The story shows that fame is not the same for everyone. A person who is well-known and important in one place may be unknown and unimportant in another. It also shows how people from different backgrounds or places can have very different interests and knowledge. While Herriot admires George Bernard Shaw, the farmers have never heard of him. This creates a funny and awkward moment, showing how people live in different worlds, even in the same country. It means the story reflects on how perspective shapes importance, and how what is meaningful to one person or group may be irrelevant to another.
Summary
The narrative begins in 1950, when James Herriot learns from the news that one of his personal heroes, the famous playwright George Bernard Shaw, had broken his leg while pruning (trimming) apple trees. Herriot, who had been reading Shaw’s witty and insightful prefaces around that time, felt personally affected by the news. Shaw's accident was widely reported in the national press, overshadowing even serious political matters, and Herriot shared the public's concern. The media described Shaw in highly admiring terms, calling him a “literary genius” and a “most revered playwright.”
Around the same time, Herriot was called to attend to a calf that had broken its leg on the Caslings’ farm, a remote homestead on the harsh Yorkshire moors. The Casling family: Mr. Casling and his two large, rugged sons, Alan and Harold, were weathered, stoic men who showed little emotion and barely spoke. Their farm was wind-swept and isolated, and the family matched the environment: quiet, sturdy, and unsmiling.
Upon arrival, Herriot asked for lukewarm water to set the calf’s leg. The family helped him without words or expressions. As they worked together in silence, Herriot began to feel awkward due to the lack of conversation, which contrasted with his usual experience of lively banter during veterinary procedures. To break the silence, he made a light comment: “Just like Bernard Shaw, eh?” referring to Shaw’s similar leg injury.
The response was underwhelming. Mr. Casling replied only with a confused “’oo?”, and his sons followed with equally puzzled questions. They had never heard of George Bernard Shaw. When Herriot explained that Shaw was a playwright living in London, the men reacted with disbelief and subtle disapproval. Their surprise revealed their unfamiliarity with the world beyond their rural life. They assumed Shaw must be a local or someone in farming, and when they learned otherwise, they seemed skeptical and uninterested.
Herriot quickly realised his mistake and tried to move the conversation away from Shaw. After finishing the treatment, they watched the calf run off with its mother, now moving more comfortably thanks to the plaster cast. The silence remained unbroken on the way back, but Herriot imagined the likely post-visit discussion at the farmhouse dinner table. He knew they would think of him as a strange young man who talked about an unfamiliar “friend” from London who also broke his leg.
The story closes with Herriot’s reflection that fame is relative and context-bound. While George Bernard Shaw was a monumental figure in literature to Herriot and the broader public, he meant nothing to the Caslings. The narrator humorously concludes that in the future, he would be more careful about bringing up people “who don’t live about 'ere.”
Points to be Noted
- Cultural Gap and Isolation: The contrast between Herriot’s world of literature and the Caslings’ isolated rural life shows the divide in awareness and interests.
- Fame and Relativity: What seems universally important in one context can be entirely irrelevant in another.
- Human Nature and Humour: The story gently mocks the disconnect with quiet humour, showing Herriot’s embarrassment and the farmers’ incomprehension with kindness, not judgement.
Interpretation
The story "Just Like George Bernard Shaw" by James Herriot shows how people from different backgrounds live in very different worlds. Herriot, a well-educated vet, admires the famous writer George Bernard Shaw, but when he talks about Shaw to a simple farming family, they don’t understand who he is and show no interest. This shows a clear gap between educated, city life and rural, farming life.
Herriot tries to break the ice with a friendly conversation, but the farmers are quiet and serious. Their world is full of hard work, animals, and the land, not books or famous writers. Herriot realises that what matters to him doesn't matter to them, and this makes him feel awkward.
In the end, he understands that fame and importance depend on where you are and who you’re talking to. Someone may be very famous in one place but completely unknown in another. The story is humorous but also thoughtful, reminding us to respect other people’s lives and experiences, even if they are different from our own.
Understanding
1. What prompts Herriot to start talking to the three farmers about Shaw's broken leg?
Herriot feels uncomfortable working in complete silence with the three farmers. To break the silence and start a conversation, he talks about George Bernard Shaw breaking his leg, hoping it might interest them.
Herriot respects Mr. Casling and his sons. He sees them as strong, hardworking, and dependable people. Though they don’t talk much or show emotion, Herriot considers them good and helpful men.
