The Romance of a Busy Broker

an open window
Hector Hugh Munro (Saki)
RS Nagar
Associate professor
Principal officiating
11/13/2020 1
PROF. RS NAGAR, KHEDA ARTS
& COMMERCE COLLEGE, KHEDA

an open window
 Known as SAKI
 British (1870-1916), served in
Indian Imperial Police, posted at
Burma.
 Left it due to ill health and pursued
career in writing.
 Focused on social conventions &
hypocrisies of his time.
11/13/2020 2

an open window
 An Open Window waspublishedin1914.
 Excellent example of use of IRONY.
 Deftly portrayed external and
internal conflict.
 Most popular story of SAKI.
11/13/2020 3

ROMANCE OF A BUSY BROKER
O’henry
RS Nagar
Associate professor
Principal officiating
11/13/2020 4

O’henry
 O’Henry,(1862-1910) the pen name of
William Sydney Porter, an American
short story writer.
 Known for his witty narration & surprise
endings.
 The Gift of Magi,The Last Leaf are his
famous stories.
 He wrote about lives of ordinary people
& their mundane world.
11/13/2020 5

O’henry
Q.1:What was different about Pitcher
that morning when Maxwell entered
the office?
Ans.: Usually Pitcher was not allowed
his face to show no feeling. When
Maxwell entered the office that
morning, he allowed his face to show
interest and surprise.
11/13/2020 6

O’henry
Q.2:”Machine sitting at the table no
longer a man ?
Ans.: Machine sitting at the table no
longer a man, suggests that once the
broker starts his work he turns into a
machine.
11/13/2020 7

O’henry
Q.3:What/Who was the machine?
Ans.:The busy broker, Harvey
Maxwell, the main character of the
story, is the machine.
11/13/2020 8

O’henry
Q.4:Why did Leslie decide to continue
her work ?
Ans.: Leslie decided to continue her
work because nobody was there to
work as secretary in her place.
11/13/2020 9

O’henry
Q.5:What were the reaction of the
men who came to the office ?
Ans.: The men who came to the
office, some of them were happy,
some were not, some were in a hurry,
some were full of anger.
11/13/2020 10

O’henry
Q.6:Why did Maxwell look like a
dancer ?
Ans.:Maxwell looked like a dancer
because he was quickly moving from
one place to another. He jumped from
the machine to his table to the door
and back again.
11/13/2020 11

O’henry
Q.7:In the story, what does the ‘silver
chain’ refer to ?
Ans.: The ‘silver chain’ refers to the
lady who wants to join as a
secretary, in place of Leslie.
11/13/2020 12

O’henry
Q.8:What made Maxwell forget that
he was married ?
Ans.: Maxwell’s business put everything
else out of his head. His business
made him forget that he was
married.
11/13/2020 13

O’henry
S.N.1:Leslie different from other
secretary
Ans.:Leslie was very beautiful, and
very different from most other
secretaries. Her hair always looked
plain and simple. She did not wear
chains or jewels. Her dress was gray
and plain, but it fitted her very well.
(continue…)
11/13/2020 14

O’henry
S.N.1:Leslie different from other secretary
…..She seemed to shine softly. Her
eyes were dreaming but bright. Her
face was warmly colored and her
expression was happy.
11/13/2020 15

O’henry
S.N.2:Character sketch of Harvey Maxwell
Ans.:. Maxwell Harvey was a busy New York
broker. As soon as he entered the office he
turns into a machine, no longer a man. Every
minute of his hour was crowded. He is
constantly busy with files and piles of papers.
From a machine came a long, narrow, endless
piece of paper bringing him business news as
soon as it happened. He deals with the
visitors. He works like a watch, a machine, a
dancer. He jumps from the machine to the
table to the door and back. He was so busy
that he became more and more forgetful.
(continue….)
11/13/2020 16

