TASKS for Chapters 11-13

TASKS for Chapters 11-13

I. Find the following words and phrases in the text and translate them into Russian:

a profound contempt-глубокое презрение

to have first nights- премьеры

to be exemplary-быть образцовым

a pattern оf conjugal fidelity-образец супружеской верности

to separate-расставаться

be ingenuous-быть искренним

to cry almost at will-плакать по собственному желанию

common sense-здравый смысл

to elope with smb-сбежать тайком, для женитьбы

preposterous-абсурдный,нелепый

curtain calls-поклоны

prudish-излищне щепитильный

in for a penny in for a pound-взялся за гуж не говори что не дюж

this was all a put-up job-сфабрикованное дело

indecent-недостойный

in a flash-мгновенно

to take liberties with smb-распускать руки

a matinée- дневной спектакль

amiably-любезно

well-chosen words-хорошо-подобранные слова

to have no sequel-не иметь будущего

to erase the episode from the memory-стирать эпизод из памяти

pleasant reveries sauntered through her mind-приятные воспоминания мелькали в ее памяти

hectic flush- лихорадочный румянец

to see in the flesh-увидеть собственной персоной

to hurt one's pride-задеть самолюбие

to have an inkling-осторожный намек

to pawn-заложить

II.      Answer the following questions:

1. How did Julia and Lord Tamerly get acquainted? Was Julia his mistress? What did Julia owe to Charles Tamerly?

“Charles Tamerley’s  father, the Marquess of Dennorant, had married an heiress and he had inherited a considerable fortune. Julia often went to the luncheon parties he was fond of giving at his house in Hill Street. There she got acquainted with Lord Tamerly. Julia wasn’t his mistress. He loved her but she didn’t.

“In those days Julia did not think it necessary to go to bed in the afternoons, she was as strong as a horse and never tired, so he used often to take her for walks in the Park. She felt that he wanted her to be a child of nature. That suited her very well. It was no effort for her to be ingenuous, frank and girlishly delighted with everything. He took her to the National Gallery, and the Tate, and the British Museum, and she really enjoyed it almost as much as she said. He liked to impart information and she was glad to receive it. She had a retentive memory and learnt a great deal from him. If later she was able to talk about Proust and Cezanne with the best of them, so that you were surprised and pleased to find so much culture in an actress, it was to him she owed it.”

2.  Describe Julia's acting when Lord Tamerly declared his love to her. How can you prove that it was only make-believe?

“Then Julia did a disgraceful thing. She sat down and for a minute looked silently at the miniature. Timing it perfectly, she raised her eyes till they met Charles's. She could cry almost at will, it was one of her most telling accomplishments, and now without a sound, without a sob, the tears poured down her cheeks. With her mouth slightly open, with the look in her eyes of a child that has been deeply hurt and does not know why, the effect was unbearably pathetic.”

Julia felt exhilarated. She is an actress and she only plays her role, she is an actress even in life.

3. Why do you think Julia agreed to have tea with the young man? What was his name? Did Julia know it or not?

He was so young and she saw and imagined herself as a young. It was rather delicious for her that this young man tried to create an impression on her. His name was Tom. She didn’t know his name.

4. Was the young man as shy as he seemed to be?

Firstly, he was shy.”He seemed shy, much shyer than he had seemed over the telephone “ .But then he wasn’t.

5. How did he show his admiration for Julia?

He phoned her and offered her tea with a biscuit. Then he began to kiss her. “He put his arm round her waist and kissed her full on the lips. No woman was ever more surprised in her life. She was so taken aback that she never thought of doing anything. His lips were soft and there was a perfume of youth about him which was really rather delightful.” He was emphatically (настойчтв).

6.  What feelings did Julia experience after the date with the young man? How did she act after that? How old was Julia at that time? What's your opinion of Julia's behaviour?

She was extremely happy, it was a new adventure for her. Her eyes shone brightly and wonderfully. "I feel like a two-year-old.“

“Julia acted as though it was the first time. Her performance was brilliant. She got laughs that she had never got before. She always had magnetism, but on this occasion it seemed to flow over the house in a great radiance." She was 40 year old.

Your surrounding always reflects on you. She can’t refuse to Tom. She remembered her previous life and how happy she was. Her husband didn’t give her that passion and love that Tom gave. But she is older him and it is wrong to my mind to have an affair with him.

7. Describe the episode of Julia's adventure on the train to Cannes. What was Julia's attitude towards this accident? Give quotations from the text and comment on them. What do you think of this adventure?

The trains south were so crowded that she had not been able to get a sleeper. One man, Spaniard, offers her his place. She agreed. They had a conversation, but that man didn’t want to leave her. When they began to say goodbye, the man kissed Julie and they had an affair. She didn’t want to sleep with him. But his beard attracted her.

