Theatre by W.S. Maugham

Chapter 14

I. Find in the text the following words and phrases and translate them into Russian:

on one excuse and another – то под одним предлогом, то под другим

to confess to oneself – признаться самому себе

that was all to the good – тем лучше

shrewd – проницательный

vanity – тщеславие

to have an affair with sb. – роман с кем-то

sallow – болезненный

to feel compassion for sb. – чувствовать сострадание к кому-то

eminent persons – выдающийся человек

to lay no claims on sb. – не претендовать ни на кого

to use all her arts of cajolery – призывать все свое искусство обольщения

stale food – несвежая пища

to overcome one's scruples – преодолеть сомнения

to have no inclination – не быть склонным

a man of the world – светский человек

she was modest about herself – она была скромного о себе мнения

a smack in the face – прямо в лицо

sulkily – надувшись

Julia's heart was wrung – сердце Джулии сжалось

chivalrous courtesy – рыцарская учтивость

a vile disposition – ужасный нрав

alacrity – готовность

wistful – мечтательный

to act with great naturalness – изображать с большой естественностью

to make a scene – устроить сцену

she was in a black rage – ее душила черная ярость

she'd get even with him – она с ним сквитается

to rack one's brains – биться над задачей

II. Answer the following questions:

1. Was Julia really in love with Tom Fennell? And he?

Julia was really in love with him, she felt a strange passion to him. This woman knew that Tom wasn’t in love with her. He was too young, he was not so interested in her.

2. How old was Tom? What did he do? Why was he a success with women?

Tom was twenty-two and he was five years elder Julia’s son. He was a highly-sexed young man. Julia discovered that since he was seventeen he had had a great many women. He loved the act rather than the person. He looked upon it as the greatest lark in the world. And she could understand why he had so much success. There was something appealing in his slightness, his body was just skin and bone, that was why his clothes sat on him so well, and something charming in his clean freshness. His shyness and his effrontery combined to make him irresistible.

3. How can you characterize Roger? Where was he educated? What were his relations like with his parents? Did he know what he wanted to be? Did he want to go on the stage?

Roger was a nice-looking boy, with reddish hair and blue eyes. He was seventeen. He had neither his mother's vivacity and changing expression nor his father's beauty of feature. As a child Roger was rather stolid and he had a serious look. His only good features were his teeth and his hair, but his figure was rather lumpy. Roger desired to leave Eton at Christmas, he thought he had got everything out of it that he could, and he wanted to go to Vienna for a few months and learn German before going up to Cambridge. As for his future, this young man didn’t know what he wanted to be but at the same time he didn’t want to go on the stage.

4. How did Tom and Roger get on together?

Tom and Roger were at the same age and they spent all the time together.

5. Was Julia as successful in the movies as in the theatre? Did she envy the film-stars?

Julia was not successful in the movies. Her face on the stage so mobile and expressive for some reason lost on the screen, and after one trial she had with Michael's approval refused to accept any of the offers that were from time to time made her. Julia did not envy the film-stars because they came and went but she could stay.

6. Describe in detail how Julia managed to play different characters on the stage. What thrilled her? Why did she sometimes fell like God?

Julia was not 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. It helped her to think of someone she knew or even someone she had seen in the street or at a party; she combined with this recollection her own personality, and thus built up a character founded on fact but enriched with her experience, her knowledge of technique and her amazing magnetism. 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.

7. How did Julia revenge herself on Tom?

Julia decided to revenge on him by reminding him to leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the envelope.

III. Make up a list of words and phrases describing Tom Fennell. Comment on the repetition of "a young man" in the text. First "he was a blushing young man" for Julia. Did her attitude change when she was better aquainted with him? Prove it by giving examples from the text.

- What he's got, of course, is sex appeal

- Sweet with his blue eyes and pale brown hair

- He was so deceitful

-  Young, fresh and ingenuous

- Lips were soft and there was a perfume of youth about him which was really rather delightful
The author uses the repetition "young man" to show that Julia admired Tom’s youth and through it she remembered her times when she was a young woman. At first, Julia tried to attach Tom to her giving him expensive gifts, paying his debts. “She felt a strange compassion for him. He had the high spirits of youth, and she lapped them up as a kitten laps up milk. But he was not amusing. Though he laughed when Julia said a funny thing he never said one himself. She did not mind. She found his dullness restful”.

IV. Find in the text epithets and similes which characterize Julia and Michael and say what effect the author achieves by using them.

Some epithets to describe Julia: very pretty and young (within a company of Tom Julia felt herself much younger); a maiden aunt (to show her disappointment and despair); the popular favourite, the best-dressed woman in London (to show that Julia pretended to be such a woman, it wasn’t her real substance).  

Some epithets to describe Michael: friendly way (to show Michael’s kindness); she read his mind like an open book (to show that Julia knew him perfectly).

V. What stylistic device did Maugham employ at large to characterize Julia? Illustrate your answer with the examples from the text. Comment on the lexicon used by Julia. To what stylistic layer of the vocabulary does it belong? How does it characterize Julia?

There were vulgar words: “The blasted fool, why does he talk all that rot?”, “Gosh, I’m going down like a barrel of oysters”. The author used them in Julia’s internal monologues to show that in reality she was not a person of high society. She only seemed to be intelligent with other people.

VI. Give a summary of chapter 14. (in written form)

Julia found herself totally enamored with Tom. She tried to attach the young man to her giving him expensive gifts and paying his debts.  In his turn, Tom had the high spirits of youth, but he was not amusing. Though he laughed when Julia said a funny thing he never said one himself. She found his dullness restful. Also Tom became close friends with her seventeen year son, Roger, and they spent all their time together. However this young man didn’t notice Julia decided to take revenge on him. She reminded him to leave the maid tips, leaving the money in the envelope.