10. Discussion

1) Describe the relationship between Louise and the storyteller.

2) How did Louise happen to have outlived her two husbands?

3) What was Louise’s life like during the war?

4) Why did Iris have to postpone her marriage indefinitely? Do you think the narrator’s advice to her was wise?

5) Interpret the author’s words: “She died gently forgiving Iris for having killed her.” Do you agree that Iris killed her mother?

6) What is your impression of Louise? Does it coincide with that of the storyteller?

7) Do you think S. Maugham depicted a common human character? What traits make it typical? Are these qualities mostly male or female? Have you had experience in communicating with such people?

11. Read the article HEALTH: A GAME OF SKILL OR A GAME OF CHANCE? (Reader) and do the assignments below.

1) Suggest Russian equivalents of the following expressions:

hereditary health conditions, to have a genetic cause, genetic and environmental factors, to prescribe preventive measures, to trace one’s family's health history, to take a proactive role with one’s health, to be predisposed to illness, to be obsessed with health, to counteract the harmful genes, to withstand overwork, fatigue etc, to mobilize one’s faculties, to handle life’s inevitable challenges, to lead a productive, fulfilling life, to build resilience, to stretch one’s powers, the pursuit of health.

2) Discuss the following questions using the material of the unit and the additional vocabulary (above).

1. What problem does the article deal with?

2. Comment on the title of the article. How does the author answer his own question?

3. What idea does the author try to convey through the image of a thrilling game created in the article?

4. Sum up the author’s point of view on the problem in question and bring out the message of the article.

5. What arguments does the author put forward in favour of his point of view? Is his argumentation convincing?

6. Are there any recipes for a healthy living?

7. What are the main health principles which help to counteract the harmful genes?

8. Interpret the following statement: “The person who makes health his whole time occupation has lost it already.” Do you support the idea expressed in this statement?

9. Do you know any other rules that a person should follow to be fit?

3. Write a précis of the article. Text 5 a woman of substance

(an extract)

“Amputate!” Emma cried, her face turning deathly white. “But he has been so well for the last few days.”

“No, he hasn’t. Your brother has been hiding the facts from you, Mrs. Lowther. He has also been refusing to have the operation. Despite our warnings he has been fighting us. But you can’t fight gangrene. It’s virulent, and ultimately deadly.”

Emma sat down abruptly, her eyes pinned on the doctor.

“Isn’t there an alternative?”

The doctor shook his head. “No, there isn’t. Unless you want to call death an alternative.”

Seeing the fear registering on her face, the doctor seated himself next to her and took her hand.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to be brutal. But circumstances necessitate honesty, even bluntness, I’m afraid. Time is of the essence.”

“What happened, Doctor? I thought you had been able to remove all the shrapnel from his foot and calf.”

“We did, but the gangrene set in several days ago and it travels rapidly. It’s already above his knee. You must sign the papers giving us permission to operate. Otherwise …” – he lifted his hands helplessly, his face grave.

Emma swallowed, “But – but – Winston has to make that decision!”

“Mrs. Lowther, don’t you understand? Your brother is incapable of making the decision in his present state of mind. You must take the responsibility. Now. Tomorrow will be too late.”

Emma bit her lip and nodded. Her heart was heavy as she said, “Give me the papers, please.”

The doctor stepped to his desk, returned with the documents, and handed them to her with the pen.

“You are doing the right thing. Mrs. Lowther. The only thing you can do. Your brother will be grateful to you for the rest of his life. Please believe that.”

Emma looked at him somberly but made no comment. She signed, and although she was quivering inside, her hand was steady.

“May I see my brother now?” she asked dully.

“Yes, of course. I’ll take you to him right away,” the doctor said. His face was sympathetic as he led her out of the office.

Winston was in a ward with other sailors who had been wounded. Screens had been placed around him, and as Emma walked past them and approached the bed she saw that his eyes were glazed over with pain and beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. She leaned down to kiss him and he let out a stifled scream, his eyes febrile. Emma pulled back in alarm.

“Whatever is it, Winston, dear?”

