Evans Tries an O-Level by Colin Dexter

EVANS TRIES ON 0-LEVEL

Colin Dexter

The story is an escape mystery, a thriller that takes the readers to a crescendo to unearth the escapist's route out of a well-guarded prison where all efforts have been made to thwart attempts of Evans, the jail bird, from breaking away from the high security person. What comes as a great surprise in the plot of the story is Evans' escape no doubt but also the element of mystery that becomes intense as the escape is right under the nose of prison officials. The comic element in the mystery gets highlighted when the officials themselves escort the prisoner out of the jail. At times overdoing things and also overlooking minor details, yet important ones, can backfire and this is what exactly happened in the plot.

On one hand the well-equipped and efficient jail authorities laid out a fool-proof network to keep Evans from breaking away but on the other hand was the prisoner himself who too had meticulously laid out for himself a fool-proof plan that worked out well because of its threadbare handling and above all with the help and involvement of an intelligent team good at befooling others and seeing to the fact that their plan should not go awry.

 v Escape plan/ Evan’s escape strategy.

·       Get a tutor for German (actually a friend and accomplice)
·       Get connected to other accomplices through tutor.
·       Plan made during the night with tutor's help.
·       Sit for 0-Level German examination.
·       Mcleery, an accomplice, comes with escape plan after gagging the real Mcleery (Parson).
·       The fake Mcleery brings an extra set of Parson's clothes by wearing one over the other.
·       Mcleery leaves Evans dressed as him but with blood splattered all over.
·       Injured Mcleery (Evans) says that he knows the escape plan.
·       Detective Carter takes Evans in a chase of Evans himself (ostensibly)
·       Evans feigns having seen Evans on Elsfield way, knows number of car, but says that he lost track at roundabout.
·       Evans tells Carter to move on while he alights near the exam offices. From there he escapes to Hotel Golden Lion.
·       Governor lands at Golden Lion before Evans and nabs him there but only to lose him once again.
·       Prison van in which Evans makes the finals escape has as its occupants Mcleery and the other accomplices of Evans. Together they make good their final escape.

Characters: (In Points)
Evans: Evans, the jail-break was a habitual, congenital Kleptomaniac, a master planner, has intimate and reliable contacts, non-violent with a pleasing personality, practical minded, outsmarts all with his intelligence, analytic character judge, crafty schemer, has an excellent psychological insight, far sighted and jolly natured.

Jackson: Lacks intelligence, credulous, gullible, compassionate, careless: in not recognizing a stranger's voice posing as the Governor's, moron, Evans and Jackson are 'warm enemies'.

Governor: Gullible fool, a greater moron than Jackson, hasty in his approach and actions, fails to verify credentials of tutor, has great regard for Evans' intelligence and presence of mind.

Stephens: Newly recruited into the jail security, devoted to duty, deeply conscientious but not mentally alert, negligent, hasty in actions.

Mcleery, the impersonator: Good impersonator, reliable friend, keeps his calm and has a strong presence of mind, unruffled, gives intelligent answers.

 v Precautions taken by the Governor

·       Removal of all incriminating material from Evans, cell (razor, nail-clippers, nail file)
·       Strict vigil, cell bugged
·       Invigilator frisked.

v Facts overlooked
·       German tutor-antecedents left unverified.
·       Private tuition, bobble hat, assistant secretary (examination) and not the secretary gave the call for correction slip but no eyebrows were raised.
·       Stephens taken out of the cell.
·       Stephens notices a thinner Mcleery but does nothing about it.
·       Blanket allowed to Evans.
·       Governor drops Evans outside hotel and he moves away in another vehicle thus giving a second chance on the same day for him to escape.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1.     Who was James Roderick Evans? Why was he put in the Oxford Prison?

Ans.  Evans was a smart young man who had a number of amazing skills to fool anyone and escape any prison. He had a gang of friends who used to make money by imitating other people. Because of his smartness in breaking prisons, Evans was sent to the Oxford prison that was thought to be the most secure prison in England.

