NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Snapshots Chapter 4:Albert Einstein at School

The short story has been extracted from Albert Einstein's biography named "The Young Einstein", written by Patrick Pringle. In this chapter, readers will learn about the young Einstein's struggles in his school, life, and frustrations.

The chapter begins with Einstein's interaction with his history teacher. Einstein is described as an inattentive student. However, when he is questioned about a historical date, he was unable to answer it. Instead, he commences a short speech about education which gets him punished by the teacher. The young Einstein lived in a neighbourhood where slum violence was common, much to Einstein's dislike. He compares his neighbourhood to his friend Yuri's, which was the same and disliked by Yuri. Frustrated by his school experience, Einstein thinks of a way to leave school, but the strategy would require a doctor's assistance. He planned to pretend to have a nervous breakdown and have it certified by a doctor.

His friend Yuri helps him with the plan by setting up an appointment with a freshly qualified doctor. After listening to Einstein's plight and frustration, the doctor helps him and writes a note to certify a nervous breakdown that would help him escape the school. In exchange for the medical certificate, the doctor asks him to take Yuri for a meal to thank him. The excited young Einstein took Yuri out for supper even though he did not have enough money to spare for it. Next, he goes back to school. To his surprise, his maths teachers offered him a referral that would allow him to enter a college to pursue his passion for mathematics. At last, with the referral’s help, Einstein could leave the school, which was the cause of his suffering for so long.