The escape

18.Write a one-page summary of Text Two.

Retell the story of Roger's "narrow escape" using your active vocabulary, word combinations, phrases and patterns: a) as Ruth Barlow sees it: she is, certainly, bewildered and even indignant; use proper intonation means to convey her attitude to Roger and his conduct; b) as Roger tells it to a friend of his in a confidential way; he is greatly relieved; express his attitude by using proper intonation means; c) from the point of view of the lady next door to Ruth Barlow's who pretends to sympathize with Ruth and disapprove of Roger's behaviour, but, in fact, hugely enjoys the situation; use adequate intonation patterns to convey her attitudes.

Discuss the events of the story in dialogues as they would be treated by: a) Ruth Barlow and a lady friend of hers: b) Roger and the narrator of the story. Use proper intonation means in the stimuli and responses to convey proper attitudes.

21. Reread Text Two to answer the following questions on its style and composition.

In what way does the story begin? Is the reader's interest awakened at once? If so, how does the author achieve it?

What is gained by telling-the story in the first person? From whose point of view is it told? Point out the passages reflecting the narrator's attitude, Roger's and the author's. Is the author detached in his attitude to Ruth? Prove your point.

Is the plot an important feature of the story? Indicate briefly the stages by which the narrative is unfolded.

Does the story end as the reader expects? Point out passages aiming at suspense.

Is the title appropriate? Does it reflect the point of the story?

What words and phrases give atmosphere to the story in descriptions of human appearance, characters, human relations? (Make up lists.)

g)Do you regard "The Escape" as a typical specimen of Somerset Maugham's prose? Read the following to answer the question:

The qualities of Somerset Maugham are not at all elusive. An innate dramatic sense enables him to write sound, solidly constructed novels that never fail to interest the reader. His prose is clean and hard and is always marked by a precision that is rare in contemporary writing. Passion and lyricism are not evident but in their place the reader will find a superbly controlled irony and a brilliant wit. Transforming the commonplace into art, he produced a long, distinguished list of plays, short stories and novels that will never cease перестать to give the greatest of pleasure.

PROFESSION-ORIENTED QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

I. Listen to your fellow-student's reading of the words given in Ex. 2. Correct\ the mistakes, should he make them.

II.As your fellow-students read out Ex. 3, write down their mistakes, analyse them and make all the necessary corrections.

III.Listen attentively to your fellow-students' reading of Ex. 5 and write down their mistakes. What recommendations will you give them if they make mistakes in assimilation, strong and weak forms and intonation-group division?

IV.Obviously the short story can be regarded as a most suitable literary genre for foreign-language learning. Brevity is a significant point, because it allows the class to focus on the story even within a single class period and within the limits of one textbook unit, a) List the requirements to the short story to be used as subject matter for study at your level, b) Say what you consider to have been the best technique of working with a short story during your course of study.

V.a) Adapt any short story you like for the 9th/10th form. (Be sure it introduces some "culture element"), b) Make it suitable for reading after some particular lesson, c) Make a list of essential vocabulary, d) Write questions covering the story to be asked in class.

VI.Prepare yourself to conduct a micro-lesson on oral and written reproduction. Prepare a suitable story and write comprehension questions covering it. The story should be read over to the class twice. Don't forget to write the proper nouns and place names on the board. The following classroom expressions may come in handy:

1. I'm going to read it over again. 2. And now you'll have to do some writing. 3. Try to assemble your thoughts first. 4. These idioms will add a little colour to your work. 5. Don't write in the margin. 6. Be sure your paper has a name on it. 7. Form the letters clearly. 8. Indent the line which begins a paragraph . 9. High time to hand in your papers! 10. Your time is up. 11. I'm going to mark them this week.

