JAPAN AND BRAZIL THROUGH A TRAVELER’S EYE

SUMMARY GEORGE MIKES

Japan and Brazil through a Traveler’s Eye' is a travelogue written by 'George Mikes'. In these passages the writer has,
unintentionally, brought out the culture and mannerisms of the people of Japan and Brazil in a funny way.
He decidedly comments that within fifteen minutes after you land in Japan, we are convinced that the Japanese are highly refined
in their social manners; Even though Japan has a very large population and its cities are overcrowded, every Japanese respects each
other's privacy. The author opines that Japanese conduct their confidential businesses and matters of love and quarrel in perfect
privacy. At a public telephone booth, because of the other Japanese, if they listen to his conversation prefer to ignore it, respecting
his privacy.
The writer objectively informs us that every visitor can notice the mania for 'bowing' well-mannered Japanese gesture to show
respect to one-another. Here everybody 'bows' to one-another to show their respect, and in a very short time even a visitor to
Japanese will be influenced to imitate their manners. It points out that 'bowing' has become a 'Mania' to them. He, hilariously,
narrates that even train conductor walks into the middle of the coach and 'bows' ceremoniously in both directions and then starts
checking tickets of passengers. He also narrates a funny incident that even a 'deer' in a Japanese province of Nara bowed to him
before snatching the food packet, the author had brought with him to feed the deer. Even at a bus stop, people respectfully bow to
each other before pushing and elbowing each other to get into the bus. If invited to a dinner, the guests have to slurp the soup noisily
to show appreciation to the hostess, else she will consider you ill-mannered.
In the excerpt 'Traffic in Brazil' the writer brings out the hustle and bustle of Brazil, chaotic traffic. Even though Brazilian's are
easy-going people, they transform into speed devils as soon as they get behind the wheels of a car. Even though motor cars are
costly in Brazil and most people can't afford a car, the number of cars on Brazilian roads has increased by leaps and bounds.
'Walking' on Brazilian roads or crossing the roads has become extremely difficult. The Brazilian drivers do not care for the lives of
people who walk. They do not care for the other drivers also. They compete with each other, overtake in all directions and blow
their horn at each other in a mad way. Crossing Brazilian road, without any injury must be considered lucky; you have to take risk.
He jokes that if you see a friend on the other side of the road and shout at him asking him how he crossed the road, he might be
surprised at your stupid question and reply that he did not cross the road but he was born there, implying that the traffic on Brazilian
roads was so dense and people could not cross the road only after waiting for a very long time.

I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a sentence each: -

1. What is the double function of courtesy?
Ans: It is courtesy and it is substitute privacy.

2. What is the comparison which is used by the author in the essay fora man's telephone receiver?
Ans: Castle

3. What is quainter, formal, oriental and infectious in Japan?

Ans: Bowing.

4. What is extremely expensive in Brazil?

Ans: Vehicles

5. What has more dangers than almost anything else in Japan?

Ans: Eating soup.

6. What is the sign of appreciation while eating soup in Japan?

Or
What is the sign of appreciation in eating soup? March – 2015
Ans: Making a fearful noise.

7. Whose life is becoming more hazardous every day in Japan?

Ans: The pedestrian's life.

8. Which comparison is used by the author to refer to a clash between the driver and a pedestrian?
Ans: Hunter and prey.

9. What do the driver and pedestrian finally do after the chase in Brazil?
Ans: Smile amicably at each other.

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10. Name the animal that bows at George Mikes in Japan?
Or
Name the animal that bowed the George Mikes in Japan. March – 2016
Or
Which animal bowed to the author at Nara in ‘Japan and Brazil through a Traveler’s eye’? March – 2019
Ans: Deer.

11. Who are the drivers in Brazil on the look-out for?

Ans: Pedestrians

12. Whose life is becoming more hazardous in Brazil every day according to George Mikes?
Ans: Pedestrian's life

13. What, according to George Mikes, do the driver and pedestrian finally do after the chase in Brazil?
Ans: Smile amicably at each other.

14. What is called as man's castle in Japan, according to Mikes?

Ans: A man's telephone-receiver

15. What did the conductors do as soon as they entered the train to check tickets in Japan?
Ans: They bowed in both directions.

16. What have the people of Brazil decorated the pavements with?
Ans: Beautiful black mosaic tiles.

17. Which two cities are interlinked through the Tokaido line?
Ans: Tokyo and Osaka.

18. Who are the exquisitely well-mannered people in George Mike’s travel writing?
Ans: Japanese

19. What was George Mike's observation about the decoration of pavements in Brazil?
Ans: They were decorated with beautiful black mosaics.

