Lesson = 4 How To Live To Be 200

Leacock uses exaggeration  in the title of the essay,  where does he use exaggeration and why? ( Punjab University 2009 )
Ans:
How To Be To  Live 200 by Stephen Leacock is a satirically humorous essay and the writer has used the technique of exaggeration for that. The title itself is greatly an exaggeration of facts. Even the man who gets a long, long life to live today does not have a life of 200 years. Those a few persons who get an age above 100 are very rarely to be found  in any country. Even the average age in U.S.A (said to be the highest average age is almost a little  above 70. So the writer has used exaggeration in the use of figure 200 in title.
Why has he done that? Leacock was not writing a chapter for a book on  health and physical education for the public. He was writing a satiric essay and exaggeration is a very popular tool of satire. If he would use the figure 100 or 200 or even the almost rare figure of 1400, It would not give that satiric colour to the essay. He wishes to "say" between the lines tat no reader can achieve 200 years age, so what is the fun of living an over careful life? He Gives the examples of Mr. Jiggins who live a very tight and schedule life, still he died at the normal age as other people die,
 Another thing was he wishes to "say" between the lines is the death comes at the appointed time and no one can get his death postponed by achieving good health. There is a fixed time of death for every one must die at that time willy nilly ! Health and healthy life have no guarantee against death. So one must waste his life in being extra-careful and over caution about what one eats and breathes! A moderate attitude is the real requirement.
Q 2:Leacock describes a health maniac as an obsessed person. How do people become obsessed? are obsessions always bad? ( Gujrat University 2010, Punjab University 2011 )
 Ans:
In his essay " How to live to be 200"  Leacock describes aa health maniac, Mr. Jiggans, who was obsessed by the idea of being a fit and healthy person. He had a tight schedule of different cares and precautions; exercise and others, for remaining healthy. Still her could not live for long and died at the normal type of age, without achieving a record age!
How do people become obsessed? Obsession is a psychological phenomenon. Some people are more sentimental than others and they are easily moved. 
TO BE CONTINUED....