VI. State what kinds of relations form the basis for each case of metonymy in the text of the poems "To the Men of England", 'The Song of the Shirt" and "Sons of Poverty".

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UNIT SIX TEXT

Ernest Everhard, a labour leader, is invited to a dinner party at Professor Cunningham's. The guests, encouraged by the professor, exchange their views on various social problems. Ernest seizes the opportunity to expose the cruel treatmn.-t of the workers at the local mills. He tells them about Jackson, a worker who lost his arm in an accident. The man had noticed a piece of flint that had got in his machine and might have put it out of order. He threw off the belt to stop the machine and reached for the flint. But the belt didn't come off and his arm was picked and clawed to shreds from the finger tips to the shoulder. When he came out of hospital Jackson could not return to his job. And the company refused to give him work he could do. So his situation was wretched...

The story is told by Avis Cunningham, the professor's daughter.

"And what did the company do for him?" I asked Ernest.

"Nothing. Oh, yes, they did do something. They successfully fought the damage suit that he brought when he came out of hospital. The company employs very efficient lawyers, you know."

"But the courts," I urged. "The case would not have been decided against him, had there been no more to the affair than you have mentioned."

"Colonel Ingram is the company's leading lawyer. He is a very shrewd man." Ernest looked at me intently for a moment, then he went on: "I'll tell you what, Miss Cunningham. You investigate Jackson's case."

"I had already determined to," I said coldly.

"All right," he smiled good-naturedly," and I'll tell you where to find him. But I tremble for you when I think of all you are to prove by Jackson's arm."

And so it came about that I accepted Ernest's challenge.

I found Jackson in a crazy ramshackle house down near the bay on the edge of the marsh. He was making some sort of a basket and toiled on steadily while I talked with him.

"How did you happen to get your arm caught in the machine?" I asked.

He looked at me in a slow and pondering way and shook his head.

"Carelessness?" I prompted.

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"No," he answered, "I ain't for callin' it that. I was workin" overtime, an' I guess I was tired out. I worked seventeen years in them mills, an' I've noticed that most of the accidents happens just before whistle-blow. A man ain't so quick after workin' steady for hours. I've seen too many of 'em cut up and killed not to know."

"Many of them?" I asked.

"Hundreds an' hundreds, an' children, too."

With the exception of the terrible details, Jackson's story of his accident was the same as that I had already heard. When I asked him if he had broken some rule of working the machinery, he shook his head.

His mind was rather hazy concerning the suit for damages. Only one thing was clear to him and that was that he had not got any damages. He had a feeling that the testimony of the foremen and the superintendent had brought about the adverse decision of the court. Their testimony, as he put it, "wasn't what it ought to have ben". And to them I resolved to go.

One thing was plain. Jackson's situation was wretched. His wife was in ill health, and he was unable to earn, by his basket-work and peddling, sufficient food for the family. He was back in his rent, and the oldest boy, a lad of eleven, had started to work in the mills.

"They might a-given me a watchman's job," were his last words as I went away.

* * *

Jackson's lawyer was a weak and inefficient-looking man, and at sight of him two of Ernest's statements flashed into my mind. "The company employs very efficient lawyers," and "Colonel Ingram is a very shrewd man." It dawned upon me that of course the company could afford finer legal talent than could a working-man like Jackson.

"Why did you lose the case?" I asked.

The lawyer was perplexed and worried for a moment. Then he began to whine. He whined about the testimony. The witnesses had given only the evidence that helped the other side. Not one word could he get out of them that would have helped Jackson. They knew which side their bread was buttered on. Jackson had been confused by Colonel Ingram, who was brilliant at cross-examination. He had made Jackson answer damaging questions.

"How could Jackson's answer be damaging if he had the right on his side?" I demanded.

"What's right got to do with it?" he demanded back. "You see all those books?" He waved his hand towards the crowded shelves of books in his tiny office. "All my reading and studying of them has taught me that law is one thing and right is another thing. Ask any lawyer."

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* * *

"Why did you not call attention to the fact that Jackson was trying to save the machinery from being damaged?" I asked Peter Donnelly, one of the foremen who had testified at the trial.

He pondered a long time before replying. Then he cast an anxious look about him and said:

"Because I've a wife and three children, that's why. It wouldn't a-ben healthy," he answered.

* * *

Henry Dallas, the superintendent, refused to talk. Not a word could I get from him concerning the trial and his testimony.

But with James Smith, the other foreman, I had better luck. He agreed with Peter Donnelly that Jackson should have won his case and got damages. He went even further and called the action heartless and cold-blooded. Also he explained that there were many ."ccidents in the mills, and that the company's policy was to fight to the bitter end all suits for damages.

"When you testified at the trial, you didn't point out that Jackson received his injury through trying to save the machinery from damage?" 1 asked.

"No, I did not," was the answer. "I testified to the effect that Jackson injured himself by neglect and carelessness, and that the company was not in any way to blame."

"Was it carelessness?" I asked.

