TASKS for Chapters 3-6

I. Explain in English or give definitions of and find contextual synonyms for the following words and phrases:

Asset - a useful and desirable thing or quality

a sumptuous supper - splendor suggesting great expense – lavish

extravagance - excessive or unnecessary expenditure or outlay of money

thrift - economical management; economy – frugality

to remonstrate - to say or plead in protest, objection, or disapproval - affirm equanimity - mental or emotional stabilityimperturbability

at a loose end - in an uncertain or unsettled situation or positionon the mooch

to jeopardize - to put in risk - to run chances

alacrity - cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingnesseagerness

susceptible to - admitting or capable of some specified treatment

obsequious - servilely compliant or deferential

a retainer - a servant or attendant who has served a family for many years

II. Find quotations in the text. State their meaning and their function.

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be," Polonius - We hear the quotation from Michael and that’s why we can suppose that it’s his life motto. Unlike Julia, he doesn’t like spending money and prefer saving it. Because of this attitude to money he doesn’t let himself to take or give it to anybody.

"I could not love thee, dear, so much, loved I not honour more," Richard Lovelace (Tell Me Not, Sweet) – This quotation shows Michael’s attitude to love, wedding and Julia.

 "Lord, what fools these mortals be," Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream) – This quotation Jimmie said to Julia because of his misunderstanding how she could love Michael because, in Jimmie’s opinion, she’s much too good for Michael.

III. Explain the metaphor "she is a millstone round his neck." Who does it refer to?

This metaphor refers to any actor who decides to marry a young actress who is not successful yet. It’s difficult to become famous and successful being married. That’s why it’s necessary to reach something and only then get marry.

IV. Comment on the context of the following phrases:

- "He was too modest to resent an unfavourable criticism." (Ch.3)

Michael was too modest to resent it though he realized that he is still an actor only because of his appearance.

- "... after all he was born a gentleman." (Ch.4)

This phrase refers to Michael because his parents thought that a career of an actor is not good for his son. They preferred him to become a military man.

- "He is going to be a flop." (Ch.5)

The phrase refers to Michael who was going to America as an actor. Jimmie supposed him to be an ordinary actor without a great talent that’s why he thought Michael to get a failure.

- "'I suppose it's beastly of me,' she thought, 'but thank God, thank God.'" (Ch.6)

Julia said this phrase after she’d found out about Michael’s return from America. She was afraid that he forgot her and stopped loving and she was really glad that he was going to come back.

VI. What techniques are employed by the author to make the reader see the events through Julia's eyes?

To help us understand Julia’s emotions the author uses such emotional words as filthy pig, beast, devil, brute, rotten old eunuch.

There are allusions in the text to show that for Julia her stage was her home and life.

The author uses the inner speech to show Julia’s emotions and attitudes to things: ("He doesn't love me. He doesn't care a damn about me. I hate him. I'd like to kill him. Blast that American manager."), ("By God, it was a put-up job."), ("I'd better get up. He wouldn't know how to sit down. God, that scene that Jimmie made him do over and over again!"), ("The blasted fool, why does he talk all that rot? Doesn't he know I'm crazy to marry him? Why doesn't he kiss me, kiss me, kiss me? I wonder if I dare tell him I'm absolutely sick with love for him.").

VII. Answer the questions:

1. Who was Jimmie Langton and what role did he play in Julia's and Michael's lives? – Jimmie Langton was the head of the troupe in the theatre at Middlepool. He was a fat, bald-headed, rubicund man of forty-five; an eccentric, arrogant, exuberant, vain and charming fellow. Michael and Julia met each other in his theatre.

 2. When did Julia and Michael join the Middlepool Theatre Company? 3. How did Julia and Michael get to know each other? - Michael played the boy and Julia played Regina. They heard one another their parts and after rehearsals lunched together to talk of them. Soon they were inseparable.

4. What did Julia like about Michael? - His most engaging trait was his good humour. He bore Jimmie Langton's abuse with equanimity. When tempers grew frayed during a long rehearsal he remained serene. It was impossible to quarrel with him.

4. What did Michael think of good looks and decent families? – He thinks that decent families are more important than good looks because everyone can have a good appearance but not everyone can belong to a decent family.

5. How did Julia feel about her family? – She feels good with it and she wasn’t embarrassed wither father’s profession.

6. What were Michael's views on marriage? – “I think an actor's a perfect fool to marry young. There are so many cases in which it absolutely ruins a chap's career. Especially if he marries an actress. He becomes a star and then she's a millstone round his neck”.

8. What did Michael read newspaper reviews for? Did Julia share his views? – In newspapers reviews he would like to find information and opinions about himself and articles about Julia he reads briefly without special attention.

9. Who invited Julia to Michael's house for the Holy Week? – It’s Michael’s mother, Mrs. Gosselyn

10. Did Michael's father meet Julia's expectations? - Julia found the Colonel a much less alarming person than she had expected. He was thin and rather small, with a lined face and close-cropped white hair. His features had a worn distinction. He reminded you of a head on an old coin that had been in circulation too long. He was civil, but reserved. He was neither peppery nor tyrannical as Julia, from her knowledge of the stage, expected a colonel to be. She could not imagine him shouting out words of command in that courteous, rather cold voice.

11. What impression did Julia produce on Michael's parents? Michael: "You've made a tremendous success with my people. They've taken an enormous fancy to you. Father told me you were very ladylike, and not a bit like an actress, and mother says you're so sensible."

12. Was the proposal expected by Michael's parents? – Yes, it was. They bore a look of happy expectancy.

14. What steps did Julia take upon finding Michael was leaving for America? – She came to Jimmie and began blaming him and asked not to let Michael go.

15. Was Michael a success in America? – No, he had a great failure there.

16. Did Julia keep in touch with him while he was away? – “Julia wrote to Michael constantly, pages and pages of love and gossip, while he answered once a week, four pages exactly in a neat, precise hand. He always ended up by sending her his best love and signing himself hers very affectionately, but the rest of his letter was more informative than passionate. Yet she awaited its coming in an agony of impatience and read it over and over again”.

17. Was Julia eager to meet Michael straight at the station? - She decided to meet him and booked two rooms in a hotel.

18. What were Michael's impressions after staying and working in America? –“ After a fortnight of rehearsals, Michael was thrown out of the part for which he had been engaged, and for three or four weeks was left to kick his heels about till something else could be found for him. He opened in due course in a play that ran less than a month in New York. It was sent on the road; but languished and was withdrawn. After another wait he was given a part in a costume play where his good looks shone to such advantage that his indifferent acting was little noticed, and in this he finished the season. There was no talk of renewing his contract”.  

20. What was Michael going to do in England and what were his prospects? – He had a desire to open his own theatre where Julia will be able to play.

VIII. Summarize the events of chapters 3-6.

During the time Julia belongs to Jimmie’s troupe she meets Michael and falls in love with him. They spend a lot of time together and shortly after Michael introduces Julia to his parents and makes her a proposal. Julia accepts it with pleasure. One day she gets to know that Michael is going to leave for America to work there as an actor. She was disappointed and afraid that he can forget her and stop loving. However after a year Michael returns to England because he failed in America. Julia is happy about it and meets him at a station.