TPO 8 – Integrated

In the set of material , both the reading and the professor are talking about the Chevalier de Seingalt , who wrote a long memoir recounting his life and adventures. The reading claims that, Chevalier distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous than it really was. Conversely the speaker says that, there is no memoir can provide very correct details, and he is a reliable historical source. Moreover, she says that, all the reasons that are mentioned in the reading are unconvincing.

First , the reading says that, in the memoir of Chevalier, he claims that while living in Switezerland , he was very welthy. However evidence has recently surfaced that the Chevalier borrowed considerable sums of money from a Swiss merchant. But the professor says that , the loan from the merchant it doesn't mean that he was poor. Moreover he spent a lot of money there on parties and gambling, so to put it as a kind of property ,he had to sell to get cash money. That's why he borrowed until his money had arrived.

Second, the reading argues that, no one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed. However, critics complain that the memoir cannot capture these conversations accurately, because it was written many years after the conversation occurred. But the professor says that, the memoir had wrote everything he remembered immediately after the meeting.

Third, the reading states that, critics have also questioned the memoir's account of the Chevalier's escape from a notorious in Venice. He said , it's more likely that the Chevaliers jailers were bribed to free him. But the professor says that, even he had powerful friends, nobody could provide him a freedom. Furthermore, there was opening in the room's ceiling after he had run away, so , why they need to repaired it?