A Brief Analysis of the Essay "How to Live to be 200" for ADP/B.Sc English Students
Stephen
Leacock enjoyed enormous popular success
with his short stories and sketches. “How to live to be 200” is a beautiful
essay, in which the writer has satirized those people who are obsessed by the
idea of “Health Maniac”. It is a
humorous essay on the fantastic heath habits of a person known as Jiggins type
young people. Jiggins symbolizes the so many young people who are unusually
obsessed with their bodily exercises. Although he kept on taking hard exercises
regularly yet Jiggins died in his youth
and could not see his old age. The writer satirizes all those people who are
obsessed by the idea of being strong and healthy. He is of the view that
physical fitness and health cannot postpone the death. One has to die at an
appointed time. One should be worried about his health. One should take care of
himself but not to be preplanned in hard and daily exercises.
While
talking about germs and bacilli, the writer provokes laughter and amuses us
with his examples and sayings. But the purpose, again, to make us realize the
fact that we should not be worried about the germs at a time. As they are
harmless at a certain time and they are useful at a certain time. He is of the
view; life is a gift of God and should not spoil it in useless activities.
The essay, it can be said, is a remarkable satire
on human activities. It also reminds us “Leisure”, a beautiful story by
“W.H.Davies”, in which the poet satirizes the dull and boring routine life,
useless care and worries of human beings which snatches the real luxury of life
from them.
Life according to “Stephen Leacock” is a
heavenly gift and one should enjoy it without being obsessed by useless habits
and activities.
Leacock
tells us that Jiggins , the health maniac , used to take a cold bath every
morning so as to open his pores. After his cold bath , he took a hot sponge in
order to close his pores. Before putting on his clothes for going to office ,
Jiggins used to stand and breathe at an open window for half an hour in order
to expand his lungs. After putting on his shirt he used to perform a short
exercise by moving forward and backward. He repeated all such exercises even
during his duty hours at his office instead of using his spare time in eating
or having some refreshment. He would lie on his stomach on the floor and lifted
himself up with his knuckles (the joints of fingers).
In the
evening Jiggins lifted iron bars , cannon balls and pulled himself up to the
ceiling. All the noise of the exercise was so loud that one could hear the
stumps far away. Jiggins spent half the night slinging himself around the room
to make his brain clear. Unfortunately , even so much exercise did not kep Jiggins
alive to enter his old age as his death came at an early age. Perhaps he died
earlier than the other men who did not perform the regular exercise as Jiggins.
Like
Jiggins many young men have the same health mania (craze). They behave exactly
like Jiggins and become a great nuisance (trouble) fir others. They get up at
impossible hours and start running marathon race before breakfast. They like to
walk barefoot on grass. They search for places blessed with ozone (fresh air).
They look for easily digestible food. They avoid eating meat because it has too
much nitrogen. They avoid eating fruit because it has not any nitrogen. What
they prefer is albumen (white of egg) , starch ( nishasta) etc. they do not
drink tap water. They do not eat canned food. They not drink glass water. They
do not drink alcohol in any form. They became a nuisance for all in the name of
health. Even then we can see that like others they easily fall ill and die.
Thus in spite of their troublesome exercises they cannot attain long age.
Stephen
Leacock does not like to see people obsessed with body care. As obsessions are
always bad. As a counter attack to heath mania (obsession) Stephen Leacock
humorously gives us some pieces of advice. We should get up in the morning
hardly half an hour before our office opens. We should not care much about
getting pure and fresh air. We should have warm baths instead of cold baths so
that we may get rid of the cold pinching water an dmay feel comfortable in our
warm baths.
We should
not worry about germ and bacilli. As they are totally harmless. We should eat
whatever we want and to the extent as much as we like. The only test is: Can we
pay for it? Moreover we should eat whatever our food may or may not contain:
starch , albumen or nitrogen or anything else. We should not bother about fresh
air. We should not go to open places for it. As far as exercise is concerned ,
it is also not necessary at all. We can hire a taxi and see others playing
football , running races and doing gymnastics. We can even do so when sitting
in some shade or smoking cigarettes. We should divert our attention away from
our body care and attend to the enjoyment of life like a carefree person. We
should remember that the more we enjoy the joys of life , the more we shall become
healthy. Stephen Leacock seems to be an
Epicurean whose philosophy is “Eat , drink and be merry.”
Q1. Leacock uses
exaggeration in the title of his essay. Where does he use exaggeration and why?
“How to
Live to be 200” by Stephen Leacock is a satirically humorous essay and the
writer has used the technique of exaggeration for that. He uses this technique
to produce special humour. The title itself is greatly an exaggeration of
facts. Even the man, who gets a long life to live, today does not have a life
of 200 years. There are a few persons in the world that can attain the age of
100 year. Even the average age in the U.S.A (said to be the highest average
age) is almost a little above 70. So the writer has used exaggeration in the
use of figure 200 in title.
