The Pace for Living Summary, Explanation, Difficult Words| BSEB Class 10 English Lesson 1

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The Pace for Living Summary

 

BSEB Class 10 English Lesson 1 The Pace for Living Summary, Lesson Explanation with difficult word meanings from Panorama-II Book

 

The Pace for Living – Are you looking for Summary and Lesson Explanation for Bihar Board Class 10 English Lesson 1 The Pace for Living from Panorama-II Book. Get notes, summary of the Lesson followed by line by line explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words.

 

 

The Pace for Living Bihar Board Class 10 English 

 R.C Hutchinson

 
 

The Pace for Living Introduction

In “The Pace for Living,” R.C. Hutchinson discusses how technology has made life faster for individuals. The author introduces us to a variety of characters dealing with the unrelenting pace of modern life. Through a wide range of individuals, the chapter talks about the difficulties of adjusting to a world that moves quickly, issues faced by slow thinkers, and the fear of being left behind while technological advancements move forward at a rapid pace. Hutchinson shows how technology modifies norms and customs of the society and daily routines, affecting one’s identity and connections with others.
 

 
 

Theme of the Lesson The Pace for Living  

 

The effects of the fast-paced environment of modern life on people and society is the central theme of R.C. Hutchinson’s “The Pace for Living”. The prose discusses people’s challenges, concerns and paradoxes in the face of society demands, technology, and time’s relentless march forward using the experiences of a wide range of individuals. Hutchinson emphasizes on how people’s mental health is impacted, natural rhythms are upset, and pressure is placed on them. 
 

 
 

The Pace for Living Summary

The chapter begins with an elderly corn-merchant in a small Irish town who is dismayed by the fast pace of modern life, which is symbolized by the invention of an airplane that travels at 1,000 miles per hour. The corn-merchant’s complaint, despite his own anxieties and difficulties, draws attention to the discrepancy between the advancement of technology and the rhythms of everyday life.

 

After reflecting on their personal relationship with technology and speed, the narrator admits that they enjoy the thrilling experiences made possible by fast cars and amusement park rides. They do, however, recognize the possible drawbacks of living in a culture that values efficiency and quickness over meaningful interactions and experiences.

 

The author thinks that he is a slow-thinker. He realizes that he would get the lowest marks in the intelligence test. As such slow-thinkers like him are awfully incapable of earning their livelihood. Though it is not required for the practical use of one’s mind to get enjoyment.

 

The author uses personal experiences to highlight his slow-thinking behaviors, relating how he had trouble telling one character from another in a movie and had to ask his wife to help him. He blames this on his slower cognitive processing and highlights that in order to thrive, one must adjust to the fast-paced nature of modern life.

 

Using humor and sarcasm throughout the story, Hutchinson emphasizes the ridiculousness of contemporary life and how its unrelenting speed can worsen feelings of isolation and anxiety. But even in the middle of the mayhem, there are thoughtful and insightful moments that give hope. The narrator makes the argument that, despite the difficulties brought on by today’s fast-paced lifestyle, it is important to take it slowly, enjoy life’s small joys, and build deep relationships with people.
 

 
 

The Pace for Living Summary in Hindi

अध्याय की शुरुआत एक छोटे से आयरिश शहर के एक बुजुर्ग मकई-व्यापारी से होती है जो आधुनिक जीवन की तेज़ गति से निराश है, जिसका प्रतीक एक हवाई जहाज का आविष्कार है जो 1,000 मील प्रति घंटे की गति से यात्रा करता है। मकई-व्यापारी की शिकायत, अपनी चिंताओं और कठिनाइयों के बावजूद, प्रौद्योगिकी की प्रगति और रोजमर्रा की जिंदगी की लय के बीच विसंगति की ओर ध्यान आकर्षित करती है।

 

प्रौद्योगिकी और गति के साथ अपने व्यक्तिगत संबंधों पर विचार करने के बाद, वर्णनकर्ता स्वीकार करता है कि वे तेज कारों और मनोरंजन पार्क की सवारी द्वारा संभव किए गए रोमांचक अनुभवों का आनंद लेते हैं। हालाँकि, वे ऐसी संस्कृति में रहने की संभावित कमियों को पहचानते हैं जो सार्थक बातचीत और अनुभवों पर दक्षता और त्वरितता को महत्व देती है।

