TASKS for Chapters 15-18

I. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

condescending letter – снисходительное письмо

pearl studs – жемчужные запонки

peevish – раздраженный

make head or tail of it – ничего не понимать

fatuous irony – глупая ирония

to get back on sb – отделаться от кого-то

song and dance – скандал, постоянные объяснения

to spend a lot on green fees – тратиться на аренду поля для гольфа

despicable – презренный

to give sb a treat – доставить удовольствие кому-то

to wheedle sb into – впутывать кого-то во что-то

prudishness – ханжество

to take liberties with sb – быть непозволительно фамильярным с кем-то

to grudge sb – завидовать

conspicuous – очевидный

to take the rough with the smooth – стойко переносить превратности судьбы

to have a joke up your sleeve – держать шутку наготове

to mortify sb – усмирять, укрощать кого-то

disconcerted – смущенный

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 her 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. She adored Julia, but didn’t like Michael as well as she didn’t like Tom, because he grabbed all Julia’s attention.

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. I think, it wasn’t a perfect decision because it only showed her as a selfishe and rude person.

2. Did Julia manage to induce Tom to see her again after that?

Julia made Tom 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?

No, Dolly didn’t believe that Julia didn’t have a lover, because people were saying rather disagreeable things about her.

4. Whom did Dolly finally decide to talk to about Julia's cheating?

Dolly was a little frightened of Julia. There was something about her that prevented you from taking liberties with her. This woman came to the conclusion that Michael had to speak to his wife. She had never liked Michael, but after all he was Julia's husband and it was her duty 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?

Dolly had an intuition that she could not mistrust. The woman couldn’t give Julia away. Her husband might go and tell her and Julia would never speak to her again. He might have Julia watched and catch her out.

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?

Dolly 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?

Dolly knew that Tom’s father bought him a share in the firm and he became a junior partner. Then it seems a little strange that on that the young man should be able to have a flat, dress the way he does and take people to night clubs, as if his father bought him a partnership he wasn’t making him an allowance as well.

9. Why couldn't Julia fall asleep after the lunch with Dolly?

The strange thing was that when she looked into her heart it was not Julia Lambert the woman who resented the affront, she didn't care for herself, it was the affront to Julia Lambert the actress that stung her. She had often felt that her talent, genius the critics called it, but that was a very grand word, her gift, not even part of her, but something outside that used her.

VI. Summarize the events of chapters 15-18.

Julia decided to take revenge on Tom. Knowing how to hurt his feelings, she reminded him to leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the envelope. The next day Tom returned all her presents, because this woman managed to hurt him. After a little conversation Tom remained with her. Julia even bought him a flat, that was near to her, furnished it. Several times a week together they appeared in restaurants and night clubs. Gossip had so nearly reached the truth about them. Julia got to know about that from Michael, who knew that from possessed with jealousy Dolly de Vries. Julia tried to find out from Dolly, who gossiped about her, and during the conversation she knew that Tom promised some Evis Crichton the role in the play. It was the moment when the woman understood that the young man didn’t love her.