Class 11 English Lesson 14: How to Live Before You Die: References to the Context

 

Reference to the context

a.      Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.”

i.       Who was the baby boy?

Steve Jobs was the baby boy.

ii.     What does ‘do you want him?’ mean?

‘Do you want him?’ It is a question related to the adoption of Steve Jobs by his parents, Paul and Clara Jobs, who were on the waiting list to adopt the baby.

iii.  Who does ‘they’ refer to?

‘They’ refers to Mr. Paul Jobs and Mrs. Clara Jobs.

b.     Explain the following lines:

i.       “You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”

This line was said by Steve Jobs in his speech at Stanford University. Here he advises everyone to believe in themselves. We have to build up self-motivation, as no one is going to do it for us. If we believe in ourselves and have faith, nothing can stop us from being successful.

ii.     “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

Through this line, the speaker is trying to convey that our life is limited and we shouldn’t be trapped by others’ principles. This can misguide us. We must listen to our inner voice and utilize the time properly so that we can be the person we want to be.

c.      What does he mean by “don’t settle”?

By “don’t settle,” he means that we should not accept something that isn’t as good as it is meant to be. We should keep on putting in our efforts until and unless we get the result we are searching for. Instead of running behind success, we should go for excellence. If we are excellent, success automatically comes to us.

d.     Which style of speech is used by the speaker to persuade the audience?

The speaker uses a personal and informal style of expression that appears to be of a narrative type to persuade the audience. The speech is short and simple, and heavily based on encouragement, and he tries to motivate the audience with his real-life stories.

e.      It is not easy to motivate others. How do you think Steve Jobs’ speech is so inspiring?

Steve Jobs’ speech is emotional, passionate, inspirational, and simply structured. It is so inspiring because of his act of delivering real-life stories in his speech to motivate his audience. Each of the three stories from Jobs’ life involves struggle or sacrifice. His speech encourages people to continue on the path of progress regardless of the family background they belong to. His life story is relatable to many middle-class people. He told us about how he struggled in his life to achieve success in his speech because of which I found to be so inspiring.

f.      Why do you think Steve Jobs used the personal narrative storytelling technique in his speech? What influence does it have on the audience?

I think Steve Jobs used the personal narrative storytelling technique in his speech to motivate his audience. His speech contains several facts related to the hardships, difficulties, and struggles of life. It has a very positive influence on audiences. His speech gives a chance to audiences to know about what it takes to achieve a successful life in the real sense.

 

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