“You touched the bed,” he moaned. “I can’t stand the slightest movement. The pain is excruciating.” He drew in his breath sharply and closed his eyes.

Emma watched him with consternation. After a moment she said with the utmost quiet, “Why didn’t you tell me you had gangrene, Winston?”

He opened his eyes and glared at her, the old bravado of childhood momentarily invading his face.

“I’m not having it off, Emma!” he cried vehemently. “I’m not going to be a cripple for the rest of my life!”

Emma sat down on the chair near the bed and nodded, her heart aching for him.

“I know how you must feel, dear. It’s a terrible thing you have to face. But if they don’t amputate you’ll – you’ll die.”

“Then I’ll die!” he shouted, defiance now supplanting the feverishness in his blue eyes. “I might just as well be dead with only one leg! I’m a young man, Emma, and my life will be over. Finished.”

“No, it won’t, darling. You will be incapacitated to a certain extent. I realize that. And the prospects must seem terrifying to you right now. But isn’t amputation preferable to not being here at all?”

“I’m not having my leg off,” he mumbled in a tired voice.

Emma’s tone was pleading as she continued, “Winston, listen to me. You must have the operation. You must. And immediately. If you delay any longer your whole system will be poisoned.” Her voice broke at this thought. “If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me. Please! Please, Winston!” she begged. “I love you very much. Apart from the children, you and Frank are the only family I have …” She groped in her bag for a handkerchief, pulled it out, and blew her nose, attempting to control herself. “I’ve had too many losses in the last few years, Winston. I don’t think I could endure the loss of another loved one. I just couldn’t. It would kill me.” Tears filled her eyes, and she finished tremulously, “I just couldn’t stand it if you died, too, love.”

“Don’t cry, Emma. Please don’t cry, pet.” A spasm of pain streaked through him like a ripping knife and he flinched, his face ashen and sweating more profusely now. He sighed. “All right, then, let them cut it off. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I can take the pain much longer.” A faint smile touched his white lips. “Half a loaf is better than no bread at all, I suppose. You’d better sign the papers and get it over with, Emma.”

“I already did.”

He mustered a grin. “I might have known. Old Miss Bossy Knickers.”

Emma smiled weakly. “It’s going to be fine, Winston. I know it is. The doctor is preparing the operating theatre now. In a few minutes the nurses will be coming in to get you ready.”

She stood up. “I have to go. The doctor said I must make it brief. Every minute counts now.”

“Emma –”

“Yes, love?”

“Will you – can you wait?”

“Of course I’ll wait, dear. I wouldn’t dream of leaving until it’s all over.” And she blew him a kiss, not daring to approach the bed again.

Emma gazed out of the window of the waiting room of Chapel Allerton Naval Hospital, her thoughts with Winston, now undergoing surgery. How frightening for him to lose a leg. He who had taken such pride in his good looks, and his virility, who had loved sports and dancing and was so physical by nature. She acknowledged that he would indeed have a number of major readjustments to make, and in many ways he would have to start a new life. But, despite the restrictions the amputation of his right leg would impose, she was thankful he was alive. He had been wounded during a naval battle in the North Sea. His battle ship had staggered into Hull half crippled, and it was nothing short of a miracle that the ship had made it to that great Humber port, so fortuitously close to Leeds and the naval hospital. Otherwise he might be dead by now.

Emma leaned her head against the window, closing her eyes. In a few weeks she would be twenty-nine. Only twenty-nine and yet she felt like an old woman, weary and worn out from her responsibilities these days. A nurse thoughtfully brought her a cup of tea and Emma sat down to drink it – and to wait. That seemed to have become one of her chief occupations of late: waiting. Mostly she waited for letters from Paul, feeling crushed and apprehensive when she did not receive one, filled with soaring relief when there was a note, however brief and hastily written.

She took Paul’s letter out of her handbag and read it again. It was worn from too much handling and some of the words had blurred from her tears. He had returned to France to rejoin Colonel Monash and the Austrian Corps in the middle February. Now it was the beginning of April. But he was still safe and well. When Paul had left he had taken an essential part of her with him and she felt incomplete, only half alive without him.

