Class 9 Bestselller

Summary of the Chapter

One day, the narrator was on his way to Pittsburgh for business purpose by the chair-car. He was sitting on the chair No. 7. After a while, he noticed someone on the chair No. 9 When he saw him, remembered him at once. They both were old acquaintances and met after two years. His name was John A Pescud. He was reading the Best Seller ‘The Rose Lady and Trevelyan’. Pescud was a travelling salesman for a plate-glass company. He also believed that plate-glass was the most important commodity in the world.
Pointing towards the book he was reading, Pescud said that the novel dealt with an American hero who falls in love with a royal princess from Europe. He believed that such romances only happened in novels because in real life, any sensible fellow will pick out a girl from the same kind of status and family.
After mocking the imaginative content of the novel, Pescud informs the writer that professionally, he was prospering and he had also invested in real estate. On being asked regarding his love-interest, Pescud relates his personal experience. He was going to Cincinnati, when he came across a very beautiful girl, whom he wished to marry. He chased her wherever she went, crossing many stations and finally reached Virginia. She was escorted to a palatial mansion by a tall old man. Pescud stayed back in the village and discovered that she was the daughter of Colonel Allyn, who was the biggest and finest man in Virginia. He met the beautiful girl next day and tried to converse with her. He discovers that her name was Jessie and her father was the royal descendant of a renowned British family. She had been aware all along that Pescud was following her and warned him that her father would feed him to the hounds, if Pescud ever thought of a proposal. Nevertheless, nothing seemed to deter Pescud and with due ceremony, he arrives at the mansion. He was surprised to see that the inside of the palace was very impoverished with very old furniture. Colonel Allyn arrived in great style, despite his shabby clothes. Amidst talking of anecdotes and humorous occurrences, Pescud frankly put forth his proposal, giving all details of his business and family. He is accepted by Jessie and her family and the marriage had taken place a year ago. 
Pescud had built a house in East End and the Colonel was also residing with him. He waited daily at the gate for Pescud to hear a new story. By this time, the train was nearing Coketown. It appeared to be a dull and dreary place and the writer questioned Pescud regarding his purpose of getting down at Coketown. Pescud told the writer that he was halting there to get some Petunias which Jessie had seen in one of the houses. Pescud invites the writer to pay a visit and gets down at the station. The train moves forward and the writer discovers that Pescud had left his bestseller behind. He picked it up and smiled to himself because Pescud’s own story was no less than a bestseller.

4. Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) One day last summer the author was travelling to Pittsburg by chair car. What does he say about his co-passengers?

Ans. The compartment was full of affluent people, men and women, sitting in their chair-cars. Women were fashionably dressed in brown silk dresses with laces and veils. Men appeared to be travelling on account of business.

(b) Who was the passenger of chair No.9? What did he suddenly do?

Ans. The passenger of Chair No. 9 was a man from Pittsburgh named John, an old friend of writer. 

He suddenly threw his book between his chair and window. The name of book was the 'The Rose Lady and Trevelyan', one of the bestselling novels of the present day.

 (c) What was John A. Pescud's opinion about best sellers? Why?
 Ans. Pescud believed that the stories about best-sellers were not realistic. The themes revolved around romances between royals and commoners, fencing, imaginative encounters and all the stuff that never happens in real life. In real life, one would always select a prospective bride from a similar background.

(d) What does John say about himself since his last meeting with the author?

Ans .John, since his last meeting with the author was on the line of general prosperity. He had his salary doubled twice and had bought “a neat slice of real estate.” His company was to sell him some shares of stock the coming year. Much settled in life, he had even taken some time off to experience some romance of which he tells the author next.

(e) How did John's first meeting with Jessie's father go? What did the author tell him?

Ans. John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father was successful, since it set the tone for a possible alliance infuture. John not only made his proposal, stated his intentions in clear terms, but also made Jessie’s father laugh with his anecdotes and stories.

