Theatre by W.S. Maugham

Chapters 22-24

I. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

 to make a clean breast of sth – сделать чистосердечно

to tear sb limb from limb – перемывать кому-то кости

a sleeping-draught - снотворное

to and fro – взад и вперед

curtain calls - поклон

pull oneself together - собраться

magnanimous - щедрый

to cramp one's style - мешать

contrition - раскаяние

a succinct account of sth – краткое содержание

a bereavement - лишение

an austere and snug little town – аскетичный и уютный маленький город

to adhere to sth – придерживаться чего-то 

VII. Answer the questions:

1. Why couldn't Julie take her troubles to Charles or Dolly as usual?

Julie couldn’t take her troubles to Charles as usual because she thought it would be cruel to tell Charles that she had given to a very ordinary young man what he would gladly have sacrificed ten years of his life for. As for Dolly, she was shocked and jealous when Julia made a clean breast of it.

2. How different was Charles's circle from that of Tom's?

It was like heaven and earth, because Charles spoke about politics, aids, books and Julia wondered how she could exchange it all for a circle in which Tom was.

3. Was Michael right when criticizing Julie's acting?

I think yes. To my mind, Michael was absolutely right, because Julia lived through her role in the play, she didn’t act like actress should do, but splashed out her real emotions.

4. How did Julie react to her husband's criticism?

At first she was furious, but then understood that he was right.

5. How did the breakup with Tom influence Julie's attitude to Michael and Charles?

Julia began to love them more than before. This woman really appreciated all what they had done for her.

6. Why did Julie decide to spend the summer with her mother and aunt?

Julie decided to spend the summer with her mother and aunt to have a rest and completely cut herself off for a time from her old life.

7. What kind of lifestyle did Aunt Carrie and Mrs Lambert have?

Aunt Carrie and Mrs. Lambert were very devout. They went to Mass every morning and to High Mass on Sundays.

8. How did the old ladies treat Julie? How did they feel about her occupation?

The old ladies treated Julia with cordiality, but thought her profession to be indecent.

9. How did Julie imagine Charles's love for her?

As for Julia, she thought that Charles passionately loved her for 20 years, and that she was the only woman in the world whom he fully loved.

10. When in Paris, what did Julie mean when saying, "I feel like a queen returning from an exile?"

Julia was very happy to feel herself again famous and leading an eventful life.

11. How did Julie slip out from the awkward situation with Charles?

Julia turned it into her own advantage. She said that she was glad that they didn’t spoil their friendship.

12. How did Julie explain to herself the fact that her amorous advances had been declined by Charles?

Julia believed that Charles was impotent and used his devotion to her to distract attention from his real inclinations.

Theatre by W.S. Maugham

Chapters 19-21

I. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

an understudy - дублер

perfidy -измена

wanton temperament – своенравный темперамент

to cut the date – отменить встречу

an American conjurer – американский иллюзионист

to make a stab at acting in America – попытаться сделать актерскую карьеру в Америке

off the nail – быть навеселе

the R.A.D.A. – Королевская академия драмы

in point of fact – в действительности

insipid - безвкусный

hard as nails – в форме

for toffee – ни за что

be a sport – будь человеком

to beat about the bush – ходить вокруг да около

to feel all in – чувствовать себя в порядке

to give the air – не принять во внимание

to put one's foot down – занять твердую позицию

IV. Answer the questions:

1. Under what circumstances did Roger get acquainted with Joan Denver? What kind of favour did he ask of Julie?

Tom Fennel acquainted Roger with Joan Denver. After the show boys invited Jill and Joan to Tom`s flat and spent the night together. As we can see, Joan Denver wanted to take part at new play of Siddons theatre, so she asked Roger to put in a good word for her in front of Julia Lambert.

