Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman Richard P. Feynman

Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman

Richard P.  Feynman, USA (1918-1988)

For the productive knowledge and education, we need right person, right place and right time as well. On the other hand, we must have practical kind of education, interdisciplinary, too. We must learn how to behave with the people and society merely bookish knowledge is not always helpful in one’s life.

b. Write the summary of the Essay “ Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman”

The narrator, Richard Feynman completed his undergraduate from MIT (Massachusetts institutes of Technology). Though he wanted to continue his graduation from MIT, Professor Salter advised him to go other college to know how was the rest of the world. So he joined to Princeton. He was not formal in manner but Princeton was full of formality.

On the first day he went to Princeton, the dean Eisenhart invited all the students to a tea party. Feynman didn’t know about how to talk with others, how to have food and where to sit. When Mrs. Eisenhart asked him whether he liked lemon or cream in his tea he replied both. Then all students laughed because he did a social error.

The narrator talks about night academic gowns to dinner. He also saw a Cyclotron where machine was in separate room and other connections from the other rooms in MIT College. But three was at Princeton, all Cyclotron was in a single room. He remembered MIT and Professor Salter whose advice made the narrator to learn rest of the world. At Princeton, Feynman attended in talks and seminars with philosophers. Sometimes there was debate about electron or essential objects. Similarly, the narrator Feynman joint the label of biologists and asked different questions. He found neither of the students nor teachers  were clear about the essence of subject-matter. Feynman took part in physics classes as well.

Feynman involved in studying about DNA spiral, phase course and learnt many lab techniques. He spent a long time in the experimentation without productive result. He did much more boring work related to RNA, DNA and formation of protein in body which was same in all creatures. With Feynman’s multi-disciplinary knowledge he was asked to give lectures at Harvard University too. Though he invested his long time and energy in biology and others sectors his inner interest was in physics. So, he liked to go back to the physics. Though he built up his confidence and knowledge in many sectors, he couldn’t be away from physics, the real subject of his interest.

c. Write the four levels in interacting with the texts "Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman".

Literal Comprehension: After passing his under-graduation from MIT, the narrator Mr. Feynman was suggested to go to other collage by Professor Salter. Then Feynman went to Princeton College where everything was fully formal. On the first day Dean Mrs. Eisenhart gave new student tea party. Feynman was not mannered and formal person who answered to have both cream and lemon teas. She told Feynman was joking about it because it was taken as a social error. After that he went to cyclotron where everything was left open to do.  He started to take part in philosophical discussion and sometimes in biologists group as well as Physics 'classes. He spent a lot of time in biology and works because despite of his hard work he couldn't discover any new thing. Though he knew and did a lot about the biology and others subjects his actual interest was in the Physics. He expects he would go back to physics sooner.

Interpretation: This suggestive essay might be trying to tell about the thirst of knowledge and progress in one's life. How education be gained and what can be the best technique about it is given here. Memorization and subject of inner interest are opposite things, the former is not productive one. it also advocates about the significance of interdisciplinary subject study. It also tells that varieties can be colorful for life no doubt one can be Pandit inn particular sector. Education is the only key that helps to learn about manner, culture and knowledge in the multiple subjects. Only necessary  things is the passion of learning in any one.

Critical Thinking: This essay is very tough to understand for the students of education, humanities like faculties because the scientific terms and subjects used here are very much hard to grasp. The crux of the essay is easier but the presentation and language is not so. One must be multi-disciplinarian to understand it because there is talk about Biology, Physics, Philosophy and what not. But the passion of the writer for study and progress even in the back of tools and resources is very much lessonful.

Assimilation: Though the presentation and content of the essay is difficult, it taught me a lot. it taught me to be dynamic according to different situations and societies. Professor Salter's Suggestion to go to rest of the world means to try to understand multiple subjects and sectors of life. I used to be limited to only course of study and books but now I have made myself try to be jack of all and master of none. Nothing can be done to be in limited boundary on in specific area.

d. How do you feel about the strange title of Feynman's essay? Do you think it captures the point Feynman is trying to make about life and education?

"Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" is suggestive essay about the value of education. But this advice of value of education is presented in different way. Like the title of the essay it seems to be joking to us. Yet, the essay is not such light  rather a serious subject matter hides behind. After completion of his undergraduate from MIT the writer had gone to Princeton for his graduation. Princeton was place of formality but the writer has not formality in manners and language. He became a matter of joke in front of Dean of the collage and all the students when he chose both tea-lemon and cream. At that occasion the Dean Mrs. Eisenhart used the statement "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" Though surfacely this statement seems to be light at core it has brought the concept of life education and career. As the writer had not learned formality and processed to learn at Princeton. At the beginning phase he was so light and informal but by the end of the essay Feynman has been presented to be an expert, experienced and having knowledge of multidisciplinary and with good manners. The selection of both of the teas also indicates that the writer wants to have tastes and knowledge of all sectors. He never took it serious who laughed at him and for what subject they did but his target was learning by doing and even by making errors.

As we analyze the title of this essay, it is fitted to the essay in the sense that it has captured the pace of writer's concept of education and life. No doubt he participated in Philosophical classes, Biological classes, Physics and what not. In my opinion we can deduce that to be perfect and pundit in any sector, one must begin with practice and good interest no doubt many mistakes can be committed in the process of learning something. From the crux of the essay and its title there seems to be interrelated meaning.