38.cao Thu Hien - Tong Hop AM

Unit 1.
1 Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Story: The Nightingale and The Rose
QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES
I. Summary of the story

1. The setting
The tale begins with a young student lamenting in his garden because his
true love will only dance with him in the ball if he brings her a red rose, which
he does not have in his garden. The Nightingale, who lives in his garden's oak
tree, hears the young man lamenting his helplessness and lamenting the fact that
all of his learning is useless because he can't win the love of a girl. The young
man is crying for a red rose, which the nightingale discovers. She empathizes
with that boy's suffering and wishes to assist him.
The bird flies around to various bushes but is unable to locate a red rose.
Finally, she discovers a way to obtain a red rose from a tree. She commits
suicide by giving her heart's blood to a white rose, which transforms it into a
beautiful red rose, while singing with his heart on the thorn. The Nightingale
dies as a result of this process.
When the student wakes up, he notices a red rose under his window and
joyfully plucks it to give to his love. The girl declines the rose, claiming that it
will clash with her blue dress, and that another person has brought her jewels
worth far more than a rose. The boy tosses the rose into the gutter, where it is
run over by a cart.
Finally, he decides that logic is superior to love, and that love is
unrealistic. He returns home and settles down to read a book.
II. Literary Analysis
1. Describe the major characters
a. The student: He is a young boy who claims to be in love with a girl and has
beautiful eyes and red lips. The student appears in the beginning of the story as a
true lover who laments in his garden for the love of his life. He motivates the bird
to give her life to help him, but as the story progresses, we learn more about his
true nature.
b. The Nightingale: In "The Nightingale and the Rose," the Nightingale is the
main character. She's a romantic by nature, and she's spent much of her life singing
about love, hoping to meet it in real life one day. When she overhears the Student
bemoaning his loveless situation, she vows to bring him the red rose he needs to
win the girl's affection, even if it means sacrificing her life to stain the rose's petals
red with her blood. Although the other characters fail to recognize the
Nightingale's sacrifice, the story as a whole vindicates her actions. Her selfless
nature and lovely voice, in particular, connect her to two of the story's themes: true
love's selflessness and the intrinsic value of art.
c. The Girl: Although the girl appears only briefly in "The Nightingale and the
Rose," she is crucial to the plot and themes of the story. She is the Professor's
daughter, and she embodies cold, unfeeling materialism. She promises to dance
with the Student if he brings her a red rose, but she later breaks her promise
because a wealthier suitor has provided her with jewels. The girl's surroundings
emphasize her shallowness even more, as the silk she is spinning and the toy dog
she owns are both high-end items.
d. Minor characters
1. The Lizard
The Student bemoans his unrequited love for the girl, which the Lizard
overhears. The Lizard, on the other hand, is a "cynic," and when he learns
that the Student is crying over a red rose, he scoffs. This foreshadows the
story's conclusion, in which both the Student and the girl are unable to
recognize the rose's value as a symbol of sacrificial love.
2. The Oak-tree
The Nightingale considers the oak tree to be both a friend and a home for
her. The Oak-tree, like the Rose-tree, recognizes the gravity of the
Nightingale's intended sacrifice and begs her to sing one last song for him
before she dies.
3. The white rose-tree
The Nightingale's first stop on her quest for a red rose is this tree. He doesn't
have one, so he sends her to his Yellow Rose-tree brother.
4. The yellow rose-tree
This is the second tree the Nightingale visits on her search for a red rose. He
does not have one, so he sends her to his brother, the Red Rose-tree.
QUESTION
1. What troubles the young student at the beginning of the story?
The student is sad because the daughter of the professor promised to dance
with him on condition that he brought her red rose, but he did not find any of
this colour; there were white and yellow roses, but he could not find red
rose.
2. How does the nightingale help him?
She had to build it out of music by moonlight and stain it with her own
heart’s blood. She had to sing to the rose tree with her breast against a thorn,
the thorn would pierce her heart and her life-blood would flow into the rose
tree veins.2. What are two symbols in the story?
3. Is the sacrifice of the nightingale worthwhile? Why or why not?
Yes, it is. Because The Oak tree sees the Nightingale's death and he is really
sad of it because, without saying it, he knows about life and he knows that
this sacrifice is worthless because love is always a bad and vicious thing.
4. What is the theme of "The Nightingale and the Rose" by Oscar Wilde?
The main themes of the short story “The Nightingale and the Rose” by Oscar
Wilde are sacrifice, love of love and materialism. The narrative can also be
interpreted as a satire to Romanticism, as its end shows a painful morale:
love involves risks and sacrifices and does not always triumph.
5. What do you think of the young in the modern society?
While we live in an era of accessibility and convenience, young adult life in
2015 is more complicated than it has ever been. This is no exception when it
comes to romance: no one seems to know what's going on. Life in your
twenties has changed dramatically from what it was 50 years ago, which
explains a lot about how we think and act today.
III. Linguistic Devices
1. Lexical Features:
a.Simile: has the effect of evoking pictures to help describe things and events to be
more specific and vivid.
- His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his
desire; but passion has made his lace like pale Ivory, and sorrow has set her seal
upon his brow.
- It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals.
- She passed through the grove like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across
the garden.
- 'My roses are white,' it answered; 'as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than
the snow upon the mountain.
b. Oxymoron: to create antagonism or irony
- Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang
of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the
tomb.Ellipsis
… "No red rose in all my garden!” He cried.
"Why, indeed?" said a Butterfly.
The complete sentence should be "There is no red rose in all my garden".

While "Why, indeed?" should be "Why is he weeping, indeed?" These elliptical
sentences have the same expressive effect as a whole. The ellipsis here, from a
stylistic perspective，seems to be multifunctional ……………………
c.Inversion
Oscar Wilde also used inversion devices to make the languages rich and
colorful. Here are some syntactic parallel constructions to show the inversion.
For example:
… louder and louder grew her song ,
… bitter and bitter was the pain，wilder and wilder grew her song
…. fainter and fainter grew her song. ……
The above sentences are inverted, but they are more important in view of
parallelism. When we read, the tone is up and down with strong rhythm. It gives
us a musical effect to the readers. …………
d.Repetition
is used to emphasize important details by repeating.
An obvious example is the three conversations of the nightingale with the oak
tree.
- ‘Give me a red rose’, she cried, ‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’
But the Tree shook its head.
'My roses are white,' it answered; 'as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter
than the snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the
old sun-dial, and perhaps he will give you what you want.'
'My roses are yellow,' it answered; 'as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden who
sits upon an amber throne, and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the
meadow before the mower comes with his scythe. But go to my brother who
grows beneath the Student's window, and perhaps he will give you what you
want.'
'My roses are red,' it answered, 'as red as the feet of the dove, and redder than
the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern.
Another example in the development punctuated by repetition helps the reader
to imagine how great the nightingale's sacrifice was.
- But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. 'Press
closer, little Nightingale,' cried the Tree, 'or the Day will come before the rose
is finished.'
So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew
her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.
- And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. 'Press
closer, little Nightingale,' cried the Tree, 'or the Day will come before the rose
is finished.'
So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her
heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and
wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that is perfected by
Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.
e. Paradox
The Professor's daughter rejects the Student. The Student calls the Professor's
daughter "ungrateful" and then throws away the rose the Nightingale died to
create, proving himself the ultimate ingrate. This is yet another example of
dramatic irony because the Student has no idea he is squandering a precious
sacrifice.
f. Personification
This is self-evident because it is the very definition of fairy tales. In this story,
the rose-trees, the lizard, the daisy, the butterfly, the oak, the moon, and of
course the Nightingale are all personified.
REVISION:
Multiple-choice and True/False questions:
1. What color rose is the student searching for?
a. red b. yellow c. white d. pink
2. What does the nightingale admire about the student?
a. He’s a good singer. b. He values love above all else.
c. He likes birds. d. He wears really nice clothes.
The nightingale wants the student to experience the love that he was dreaming
about. Also she didn't know it the girl loved the boy or she would accept the rose,
but she gave her life away so as to at last offer him a chance.
3. Where does the student plan to present the rose to the girl?
a. at her house b. at school
c. at the Prince’s Ball d. at the football game
In "The Nightingale and the Rose," when the student finds the beautiful red rose,
he brings it his beloved's home on the day of the ball.
4. Why couldn’t the student find a red rose himself?

a. All the rose trees were dead. b. The tree refused to give up any of its roses.
c. He was lazy. c. The red rose tree was weakened by the
winter.
5. Which of the following did the Nightingale NOT do to get the rose?
a. sing a beautiful song all night b. yell at the trees until they gave her one
c. give her blood to the tree d. search all the rose trees in the garden
6. Why did the girl reject the flower?
a. It was not beautiful. b. She was sad for the death of the
Nightingale.
c. she liked yellow roses better. d. She appreciated money and jewels more than
love
She thought that it would not match with her dress. To her wealth and possessions
were more valuable than love. Money and jewels were more important for her than
love.
7
What is the main conflict in the story?
.
a. The squirrel and the green lizard make fu of the nightingale for being
sympathetic
b
The student cant find a rose to give to the girl
.
c. The girl only wants someone wealthy to take her to the dance
d
The Chamberlin's nephew finds a prettier rose than the student
.
d
When the student lies down, cries, and gives up finding the rose
.
8. At the end of the story what did the student learn?
a. People are ungrateful

b Love is a sill thing
.
c. Everything turns out right if you try your hardest
d
That love isn't half as useful as logic is
.
9. The nightingale sacrifices her life for the oak tree's sake....
a. true b. false
10. The story takes place is the garden for most of the time......
a. true b. false
11. All the girl wants is to be loved.....
a. true b. false
12. At the end of the story the girl throws the rose in the street because she is
disgusted with the student.....
a. true b. false
13. The boy fulfills his promise to the nightingale that he will love the girl
forever....
a. true b. false
Reflextive Questions:
1. What would you do if you were the nightingale?

If I were the Nightingale, I pleaded the white rose tree, the yellow rose tree
for a red rose to no avail.
2. What do you think of the young today?
While we live in an era of accessibility and convenience, young adult life in
2015 is more complicated than it has ever been. This is no exception when it
comes to romance: no one seems to know what's going on. Life in your
twenties has changed dramatically from what it was 50 years ago, which
explains a lot about how we think and act today.
Unit 1.2 William Somerset Maugham (1897-1956)

Story: Mr. Know- All

Mr. Max Kelada is the central character in the story. In the story, the author travels
in a ship. He happens to share a cabin with Mr. Kelada. Mr. Kelada is a talkative
person. He is short, but sturdy. He is dark skinned. His hair is thin and long. His
nose is bulgy. His eyes are laden. He does not appear like an English national. The
writer dislikes his company. Mr. Kelada makes friendship with every one in the
ship. He offers the author a cocktail. He behaves as if he knows about everything
under the sky. Therefore, his fellow passengers nicknamed him ‘Mr. Know All’.
Mr. Kelada enters into an argument with Mr. Ramsay, regarding a chain worn by
Mrs. Ramsay. While Mr. Ramsay says that the chain is made of fake pearls, Mr.
Kelada argues that the pearls are natural and very valuable. They enter into a bet
for 100 dollars. Mr.Kelada examines the chain. He appears to have found the
pearls as natural. But, looking at Mrs. Ramsay’s pleading eyes, he does not reveal
the truth. He accepts that the pearls are fake and loses 100 dollars to Mr. Ramsay.
The next day, he receives an envelope containing 100 dollar note thrown into his
cabin.
Thus, Mr. Kelada, who appears as a silly character in the beginning, due to his
talkative nature, proves himself as a helping and kind-hearted person. The author
starts liking him.
1. Describe the characters
a. Mr. Kelada:
Kelada is a successful, widely-traveled businessman. It is therefore difficult to
believe that he does not understand the normal conventions of polite “British”
behavior. His ship-board informality can perhaps be put down to trying a little
too hard to be liked and accepted socially by other passengers.
b. Mr.Ramsay:
Works at the US Consulate in Kobe. He was a native of the Middle East,
very stout, greasy, his clothes tight. He flew to New York to visit his wife
who had been at home for a year and was on her way back to headquarters
Inferring. Mr. Ramsay is really the ignorant showoff in the story. He is also
insensitive to the feelings of others, especially his wife's feeling. Answer
should be supported by one or more of the following: He pretends to know
about pearls but really couldn't tell that his wife's pearls weren't fake. / He
doesn't notice that Mrs. Ramsay doesn't want to take off her pearls.
c. Mrs. Ramsay as the symbol of modesty. She was small and pretty, well-
mannered, and had a good sense of humour. The Consulate pays low wages,
so her dress is very simple; but she knows how to dress and works with it.
2. Author’s attitude to Mr. Kelade

The language (tone) of the story is formal and many of the descriptions of what it
means to be British are sarcastic.
3. THE NARRATION- point of view
The story is told in the first person – the narrator sees everything and is a part of
the plot.
In the first episode , where he meets with Mr. Kelada, the narrator is more active,
and involved. He observes, comments and judges Mr. Kelada as he sees him
through his own eyes. Since he is influenced by his prejudiced society, his
judgments are subjective. In the second episode , involving the necklace
examination, the narrator is less involved. He is like a cameraman who takes
photos and writes down what he hears objectively. After the chain examination is
over, the narrator becomes subjective again.In the last episode, the narrator
discovers Mr. Kelada’s true character. As a result, he undergoes a change – he
realizes that people should not be judged by their looks but by their actions and
character. It is the narrator who closes the story.4. The crisis of the story
The cultured pearls topic is the crisis of the story. The heated argument between
Mr.Ramsay and Mr. Kelada reveals their true characters.
Mr. Ramsay appears to be a prejudiced person who does his best “to have a
fling at the Levantine”. Mrs. Ramsay’s character is also revealed as being insincere
in her relationship withher husband, whom she had been deceiving. When she was
alone in New York for ayear, she probably had a lover who gave her the expensive
pearls. Nevertheless, shehas the decency to secretly return to Mr. Kelada his “lost”
money. Mr. Kelada , who has been considered a pushy, inconsiderate and vulgar
person, turnsout to be a real gentleman who saves Mrs. Ramsay's marriage. The
narrator also undergoes a change. When he realizes that Mr. Kelada behaves
considerately with Mrs. Ramsay, he says “At that moment, I did not entirely
dislikeMr. Kelada.” Suddenly, he becomes aware that it is not the right way to
judge people. This is the moral lesson of the story.
5. What do pearls symbolize?

