1. How did the author look whenever he went to the bank? Pick out the word/phrase that conveys this.
The author looked very nervous and anxious whenever he went to the bank. The words that describe this are “rattled” and “shambled in and looked timidly round at the clerks.”
2. What change took place in the author when he was face to face with the accountant?
When he was face to face with the accountant, the author became even more nervous and started talking in a gloomy, serious way. He couldn’t speak confidently and his voice was described as “sepulchral.”
3. Why did the author want to meet the manager ‘alone’? How did the manager feel about it?
The author wanted to meet the manager ‘alone’ because he thought it was the proper thing to do when opening an account, but he didn’t really have a special reason. The manager felt a bit alarmed and thought the author might have an “awful secret.”
4. What was the first impression that the manager had about the author? Give reasons for your answer.
The manager’s first impression was that the author was someone important, maybe a detective or a rich person. This is because the author acted very mysterious and asked to meet the manager alone, which made him suspicious.
5. What actions/words of the writer made the manager think that the writer was a very rich person and belonged to a family of bankers?
The author’s secretive way of talking, his wanting to meet the manager alone, and his statement, “I intend to keep all my money in this bank,” made the manager think he was a rich person from a family of bankers.
6. What change do you notice in the manager when he discovered that the writer was an ordinary client?
Once the manager realized that the author only wanted to deposit fifty-six dollars, he stopped being serious and important and spoke to the accountant in a loud, unkind way. He understood that the author was just a regular customer.
7. Why did the author’s face look ‘ghastly pale’ after he quickly handed over the money to the accountant?
The author’s face looked “ghastly pale” because he was extremely nervous and embarrassed while handing over the money, worried about making a mistake.
8. Why do you think did the author write ‘fifty-six’ instead of ‘six dollars’ on the cheque?
The author wrote ‘fifty-six’ instead of ‘six dollars’ on the cheque because he was so nervous and confused that he made a mistake.
9. How did the clerk in the bank look when he saw the author withdrawing the entire money soon after he had deposited it?
The clerk looked very surprised when he saw the author withdrawing all the money right after depositing it. He even asked, “What! Are you drawing it all out again?”
10. What impression did the people in the bank form of the author? How did they express it when he left the bank?
The people in the bank thought the author was strange and maybe even a little foolish. When he left, they all laughed loudly, showing they found his behavior weird and funny.
11. What sort of person is the writer? Support your answer by citing examples from the story.
The writer is a very nervous, shy, and awkward person, especially in banks. For example, he felt rattled by everything in the bank and made silly mistakes like depositing all his money and then immediately taking it all out.
12. Why does the author give this story the title ‘My Financial Career’? Do you find it an appropriate title? Give reasons for your answer. Can you think of another suitable title for this story?
The author calls it “My Financial Career” in a funny way because his experience with the bank is so awkward that it seems like a whole ‘career’ for him, even though it’s just one visit. Yes, it’s an appropriate title because it matches the humor in the story. Another suitable title could be “My Adventure at the Bank” or “A Day at the Bank”.
B. True or False? Correct the false statements.
- The author really wanted to see the manager alone.
False. The author did not actually want to see the manager alone; he just thought it was something he should do. - The author thought that fifty-six dollars was a large sum of money.
True. - The author found the business of depositing and withdrawing money from a bank a very complicated thing.
True. - The author wrote fifty-six dollars instead of six out of nervousness.
True. - The bank manager was very pleased when the author said that he wanted to deposit fifty-six dollars.
False. The bank manager was not pleased; when he found out it was only fifty-six dollars, he was disappointed. - The author is trying to make fun of the banking system and the bank staff.
True.
Words
A. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the passage.
A bank is a place where people put their money because it is safe. On its staff, a bank may have a manager, an accountant and some clerks.
To put money in a bank you must first open an account, after which the bank will issue you a cheque book.
Once an account has been opened, you can deposit your salary every month in the bank and then withdraw it as and when you need it.
In order to withdraw money from the bank you must first write a cheque and hand it over to the clerk at the window, who will then pay you the money.
B. Pick out other words/expressions in the story that describe different feelings and attitudes.
Some words/expressions from the story that show different feelings and attitudes are:
- “rattled”
- “timidly round”
- “shambled in”
- “my voice was sepulchral”
- “ghastly pale”
- “reckless with misery”
- “wretched”
- “in a hallow vibrating voice”
All of these phrases show how nervous, scared, or embarrassed the author felt in the bank!
Grammar
(a) Reported speech version:
Tom asked Maggie if he hadn’t been a good brother.
Maggie replied that he had been very, very good and said that she loved him.
Tom then said that he must go and see his rabbits.
Maggie began to tremble with fear as she followed Tom.
She asked Tom how much money he had given for his rabbits.
Tom replied promptly that he had given five shillings and six pence.
He added that he thought he had more than that upstairs, and told her to take all that money and buy some more rabbits.
(b) Reported speech version:
Tom’s father asked where his little girl was.
Tom replied that he didn’t know and that he hadn’t seen her for two hours.
Tom’s mother suggested that perhaps she was up there under the roof.
Tom’s father then ordered Tom sharply to go and fetch her down.
Pg. 114 Writing
Something very funny happened today. I was sitting in my room when the accountant, Mr. Montgomery, came to me. He said that a very serious-looking man wanted to see me alone. I got up and invited the man into my office.
As soon as he entered, I noticed he looked quite nervous. He clutched some money in his hand and kept asking if we were “safe from interruption.” I thought he might have some important secret or maybe be someone very rich! But, to my surprise, he just wanted to open a small bank account.
He spoke in such a weird and mysterious way that for a moment I wondered if he was a detective or even a millionaire. But then he told me he wanted to deposit only fifty-six dollars! After we helped him fill out the forms, he got even more confused and asked right away to withdraw money. But by mistake, he wrote a cheque for all his money instead of just six dollars!
All the clerks and I couldn’t stop laughing after he left. It was such a funny moment, and definitely the strangest account opening I’ve ever seen as a bank manager!