Я всегда был убеждён, что, если женщина задумала выйти замуж, ничто, кроме немедленного побега, не может спасти мужчину. Хотя и не всегда. Однажды мой друг, увидев неизбежную угрозу, неотвратимо надвигающуюся на него, взял билет на пароход (с одной только зубной щёткой в багаже, так сильно осознавал он опасность и необходимость немедленно действовать) и провёл год, путешествуя вокруг мира. Но когда, полагая себя в безопасности (он говорил, что женщины непостоянны и через двенадцать месяцев она вовсе забудет обо мне), он высадился в том самом порту, первым человеком, кого он увидел, весело машущей ему рукой на пристани, была маленькая леди, от которой он сбежал. Я знал только одного мужчину, кто в таких обстоятельствах сумел выпутаться. Его звали Роджер Чаринг. Он был уже не молод, когда влюбился в Рут Барлоу, и у него было достаточно опыта, чтобы вести себя осторожно; но у Рут Барлоу был дар (может, стоит назвать это качеством?) приводить большинство мужчин в беспомощное состояние, и это он лишил Роджера его здравого смысла, его осторожности и его житейской мудрости. Он свалился, как ряд кеглей. Это был дар чувствительности. У миссис Барлоу, которая уже дважды овдовела, были великолепные тёмные глаза, самые трогательные из тех, что я когда-либо видел; казалось, они всегда были готовы наполниться слезами; они говорили, что мир слишком велик для неё, и вы чувствовали, что, бедная малышка, она испытывала больше страданий, чем кто-либо мог выдержать. Если, подобно Роджеру Чарингу, вы были крепким, дюжим мужчиной с кучей денег, почти неизбежно вы говорили себе: «Я должен встать между опасностями мира и этой беспомощной бедняжкой, и как чудесно будет убрать грусть из этих больших милых глаз!» Роджер объяснял мне, что все обращались с миссис Барлоу очень плохо. Она, очевидно, была одной из тех неудачниц, с которыми ничего не может произойти правильно. Если она выходила замуж, муж бил её; если она нанимала кухарку, та пила. У неё никогда не было ягнёнка, но он бы наверняка умер.Когда Роджер сказал, что наконец-то уговорил её пожениться, я пожелал ему счастья.- Я надеюсь, мы останемся добрыми друзьями, - сказал он. - Она малость побаивается тебя, знаешь ли; она думает, что ты бессердечный.- Понятия не имею, почему она так думает.- Она же тебе нравится, не так ли?- Даже очень.- Она пережила тяжёлые времена, бедняжка. Мне так её жалко.- Да, - сказал я.Я не мог бы сказать меньше. Я знал, что она глупа, и я думал, что она интриганка. Я был убеждён, что она крепка, как скала.Впервые, когда я встретил её, мы вместе играли в бридж, и, хотя она была моим партнёром, она дважды побила мои лучшие карты. Я вёл себя, как ангел, но я думал, что если из чьих-то глаз и суждено политься слезам, то это скорее будут мои, нежели её. А затем, к концу вечера проиграв мне значительную сумму, она пообещала прислать чек, чего никогда так и не сделала, так что я не мог не думать, что это у меня, а не у неё должно было быть жалостливое выражение лица, когда мы встретились следующий раз.Роджер представил её своим друзьям. Он покупал ей прелестные драгоценности. Он вывозил её повсюду. Было объявлено, что их женитьба состоится в скором будущем. Роджер был очень счастлив. Он делал доброе дело и в то же время нечто, что очень хотел сделать. Это была необычная ситуация и не удивительно, что он был больше доволен собой, чем приличествовало.Внезапно он разлюбил. Не знаю, почему. Едва ли он устал от её разговоров, скорее, её жалостливый вид перестал терзать струны его сердца. Его глаза открылись и он стал даже проницательней, чем был раньше. Он стал беспокоиться, что Рут Барлоу вознамерилась выйти за него замуж, и он поклялся торжественной клятвой, что ничто не сможет заставить его жениться на Рут Барлоу. Но он был в затруднении. Сейчас, когда он снова властвовал над собой, он ясно видел, с какого сорта женщиной имеет дело и беспокоился, что, если он попросит её освободить его, она (в своей трогательной манере) оценит свои раненые чувства в чрезмерно высокую цифру. С другой стороны, для мужчины всегда неловко увлечь и обмануть женщину. Люди склонны думать, что такой мужчина поступает плохо.Роджер всё держал в секрете. Ни словом, ни жестом он не выдал, что его чувства по отношению к Рут Барлоу изменились. Он оставался внимательным ко всем её желаниям, он водил её обедать в рестораны, они вместе ходили в театры, он посылал ей цветы, он был симпатичным и очаровательным. Они решили, что поженятся, как только найдут дом, который им подходит, потому что он снимал квартиру, а она жила в меблированных комнатах; и они принялись искать желанное место жительства. Агенты посылали Роджеру просмотровые ордера, и он с Рут осматривал многочисленные дома. Было очень трудно найти что-то полностью удовлетворительное. Роджер обратился к множеству агентов. Они посещали дом за домом. Они осматривали их тщательно от погреба до чердака. Порой дом был слишком велик, порой слишком мал; порой он был слишком далеко от центра, порой слишком близко; порой он был чересчур дорогим, а порой требовал слишком большого ремонта; порой он был слишком душным, а порой в нём слишком сквозило; порой в нём было темно, а порой промозгло. Роджер всегда находил недостаток, который делал дом неподходящим. Конечно, ему было трудно угодить: он не мог себе позволить пригласить его дорогую Рут жить нигде, кроме как в совершенном доме, и требовалось найти этот совершенный дом. Они осмотрели сотни домов, они вскарабкались на тысячи ступенек, они исследовали бесчисленные кухни. Рут была истощена и не один раз теряла самообладание.- Если ты вскорости не найдёшь дома, - сказала она, - я изменю своё решение. Если ты продолжишь в том же духе, мы никогда не поженимся.- Не говори так, - отвечал он, - Я умоляю тебя потерпеть. Я только что получил несколько новых списков от агентов, о которых я недавно услышал. В них должно быть не меньше шестидесяти домов.Они вновь принялись охотится. Они осматривали всё больше и больше домов. В течение двух лет они осматривали дома. Рут стала молчаливой и насмешливой, её трогательные прекрасные глаза преисполнились почти зловещим выражением. У миссис Барлоу было терпение ангела, но наконец она взорвалась.- Так ты хочешь или нет жениться на мне? - спросила она.В её голосе была необыкновенная твёрдость, но она ничуть не повлияла на мягкость его ответа.- Конечно, хочу. Мы поженимся, как только найдём дом. Кстати, я только что услышал о доме, который может нам подойти.- Я чувствую себя недостаточно хорошо, чтобы осматривать какие-то дома.- Бедняжка, я боюсь, ты выглядишь усталой.Рут Барлоу вернулась к себе. Она не могла видеть Роджера, и ему пришлось довольствоваться звонками в её жилище, чтобы навести справки, и посылкой ей цветов. Он был неутомим и галантен. Каждый день он писал ей и рассказывал, что слышал о том или другом доме, который им надо осмотреть. Прошла неделя и он получил следующее письмо:«Роджер,Не думаю, что ты на самом деле любишь меня. Я нашла кого-то, кто жаждет позаботиться обо мне, и я собираюсь сегодня выйти за него замуж.Рут».Он послал свой ответ специальной почтой:«Рут,Твои новости потрясли меня. Я никогда не оправлюсь, но, конечно, твоё счастье должно быть моим главным побудительным мотивом. Прикладываю к сему семь ордеров; они пришли с утренней почтой и я совершенно уверен, что ты найдёшь среди них дом, который тебе подойдёт. Роджер».

