On Seeing People Off by Max Beerbohm - Degree-1st-Sem-English

Class: Degree 1st year

Sem: Degree 1st Sem

Subject: English
State: Telangana

Lesson: On seeing People off

Topic: On Seeing People off Summary

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On seeing People Off Author:

The Essay "On Seeing People Off" was written by essayist Max Beerbohm. He was born on 24 August 1872 in London and died on 20 May 1956. He was an English writer, parodist and caricaturist. He is popular for his witty essays and amusing caricatures. He worked as a drama critic and also a radio broadcaster. Many people were attracted by his amusing anecdotes and charming conversations.

Le Ros and Max Beerbohm are two characters in this lesson. Both Le Rose and Max were childhood best friends. The man named le Ros was a stage actor. The entire story depicted in this lesson took place in England. 

On Seeing People Off - Summary

                   The story tells about how people behave at the railway stations or at the Bus stations at the time of Farewell. We all have a party or a farewell, the day before our friend leaves. It happens only when our friend is going on a long journey for a longer time. If our friend leaves us for a longer period of time, we miss him a lot and feel so sad to say goodbye at the railway station. The People who had been with us will behave like a stranger when they move to the station. The bond between them slowly fades away. 

Last week, it was a miserable cold day. In the morning, The narrator dutifully went to Euston station to say goodbye to his friend who was departing from there to America. He had given him a farewell supper the before night, clubbed with pain and joy. They happily celebrated the past. As happy as it is to meet a person, it is equally painful when you leave that person. They both expressed their feelings to each other. They were rigid and mannered (self-conscious) on the platform, but the bustle of the platform has not subsided. While a friend was sitting on the train all their friends were talking to him near the window.

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Suddenly, the author looked around and his eyes fell on a very portly middle-aged man who was speaking attentively to a young lady from the platform. The young lady belongs to America and the man was English. He looks magnetic and his magnetism was familiar to the author. He appeared so attractive.

Instantly, the author remembered that the man was none other than Hubert Le Ros. The way he was saying to the young lady was quite impressive. A lot of changes can be seen in Le Ros compared to what was seen 7 or 8 years ago. In those days he had no such profession. He was magnetic but failed on the London stage. He was an accomplished/good actor and a man of sober habit. He slowly moved into the provinces and people stopped remembering him. The author feels that it was a stranger to see Le Ros after so many years on the platform of Euston. It was difficult to identify him. He used to wear imitation fur coats and ill-shorn lantern jaws in the old days. But at present, his costume was a model of rich and sombre moderation. He just looks like a banker. 

After the train left, Le Ros looked around and he was charmed to see the author. He stopped acting on the stages and does it on the platforms. Le Ros told to the author that He was not performing on stage, this platform is a stage for him.

He declares that he joined AABS (Anglo-American Social Bureau) He is there for the people who travel from America to Britain because they have no friends in Britain. He says that if they go to Britain, they have no good companions, no friends and there is no one to give send off so I am here to help such people. 

What AASB does is to give a friendly send to those who came from America to Britain. This hospitality will help people who are worried and feel lonely. They hire some people to give a farewell to the people who travel from Britain to America for this he was paid some cents.

He also says that it is more difficult to act in a railway station than in other places. Finally, the author came to know about Le Ros that he was hired and a professional send-off.

The essay of Max Beerbohm explains the social absurdity with humour, elegance and with that we face in our daily lives.

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