“A Truly Beautiful Mind” – Complete Summary & Q&A
📘 Complete Brief Summary
This chapter is a biographical account of Albert Einstein, portraying him as both a genius and a human being with ordinary struggles.
- Childhood: Einstein was considered a “freak” for his large head and was a late talker. He disliked the strict schooling in Munich and eventually left.
- Education & Early Career: He moved to Switzerland, studied in Zurich, met Mileva Maric (his ally and later wife), and worked at a patent office in Bern. In 1905, he developed the Special Theory of Relativity and the famous equation E = mc².
- Personal Life: His marriage to Mileva ended in divorce, but his fame grew after the General Theory of Relativity (1919) and the Nobel Prize in Physics (1921).
- Later Years: Fleeing Nazi Germany, he moved to the USA. Concerned about Germany developing an atomic bomb, he wrote to President Roosevelt, prompting the American atomic project. Deeply affected by Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, he spent his later years advocating peace and democracy, earning the title of a visionary “world citizen.”
📖 Hindi Translation (हिंदी सारांश)
“ए ट्रूली ब्यूटीफुल माइंड” अल्बर्ट आइंस्टीन के जीवन का जीवनी विवरण है।
- बचपन में उन्हें “विचित्र” माना गया और वह देर से बोले। उन्होंने म्यूनिख के स्कूल के कठोर अनुशासन से घुटन महसूस की और इसे छोड़ दिया।
- शिक्षा के लिए स्विट्जरलैंड गए, मिलेवा मैरिक से मिले, स्नातक होने के बाद बर्न में पेटेंट कार्यालय में काम किया। 1905 में विशेष सापेक्षता का सिद्धांत और E = mc² विकसित किए।
- निजी जीवन में उथल-पुथल रही; मिलेवा से विवाह का अंत तलाक में हुआ। 1919 में सामान्य सापेक्षता सिद्धांत के सही होने के बाद प्रसिद्धि मिली। 1921 में नोबेल पुरस्कार प्राप्त किया।
- नाजी उदय के बाद अमेरिका चले गए, परमाणु बम के खतरे के लिए राष्ट्रपति रूजवेल्ट को पत्र लिखा। हिरोशिमा और नागासाकी बमों से हिल गए। जीवन के बाद के वर्ष शांति और लोकतंत्र के लिए समर्पित किए, उन्हें वैज्ञानिक और दूरदर्शी “विश्व नागरिक” के रूप में याद किया गया।
📚 Word Meanings (शब्दार्थ)
| English Word | Hindi Meaning |
|---|---|
| Freak | विचित्र व्यक्ति |
| Regimentation | कठोर अनुशासन |
| Stifled | घुटन महसूस करना |
| Liberal | उदार |
| Ally | सहयोगी, मित्र |
| Philistines | असंस्कृत लोग |
| Patent | पेटेंट (अविष्कार का अधिकार) |
| Absolute | निरपेक्ष, पूर्ण |
| Unravelling | बिगड़ना, टूटना |
| Faltered | डगमगाना, कमजोर पड़ना |
| Deflected | मुड़ना, दिशा बदलना |
| In an uproar | खलबली में |
| Missive | पत्र (आधिकारिक) |
| Visionary | दूरदर्शी |
Textbook Questions & Answers
📄 Page 4-5 (Paragraphs 1-6)
Q1: What was the initial impression of Einstein’s family about him as a child?
Ans: Einstein’s mother thought he was a “freak” because of his unusually large head. He spoke late and repeated everything twice. His playmates found him boring.
Q2: Why did Einstein leave his school in Munich for good?
Ans: He felt stifled by the school’s strict regimentation and often clashed with teachers. At age 15, he could no longer bear it and left permanently.
Q3: What does the anecdote about the soup reveal about young Einstein?
Ans: The story shows that Einstein was observant and thoughtful. He spoke only when necessary, breaking his silence to point out what was wrong (soup too hot), showing careful attention to detail.
