VI. What techniques are employed by the author to make the reader see the events through Julia's eyes?

The novel is written from the 3rd person narration, thus it enables us to see her from the outside, and with the help of dialogues we may see her playing her part. So I think we have two Julias: an actress and the real person. The author also achieves his goal by using parentheses, as we see comments from Julia herself about the situation. By this we gain access to her inner thoughts, by which we may analyze the situation. Repetitions make her speech more emotive. We also may see interjections and abusive words. All this is done to show her deep feeling for Michael.

("Gosh, I'm going down like a barrel of oysters.")

("The blasted fool, why does he talk all that rot? Doesn't he know I'm crazy to marry him? Why doesn't he kiss me, kiss me, kiss me? I wonder if I dare tell him I'm absolutely sick with love for him.")

("I'd better get up. He wouldn't know how to sit down. God, that scene that Jimmie made him do over and over again!")

("He doesn't love me. He doesn't care a damn about me. I hate him. I'd like to kill him. Blast that American manager.")

She felt like a high-born damsel, with all the traditions of a great and ancient family to keep up; her purity was a pearl of great price; she also felt that she was making a wonderfully good impression: of course he was a great gentleman, and "damn it all" it behoved her to be a great lady. She was so pleased with her performance that when she had got into her room and somewhat noisily locked the door, she paraded up and down bowing right and left graciously to her obsequious retainers. She stretched out her lily white hand for the trembling old steward to kiss (as a baby he had often dandled her on his knee), and when he pressed it with his pallid lips she felt something fall upon it. A tear.

Maugham uses the simile like a high-born damsel, the epithets great, ancient, wonderfully good, trembling old and pallid. In my opinion it is an exaggeration of her emotions, pride. It is very ironical that she wasn’t herself, she was an actress and she had a part to play perfectly.

VII. Answer the questions:

1. Who was Jimmie Langton and what role did he play in Julia's and Michael's lives?

Jimmie Langton discovered Julia’s talent, giving her a chance to become a star and then he discovered Michael, thus making their meeting inevitable.

2. When did Julia and Michael join the Middlepool Theatre Company?

Julia was about 20 when she joined the Middlepool Theatre Company. She’d been there for a year when Michael joined the troupe.

3. How did Julia and Michael get to know each other?

They spent a lot of time together, discussing their roles, rehearsing, reading, talking and going out. soon they became friends.

4. What did Julia like about Michael?

She liked his appearance, he was a very handsome person and they had many in common. She also liked his thrift.

5. What did Michael think of good looks and decent families?

Anyone can be good-looking, but not everyone can belong to a decent family. “To tell you the truth I'm glad my governor's a gentleman”

6. How did Julia feel about her family? She was o.k. about her family, but she was very afraid to tell Michael that her father was a vet, she thought it is shameful.

7. What were Michael's views on marriage? He considered it was stupid to marry at an early age, espessialy marry an actress.

8. Why did Michael find Julia extravagant? She bought him presents which he would never buy himself (like a gold cigarette case)

9. What did Michael read newspaper reviews for? Did Julia share his views? He read the reviews, and their praise of Julia, but he read summarily, without paying much attention till he came to the remarks the critics made about him. He was pleased by their approval, but not cast down by their censure.

10. Who invited Julia to Michael's house for the Holy Week? Michael’s mother invited her, because Michael asked his mum to do it.

11. Did Michael's father meet Julia's expectations? Julia found the Colonel a much less alarming person than she had expected.

12. What impression did Julia produce on Michael's parents? They liked her, even though she was an actress. She was a very good company and a good listener. You've made a tremendous success with my people. They've taken an enormous fancy to you. Father told me you were very ladylike, and not a bit like an actress, and mother says you're so sensible.

13. Was the proposal expected by Michael's parents? The proposal was expected by the parents.

14. What professional offer did Michael receive and who facilitated this? Michael was offered to travel to an Ameracan theater by an American manager.

15. What steps did Julia take upon finding Michael was leaving for America? Michael showed her a note where it was written that an American manager wanted to meet hem, she had to be happy for him and cheer him up, even though she was in despair.

16. Was Michael a success in America? No, he failed.

17. Did Julia keep in touch with him while he was away? Yes, she wrote very passionate letters to him. His replies were more modest only four pages.

18. Was Julia eager to meet Michael straight at the station? Yes, she really wanted to meet him at the station and spend a day alone with him.

19. What were Michael's impressions after staying and working in America? He didn’t like America, people there were rude.

20. What was Michael going to do in England and what were his prospects? He wanted to Marry Julia there and then he wanted to find a role for himself there.