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Chapter 3 What I Require from Life
Class 11 English
Exercise
J.B.S. Haldane
About Author/Writer
• Name: John Burdon Sanderson Haldane
• Lived between 1892 – 1964
• A British Indian Scientist
• Joined British Army and served during World War I
• A professed socialist, Marxist atheist, and humanist
• His political dissent led him to leave England in 1956 and lived
in India becoming a naturalized Indian Citizen
• Major works include Daedalus Animal Biology etc.
• Founder of diabetes Darwinism.
Main Summary
J.B.S. Haldane is a social critic who has presented his idea about
socialism. He used the mode of narrative writing to present his
personal opinion with his personal story of his life and the heroic
age.
According to him, although he was born in peaceful age but during
his youth, due to the outbreak of the first world war, he had to
involved himself in a heroic age of war. Later, he put forward his
opinion related to his requirement to make his living best.
According to him, his major requirements are described below.
Work:
It is Haldane’s first requirement. He wants every healthy people at
work in the entire world with a decent wage. Capitalism provides
unemployment in the time of depression. Here, he represents the
time frame of war when there are economic crises, and it’s the
time people need work and money. Similarly, he wants industries to be controlled by workers so that they can see the fruits of their
work not profit for others but in friends well being.
Freedom:
Freedom is his second requirement. He wants more freedom of
speech because the state’s law stops him from speaking a lot. As a
socialist, he has to speak more than others and he has to speak
more than others and he needs to advocate equality and criticize
the drawbacks of the present situation.
Health:
Health is the third requirement because he believes that a healthy
citizen can bring a remarkable change in society. So he wants to be
healthy enough to be fit for work and it is possible only with the
fulfillment of food, housing, and medical attendance to everyone.
Friendship:
It’s the fourth requirement. Being living in a society everyone needs
friends and colleagues in any scientific and political work. He wants
society with quality and could be criticized equally to all.
(Below are Minor requirements)
Adventure and thrill:
It also belongs to writers’ needs. According to him the adventure of
life will be useless without the risk factors. He means to describe it
as he wants to involve himself in such adventurous work which can
bring change in the life of people.
Desire and demands:
Here, according to the writer demand is something that we desire
for or it must have. So desire is not the requirement but demand is
more essential. Although he was fulfilled with all his desire but still
unhappy with lacking essential things.
Peace and security:
Peace and security are also part of his requirements; which is not
present in this modern life. World War has destroyed peace,
harmony, and security. Everything's were destroyed by fascism by
Hitler and Mussolini. There is no fraternity, equality, and
development without peace and security.
So by presenting all these requirements at last he wishes or desires
to die as Socrates. Socrates dies at the age of 70 for his convictions.
he willingly drank the cup of poison and died very happily. He
desires the death of Socrates if not at least fulfilling his two
conditions.
What I Require from Life – Complete Exercise
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. How does the writer distinguish between a peaceful age and a
heroic age?
Answer: The writer distinguishes between a peaceful age and a
heroic age by making a comparison between them. He recalls his
birth time a peaceful age and the time of 1914, when the First
World War took place as heroic age.
b. Why does the writer want more freedom of speech than most
people?
Answer: The writer wants more freedom of speech than most
people to express and explain what he feels about the society. He
wants freedom of speech to tell the public about the issues like
medicines, newspapers and drinks do not maintain quality.
c. According to the writer, what are the four general human needs?
Answer: According to the writer the four general human needs are
work, freedom of speech, health and friendship.
d. What is the difference between desire and demand according to
the writer?
Answer: According to the writer the difference between desire and demand is that the demand is related with the basic needs of life
like food, clothes and shelter but desire includes things which
improve living standard. The writer talks about car, garden, bathing
pool and nearby beach as desires.
e. Why does the writer demand security?
Answer: The writer demands security because it is an important
need for a person to live a happy life. He lived in the age of war and
chaos due to which the lives of many peoples was in risk. So he
demands security.
Reference to the context
Explain the following lines with reference to the context:
a. “The satisfaction of adventure is something much more solid
than a thrill.”
Answer: The author believes that adventure is not only about
emotions, but also about satisfaction in performing a creative
activity. It enriches people with solid experience. He compares thrill
with amusement he has got from reading Rimbaud’s poetry. He
served on the war front in Madrid for six months and looked
forward to read a book of Rimbaud’s poetry for a thrill.
b. “I want the workers to see the fruit of their own work not in
profits for others, but in their own and their friends’ well-being.”
Answer: The line shows the writer’s support for socialism. He
asserts the hardworking should be rewarded directly to a
considerable extent. He wants democracy within the working
environment. He is a socialist who wants industry to be controlled
by the workers. They should be free to work and share profit among
themselves too. He compares the nature of industrial work with
hunting and gardening like of paleothitic and neolithitic. To create
an even and pleasing working atmosphere the profits of work
should remain among working people.
c. Why do you think the essayist has taken reference from the
ancient philosophers?
Answer: I think the essayist has taken reference from the ancient philosopher like Aristotle, Lord Blan, Mr. Dash, and Sir John Asterisk
to support his ideas and convince the readers about his idea of
decent work and death.
d. Discuss the essay in terms of its language, purpose, subject,
point of view and mode of writing.
Answer: The language is simple and lucid in the essay. Haldane’s
style is typically straight forward and vigorous. As a science
popularize, he is accustomed to write about complex maters in a
simple language so that any reader can understand. Here, when
writing on a non- technical subject, he retains this simplicity, with
short, forceful, declarative sentences and clear explanations.
His subject at first appears to be personal and thus made of writing
descriptive.
However, in the second part of his essay, it becomes
clear that he is putting forward a political argument freedom, for
instance not merely a personal preference of Haldane’s but a
universal requirement. This means that society should be structured
in such a way as to maximize freedom for everyone.
His viewpoint is that of a social critic, setting forth a general
program of the principles that should underlie to a civilized society.
Reference beyond the text
a. What do you require from your life to be happy and satisfied?
Answer: I require good health, a job, friendship, freedom & security
from my life to be happy and satisfied.
b. What is socialism? How is it different from capitalism?
Answer: Socialism is a system of social and economic equality in
which private property and ownership are not prioritized. It differs
from capitalism because capitalism does not provide economic
equality. Unlike socialism, capitalism ignores people’s needs and
does not promote equal opportunity.
c. Write an essay about your dream house.
Answer:
My Dream
House
My dream house is an ideal house that I always imagine. House
becomes home when we pour love to our family members. It is a
place where different generation live together in a single bond. So,
my dream house will be full of love and happiness.
I always dream of a mountainous wooden home. My ideal home
should be facing a river. Through the windows, I could watch the
mountains sunset and vanish. It should be facing East direction
because I want to enjoy cool air as well as rising sun view. My ideal
home would include a little garden with my own veggies and fruits.
I would like to maintain my house neat and clean. There will be a
meditation room for myself to do Yoga and meditation. I will also
make one library room for my family and visitors. I will make a
special room for my parents and visitors.
I won’t add too much
amenities in my dream house because it creates laziness. I believe
that physical exercises are necessary to be healthy and fit. There
will be solar panel in my house to maintain regular light. I will also
add a big smart TV for my parents and visitors. My house’s wall will
be decorated with beautiful wall paintings capturing nature’s true
beauty. I also have a 1 year old pet dog named Puppy. I also want a
modest but cozy area in Puppy’s home where he may sleep and rest
when he gets old.
My dream home is a place of joy, peace and beauty. Right now it
exists only in my dreams. But someday, it will become a reality.
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