 

कहानी “धीमे विचारकों” या ऐसे लोगों की कठिनाइयों का भी पता लगाती है जिन्हें आधुनिक समाज में विचारों और सूचनाओं के तेज़ गति वाले आदान-प्रदान के साथ तालमेल बिठाना मुश्किल लगता है। लेखक सोचता है कि वह धीमी सोच वाला है। उसे एहसास होता है कि बुद्धि परीक्षण में उसे सबसे कम अंक मिलेंगे। ऐसे में उनके जैसे धीमी सोच वाले लोग अपनी आजीविका कमाने में बुरी तरह असमर्थ हैं। हालाँकि आनंद पाने के लिए किसी के दिमाग का व्यावहारिक उपयोग इतना आवश्यक नहीं है।

 

लेखक अपने धीमी सोच वाले व्यवहार को उजागर करने के लिए व्यक्तिगत अनुभवों का उपयोग करता है, जिसमें बताया गया है कि कैसे उसे एक फिल्म में एक चरित्र को दूसरे से अलग करने में परेशानी हुई और उसे अपनी पत्नी से मदद करने के लिए कहना पड़ा। वह इसके लिए अपनी धीमी संज्ञानात्मक प्रक्रिया को जिम्मेदार ठहराते हैं और इस बात पर प्रकाश डालते हैं कि आगे बढ़ने के लिए व्यक्ति को आधुनिक जीवन की तेज गति वाली प्रकृति के साथ तालमेल बिठाना होगा।

 

पूरी कहानी में हास्य और व्यंग्य का उपयोग करते हुए, हचिंसन समकालीन जीवन की हास्यास्पदता पर जोर देते हैं और इसकी अविश्वसनीय गति अलगाव और चिंता की भावनाओं को कैसे खराब कर सकती है। लेकिन तबाही के बीच में भी, कुछ विचारशील और व्यावहारिक क्षण हैं जो आशा देते हैं। वर्णनकर्ता यह तर्क देता है कि, आज की तेज़-तर्रार जीवनशैली के कारण आने वाली कठिनाइयों के बावजूद, इसे धीरे-धीरे लेना, जीवन की छोटी-छोटी खुशियों का आनंद लेना और लोगों के साथ गहरे रिश्ते बनाना महत्वपूर्ण है।
 

 
 

The Pace for Living Lesson Explanation

 

Passage: I saw a play in Dublin not long ago in which the chief character was an elderly corn-merchant in a small Irish country town. He was a man of many anxieties–his heart was dicky, his nephew was cheating on him, his wife had the fantastic notion of spending £10 on a holiday. Altogether the pace of life was getting too much for him, and in a moment of despair he uttered a great cry from the heart: “They tell me there’s an airplane now that goes at 1,000 miles an hour. Now that’s too fast!”

 

Word Meanings:

Fanciful (adj): highly imaginative

Dicky (adj): weak-hearted (colloq in expression)

Despair (n): state of hopelessness

 

Explanation: The narrator talks about a play that he saw in Dublin. In the play, the main character is an elderly corn-merchant living in a small Irish town. He has many worries, like his health, his nephew’s dishonesty, and his wife’s desire to spend money on a holiday. All these troubles make life feel overwhelming for him. In a moment of despair, he expresses his frustration about the fast pace of life, mentioning the incredible speed of airplanes. This shows how modern advancements can feel too fast and overwhelming for some people.

 

Passage: For me that was the most enchanting line in the play – the man’s complaint was so gloriously irrelevant to his own situation. And besides being comic, it struck me as a perfect illustration of the way the Irish get at subtle truths by the most unlikely approaches.You saw what the old fool meant.

 

Word Meanings:

Enchanting (adj): having the power to cast a spell

Illustration (n): example

 

Explanation: The narrator describes how he found a line in the play enchanting, it was the line when the main character complained about airplanes being too fast, which seemed irrelevant to his own problems. The narrator thought it was funny and clever how the character expressed a deeper truth in a humorous way, depicting how sometimes people can convey important messages through unexpected and humorous ways. The narrator also appreciates this unique approach to storytelling, especially noting the Irishs’ ability to uncover truths in unusual ways.