-"He can hardly expect me to ask him to come and sleep in here," Julia said to herself. "I'm beginning to think this was all a put-up job. Nothing doing, my lad." And then aloud. "Romantic, of course, but uncomfortable."   Her thoughts are right at first. She understands how she mustn’t act. But her actions are so different from her thoughts. She yielded to temptation.

-"If you think that because you've given up your compartment to me I'm going to let you sleep with me, you're mistaken."

"Just as you say, of course. But why not?"

"I'm not that sort of terribly attractive woman."

"What sort of woman are you then?"

"A faithful wife and a devoted mother."

He gave a little sigh.

"Very well. Then I'll say good night to you."  She quietly told about the man’s wish, she understood that many men wanted her. But she couldn’t think that she could sleep with a stranger.

"But as time passed Julia's indignation was mitigated, and she had often thought of the adventure since with a good deal of pleasure. After all it had been fun.”  She perceived all this as an adventure. As she didn’t make something terrible. On the one hand, she had the right because her husband didn’t give her passion. He loved only himself. On the other hand, she is married. She must save her condition. I think she was wrong. It isn’t proper to sleep with a stranger, especially she is married. Moreover, she thought bad about such women, but anyway slept with that man.

8. When did Julia see Tom Fennell again? Under what circumstances?

Tom called her and they agreed upon to meet in the theater

9.  What do you think attracted Julia to Tom? How old was he?

“But when she saw him, so slight, with his hectic flush and his blue eyes, so charmingly boyish, she felt a sudden pang.” He was about 18. As her son Roger was seventeen . “she  was old enough to be his mother.”

10. Why do you think Tom was interested in grand people?

They were so bright, beautiful and famous. They can do everything. He wants to be like they.

11. Do you approve or disapprove of Julia's love affair with Tom Fennell?

I disapprove her actions. It is ridiculous to my mind at her age to meet with so young man.

III. Make up a list of words and phrases which the author uses to show Julia's attitude towards Tom Fennell. Comment on their semantics and stylistic value.

- Young, fresh and ingenuous.

- Sweet with his blue eyes and pale brown hair.

- His lips were soft and there was a perfume of youth about him which was really rather delightful.

- There was something charming in his clean freshness.

- Julia could have taken him in her arms then and there and kissed his blue eyes. She adored him.

- She had been as excited all the evening as a girl going to her first ball. She could not help thinking how absurd she was.

All these phrases show Julia’s attitude to Thomas Fennel. She realized, she fall in love with Tom but she knew it was wrong to date with him.

IV. The author uses a number of theatrical allusions. Find them in the text and say what you know about them. (Consult the Oxford Guide to British and American Culture or any other culture dictionary).

 Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay (11 December 1810 – 2 May 1857) was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist. Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle (The Confession of a Child of the Century, autobiographical) from 1836.

Dame Ellen Terry was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Born into a family of actors, Terry began acting as a child in Shakespeare plays and continued as a teen, in London and on tour. She was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain. Two of her most famous roles were Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.

 George Farquhar (1677– 29 April 1707) was an Irish dramatist. He is noted for his contributions to late Restoration comedy, particularly for his plays The Recruiting Officer (1706) and The Beaux' Stratagem (1707).

The Way of the World is a play written by English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded as one of the best Restoration comedies and is still occasionally performed. The play is based around the two lovers, Mirabell and Millamant(originally played by John Verbruggen and Anne Bracegirdle). In order for the two to get married and receive Millamant's full dowry, Mirabell must receive the blessing of Millamant's aunt, Lady Wishfort. Unfortunately, she is a very bitter lady, who despises Mirabell and wants her own nephew, Sir Wilfull, to wed Millamant.

Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1730 – 4 April 1774) was an Irish novelist, playwright and poet, who is best known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), his pastoral poem The Deserted Village (1770), and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man (1768) and She Stoops to Conquer (1771, first performed in 1773). He also wrote An History of the Earth and Animated Nature. He is thought to have written the classic children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes, the source of the phrase "goody two-shoes".

V. In chapter 11 you can find the following phrase: "... like Venus rising from the waves." What is the source of this allusion? Comment on it and its stylistic effect.

“Julia tore off her clothes, and flung them with ample gestures all over the room. Then, stark naked, she skipped on to the bed, stood up on it for a moment, like Venus rising from the waves, and then throwing herself down stretched herself out.”

Venus is the second planet from the Sun. The planet is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky.  Julie is full of love and beauty. Tom makes her to feel younger than she is.

VI. Give a summary of chapters 11-13. (in written form)

Some time later there was a date of Thomas Fennel and Julia. In his apartment she noticed that he lived very decently. It looked like her dwelling at the beginning of her theatrical career. 

All of a sudden the young man kissed her and she didn't resist. They had an affair. During her trip she had another sexual affair with an unknown man.  After it Julia and Thomas went to the restaurant. She knew that it was one of the most expensive places. And later, in order to pay for their supper, he had to pawn his watch. It was unexpected for her. It prepossessed her. After that they drove back to his bed-sitting room in Tavistock Square.