"THEATRE" 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?

Julia and Lord Tamerly got  acquainted at a luncheon party. In spite of the fact that Lord Tamerly was madly fall in love with Julia, she wasn't his mistress.

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

As for Julia’s acting when Lord Tamerly declared his love to her, she found it rather comic. S said that he was a nice middle-aged man, but she didn’t love him. She sat down and for a minute looked silently at the miniature. Julia raised her eyes till they met Charles's. 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. She cried and nodded.

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

To my mind, she agreed to have tea with them out of curiosity. His name was Tom Fennel and Julia did not know it. It might be a new admirer.

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

The young man seemed shy but one moment he put his arm round her waist and kissed her full on the lips. At that moment this young man wasn’t so shy.

5. How did he show his admiration for Julia?

He had seen her in every play she had acted. He also said that when he was fourteen he had stood outside the stage door after a matinee and had asked her to sign her name in his autograph-book.

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?

Julia found herself enamored with a young man. At that time Julia was fourty but she found herself looking and feeling 20 years younger. Everybody in the theatre noticed how she had changed. She acted with a passion and emotions. As for my opinion, I don’t appreciate her behavior, because I think the woman shouldn’t get out of line.

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?

During her trip to Cannes, Julia acquainted with the man who told her that he was an attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Paris and was going down to Cannes for

Easter. They spent the night together, and after a while it turned out that he had a family. Next morning she couldn’t believe that it had happened with her, but at the same time she did care more about the safety of her jewelry. I think her behavior was immoral.

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

Several days later Tom called her and ask for one more meeting. Julia tried to refuse him, but finally agreed to meet with Tom in her dressing-room.

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

His youth attracted Julia. As for Tom, he was no more than 20. His lips were soft and there was a perfume of youth about him which was really rather delightful, blue eyes were so charmingly boyish. He was smth new for her.

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

I think Tom wanted to become rich and famous like they.

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

I disapprove of Julia’s love affair with Tom. I think any woman shouldn’t get out of line.

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.

-“I am a fool, I am a bloody fool. I can't have fallen in love with him”.

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

-She adored him.

-She found his slight awkwardness rather charming.

-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.

-“What the devil's the matter with me? God, I can hardly breathe”.

With the help of all these phrases we realize that she really fell in love with him. She looked like a kid: on the one hand, she understood that it was her worst act in her life to love such a boy, but on the other hand, she coqueted and flirted 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.

  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".

   Mlle Clairon was a leading actress of the Comédie-Française who created many parts in the plays of Voltaire, Jean-François Marmontel, Bernard-Joseph Saurin, and others.She began her career as a soubrette but made her debut at the Comédie-Française in 1743 as Phèdre in the tragedy by Racine. She also portrayed Corneille’s heroines, who combined nobility of soul, pride, and intelligence. In 1753 Marmontel influenced her to simplify her declamatory style. Prompted by Diderot, she introduced touches of character and of ethnic realism into her roles.

 

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.

It is an artistic allusion. It is related to the 1486 painting by Sandro Botticelli “The Birth of Venus”. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a fully grown woman, arriving at the sea-shore (which is related to the Venus Anadyomene motif). It represents the birth of love. The birth of Julia’s love to Tom.

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.