Within a few pages the author has packed the important events in the lives of John Ipe and his wife Discuss how conciseness and economy of expression can achieve an effective portrayal of entire lives

There are two ways of narrating a story, one style is the elongated narration with the detailing of each and every emotion and situation giving length to the story. The other style is a crisp one that keeps the story short yet highlighting the important events and emotions. Roy has narrated using the second style. She has kept the story short, yet she did not miss out on anything. She has described the relation of a husband and a wife with all the necessary details, though she did not ponder over the sentiments for long. She explained the face of the society we live in. Jean Genet was so correct when he said that society dwells on images and this is what Roy has tried to emphasise in her story. John had lost the chance to gain the recognition, he could have, felt the loss of identity along with it. Roy is economical when she describes the emotions and makes sure that nothing worthless is portrayed. All that she has spent in the short tale is worth the while. The narration is simple enough and achieves effectively the portrayal of the entire lives of the characters. The disturbance in the marriage, the physical violence, the emotional loss, the intervention of the young child, and its impact on the father. All have been portrayed wisely not wasting any time or making the reader wait for the following happenings.

(1)	“Can I see the Manager?” I said, and added solemnly, “Alone.” I don't know why I said “Alone.” “Certainly,” said the accountant and fetched him.
(2)	The Manager was a grave, calm man. I held my fifty-six dollars clutched in a crumpled ball in my pocket. “Are you the Manager?” I asked. God knows I did not doubt it. “Yes,” he said. “Can I see you …. alone?” I asked.	5
(3)	The Manager looked at me in some alarm. He felt that I had an awful secret to reveal. “Come in here,” he said, and led the way to a private room. He turned the key in the lock. “We are safe from interruption here,” he said; “Sit down.” We both sat down and looked at each other. I found no voice to speak. “You are one of Pinkerton’s men, I presume,” he said.	10
(4)	He had gathered from my mysterious manner that I was a detective. I knew what he was thinking, and it made me worse. “No, not from Pinkerton’s,” I said, seeming to imply that I came from a rival agency. “To tell the truth,” I went on, as if I had been prompted to lie about it, “I am not a detective at all. I have come to open an account. I intend to keep all my money in this bank.” The Manager looked relieved but still serious; he concluded now that I was a son of Baron Rothschild or a young Gould. “A large account, I suppose,” he said. “Fairly large,” I whispered. “I propose to deposit fifty-six dollars now and fifty dollars a month regularly.”	15 20 25
(5)	The Manager got up and opened the door. He called to the accountant. “Mr. Montgomery,” he said unkindly loud, “this gentleman is opening an account, he will deposit fifty-six dollars. Good morning.” I rose. A big iron door stood open at the side of the room. “Good morning,” I said, and stepped into the safe. “Come out,” said the Manager coldly and showed me the other way.	30
(6)	I went up to the accountant’s wicket and poked the ball of money at him with a quick convulsive movement as if I were doing a conjuring trick. My face was ghastly pale. “Here,” I said, “deposit it.” The tone of the words seemed to mean, “Let us do this painful thing while the fit is on us.” He took the money and gave it to another clerk.	35
(7)	He made me write the sum on a slip and sign my name in a book. I no longer knew what I was doing. The bank swam before my eyes. “Is it deposited?” I asked in a hollow, vibrating voice. “It is,” said the accountant. “Then I want to draw a cheque.” My idea was to draw out six dollars of it for present use. Someone gave me a chequebook through a wicket and someone else began telling me how to write it out. The people in the bank had the impression that I was an invalid millionaire. I wrote something on the cheque and thrust it in at the clerk. He looked at it.	40 45
(8)	“What! Are you drawing it all out again?” he asked in surprise. Then I realised that I had written fifty-six instead of six. I was too far gone to reason now. I had a feeling that it was impossible to explain the thing. I had burned my boats. All the clerks had stopped writing to look at me. Reckless with misery, I made a plunge. “Yes, the whole thing.” “You withdraw all your money from the bank?” “Every cent of it.” “Are you not going to deposit anymore?” said the clerk, astonished. “Never.”	50 55
(9)	An idiot hope struck me that they might think something had insulted me while I was writing the cheque and that I had changed my mind. I made a wretched attempt to look like a man with a fearfully quick temper.
(10)	The clerk prepared to pay the money. “How will you have it?” he said. This question came as a bolt from the blue. “What?” “How will you have it?” “Oh!”— I caught his meaning and answered without even trying to think— “in fifties.” He gave me a fifty-dollar bill. “And the six?” he asked dryly. “In sixes,” I said. He gave it to me and I rushed out. As the big door swung behind me. I caught the echo of a roar of laughter that went up to the ceiling of the bank. Since then, I bank no more. I keep my money in cash in my trousers pocket and my savings in silver dollars in a sock.	60 65 70
Adapted from: My Financial Career By Stephen Leacock

Within a few pages the author has packed the important events in the lives of John Ipe and his wife Discuss how conciseness and economy of expression can achieve an effective portrayal of entire lives

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Within a few pages the author has packed the important events in the lives of John Ipe and his wife Discuss how conciseness and economy of expression can achieve an effective portrayal of entire lives

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