I. Find in
the text the following words and phrases and translate them into Russian:
on one
excuse and another – то под одним предлогом, то под
другим, to confess to
oneself – признаться самому себе, that was all to the good – тем лучше, shrewd –
проницательный, vanity –
тщеславие, to have an
affair with sb. – роман с кем-то, sallow – болезненный, to feel compassion for sb. – чувствовать сострадание к кому-то, eminent persons – выдающийся человек, to lay no claims on sb. – не претендовать ни на кого, to use all her arts of cajolery – призывать все
свое искусство обольщения, stale food – несвежая пища, to overcome one's scruples – преодолеть сомнения, to
have no inclination – не быть склонным (не
иметь склонности), a man of the world – светский человек, she was modest about herself – она была скромного о себе мнения, a smack
in the face – прямо в лицо (как пощечина), sulkily – надувшись, Julia's heart was wrung – сердце Джулии сжалось,
chivalrous courtesy – рыцарская учтивость, a vile disposition – ужасный нрав, alacrity – готовность, wistful – мечтательный, to act with great naturalness – изображать с
большой естественностью, to make a scene – устроить сцену, she was in a black rage – ее душила черная ярость, she'd get even with him – она с
ним сквитается, to rack one's brains – биться над
задачей.
II. Answer
the following questions:
1. Was
Julia really in love with Tom Fennell? And he?
Julia loved
Tom, she felt a strange compassion for him. Though he laughed when Julia said a
funny thing he never said one himself. She found his dullness restful. However, the woman knew that Tom was’t in
love with her. To have an affair with her flattered his vanity.
2. How old
was Tom? What did he do? Why was he a success with women?
Tom was twenty-two, he was five
years elder Julia’s son. Nevertheless, he was a highly-sexed
young man and enjoyed sexual exercise. From hints, from stories that she had
dragged out of him, she discovered that since he was seventeen he had had a
great many women. He loved the act rather than the person. He looked upon it as
the greatest lark in the world. And she
could understand why he had so much success. There was something appealing in
his slightness, his body was just skin and bone, that was why his clothes sat
on him so well, and something charming in his clean freshness. His shyness and
his effrontery combined to make him irresistible. It was strangely flattering
for a woman to be treated as a little bit of fluff* that you just tumbled on to
a bed.
3. How can
you characterize Roger? Where was he educated? What were his relations like
with his parents? Did he know what he wanted to be? Did he want to go on the
stage?
Roger was seventeen. He was a nice-looking boy, with reddish
hair and blue eyes, but that was the best you could say of him. He had neither
his mother's vivacity and changing expression nor his father's beauty of
feature. Julia was somewhat disappointed in him. As a child when she had been
so constantly photographed with him he was lovely. He was rather stolid and he had a serious look. His only good features were his teeth and his
hair, while his figure was rather lumpy. Roger led his own life. Thus once he
told Julia that he desired to leave Eton at Christmas, he thought he had got
everything out of it that he could, and he wanted to go to Vienna for a few
months and learn German before going up to Cambridge. And speaking about his
future, the young man didn’t know what he wanted to be (though his mother
worried about it, as she thought he would be a priest), but he definitely
didn’t want to go on the stage.
4. How did
Tom and Roger get on together?
Once the
family decided to spend their weekend in Taplow, where Michael had taken a
house, and Julia invited
Tom just to be near him. And there Tom became close friends with her seventeen
year old son, Roger, as they spent all their time together
5. Was
Julia as successful in the movies as in the theatre? Did she envy the
film-stars?
she had not the world-wide notoriety of the film-stars; she
had tried her luck on the pictures, but had achieved no success; her face on
the stage so mobile and expressive for some reason lost on the screen, and
after one trial she had with Michael's approval refused to accept any of the
offers that were from time to time made her. She had got a good deal of useful
publicity out of her dignified attitude. But Julia did not envy the film-stars;
they came and went; she stayed. When it was possible she went to see the
performance of actresses who played leading parts on the London stage. She was
generous in her praise of them and her praise was sincere.
6. Describe
in detail how Julia managed to play different characters on the stage. What
thrilled her? Why did she sometimes fell like God?
Julia was
not aware that she deliberately observed people, but when she came to study a
new part vague recollections surged up in her from she knew not where, and she
found that she knew things about the character she was to represent that she
had had no inkling of. It helped her to think of someone she knew or
even someone she had seen in the street or at a party; she combined with this
recollection her own personality, and thus built up a character founded on fact
but enriched with her experience, her knowledge of technique and her amazing
magnetism. People thought that she only acted during the two or three hours she
was on the stage; they did not know that the character she was playing dwelt in
the back of her mind all day long, when she was talking to others with all the
appearance of attention, or in whatever business she was engaged.
7. How did
Julia revenge herself on Tom?
