Japan and Brazil through a Traveller’s Eye is a timeless essay that continues to resonate with audiences today. It is an essay that can help us to think about the importance of cultural understanding and the value of travel. Read More Plus Two English Question and Answers.
Japan and Brazil through a Traveller’s Eye Question and Answers
Question 1.
What makes Mikes feel that the drivers in Brazil are on the lookout for pedestrians
Answer:
George Mikes feels that the drivers in Brazil are on the lookout for pedestrians because as soon as a driver notices a pedestrian step off the pavement, he appears to regard him as a fair game and so he takes aim and accelerates his vehicle. The pedestrian has to jump, leap, and run for his/her dear life.
Question 2.
‘People respect each other’s privacy’. Explain with reference to Japan in Mikes’ travel writing.
OR
Explain how the people of Japan respect each other’s privacy, according to George Mikes.
Answer:
The people of Japan live on a hopelessly overcrowded island where they have no privacy. However, the people are so well-mannered that they are courteous enough not to overhear a conversation when they find anyone talking to someone else over the telephone. The speaker can consider the telephone receiver as his castle and conduct his most confidential business transactions and intimate love-quarrels in public, yet in perfect privacy without becoming apprehensive about anyone overhearing his conversation.
Question 3.
How does the writer explain the complicated hierarchy in bowing?
OR
Why is bowing in Japan a complicated process?
OR
“The Japanese follow a complicated hierarchy in bowing.” Explain with reference to ‘Japanese Manners’.
Answer:
The writer George Mikes remarks that for the Japanese people ‘bowing’ has become a mania. However, he also speaks in an appreciative tone and says that the people bow to each other with the solemnity of a courtier yet with a great deal of natural and inimitable grace. Besides, he also says that the Japanese follow a complicated hierarchy in bowing. This system decides who bows to whom, how deeply, and for how long. Though it is a little complicated to us, the Japanese manage it without difficulty and subtly and reflect in their bowing even the smallest difference in rank, standing, age, and social position in a split second.
Question 4.
How, according to George Mikes, do the bowing gentlemen turn into savages in Japan?
Answer:
The author George Mikes, having described in detail how ‘bowing’ is followed so ritualistically in Japan, towards the end of the article narrates an incident that happened in one of the parts in Nara, a deer park in Japan. The author bought a pack of food for a deer. On seeing the pack of food, the deer went up to him, looked into his eyes, and bowed to him deeply. Then, almost immediately, it jumped at him and snatched the little food-bag from his hand.
Using this incident as an analogy, George Mikes makes fun of the Japanese people, for their ugly behaviour while boarding a bus. He tells the reader in a sarcastic tone that we can often see the Japanese bowing to each other with ceremonious serenity even at bus-stops. Then he says, “as soon as the bus arrives, the bowing gentlemen are transformed into savages, they push each other aside, tread on each other’s toes and shove their elbows into each other’s stomachs”. The reader, who had all along been encouraged to develop a kind of admiration for the Japanese habit of respectful bowing, is shocked or stunned by this revelation.
Question 5.
Give an account of the Japanese mania for bowing as described by George Mikes.
OR
What is unique about bowing in Japan?
OR
What are the views of George Mikes about Japanese ‘mannerism of bowing’?
Answer:
According to George Mikes, as soon as we land in Japan, the first thing we notice is bowing is so ubiquitous in Japan. The writer comments that it is the mania of the Japanese. He remarks that everyone keeps bowing to everybody else with the ceremonious solemnity of a courtier yet with a great deal of natural and inimitable grace. If two Japanese bow, as a rule, neither is to straighten up before the other stands erect in front of him. He states that bowing is quainter, more formal, and more oriental and also infectious.
Besides, he also says that the Japanese follow a complicated hierarchy in bowing. This system decides who bows to whom, how deeply, and for how long. Though it is a little complicated to us, the Japanese manage it without difficulty and subtly and reflect in their bowing even the smallest difference in rank, standing, age, and social position in a split second.
Apart from saying that the Japanese follow a complicated hierarchy in their bowing, the author says that the Japanese follow certain basic rules inside the family. They are the wife bows to her husband, the child bows to his father, younger brothers to elder brothers, and the sister bows to all brothers of whatever age.
In Japanese stores, bowing girls stand at the top of escalators and their only duty is to bow deeply and deferentially to all and sundry.
The ticket checking conductors on the fast Tokaido Line, march to the middle of the coach and bow ceremoniously in both directions before checking the tickets.
At Nara, a deer created the impression that it bowed to the author.
Question 6.
According to George Mikes, the people of Brazil are both leisurely and speed-loving. Explain.
Answer:
According to George Mikes, the people of Brazil are both leisurely and speed-loving. He remarks that however close by or far off their destination may be, Brazilians do not seem to bother about the time it might take for them to reach their destination. They do not hurry at all; they do not mind even if they reach their destination either an hour too soon or a day late or may not reach at all. But the very same leisurely people, as soon as they get a steering wheel in their hands, no speed is fast enough for them. If one looks at their driving speed, one would be inclined to believe that gaining a tenth of a second is a matter of grave importance for all of them all the time.
Question 7.
Why does George Mikes say that eating soup has more dangers for a European?