The
question arises why he has used the figure 200 in the essay. The answer is
quite clear. Leacock was not writing a chapter for a book on “Health and
Physical Education” for the public. He was writing a satirical essay and
exaggeration is a very popular tool of satire. If he would use the figure 100
or 120 0r even the almost rare figure of 140, it would not give that satirical
colour to the essay. He wishes to say that no reader can achieve 200 years
age. Another thing that he wishes to say
that death comes at the appointed time and no one can get his death postponed
by achieving good health. There is a fixed time to death. Health and healthy
life are n guarantee against death. So one must not waste his life in being
extra- careful and over cautious about what one eats or breathes. A moderate
attitude is the real requirement.
This essay
is full with the satirical exaggerations which are used by Leacock for creating
special effect, pleasure, attraction and humour in the essay. Some quotations
as examples are given where he uses this technique in this essay. After title,
he talks about one of his acquaintances, Mr.Jiggins who was a health maniac. He
exaggerates about his exercises by reaches on the peak of exaggeration and
satire.
Again he
exaggerates by saying that he used “to lie on his stomach on the floor and see
if he could fit himself up with his knuckles. If he could, then he tried some
other way until he found one that he couldn’t do”. At night he used to “haul
himself up to the ceiling with his teeth.”
Writer also
exaggerates in these sentences. Such people “got up at impassible hours. They
go out in silly little suits and run marathon heats before breakfast”. So far
as eating habits of such people are concerned, the writer says that they “won’t
eat meat because it has too much nitrogen. They won’t eat fruit because it
hasn’t any”. Similarly, they “won’t drink water out of water tap…… they won’t
milk out of a glass”.
So far as
breathing in fresh air is concerned, the writer advises us to “get up at
ten-thirty” If “the office opens at eleven” and to “take your chance on ozone.
There isn’t any such thing
The writer
is very much exaggerating about the germs. He advises that if “you see bacilli,
walk right up to it, and look it in the eye…. As a matter of fact, a bacillus
is perfectly quiet and harmless if you are not afraid of it. Speak to it…. it
will understand.” Then he goes on to tell a superb exaggeration about a bacilli
named “Fido” or Robert” that had become his close friend once. Those bacilli
“would come and lie at my feet while I was working. I never knew a more
affectionate companion, and when it was run over by an automobile, I buried it
in the garden with genuine sorrow.” It is superb exaggeration.
About
ingredients of food, he says “don’t worry as to whether your food contains
starch, or albumen or gluten, or nitrogen. If you are damn fool enough to want
these things, go and buy them and eat all you want of them. Go to a laundry and
get a bag of starch, and eat things up
with your food. There isn’t any nitrogen or phosphorus or albumen in ordinary
things to eat.” And if it is, we waste it before cooking. According to him,
fresh air “will keep for years”.
These are
the examples of satirical exaggeration that show how Stephen Leacock uses satire
and exaggeration to create humour.
Q2. Leacock
describes a health maniac as an obsessed person. How do people become obsessed?
Are obsessions always bad?
In “How to
Live to be 200”, Leacock describes us humorously that some of the young people
are very serious about their health. They take extraordinary pains to build
their health. They get up early in the morning; take exercise in the fresh air
and run a race in the garden. They think that they can prolong their life if
they lead a careful and hard life. They are particular about their food habits.
They are greatly afraid of germs. They don’t drink from the water tap. They
would not eat meal because it has too much nitrogen. They would not eat fruit.
They prefer album, starch and nitrogen to creamy things and fats. The writer
says that such people follow the wrong way. They are obsessed with the idea of
prolonging their life but they die an early death.
I think
that every person is obsessed in one way or other. Every person follows some
ideas and he cannot compromise on it. Here are some reasons of people’s
obsession. First: when a person watches his follows that they have that
facility, envy stimulates him to get the same thing. This idea obsesses in his
mind and he works to get it. Second: every person desires to go ahead from
others. He longs to take over the others; due to this he becomes obsessed.
Third: people become obsessed due to create a particular status, fame, esteem
in the society or in the eyes of others. He does so for his respect. Fourth:
obstinacy makes people obsessed. They make a thing the matter of life and death
and want to achieve it on every cost. Fifth: some people make the things
purpose of their lives. They want to get them by fair and unfair means. They
consider, without them, they will lose everything of life.
Some more
reasons of people’s obsession are given: sixth: some people naturally have
inclination toward some ideas. Some ideas and things have been present in their
blood and heredity since their birth, due to this, they become obsessed.
Seventh: competition makes people obsessed. They long to compete with others
and try to go ahead from them. Eighth: some people are imaginative and
introverted. They don’t share their ideas and don’t talk with others. They live
in imaginative world and find pleasure in it. When they find pleasure in it,
they don’t want to lose it. They try their best to maintain this situation so
that they may remain happy in the future and become obsessed. Ninth: love makes
people obsessed. When one loves or likes someone, he does everything that makes
his beloved happy. He becomes obsessed to keep happy his beloved. Tenth: prize,
reward, motivation and degree make people obsessed. They want to achieve them
on every cost. They want to make their name and improve themselves by achieving
them. Eleventh: family makes people obsessed because someone supports a large
family and for their better future, he had to follow some things. Twelfth:
economic condition is also reason of obsession. It compels people to adopt some
ideas and works which improve their condition.