At first glance, real pearls and cultured pearls look the same. But only a closer
inspection can reveal what is real and what is imitation.
The same goes for people.
People from the same nationality seem the same. But only when we get to know
them,we see that each person is different. For example, the narrator in the story
dislikes Mr.Kelada because of his name, luggage, appearance and nationality.
However, when hesees the true character of Mr. Kelada, he realizes that
prejudice is not the right way to judge people. Therefore, the saying DON'T
JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER is relevant here
6. The moral lesson of the story
DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
I. Linguistic Devices
1. Lexical devices
Epithet: Mr Kelada was short and of a sturdy build, clean-shaven and dark-
skinned, with a fleshy hooked nose and very large, lustrous and liquid eyes.
Metaphort… Mr Kelada was born under a bluer sky than is generally seen in
England.
Irony…He spoke with a fluency in which there was nothing English……….
Simile… like a flower on a coat. …
Hyperbole 1. Tell them you’ve got a pal who’s got all the liquor in the world. 2. He
was everywhere and always. 3. They’ll never be able to get a cultured pearl that
an expert like me can’t tell with half an eye.
2. Syntactical devices
 Repetition…He talked of…He discussed, It’s coming out, It’s coming
out………
 Hyperbole: 1. Tell them you’ve got a pal who’s got all the liquor in the
world. 2. He was everywhere and always. 3. They’ll never be able to get a
cultured pearl that an expert like me can’t tell with half an eye.
 Irony: 1. Mr Kelada is forced to say that he was wrong about the pearls,
when in fact pearls are the one thing he could truly be said to “know all”
about. (Situational) 2. Kelada, who is originally presented as a pushy person
concerned mainly with appearances, turns out to be sensitive, considerate
and noble. Mrs Ramsay, who is described as modest and possessing a quiet
distinction, turns out to be a shallow, selfish adulteress. (Situational) 3. The
name Mr Know-All, given to Kelada by the people on the ship. (Sarcasm)
 Metaphor: Mr Kelada was born under a bluer sky than is generally seen in
England.
 Oxymoron: 1. …the best hated man in the ship. 2. Ramsay smiled grimly.
3. …a perfect damn fool.
 Personification: 1. …my heart sank. (also an idiom) 2. …a row of flashing
teeth. 3. It shone in her like a flower on a coat. It is interesting to consider
here just what the “it” is. Most comments I have read say that it refers to
“modesty”, because this what the narrator suggests. However, a first person
narrator does not necessarily see things as they really are. Rather than
modesty, I think it more likely that what really shone in Mrs Ramsay was a
quiet feeling of self-assurance that came from knowing she had seduced or
been seduced by a millionaire and owned a pearl necklace which in today’s
terms would be worth well over $250,000.
 Simile: …like a flower on a coat.
 Symbolism: 1. The most important symbol in the story is pearls, which
represent the idea that appearances can be deceptive. On the outside, all
pearls look the same. Some (natural pearls) are pure on the inside, while
others (cultured pearls) are not. You don’t know which is which until you
examine them further. 2. Another symbol is mentioned in the first paragraph:
It (Mr Kelada’s name) suggested closed portholes and the night air rigidly
excluded. This refers to the uncomfortable atmosphere and limited
conversation that the narrator believes will exist in their shared cabin during
the voyage.
IV. Revision: Quizzes and Questions
A. Quiz
1. How do we know Mr. Kelada was British?
a. Because he spoke English.
b. Because of his name.
c. Because of his appearance.
d. Because of his passport.
2. The narrator felt that Mr. Kelada was (–).
a. too informal with him
b. too quiet for him
c. not very friendly
d. not very intelligent
3. There were 3 berths in the cabin, where Mr. Kelada traveled with it Tru False
companion. e
4. Mr. Kelada said that he is American. Tru False
e
5. The prohibition was in force that time. Tru False
e
6. Mr. Kelada appeared to be very intelligent and sagacious. Tru False
Everybody liked him! e
7. Mr. Ramsay was a great heavy fellow. His wife lived in New York Tru False
for a year. e
8. Mrs. Ramsay was quite pure and her clothes showed that fact Tru False
rather unambiguously. She didn't know how to wear her clothes e
and not impressed on anybody.
9. Mr. Kelada were going to Japan. Tru False
e
10. Mr. Kelada and Mr. Ramsay bet on $100. Tru False
e
11. Mr. Kelada couldn't afford to lose a hundred dollars and did Tru False
everything to prevent it. e
12. Ultimately Mr. Ramsay returned $100 to Mr. Kelada. But Max Tru False
Kelada tore the hundred-dollar note into little bits. e
B. Questions
1. Mr. Ramsay and Revision: made a bet at the dinner table. What was the bet
about?
If it was left by Mrs Ramsay, the fact that there is no thank you note inside
indicates that she is a shallow character with little concern for others. She does not
understand or appreciate the sacrifice that Mr Kelada made for her, and regards the
$100 simply as a loan to be repaid.
2. After Mr. Kelada examines the pearls and returns the necklace, the
narratorsays: "Suddenly he caught sight of Mrs. Ramsay's face. It was so
whitethat she looked as though she were about to faint. She was staring athim
with wide and terrified eyes." What is Mrs. Ramsay so afraid of? Explain.
Ramsay is correct in declaring that foul weather will ruin the next day's
voyage, she persists in assuring James that the trip is a possibility. Mrs. Ramsay
cheated on her husband and received the pearl chain as a gift from her lover. She
lied to her spouse about purchasing the pearl chain for 18 dollars. She was
concerned that if Mr. Kelada examined the chain, her deception would be exposed
and the marriage would end.
3. At the end of the story the narrator says: "At that moment I did not
entirely dislike Mr. Kelada". What caused him to say this?
He realizes that Mr. Kelada is better than he had previously imagined. Mr.
Kelada is a nice person who understands what others are concerned about and is
willing to risk his reputation to salvage someone's marriage.
4.. What would you do if you were Mr. Kelada ?

If I were Mr. Kelada, I'd be relieved if I could salvage someone's marriage
with a simple action. Others may be unaware, but the fact that the person I
assisted appreciated what I did is a positive thing.
5.. What would you do if you were Mr. Ramsay?
If I were Mr. Ramsay, I'd hunt for the true narrative after the pearl chain. I
would pay more attention to my wife and take better care of her, so that the
cheating would not occur.
Unit 1.3 John Galsworthy (1867-1933)

Novel: The Man of Property
I. Summary of the novel

In Victorian England, Soames Forsyte, a man from a wealthy and arrogant family,
meets a falls in love with Irene Herron, a poor woman. After taking her step-
mother's advice, Irene marries Soames. After four years of marriage, Irene is not
happy because she does not love him. Soames tries to win her affections by giving
her the things he believes every woman wants, dresses and jewels. He can not give
her the one thing her heart desires, freedom. Out of desperation, he asks his cousin
June's fiancé, Phil Bosinny, to build him a house in the country. Irene sees the
house as a prison. During the construction of the house, Phil and Irene fall in love
and have an affair. The affair causes a scandal in the family. Years later, Irene
comes in contact with Soames's uncle Jolyon who leaves her money after he dies
out of friendship. Jolyon's son, Young Jolyon, is her trustee. Soames falls for a
young French girl, Annette, whom he wants to marry. He goes in search for Irene
for a divorce but has no current evidence for the divorce. Instead, he decides to try
to win her back so he can have an heir. She runs from him and finds friendship and
protection in Young Jolyon. Soames decides on a divorce after he finds Irene and
Young Jolyon together and Irene tells him she and Young Jolyon are in love. Irene
and Jolyon marry and have a son, while Soames marries Annette and has a
daughter. Is this family scandal over? Is Irene finally free from Soames?
Soames Forsyte
… Soames, the thirty-one-year-old successful notary, is the perfect Forsyte. He is
wealthy, slender, pale, rather bald, strong chinned, and always impeccably dressed.
Moreover, he has, after several vain attempts, married a great beauty, Irene, whom
he considers as much his property as his stocks and bonds and the paintings he
collects and sometimes sells at great profit.………………………………
Irene Heron
… Irene was only twenty-two at her marriage, the daughter of a poor widowed
professor, and she was quite incompatible with her stepmother. She did not love
Soames, but yielded to his persistent blandishments partly out of a need for
security. Now Soames is sexually frustrated by his wife’s coldness. He finds he
cannot fully “possess” her. ……………………………
Philip Bosinney
The French architect whom Soames had hired to build a country house, June’s
fiancé.
June Forsyte
June, Young Jolyon's defiant daughter from his first marriage; engaged to an
architect, Philip Bosinney, who becomes Irene's lover
4. Why did Irene Heron accept Soames Forsyte as her husband?
She did not love Soames, but yielded to his persistent blandishments partly out of a
need for security.
3. Why does Galsworthy repeatedly stress the silence of the husband and wife?
The silent of them show that between them there is no love and happiness. It
provides that no have a happy family if don’t have love and love is not property
4. What does property mean according to the Forsyte?
To the Forsyte, property means everything. He tried to have as much money,
jewelry as possible. But he also wanted to own people, even love.
5. What are two different worlds?
The world of property: Soames was a collector of a large collection of paitings. (a
house on Robin Hill) for business investment, to defense his love with Irene.
The world of beauty, art, love and emotion: Irene, Bossiney and Young Jolyon.…
6. The core of John Galsworthy’s criticism in ‘The Man of Property
Irene’s unhappy marriage to Soames has become a metaphor for the plight of
women in the 19th century England.
The impingement of beauty and the claims of freedom on a possessive world
became a source of disturbance in the lives of men.
7 Moral Lessons
…Happiness cannot only be gotten by fulfilling our physical needs.
Our psychological silence and peace are much more needed than just money or any
jewel.….
III. Linguistic Devices
Metaphor
- The light from the rose-shaded lamp fell on her neck and arms
- He had been glad to get his news out under cover of this burst of irritation ……
Irony
- That very charming little house of the Soames Forsytes, quite individual, my
dear--really elegant
- They dined without a cloth--a distinguishing elegance
Simile
- Skin-like immaculateness had grown over Soames
- Irene could be imagined, like some nymph, bathing in wayside streams
Inversion
- Under a parchment-coloured Japanese sunshade covering the whole end,
inhabitants or visitors could be screened from the eyes of the curious ………
Repetition
- The first boy into white waistcoats in summer, and corduroy waistcoats in winter
IV. Reflective Questions

1. What would you do if you were Irene ?
If I were Irene, I would leave the Soames because I do not love him. He
only loves me because of my beauty.
2. What type of boyfriends/girlfriends would you look for?
I would look for a boyfriend who loves me, spends a lot of time for me.
He loves me without any conditions. He tries to protect me but also
respect my thought and my hobbies.
Unit1. William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

4 Poem: The Solitary Reaper
No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Will no one tell me what she sings?--

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang

Behold her, single in the field, As if her song could have no ending;
Yon solitary Highland Lass! I saw her singing at her work,
Reaping and singing by herself; And o'er the sickle bending;--
Stop here, or gently pass! I listened, motionless and still;
Alone she cuts and binds the grain, And, as I mounted up the hill,
And sings a melancholy strain; The music in my heart I bore,
O listen! for the Vale profound Long after it was heard no more.
Is overflowing with the sound.
I. Summary of the poem

