Question

Give critical appreciation of chinese statue story in 500 words

Answer 1

The story concerns a statuette originating from the Ming Dynasty. The statuette was brought to London by Sir Alexander who kept it in his family for generations. Each of his heirs — civil servants and army officers alike — keep the statuette very safely and in great glory until the latest descendant of Sir Alexander Heathcote, forced upon very tough times due to reckless gambling, decides to sell the statuette. He discovers to his shock that the statuette is a fake. Just as he contemplates suicide, he also finds out that the base of the statuette is authentic and he makes close to twenty thousand guineas on its sale.
Eduardo De Silveria and Manuel Rodrigues, rival construction magnates from Brazil, arrive in Nigeria. Eduardo is hoping to receive the contract for building the city of  Abuja while Manuel is there for a port contract. A coup owing to Colonel Dimka who assassinates the president General Muhammad causes all the flights out of Nigeria to be cancelled and both Eduardo and Manuel are forced to spend time together locked out from the world. During this time they discover a friendship and at the end of the period become good friends and even business partners. son of the governor of the Judea Province, is sent by his mother to buy three pomegranates and a chicken. In the town of Bethlehem he meets Joseph and Mary, just before the birth of Jesus Christ. He is mesmerized by the presence of Mary and offers all his food items to her. On the way back he sees the three wise men (the Magi) and give them the pomegranates. When he arrives home very late his authoritarian father demands the truth from Pontius and refuses to believe his story. His father whips him and sends him to bed.

His mother is also reluctant to believe his story but when she comes to apply balm on his wounds she discovers that all his wounds have miraculously healed. She walks out the room believing him.

Edward Shrimpton is met by the author at a local club. Shrimpton was an ace player of backgammon for the club, considered to be the best. He was defeated by Harry Newman however on the eve of a major club championship which was puzzling as Newman was a good player but not in Shrimpton's league. Harry Newman had suffered a lot. His wife had left him for a partner, his partner had stolen his share of money and he was nearly destitute. Yet after this win, Harry had gone from success to success with amazing ease.

When the author met Shrimpton, he found out that he had intentionally made Newman win, to give him some hope, and did not care about any recognition in the matter, continuing to claim that Newman won because of his own talents, making Shrimpton a "perfect gentleman".

Michael and Adrian run into Debbie in New York. They are both Londoners who had bought travelled in New York, and decide between themselves to have a one-night stand with Debbie. They also share a code that whoever returns to New York gets to have a one-night stand with Debbie.

Michael returns to New York, calls Debbie, and the couple have a one-night stand. As Michael turns to leave, Debbie informs him to his horror that Debbie herself had decided to have a one-night stand, and deciding to ignore New Yorkers who would think she was easy, had made a decision that whichever one of Michael or Adrian came to New York, she would have a one-night stand with him.

An unnamed Oxonian has an ambition to succeed as a cricketer for Oxford and follow his famous cricketer father's footsteps. He wishes to make a name for himself in the Oxford vs Cambridge cricket match.

In his first year, he makes the team and has a terrific season but somehow injures his finger before the final match. In his second year he is in poor form and asks his captain to drop him from the finals. In his third year, he is the captain.

He struggles with the ball and with the bat getting out cheaply for a duck in the first innings. In his second innings - set a total of 214 to get - he struggles and nearly gets out, but after hooking a boundary, begins to score runs briskly. At his score on 99, he is stranded in the middle of the crease and the ball is with the opposition captain Robin Oakley, who, instead of running the captain out and thereby putting Cambridge in a winning position, chooses to allow the captain to go back to the crease. The captain hits a boundary, scores his hundred and deliberately gets out hit wicket to honour the opposition.

The match ends in a draw as rain pours down, thereby being the ideal situation expected for one and all.

The story is reportedly[according to whom?] based on the famous Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan "Tiger" Pataudi (also known as the Nawab of Pataudi). Pataudi was a student at Oxford, and was involved in a serious car accident in which he lost the use of his right eye.