"Call it that or anything you want to call it. The fact is that I testified at the trial the way I did ... because I was following instructions, Colonel Ingram's instructions. He outlined the evidence I was to give."

"And it lost Jackson's case for him?"

He nodded, and his face grew dark.

"And Jackson had a wife and two children dependent on him."

"I know," he said quietly, but his face grew darker.

"Tell me," I went on, "was it easy to do such a thing at the trial?"

He burst into a savage oath.

"I beg your pardon," he said the next moment. "No, it was not easy. But let me tell you this. If you repeat anything I've said, I'll deny every word of it; and if I have to, I'll do it under oath on the witness stand."

After my interview with Smith I went to my father's office and there I met Ernest.

"I have been looking up Jackson's case. He seems to have been badly treated," I confessed.

"Of course," he answered. "If Jackson and all his fellows were treated mercifully, the dividends of the company would not be so large. Our boasted civilization is based upon blood."

(From "The Iron Heel" by Jack London)

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COMMENTARY

NOTES

Both Jackson and Peter Donnelly speak an illiterate English. Note the following non-standard forms which occur in the text:

a) I ain't for callin' it that

The form ain't is used for the following: am not, is .not, are not, have not, has not.

b) ... workin' steady for hours.

The adjective steady replaces the adverb steadily.

c) a-given, a-ben, a-got

The forms are used instead of have given, have been, have got.

d) in them mills

The personal pronoun them is used instead of the demonstrative pronoun these, those or the definite article.

e) ... most of the accidents happens ...

Agreement between the subject and the predicate is violated.

f) callin', workin'

The omission of the final g in spelling indicates that [n] is pronounced instead of [n] at the end of the words.

g) an', 'em

The omission of d in and and th in them shows the omission of the corresponding sounds in pronunciation.

These improprieties of speech - non-standard pronunciation, improper grammatical forms - are used by the author to give his characters definite speech characteristics. They show the characters' vocation, their education, environment and even their psychology. Only typical non-standard forms are used for this purpose.

STRUCTURAL PATTERNS

1. Happen, seem + Infinitive

How did you happen to get your arm caught in the machine?

Jackson seems to have been badly treated.

The verbs to happen and to seem may be followed by any kind of infinitive.

The indefinite infinitive expresses an action simultaneous with the moment described in the sentence.

The young farmer seemed to know everything about Miss Posie's family.

Казалось, что молодой фермер знает всё о семье мисс Поузи.

The continuous infinitive emphasizes that the action expressed by the infinitive is in process.

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I first met her in Wisconsin.	Я впервые встретила ее в Висконсине.
I happened to be staying with my relatives there.	Так случилось, что я гостила там у своих родственников.
He seems to be enjoying his holidays here.	Он, как будто (кажется), с удовольствием проводит здесь каникулы.

The perfect infinitive expresses an action prior to the moment referred to in the sentence.

Nobody knew the man, but when I saw him I recognized him at once. I happened to have worked with him in the North.	Никто не знал этого человека, но когда я его увидела, я его сразу узнала. Я когда-то работала с ним на севере.
They seem to have met before.	Они, кажется, встречались раньше.

2. Might + Perfect Infinitive

They might have given me a watchman's job.

Might have done expresses disapproval or reproach. The perfect infinitive refers the action to the past.

You might have warned me in advance (but you didn't). I wouldn't have waited for you.

Ты мог бы предупредить меня заранее. Я бы не стал тебя ждать.

Note: When might is followed by an indefinite infinitive, the combination might do smth expresses a request with a shade of reproach and refers the action to the present or future.

You might at least drive me home.	Вы хотя бы отвезли меня домой.
You might carry the parcel for me.	Мог бы понести мой сверток.

3. Should + Infinitive

Не agreed with Peter Donnelly that Jackson should have won his case and got damages.

The modal verb should expresses obligation, advisability, desirability. It may be followed by any kind of infinitive.

Should + indefinite infinitive refers the action to the present or the future.

You should take tha visitors round the museum.

Вам надо (следует) показать гостям музей.

Should + continuous infinitive refers the action to the immediate present.

You should be reading your history instead of watching TV.

Тебе надо (следует) заниматься историей, а не смотреть телевизор.

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Should + perfect infinitive refers the action to the past.

You should have accepted the invitation (but you didn't).	Вам надо было бы принять его приглашение. '
You shouldn't have accepted his invitation (but you did).	Вам не надо было бы принимать его приглашение.

Note: The modal verbs should and ought (to) are very much alike in meaning. In many cases they are used interchangeably. However, ought to emphasizes moral obligation, whereas should is commonly used when instructions are given in the form of advice.

You ought to be grateful to her.	Вы должны быть благодарны ей.
You ought to be helping your mother, Jane. She is washing up.	Тебе следовало бы помочь маме, Джейн. Она моет посуду.
You ought to have apologized to her.	Вам надо было бы извиниться перед ней.
You shouldn't miss this opportunity.	Вам не следует упускать такую возможность.
You should have put more sugar in the cake.	В торт следовало бы положить больше сахара.