1. The setting
The setting of "The Solitary Reaper" takes place in a field where a rural girl
stands alone in a field, cutting grain, and singing a song. The opening of the
poem asks the reader watch her as no one else is present and listen to the song
that the speaker compares to that of a nightingale.
3. The plot
In this poem, the poet (William Wordsworth) tells us about a girl, a Highland
lass, who is in a field alone: "single in the field". As she is harvesting her crops,
she is singing a sad tune which echoes in the deep valley. The speaker asks us
to stop and listen to her tune or "gently pass".
The Maiden
The narrator hears a woman singing in the fields. She is a nameless "Highland
lass," or a woman from the Scottish Highlands. She works alone in the fields,
thrashing and binding grain and leaning over her sickle.
2. Analyzing Stanzas
Stanza 1:
Lines 1-2
Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!
 The speaker opens this poem by directing our attention to a woman, "single in the field."
 Now, "single" here has nothing to do with the woman's relationship status. It means she's
out there in the field alone. She is "solitary," as we learn in line 2.
 Oh, and this "she" is a "Highland Lass." We're sure you've heard the word "lass" before,
but just in case you haven't, it's a Scottish word for "girl."
 As for "Highland," a geography lesson can help us out. Scotland can be divided into two
parts: the lowlands and the highlands.
 The lowlands are the southern part, and the highlands are the northern part, as you can
see on this map right here.
 Now, the whole highlands-lowlands distinction isn't just a geographical issue. Back in the
day, there were some pretty big cultural divisions too.
 The lowland Scots were obviously closer to England, and they tended to act a lot more
English. The highlanders, in contrast, were a different breed altogether. They kept more
to themselves, via a sophisticated clan structure that was in place for many years.
 A lot of times, when we think of Scotland, we think of kilts and dirks and all that jazz.
That kind of stuff was very much associated with the highlands.
 Back in the day, there was a whole lot of prejudice and racism between highlanders and
lowlanders, and between both of them and the English.
 The English generally saw the Scots, and especially the highlanders, as backwards,
primitive, and unevolved.
 The whole reason we're telling you all this stuff about highlanders is because, well, an
early nineteenth-century reader would have had all this in mind as soon as he or she came
across the word "highlander."
 Wordsworth was fascinated with rural people of all sorts (largely because he came from a
rural part of England himself), and the lass in his poem is no exception.
 We have to ask ourselves, now, is the speaker wandering in the highlands of Scotland?
Or is this highland lass hanging out somewhere in England?
 That question isn't answered in this poem, at least not yet, so we'll have to keep that one
in the back of our minds for later.
 Let's keep going and see what this bonnie lass is up to, in that field all by herself.
Lines 3-4
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
 The highland lass is "reaping" (gathering crops) and "singing" all alone.
 The speaker notices this, and then gives another order.
 He tells us, or whoever else may be reading this charming little poem, to stop or…
"gently pass"? What's up with that?
 Think of it like this: this highland lass hanging out in the field is a breathtaking sight, at
least for the speaker. We can tell he feels there is something special going on here. It's the
equivalent of being out in the woods and happening to stumble upon a rare animal
engaged in some beautiful activity.
 In fact, it's a lot like a bird of paradise doing its mating dance that most people never get
to see.
 Now, don't get it twisted—we're not saying this woman is an animal, or some goofy little
bird. This is a woman doing her thing, and it's a gorgeous sight. The speaker tells his
readers to stop and observe because, well, he's moved by the woman's song and figures
other people might be moved as well.
 However, since he's aware that this woman's song isn't everybody's cup of tea, he also
offers a different option.
 When he says "gently pass" it's his way of saying, "Hey folks, if this song isn't your
thing, don't make a lot of noise and freak this woman out. Quietly pass by so she's not
disturbed." The speaker is absolutely fascinated by this scene, and is worried lest
somebody disturb it.
 (Now that we think about it, we're pretty sure Wordsworth is always worried about
people disturbing scenes like this. At the end of a poem with the cute little title
of "Nutting" he writes: "Then, dearest Maiden, move along these shades / In gentleness
of heart; with gentle hand / Touch—for there is a spirit in the woods.")
Lines 5-6
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
 The woman is singing and reaping, that much we know. The speaker now gives us more
details about what is going on.
 By reaping the speaker means she is cutting some kind of grain (probably because it is
growing in huge stalks in a field) and tying it all together ("binds").
 The song she's singing isn't a very happy one either. It is a "melancholy strain."
 Now why on earth would this woman be singing an unhappy song? Is it because she's
alone? Is it because she has to work out in the fields?
 No clue is given as to why this lass is singing a "melancholy" song. She could be
perfectly happy, and just happen to be singing a sad song. (We do that all the time, in
fact.)
 It's totally possible to appreciate or enjoy a song about something unpleasant without
necessarily feeling unpleasant ourselves, right? Pay attention next time you're listening to
a sad song, and you'll see what we mean.
 In the meantime, let's see what else our Scottish friend is up to out there in the field...
Lines 7-8
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
 Well, this poem is certainly full of orders now isn't it? Here we are in the seventh line and
the speaker once again tells us what to do.
 He tells us to listen, to hearken to the song, because the Vale, which is magnificent and
great ("profound"), is full to the brim with the sound of the woman's song.
 Now, while the speaker may or may not be a huge Game of Thrones fan, he's not talking
about The Vale in these lines. (Sorry, folks.)
 Here, our speaker is referring to some generic vale, which is another word for a valley.
 Well, we're definitely getting a lesson in geography in this poem. We've already learned a
little about Scotland, and now we've just covered vales, which are pretty common in
certain parts of England.
 We're also getting lesson in iambic tetrameter, which is the meter Wordsworth uses in

this poem.
 You may have heard of iambic pentameter at some point in your life, and iambic
tetrameter is almost the same. Don't get too hung up on that just yet. We break it all down
for your over in "Form and Meter."
 Before we forget, though, we should also say something about the rhyme scheme.
 In this first stanza, lines 2 and 4 rhyme, but 1 and 3 don't, and the final four lines
are couplets. It'll be interesting to see if this odd pattern keeps.
 In any case, we'll cover that too, over in "Form and Meter."
Stanza 2:
… Lines 9-12
No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
 The speaker begins the second stanza by elaborating on how great the highland lass's song is.
 Let's break this down just a bit:
 "Chaunt" is just an old British spelling of "chant," and here it means "sing" or "chirp."
 A "shady haunt" is kind of weird because it makes us think of a bower, or shady area, enclosed by trees,
kind of like this.
 Just where, exactly, would such a place be located "Among Arabian sands"?
 We're not sure, but the speaker is probably just being poetic here. (Okay, so he's obviously being poetic
because, you know, he's a poet.)
 What we mean is that he's talking about travelers in "shady haunts" and nightingales, which happen to be
very common images in British poetry. (Don't believe us? Just check out this poem by John Keats, and this
one by Wordsworth's buddy Samuel Taylor Coleridge, or this one by John Milton, who was one of
Wordsworth's faves.)
 What's also interesting here is that the speaker describes the woman's song by describing what it is not.
 He doesn't gush and say, "OMG this song was amazing and it was the greatest thing I ever heard." On the
contrary, he just says no nightingale ever sang anything even remotely as beautiful as this woman's song.
 Now, we just told you that lots of other poets have mentioned the nightingale. The speaker seems to be
suggesting, ever so quietly, that no other poets have ever sung about something like this.
 They've sung about nightingales greeting weary travelers in the middle of nowhere, not about the
remarkable Scottish lasses who actually sing better.
 If lots of poets in Wordsworth's day, and before, thought nightingales were great poetic subjects, this
speaker says that a highland lass, and her song, is actually a better choice.
 By the way, this is a totally Wordsworthian thing to do. In the "Preface" to the second edition of Lyrical
Ballads in 1800, for example, Wordsworth talks about writing a more human poetry. While he doesn't
come right out and say that there will be no poems about nightingales, he does say that the poems
in Lyrical Ballads will take events from "common life" and use the "language really used by men."
 Translation? "Hello everyone and welcome to 1800. I'm done with all the high-brow, phony poetry of the
eighteenth century and will now proceed to write poems about actual, real subjects like highland lasses.
The end."
 If you've read our "In a Nutshell," you know that Wordsworth, and his close buddy Coleridge, launched
a poetic revolution in 1798 when they first published Lyrical Ballads.
 "The Solitary Reaper" continues that revolution. Viva la revolución!
Lines 13-16
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
 Birds sure are on the speaker's mind, that's for sure. This time it's the "cuckoo-bird," and the speaker
makes the same kind of comparison as before.
 The highland lass's voice is way more thrilling than the cuckoo's spring-time song.
 And that cuckoo-song, according to our speaker, was one of the only sounds that broke the calm silence of
the seas near the Hebrides.
 Hebrides did he say? The Hebrides are a group of islands off the northwest coast of island. There's
the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides.
 The speaker mentions these because he's been talking about Scotland a lot, and he probably figured he
might as well cram some more Scottish stuff in while he can.
 Either way, the Hebrides are pretty far from downtown London, and they symbolize what we would
describe as "way out there."
 Even still, the cuckoo-bird's song—way out there in the Hebrides, breaking the silence of the ocean—has
got nothing on this woman's song.
 Once again, the speaker lets us know that this woman's song is much better than all the typical songs poets
like to talk about (nightingales, cuckoos, etc.).
 Before we go any further, note that this second stanza rhymes a little more neatly than the first, with
a rhyme scheme of ABABCCDD. Hit up "Form and Meter" for more.
Stanza 3:
Lines 17-20
Will no one tell me what she sings?—

