“The Story of My Life” beautifully encapsulates the essence of individual journeys. The summary highlights the significance of life’s milestones, the turning points that redirect our paths and contribute to the tapestry of our existence. Through evocative anecdotes, it celebrates the emotions and memories that form the cornerstone of our personal narratives. Read More Class 12th English Summaries.
The Story of My Life Summary
The Story of My Life Introduction:
This essay tells us about the value of good manners. Bad manners are anti-social. But they are not a crime in the eyes of the law and therefore the law does not permit us to hit back if we have been the victims of bad manners. People begin to avoid a man with bad manners. He is not liked by anyone. A person with good manners brings us sunshine. His company is indeed very pleasant.
The Story of My Life Summary in English
This essay deals with little but socially important incidents from daily life. It shows us the importance of words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in our daily life. They settle bitter quarrels and soften bad tempers. The damage done by unkind words is more painful than physical injury.
A lift-man in an office threw a passenger out of the lift as the latter was impolite. He did not use the word ‘please’ while asking him to take him to the top. The author is of the opinion that discourtesy is not a legal offence. If a person knocks another person down because he has broken the law, the former will be acquitted.
But the lift-man was in the wrong because the law does not permit anybody to use violence, if another person is discourteous. Even if a person is discourteous the law will protect him against attack. An uncivil person may be called ill-mannered but he cannot be compelled by the law to say ‘please’. Moral and intellectual damages have nothing to do in this case.
The lift-man was perhaps badly hurt because he considered it a blot on his social position. If he had been kicked on the shin he could have approached law for getting it redressed, but the pain of a wound to self-respect, would last a longer period. If a person’s self-respect is wounded, he remains uneasy till he inflicts such a wound on some other person.
Evil manners start a vicious circle. In Sheridan’s play “The Rivals the father, Sir Anthony Absolute, rebukes the son, Captain Absolute. Captain Absolute goes out and scolds his personal servant Fag. Fag gets relief for his feelings by going into the servants’ quarters and kicking the page boy.
The Story of My Life Summary
Similarly, it is quite possible that the employer, in his turn, had been insulted by his wife who was simply trying to work off the temper which she got from the ill manners of the cook. The cook in his turn was sore because the house-maid had been rude. A bad mood and bad temper cause a widespread infection. They do more harm to the social life than the crimes recognised by the penal code. All the same the law cannot operate in this area because it is so vast.
It is true that no law requires us to be polite. Politeness in speech and manners is not only beneficial for the individual who practises it but also for those around. Bad manners poison the general stream of life. Civility oils the machine of life, makes things easier and keeps human beings in good relationship. It is not a social but a moral obligation.
The writer pays a rich tribute to a bus conductor. With his good behaviour he spread joy around him. A polite word to an impolite person is a sweeter form of revenge than the revenge of throwing stones at him who throws a stone at you.
Although the law does not compel us to be polite yet social practice requires us to be civil. Words like ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ do keep the machine of life in a good working order. They teach us co-operation and we can get better work by the use of these words. The author once boarded a bus. He found that he had no money in his pocket. He . was in a fix what to do.
He was expecting that the conductor would call his statement an old trick. But when he told the conductor that he had forgotten to bring money with him, he accepted his explanation and gave him the ticket upto his destination. When the author asked him where he should give him the fare, his simple reply was : “Oh you’ll see me some day all right.” Luckily the author found a shilling in one of the corners of his pocket and he settled the account.
A few days later the author was hurt by the heavy boots of the conductor. But he behaved in a very decent manner and the author did not mind it. The conductor always tried to make his passengers comfortable. A journey with him was a lesson in natural courtesy and good manners. If we are uncivil, others also become uncivil. If we show good manners, others will also behave well.
A cheerful person can make the gloomiest person cheerful. The author feels that it is always better to be on the bus of that conductor when going from one place to another. It is a sound investment to possess good manners. If Wordsworth could get a lesson from the poor leech-gatherer, there is no harm in getting lessons from a person like a bus conductor who has good manners.