2.     How was Evan's presence in the prison felt by the authorities?

Ans. Even though Evans was a prisoner, the whole of the prison seemed to have loved to have him there. He being a smart, tricky, intelligent and the most popular inmate of the prison,  even the authorities admired his skills but were worried only about the possibility of his escape. He had many good friends among the prisoners and even the Governor himself was concerned for him and at times behaved to be Evans’ fan.
3.     Why did the Governor apply for an examination for Evans?
Ans. Evans was a prisoner in the Oxford Prison. He had convinced the authorities that he was genuinely interested in learning German and was tutored for a while. When the tutor announced that Evans was prepared for an O'Level exam, the Governor of the prison applied to the Examination Board for his exam.
4.     Who was Mc Leery? What is his role in the story?
Ans.  Rev. Mc Leery was a parson at St.Mary Mags, a monastery. He was supposed to invigilate Evan's examination at the Oxford Prison. He was about to leave his residence for the prison when two of Evans' friends entered his room and tied and gagged him until Evans had escaped from the prison.
5.     Why was Evans particular about keeping his hat on his head during his exam?
Ans.  Evans wore a bobble hat at the time of his examination. When he was asked to remove that, Evans pleaded to let stay it because he believed it was his lucky charm. In fact he had hidden some of the makeup materials in his hat which was the reason he didn't want to remove it.

6.     Why did the Governor think of frisking Mc Leery?

Ans. Mc Leery was the invigilator of the examination and he was to sit inside Evan's cell while the latter wrote the exam. The Governor had made sure that Evans had been thoroughly frisked and there was nothing to fear about that. But when he thought about the possibility of Mc Leery carrying a paper-knife or that sort, he feared Evans would make use of that and escape by holding the parson his hostage.
7.     Why did Mc Leery's expressions change when he was frisked?
Ans.  While frisking  McLeery,  the prison officers found out a semi-inflated rubber tube in his bag. When he was asked of this Mc Leery's amiable appearance suddenly changed and he turned shy and embarrassed for having made to admit that he was suffering from piles. In fact this was only an excuse to stop the authorities from asking further questions and to allow him to carry the rubber tube that had some blood inside for the escape drama.

8.     What was the intention behind the call from the Examinations Board?

Ans.  It was one of Evans' friends who made the call from the Examination Board. This call was primarily meant for confirming the beginning time of the exam in order to calculate the end of the exam. The equally important reason behind this call was to misguide the Governor into Hotel Golden Lion to arrest Evans from there and thereby to make the escape altogether safer.
9.     The Governor's pride in his little knowledge in German was of great help for Evans to escape. Explain.
Ans. The Governor had acquired a little bit of German earlier and was proud of that. On seeing the correction sheet and faintly recognizing the hidden message that would help him to trace the escaped Evans, he became over enthusiastic and decided to track the prisoner with the assistance of another officer. Later when he trapped Evans so ‘smartly,’ the Governor forgot all caution and went high in the sky of his pride and that gave Evans a great opportunity to escape.
10.            What had 'Mc Leery' brought with him to the prison to help Evans' escape?
Ans. Evans’ friend dressed up like Mc Leery had brought some very useful   
 articles for Evans’escape. He had worn an extra clerical collar and a clerical front. In his bag he had carried a semi inflated rubber tube filled with blood. He had also carried a paper scissors even though it was frisked by the prison authorities.

11.    Why did Evans ask for a blanket while writing the exam?

Ans.  As part of his escape plan, Evans had to dress up him as Mc Leery, the invigilator. To cut his long hair and to dress up, Evans wanted a hiding. Moreover, he had hidden part of the invigilator’s costume under the blanket.

