Nothing clears up my spirits like a fine day,” said Keats and a cheerful person descends on even the gloomiest of us with something of the benediction of a fine day. And so it was always fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus; his own activity, his conciliatory address and good-humoured bearing infected his passengers. In lightening their spirits he lightened his own task. His gaiety was not a wasteful luxury, but a sound investment.
Word-meanings:
apt (adj): to have a tendency to
uncouth (adj): rude or socially unacceptable
benediction (n): a blessing
conciliatory (adj): peacemaking
gaiety (n): the state of being cheerful and full of fun
Explanation of the Passage: The author observed that the conductor’s civility was not one-sided. Even the rudest of passengers became civil due to the conductor’s civility. From this, the author learnt that good manners are just as infectious as bad manners. In the case of bad manners, if we meet a person who is uncivil to us, we will be uncivil as well. Similarly, if we meet a person who is kind, polite and respectful, we will mirror the same level of civility. However there are cases when a person who shows the utmost civility is still spoken to in a rude manner. The author then compared manners to the weather by saying a quote written by the writer Keats. The quote is that- “Nothing clears up my spirits like a fine day”. This quote means that if a person is feeling low or frustrated, a cheerful occurrence or person can make their day more bearable. This is why when we meet a cheerful person on a day when we feel sad, we feel like they are a blessing for us. The same was the case with the conductor. Whenever he was around, the atmosphere on the bus would always be sunny and positive. His behavior was infectious and his passengers would be at peace and completely relaxed and content. Due to the positive and good-humored atmosphere, the passengers would also be polite and peaceful to the conductor. Most people think that being polite is a waste of time and effort, but by being polite, we save our time and effort by avoiding unnecessary bad tempers, outbursts and arguments. His cheerful and fun-filled demeanor was not a waste of his time and efforts, but a way to intelligently apply his time and efforts.
Passage: I have missed him from my bus route of late; but I hope that only means that he has carried his sunshine on to another road. It cannot be too widely diffused in a rather drab world. And I make no apologies for writing a panegyric on an unknown bus conductor. If Wordsworth could gather lessons of wisdom from the poor leech gatherer, “on the lonely moor,” I see no reason why lesser people should not take lessons in conduct from one who shows how a very modest calling may be dignified by good temper and kindly feeling.
Word-meanings:
drab (adj): dull
panegyric (n): a speech praising somebody
moor (n): a tract of open uncultivated upland
Explanation of the Passage: The author then said that he had not seen the conductor nowadays. The conductor usually worked on the same routes that the author took. The author then hoped that the bus conductor was still working and was now spreading his positivity on another bus route. The author commented on this dull world, saying that no matter how strong the conductor’s illuminating civility was, it could not spread widely because of how incredibly dull this world was. The author then said that he would not apologize for writing and praising a simple bus conductor. He then took the example of the writer Wordsworth, saying that if he could write and summarize life lessons by observing a poor lonely leech collector on a moor, it was completely okay to learn lessons and gain wisdom by observing a bus conductor. Therefore, the author stated that we could learn lessons from anyone. We could find an example of civility even in lower workers.
Passage: It is a matter of general agreement that the war has had a chilling effect upon those little every-day civilities of behaviour that sweeten the general air. We must get those civilities back if we are to make life kindly and tolerable for each other. We cannot get them back by invoking the law. The policeman is a necessary symbol and the law is a necessary institution for a society that is still somewhat lower than the angels. But the law can only protect us against material attack. Nor will the lift-man’s way of meeting moral affront by physical violence help us to restore the civilities. I suggest to him that he would have had a more subtle and effective revenge if he had treated the gentleman who would not say “Please” with elaborate politeness. He would have had the victory, not only over the boor, but over himself, and that is the victory that counts. The polite man may lose the material advantage, but he always has the spiritual victory. I commend to the lift-man a story of Chesterfield. In his time the London streets were without the pavements of to-day, and the man who “took the wall’ had the driest footing. “I never give the wall to a scoundrel,” said a man who met Chesterfield, one day in the street. “I always do,” said Chesterfield, stepping with a bow into the road. I hope the lift-man will agree that his revenge was much more sweet than if he had flung the fellow into the mud.
Word-meanings:
boor (n): a disrespectful and degrading man
commend (v): to propose or recommend
Explanation of the Passage: The author then pointed out the effect of war on society. Due to war and political conflicts between different groups, civility is decreasing. This has a frightening effect on the simple day-to-day social interactions between the general public. The author pointed out that if we wish to live a peaceful life, we need to relearn and readopt civility. Civility is a social practice and therefore cannot be regulated or urged by the law. This is something we have to maintain by ourselves and by the combined efforts of the community. Just because a policeman and the law cannot invoke civility, it does not mean that they have no use. The law protects us from material or physical attacks. Society is not just lacking in civility. There are many forces who exploit and take away even the basic human rights from vulnerable people and only the law and a policeman can save people from such cases. However, the law cannot enforce civility. Moreover, responding violently to insolence is not the right method to spread civility as well. The author took up the example of the lift-man again. The lift-passenger’s behavior was uncouth and unfair, but physical violence was also not the right answer. A more silent and subtle way of getting revenge is more effective than being aggressive. If we respond to rudeness with the same level of rudeness, a polite person will end up stooping down to an uncivil level. Therefore, it is better to remain polite even in the face of degradation. It is true that we may not have the material victory, but by remaining true to ourselves, we will have the spiritual victory. The author then narrated a brief story of a man named Chesterfield. The story took place in the old times of London, when there were no pavements and the people who climbed walls had very dry feet and chapped heels. A man said to Chesterfield that people who climbed the walls were scoundrels and below their level, and so he would never allow such people to climb his walls. Chesterfield bowed and said politely that he would allow them to climb his walls. Chesterfield’s response was respectful and polite despite the other man’s discriminating opinions. According to the author, this was much better than showing aggression, like Chesterfield throwing the man in a muddy puddle for revenge.
Conclusion
This post includes the summary, theme, word meanings and explanation of the lesson – On Saying ‘Please’ from the PSEB Class 12 English book A Rainbow of English. Students can get a quick recap of the lesson and prepare for the exams with the help of this post.