Refund
Understanding the Text
a. Why does Wasserkopf demand a refund of his tuition fees from the school?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf believes that the education he received at school was of no practical use to him. After eighteen years, he feels that all those years of schooling have failed to make him capable of achieving anything worthwhile. Therefore, he demands the return of the tuition fees he had paid.
b. Why does Wasserkopf consider himself good for nothing?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf thinks he is good for nothing because he has repeatedly failed in his attempts to build a successful career. He has faced failure in getting and keeping jobs and believes that his school education did not give him the knowledge or ability necessary to succeed in life.
c. What did the teachers decide to do when Wasserkopf asked for a refund?
=> Answer: The teachers decide to handle Wasserkopf's demand through a re-examination. They agree that he should be declared successful in every subject, regardless of the correctness of his responses. Their intention is to make it impossible for him to use his examination performance as evidence for receiving a refund.
d. Why did Wasserkopf give ridiculous answers? Why did the teachers accept these answers?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf deliberately gives absurd answers because he has a particular plan in mind: he wants to fail the examination and then use his failure to support his demand for a refund. The teachers, on the other hand, have already decided to make him pass. They therefore interpret his incorrect responses as correct so that the school's reputation remains protected.
e. How does the Mathematics Master describe Wasserkopf’s character?
=> Answer: According to the Mathematics Master, Wasserkopf is a crafty and calculating person who has intentionally come to the school with the intention of failing the examination. His purpose is to recover the money he paid as tuition fees. At the same time, his offensive speech and unpleasant behaviour make him a particularly irritating person for the teachers.
f. How did the teachers outwit Wasserkopf?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf thinks that he can control the examination by intentionally giving wrong answers, but the teachers understand his strategy and cleverly reverse it. The Mathematics Master asks him an easy question, which Wasserkopf answers incorrectly. He is then apparently declared to have failed and is asked to calculate the amount that the school should refund.
Unexpectedly, Wasserkopf performs the calculation correctly. The Mathematics Master uses this opportunity to change the interpretation of the situation. Instead of treating the answer as an ordinary calculation, he presents it as evidence that Wasserkopf possesses exceptional mathematical talent. The teachers consequently declare him successful. In this manner, they use Wasserkopf's own actions to defeat his plan and prevent him from obtaining his money.
g. What is the final judgment on Waserkopf’s demand of refund?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf's demand for a refund is unsuccessful. The Principal finally announces that he has passed the re-examination with distinction in every subject. He also confirms that Wasserkopf has once again proved himself worthy of the certificate that was given to him when he completed his schooling.
📖 Reference to the Context
a. Read the extract from the play given below and answer the questions that follow:
“It’s possible I’ve changed. What the hell…! Your class records will show I’ve got a right to come here.”
i. Who is the speaker? Who is he speaking to?
=> Answer: The statement is made by Wasserkopf while he is talking with the Principal of his old school.
ii. Why is the speaker say these words?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf says this because he wants to establish that he has a legitimate connection with the school. He refers to the school's class records as evidence of his former attendance and education there eighteen years earlier.
iii. Where is the speaker at this moment?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf is in the office of the Principal at his former school.
b. Read the extract dialogue given below and answer the questions that follow:
“THE STAFF: (bowing, heartily) How do you do?
WASSERKOPF: Who the hell are you? Sit down, you loafers! (He grins, waiting to be thrown out)
THE PRINCIPAL: How dare you –”
i. What is to be the response to ‘How do you do?’
=> Answer: The proper response to “How do you do?” is “I am fine.”
ii. Is Wasserkopf’s response polite enough to the staff?
=> Answer: No, Wasserkopf's reply is far from courteous. He reacts to the staff with disrespectful and insulting words instead of returning their polite greeting.
iii. How does Wasserkopf rebuke the staff?
=> Answer: Wasserkopf insults the staff by questioning them in an offensive manner and calling them “loafers.” He also uses the expression “Who the hell are you?” to show his disrespect.
iv. What does the principal mean by ‘How dare you -’?
=> Answer: The Principal is showing his anger and disbelief at Wasserkopf's behaviour. He cannot accept the fact that Wasserkopf has spoken to the teachers in such an insulting and disrespectful way.
c. Explain the following line of the play:
“Because I didn’t get my money’s worth, that’s why!”
=> Answer: Wasserkopf makes this statement to justify his demand for the return of his tuition fees. From his perspective, the education provided by the school has not produced any worthwhile result in his life. He has suffered repeated failures in employment and is experiencing financial difficulties. He therefore feels that the money spent on his education was not properly rewarded by the knowledge or ability he gained. This belief becomes the main reason for his demand for a refund.
d. What is the theme of the play?