2. Why did Julie feel she had lost Roger?

Julia’s life had always been so full and so exciting that she had never had the time to busy herself much with Roger. She got in a state, when he had whooping-cough or measles, but he was for the most part in robust health, and then he occupied a pleasant place in the background of her consciousness. However she had always felt that he was there to be attended to when she was inclined and she had often thought it would be nice when he was old enough really to share her interests. It came to her as a shock now to realize that she had lost him.

3. How did Tom react to Julie's plans to take her play to New York?

He thought it would be a great chance for her to make an effort in America.

4. What kind of new acquaintances and connections did Tom make through Julie?

It had spread around among Julia's grander friends that Tom was very clever at helping one with one's income-tax returns. The Dennorants had asked him down to the country for a week-end, so he had met a number of persons who were glad to take advantage of his technical knowledge. He began to get invitations from people whom Julia didn’t know.

5. How did Julie receive Joan Denver?

Julia received Joan Denver at the moment when she had taken her last call. Julia could in the twinkling of an eye leap from her part into private life, but now she continued to play the imperious, stately and well-bred woman of the play.

6. How did Michael hear about Avice Crichton?

Michael heared about Avice Crichton from Tom.

7. Why does Maugham describe Julie's appearance at the Sunday night show as "beautifully timed?"

Maugham described Julie's appearance at the Sunday night show as "beautifully timed" to show how Julia was famous.

8. What impression did Avice Crichton and her acting produce on Julie?

Avice Crichton was very pretty, with lovely golden hair, fine blue eyes and a little straight nose. Julia watched her performance for a few minutes. At first she watched intently, then she leant back in her stall with a little sigh.

9. Why did it irk Tom to have to come back with Julie after the Sunday night show?

Tom wanted to be at the party with Avice.

10. What kind of relationship did Tom and Avice have?

As for Tom, he loved her, but Avice only used him.

Theatre by W.S. Maugham

Chapters 15-18

I. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

condescending letter – снисходительное письмо

pearl studs – жемчужные запонки

peevish – раздраженный

make head or tail of it – ничего не понимать

fatuous irony – глупая ирония

to get back on sb – отделаться от кого-то

song and dance – скандал, постоянные объяснения

to spend a lot on green fees – тратиться на аренду поля для гольфа

despicable – презренный

to give sb a treat – доставить удовольствие кому-то

to wheedle sb into – впутывать кого-то во что-то

prudishness – ханжество

to take liberties with sb – быть непозволительно фамильярным с кем-то

to grudge sb – завидовать

conspicuous – очевидный

to take the rough with the smooth – стойко переносить превратности судьбы

to have a joke up your sleeve – держать шутку наготове

to mortify sb – усмирять, укрощать кого-то

disconcerted – смущенный

II. Explain the following metaphors. Who do they refer to?

It won't hurt him to discover that I'm not all milk and honey.

It refers to Julia. It was the moment when she wanted to hurt Tom’s feelings and reminded him to leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the envelope. So this metaphor describes Julia’s feelings in one of the most important moments in her life -her love to the young man.

I'm not the woman to desert a sinking ship.

It refers to Dolly de Vries. The author used it while speaking to Michael about his wife, Julia, and how her love affairs with Tom could adversely affect her career and her position in the society.

III. Give a character sketch of Dolly de Vries. Pay special attention to the description of hr appearance: "Dolly de Vries was now a woman of sixty. …and a slight cockney accent revealed itself." Dwell on her relationship with Michael and Julia. How did she feel about Tom?

“Dolly de Vries was now a woman of sixty. She was very fat, and her face, with its large nose and heavy red lips, seemed larger than life. There was a slightly masculine touch in her black satin dress, but she wore a double string of pearls round her neck, a diamond brooch at her waist and another in her hat. Her short hair was dyed a rich copper. Her lips and her finger-nails were bright red. Her voice was loud and deep, but when she got excited the words were apt to tumble over one another and a slight cockney accent revealed itself.” She was a very rich admirer of Julia Lambert and at the same time her faithful companion throughout the actress’s life. Dolly loved Julia and the last fell in love with the young man Tom, was jealous of her. At the same time she didn’t like Tom, she even gave necessary inquiries and learned that he, in turn, had love affairs with an incompetent debutante Evis Crichton.

