THEATRE by W. S. Maugham (Chapters 3-6)

I. Explain in English or give definitions of and find contextual synonyms for the following words and phrases:

Asset – a useful or valuable quality

a sumptuous supper – splendor suggesting great expense – lavish

extravagance – Immoderate expense – prodigality

thrift – wise economy in the management of money – frugality

to remonstrate – to say objection – affirm

equanimity – the quality of being calm – imperturbability

at a loose end – a minor unresolved problem or difficulty, especially a final detail preceding the completion of something – on the mooch

to jeopardize – to expose to loss or injury – to run chances

alacrity – cheerful willingness – eagerness

susceptible to – easily influenced or affected – pliable

obsequious – full of or exhibiting servile compliance – menial

a retainer – a servant or an attendant, especially one in the household of a person of high rank – man.

II. Find quotations in the text. State their meaning and their function.

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be," Polonius. I think, this quote characterizes one of Michael's qualities – his thrift. It was his principle. I think it's right, as, firstly, all loans spoil relations. Secondly, there is no certainty that the debt will be returned.

"I could not love thee, dear, so much, loved I not honour more," Richard Lovelace (Tell Me Not, Sweet).  I think, this quote characterizes one of Michael's qualities – his decency. He was  decent and high-bred to take advantage of Julia before the wedding. Moreover, this quote tells us that for Michael his career and reputation were foremost.

 "Lord, what fools these mortals be," Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream). Jimmy said so, accompanied Julia, who was meeting Michael from New York. Jimmy didn't understand what attracted the woman's attention in Michael (except his appearance), he thought she  much too good for Michael.

III. Explain the metaphor "she is a millstone round his neck." Who does it refer to?

This metaphor belongs to Michael and refers to actors, as the man was speaking about his attitude to marriage with an actress just in the beginning of her career. The man thought an actor should marry only when both of them became staid, made a fortune. Otherwise she became a burden to him.

“I think an actor's a perfect fool to marry young. There are so many cases in which it absolutely ruins a chap's career. Especially if he marries an actress. He becomes a star and then she's a millstone round his neck. She insists on playing with him, and if he's in management he has to give her leading parts, and if he engages someone else there are most frightful scenes. And of course, for an actress it's insane. There's always the chance of her having a baby and she may have to refuse a damned good part. She's out of the public eye for months, and you know what the public is, unless they see you all the time they forget that you ever existed.”

IV. Comment on the context of the following phrases:

- "He was too modest to resent an unfavourable criticism." (Ch.3)

Yes, Michael was modest to resent something, but at the same time he knew he was not able to play better than he played. The man understood that he was still in the troupe only due to his appearance, but to achieve his goal he was ready for everything.

- "... after all he was born a gentleman." (Ch.4)

This phrase belongs to Michael's mother, who thought (together with her husband), that the profession of the actor wasn't the most appropriate for their son. They hoped he would follow the footsteps of relatives and become a military. The profession of the actor, in their opinion, was not appropriate for such an educated, well-bred man.

- "He is going to be a flop." (Ch.5)

This phrase belongs to Jimmie, the head of the troupe, who knew what Michael was capable of, when he proposed his candidacy to another theatre. Michael was handsome, but he was no actor. Therefore and because his contract with the man ended, Jimmie was glad to get rid of Michael.

- "'I suppose it's beastly of me,' she thought, 'but thank God, thank God.'" (Ch.6)

This phrase belongs to Julia, for whom Michael’s departure in America was a real tragedy: she was concerned that he would forget her. When she dot to know that Michael wasn’t prolonged the contract (due to his lack of acting skills), and he had to return, she was really happy, though she knew to some extent that feeling was wrong.