12.  How did Stephens feel when he was asked to accompany Mc Leery out of the prison?

 Ans. Stephens was a new officer at the Oxford Prison and was  naturally  apprehensive about his duties. He was already glad that he was in charge of the invigilator and the examinee. When he was asked by the Governor to accompany the invigilator out of the prison, Stephens felt greatly flattered and proud of himself.
13.   When did the Governor realize that the invigilator was fake?
Ans. The Governor had initially assumed that it was Evans who had run out of the prison after hitting the invigilator. But later, when he made call to the Radcliffe Hospital where detective Carter had admitted the invigilator, he was informed that the hospital had not admitted the invigilator. More confused, the Governor made another call to the invigilator’s residence and confirmed that the parson who had to come as the invigilator had been tied and gagged in his room and the one came as the invigilator was Evan’s accomplice.
14.            Why did Evans want the Governor arrest him at Hotel Golden Lion?
Ans. Evans’ plan had been one very intelligently crafted. He wanted to make sure that his plan had to amaze everyone and the very smart Governor also had to be overtaken. To do this he wanted the Governor arrest him with his ‘own smartness’ and feel ‘elated, proud and over confident and consequently less careful about keeping Evans under high security.

15.  Evans was 'visibly shaken' when he saw the Governor in his room in the hotel. Why was he shaken?

Ans.   It was part of the escape plan that the Governor had to come to the Golden Lion Hotel to arrest Evans from there and take him to the prison. The purpose was to make the Governor believe that he was really intelligent and efficient and thereby let his confidence go loose. It was because of this that Evans pretended that he was really caught.

6.             Why is the Governor called ‘good for a giggle Governor?’
Ans. The Governor was in a way intelligent and smart. Though a little late, he was successful in tracing Evans in the Hotel Golden Lion and in arresting him. But little did he know that it was Evans who wanted the Governor to arrest him. Evans raised the Governor’s confidence level sky high and let him fall from such a height of pride. When he caught Evans,  the Governor thought that he was the most intelligent prison governor in the world and drove to the prison dreaming of the praises and ranks he would be given for his efficiency as a Governor. But in the prison he would know how he was made fool by Evans and the world would only giggle at him.

17.   Do you think that the Governor was really intelligent? Support your answer with instances.

Ans. The Governor was a very intelligent officer but his overconfidence was his weak point. The instances of his intelligence can be seen at various   places   of the story. He didn’t believe that Evans was genuinely interested in learning German when he noticed that Evans didn’t understand the basic German expression, “GutenGluck.”  He was doubtful when the call came from the Examination Board and made a return call to confirm if the call really came from the Board. It was his intelligence that thought of frisking the invigilator and found the rubber tube. It was he who discovered the secret message regarding the assault on the invigilator superimposed at the back of the question paper. Soon he found out that the real McLeery  had never come to the prison and that it was Evans who had escaped from the prison as the injured invigilator. The Governor deserves praises for tracing Evan to Hotel Golden Lion at Chipping Norton and arresting him.

 18.  How far was Stephens helpful for Evans' escape?

Ans.  Stephens was a newly recruited officer in the prison. He was very particular about showing his efficiency in front of the higher authorities and was especially glad that he was in charge of Evans’ examination which was a risky job indeed. Evans complained of Stephens’ breathing and got him naturally out of the cell. Once out of the cell, Stephens kept peeping into the cell but soon found it childish. To show that he was very confident and efficient, he left the cell door to come after short intervals. The short intervals soon became longer and very longer giving time for Evans to dress himself up inside the cell. Stephens was taken to the highest joy when he received the fake call from the Governor to take the invigilator out of the prison. He in his pride took the invigilator out of the prison and made way for Evans’ escape in a wonderful way.

19.             How did Evans escape from Detective Carter?
Ans.  Disguised as the invigilator, hit by the escaped Evans, Evans misguided detective Carter in the pretext of helping the officer to find the escaped Evans. When they reached Radcliff Hospital,  Evans pretended to be most critical and told the detective to admit him in the hospital. Carter wanted to drive the wounded invigilator into the hospital but Evans advised him to call the ambulance and drop him on the roadside to be picked by the ambulance so that the detective could continue his chase after Evans had escaped.

20.   Can you imagine what had happened when the Governor reached the prison?
Ans. While driving to the prison the Governor thought that he was the most efficient and intelligent prison governor in the world. He was very confident, overwhelmed with gratification and was therefore least cautious. But there was the worst news awaiting him in the prison that Evans and his friends had escaped by fooling and disgracing him. He would also realize that he too was one among the idiots like Stephens and Jackson.

Share this

Empowerment Rules the World