The minutes ticked by slowly. Almost two hours had passed since Winston had been wheeled down to the operating room. Had something gone wrong? Had they been too late? Quite unexpectedly, just then she thought she was going to scream from frustration, the doctor strode in. He was nodding and smiling. “He’s fine, Mrs. Lowther.”

Emma closed her eyes and exhaled with relief. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! He’s a little woozy from the anaesthetic, but he’s young, healthy, and strong. He’ll mend well.” The doctor’s eyes clouded. “There’s just one thing.”

“What?”

“We had to amputate very high. The gangrene was well above the knee and we had to cut a good four inches above that, to be certain we got it all.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“It means there’s the possibility he might not be able to wear an artificial limb.”

“My brother’s not going to spend the rest of his life on crutches,” Emma cried. “Or in a wheelchair. He’s going to wear an artificial leg if – if I have to damn well design a special one myself! My brother is going to walk, Doctor!”

And walk he did. But it was a grueling period for Emma. Winston’s mood swings were erratic and, not unnaturally, highly emotional. He plunged from relief in being alive to depression, from depression to rage, frustration, and self-pity, and then unexpectedly the euphoria returned, but soon to be replaced by foul black moods. Emma cajoled, threatened, screamed, implored, and challenged, using every ruse she knew to shatter the melancholia that engulfed him and lift him out of it, her only tools her stubborn belief in the indomitability of the human spirit and her conviction that anything was possible in life, if the will was strong enough.

Slowly she made progress with Winston, badgering him relentlessly, and after several weeks she managed to instill in him the determination to lead a normal life. She gave him strength, and her optimism bolstered his own natural courage.

The Limb Fitting Centre at Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds was already renowned throughout England for the remarkable feats of rehabilitation accomplished there since the outset of the Great War. The doctors worked painstakingly with the men, especially those who had lost legs, endeavouring to get them ambulatory in the shortest possible time.

Winston was no exception. His flesh healed quickly and within two months the doctors had him moving about on crutches. He was fitted for a leg, released from the hospital, and went to live with Emma during his recuperation period. To Emma’s relief, when the leg arrived he was able to wear it, in spite of the shortness of the stump. All what was required were two extra stump socks to cushion the stump against the metal. Three times a week he was driven to Chapel Allerton Hospital in one of the Harte vans, where he underwent physical therapy and wore the leg for half an hour at a stretch. And so he commenced the long and difficult task of adjustment to the artificial leg and learning to walk with it correctly.

One day in October, eight months after the amputation, Winston literally strolled into Emma’s office, self-confident, smiling, steady on his feet, and in absolute control of the leg, and it was one of the most gratifying moments of her life. His limp was negligible as he had taken her advice, proffered months before, to make the leg an integral part of him.

“I can’t dance, but there’s not much else I can’t do,” he informed her proudly. He placed his walking stick on a chair, moved across the room without it, and sat down. “I can certainly move with great speed if I have to and I can climb and descend stairs easily. Believe it or not, I can also swim. And now that I have the final release from the hospital I am going to look for a job.”

“But Winston, I told you months ago you could come and work for me. It’s a holding and acquisition company which I formed in 1917.” Emma leaned forward. “I financed it myself and I own one hundred per cent of the shares, but it’s run for me by a man called Ted Jones. Apart from Ted, and the other directors, no one else knows I’m behind it. Except for you, now. I want to keep it that way, Winston.”

Winston grinned. “You are a dark horse!” he exclaimed. “And even more successful than I realized. You know, I think I’d like to work for you, Emma. It sounds challenging.”

“I’m delighted. You can start on Monday if you like. It’s up to you.” She smiled. “Any questions, Winston?”

“Yes, quite a lot.” He grinned engagingly. “But they can wait until later. Until I start working for you on Monday. Right now I have an appointment.”

“Who with?” she asked in surprise.

“With one of the nurses from the hospital. That pretty brunette – Charlotte. I’m taking her out to tea.”

Emma laughed gaily. “You don’t waste much time, do you? But I’m glad to hear it. Now I know you’re really your old self.”

(by Barbara Bradford)