VI. What techniques are employed by the author to make the reader see the events through Julia's eyes?

To make the reader see the events through Julia’s eyes, Maugham used the following techniques:

Julia used metaphors (like poor lamb, poor little thing, silly little fool, angel, sweet) with the men that were objects of pity for her. For example she used poor lamb, while speaking about the clerk, who was trying to find a job; in entire monologues, while speaking about Michael. So all these metaphors are employed to convey the woman’s feelings to men: sympathy and pity. Moreover, such metaphors like ‘her heart melted within her’, ‘take courage in both her hands’ describe Julia’s passion to Michael. But the author also used metaphors to transmit Julia’s negative emotions: filthy pig, beast, devil, brute, rotten old eunuch. Especially they (negative emotions) are expressed when the main character came to Jimmie to blow him up that he allowed another theatre take Michael. We can see another metaphor: She stretched out her lily white hand for the trembling steward to kiss (as a baby he had often dandled her on his knee), and when he pressed it with his pallid lips she felt something fall upon it. A tear. Here a tear was compared to Julia’s state – her loneliness in life.

Besides, using allusions, Maugham made it clear that there is a parallel between the main character of the novel and the character that she played on the stage. The main reason to think so is the fact that for Julia theatre was not only the stage, but also her life. For example, ‘She felt instinctively that she must conceal the actress, and without effort, without deliberation, merely because she felt it would please, she played the part of the simple, modest, ingenuous girl who had lived a quiet country life’. Here epithets, like simple, modest, ingenuous didn’t refer to a real Julia, she just wanted to seem such a girl.

VII. Answer the questions:

1. Who was Jimmie Langton and what role did he play in Julia's and Michael's lives?

James Langton was running a repertory theatre at Middlepool that was attracting a good deal of attention.

He was a fat, bald-headed, rubicund man of forty-five; an eccentric, arrogant, exuberant, vain and charming fellow. He had a passion for the theatre and loved acting, but his appearance prevented him from playing any but a few parts.

And although Jimmie was no actor, he worked his company hard. Due to him Julia and Michael met: both of them were in his troupe. Jimmy knew at once from whom he could turn into a true actor (Julie), and whom not (Michael). He didn’t understand what the woman found in Michael, he even hinted that he wasn’t a good match for her. But everything was in vain.

2. When did Julia and Michael join the Middlepool Theatre Company?

In Middlepool there was a repertory theatre, attracted a good deal of attention; and after Michael had been with another theatre for three years, when the company was going to Middlepool on its annual visit, he wrote to Langton and asked whether he would see him. The result of the interview was that Michael got an engagement.

Julia was on tour in a melodrama that had been successful in London, when Jimmie was taking a short holiday which he spent in going every night to the theatre in one town after another. At the end of the piece he went round to see Julia. After their conversation the woman accepted Jimmie’s offer.

3. How did Julia and Michael get to know each other?

Jimmie put on Ghosts, where Michael played the boy and Julia played Regina. They heard one another their parts and after rehearsals lunched together to talk of them. Soon they were inseparable.

4. What did Julia like about Michael?

Michael was very handsome (and he knew that, but wasn’t glorious), had an easy manner and he talked like a gentleman, friendly and kind, honest, purposeful, and wasn’t prodigal (he didn’t much like spending money).

5. What did Michael think of good looks and decent families?

He thought that anyone could be good-looking, but not everyone can belong to a decent family. So the family status played greater importance for him than a man’s appearance.

6. How did Julia feel about her family?

She was shy neither with her family, nor her father’s status and profession.

7. What were Michael's views on marriage?

Michael thought an actor should marry only when both of them (he and the actress) became staid, made a fortune. Otherwise she became a burden to him.

9. What did Michael read newspaper reviews for? Did Julia share his views?

Michael read newspapers just for the reviews to find out what remarks the critics made about him, but reviews with Julia he read summarily, without paying much attention.

10. Who invited Julia to Michael's house for the Holy Week?

The woman received a letter from Mrs. Gosselyn, Michael's mother, who said that it would give the Colonel and herself so much pleasure if she would come with Michael to spend the week at Cheltenham.

