A Real Good Smile Summary -RTMNU University, Shivaji University

 

 A Real Good Smile Summary 

A Real Good Smile summary RTMNU University, Shivaji University BA, BCOM, BSC. students. 

A Real Good Smile Summary - bulbulstudy.com

RTMN University BA Supplementary English Semester 6 students have to study the short story ' A Real Good Smile' by Bill Naughton. This article includes summary of the story in English and Hindi. RTMNU BA Supplementary students can read and revise through this article. It will be helpful to the students.

Click here  -  A Real Good Smile Question and Answers

Introduction

Bill Naughton is the writer of the story A real Good Smile. This story teaches us to be honest in life. In life we may face difficult situations but to remain honest in every situation is important in life.

Main Characters in the story:

Billy - Main character, a 14 year old boy

Alf Agar - Neighbor of Billy

Tom Petty - Oiler and greaser

Mr. Bidwell - Boss/Head of locomotive shed

A Real Good Smile Theme

The moral of the story is honest behavior is the best one. The story teaches us to be honest in every situation.

Summary A Real Good Smile:

·     This is a coming-of-age story where the protagonist, Billy, a fourteen year old boy is leaving the comfort zone of school life with its “sums and compositions and geography and history”, to find his first job.

·Like any naïve first-time job seeker, Billy has some ideas of what his first job should be – a little piercer at a local spinning mill – while his parents have plans for him to start out at the locomotive shed where he would have ‘career’ and not just a job. Because the job at locomotive  shed had a great future, if Billy got a job he could start as adirt wiper, then in few years he could be promoted to be a greaser. Then after long time he could be a oiler and greaser. After some more years Billy could be a fireman and stoke up the engine of the train. If luck favors him nearly at the age of 5 he could be an engine-driver. But getting a job in loco was difficult as getting a job needed influence in those days.

· Billy’s parents enlist the help of their friend Alf, who works at the shed to give Bill some pointers for the interview with Mr. Bidwell, the head of the locomotive shed. Alf tells Billy the importance of good posture, clear speech and a ‘real good smile’ when meeting Mr. Bidwell to make a good first impression and ensure the probability of being hired. Alf even rehearses the actual meeting where he plays the role of Mr. Bidwell.

·After the rehearsal Alf tells Billy to work on his smile over the weekend prior to his meeting on Monday.

·On Monday, Billy makes his way to the locomotive shed for the interview and makes a brief stop at a tree to rehearse the interview again using the tree as a substitute for Mr. Bidwell.

· Billy is embarrassed when he realizes that his rehearsal had an unexpected audience in the gardener of the local mental home next to the locomotive shed.

·Overcoming his embarrassment, Billy goes to the locomotive shed and asks an employee for the location of Mr. Bidwell’s office.

· Upon entering the office, Billy gives a flawless performance to the occupant, who tells Billy that he is not Mr. Bidwell, but the sweeper.

· Billy is flustered, when suddenly Mr. Bidwell enters the office, and demands from Billy the reason for his presence.

·Billy forgets all he has practiced and reverts to his natural self where he slouches, mumbles and forgets to smile.

· Mr. Bidwell brushes off Billy’s request for a job gruffly, and Billy regains his composure, and tells Mr. Bidwell equally gruffly that he too would not like to work for someone like Mr. Bidwell.

· He goes to the local spinning-mill and gets the job of a little piercer that he had dreamt of getting all along, as he was sure his dreams of getting a job at the locomotive shed were as good as over.

·  To Billy’s surprise, when he reached home in the evening after a day at the mill, Alf told him that Mr. Bidwell wants Billy to resume work the next day as he was impressed by his ability to speak his mind honestly.

· Now that Billy had two jobs, he made the ‘adult’ decision to take up the job at the locomotive shed, and decided never to speak in the same manner to Mr. Bidwell as he did on their first meeting as it would not bode well for his career prospects at the shed.

     The moral of the story is honest behavior is the best one. The story teaches us to be honest in every situation. Billy could not behave in an artificial manner for a long time and he behaved honestly. Thus Mr. Bidwell was impressed with his honesty and so decided to give a job at the locomotive shed.

A   

F     FAQs On A Real Good Smile

W  1. What is the importance of smile in the story A real good smile?

In     In the story A real Good Smile , smile is the most needed thing to get a job in locomotive shed.

2.  2. Was Billy happy after the interview with Mr. Bidwell?

       No Billy was not happy because nothing went as it was planned by Billy.

      3. Did Billy give a good smile in the interview?

        No Billy did not give a good smile in the interview.