TASKS for Chapter 14

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

on one excuse and another – то с одной,то с другой отговоркой

to confess to oneself – признаться кому-либо

that was all to the good – все что не делается-все к лучшему

shrewd - проницательный, vanity - тщеславие

to have an affair with sb. – иметь с кем либо интрижку

sallow - болезненный

to feel compassion for sb. – чувствовать к кому – либо сострадание

eminent persons – выдающиеся люди

to lay no claims on sb. – ничего не предъявлять

to use all her arts of cajolery – использовать все свое умение льстить

stale food – несвежая еда

to overcome one's scruples – преодолеть сомнения

to find someone a trifle dull – находить кого либо немного скучным

to have no inclination – не иметь склонностей

a man of the world – человек с опытом

she was modest about herself – она была скромного мнения о себе

a smack in the face - пощечина

sulkily - сердито

Julia's heart was wrung – сердце Джулии екнуло

chivalrous courtesy – рыцарская учтивость

a vile disposition – отвратительный нрав

alacrity - готовность, wistful - тоскливый

to act with great naturalness – играть очень естественно

to make a scene – закатывать сцену

she was in a black rage – она была в праведном гневе

she'd get even with him – расплатиться с ним

to rack one's brains – думать над чем либо

II. Answer the following questions:

1. Was Julia really in love with Tom Fennell? And he?

Julia was really in love with him, she felt a strange passion to him. This woman knew that Tom wasn’t in love with her. He was too young, he was not so interested in her.

2. How old was Tom? What did he do? Why was he a success with women?

Tom was twenty-two and he was five years elder Julia’s son. He was a highly-sexed young man. Julia 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.

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 a nice-looking boy, with reddish hair and blue eyes. He was seventeen. He had neither his mother's vivacity and changing expression nor his father's beauty of feature. As a child Roger was rather stolid and he had a serious look. His only good features were his teeth and his hair, but his figure was rather lumpy. Roger 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. As for his future, this young man didn’t know what he wanted to be but at the same time he didn’t want to go on the stage.

4. How did Tom and Roger get on together?

Tom and Roger were at the same age and they spent all the time together.

5. Was Julia as successful in the movies as in the theatre? Did she envy the film-stars?

Julia was not successful in the movies. 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. Julia did not envy the film-stars because they came and went but she could stay.

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?

Julia decided to revenge on him by reminding 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.

Julia : she was exhilarated; looked very pretty and young; Julia was irritated; Julia, radiant, sank back into a chair;

Similes: she lapped them up as a kitten laps up milk.; She read his mind like an open book.

Michael: so damned good-natured about it; Michael was prosy, near with his money, self-complacent, but how extraordinarily kind he was and how unselfish! He was devoid of envy.

Julia and Michael are a binary opposition. The author uses these epithets and similes to demonstrate their strange and different nature which each of them have.

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?

There were vulgar words: “The blasted fool, why does he talk all that rot?”, “Gosh, I’m going down like a barrel of oysters”. The author used them in Julia’s internal monologues to show that in reality she was not a person of high society. She only seemed to be intelligent with other people.

VI. Give a summary of chapter 14. (in written form)

Julia realized and confessed to herself that she fell in love with that young man, as her relationships with Tom were getting closer and closer.They spent all their free tome together, going to the luxurious restaurants and so on. The actress knows he is a snob, so she lets him enter the high society. Tom is really poor, that’s why she showers him with expensive gifts and pays off his debts. Michael, invited Tom to spend their holiday together, with their son, Roger. At first, Julia was happy to be so close to her lover, but later she felt that he preferred Roger to her – because the most important thing two men had in common was their youth. That’s why Julia decided to revenge on Tom, but later, she felt she couldn’t lose him and did her best to make it up.