I. Give Russian equivalents of
the following words and phrases:
condescending letter – снисходительное письмо
pearl studs – жемчужные запонки
peevish - капризный, раздражительный,
make head or tail of it - продвигаться вперёд
fatuous irony – глупая ирония
to get back on sb – обратиться к к-л
to have sb off your hands – с рук долой
song and dance – песня и танец
to spend a lot on green fees – тратить много на денежный взнос для игр в гольф
despicable
- презренный, жалкий
to give sb a treat - баловать
to wheedle sb into - прельщать, втягивать лестью
prudishness – строгость, чопорность
to take liberties with sb - быть (чересчур) фамильярным
to grudge sb - испытывать неприязнь; завидовать; выражать недовольство
conspicuous - видный, заметный, бросающийся в глаза
to take the rough with the smooth - спокойно встречать невзгоды, стойко переносить превратности судьбы
to have a joke up your sleeve – иметь шутку про запас
to mortify sb - обижать, унижать, оскорблять
disconcerted - смущённый; обескураженный; в замешательстве
II. Explain the following metaphors. Who do they refer to?
It won't
hurt him to discover that I'm not all milk and honey.
This metaphor suggests
comfort, sweetness, and peace. It is
a cultural reference, meaning a version of paradise. It refers to Tom because
Julia wanted to show her character and her resentment.
I'm not
the woman to desert a sinking ship.
This metaphor alludes to rats, which leave a
vessel when it founders in a storm or runs aground so as to escape drowning. It
was transferred to human behavior by about 1600.
It refers to Dolly who can’t abandon her friend Julia who stopped to care
about her reputation.
III. Give a character sketch of
Dolly de Vries. Pay special attention to the description of hr appearance:
"Dolly de Vries was now a woman of sixty. …and a slight cockney accent revealed
itself." Dwell on her relationship with Michael and Julia. How did she
feel about Tom?
Dolly de Vries was now a woman
of sixty. She was very fat, and her face, with its large nose and heavy red
lips, seemed larger than life. There was a slightly masculine touch in her
black satin dress, but she wore a double string of pearls round her neck, a
diamond brooch at her waist and another in her hat. Her short hair was dyed a
rich copper. Her lips and her finger-nails were bright red. Her voice was loud
and deep, but when she got excited the words were apt to tumble over one
another and a slight cockney accent revealed itself.
Dolly saw no reason to sell out an investment
that seemed sound, and her half share in the partnership kept her in close
touch with Julia.
One thing was evident, Julia couldn’t know what was being said about her, and
someone must tell her. Not she; she hadn’t the courage Even after all these years she was a little frightened
of Julia. Julia was a very good-tempered woman, and though her language was
often brusque it was hard to ruffle her; but there was something about her that
prevented you from taking liberties with her. Dolly she tried to put her own
wounded feelings aside and look at it only from the point of view of Julia’s career. She
felt old, lonely, unhappy, and desperately jealous.
With Michael: Michael liked Dolly as little as she liked
him, though for other reasons, and when he heard that she wanted to see him he
swore. He was annoyed that he had never been able to induce her to sell out her
shares in the management. When Dolly said Machael about the gossips he did not
believe. Her eyes were anguished. She understood that that situation can ruin
Julia’s career. Michael thought
that Dolly cared about her money and he offered her to buy out. But Dolly
thought about Julia’s career first of all.
With Julia: Julia accepted the flowers with which Dolly de
Vries filled her flat and her dressing-room, she was properly delighted with
the presents she gave her, bags, vanity cases, brooches; but Dolly’s generosity was due to anything but admiration
for her talent.
About Tom: She had never
paid any attention to him. He seemed a nice little thing, a useful escort for
Julia when Michael was busy, but perfectly insignificant. He was one of those
persons who everywhere pass unnoticed, and even after you had met him you could
not remember what he was like. He was the extra man you invited to dinner to
make an odd number even.
IV. Speak on Julia's reputation and talent. Do you agree that no one
expects an actress to be a pattern of propriety?
No one expects it because actress plays lots of
roles, she can every emotion and feeling. Julia was a pattern of propriety as a
perfect wife, but the critics called her talent genius, that was a very grand
word, her gift, if you like, was not really herself, not even part of her, but
something outside that used her, Julia Lambert the woman, in order to express
itself. It was a strange, immaterial personality that seemed to descend upon
her and it did things through her that she did not know she was capable of
doing. She was an ordinary, prettyish, ageing woman. Her gift had neither age
nor form. It was a spirit that played on her body as the violinist plays on his
violin.
