Question

Answer the following question as briefly as possible and with close reference to the relevant text.

“Then paint the cut with iodine.” With reference to this line, what is your understanding of Klausner? Do you sympathise with him? Give your reasons.

Answer 1

Klausner is a scientist with a soft heart for the green environment. His machine enables him to listen to the sounds of creatures around him like flies, bats and plants. He gets proof of his theory from the flowers cut by Mrs. Saunders. It terrifies him at first as he feels humans cause immeasurable pain to the so called 'mute' creatures, but logic sets in as he rationalises that the feeling they have may be something above human understanding. Then he cuts a beech tree in front of his doctor friend. As the axe makes the contact, he hears the roar of the tree and feels the roots protesting. The huge branch falls on the machine, breaking it into smithereens, but the cry of the tree echoes in his ears. He feels its pain and insists the doctor applies iodine on its wounds to heal. This reveals that he is empathetic towards Nature, that he is soft-hearted, but the scientist in him may prompt him to rationalise and try again.