Explanation: Alex, spoilt by his mother from a young age, did not have the same regard for the statue as his ancestors did. And so, when he gambled away all his money at roulette and got a threatening call from his creditors, he decided to auction away the statue to pay his debts.

Why was Alexander Heathcote compelled to get the statue auctioned What does this reveal about his character?

The Chinese Statue | Characterization

Sir Alexander Heathcote- Ambassador to China during 1871. He is the one to come across the statue and pass it on as a family heirloom. ... He has a gambling addiction and is forced to sell the statue of the Emperor to pay off his debts.

How Alexander Heathcote came into the possession of the Chinese statue?

Upon seeing his interest, the craftsman, with a heavy heart, fixed a base of his choice on the statue and gifted it to him. It was the Chinese custom to oblige if an honoured guest requested something. To pay the craftsman back, Alexander constructed a beautiful house on the hills for the man to settle down.

Why is Sir Alexander called an exact man in the Chinese statue?

Sir Alexander Heathcote is called 'an exact man' because he was very disciplined and punctual in his everyday life. The narrator mentions that he rose at seven o'clock every morning. The egg for his breakfast was to be cooked for precisely four minutes.

How did Sir Alexander repay the kindness of the Chinese man?

Sir Alexander used his savings to repay the kindness of the craftsman by buying him a small house in the village of Ma Tien. The Chinese craftsmen were restricted from accepting gifts from foreigners for their work of art.

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21 related questions found

What is the moral of the story the Chinese statue?

The main themes of the story are appearance versus reality, the love of art, respect towards the customs & traditions and desire to own the exotics. Appearance versus reality is shown in how the Chinese statue which was thought to be an original piece of art and regarded with such high esteem turned out to be fake.

How does the story the Chinese statue explore the themes of appearances being deceptive and traditions?

The chinese Statue story actually about a statue which was owned by a british and was the family property. ... So as the whole family thought the statue was real just because of it's appearance but the reality was not like that thus this explore theme appearance vs reality.

What did the Mandarin find out about the Chinese craftsman on Sir Alexander's request?

When Sir Alexander talked to the craftsman, his love and knowledge of the Ming dynasty was revealed to the artist. So the craftsman understood Sir Alexander's taste and liking for art and brought an old statue of Emperor Kung, which was with his family for over seven generations.

What was special about the six inch tall statue that Sir Alexander Heathcote was gifted?

It was a six inch tall, ivory statue of Emperor Kung. Sir Alexander felt confident that it was sculpted by the great Pen, Q. somewhere around the turn of the fifteenth century. As per the Chinese custom, one must return the kindness within the calendar year, when a stronger shows generosity.

How apt is the title of the story the Chinese statue?

It said that the statue was brought from a place called Ha Li Chuan in China. To hide the owners' identity, the word 'gentlemen' was used instead of his real name. The narrator of the story, seated amidst the bidders, was intrigued by the statue's history.

How was the generosity of the old craftsman reciprocated?

Answer: Sir Alexander was also quite disturbed at the thought of taking the craftsman's heirloom without paying him anything in return. So hereciprocated the craftsman's generosity by getting a house built for him on the hill, where thecraftsman had wished to live the rest of his life.

How is Alexander Heathcote a foil his great grandfather Alexander Heathcote?

Sir Alexander Heathcote was a gentleman. He was a meticulous person. He got up at seven o'clock in the morning and joined his wife at breakfast. He ate one boiled egg which was cooked precisely for four minutes, two pieces of toast with a spoonful of Cooper's marmalade.

How can you conclude that the narrator of the story Chinese statue was a lover of art give reason to support your answer?

The Chinese statue

The time came when Sir Alexander got bankrupted and for that, he had to sell the statue. At that time he got to know that the statue is fake. He committed suicide in shock and for the love of art that he has been holding for that much longer. This is how it became a satire on lovers of art.

How did the statue find its way to the auction house?

(c) How did the Chinese statue find its way into the auction room? Answer : Alexander Heathcote bequeathed the statue to his first born Major James Heathcote with a request to do the same before his death so that the statue might always pass to the first son in the family.