Actress can do what they want
because people don’t know
when she shows her real personality and when it’s the mask on her face.
V. Answer the questions:
1. Why did Julia offer Tom the money for servants' tips? Do you
think she made the right decision?
Julia wanted Tom to feel aggrieved as he didn’t have money to pay for himself and even he
couldn’t give tips for servants.
It wasn’t a perfect decision as it
showed her as ignorant, rude and selfish person.
2. Did Julia manage to induce Tom to see her again after that?
She made him believe that he understood her
erroneous and that she didn’t understand what had
happened with him and their relationships.
3. Did Dolly believe that Julia didn't have a lover? Why?
At Julia's request she had
invited Tom to parties and once or twice had him down for a week-end in the
country, but she had never paid any attention to him. He seemed a nice little
thing, a useful escort for Julia when Michael was busy, but perfectly
insignificant. He was one of those persons who everywhere pass unnoticed, and
even after you had met him you could not remember what he was like. He was the
extra man you invited to dinner to make an odd number even. Julia talked of him
gaily as "me boy friend" or as "my young man"; she could
hardly have been so cool about it, so open, if there were anything in it.
Besides, Dolly knew very well that the only two men there had ever been in
Julia's life were Michael and Charles Tamerley.
4. Whom did Dolly finally decide to talk to about Julia's
cheating?
Dolly came to the conclusion
that Michael must speak to Julia. She had never liked Michael, but after all he was
Julia's husband and it was her duty to tell him at least enough to make him put
a stop to whatever was going on.
5. Why did Dolly not confess to Michael that she suspected Julia
of having a love affair?
She looked him in the face. Her
eyes were anguished. For though at first she had only laughed at what was being
said about Julia she had not been able altogether to suppress the doubts that
soon assailed her; she remembered a dozen little incidents that at the time had
escaped her notice, but when considered in cold blood looked terribly
suspicious. She had suffered such torture as she had never thought it possible
to endure. Proof? She had no proof; she only had an intuition that she could
not mistrust; she wanted to say yes, the impulse to do so was almost
uncontrollable; she controlled it. She could not give Julia away. The fool
might go and tell her and Julia would never speak to her again. He might have
Julia watched and catch her out. No one could tell what might happen if she
told the truth.
6. Why did Michael suggest buying Dolly's share out?
If Julia's gadding about all
night it must tell on her performances. I know Julia well enough to know that
she wouldn't put up with any interference with her liberty of action. I'm her
husband and I've got to put up with it. But you're in a different position
altogether. I shouldn't blame you if you wanted to get out while the going was
good."
7. What was the reason for Dolly's desperate jealousy?
She knew how much money meant
to him and she had a hope that what she had said would rankle. She helped Julia
at the very beginning of her career and loved her, she couldn’t allow her to loose anything.
8. How did Dolly try to convince Julia that Tom was not very
discreet?
She said "You
know how malicious people are. You've always led such a quiet, regular life.
You've gone out so little, and then only with Michael or Charles Tamerley. He's
different; of course everyone knows he's adored you for ages. It seems so funny
that all of a sudden you should run around all over the place with a clerk in
the firm that does your accounts." She tryied to explain that poor young
tom couldn’t attract her
attention as he didn’t have
anything that’s why
people spread a rumours.
9. Why couldn't Julia fall asleep after the lunch with Dolly?
She had acquired the reputation
of a perfectly virtuous woman, whom the tongue of scandal could not touch, and
now it looked as though her reputation was a prison that she had built round
herself. She had to be perfect. She had often felt that her talent, genius the
critics called it, but that was a very grand word, her gift, if you like, was
not really herself, not even part of her, but something outside that used her,
Julia Lambert the woman, in order to express itself. It was a strange,
immaterial personality that seemed to descend upon her and it did things
through her that she did not know she was capable of doing. She was an
ordinary, prettyish, ageing woman. Her gift had neither age nor form. It was a
spirit that played on her body as the violinist plays on his violin. It was the slight to that
that galled her.
VI. Summarize the events of chapters 15-18.
Tom gave back Julia money and her gifts and she
felt nervous as she could loose him. They talked on the phone and later he came
to her. He couldn’t look at her suffering and
continued the relationships with her. That was a new turn between them. They
began to get on in the world (выходить в люди) and
didn’t care about anything. Dolly de Vries heard rumors about this couple and
tried to stop it, speaking about it with Julia’s husband Michael. He didn’t believe her, but let Julia know about rumors. Julia invited Dolly
for a talk. She tried to convince her that she loved Tom as her son’s good friend. She didn't care for herself, it
was the affront to Julia Lambert the actress that stung her.