 

Passage: Not that I have any dislike of rapid movement myself. I enjoy going in a car at ninety miles an hour – so long as I am driving and so long as it is not my car. I adore the machines that hurl you about at Battersea. To dine in London and lunch in New York next day seems to me a most satisfactory experience: I admit it excludes all the real pleasures of travel – the sort of fun you get from a country bus in Somerset or Spain – but it gives you a superficial sense of drama; it was a sort of excitement our ancestors had to do without, and we might just as well accept it gratefully. No, where speed becomes something unfriendly to me is where the mental activities of our time tend – as they naturally do – to follow the pace of the machines.

 

Word Meanings:

Adore (v): worship, love and respect

Superficial (adj) : pertaining to the surface only

 

Explanation: The narrator talks about his feelings towards fast movement. He says he doesn’t mind fast cars or thrilling rides at places like Battersea. He even enjoys the idea of traveling quickly from London to New York for meals. However, he admits that this fast-paced lifestyle can feel superficial compared to the slower, more enjoyable experiences of traveling by bus in the countryside. The author appreciates the excitement of modern advancements but also feels wary of how quickly our thoughts and actions are influenced by technology. He suggests that while speed can be exciting, it should never overshadow the importance of slower, more meaningful experiences, thus emphasizing their importance. 

 

Passage: I speak with prejudice, because I belong to the tribe of slow thinkers, those who are cursed with l’esprit de l’escalier: people who light on the most devastating repartee about four hours after the party’s over. I am one of those who are guaranteed to get the lowest marks in any intelligence test, because those tests or all the ones I have come across seem to be designed to measure the speed of your mind more than anything else. Obviously we slow thinkers are terribly handicapped in the business of getting a living. But what I am thinking about just now is not so much the practical use of one’s mind as its use for enjoyment.

 

Word Meanings:

prejudice(n): a preconceived notion

devastating(adj): damaging

 

Explanation: In this passage, the narrator talks about being a slow thinker, i.e, he takes a longer time to come up with clever responses or ideas and suffers from something called  l’esprit de l’escalier. He mentions feeling prejudiced because society often values quick thinking over slow thinkers. The author feels that he is at a disadvantage in tasks that require fast thinking, like intelligence tests or making quick decisions at work. However, he believes that the purpose of thinking is not just to be practical but also to enjoy the process. 

 

Passage: As an example, when I go to the cinema I find myself in a hopeless fog, and after two or three minutes I have to turn to my wife for enlightenment. I whisper: “Is this the same girl as the one we saw at the beginning ?” And she whispers back: “No, there are three girls in this film – a tall blonde, a short blonde, and a medium-sized brunette. Call them A, B, and C. The hero is that man who takes his hat off when he comes indoors. He is going to fall in love with girls B, C, A in that order.” And so it proves to be. There you have a mind which has trained itself to work in high gear-though as a matter of fact it can work in other gears just as well. But my point is that most of my fellow-patients in the cinema do think fast enough to keep up comfortably with rapid changes of scene and action. They think much faster than people did thirty years ago: possibly because those who do not think fast in the High Street nowadays may not get another chance in this world to think at all.

 

Word Meanings:

blonde(n): a woman with coloured hair and usually blue eyes

brunette(n): a woman with brown or dark hair

 

Explanation: The narrator, to give an example of his slow thinking, gives us a situation of him going to the cinema. He explains how he feels confused and needs help from his wife to understand the movie. The author asks if a character is the same as at the beginning of the film, and his wife explains that there are actually three different girls in the movie. She simplifies the movie for the author by giving nicknames to each of these characters and explaining the plot to the author. The author notes that most people at the cinema can keep up with the fast-paced movie, thinking quickly and understanding the changes in scenes, contrary to him. He believes that people today think faster than they did in the past, maybe due to the fact that quick thinking is more important in the present age.

 

 

Related Link : BSEB Class 10 English Syllabus 2024-25

 

Also See : 

BSEB Class 10 English Summary, Explanation Notes, Difficult words

 

 

BSEB Class 10 English Question Answers

 

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