The young
man didn’t notice Julia as his lover, what hurt her, and for what she decided
to take revenge on him. Her revenge was refined: knowing how to hurt his
feelings, she reminded him to leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the
envelope.
III. Make
up a list of words and phrases describing Tom Fennell. Comment on the
repetition of "a young man" in the text. First "he was a
blushing young man" for Julia. Did her attitude change when she was better
aquainted with him? Prove it by giving examples from the text.
Tom was sweet
with his blue charmingly boyish eyes and pale brown hair; he had a white skin
and rather a high colour; his lips were soft and there was a perfume of youth
about him which was really rather delightful. He was pleasant and unassuming,
very well-dressed, and with a fresh, clean look that was engaging. Tom seemed a
nice little thing, a useful escort for Julia when Michael was busy, but
perfectly insignificant. Moreover, the young man was proud to be Julia’s lover,
as it gave him confidence in himself.
I think the
author used the repetition of the phrase “a young man” to emphasize the
disparity in age between Julia and Tom, as his attention was flattering and
their love was so passionate that Julia found herself looking and feeling 20
years younger.
At first
Julia, not opening her fillings, tried to attach Tom to her giving him
expensive gifts, paying his debts, and leading him into the high life. “She felt a strange
compassion for him. He had the high spirits of youth, and she lapped them up as
a kitten laps up milk. But he was not amusing. Though he laughed when Julia
said a funny thing he never said one himself. She did not mind. She found his
dullness restful”. (This quote is the evidence of Julia’s passion and love to
Tom. However, after the
time they spent in Taplow, her attitude towards him changed, as he didn’t
notice her and spent all his time with Roger, Julia’s son. After that “she’d get even with him. Yes, and
she knew how she could do it. She knew where he was most sensitive and how she
could most cruelly wound him. That would get him on the raw. She felt a faint
sensation of relief as she turned the scheme over in her mind”.
IV. Find in
the text epithets and similes which characterize Julia and Michael and say what
effect the author achieves by using them.
The author uses
such epithets as: (to describe Julia) white frock that suited the sunny
riverside and her, and a large-brimmed red straw hat whose colour threw a warm
glow on her face; very pretty and young – within a company of Tom Julia felt herself
much younger; awfully fagged – by means of that epithet the author told us that
even her son noticed how tired she was, as the woman just got tired with
pretending; the popular favourite, the best-dressed woman in London – to show
that Julia just pretended to be such a woman, it wasn’t her real substance; a
maiden aunt – in such a way Julia felt herself having understood that Tom didn’t
need her; by means of this simile the author showed us her disappointment and
at the same time despair.
(to
describe Michael): friendly way – this epithet emphasized on Michael’s kindness;
damned middle-aged, an old man – within a society of two young men (his son and
Tom) the man was old as he felt, and he didn’t care about that at all; she read his mind like an open book – by
means of this simile the author gave us to understand that Julia didn’t expect
something more from her husband than his kindness and indulgence, she knew him
terrifically.
V. What
stylistic device did Maugham employ at large to characterize Julia? Illustrate
your answer with the examples from the text. Comment on the lexicon used by
Julia. To what stylistic layer of the vocabulary does it belong? How
does it characterize Julia?
Maugham
employed such stylistic devices to characterize Julia as
- metaphors
(like poor lamb, poor little thing, silly little fool, sweet little thing) with
the men that were objects of pity for her. For example she used poor lamb, silly
little fool, sweet little thing, while thinking about Tom, who was in low water
and didn’t want her to play his debts, and whom she thought to be a snob; while
speaking about Michael. So all these metaphors are employed to convey the
woman’s feelings to men: sympathy, passion, love and pity.
- epithets
(like very pretty and young; awfully fagged; the popular favourite, the
best-dressed woman in London) within a
company of Tom Julia felt herself much younger, as she used to pretend and
spent all her force making herself be polite. But that was very notably.
Moreover,
Julia, being in such a depressed and tense state, used abusive language
(idiots, damn). I think the author used such a device to show how mentally and
physically the woman was tired, but she knew what she wanted (it seems to me
not always), recollected herself and continued pretending.
VI. Give a
summary of chapter 14. (in written form)
After
several meetings with Tom, Julia found herself totally enamored with him.
Without opening her fillings, she tried to attach the young man to her giving
him expensive gifts and paying his debts (as he was in low water), and leading
him into the high life (as he was a snob). Julia felt a strange
compassion for him. He had the high spirits of youth, but he was not amusing.
Though he laughed when Julia said a funny thing he never said one himself. She
found his dullness restful. That’s why Julia decided to invite Tom to the weekend to Taplow, where Michael had taken a
house. However, the
woman didn’t suppose the idea that Tom became close friends with her seventeen
year son, Roger, as they spent all their time together. Thus the young man
didn’t notice Julia as his lover, what hurt her, and for what she
decided to take revenge on him. Her
revenge was refined: knowing how to hurt his feelings, she reminded him to
leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the envelope.