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
 A-ha, so it turns out the speaker has no idea what the woman is singing about, does he? Nope, he sure
doesn't.
 This is because the woman is a highlander, which you now know means that she lives somewhere way up
in the north of Scotland.
 Up there, people used to speak a language known as Scots Gaelic, or Erse, which sounds absolutely nothing
like English, as you can see… err,
 Since he can't understand a lick of what the woman is singing, the speaker decides that he will speculate.
 He wonders if perhaps the "plaintive numbers" (mournful songs) are about a bunch of sad, sad, things from
long, long ago ("old, unhappy, far-off things"). Or maybe she's singing about old battles.
 The fact of the matter is the speaker really has no idea what the woman is singing about, but he can
definitely tell the song is sad ("plaintive"), and that it's kind of like… a poem.
 This is why he says "numbers," a word that is often used to describe lines written in meter (because they
have a predetermined "number" of syllables).
 The solitary reaper is kind of like a poet then. She is a peasant who is also a poet, something like the
speaker's double or alter ego.
Lines 21-24
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
 The speaker continues to ponder the woman's song.
 He now wonders if her song is a more "humble lay," something more "familiar" or day-to-day, like this,
or this.
 Maybe she's just singing about your average, run-of-the-mill causes of sadness (the death of a bunny rabbit,
a mean sibling, etc.).
 As before, he's really only sure about one thing: this woman's song is a sad one.
 Is somebody going to show up and help the speaker understand what's going on here? Or is he going to be
in the dark for the remainder of the poem? Let's read on to find out.
Stanza 4:
Lines 25-28
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
 We've reached the poem's final stanza, and the speaker appears to not even
care about understanding the woman's song anymore.
 The point is, this woman kept singing and singing and singing while she
worked.
 She was singing, even while she was bending over ("o'er") her sickle (a
special farming tool used to cut crops).
 The "Maiden," as she is now called, sang and sang, as if her song would
never end—kind of like this.
 The phrase "could have no ending" makes it sound like the song isn't
designed to ever end, like some definitive song that is a fact of life.
 Now that we think about it, Wordsworth had described something kind of
like this back in 1798 in a famous little poem you may have heard of called
"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey". In that most famous
of Wordsworth poem, the speaker describes hearing the "still, sad music of
humanity."
 It's possible Wordsworth is describing the "music of humanity" here as well.
Lines 29-32
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
 With these final lines, the time has come for the speaker to be on his way
(and for us to be on ours).
 Now that he's done telling us all about what the woman was doing while she
was singing, and done trying to figure what she's singing about, he tells us
what happened next.
 He stopped dead in his tracks, and stood "motionless and still" as he listened.
 After that, he went on his way, but he's apparently kept the woman's song
("the music") in his heart ever since—"long after it was heard no more."
 It seems our speaker was quite moved. In fact, maybe he was a little too
moved. That "motionless and still" is just a tad bit… eerie for our liking.
 That's because, while normally there would be nothing wrong with those
words, Wordsworth usually uses them in very—how shall we say this—
unsettling contexts.
 Exhibit A: "A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal"—in that poem, Wordsworth
says of a dead girl, "No motion has she now." Exhibit B: in Book V of the
Prelude, right before the dead body of a drowned man is hoisted from the
water, the speaker describes a "breathless stillness." Exhibit C: in Book IV
of that same poem, Wordsworth describes a creepy, ghastly, former soldier
and— do we need to go on?
 The bottom line: "motionless and still" is an unsettling combo in
Wordsworth's poetry.
 Okay, so then what's the deal? The speaker finds this woman, she sings a
great song, he's totally moved by it—why all the doom and gloom?
 Well, one way to look at it is that it is kind of an eerie little scene, even a bit
creepy. The speaker is almost spying on this woman.
 In addition, the speaker is so immersed in the scene before him—so "into" it
—that he might as well be dead. It's a lot like when you get totally engrossed
in something and you're pretty much dead to the world.
 Now, while this is all sounds very ominous, it's also kind of good in a weird
way. The Romantic poets loved to talk about something called
"transcendence," about stepping outside the self and accessing a higher
spiritual reality. In order for that to happen, though, you sort of have to "die"
for a little while—fly away, that is.
 That's kind of what is happening here. The speaker is experiencing a
transcendental moment: he is "motionless and still" because he has stepped
away from himself (think daydreaming).
 Now all of this is complicated by the weird tense changes in this poem.
 You may recall that, up to now, the speaker has been speaking in the present
tense: "behold," "sings," etc.
 Now, all of a sudden, he's talking in the past tense: "I listened," "I mounted."
 This shift from the immediacy of the present ("Hey, look, there she is, she's
singing") to the distance of the past ("I listened and then went away") relates
to this whole issue of transcendence.
 Think of it like this: if at first (in the present tense parts of the poem) the
speaker is totally immersed in the scene before him, by the end you could
say that he is less immersed.
 At the poem's conclusion, he is looking back on the scene, rather than
presenting it as it unfolds.
 In a way, then, he has reentered the stream of time. The day dream is now
over, and he is moving forward with his life—"mounting" the hill and
continuing on his journey.
3. Meaning of difficult words
 Binds
 Melancholy: Sad
 Profound magnificent and great
 Hebrides: The Hebrides is an archipelago off the western coast of Scotland.
 Plaintive number : refer to sad songs with a melancholic tune. The plaintive
numbers are about unhappy, far-off things. They seemed to flow like a
stream from the reaper's heart.
4. Poetic/Literary devices
a. Style of poetry
“The Solitary Reaper” alternates between two meters: iambic tetrameter and
iambic trimeter. Most of the poem is in iambic tetrameter; while each stanza also
contains a single line in iambic trimeter, the fourth line of each stanza.
b. Form
“The Solitary Reaper” is made up of four octaves. The poem follows the
ABABCCDD rhyme scheme and this pattern continues till the end.
c. Tone
The tone of "The Solitary Reaper" is admiration and awe. Although Wordsworth
cannot understand the maiden's song, he is dumbfounded by the beauty of the
poetic tune.
d. Punctuation
Punctuation mark marks are mainly used for special stylistic effects or rhetorical
purposes. This poem adopts exclamation marks, for example Yon solitary
Highland lass Stop here, or gently pass to expressing special feelings of
impressiveness of the girls voice dash. Besides, Will no one tell me what she
sings? by chance the plaintive numbers flow for old, unhappy, far-off things , the
usage of the dash here is to give the various possibility on the question.e. Imagery
Imagery is used to make the readers perceive things involving their five senses. For
example, “Reaping and singing by herself”, “I saw her singing at her work” and
“More welcome notes to weary bands.”
f. Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate any statement for the sake of emphasis.
For example, the below verses exaggerates the impact of her song,
“O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.”
g. Metaphors
Wordsworth uses several metaphors for the reaper. The solitary reaper is a woman
who is alone in a field in the Scottish Highlands reaping and singing when the
narrator comes across her. He likens her to both a "Nightingale" and a "Cuckoo-
bird," both birds with beautiful songs.
h. Rhetorical questions
Rhetorical Question is a sentence that is posed to make the point clear. For
example, “Will no one tell me what she sings?”, “That has been, and may be
again?” and “Familiar matter of to-day?”
THE THEME OF THE POEM
Everlasting beauty and sorrow are the major themes of this poem. The poem
presents two things; the labor of that girl and her expression of sorrow. She is
working and singing at the same time without being bothered about her
surroundings. She does not notice that the speaker is listening and enjoying her
song. She just continues as if she is outpouring her heart out in the lap of nature.
The speaker, on the other hand, seems enchanted by her song as he claims that the
song’s beauty is matchless. Thus, he stops and enjoys its beauty knowing it will
not last forever.
III. Revision: Quizzes and Questions
1. When was Wordsworth born?
a. April 7th 1770
b. March 6th 1770
c. May 7th 1770
d. December 7 1770
2. Where was Wordsworth born?
a. Keswick
b. Cockermounth
c. Paris
d. London
3. Why do we call him the poet of nature’?
a. Because he was very fond of flowers, birds likes, rivers, rocks and tree.
b. Because he was very fond of school, poetry, studies.
c. Because he was very fond of animals, humans and children
d. Because he was very fond of music
4. Where does "The Solitary Reaper" take place?
a. England
b. Scotland
c. Ireland
d. Franc
5. Who is singing in "The Solitary Reaper"?
a. A muse
b. A goddess
c. A circle of temptresses
d. A beautiful girl
6. What is rare about "The Solitary Reaper"?
a. It takes place in Scotland
b. It does not come from Wordsworth's own experiences
c. It is about a beautiful girl
d. It is broken into four stanzas
7. The poet’s lament in the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ is that ______.
a. He cannot understand the song
b. He did not know the lass
c. She stopped singing at once
d. He had to move away
8. Where does the poet go?
Climbed up the mountain
9. How did the song affect the poet?
Left a permanent mark on his heart.
10. How did he use to enjoy the beauty of nature?
He hears the plaintive tone of her song in this land of natural beauty
11. What kind of song was the girl singing?
The girl was singing a sad and lonesome song.
12. What is meant by 'melancholy strain'?
A sad song…
13. What does the 'vale profound' refer to?
It refers to a deep valley.
14. To what does the poet compare the reaper's song ?
The young maiden’s song was inspiring and welcome to the poet, just as the
nightingale’s song in the desert which is indicative of an oasis nearby.
Unit 1.5 Bernard Shaw (1856 –1950)

Play: Widowers’ Houses
I. Background of the play

1. The setting
When Harry Trench, an energetic, idealistic young man, takes a trip to the Rhine to
celebrate his recent graduation from medical school, he falls in love with Blanche,
a fellow tourist traveling with her father, the intimidating Sartorius. Discovering
the couple in the improper midst of proposal and acceptance, Sartorius agrees to
their engagement on one condition: Harry must be absolutely sure that his
aristocratic, well-connected relatives will welcome Blanche into their lives.
Knowing Sartorius to be a wealthy gentleman, Harry is confused as to the reason
for his social caution. Upon arriving in Sartorius’ comfortable country home,
however, with his reassuring letters in hand, Harry meets Lickcheese, a rent
collector whom Sartorius has recently dismissed from service, and learns the ugly
truth about the massive amount of money to which Blanche is heir. Discovering
that Sartorius is a notorious slumlord who takes his income from the worst homes
in London, Harry tries to convince Blanche that they can do very well on his
meagre income, but Blanche, horrified at the thought of keeping house on 700 a
year, is convinced that Harry is trying to break their engagement, and flying into a
temper, orders him from the house. It is not until some months later when
Lickcheese, now grown triumphantly wealthy on the proceeds of keeping his eyes
and ears open where matters of real estate and public works are concerned, returns
and offers Sartorius a financial opportunity, an opportunity which can only be
taken if Harry Trench -- who, to his dismay, turns out to draw his own income
from a mortgaged tenement in the heart of Sartorius’ slums -- will take part in the
deal. Broken hearts are mended, morals are compromised, and pragmatic,
unavoidable hypocrisy rules the day in Widower’s Houses, George Bernard
Shaw’s first play, which is part social comedy, and part scathing critique of the
social conditions in which slums, and those who own them, endure and profit.
2. Victorian London
 Social Context: Victorian Slums
Establishing required standards of housing and further empowering the clearance
of slum properties. No direct federal funding is offered, yet public reaction to
housing conditions for the poor is loud enough to spur local authorities to action.
The poor people could not afford the hew housing, found themselves homeless or
forced to move into the already overcrowded rooms of neighbors. It offered a good
opportunity for the rich to make money from tenement house.
 Currency:
Money may derive a person to sell the values and ethics
3. Shaw’s work experience
Unfortunately, despite the time he spent writing them, his novels were dismal
failures, widely rejected by publishers. Shaw soon turned his attention to politics
and the activities of the British intelligentsia, joining the Fabian Society in 1884.
The Fabian Society was a socialist group whose goal was nothing short of the
transformation of England through a more vibrant political and intellectual base,
and Shaw became heavily involved, even editing a famous tract the group
published (Fabian Essays in Socialism, 1889).
The year after he joined the Fabian Society, Shaw landed some writing work in the
form of book reviews and art, music and theater criticism, and in 1895 he was
brought aboard the Saturday Review as its theater critic. It was at this point that
Shaw began writing plays of his own.
4. The plot:
The play comprises three acts:
In Act I a poor but aristocratic young doctor named Harry Trench and his friend
William Cokane are holidaying at Remagen on the Rhine. They encounter fellow
travellers Mr Sartorius, a self-made businessman, and his daughter Blanche. Harry
and Blanche fall in love and become engaged.
Act II opens with everyone back at home in London. Sartorius, in talking to Mr

Lickcheese, whom he employs as a rent-collector, reveals himself to be a slum
landlord. He dismisses Lickcheese for dealing too leniently with tenants. Trench
and Cokane arrive to visit, but when Trench discovers that Sartorius makes his
money by renting slum housing to the poor, he is disgusted and refuses to allow
Blanche to accept money from her father after they are married, insisting that they
must live instead on Harry's small income. Following a bitter argument, they break
up. Sartorius reveals that Trench's income depends on interest from mortgaged
tenements, and is therefore as "dirty" as his own; but the lovers do not reconcile.
Blanche utterly rejects Harry because of her wounded feelings.
In Act III, Trench, Cokane and Lickcheese return to Sartorius' house to plan a
shady business venture. Trench, disillusioned and coarsened by knowing his
income is tainted by its source, no longer takes the moral high ground. In the final
scene, notable for its erotic tension, Harry and Blanche reunite.

