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Questions and Answers
Books borrowed from the library of a famous divine and literary critic were always promptly returned.
Books borrowed from the library of a famous divine and literary critic were always promptly returned.
False (B)
What type of conscience does the author refer to as 'umbrella morals'?
What type of conscience does the author refer to as 'umbrella morals'?
- Honest conscience
- Umbrella conscience (correct)
- Conscientious conscience
- Selective conscience
What did the man who was asked to lend a book respond?
What did the man who was asked to lend a book respond?
He can't lend books because nobody ever returns them.
The preacher found dead in a first-class railway carriage had a __________ ticket in his pocket.
The preacher found dead in a first-class railway carriage had a __________ ticket in his pocket.
Flashcards
Umbrella Conscience
Umbrella Conscience
A type of conscience that encompasses a broad set of moral principles, covering various situations and actions.
Why won't the man lend his books?
Why won't the man lend his books?
The character in the story refuses to lend his books because he believes people won't return them.
The Preacher's Ticket
The Preacher's Ticket
The preacher found dead in the railway carriage had a third-class ticket in his pocket, despite traveling in first class. This detail suggests a possible contradiction or hidden motive.
Borrowed Books
Borrowed Books
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Study Notes
The Umbrella Incident
- The narrator's umbrella is swapped with another one by someone who took it by mistake or intentionally
- The narrator describes the umbrella as a "travesty" and refuses to use it due to its poor quality
- The narrator imagines the person who took his umbrella flaunting it and laughing at the narrator's misfortune
Umbrella Morals
- The narrator coins the term "umbrella conscience" to describe people who are honest but prone to small, insignificant dishonesties like swapping umbrellas
- This type of person wouldn't commit major crimes, but would engage in minor dishonest acts like taking a book or umbrella without permission
- The narrator says that even respectable people, including a well-known preacher, can have "umbrella morals"
Borrowing and Lending
- The narrator recalls a story about a man who never lent books because he knew no one would return them
- The narrator's friend had a library with many borrowed books that were never returned
- The narrator shares his own experience of lending books and never getting them back
Hats and Umbrellas
- The narrator recounts an incident where someone took his silk hat from the House of Commons smoking room
- The narrator wonders who took it and why, joking about the possibility of a politician wearing his hat
- The narrator admits to having swapped umbrellas himself, including a memorable instance where he received an umbrella with a gold band and engraved with a statesman's name
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Description
A humorous passage about the narrator's reluctance to use a subpar umbrella, from A.G. Gardiner's 'Pebbles on the Stone'.
