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.