question_answer 1)

Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans having the last laugh?    

Answer:

In this story James Roderick Evans, a young criminal, manipulated a situation to outsmart a team of officers, headed by the Governor of HM Prison, Oxford. His ingenuity impresses the reader because he was not a seasoned criminal. One views him just as a law breaker. He was a kleptomaniac. There was no record against him for any violence. On the contrary, he was viewed by the Governor as a pleasant and an amusing person. He was one of the stars at the Christmas concert and was good at imitation like Mike Yarwood. He was called 'Evans the Break' by the prison officers as he had escaped three times from prison. He was not seen as 'trouble but just a constant, irritating presence'. In fact his resourcefulness, at times, was breathtaking. One marvels at his cleverness—his plea to keep the hat on, calling his friend as the invigilator and the tutor, and above all hoodwinking the police into escorting him out. One cannot but help admire him for his never- say die spirit!