My Bank Account by Stephen Leacock (Summary)

Introduction

Stephen P.H Butter Leacock was a Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist. He was born on 30 December 1869 in swanmore in the UK. Stephen Leacock, between 1915 to 1925 he was the best known English-speaking humorist in the world. He is known for his light humor along with criticisms of people follies

Stephen Leacock tells us that when his salary was raised to fifty dollars a month he wanted to save some money by putting it in the bank, unfortunately, he had never before gone to a bank nor had he ever heard about the method of opening a bank account.

So, he went to a bank quite shyly and asked the account to take him to the manager and when he came to the manager he talked to him in such a way that the latter believed him to be some detective or a rich person.

Therefore, he took the writer to his private room and started talking in but when the manager came to know that he was just an ordinary customer who wanted to open his bank account with only fifty-six dollars.

 He sent him back to the accountant and this thing put the writer in a fix. He was much surprised to find the people looking at him in a mocking way. Anyhow he opened an account and was given a cheque book no sooner did he get the cheque book than he wanted to draw some money.

He wanted to write a cheque for $6 but he was so upset that he wrote $56 instead of $6. This thing spoiled the situation completely the accountant and the clerks of the bank were surprised at this foolish attitude.

 They gave him his money back and the poor fellow hurried out of the bank much worried and upset. As judged by the incident given here we find that Stephen Leacock had some psychological reasons this hatred and fear towards keeping his account in a bank. Firstly this experience gave him the impression that the attitude of the bank people towards their customers was always a united matter-of-fact type, and that they showed no sympathy towards them.

 The serious face of the accountant and the cold attitude of the manager was sufficient to frighten a customer who chanced to be with these people for the first time.

Secondly, there was not a person to for customers in the bank where the author went to open his account. Unfortunately, the author's attitude too was a bit strange and this fact create a funny situation.

The manager seems to have pre-engaged with some criminal case this explains why he took the author for one of Pinkerton's detectives. Thus a series of misunderstandings got together to put the author in a funny situation. All these things came upon him so suddenly he was upset and puzzled. This experience made the writer hate the bank people otherwise no reasonable explanation can be given to justify Leacock’s behave. Certainly, no educated person can behave as foolishly as the author seems to have done.