what is the lesson we get from the short story "How to live to be 200" by Stephen Leacock
Answers
Explanation:
Stephen Leacock enjoyed enormous popular success with his short stories and sketches. “How to live to be 200” is a beautiful essay, in which the writer has satirized those people who are obsessed by the idea of “Health Maniac”. It is a humorous essay on the fantastic heath habits of a person known as Jiggins type young people. Jiggins symbolizes the so many young people who are unusually obsessed with their bodily exercises. Although he kept on taking hard exercises regularly yet Jiggins died in his youth and could not see his old age. The writer satirizes all those people who are obsessed by the idea of being strong and healthy. He is of the view that physical fitness and health cannot postpone the death. One has to die at an appointed time. One should be worried about his health. One should take care of himself but not to be preplanned in hard and daily exercises.
While talking about germs and bacilli, the writer provokes laughter and amuses us with his examples and sayings. But the purpose, again, to make us realize the fact that we should not be worried about the germs at a time. As they are harmless at a certain time and they are useful at a certain time. He is of the view; life is a gift of God and should not spoil it in useless activities.
The essay, it can be said, is a remarkable satire on human activities. It also reminds us “Leisure”, a beautiful story by “W.H.Davies”, in which the poet satirizes the dull and boring routine life, useless care and worries of human beings which snatches the real luxury of life from them.
Life according to “Stephen Leacock” is a heavenly gift and one should enjoy it without being obsessed by useless habits and activities.