11. Did Michael's father meet Julia's expectations?

According to Michael’s words his father was rather old-fashioned, and there were some things he couldn’t understand. However, the woman found the Colonel not so alarming person than she had expected: he was civil, but reserved, generous. He was neither irritable nor oppressive. He read The Times, went to church on Sunday and accompanied his wife to tea-parties.

12. What impression did Julia produce on Michael's parents?

Michael’s parents were delighted with Julia: she was well-mannered, educated, and was able to support any conversation. From one side, the woman was herself (the same sociable), but on the other hand, she wanted to hide an actress in herself and tried to be a simple, modest, and artless girl.

13. Was the proposal expected by Michael's parents?

Yes, the proposal was expected by Michael’s parents, like their whole trip. Moreover, just in the beginning Julia remarked that his parents estimate and examined her. And when Michael called them to announce Julia’s agreement, their faces expressed happy expectancy. It was a put-up job.

14. What professional offer did Michael receive and who facilitated this?

Michael was offered a lucrative contract in America, and Jimmie, the head of the troupe, facilitated that, as he said them they could have anyone in the company they liked with the exception of Michael Gosselyn. Jimmie knew what Michael was capable of, when he proposed his candidacy to another theatre. Michael was handsome, but he was no actor. Therefore and because his contract with the man ended, Jimmie was glad to get rid of Michael.

15. What steps did Julia take upon finding Michael was leaving for America?

When Julia knew the date of Michael’s sailing she made Jimmie arrange his programme that she might go and meet him at Liverpool. She took a couple of rooms at the Adelphi, so that they could have a real talk.

16. Was Michael a success in America?

No, Michael was an awful flop in America. When that company was in London, they saw him only in one play, where his appearance obscured his acting skills. But later in America they saw he was rotten, walked out the contract and refused to work with him any more.

17. Did Julia keep in touch with him while he was away?

Julia regularly wrote to Michael with pages and pages of love and gossip, while he answered once a week, four pages exactly in a neat, precise hand. He always ended up by sending her his best love and signing himself hers very affectionately, but the rest of his letter was more informative than passionate.

18. Was Julia eager to meet Michael straight at the station?

Yes, Julia was eager to meet Michael, she even made Jimmie arrange his programme that she might go and meet him at Liverpool. But the woman didn’t let him know about that, so her appearance was a real happiness for Michael.

19. What were Michael's impressions after staying and working in America?

Michael was deeply mortified. After two weeks of rehearsals, Michael was thrown out of the part and for three or four weeks was left till something else could be found for him. He participated in a play that wasn’t popular in New York. After another wait he was given a part in a costume play where his appearance obscured his indifferent acting and in this he finished the season. So being in America he had to put up with a good deal of unpleasantness, had to deal with people, in comparison with whom Jimmie Langton was a great gentleman.

20. What was Michael going to do in England and what were his prospects?

Michael wanted to open his own theatre, but before together with Julia they had to play in front of the public (to play several parts in different theatres of London), and then to find a sponsor.

VIII. Summarize the events of chapters 3-6.

Playing in Jimmy’s troupe, Julia met Michael and fell in love with him at first sight. However, it became rather difficult for her to achieve reciprocity, as for the man she was just a very good friend, but he admired her acting skills. Some time later Julia received a letter from Mrs. Gosselyn, Michael's mother, who said that it would give the Colonel and herself so much pleasure if she would come with Michael to spend the week at Cheltenham. The woman knew that Michael’s parents were against his acting career, that’s why she did her best not to seem vulgar actress, but a woman whom his parents would like. And she played her part so perfectly, that the parents were delighted with her, and Michael proposed to her. However, after their wedding nothing changed: the man still didn’t love her. Moreover, Michael was offered a lucrative contract in America, and Julia was beside herself with rage and scare, that he could forget her. Soon the man returned with money and without illusions about his acting skills. And after that they decided to move to London.