THE TEXT ANALYSIS («THE ESCAPE»)

The given text presents a short story “THE ESCAPE” written by Somerset Maugham.

The text belongs to belles-letter functional style, which can combine the features of different functional styles. The substyle of the text is emotive prose. Its genre is epic.

It is very important here that the narrator is a participant of the events. Moreover the story is told in the 1^st person singular, which helps to make the narration more emotional. Speaking about the pro and cons of this type of narration, it should be said, that on the one hand the 1^st person singular narrative gain an advantage over the other types of narration, as the narrator conveys his thoughts and emotions vividly and more distinctly, and because of that the text appears for the reader more comprehensible. However, on the other hand, such a type of the narration has the disadvantage: the text is less objective and impartial, more biased.

“The Escape ” is about a man (Roger) and a woman (Ruth), their complicated relations and scheming in order to achieve different aims. So they are the main characters. We can't say that the author and the narrator is one and the same person. The author hides behind the narrator who is the secondary character.

Let's speak about the instances reflecting the author's attitude, the narrator's attitude and Roger's attitude.

I consider the author being not bluntly in reflecting his attitude. The author attends the course of events, conveying his thoughts and emotions only through the choice of words and phrases, as in the examples: “She was apparently one of those unfortunate persons with whom nothing by any chance goes right. If she married a husband he beat her; if she employed a broker he cheated her. She never had a lamb but is was sure to die”; “Besides it is always awkward for a man to jilt a woman. People are apt to think he has behaved badly”; “There are limits to human endurance”. There we observe author's detached attitude to Ruth Barlow, as he just reveal her image and situation to the reader from the point of detached observer, who retell the facts of her life to the reader, but not from the point of the biased person. And actually these examples are presented by author but through Roger's vision, the author say's ”I gathered from Roger…”.

On the contrary, the narrator, who was acquainted with Ruth Barlow, is detached. We can observe his quite negative attitude to her in such examples: “I couldn't say less. I know she was stupid and I thought she was scheming. My own belief was that she was as hard as nails”; “And when, having by the end of the evening lost a good deal of money to me, she said she would send me a cheque and never did, I could not think that I and not she should have worn a pathetic expression when next we met.”; “I do not know why. It could hardly have been that he grew tired of her conversation, for she had never had any conversation.”