3. What purpose other than to entertain do you find in "Just Like Bernard Shaw"?
Besides being entertaining, the story shows how different people live in different worlds. It teaches that what seems important to one person may be unknown to another, and we should be aware of such differences.
Trappist Monks are known for their silence. Herriot uses this comparison to show just how quiet and speechless the farmers were while helping him, making the moment feel strangely silent and uncomfortable.
Some medical terms used in the story include:
- Fracture: a broken bone
- Tibia: a bone in the lower leg
- Crepitus: a crackling sound felt or heard when bones are broken
- Radius and ulna: bones in the foreleg (or human forearm)
- Plaster bandages/cast: materials used to cover and support the broken bone while healing
Rhetoric/Language/Writing
1. How does Herriot firmly establish that George Bernard Shaw's broken leg was of concern to people throughout England? Of what importance is this fact to the author's story?
Herriot explains that when Shaw broke his leg, newspapers gave it big headlines and even stopped covering important political news to report updates about Shaw. This shows that Shaw was very famous and respected. Herriot uses this to highlight the contrast between Shaw’s national fame and the farmers’ complete ignorance of him, making the ending more humorous and meaningful.
The use of local Yorkshire speech (dialect) makes the story more realistic and authentic. It helps show the character of the farmers and the rural setting. The tone of Herriot’s story is gentle, humorous, and light-hearted, showing respect for the farmers while also laughing at the funny misunderstanding.
3. What does the author mean when he says, in the final paragraph, that "all fame is relative"?
He means that fame depends on who you are talking to. Someone may be world-famous in one place but completely unknown in another. In this case, Shaw is famous across England, but the farmers have never heard of him.
Herriot uses Yorkshire speech at the end ("queer lad") to mimic how the farmers would talk about him after he leaves. This adds humour and helps readers see how different he seems to them. It also ties the story together in a natural, local voice.
Herriot uses medical terms to show his expertise as a vet and make the situation feel real. The terms also contrast with the farmers' simple lifestyle, adding to the theme of different worlds and perspectives.
Discussion
1. Sum up, in a paragraph or two, the reasons for the communication gap between the veterinarian and the Caslings.
The communication gap between Herriot and the Caslings happens because they come from very different worlds. Herriot is an educated man who loves books and famous writers like George Bernard Shaw. The Caslings, on the other hand, are quiet, hardworking farmers who spend their lives dealing with animals and the land. They are not interested in literature or people who don’t “live around here.”
Also, the Caslings are not used to small talk or joking. They speak little and only when needed. Herriot tries to start a friendly conversation, but they don’t understand the reference and show no interest. Their silence and simple lifestyle make Herriot feel out of place. This shows how people can struggle to connect when their life experiences are very different.
2. Based on your own experience, write an anecdote about an encounter that did not proceed smoothly: an interview, a blind date, a business transaction, a reunion, or whatever else strikes you as a likely possibility. Include enough vivid detail so that your reader will be moved to agonise along with you.
Around six years ago, I had a job interview in Kathmandu. I was both excited and nervous. I had prepared answers to common questions, dressed neatly, and arrived on time. But as soon as the interview started, things began to go wrong.
The interviewer had a very serious face and didn’t smile even once. I tried to break the ice with a little joke, but she didn’t laugh. Instead, she just nodded and went on. Then, when she asked about my experience related to my academic career, I blanked out. I knew I had made up my mind about it before, but in that moment, I became nervous and could not say anything as expected.
Worse, halfway through, my phone, which I had forgotten to silence, rang loudly in my pocket. I apologised, turned it off quickly, and tried to keep calm, but I could feel myself sweating. The rest of the interview was stiff and uncomfortable. When I left, I knew I hadn’t done well. I learned that being well-prepared is not just about answers, but also about staying calm under pressure.
3. "All fame is relative." Do you agree? Why or why not?
Yes, I agree that "all fame is relative". A person who is very famous in one group, country, or field might be completely unknown in another. For example, a top scientist may be a big name in the academic world but not recognised by ordinary people. A movie star may be well-known in one country but not in another with a different language or culture.
In the story, George Bernard Shaw was famous across England, but the farmers had never heard of him. This shows that people value and notice different things based on their lives and interests. Fame depends on where you are and who you're with. That’s why it is called relative.
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