20. Give an example which shows that the Japanese are well-mannered people.
Ans: They respect each other's privacy and bow to each other.

21. Who are easy victims of prey for the drivers in Brazil?
Ans: Pedestrians.

22. What are extremely expensive in Brazil? March – 2017

Ans: Motor cars / Cars.

23. Why do Japanese make a fearful noise while eating soup? March – 2018
Ans: As a sign of appreciation.

III. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80 – 100 words each: -

IV. Answer the following questions in about 200 words: -

1. Explain how even animals like deer follow the quaint custom of bowing in Japan, according to George Mikes?
Ans: The people of Japan are famous for their mannerism. They show respect to elders and strangers too by bowing. George Mikes
was surprised to find people of all ages bowing to one another. He was all the more surprised when he saw a deer in a place called
Nara in Japan. He had a packet of food in hand to offer to the animal. The deer came up to him, looked into his eyes and bowed
deeply. It was not an accidental gesture. It was a proper and courteous bow. It occurred to him that the animal had learnt the habit
of bowing after seeing people follow the custom very often. He also felt that it was something genetic that made the deer bow to
him. Then, it jumped at him and snatched the food packet from his hand. This incident made him believe that even animals follow
such courtesy.

2. Explain with an example how Japanese respect others' privacy.

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Ans: In the lesson, Japan and Brazil through A Traveler’s Eye', George Mikes describes the surprising level of respect and privacy
shown in Japan. He writes that, a quarter of an hour in Japan, would convince any person about their presence among the exquisitely
well-mannered people. People in Japan live on a hopelessly over crowded island and so respecting each other's privacy becomes
very important. He considers the example of little red telephones in the streets, halls of hotels, where the instrument is situated on
a table or on a counter, as they do not have space to spare for booths. A person conducts his most confidential business transactions,
intimate love quarrels in public, but in perfect privacy. Anybody could easily listen-in but nobody does so in Japan. A man's
telephone receiver acts as his castle.

3. Bowing in Japan is quainter; more formal, more oriental.' Explain with reference to Japan and Brazil through a
Traveler’s Eye'.
Ans: One can easily notice Japanese mania for bowing. Everybody keeps bowing to everybody else. It is also infections. We can
make out that the Japanese have a complicated hierarchy in bowing as who bows to whom, how deeply and for how long. If two
Japanese bow, neither is to straighten up before the other stands erect in front of him. It's complicated to us but they manage it
without difficulty. Within a family, they have basic rules-wife bows to husband, child bows to his father, the sister bows to all
brothers of whatever age.

4. How do the people of Japan respect one another's privacy even in a crowded place?
Ans: George Mikes in his essay Japan and Brazil through Traveler’s Eye', states that the people of Japan are extremely well-
mannered people. They are very courteous even to strangers. Red telephones are placed on a table or a counter in crowded streets
or hotel halls as there is no space to spare for booths. Even in such crowded places, people are allowed to use telephone peacefully.
They are able to discuss most confidential business transactions or their love-quarrels in public as there is no disturbance to their
privacy. No passer-by would listen to a single word of the conversation. A man's telephone receiver is his castle and this courtesy
is an amazing quality of the Japanese.

5. Bring out the culture of the Japanese as explained by George Mikes. March – 2015
Ans: 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.

6. Give an account of the crawling traffic in Brazil as mentioned by George Mikes. March – 2016
Ans: To give an account of the crawling traffic in Brazil, George Mikes cites the examples of Avenida Presidente Vargas. The
reader can just imagine himself standing there for hours and trying to cross the road without any success, wondering how crawling
traffic can proceed at such a terrifying speed. He, then asks the reader to visualize a scene where a man on his side of the road spots
his friend on the other side and asks him, how on earth, he managed to get over there and gets reply that he was born on that side.

7. What are the views of George Mikes about Japanese 'Mannerism of Bowing'? March – 2017
Or
Give an account of the complicated way of Bowing in Japan. March – 2018
Or
Give an account of the Japanese mania for bowing as described by George Mikes.
Or
What is unique about bowing in Japan? March – 2019
Ans: One can easily notice Japanese mania for bowing. Everybody keeps bowing to everybody else. It is also infectious. We can
make out that the Japanese have a complicated hierarchy in bowing as who bows to whom, how deeply and for how long. If two
Japanese bow, neither is to straighten up before the other stands erect in front of him. One of the American states that an early traffic
law which laid down if two cars met at intersection, neither was to move before the other stands erect in front of him. It's complicated
to us but they manage it without difficulty Within a family, they have basic rules-wife bows to husband, child bows to his father,
the sister bows to all brothers of whatever age.

‘Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back’.

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