📄 Page 6-7 (Paragraphs 7-11)
Q4: Why did Einstein see Mileva Maric as an ally?
Ans: Mileva shared his opposition to conventional and philistine attitudes at university and in his family. She was intellectual and supportive, making her a trusted companion.
Q5: What was Einstein’s ‘Special Theory of Relativity’?
Ans: Proposed in 1905, it stated that time and distance are not absolute. The famous equation E = mc² describes the relationship between mass and energy.
Q6: Why did Einstein’s mother oppose his marriage to Mileva?
Ans: She disapproved because Mileva was three years older and intellectually sharp, describing her dismissively as “a book like you.”
📄 Page 7-8 (Paragraphs 12-17)
Q7: What brought Einstein world fame?
Ans: His General Theory of Relativity (1915), proven correct during the 1919 solar eclipse, made headlines as a “scientific revolution.”
Q8: Why did Einstein write a letter to President Roosevelt?
Ans: To warn about Nazi Germany possibly building an atomic bomb and to urge the US to start nuclear research.
Q9: Why was Einstein deeply shaken after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Ans: He did not anticipate that his warning letter would result in such catastrophic destruction.
Q10: Why is Einstein called a ‘world citizen’?
Ans: He campaigned for peace, democracy, and global welfare, using his fame to advocate world unity and prevent future conflicts.
✅ Important CBSE Questions & Answers
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)
Q1: How does the chapter show that a genius is also an ordinary human being?
Ans: Einstein faced personal struggles—late speech, school failures, a troubled marriage, and guilt over the atomic bomb. Despite his genius, he experienced ordinary human emotions, conflicts, and failures.
Q2: Why did Einstein’s private life become miserable after 1919?
Ans: International fame coincided with marital issues. His first marriage ended in divorce; he later married Elsa. The fame and political turmoil added to his personal challenges.
Q3: What was the ‘bureau of theoretical physics’?
Ans: Einstein jokingly called his desk drawer at the Bern patent office the “bureau of theoretical physics,” where he secretly developed his revolutionary theories.
Q4: Contrast Einstein’s letters to Roosevelt and the UN.
Ans:
- Roosevelt (1939): Secret, warning about Nazi nuclear threat; led to the Manhattan Project.
- UN (1945): Public, proposing a world government for peace; idealistic, no immediate impact.
Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words)
Q1: Justify Einstein as a scientific genius and humanitarian.
Ans: Einstein revolutionized physics with his theories and won the Nobel Prize. Yet, he was deeply affected by Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. He advocated peace, world government, and democracy, using his fame to protect humanity, showing he was both a genius and a humanitarian.
Q2: Trace Einstein’s journey from a ‘freak’ child to a ‘world citizen’.
Ans: Einstein was a late-talking, misunderstood child labeled a ‘freak’. He left school due to strictness, found freedom in Switzerland, developed groundbreaking theories at the patent office, gained fame, fled Nazism to the USA, and dedicated his life to global peace, becoming a true ‘world citizen’.
Q3: Name three personal qualities of Einstein with examples.
Ans:
- Independent & Rebellious: Left strict school in Munich.
- Intellectually Curious: Developed theories secretly at the patent office.
- Humanitarian & Responsible: Advocated peace after the atomic bomb, showing moral concern.
📖 Thinking about the Poem: The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Q1: What three things does the poet wish to do in Innisfree?
Ans:
- Build a small cabin of clay and wattles.
- Plant nine bean-rows.
- Keep a honeybee hive.
Q2: How does the poet contrast Innisfree with the city?
Ans: In the city, there are grey pavements and traffic noise; Innisfree has natural beauty, tranquil lake sounds, and peace.
Q3: Central theme of the poem?
Ans: Escapism and longing for a peaceful, natural place. The poet yearns to leave the stressful city life for Innisfree, which he keeps in his “heart’s core.”