And Roger's attitude to Ruth is rather problematic, his feelings are mixed as he changed them through the course of events. In the beginning Roger absolutely adores Ruth and even persuaded her to marry him. But in these examples we can be sure that he's really in love with her, he just do everything out of sympathy: “She's had a rotten time, poor dear. I feel so dreadfully sorry for her”; “He gave her lovely jewels; he took her here, there, and everywhere. Their marriage was announced for the immediate future. Roger was very happy. He was committing a good action and at the same time doing something he had very much a mind to. It is an uncommon situation and it is not surprising if he was a trifle more pleased with himself than was altogether becoming.”

When Roger suddenly fell out of so-called love, we observe the change of his attitude to Ruth. This was the second part of their relations. There was no evident reason. Perhaps, his heart-strings were no longer touched by Ruth's pathetic look: “He became acutely conscious that Ruth Barlow had made her mind to marry him and he swore a solemn oath that nothing would induce him to marry Ruth Barlow”. He now doesn't want to marry her, but “if he asked her to release him, she would (in her appealing way) assess her wounded feelings at an immoderately high figure. Besides it is always awkward for a man to jilt a woman. People are apt to think he has behaved badly.” That's why he behaves rather wisely trying to find the appropriate house for them but being too faultfinding, so he wants her to understand everything and to leave him herself: “Sometimes they were too large and sometimes they were too small, sometimes they were too far from the centre of things and sometimes they were too close; sometimes they were too expensive and sometimes they wanted too many repairs; sometimes they were too stuffy and sometimes they were too airy; sometimes they were too dark and sometimes they were too bleak. Roger always found a fault that made a house unsuitable.” Finally, it was Roger's victory in the end of the story, he achieved measurable gains at this story.

The title of the short story “The Escape” and its functions.

The title is appropriate. The title is suggestive, as it speaks for itself; and it isn't given metaphorically. The title orients the reader towards the perception of the text. The title is used as a means of foreshadowing; the reader can guess that the text will be about the person who wants to run away from something/somebody or even from himself. It also serves the reflection of the inner world of the character; as the character wants to escape from something, he isn't content with it, so his state of mind is unbalanced (so it partially characterizes the hero).

Speaking about the atmosphere, the author uses a lot of words and phrases which help him to create the atmosphere of the text and make it deeper. There are picture-making verbs: to make up one's mind, to save, to land, to wave, to fled, to extricate, to fall in love, to dispossess, to bear, to gather, to engage, to drunk, to die, to persuade, to wish, to trump, to confess, to well up, to warn, to announce, to mind to, to be pleased with, to fell out of love, to grow tired of smb., to cease, to wring, to swear, to deal with, to aware, to assess, to release, to apt, to dine, to suit, to view, to examine, to beg, to exist, to inspect, to exhaust, to beseech, to set out of chase, to pass, to love, to take care of smb., to shatter, to jilt.

Emotionally - coloured vocabulary and evaluating words are also used: to take the sadness out, to trump, to wring his heart-strings, quandary, pathetic look, sympathetic and charming, chambers and furnished rooms, satisfactory, cellars, attics, house-hunting, peevish, perseverance, set out on the chase, silent and scornful, sullen, gentleness of his reply, lodgings, assiduous and gallant, shatter, to get over the blow, herewith.

The characters. The writer employed the implicit means of character-drawing. It should me mentioned that in the text there are two primary characters: Roger Charing and Ruth Barlow.

Ruth Barlow is a flat character; she is developed round the single feature. Here the writer uses indirect means of character-drawing. The reader has to accumulate artistic details to create the image of the character in his mind (speech, motives of behavior). There is an example of indirect means of characterization: (from the view of narrator about Ruth) “I couldn't say less. I knew she was stupid and I thought she was scheming. My own belief was that she was as hard as nails.”

To characterize Roger Charing the writer uses indirect means of character-drawing as well, that's why the reader need to understand and perceive the character through his speech and behaviour, judge on him by the words of other characters. Roger can be referred to the well-round (complex) character, he is self-revealing through his words and behavior; he also undergoes changes and development: at the beginning of the text he loses his mind and falls in love with Ruth. “He feels dreadfully sorry for her”. He's going to marry her. But then suddenly his attitude changes, Roger doesn't love her anymore. However he decided to pretend that he still loves her and to choose the house for them. Soon she loses her patience, going to marry another man, being tired of waiting. Though his changes are in his mind, and the reader can only guess about them.