=> Answer: The central idea of the play is a satirical examination of the education system and its connection with practical life. The story humorously questions whether formal education always succeeds in making students capable of dealing with real-world difficulties. Wasserkopf represents a failed and irresponsible former student, while the teachers demonstrate intelligence and resourcefulness in dealing with his unreasonable demand. Through this amusing situation, the play exposes weaknesses in education as well as in the attitude of the learner.
e. Sketch the character of Wasserkopf.
=> Answer: Wasserkopf is a middle-aged Hungarian man who is poor, unsuccessful, greedy, and difficult to deal with. His repeated dismissal from employment suggests that his rude personality and bad manners have created serious problems in his working life. Rather than accepting his own shortcomings, he attempts to hold his former school responsible for his failures.
As a student, Wasserkopf was not particularly serious about learning. He wanted to get through school without acquiring sufficient knowledge. His lack of understanding becomes apparent when he cannot even deal properly with matters such as foreign exchange. Because of his limited knowledge and poor abilities, he struggles to secure a respectable career and eventually describes himself as good for nothing.
His personality is further revealed through his treatment of the teachers. He is rude, arrogant, aggressive, disrespectful, and undisciplined. He speaks to his former teachers without any sense of respect and uses offensive expressions against them.
Wasserkopf also considers himself clever enough to manipulate the school into returning his fees. He intentionally attempts to fail the examination, believing that this will make his case stronger. However, the teachers understand his intention and cleverly turn the examination into a trap for him. His plan ultimately fails because his own foolishness allows the teachers to outsmart him.
🌍 Reference Beyond the Text
a. The play is a satire on the present day education system. Do you think that our education system does not prepare students for life? Discuss.
=> Answer: Yes, I think our education system still has limitations when it comes to preparing learners for the demands of everyday life. A large portion of learning is directed towards examinations, and students are frequently expected to remember information rather than understand how it can be used.
The importance given to marks also encourages an examination-centred attitude. Many students become more interested in achieving impressive results than in developing knowledge that they can use beyond the classroom. Consequently, good examination performance does not always indicate that a learner is ready to face practical challenges.
Another weakness is the imbalance between theoretical and practical education. Students may spend years studying textbook material without receiving enough opportunities to develop problem-solving abilities, creativity, communication skills, and other practical competencies.
Students themselves also contribute to this situation when they treat education simply as a means of obtaining marks and certificates. Genuine learning requires curiosity and active participation, not merely memorising information before an examination.
Therefore, education should have a broader purpose. It should help students become capable of handling real-life problems, practical responsibilities, creative tasks, and future challenges, rather than preparing them only to pass examinations.
b. Our education system focuses on memorisation rather than creative thinking. Do you think the knowledge imparted by education may not have practical relevance in one’s day-to-day life? Who do you blame for this?
=> Answer: Yes, education based primarily on memorisation may fail to provide students with knowledge that is directly useful in their daily lives. A learner may remember a large amount of textbook information but still struggle to use that information when confronted with a practical situation.
The government is partly responsible because it plays a major role in determining the structure and content of the education system. If the curriculum gives excessive importance to theoretical lessons and written examinations, students naturally become focused on memorising rather than applying their knowledge. More practical activities, creative tasks, and skill-based learning should be included in education.
However, students cannot be completely free from responsibility. Many students willingly follow the examination-oriented system because their main concern is obtaining high marks. They often memorise material exactly as it is taught without attempting to understand its practical importance. Such an approach limits their creativity and independent thinking.
Thus, both the government and students deserve responsibility for this problem. The government should provide a more practical and creative curriculum, while students should also develop an active attitude towards learning and try to understand and apply what they study.
c. Most of the students want to learn just for examination rather than knowledge. Do you think that certificate will help them in their future career?
=> Answer: Many students do, in fact, approach education mainly as a preparation for examinations. Their immediate goal is often to obtain high marks and secure a certificate rather than to develop a strong understanding of the subject. Such learning may help them achieve short-term academic success, but it does not necessarily prepare them for professional life.
A certificate can show that someone has completed a certain level of formal education, but it cannot automatically demonstrate practical competence. In the workplace, people need to use their knowledge, make decisions, solve problems, communicate effectively, and perform their responsibilities. These abilities cannot be developed through memorisation alone.
For this reason, students who concentrate exclusively on examinations may face difficulties later in their careers. A person may possess a degree yet lack the practical skills required for appropriate employment. This can force some educated people to accept manual or low-skilled work abroad despite having obtained academic qualifications in Nepal.
Therefore, a certificate should be considered a qualification, not a complete guarantee of career success. Real achievement requires a combination of formal education, genuine understanding, practical skills, and the ability to apply knowledge. Learning only to obtain a certificate may ultimately leave a person inadequately prepared for professional life.