 Harry Trentch
A dark-haired 24-year-old who comes from an affluent family. Trench has just
been made a doctor after only four years in medical school. Trench has a affluent
aunt, Lady Roxdale.
 Mr Sartorius
A tall, well-dressed, imposing man but Sartorius can be tempered and frugal,
especially with people of a lower class than his own. He has a daughter named
Blanche. Sartorius is a self-made man who rents real estate in London. Trench and
Cokane encountered him on the boat over. He and his daughter live in their villa in
Surbiton, England
 Blanche Sartorius
A good-looking, energetic young woman. At first, she was described as a
motherless but well-bred girl. But in Act II, she revealed her nature to be a selfish,
tempered and materialistic person since she strangled her servant in a rage. She
persuaded Trench to give up the moral high ground to live comfortably on "dirty"
money.
 William de Burgh Cokane
A balding older man. He is a Trench’s friend. He turned up his nose at the
foreigners’ habits
 Lickcheese
A shabby and “pertinaous sort of human terrier”. He is an employee of Sartorius.
2. Social Satire in Bernard Shaw’s Play Widower’s Houses
 The corruption
Shaw shows how money corrupts people’s consciousness and destroys their price
and self-respect. Harry did not bother to ask Sartorious about the source of the
money he gets and prefers to many Blanche.
 The greed, human depravity and tainted money
The greed of Sartorious, exploitation, his tainted money the class system and
love. The tainted money of the father does not oppose the lovers; marriage.
Blanche does not abandon her wealth for her love to Trench.
 The social evil of landlordism
Sartorius does not apologize for his awful treatment
 Irony: the sense and the role of purity and economic responsibility in the
society Dr. Harry Trench was the representation of moral good, but he was not
strong enough to stop this dirty business. deals with painful human dilemmas
The satire was used to explain a certain phenomenon in society in a humours
way makes people uncomfortable-shame, anger, guilty and anxious but in an
implicit and funny way.
3. Partners in a Moral Crime: The human emotions could be affected by the
exaggeration of the greed for money → Money may derive a person to sell the
values and ethics
 Mr. Sartorius
Money even made Mr. Sartorious seems to be a real gentleman who cleverly
hides his crime. Cokane and Harry are deceived by Sartorius’ appearance uses
the money even to buy his daughter the respect of Harry’s family is arrogant
and fearless of the law. (doesn’t spend to repair the broken step)
 Lickcheese
Money charm doesn't spare Lickcheese Lickcheese returns to tell Mr. Sartorius
that he learned from him a way of being rich which is to buy widowers" house
and rent them to poor people
 Harry Trentch: not wander about the source of Sartorius' wealth enjoys his
days and spent the money the way he liked agrees to use Sartorius' money when
the latter promised him to give him enough money to make him happy living
with Sartorius ' daughter after they get married. → a partner to Mr. Sartorius in
his crime because Harry uses Mr. Sartorius 's money that is collected from those
poor people
 William de Burgh Cokane
Knows how to deal with money and appearances, money and power
 Blanche Sartorius has no real opinion about refusing or accepting the marriage
between herself and Trench ,and thus she becomes a helpless young girl who
cannot fight the strong stream of greed generated by the three men
Money has the power of magic Mr. Sartorius and Lickcheese practice their
meanness and greed on the poor dwellers Harry Trench, knowing the real
source of Mr. Sartorius's future, refuses to take the money and makes us believe
that he is a man of morals But he disappoints us when he accepts the money and
participate in the project suggested by Lickchesse he becomes a partner in the
moral crime
4. Social Realism in Widower’s Houses: Slum-landlordism
• The exploitation of the destitute and homeless by the mercantile and the
upper classes
• Its avowed intention is to implicate every member of the audience in that
social crime Slum-landlordism was a burning problem in London towards the
close of the nineteenth century.
The problem of Slum-property still exists in some developing and
undeveloped countries
III. Revision:
1. Why did Shaw classify “Widowers’ Houses” as an Unpleasant? The ending,
Lickcheese decided to do the business.
2. What was Harry Trench’s reaction when he learned from Lickcheese where the
money of the Sartorius came from? Why?
3. Why did Trench say: “We are all in the same swim”?
4. Why do you think Trench changes his mind at the end of the play?
5. How do you think Shaw intends us to react to his decision? If you were in
Trench’s position, what decision would you have made?
6. Is there any difference between Lickcheese and Sartorius by the end of the
play?
7. What are your thoughts about public housing in Vietnam?
Unit 6: Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)

Chapter 5
Summary
Time passes. Mr. Earnshaw's health deteriorates, and he becomes even less
accepting of Hindley's behavior toward Heathcliff. He sends Hindley away to
college, allowing Catherine and Heathcliff to grow closer.
As Mr. Earnshaw nears death, he becomes interested in Joseph's harsh and rigid
religious beliefs. Meanwhile, to her father's dismay, Catherine is constantly going
on adventures with Heathcliff and getting into trouble. Though she teases her
father about this, she loves him deeply and is the one holding him when he dies.
On the stormy night of Mr. Earnshaw's death, Catherine and Heathcliff console
each other. They talk of heaven, imagining it as a beautiful place.
IV. Literary Analysis
Lockwood
Lockwood's narration frames Nelly's; he acts as a mediator between Nelly and the
reader. He is an arrogant and presumptuous guy who deals clumsily with the
residents of Wuthering Heights. Lockwood is from a more domesticated part of
England, and he is perplexed by the odd household's disregard for the social
standards that have traditionally governed his society. As a storyteller, his ego and
unfamiliarity with the plot cause him to misinterpret events on occasion.
Ellen "Nelly Dean
Nelly Dean (known formally as Ellen Dean) serves as the chief narrator of
Wuthering Heights. A sensible, intelligent, and compassionate woman, she grew
up essentially alongside Hindley and Catherine Earnshaw and is deeply involved
in the story she tells. She has strong feelings for the characters in her story, and
these feelings complicate her narration. Catherine/Cathy Earnshaw
The daughter of Mr. Earnshaw and his wife, Catherine falls powerfully in love
with Heathcliff, the orphan Mr. Earnshaw brings home from Liverpool. Catherine
loves Heathcliff so intensely that she claims they are the same person. However,
her desire for social advancement motivates her to marry Edgar Linton instead.
Catherine is free-spirited, beautiful, spoiled, and often arrogant. She is given to fits
of temper, and she is torn between her wild passion for Heathcliff and her social
ambition. She brings misery to both of the men who love her.
Hindley Earnshaw
Catherine’s brother, and Mr. Earnshaw’s son. Hindley resents it when Heathcliff is
brought to live at Wuthering Heights. After his father dies and he inherits the
estate, Hindley begins to abuse the young Heathcliff, terminating his education
and forcing him to work in the fields. When Hindley’s wife Frances dies shortly
after giving birth to their son Hareton, he lapses into alcoholism and dissipation.
Heathcliff
An orphan brought to live at Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw, Heathcliff falls
into an intense, unbreakable love with Mr. Earnshaw’s daughter Catherine. After
Mr. Earnshaw dies, his resentful son Hindley abuses Heathcliff and treats him as a
servant. Because of her desire for social prominence, Catherine marries Edgar
Linton instead of Heathcliff. Heathcliff’s humiliation and misery prompt him to
spend most of the rest of his life seeking revenge on Hindley, his beloved
Catherine, and their respective children (Hareton and young Catherine). A
powerful, fierce, and often cruel man, Heathcliff acquires a fortune and uses his
extraordinary powers of will to acquire both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross
Grange, the estate of Edgar Linton.
Catherine Earnshaw Linton
The daughter of Edgar Linton and the first Catherine as “young Catherine.” The
first Catherine begins her life as Catherine Earnshaw and ends it as Catherine
Linton; her daughter begins as Catherine Linton and, assuming that she marries
Hareton after the end of the story, goes on to become Catherine Earnshaw. The
mother and the daughter share not only a name, but also a tendency toward
headstrong behavior, impetuousness, and occasional arrogance. However, Edgar’s
influence seems to have tempered young Catherine’s character, and she is a
gentler and more compassionate creature than her mother.
3. Questions
a. What happens to Catherine Earnshaw?
When Mr. Earnshaw dies, Catherine and Heathcliff console one another with
talk of heaven. The bond between Catherine and Heathcliff grows stronger as
Mr. Earnshaw grows weaker. The extent of their love is shown as they console
each other with talk of heaven the night Mr. Earnshaw dies.
b. How does Hindley treat Heathcliff when he returns?
Mr. Earnshaw displayed considerable partiality toward Heathcliff and evidently

liked him more than his own children, so Hindley demotes him and forces him to
become a servant at the mansion. Hindley was envious of Heathcliff's friendship
with Mr. Earnshaw and began to despise him, even violently abusing him.
c. Heathcliff's social position responsible for the misery and conflict so
persistant in the book of wuthering heights
The plot of Wuthering Heights is heavily influenced by social status. Heathcliff's

socioeconomic class, as well as those of the other characters, has a significant
impact on their fate. Heathcliff lost his love because he came from a lower social
class, and despite his intimate relationship with Catherine, he did not fully fit the
picture of a husband. Catherine did not want him as her husband because he did
not come from the same social class as the Lintons. He lived with her family at the
mercy of her father and brother. So, until he becomes wealthy, he is a classless
orphan. He is an orphan, and orphans have no social identity or class.
d. Social class and class ambiguity play a vital role in Wuthering Heights.
Describe.
In the story, social class inequalities and class ambiguity nearly always become
impediments to true love. Heathcliff and Catherine, for example, are unable to
marry due to Heathcliff's low social standing. Class serves as a significant
impediment, keeping real lovers apart until the novel's conclusion.
e. How does the theme of death develop the work of Wuthering Heights?
As a result, the concept of death is central to this novel. It is typically perceived by

the characters as either a punishment for earthly transgression or a merciful escape
from agony and suffering. The deaths of select characters also serve to advance the
plot and add narrative structure to a tightly woven work. Some of the deceased
even reappear as ghosts at the beginning and conclusion of the story, implying that
death brings no relief to the tortured souls of Wuthering Heights.
f. How do the themes of revenge and forgiveness develop the work of
Wuthering Heights?
The revenge theme is prevalent throughout the novel and without it, it just
becomes yet another classic tale of thwarted love. But, because there is a
revenge theme, Heathcliff is driven to more actions. And without revenge, there
could be no redemption or forgiveness at the end.
Unit 2.1 (Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Novel: The Adventures of Tom Sawyers

As Tom begins the dreaded task of whitewashing, he sees Ben Rogers
approaching. When Ben teases Tom about not being able to go swimming
and being forced to work, Tom points out that it is not exactly work if he is
enjoying himself, and he makes a great show of applying whitewash and
then stepping back to admire his own effects. When Ben wants to try his
hand at whitewashing, Tom pretends to be reluctant until Ben offers him
first the core of the apple and then the entire apple. Other boys show up--
boys who "came to jeer, but remained to whitewash," and by the middle of
the afternoon, the fence is whitewashed (by the other boys), and Tom finds
himself a rich man, having collected marbles, a part of a Jew's harp, a kite,
and many other items as payment from the boys doing the work.
 Tom Sawyer The novel’s protagonist. Tom is a mischievous boy with an active
imagination who spends most of the novel getting himself, and often his
friends, into and out of trouble. Despite his mischief, Tom has a good heart and
a strong moral conscience. As the novel progresses, he begins to take more
seriously the responsibilities of his role as a leader among his schoolfellows.
 Aunt Polly Tom’s aunt and guardian. Aunt Polly is a simple, kindhearted
woman who struggles to balance her love for her nephew with her duty to
discipline him. She generally fails in her attempts to keep Tom under control
because, although she worries about Tom’s safety, she seems to fear
constraining him too much. Above all, Aunt Polly wants to be appreciated and
loved.
 Sid: Tom’s half-brother. Sid is a goody-goody who enjoys getting Tom into
trouble. He is mean-spirited but presents a superficial show of model behavior.
He is thus the opposite of Tom, who is warmhearted but behaves badly.
 Jim : Aunt Polly’s young slave
 Ben Rogers :One of Tom’s friends, whom Tom persuades to whitewash Aunt
Polly’s fence
2. Analysis: Tom – Jim
Tom doesn't have a relationship with Jim. Tom is Huck's friend and that's good
enough for Jim. Tom is making the decisions, while Huck merely plays along,
and Jim simply accepts. Interestingly, Tom is still the same boy he was when
the reader last saw him in the earliest chapters of the novel. However, Huck has
developed into a more mature, morally sound individual. Huck always thought
Tom's make believe adventures were not worth the time or effort Tom put into
them. But, here, he believes they are truly setting Jim free, and releasing him
from the bonds of slavery. For Huck, this is one of the most serious and risky
actions he has ever undertaken, but for Tom, it is all just a game..
3. Analysis: Tom – Ben
A neighborhood boy, who makes Tom feel dreadful by his ridicule. The
appearance of Ben Rogers, in which he pretends to be a steamboat, make it
clear that Ben likes to show off, creating jealousy in Tom. Ben also teases Tom
about not being able to go swimming and being forced to work. It eventually
causes Tom to create the plan of playing off Ben’s attitude to trick him to the
job of painting the fence.
4. Analysis: Tom – other boys
Huck's father is an abusive alcoholic, and Huck fears that he will eventually
kill him. To avoid this, Huck fakes his death and runs away. He builds a raft
with a runaway slave named Jim, and together, they travel down the
Mississippi River.
5. Basic knowledge of human psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. This can include many
things, from how children learn a native language to how one finds a car in a
crowded parking lot. Even the simplest human activities involve complex
psychological processing.
6. Themes
The main themes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are friendship,
imagination, truth, and falsehood. Friendship: Tom, Joe, and Huck's friendship
enables them to create their own adventurous world. Their trust in each other
allows them to overcome obstacles and create fun wherever they go.
QUESTIONS
1. Tom’s “great, magnificent inspiration” in paragraph 1 is important to developing