Exemplifying the author's use of vivid epithets, we should say that epithet expresses a characteristic of a person/object/phenomenon both existing and imaginary. Its basic feature is its emotiveness and subjectivity. In the text there are a plenty of epithets, but the author uses some vivid of them. They are: inevitable loom (single); sufficient experience (single); defenceless (single in post-position); splendid dark eyes (pair, connected asyndetically); a strong, hefty fellow (pair, connected asyndetically); pathetic expression (single), immediate future (single), solemn oath (single), wounded feelings (single), desirable residences (single), sullen expression (single).

Irony means opposition of what is said and what is actually meant. It's possible to notice such instances of irony in the text: “I have always been convinced that if a woman once made up her mind to marry a man nothing but an instant flight could save him”; “I must stand between the hazards of life and this helpless little thing”; “If she married a husband he beat her; if she employed a broker he cheated her; if she engaged a cook she drank. She never had a little lamb but it was sure to die”; “I knew she was stupid and thought she was scheming”; “he grew tired of her conversation, for she had never had any conversation”. And undoubtedly it's irony but not a humour. Because the last always causes laughter, but the function of irony is not confined to producing humorous effect. It rather expresses a feeling of irritation, displeasure, pity or regret as the reader sees in the examples above.

Commenting on the usage of metaphors and simile.

Metaphor is a secondary nomination unit (the transfer of a name of one object or person to another) based on likeness, similarity or affinity (real or imaginary) of some features of the two objects. Metaphor is usually realized in the subject-predicate group because it aims at individualization of the objects. They are: it (gift) was this that dispossessed Roger of his common senses; her sufferings had been more than anyone should be asked to bear; how wonderful it would be to take the sadness out of those big and lovely eyes; his feeling towards Ruth Barlow and changed; a fault that made a house unsuitable; house-hunting is a tiring and a tiresome business; there are limits to human endurance; Mrs. Barlow had the patience of angel; a week passed (trite); your news shatters me; I shall never get over the blow. Here metaphor is a means of individualization, evaluation, discrimination of shades of meaning. Here it appeals to the intuition of the reader, giving him chance to interpret it creatively. The stylistic effect of it is fairly great.

Simile is partial identification of two objects (or their qualities) belonging to different spheres. Simile is used for purposes of expressive evaluation, emotive explanation, highly individual description. The cases of simile are: he went down like a row of ninepins; they seemed to be ever on the point of filling with tears (implied); she was as hard as nails; I behaved like an angel.

Instances of antithesis. Antithesis is a stylistic device presenting two contrasting ideas in close neighbourhood in order to stress this contrast. In the following examples we observe an opposition of features possessed by the same referent: sometimes they were too large and sometimes they were too small, sometimes they were too far from the centre of things and sometimes they were too close; sometimes they were too expensive and sometimes they wanted too many repairs; sometimes they were too and sometimes they were too airy; sometimes they were too dark and sometimes they were too bleak; Mrs. Barlow had the patience of an angel, but at last she revolted. Stylistic function of antitheses is to stress the contrast and to rhythmically organize the utterance.

The climax of the text presents a structure in which every successive word, phrase or sentence is emotionally stronger or logically more important than the preceding one. That's why I consider the following lines to be the beginning of the logical climax of the text (as it's the arrangement of lexical units with logical widening of the notions): “They looked at hundred of houses; they climbed thousands of stairs; they inspected innumerable kitchens. Ruth was exhausted and more than once lost her temper”.

The unuttered and uttered represented speech in the text . There is a device which conveys to the reader the unuttered or inner speech of the character, thus presenting his thoughts and feelings. This device is also termed represented speech. To distinguish between the two varieties of represented speech we call the representation of the actual utterance through the author's language uttered represented speech, and the representation of the thoughts and feelings of the character unuttered or inner represented speech.

The function of represented speech is to convey more adequately the actual utterances of characters in emotive prose, while representing direct speech.

Inner represented speech, unlike uttered represented speech, expresses feelings and thoughts of the character which were not materialized in spoken or written language by the character. That is why it abounds in exclamatory words and phrases, elliptical constructions, breaks, and other means of conveying feelings and psychological states. When a person is alone with his thoughts and feelings, he can give vent to those strong emotions, which he usually keeps hidden. Here is an example: “I gathered from Roger that everyone had treated Mrs. Barlow very badly. She was apparently one of those unfortunate persons with whom nothing by any chance goes right.”; “Every day he wrote and told her that he had heard of another house for them to look at.”

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