(f) Why did John get off at Coketown?
Ans  Jessie had fancied some petunias in one of the windows and she wanted to plant them in her new house. So Pescud thought of dropping at Coketown to dig or get some cuttings of flowers for her.

(g) John is a hypocrite. Do you agree with this statement? Substantiate your answer.

Ans.Yes, I believe that John is a hypocrite. The word hypocrite means the person tries to shows what he is not. John is such type of man. He said that he did not believe in the romance portrayed in best sellers. He believed the stories too good to be true. However, his own story was fantastical. His wife, the only daughter of the oldest family in Virginia, met him, an ordinary travel salesman of a plate glass company, in a journey where he would have least expected to find his life partner. Their courtship also was too fantastical, and even after all the episode, the fashion in which Pescud criticised love stories of best sellers proves him to be a hypocrite.

(h) Describe John A. Pescud with reference to the following points:

Physical appearance ............................................................................................

His philosophy on behaviour ...............................................................................

His profession ......................................................................................................

His first impression of his wife ...........................................................................

His success ..........................................................................................................

Answer

Physical appearance: John was not particularly good looking

His philosophy on behaviour: A man should be decent and law abiding in her/his hometown

His profession: A travelling salesman for a plate glass company

His first impression of his wife: A very fine girl, whose job was to make this world prettier just by residing in it

His success: Much successful John had had his salary raised twice in the previous year and his company was to give him a few shares as well.

5. Complete the flow chart in the correct sequence as it happens in the story.

Hint: it begins from the time John Pescud first saw Jessie till the time they marry.

(1)	Jessie takes a sleeper to Louisville.

(2)	Pescud sees a girl (Jessie) reading a book in the train.
(3)	Pescud speaks to the girl (Jessie) for the first time.
(4)	Pescud follows her but finds it difficult to keep up.
(5)	Pescud goes to the village to find out about the mansion.
(6)	Jessie arrives at Virginia.
(7)	Pescud meets Jessie's father.
(8)	They get married a year later.
(9)	Pescud instantly gets attracted to the girl (Jessie)
(10)	Jessie informs Pescud that her father would not approve of them meeting.
(11)	They meet alone two days later.

Answer

(2)	Pescud sees a girl (Jessie) reading a book in the train.
(9)	Pescud instantly gets attracted to the girl (Jessie)
(1)	Jessie takes a sleeper to Louisville.
(4)	Pescud follows her but finds it difficult to keep up.
(6)	Jessie arrives at Virginia.
(5)	Pescud goes to the village to find out about the mansion
(3)	Pescud speaks to the girl (Jessie) for the first time.
(10)	Jessie informs Pescud that her father would not approve of them meeting.
(7)	Pescud meets Jessie's father.
(11)	They meet alone two days later
(8)	They get married a year later.

Page No: 53

6. Irony refers to the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of their literal meaning. Working in pairs, bring out the irony in the following:

(a) The title of the story, “The Best seller”. 

Answer
The Best Seller is supposed to be most popular and likeable. But John Pescud throws the best seller “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan” to the floor of the chair car. He later says that all bestsellers have the same unrealistic romantic stories.

(b) Pescud's claim, “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own station. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high-school and belonged to the same singing-society that he did.”

Answer 
Pescud told the author that unlike the stories of the bestsellers, in real life people marry somebody in their own place. Someone who has been educated in a similar type of school and has grown up in a similar background. Yet the irony behind his claim is seen in his own life history. The moment he saw the unknown girl on the train, he fell in love with her, without much knowledge about her. He followed her to her destination and even after finding out that she lived in Elmcroft, Virginia, in a 50 room mansion, belonged to the oldest family in the state and her father was a descendent of the belted Earls he did not give up his pursuit. In spite of coming from totally different walks of life-he being an ordinary travelling salesman, their paths met and he went on to marry her.

(c) The name Trevelyan.

Answer  Trevelyan is the hero of the bestseller novel “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan.” Pescud condemns such best sellers and makes fun of its unrealistic characters. But at the end of the story, the author calls Pescud a Trevelyan because he had behaved almost like the hero of the bestseller.