the plot of the story. What is Tom’s inspiration?
A He develops a plan for tricking the other boys into doing most of his work.
B He decides to bribe the boys with his “worldly wealth” in order to get the
boys to paint the fence.
C He thinks of ways to make himself enjoy the task of painting the fence.
D He focuses on the exciting things around him to distract himself from his
work.
E He asks his friends to help him so they can all go swimming together.
2. In “Whitewashing the Fence,” the author writes Tom and Ben’s dialogue using
dialect, a special variety of language that includes misspelling and informal words,
to
A build suspense about what will happen next.
B help establish the rural nature of the setting.
C establish a conflict between Tom and Ben.
D help characterize Tom and Ben as ignorant.
E make a point about human nature.
3. In paragraph 1, the author uses phrases like “free boys,” “delicious expeditions,”
and “pure freedom” to suggest that
A Tom resents his aunt for making him work.
B Tom believes he should not be made to do chores.
C Tom is tired from working so hard on the fence.
D Tom highly values time spent having fun.*
E Tom thinks the task of painting the fence is enjoyable.
4. The following question has two parts. Answer part A and then answer part B.
Part A: How do paragraphs 2 through 6, in which Ben pretends to be a
steamboat, contribute to the development of the passage?
A They emphasize the many distractions Tom faces.
B They hint at Tom’s plan for getting his work done.
C They highlight the friendship between Tom and Ben.
D They foreshadow the fact Ben will soon be working.
E They characterize Ben as someone who likes to show off.
Part B: What event in the passage results from the answer to Part A?
A Tom focuses on painting the fence instead of choosing to play.
B Tom tells his friend why he likes whitewashing.
C Tom tricks Ben into choosing to whitewash the fence instead of playing.
D Tom gets many boys to paint the fence.
Part A: Which two statements best express the reasons for Tom’s success in
getting the other boys to do his work for him?
A Tom has the ability to keep his true feelings hidden.
B Tom is popular with others and a natural leader.
C Tom accepts that some situations are beyond his control.
D Tom dislikes thinking people will make fun of him.
E Tom understands how to make people feel envious.
F Tom values objects that other people might view as junk.
Part B: Which excerpt from the passage provides the best evidence for the
answers to Part A? A Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all
sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him
for having to work—the very thought of it burnt him like fire.
B He got out his worldly wealth and examined it—bits of toys, marbles,
and trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, but not half
enough to buy so much as half an hour of pure freedom.
C “Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance
to whitewash a fence every day?” That put the thing in a new light.
D And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-
stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth. E He had
discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it—namely, that
in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make
the thing difficult to attain.
Part A: Which statement best expresses the main theme of “Whitewashing the
Fence”?
A Friends make sacrifices to help each other.
B People often value things that seem hard to get.
C Work can be enjoyable if one has the right attitude.
D Time is more precious than money or material goods.
Part B: Which lines from the passage does the author provide to best illustrate
this theme?
A Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist, then he gave his brush
another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before.
B “Say—I’m going in a-swimming, I am. Don’t you wish you could? But of
course you’d druther WORK— wouldn’t you? Course you would!”
C He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it—
namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only
necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.
D He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jew’s-
harp, a piece of blue bottleglass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that
wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter,
a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one
eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar—but no dog—the handle of a knife, four
pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window s
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
Story: A Clean, Well-lighted Place
1. The setting
The main setting is a spotless Spanish cafe where two unidentified servers — one old
and one young — are talking about an old man (also unnamed) who comes every night,
sits alone, and drinks brandy until it's past closing time.
2. The plot
In a Spanish café late at night, an elderly guy drinks brandy. A young server is
enraged; he wishes the old man would go so that he and an older waiter could close
the café and go home. He taunts the deaf elderly man and is terribly oblivious to
the older waiter's feelings when he comments, "An old gentleman is a dreadful
thing." The older waiter, on the other hand, sees that the elderly guy consuming
brandy after brandy is not evil; rather, he is lonely. Without a doubt, this is why the
old man tried suicide last week. The servers close the cafe when the old guy leaves.
The young waiter goes home, and the elder waiter travels to an all-night café,
where he orders a cup of nada from the server, thinking about the dreadful
emptiness of the old man's existence, with which he strongly relates. Nothing in a
cup. The man taking the order believes the old waiter is just another eccentric old
man, so he brings him coffee. After finishing his coffee, the older waiter begins his
journey home. Sleep is still several hours away. Until then, he must bravely face
the dark nothingness of the night.
Literary Analysis
1. Character List
 The Old Man
Features
The Old Man is a dignified, elderly deaf man who spends his late evenings at the
café where the two servers work. He like to sit in the electric light beneath the
tree's shadow since the setting is conducive to drinking and resting. The elderly
man formerly had a wife and possibly a family, but he is now alone with his niece,
who spared him from committing himself.
Analysis
 The old alcoholic tried suicide the week before because, as the older waiter
points out, he is depressed about the meaninglessness of life. When the old
drunk talks, it is merely to beg the young waiter for more brandy. Otherwise,
he drinks with the intention of becoming inebriated. More crucially, as the
old waiter observes, the old man does not choose to become inebriated in a
reckless or undignified manner. In fact, despite being inebriated enough to
walk "unsteadily," he never loses his cool, demonstrating that, despite his
sorrow over the meaninglessness of life, he remains committed to a life of
pleasure and dignity.
 The Older Waiter
Features
The old waiter, the story’s protagonist, is the older of two waiters at a clean, well-
lighted café.
Analysis
The old waiter, the story’s protagonist, is the older of two waiters at a clean, well-
lighted café. Hemingway depicts the old waiter as kind, dignified, and wise in his
belief that, since life is meaningless, one must prioritize being comfortable and
dignified above all else. Because the old waiter understands the importance of
small pleasures, he is sympathetic toward an old drunk who likes to stay up late
drinking at his café. While the younger waiter hurries to get home, the older waiter
is unrushed; he doesn’t want to be anywhere else because he recognizes that
lingering at the café is a pleasure. The old waiter is shown to be empathetic, since
he carefully considers what led the old drunk to attempt suicide the week before,
imagining what it must be like to be 80 and without a wife. He decides that
“nothing” was the cause for the attempted suicide—life’s meaninglessness, in other
words. He then recites a version of the Lord’s Prayer that replaces many words
with “nada,” suggesting that he, too, thinks there is no reason for anything. The old
waiter’s own actions mirror the old man’s; when he goes for a drink at the nearby
bar after his shift, for example, he quickly leaves because its shabbiness fails to
provide him with the atmosphere necessary to feel comfortable and dignified,
which are his priorities in life.
 The Younger Waiter
Features
The story's antagonist, the young waiter, works as a server at the café alongside the old
waiter. He is arrogant and insensitive with the old alcoholic (a café patron) because he
wants to get home to his family rather than stay at work. He even tells the old drinker
(who is deaf) that he should have committed suicide the week before. He has a wife
waiting for him at home, and he can't wait to see her after work.
Analysis
Unlike the older waiter and the old man, he thinks that life is full of value. Also unlike
them, he has a wife waiting at home, and he can't wait to get back to her after work. He
values time highly – in his view, every hour is precious and ripe with promise.
During conversations with the old waiter about the old drunk, the young waiter betrays
his naive attitudes about growing old, saying that an “old man is a nasty thing” and
suggesting that the old waiter is simply talking nonsense by trying to empathize with
the old drunk’s suicide attempt. The young waiter thinks that his time is more valuable
than the two older characters’ time because he spends it on things that he thinks matter.
Thus, after refusing the old drunk another drink and reducing the old waiter’s
conversation points to “nonsense,” the young waiter exits the café and goes home.
2.Analysis – The Café
The café represents the tiny joys that, despite life's meaninglessness, make it feel
dignified and comfortable to live. The old waiter and the old drunk both enjoy
sitting and drinking at the café since it is quiet and the shadow of its electric lights
creates a wonderful refuge to rest in. In contrast, the young server can't wait to
leave the café and get home to his wife; he derives his meaning from external
sources of validation, such as his wife, rather than from the present.
The server does not comprehend the café's environment; he proposes that the old
alcoholic go for a dirty bar or bodega, where he may also get drunk, but this
misunderstands the joy and dignity of the café itself. The young waiter's goal-
oriented viewpoint is revealed to be at odds with the way of life that the café
represents, a worldview that realizes that everything save dignity and comfort is
irrelevant.
3. Analysis – Narrator point of view
The narrator presents the story in third-person point of view. The point of view
becomes omniscient toward the end of the story in relation to the older waiter,
allowing the narrator to present his thoughts. These thoughts flow quickly and
disjointedly. To reflect his jumbled thinking—his stream of consciousness—the
narrator ignores some grammatical rules and runs words together.
4. Analysis – Genre
Modernism
Hemingway is something of an uneasy modernist. While he certainly broke
through a lot of conventions, and dealt with some of the themes that we often
associate with the genre of Modernism (post-WWI disillusionment, alienation –
you know, stuff like that), some of his novels and short stories are actually fairly
conventional, especially when compared to the more experimental writings of
some of his buddies, like Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound. This story, however,
lives up to the modernist name; it is an unconventional, super-short, psychological
portrait of three characters. The inner monologue of the older waiter briefly dips
into stream of consciousness mode, a technique made particularly famous by
Hemingway's contemporaries James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. The story doesn't
attempt to do anything we expect a short story to do – there is no real conflict, and
certainly no resolution. Rather, it simply depicts a series of moments in everyday
life..
5. Analysis – Tone
Objective, Matter of Fact
Hemingway was not exactly a fan of high drama; in fact, even some of his most
thrilling and adventurous stories are told in his signature deadpan fashion.
Sometimes this is funny – heck, a lot of the time it's hilarious – but at other times,
it's also devastatingly direct and striking. Here, the latter is true.
The unemotional narration of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" allows us to really
digest what the characters are saying. After all, most of the story is just dialogue,
punctuated by a long paragraph of "nada nada nada" – we have nothing else to
focus on but the character's words and thoughts, and Hemingway doesn't attempt to
interfere with our interpretation of these things. He very rarely places any
judgment on his characters; for example, when the younger waiter tells the old
man, "You should have killed yourself last week" (7), another author might have
been tempted to add some stern adjective in there to show how rude the waiter is –
perhaps "he said cruelly" or "he said unsympathetically." Hemingway, however,
just leaves it as it is, clean, simple, and unapologetic: "'You should have killed
yourself last week,' he said."
6. Analysis – Writing Style
Sparse, Simple, Unornamented
This super-short story is a fantastic illustration of Hemingway's famous literary
style. His writing is journalistic and straightforward; he reports dialogue in a clear
and plain manner, without froufy adjectives or fancy-pants descriptions. This
sparse, tight economy of words is one of the characteristics that made Hemingway
so renowned in the 1920s, and his distinct style is still highly regarded today. This
story's Hemingwayness contributes to its dismal outlook — instead of hearing
about the elderly man's sadness, worded beautifully and lyrically over a range of
pages, we just get a punch to the gut in this story. Its brevity emphasizes its
argument, and the direct reportage of dialogue and inner monologue is far more
effective here than any amount of descriptive language could possibly be. The
most detailed sentence, in fact, is the story's opening line, which gives us almost
nothing: "It was late and everyone had left the cafe save an old guy who sat in the
shadow the leaves of the tree produced against the electric light."
7. Analysis – What’s up with the tittle?
According to the main character of this novel, we all need one thing in life – you
guessed it, "a clean, well-lighted place," preferably a clean, well-lighted café. The
image of the café is essential to the plot; we get the impression that the world
outside of this clean, well-lit space is nothing but chaos. That's how we feel about
our favorite coffee shop, come to think of it.
8. Analysis – What’s up with the ending?
The ending of this story always gets us – it's so simple! So classy! It's so
Hemingway! Essentially, the protagonist (the older waiter) tries in vain to dismiss
his profound discontent with the world around him as "only insomnia" (19).
Furthermore, he convinces himself that "many must have it" (19), implying that
many individuals in the world must suffer from the nebulous sense of nothingness
that afflicts him. In a word, Hemingway's thesis here is that we all wind up in the
same spot of spiritual "insomnia," unable to make sense of a senseless world.
9. Analysis - What is the plot?
Maybe we're just being thick-headed, but dissecting "A Clean, Well-Lighted
Place" in terms of plot analysis just looks flat-out impossible to us. The kicker is,
the story is nothing but a sequence of situations – we don't ever get any kind of
action, nor do we really "learn" about the motivations of all of our characters in
depth. We're not sure what they're looking for or hoping to accomplish, and the
best we can do is come up with our own reasons for why they are how they are.
Hemingway leaves us wondering a lot at the end of the story, but doesn't come out
and resolve anything for us.
10. Analysis – What do the characters stand for?
These three characters have no names at all. Essentially, we have three men that
symbolize various periods of life. The old guy and the older waiter represent the
elderly, who see life as meaningless. The young man, on the other hand, represents
those who believe that life is valuable.
11. Analysis – The Differences between the Older Waiter and the Younger
Waiter
The Young Waiter The Old Waiter
 Insensitive  Sensitive
- Doesn’t seem to care that others - See his own future
say the same - Is aware that he not young or
- Doesn’t recognize (the café is a confident and one day just be
refuge for the lonely) like the old man – unwanted,
 Immature alone and in the despair.
- Unaware that he won’t be young  Sympathetic
forever - Stands up for the old man
- Doesn’t really understand against the younger waiter’s
himself criticism
 Impolite - Tries to explain it to younger
- Says rude things to the old man waiter
- Demonstrates a dismissive - Is relucant to close the café
attitude toward human life
general
 For him, money can solve all problem
- There is absolutely no reason to
commit suicide if one has money
12. Themes, Motifs and Moral Lesson:

 Life as Nothingness
 Hemingway says in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" that life has no significance
and that man is a mere speck in a vast sea of nothingness. "It was all a nothing
and man was a nothing too," says the older waiter, emphasizing the point. When
he inserts the Spanish word nada (nothing) into his prayers, he is implying that
religion, which many people turn to for meaning and purpose, is likewise
nothingness. Rather than saying, "Our Father who art in heaven," the elder
waiter says, "Our nada who art in nada," thereby erasing both God and the
concept of heaven in one sentence. However, not everyone is aware of the
void.\
 The struggle to deal with despair
 The old man and older waiter in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" fight to find a
way to deal with their despair, but even their finest solution just subdues it
rather than curing it. Several fruitless attempts have been made by the old guy
to stave off despair. We learn that he has money, but it hasn't benefited him. He
was once married, but he no longer has a wife. We also learn that he had
unsuccessfully attempted suicide in an attempt to end his suffering for good.
The old man's only method to cope with his despair is to sit for hours in a clean,
well-lit café.
 Loneliness
 Loneliness pervades "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," emphasizing that, despite
the fact that many people are in pain, everyone must suffer alone. The deaf old
man is obviously lonely, as he has no wife and just a niece to care for him. The
younger waiter, annoyed that the older gentleman refuses to come home, draws
a comparison between himself and the elderly gentleman: "He's lonely." "I'm
not by myself." Loneliness is a huge distinction for the younger waiter, but he
pays little attention to why the elderly man is lonely, nor does he consider the
possibility that he will be lonely one day.
 Mortality
 The real conflict in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is between man and time,
rather than between two persons. The plot revolves around characters who all
have different perspectives on the meaning of time – the younger man values it,
while the elder characters do not. The eldest character, a man at the end of his
life, is simply biding his time until death. The idea is, the older you get, the
more time wears on you, and the more you realize your mortality - Hemingway
wants us to comprehend that no matter how young or confident we are now, we
will all grow old and die sometime.
 Drugs and alcohol
 Hemingway was a heavy drinker, as were most of his characters; some are
"good" drunks, while others are "bad." What, you could wonder, is a "good"
drunk in Hemingway's opinion? Basically, it's someone who can contain his or
her liquor while still maintaining some dignity, even when completely
plastered. The fundamental question is, why do Hemingway's characters need to
be drunk all the time, regardless of how they deal with it? There are numerous
answers to this topic, but the greatest one is the most obvious: Hemingway's
characters drink to escape from ordinary life.
 Old age
 To youthful whippersnappers, "Old Age" may look a lot like "Mortality," but let
us just say that while these two concepts are related, they are not the same. The
characters become aware of their mortality as they age; the Old Man's
attempted suicide reveals his willingness to escape the loneliness that.
Hemingway argues that no matter how much money we have or how successful
we have been in life, we will all end up alone. What matters most in this
loneliness is simply having some means of escape, whether that's suicide,
drinking, or even a clean, well-lit location to sit and still feel like a part of the
world.
 Existentialism and the “Lost Generation”
Life has no purpose, the universe is uninterested in humanity, and humans must
look to their own activities to find meaning, if meaning can be found at all.
Existentialists think on personal freedom and responsibility. His existentialist
overtones were influenced by his existentialist examination of existence and his
experiences as a searching member of the Lost Generation. The old man's
desire for light and a clean café, the waiter's efforts to restore order by reciting
the Lord's Prayer using the word nada frequently instead, and the exercise of
discipline in his life all have existential connotations in "A Clean, Well-Lighted
Place."
 The moral lesson
As in any work, several possible themes emerge; one of the prominent themes
in this story is that we (mankind) will all age ourselves into despair and
nothingness. The young waiter is impatient with the old man who comes in to
drink at this late-night cafe will not leave because the waiter wants to go home.
II. Revision: Quiz
1. Who said, "Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy
will be nada in nada as it is in nada"?
a. Older Waiter c. Old Man
b. Younger Waiter d. Random Man
2. Who mocks organized religion?
b. Younger Waiter d. Young Man
1. Who said, "A little more"?
b. Younger Waiter Young Man
2. Who said, "I wouldn't want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing"?
a. Older Waiter b. Younger Waiter
3. Who said, "Not always. This old man is clean. He drinks without spilling.
Even now, drunk. Look at him."?
a. Older Waiter b. Younger Waiter
4. Hemingway depicts how life becomes increasingly
a. Unsatisfactory c. Fun
b. Interesting d. Special
Unit 2.3 O. Henry (1862 - 1910)

Story: One Thousand Dollars
1. The setting
The short story One Thousand Dollars by O. Henry is about a young Gillian that must be
providing the report how to use money one thousand dollars. Gillian has a rich uncle but her
uncle died.
2. The plot
The short story One Thousand Dollars by O. Henry is about a young Gillian that must be
providing the report how to use money one thousand dollars. Gillian has a rich uncle but her
uncle died. From this will, he’s uncle want a report of how Gillian can use this one thousand
dollars if Gillian have this money. Gillian meets some people, he want to know and ask of
them if they have one thousand dollars. He went to Old Bryson at his club to ask how to use
one thousand dollars. After that, he also met Miss Lauriere in theater stage. She also gave an
answer as to how to spend a thousand dollars. Mr. Gillian asked the taxi driver to answer the
same questions but the answers he is also not the way he wanted to spend the money.
However, no one can help him. Then, he saw the blind man had more than one thousand
dollars in the account. Gillian made a sudden decision to give all the inheritance money to
Miss Hayden. Finally, he visited Miss Hayden at the library. He also told her that he loved
and gave one thousand dollars. Miss Hayden refused to love the Giilian but received the
money. Then, he wrote the account shows how he spent one thousand dollars and are ready
to provide a report on the accounts to the lawyer Tolman. Then he discovered that there are
conditions of his uncle who said that if he used the money prudently, fifty thousand clear
would be given to him. However, he was not concerned with conditions set forth. Giilian tore
the reports before read by the lawyer Tolman and left happily.

1. Describe the characters
 Young Gillian: He didn’t know how to spend one thousand dollars. He loved
Hayden.
 Old Bryson: Gillian’s rational friend who was asked how to spend $1000 by
Gillian.
 Mr. Tolman: Gillian’s uncle entrusted him with the property. He is a lawyer.
 Miss Heyden: Gillian’s uncle was her guardian and she is Gillian’s lover.
 Miss Lotta Lauriere: She was an actress. She did not welcome his coming.
She was not happy. It was a cheap thing for her.
 The blind man: His bank deposit book showed a balance of $1,785
 The taxi driver: Mr. Gillian asked the taxi driver to answer the same
questions but the answers he is also not the way he wanted to spend the
money.
3. What attitude did he have towards the $1000?
He is a young teenager who through experience on how to manage the
money that had been left by a deceased uncle.
4. How did he spend the money?
He lost the money in the races.
5. How are the characteristics of Young Gillian revealed in the story?
The main character of the story "One Thousand Dollars" is Gillian. He is a
young teenager who through experience on how to manage the money that
had been left by a deceased uncle. If he could spend the money prudently, he
will still get fifty thousand. According to his lawyer uncle, named Tolman
during their first meeting.
"Young Gillian touched the thin package of fifty-dollar bills and laughed.
"It's such an unusual amount," he explained, kindly, to the lawyer.Â "If it
had been ten thousand a man might celebrate with a lot of fireworks. Â Even
fifty dollars would have been less trouble."(pg 1,line 3)
In "One Thousand Dollars" Gillian is an ignorant and rude. He does not have
the spirit and endurance. He relied on other people, or the people around him
to help him on the way to use a thousand dollars prudently.
"Now, what can a man possibly do with a thousand dollars?"(pg 1, line 22)
"What would you do with a thousand dollars if you had it?" (pg 2, line 28)
He also calm and ego because when can know about if he used the money
prudently, fifty thousand clear will be given to him, he tore the account and
go to whistling happy. Gillian portrayed as an immature, volatile and not
responsible for his actions.
"He calmly tore the report and its cover into pieces and dropped them into
his pocket."(pg 4, line 24)
"Tolman and Sharp shook their heads mournfully at each other when
Gillian left. They heard him whistling happily in the hallway as he waited
for the elevator."(pg 4, line 29)
6. Analysis – The conflict of the story
The conflict in this story is money and sacrifice. The way he handles the
conflict makes him come off as a dynamic character. He comes off as a
dynamic character because of the way he handles the situation.
7. Analysis – The critical response
In "One Thousand Dollars" is about how to manage the money of one
thousand dollars. It is about a young Gillian. Maybe because his uncle knew
he was having less moral, rich uncle died and informed his lawyer Tolman
for testing Gillian. If Gillian can use the money wisely, he would receive a
larger amount of fifty thousand dollars. At the beginning of the story, the
authors draw the attention of the reader to want to know whether this story
ends well or not. There, Gillian asked to manage money wisely and
promptly. Gillian challenge given to him. This situation makes the reader
more eager.
The authors use several different places in the story so that the reader does
not get bored to read the next section. First place Gillian was visited at his
club and meet Old Bryson, then with Miss Lauriere in Stage Theater, in cab,
at street, at library and at office Tolman and Sharp. Overall, the places that
used to play an important role so that the reader is easy to imagine the real
situation that happened and would consider yourself to be in situations that
story. This means that the reader can appreciate this story very well.
At the middle of this story, the authors tried portraying Gillian there he
trying to get answers about how to manage the money of one thousand
dollars. In addition, the authors use tone that reflects one's feelings at the
time as, "Gillian half Turned and looked out the window. In a low voice he
said," I Suppose, of course, That you know I love you. "(pg 3, line 24).
Climax of this story is that when Gillian Tolman went to a lawyer's office to
submit the report the way he uses the money. At the end, Gillian tore reports
once knew he was not receive the money of fifty thousand dollars for not
meeting the specified requirements.
8. Analysis – The emotional respose
In the literary criticism, we have to identify the main character Gillian. He's
maybe not good person and him do not know how him manage this one
thousand dollars in him life. He meet with various partners who have
different backgrounds so they give different opinion but him not accept they
opinion because their ideas do not same with the requirements. Gillian began
to feel confused as to what he would do. Gillian feels he can to manage the
money properly. But Mr. Gillian not affords to bear the responsibilities
given by his uncle.
Morale:
Thus, the lesson from this story is that we should be well on our way
towards financial planning matters that are beneficial. Let the money be
properly planned so that the money available to spend on worthwhile things.
Finally, we must be wise and clever in managing our own lives.
Revision:
A. Quiz: Multiple-choice
2. What did Ms. Hayden receive from the will?
A. A ring and $10 C. A cake
B. $1,000 D. A diamond necklace
3. How many people did Gillian ask for advice on how to spend the thousand
dollars?
A. 5 C. 1
B. None D. 3
4. What did Bryson tell Gillian to buy for Ms. Lauriere?
A. A cow C. A pendant
B. A sheep D. A car
5. Gillian told Lawyer Tolman he spent the money on…
A. A pendant for Ms. Lauriere C. Ms. Hayden
B. Horse races D. A sheep ranch
6. Where did Gillian go to find Bryson?
A. His house C. The club
B. The library D. The s’loon
7. Who is Septimas?
A. Gillian’s Uncle C. Gillian’s Brother
B. Gillian’s Father D. Gillian’s Cousin
8. What did Gillian finally do with his money?
A. Bought Ms. Lauriere a necklace C. Spent it on the horse races
B. Gave it to Ms. Hayden D. Helped the blind man settle his debt
9. What was the butler left by Septimas in his will?
A. A ring and $10 C. New shoes
B. $1,000 D. A house
10.What did the taxi driver want to open with the money?
A. A s’loon C. A llama farm
B. A pet store D. A napkin factory
10. Who was the author of “One Thousand Dollars”?
A. Gimpel C. Leroy Jenkins
C. O. Henry D. Mark Twain
11. How are Gillian’s true feelings for Hayden revealed?
A. through his actions only C. through his words and his actions
C. through his words only D. through the first-person
narrator
12. Why does Gillian rip up the note he has written?
A. He does not know how to spend the $50,000
B. He does not want the lawyers to think poorly of him.
C. He decides that he wants the $50,000 after all.
D. He wants Miss Hayden to receive the $50,000
13. Which is a theme of “One Thousand Dollar”?
A. Things are not always what they seem to be.
B. If you do what is forbidden, you will pay the price.
C. Love can change the world.
D. Life is not always fair.
B. Questions
1. Where did the young Gillian get $1,000 from? What was he required to
do as soon as he had ‘disposed of it’?
The lawyer gave the money to Gillian because it was the share of the will of
his uncle who died.
2. Did he report the manner of his disposal of the money to the lawyer? Why?
Comment on the young man’s decision.
3. What impression of the young man do you have? Give your comments
on this character.
Young Gillian was a unique character. He is a man of free will and careless
life. He does not care for money. His uncle’s one thousand dollars has no
much importance for him. He does not like keeping account of his expenses.
He had been careless about his expenses. So his uncle had willed to give him
the amount only if he submitted the detailed account of expenditure. He
consults Bryson for his suggestions on his expenses. He suggests a number
of options. Gillian does not like them as they involve itemizing when he
hates. He wanted to spend it in one tump. Finally he gives the entire amount
to Miss Hayden, a ward of his uncle Old Gillian.
He is full of emotion. He feels compassion for Hayden. In spite of Hayden’s
dislike for himself he again and again expresses his love for her. Finally he
submits his account to Tolman where he finds another trap for him. His
account is to be examined. He takes his account back and tears it into bits to
save him from the money. After all he is good man with qualities of a man
of free will.
4. What would you do if you were in this place?

