Theatre - Part 4

1. Summary

Julia realizes that she is in love with Tom. Michael suggests that Tom should live with them during his vacation. Julia hopes that Tom will spend his vacation with her, but he and Roger get attached to one another and spend all the time together. Julia is angry and jealous. She wants to take them apart and invites the Dennorants for dinner. Tom wants to break up with her, they quarrel, but make up again. Dolly de Vris hears some gossips about Julia and Tom and tells Michael about them. Michael misunderstands her and decides to buy her out. But she is offended, it was not her point.

2. Words

1. wizened — иссохший, морщинистый (wrinkled)

2. behove — приличествовать, подобать (beseem, befit)

3. rusty — ржавый, в плохом состоянии (out of condition)

4. dun — докучать (annoy)

5. cajolery — умасливание (sweet talk)

6. grudge — неохотно давать (give smth reluctantly)

7. sordidness — убогость (squalor, misery)

8. stale — несвежий (old)

9. forbid — запрещать (ban, prohibit)

10. hobbledehoy — молодой парнишка, желторотый юнец (kid)

3. Expressions

1. to bolt off — умчаться (about the boys; they swallowed their breakfast and bolted off in Roger's car)

2. to leap to one’s feet — вскочить на ноги (about Tom when he was talking with Julia and Roger)

3. to dispute one’s supremacy — оспаривать превосходство (no one disputed Julia’s supremacy in the sphere of acting)

4. to make chichi — флиртовать, ухлестывать (Tom's making chichi with Cecily Dennorant)

5. to put on no frills — вести себя естественно (at the party, when she was very mad with Tom, Julia acted with great naturalness the part of a leading lady who put on no frills)

6. to rack one’s brains — ломать голову (if she had racked her brains for a week she couldn't have thought of anything that would humiliate Tom more bitterly)

7. to give smb a treat — доставлять удовольствие (it occurred to her that she would give him a treat: the Duke and Duchess of Rickaby were coming to the play that night and they were going to have supper at the Savoy)

8. to grudge smb a bit of fun — лишать кого-то удовольствия (Julia about Tom when he wanted to go to the party)

4. Translation

Джулия сжала кулаки, чтобы не сорваться и не приказать ему попридержать свой дурацкий язык. Она была в ярости. Это стало последней каплей. Том избегал ее целых две недели; он даже не обращался с ней должным образом, тогда как она вела себя как ангел. Она была последней, от кого можно было ожидать такого терпения. И любая другая сказала бы ему, что, если он не хочет вести себя согласно приличиям, то пусть проваливает. Эгоист, идиот, самая заурядная личность, — вот кто он. Джулия жалела, что он уезжает завтра; иначе она имела удовольствие сама вышвырнуть его со всеми его вещами. И как посмел он с ней так обращаться, этот ничтожный бухгалтеришка! Поэты, члены совета министров, пэры Англии — все были бы только рады отменить свои самые важные встречи ради одной возможности пообедать с ней! А он бросил ее ради танцулек с кучкой пергидрольных блондинок, которые совершенно не умеют играть. Какой же он идиот! Мог бы проявить хоть каплю благодарности. Ведь это она оплатила ту самую тряпку, которая на нем сейчас надета. И этот портсигар, которым он так гордится, — разве не она ему подарила? А то кольцо? Ну уж нет, она с ним расквитается. Да-да, и она даже знает как. Она знает его самое уязвимое место, место, куда ранить его всего больней. Уж это заденет его за живое! Джулия почувствовала облегчение, как только план действий возник в ее голове. Ей не терпелось скорее привести его в исполнение, и не успели они вернуться домой, как она поднялась в свою спальню. Она вытащила из сумки четыре монеты по фунту и купюру в десять шиллингов. И написала записку.

5. Analysis

The extract gives us an opportunity to see Julia’s feelings, when she is angry with Tom and his attitude. She is in a black rage and wants to get a revenge for him neglecting her the whole fortnight.

The extract is a narrative from a third person, but it is not a third-person omniscient, but limited point of view, because we can observe the situation through Julia’s mind. That is why her emotions are so clear to us.

The prevailing mood of the extract can be called bitter, because Julia is hurt. There is also a bit of fury.

The whole extract can be divided into three parts: the exposition, when Julia begins to wind herself up, the climax, when Julia decides to write a short note for Tom and leave him some money to humiliate him, and the outcome, when she finally does it. From the very beginning we can see how the thought about the revenge is maturing inside her head. All this is shown by the means of some stylistic devices. For example, there are a lot of epithets and descriptive words (“twopenny halfpenny little man in the city”), antithesis is also often used (“he had not even treated her with civility, and she had been angelic”, “poets, cabinet ministers, peers of the realm would be only too glad to break the most important engagements to have the chance of dining with her, and he threw her over to go and dance with a pack of peroxide blondes”). In the latter example there is also some hyperbole, but, probably, not from Julia’s point of view. There is also ellipsis can be found (“And the ring he wore.”). It is used for artistic effect, to show us the nature of Julia’s thinking at the right moment.

So, this extract is greatly written, it provides an opportunity to see and understand better Julia’s thoughts and emotions with the help of different stylistic devices.

6. Questions

1.

2.

3.

4. She was not. She takes her so-called talent for granted.

5. Tom felt offended. He returned her money, her presents and was going to break up with her (probably, he had some other inner motives which we don’t know about yet, and the letter was just a prompt).

6. Dolly wanted Michael to know that there were gossips about Julia and Tom. It would have a bad impact on Julia’s career, because for many years she had been known as a perfect wife, and their marriage was exemplary. She cares for Julia a lot. But Michael thinks that all the matter is about money that Dolly can lose because of the situation. Michael trust Julia so much, because he thinks that he knows her, while he does not know her at all (we can observe that throughout the novel).

7. I don't say she was a nymphomaniac or anything like that, but she was inclined to be rather tiresome sometimes. Bed's all very well in its way, but there are other things in life. But after Roger was born she changed completely. Having a baby settled her. All those instincts went into her acting. Sublimation. That's it. I often think that's what's made her such a great actress. Acting's a whole time job and if you want to be really good you've got to give your whole self to it. I'm so impatient with the public who think actors and actresses lead a devil of a life. We haven't got the time for that sort of nonsense.

8. Probably yes. It looks like that only enthusiastic people captivated with their business succeed. The scientists, who spend all the time in their laboratories, get the Nobel Prize, the writers, who do only writing, are awarded, too. But also we can remember Jack London, who wrote for money, but how great his works are!