O’henry
S.N.2:Character sketch of Harvey Maxwell
(…continue) He works like some fine and strong
machine, as fast as he could. He never had to
stop to think. He was never wrong. He was
always ready to decide and act.He worked as
a clock. The world of business was not a
human world or a world of nature. He was so
forgetful that even he forgot that he got
married with Leslie, his beautiful secretary,
just last evening. And twist was that on the
next evening, when he got a few minute free,
he again proposed her.
11/13/2020 17

O’henry
S.N.3:Typical day in a busy broker’s office
Ans.:The Office of a broker is busy, people come
and go. Boys ran in and out with letter to be
answered. A long, narrow and endless piece of
paper bringing the business news comes out from
the machine a machine. The employees work as a
machine like clock. In fact they have turned into
an expressionless machines. They are like sailors
in the storm. They work fast, without much time
to think, act fast. They live in a business world,
not human or world of nature. They have no time
to express their soft feelings. Even they forget
the important event like ‘wedding’, too.
11/13/2020 18

O’henry
S.N.4:The marriage proposal scene between Maxwell and Leslie
Ans.: After a long and busy business day as the
quite dinner time was near, a soft sweet smell of
flower came to Maxwell. The smell belonged to
Miss Leslie. He decided to propose her. He was so
attracted towards her that he wondered why he
had not proposed her earlier. But her proposal was
not romantic. It had a tinge of business. With his
hands full of papers, in hurried manner he said
quickly to her, “ Miss Leslie, I have only a
moment. I want to say something in that moment.
Will you be my my wife? I have not had time to
make love to you in the usual way. But I really
love you. Talk quick, please. I have to get back to
my work.” (continue…)
11/13/2020 19

O’henry
S.N.4:The marriage proposal
scene between Maxwell and Leslie
(…continue) The surprised Leslie acted
strangely. The tears began to run from her
wondering eyes and she smiled. She said
softly, “It’s this business. It has put
everything out of your head…Don’t you
remember, Harvey? We married last
evening at eight, in the Little Church
around the Corner.”
The author emphasized the overpowering
business world crushing the human life.
11/13/2020 20

O’henry
Q.1:At what time did Harvey Maxwell
enter into his office?
 1. Half past ten
 2. Quarter past ten
 3.Quarter to nine
 4. half past nine
11/13/2020 21

O’henry
Q.2:Who was the young lady Maxwell
entered with?
 1. Emily
 2. Leslie
 3.Lenny
 4. Linda
11/13/2020 22

O’henry
Q.3:Leslie worked as secretary for ?
 1.a year
 2.two year
 3.three year
 4.four year
11/13/2020 23

O’henry
Q.4:Who was Pitcher to Harvey
Maxwell in the story?
 1.his secretary
 2.his clerk
 3.his business partner
 4.his stenographer
11/13/2020 24

O’henry
Q.5:Leslie asked Pitcher if Harvey
Maxwell talked to him about getting
another..
 1.clerk
 2.assistant
 3.intern
 4.secretary
11/13/2020 25

O’henry
Q.6:The other men in the office
seemed like…………during a storm.
 1.ships
 2.pirates
 3.sailors
 4.madmen
11/13/2020 26

O’henry
Q.7:The silver chain was………..when
she left the office.
 1.angry
 2.sad
 3.annoyed
 4.unimpressed
11/13/2020 27

O’henry
Q.8:The sweet smell of the flowers
belonged to...
 1.a garden
 2.a bouquet of flowers
 3.Leslie
 4.none of the above
11/13/2020 28

O’henry
Q.9: Where did they get married?
 1.the little church around the corner
 2.the little chapel around the corner
 3.the Courthouse
 4.none of the above
11/13/2020 29

O’henry
Q.9: They get married at…………..in the
evening ?
 1. six
 2.seven
 3.eight
 4.nine
11/13/2020 30

11/13/2020 31

The Romance of a Busy Broker

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The Romance of a Busy Broker