A reading
of the lesson throws light on the fact that people become obsessed due to one-
sided thinking. They become extremists in their attitude towards life. The do
not study life slowly and steadily. They are always in a hurry to draw
conclusions from the examples of others. They are not moderate and balanced in
their thinking. Such persons consider their point of view the only truth of
life. The result is that they follow that point of view passionately without
knowing its good or bad points. Such
persons are bound to suffer a loss soon.
All
obsessions are not always bad. There are certain good things in life which must
be followed blindly. Before following an idea passionately, we must be clear
about its goodness and correctness. All the reformers, poets and thinkers were
obsessed with one idea or the other and spread it in the world with full force.
We can quote the example of Quaid I Azam in this connection. He obsessed with
the idea of creation of Pakistan. He followed and Pakistan was translated into
reality. We can say that all obsessions are not always bad.
Obsession
is mark of one’s individuality. It makes one separate and different from
others. By obsession, here is variety of thinking; working; living and of
personalities. Sometimes the Nation becomes obsessed. It follows one idea and
progresses through following it. This obsession makes their ideology culture
and social norms; gives them separate identification, recognition in the other
Nations.
Obsession
has its own indispensability and essentiality. It has lot of merits which drag
us in its favour. First: obsession develops confidence in a person. A person
works without fear of public-opinion. Second: obsessed person sticks to his
goal and he mobilizes all his abilities, capacities and qualities to achieve
them. Third: obsession teaches regularity, punctuality, continuity and
steadfastness. Obsessed person works without break-up to take results as soon
as possible. Fourth: obsession develops competition among people. They have
craze to go ahead and take over others, therefore, they work laboriously and
society progresses. Fifth: obsession leads a person toward single goal or
direction in life. Obsessed person sets his objectives destinations and aims of
life. He does not digress from it and succeed. Sixth: obsession develops sense
of responsibility and obligation in a person. He cannot sit comfortably and
satisfactory unless he achieves his goals. Seventh: obsession develops power of
decision making in a person. He decides quickly and sticks to it; becomes bold
and courageous. Eighth: obsession also develops optimism, positivity and hope
in a person. He believes that he will succeed one-day; tries repeatedly and
succeed. Ninth: obsessed person has his own viewpoint about things. He makes
his point of view by his observation and experience. Tenth: obsession brings
clarity. Obsessed person becomes clear about his aim, direction and goals.
Instead of
all demerits, obsession is not always bad, because it has its own importance,
essentiality and indispensability. It develops competition, power of
decision-making, regularity, single direction of life, set goals of life,
optimism and point of view in a person. Obsession is necessary sometime to lead
life. We should follow it.
Q3. Which is more
important, to enjoy life’s pleasure or to sacrifice some of them to keep
physically fit? Are these two goals necessarily incompatible?
Life is a
very sacred trusvt. It is to be lived as well as to be enjoyed. Keeping
physically fit is an important thing. One can only do one’s normal duties of
life in a satisfactory manner if one is healthy enough. A sick person cannot
perform even the smallest duties. Enjoyment and pleasure both can be achieved
at the same time. One should neither be obsessed with enjoyment of life nor
with physical fitness. One should adopt the middle way. One could keep regular
hours of eating and drinking as well as of exercises. But excess of everything
is bad. The only desirable thing is a beautiful and reasonable mixture of
health and enjoyment of life and its achievement is not at all impossible.
one should
live life of moderation; should restrain in the selection of one’s food and
show moderation in ones habits; should enjoy pleasures of life without worrying
whether they leave a bad effect on one’s life or not. A very careful and
painful life cannot guarantee long life. One should eat good food without doubt
of its chemical reactions. One should eradicate the dread of germs.
Mr.Jiggins
type of obsession about health is not reasonable at all. He used to go to sleep
at midnight and rise up at very odd hours. And all the day around, he would go
on doing one or the other exercise. He would always be over careful in eating
and drinking. He could not enjoy life at all. He died carelessly at normal age.
Our youngsters, now a day, do diet to make them smart, slim and attractive; use
medicine to lessen their burden and weight. They become so slim that a puff of
wind can blow them with it. They deteriorate their health and fitness. They
also don’t enjoy the pleasure of life. They neither stand in one way nor other.
There is another group which believes in the motto of eats, drink and be merry,
for tomorrow we die. Leacock does not believe in blind pleasure and enjoyment.
A life of enjoyment and pleasure seeking can also rob us our health. One should
enjoy life’s pleasure as well as sacrifice some of them to keep physically fit.
