Unit-4 One Act Plays
Refund
Fritz Karinthy
Summary
This play is about a man named Wasserkopf who comes to demand a refund from the school he left 18 years ago. He could not get a good job and also missed a recent chance. He feels the teachers did not teach him well at school. To deal with him, they set a test and say he will get refund if he fails. All subject teachers ask him questions, and he gives wrong answers. But they prove him right with tricks. In this way, he passes the test and does not get the refund.
Theme
The play is a satire on education system in general. It is mostly based on memorization. Students hardly learn skills useful for real life. But today’s students also do not care about real knowledge. They just want to pass the exams.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Why does Wasserkopf demand a refund of his tuition fees from the school?
Ans: Wasserkopf demands a refund of his tuition fees from the school because he claims that he didn’t learn anything from the school and his 18 years education made him nothing but an incompetent ass.
b. Why does Wasserkopf consider himself good for nothing?
Ans: Wasserkopf considers himself good for nothing because his school taught him nothing and he can’t do the things that he should have learned in school.
c. What did the teachers decide to do when Wasserkopf asked for a refund?
Ans: The teachers decided to ask him questions . Whatever his answers, they agreed beforehand that they were correct. The object was to prevent him from failing, because if he failed he succeeded. They wanted to checkmate him.
d. Why did Wasserkopf give ridiculous answers? Why did the teachers accept these
answers?
Ans: He gave wrong and ridiculous answers to fail the test. But the teachers were cleverer than him. They worked together to prove all his answers right. In this way, he passed the test and did not get the refund.
e. How does the Mathematics Master describe Wasserkopf’s character?
Ans: The Mathematics Master describes Wasserkopf as a sly and crafty individual with patriarchal manners.
f. How did the teachers outwit Wasserkopf?
Ans: At last, the teachers outwitted Wasserkopf by trapping him in their web. The maths teacher declares that the young man has won the contest and the school will refund his tution fee. The maths teacher asks him total money the school has to pay. The young man calculates it. He tells the exact amount. She tricks him by saying that it is the second question. The young man becomes puzzled by the math teacher’s statement. In this way, he is tricked by the teachers.
g. What is the final judgment on Waserkopf’s demand of refund?
Ans: At last, he gets nothing on his demand of refund. The principal declares that Wasserkopf has passed the re-examination with distinction in every subject, and has again shown that he is entitled to the certificate they awarded him on his graduation.
Reference to the context
d. What is the theme of the play?
Ans: The play is a satire on education system in general. It is mostly based on memorization. Students hardly learn skills useful for real life. But today’s students also do not care about real knowledge. They just want to pass the exams.
e. Sketch the character of Wasserkopf.
Ans: Wasserkopf seems to be the type of person who does not do his duty and blames others. While at school, he just wanted to pass and did not study well. He does not even know about foreign exchange. That is why he did not get a good job. He himself says he is good for nothing.
Wasserkopf also sounds like an indisciplined man with no good manners. He does not respect the teachers. He uses bad words to describe them. He thinks he is clever enough to get the refund. But he is greedy and stupid and falls in their trap.
Reference beyond the text
a. The play is a satire on the present day education system. Do you think that our education system does not prepare students for life? Discuss.
Ans: Yes, the play is a satire on the present day education system. I think that our education system does not prepare students for life. Our education system is based on memorization. Students hardly learn skills useful for real life. But today’s students also do not care about real knowledge. They just want to pass the exams. Theoretical and rot learning are still prevalent in different parts of the world like Nepal. It only focuses on text and exam. Our curriculum doesn’t prepare us for our future struggle and survival. For example, we learn but we can’t apply all mathematical rules in our real life. It changes students dull and less creative in practical life. They never learn life-skills. So, education system must focus on practical knowledge to improve our life.
b. Our education system focuses on memorisation rather than creative thinking. Do you think the knowledge imparted by education may not have practical relevance in one’s day-to-day life? Who do you blame for this?
Ans: Our education system focuses on memorisation rather than creative thinking. Yes, I think the knowledge imparted by education may not have practical relevance in one’s day-to-day life. I think that our government is responsible for the cause. Our government should make curriculum more practical than theoretical. It should be useful in our life. I think that our education system does not prepare students for life. Our education system is based on memorization. Students hardly learn skills useful for real life. But today’s students also do not care about real knowledge. They just want to pass the exams. Theoretical and rot learning are still prevalent in different parts of the world like Nepal. It only focuses on text and exam. Our curriculum doesn’t prepare us for our future struggle and survival. For example, we learn but we can’t apply all mathematical rules in our real life. It changes students dull and less creative in practical life. They never learn life-skills. So, education system must focus on practical knowledge to improve our life.
c. Most of the students want to learn just for examination rather than knowledge. Do you think that certificate will help them in their future career ?
Ans: Yes, most of the students want to learn just for examination rather than knowledge. They want to get higher marks only by hook or crook. But that certificate willn’t help them in their future career. Theoretical knowledge focuses on text books which aren’t practicable in our real life. It is only increasing unemployment rate in Nepal day by day. Every year 5ooooo people enter job market but only about 100000 people became able to get job. One of the cause behind increasing unemployment in Nepal is useless focus on theoretical curriculum. Many certificate holders don’t get proper job due to insufficient skill. Most of the migrated students also forced to do manual jobs in foreign countries although they have degree from Nepal. It proves that certificate cant ensure our future. We need more practical syllabus to maintain our position in changing global scenario.
