THEATRE by W. S. Maugham (Chapter 14)

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.