A character sketch of Albert Einstein in "albert einstein at school" of class 11 snapshot book
Answers
Albert’s defiance is misunderstood by his teacher’s. His “unthinking honesty” is seen as a refusal to confirm to the education and not the learning of facts. His maths teacher had a high opinion of him. He said. “I can’t teach you more and probably you’ll soon be able to teach me’. Albert was humble and unassuming and he was uncomfortable with the excessive praise. The teacher seems to recognize Albert’s rare intellectual genius and his aptitude for maths.
Albert has an enquiring mind and a curious nature. He had a thirst for information and he liked to study books on science. He loved music and played his violin regularly. Albert had a frank and honest temperament and was quite sensitive and emotional. He was considered a rebel by most of his teachers. He did not compromise and adjust to the system of education which encouraged learning without understanding. For him, ideas and enquiry were more important than facts or dates. He was expelled from school for his views which did not match the existing pattern.
This chapter begins with Albert arguing with his history teacher over learning of dates. His teacher holds him responsible for being lenient and distracting others from studies. He even ridicules Albert for knowing all the things and calls him a disgrace in front of the whole class. This incidents makes Albert feel miserable when he leaves school that afternoon. He never wanted to study in such a school that emphasizes more on rote learning than understanding the concepts and ideas. According to the narrator, his landlady was very ruthless who used to beat her children ruthlessly. Even the food, he was served there was dirt and squalor. In those days, Albert used to have a friend namely Yuri who counselled him not to leave that school. Yuri and Elsa try their level best to compare his life to the people worse than him but fail to make any difference. They Yuri gives him best of the solution of getting a nervous breakdown certificate made from one of his doctor friends who had qualified last week. Albert agrees to it, an appointment is fixed and he goes to see that doctor on his appointment day. Doctor Ernst Weil knew everything beforehand as he was narrated each and everything by Yuri about Albert and his disliking about the school. While talking to him, the doctor realizes that Albert was seriously on the verge of being the victim of nervous troubles. Albert tells his plans to the doctor that he wants to go to Italy to get into an Italian College in order to learn mathematics. Having talked to him, Doctor Ernst Weil hands him over that certificate and certifies that he needs rest for six months which can help him in getting rid of his school forever. Albert feels pleased after receiving that certificate. He goes to meet his mathematics teacher Mr. Koch and latter gives him a reference in written so that he can get admission in a good college. His teacher calls him a prodigy and says that he cannot teach him anymore. He also praises Albert highlighting his quality of teaching his mathematics teacher. Before Albert could go out to hand over his certificate to his head teacher, he is summoned to head’s room and ordered to leave the school as his presence disturbs others in the class and no serious work can be done when he is there. Albert and the head master both agree to former’s leaving the school without creating any mess. Albert feels very pleased leaving that school and goes to the country wherein he wanted to build his dreams.