IV. Speak on Julia's reputation and talent. Do you agree that no one expects an actress to be a pattern of propriety?

Julia didn’t find any difficulty for her to think over every detail, every scene of her life, not only on the stage. This woman wasn’t aware that she deliberately observed people, but when she came to study a new part vague recollections surged up in her from she knew not where, and she found that she knew things about the character she was to represent that she had had no inkling of. People thought that she only acted during the two or three hours she was on the stage; they did not know that the character she was playing dwelt in the back of her mind all day long, when she was talking to others with all the appearance of attention, or in whatever business she was engaged.

V. Answer the questions:

1. Why did Julia offer Tom the money for servants' tips? Do you think she made the right decision?

Julia wanted Tom to feel aggrieved as he didn’t have money to pay for himself and even he couldn’t give tips for servants. I think, it wasn’t a perfect decision because it only showed her as a selfishe and rude person.

2. Did Julia manage to induce Tom to see her again after that?

Julia made Tom believe that he understood her erroneous and that she didn’t understand what had happened with him and their relationships.

3. Did Dolly believe that Julia didn't have a lover? Why?

No, Dolly didn’t believe that Julia didn’t have a lover, because people were saying rather disagreeable things about her.

4. Whom did Dolly finally decide to talk to about Julia's cheating?

Dolly was a little frightened of Julia. There was something about her that prevented you from taking liberties with her. This woman came to the conclusion that Michael had to speak to his wife. She had never liked Michael, but after all he was Julia's husband and it was her duty to make him put a stop to whatever was going on.

5. Why did Dolly not confess to Michael that she suspected Julia of having a love affair?

Dolly had an intuition that she could not mistrust. The woman couldn’t give Julia away. Her husband might go and tell her and Julia would never speak to her again. He might have Julia watched and catch her out.

6. Why did Michael suggest buying Dolly's share out?

If Julia's gadding about all night it must tell on her performances. “I know Julia well enough to know that she wouldn't put up with any interference with her liberty of action. I'm her husband and I've got to put up with it. But you're in a different position altogether. I shouldn't blame you if you wanted to get out while the going was good.”

7. What was the reason for Dolly's desperate jealousy?

Dolly knew how much money meant to him and she had a hope that what she had said would rankle. She helped Julia at the very beginning of her career and loved her, she couldn’t allow her to loose anything.

8. How did Dolly try to convince Julia that Tom was not very discreet?

Dolly knew that Tom’s father bought him a share in the firm and he became a junior partner. Then it seems a little strange that on that the young man should be able to have a flat, dress the way he does and take people to night clubs, as if his father bought him a partnership he wasn’t making him an allowance as well.

9. Why couldn't Julia fall asleep after the lunch with Dolly?

The strange thing was that when she looked into her heart it was not Julia Lambert the woman who resented the affront, she didn't care for herself, it was the affront to Julia Lambert the actress that stung her. She had often felt that her talent, genius the critics called it, but that was a very grand word, her gift, not even part of her, but something outside that used her.

VI. Summarize the events of chapters 15-18.

Julia decided to take revenge on Tom. Knowing how to hurt his feelings, she reminded him to leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the envelope. The next day Tom returned all her presents, because this woman managed to hurt him. After a little conversation Tom remained with her. Julia even bought him a flat, that was near to her, furnished it. Several times a week together they appeared in restaurants and night clubs. Gossip had so nearly reached the truth about them. Julia got to know about that from Michael, who knew that from possessed with jealousy Dolly de Vries. Julia tried to find out from Dolly, who gossiped about her, and during the conversation she knew that Tom promised some Evis Crichton the role in the play. It was the moment when the woman understood that the young man didn’t love her.