Answer:
The author George Mikes concludes his observations with his comments on the Japanese way of eating soup. He remarks that eating soup has more dangers than almost anything else. He opines so because eating soup in a Japanese house puts an outsider in a dilemmatic situation. The Japanese host expects the ‘guest’ to make a fearful noise to Show his sign of appreciation while eating soup. If the guest is a European and if he or she does not make a fearful noise, then the host will think that their guest is an ill-mannered lout. But, having knowledge of this custom, if a European visitor makes a fearful noise while eating soup to express his appreciation, then the host will think that he must be an ill-mannered lout because the Japanese know that no reasonably well brought up European makes such disgusting noises when eating soup.
Question 8.
Bring out the culture of the Japanese as explained by George Mikes.
Answer:
In his travelogue, George Mikes narrates four anecdotes which will help any foreign visitor to understand the cultural traits of the Japanese people. The author first highlights how people’s courtesy serves a double function in Japan. He assertively states that a couple, with perfect confidence, can carry on even their intimate love quarrels in public, in perfect privacy, without being apprehensive of any passerby overhearing them. Next, he talks about the bowing mania of the Japanese people and how the Japanese manage to show even the slightest differences in their hierarchy with a great deal of natural and inimitable grace.
Then, he narrates how, the very same people who, a few minutes ago had bowed to each other with such ceremonious solemnity would behave like savages, push each other aside, tread on each other’s toes and elbow their way into the bus. Finally, he talks about soup-eating in Japan. He says that, according to the Japanese, when eating soup one must make a fearful noise so as to express his appreciation, otherwise the guest will be considered an ill-mannered lout.
Question 9.
Why is a pedestrian’s life hazardous in Brazil, according to George Mikes?
OR
Elaborate on the plight of a pedestrian in Brazil.
Answer:
According to George Mikes, the people of Brazil are both leisurely and speed-loving. Then he says that the people love driving their cars at such speed that as soon as the drivers get a steering wheel in their hands, no speed is fast enough for them. They seem to believe that gaining a tenth of a second is a matter of grave importance for them all the time. The drivers usually lookout for pedestrians who step off the pavement and regard such pedestrians as a fair game. They take aim and accelerate their vehicle. The pedestrians have to jump, leap, and run for their dear life. Naturally, on account of such speed-loving people, a pedestrian’s life is hazardous in Brazil.
Question 10.
Explain how drivers in Brazil care about pedestrians, as mentioned by George Mikes.
Answer:
According to George Mikes, the people of Brazil are both leisurely and speed-loving. Then he says that the people love driving their cars at such speed that as soon as the drivers get a steering wheel in their hands, no speed is fast enough for them. They seem to believe that gaining a tenth of a second is a matter of grave importance for them all the time. The drivers usually lookout for pedestrians who step off the pavement and regard such pedestrians as a fair game. They take aim and accelerate their vehicle. The pedestrians have to jump, leap, and run for their dear life. Naturally, on account of such speed-loving people, a pedestrian’s life is hazardous in Brazil.
Question 11.
How do Mikes portray a view of Japanese culture through their act of bowing?
Answer:
According to George Mikes, as soon as we land in Japan, the first thing we notice is the mania of bowing, which is so ubiquitous in Japan. The writer comments that it is the mania of the Japanese. He remarks that everyone keeps bowing to everybody else with the ceremonious solemnity of a courtier yet with a great deal of natural and inimitable grace. If two Japanese bow, as a rule neither is to straighten up before the other stands erect in front of him. He states that bowing is quainter, more formal, and more oriental and also infectious.
Further, he says that the Japanese follow a complicated hierarchy in bowing. This system decides who bows to whom, how deeply, and for how long. Though it is a little complicated to us, the Japanese manage it without difficulty and subtly and reflect in their bowing even the smallest difference in rank, standing, age, and social position in a split second. Apart from saying that the Japanese follow a complicated hierarchy in their bowing, the author says that the Japanese follow certain basic rules inside the family. They are the wife bows to her husband, the child bows to his father, younger brothers to elder brothers, and the sister bows to all brothers of whatever age.
Question 12.
Why does George Mikes say that nobody hurries in Brazil? What instances does he give to illustrate this?
Answer:
While recording his observations about the paradoxical behaviour of the people in time management, George Mikes says that nobody hurries in Brazil and does not seem to be worried whether they reach their destination an hour too soon, a day late, or not at all. Though his statement appears to be an exaggeration, George Mikes then tells us the reason. His inference seems to be based on his imaginative assessment of the probable time a pedestrian in Copacabana takes to move from one end of a street to the next while walking on the pavement, enjoying the beauty of the black mosaics on the pavements. George Mikes says that the natives seem to relish such beautiful decorations on the pavements and do not mind spending time meditating on the beautiful mosaics while walking on the pavements.
He then cites another instance which highlights the incredible size of the crawling traffic in Avenida Presidente Vargas. Imagining that a pedestrian standing on one side of the street, asks his friend on the other side, how he got there, his friend would reply that he was born on that side and he did not go there crossing the street. This imaginary incident would tell the reader about the size of the moving traffic in Brazil.
It is an essay that can help us to think about the importance of cultural understanding and the value of travel. It is also an essay that can help us to laugh at ourselves and to appreciate the lighter side of life.