If I were in this place, I would run away and start a new life, find a job and
buy everything by my own money.
5. What would you do if you had $26,000?
If I had $26000, I would use those money for my parents. I would tell them
to go to the best hospital to check their health condition. I would do anything
to make sure that they could live healthy and stay with me forever.
Jack London (1876 - 1916)

Story: The Law of Life
1. The setting
 Takes place in remote Alaska
 Characters have to react to the snowy tundra
 Relates to the period because characters react to the environment
(realistic)
 The setting is deadly enough to kill, and when KosKoosh decides to let
it happen, that is a sign of realism. (Law of life to die)
 The setting also shows signs of Romanticism, especially how the tribe
can fight off the wolves with no problem, and survive the deadly
encounters
2. The plot of the story
As the story begins, an elderly man named Koskoosh watches as the rest of his
tribe disassembles camp in search of fresh hunting grounds. He also hears the
cries of an ill child named Koo-tee, who is about to die. Koskoosh, the tribe's
former chief, is now blind and ailing, and he is remaining behind to avoid
slowing the others down. Despite the fact that his granddaughter Sit-cum-to-ha
has given him a tiny pile of firewood, Koskoosh understands and accepts that
he will die as a result of this decision. Nonetheless, he is moved when his son—
now the tribe's chief—remains behind for a little while to say goodbye;
Koskoosh assures his son that he is at peace with his fate and then listens as he
departs. Now alone, Koskoosh quickly moves to build the fire, knowing that it’s
the only thing standing between him and death. However, he remains
philosophical about his circumstances; death is an unavoidable fact of life,
particularly in such a harsh environment, and Koskoosh reflects that the fate of
any individual is less important than the survival of the species. In fact, he
believes that an individual’s only real purpose in life is reproduction and sees
little point in resisting or mourning that fact.
Koskoosh’s thoughts next turn to various memories, including the
unprecedented famine during which his mother died, and the “times of plenty”
when the tribe felt secure enough to go to war with its neighbors. He also
recalls “abandon[ing] his own father on an upper reach of the Klondike one
winter” . The memory that looms largest, however, comes from Koskoosh’s
childhood. He and his friend Zing-ha were play-hunting when they stumbled
upon the tracks of a wolf pack chasing a moose. Following these signs, the boys
eventually discovered a trail of blood leading into the clearing where the moose
was making its final stand.
While recalling this, Koskoosh briefly finds himself wishing that Sit-cum-to-ha
had gathered more wood for him, or even that his son would return to fetch him.
Instead, he hears wolves, and he remembers the sight of “the moose [...] the torn
flanks and bloody sides, the riddled mane, and the great branching horns, down
low and tossing to the last”. Koskoosh feels a wolf brush against him and
scrambles to grab a torch to protect himself. As he does, he hears other wolves
encircling him. Thinking once again of the moose, he lowers the torch and
resigns himself to his death.
His tribe needs to travel in search of clothing and shelter so he is left to die
because of his age and inability to see properly. Even his son has to leave him
because he has a new family to feed and take care of. The ancient Koskoosh, on
the other hand, is not unsatisfied since he understands the law of life and her
wishes. He accepts his fate calmly and begins to recall memories from his life.
Images of great hunger and periods of plenty flash across his memory. As an
experienced individual, he contemplates nature and eventually embraces its
uniqueness.
Character Description Traits
Old Old Koskoosh has to accept his old age and the fact that he is loyal,
Koskoosh no contribution to the tribe. This must be a hard realization courageous,
for him as her was former chief. He backs up his decision by forgiving
the chance of slowing down the tribe. He is surprisingly very
positive about his situation, and gets into the realist state of
mind, that the end soon awaits. Jack London made KosKoosh
older and blind to show his weakness. I believe his hearing is
acute to show that he's not completely useless.
Chief of the The chief of the tribe is Old Koskoosh's son. He is stalwart, protective,
tribe strong, and a mighty hunter. the strongest of them all, the one commandin
who makes sure the people who stay behind have what they g, direct
need. He doesn't have to worry about being left, makes big
and strong decisions to represent what the tribe must strive to
be.
Sit-cum-to- Kokoosh's granddaughter who is "too busy to waste a thought careless,
ha on her broken grandfather". This signifies that people in this impatient,
community are very familiar with death. She is young to self-
represent her innocence. She really has no effect on tribe and involved
has to leave her grandpa.
Zing-ha Zing-Ha- is a child-hood friend who went hunting with Old intelligent,
Koskoosh When Koskoosh was dying he remembered events capable
from his child-hood, he remembered when he saw the lone
moose get killed by the pack of wolves.This made him
become a stronger person because he learned to protect
himself and learn to help the community. We later learn
about his death and is ironic that he died when he was a
strong tracker and hunter, and seems top in the tribe.
Koo-tee Koo-tee- a young boy who was weak and probably not going
to survive long, signifies that death waits for all it doesn't
matter when, it will always be there. Koskoosh heard Koo-tee
whimpering and saw that he was scared. This shows that he
doesn't like his place in the tribe.
A maiden a good creature to look upon, full-breasted and strong, with
spring to her step and light in her eyes.
2. A task for individual settled by Nature

They are merely doing what they believe is natural: after the task of life is
completed, the person must confront the inevitable. The difficulty is that nature,
which has assigned this one work, is unconcerned whether or not it is
completed. It is only concerned with the species and race, not with the
individual.
3. What is the law of life?
The law of life is also the cycle of life, which mean everyone is borned and will
die at the end of the cycle.
4. What do you know about old Koskoosh at the beginning of the story? How
did he feel when listening to his tribesmen breaking their camps?
At the start of the novel, Koskoosh looks to be an old, blind, diseased, and
dying man who is unable to keep up with his tribe's travels. And when he listens
to his tribemen breaking their encampment, he feels lonely to be left behind and
facing death himself, yet he embraces this fact wholeheartedly.
5. How did Old Koskoosh feel when his son came and talked to him? How did
he feel afterwards?
He felt surprised but assured his son that he is at peace with his fate afterwards.
6. Which memories came to Old Koskoosh’s mind when he was sitting alone
by the fire?
He reminisced about his youth. There had been a famine. During the famine, he
had lost his mother. The customary abundant catch of fish had failed in the
summer, and the tribe looked forward to winter and the arrival of the caribou. Then
winter arrived, but there were no caribou. People died, both men and women.
Furthermore, there are some days when the meat spoils before it can be consumed.
Even the dogs grew big and were worthless as a result of overeating. He
remembered his friend Zing-ha and how they watched as the old moose was left
behind by its herd, eventually being eaten by the wolves despite fighting death.
7. How did Old Koskoosh first react when he wolves came? What did he do in
the end?
He brandished a burning stick at the wolf, who retreated but summoned the rest of
the pack. When his mother perishes as a result of famine. When the tribe departs
Koskoosh, the weather begins to cool.
8. What law of life did Old Koskoosh observe during his life?
Everyone must be prepared to die. In life, the cycle of life and death is always
visible. Death is a normal process, just as birth. Nobody can avoid death, especially
the inevitable death that comes with old age. It is a universal law that we must
learn to embrace.
9. Give some illustrations of “The Law of Life”
• Because of his age, Old Koskoosh and his predecessors were left behind to
perish when the tribe moved to another area.
• Little Koo- Tee, the child, is sick and will die shortly.
• An accident killed Old Koskoosh's companion Zing-ha.
• The white man was killed in a brawl.
• With the first frost, the insects vanished.
• The rabbits couldn't outrun their predators.
• The moose was eventually killed after a fierce fight for its life.
• A yellow leaf falls to the ground, unable to cling to the branch.
10.What are the difference between the old man and the animals facing the
law of life?
Old man know that they are going to die, they know that someday they will passed
away and somehow they accept that fact. But animal don’t. They try to run away.
11.The conflicts in the story
The battle of "man versus himself" is one of the tensions in Jack London's short
story "The Law of Life." Koskoosh, an elderly Indian, has been abandoned by his
tribe to perish in the snow. This is because Koskoosh is elderly, frail, and feeble,
and is a burden to the tribe's journeys. This is how the tribe has always done things.
Koskoosh understands this, but there is still the internal fight of Koskoosh versus
himself - his inner feelings and will to live even if he is a weaker warrior.
12.The themes of the story
 One main theme of "Law of Life" is death. The story is in the last few hours
of his life. Many people in the story die of ways with no sense in struggling
to stay alive. This is because death is always waiting for you, and doesn't
care about individual creatures.
o Death is not feared by Koskoosh and he follows the tracks of his
father to slowly feed the fire until it runs out of wood.
o Koshkoosh believe in "all men must die", which is the inexorable
circle of the Law of Life.
o Although he's pro "all men must die" he has a strong force of life
within him and admires the moose's struggle to stay alive.
o When Koskoosh finally accepts the theme of death, at first his
instincts were to resist, but as it goes on, Koskoosh accepts the "Law
of Life".
1. Why is Koskoosh surprised that his son comes back to talk to him?
A. He hears the lodge come down.
B. His son is in a hurry to leave.
C. Not all old men’s sons came back.
D. He hears the sleds leave.
2. What is the task of every living thing in Nature?
A. make children
B. obey the group
C. accept death
D. leave the old behind
3. Koskoosh extinguishes the burning stick in the snow because he
A. thinks it will bring wolves
B. feels safer without it
C. is ready to accept death
D. is too tired to hold it
Write a few sentences telling your opinion of this story. Did you like it? Why
or why not? Do you agree with its message? Why or why not?
I believe the author has a literary mind and understands how to escalate the conflict
after learning more about the plot and realizing what the author is attempting to
communicate. I was most taken with the scenario in which the main character
fought with his thoughts, partly because he wished to survive, but finally because
he accepted the law of life.
Despite the fact that I am aware that everyone will perish, I prefer humanity, which
will fight to survive regardless of how bad the weather or how nasty the monsters
are. I value determination to live, interpersonal affection, and contentment with
one's things in life..
Poem: The Soul selects her own Society
The Soul selects her own Society —
Then — shuts the Door —
To her divine Majority —
Present no more —
Unmoved — she notes the Chariots —

pausing —
At her low Gate —
Unmoved — an Emperor be kneeling
Upon her Mat —
I’ve known her — from an ample nation

—
Choose One —
Then — close the Valves of her attention

—
Like Stone —

I. Summary of the poem
1. The setting
This poem is situated in a metaphorical setting rather than a physical one: a

locked mansion from which the "Soul" rejects undesirable visitors. The soul just
"closes the Door" on those visitors in the first stanza; later, she observes
"Unmoved" while they loiter hopelessly outside "her low Gate." Something about
the "Chariots" parade and the distraught "Emperor" suggests that the soul's house is
suited for royalty. However, the lowness of the gate and the commonplace "Mat"
in front of the entrance also suggest that this house is completely conventional and
unpretentious. The poem implies that the soul's abode does not have to be a palace
to be under queenly dominion.
3. The plot
Dickinson examines themes of self-reliance and strength in 'The Soul

Chooses Her Own Society.' This poem says that keeping one's inner life to a
select "one" or few is the finest practice. It is advisable to open the door for
those folks and then close it again. This means that no one can get in, regardless
of their standing, unless they were chosen solely for their good intents. On a
deeper level, the soul interacts with a single individual or a small group of
people. One that transcends wealth or celebrity. Dickinson is known as a shy,
secretive woman with a small circle of friends. This poem might easily be read
as her own thoughts on forging relationships.
This poem is about the decision the soul made about the society she
wanted to be a part of. The Soul Selects her Own Society first describes that the
soul made her decision then “shuts the door;” on all her other choices and what the
majority wanted her to do. Others had attempted to persuade her, but she paid no
attention; “Unmoved, she notes the chariot’s pausing At her low gate; Unmoved,
an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.” To her, others inputs did not matter. She
chose to “close the valves of her attention Like stone.” The Soul Selects her Own
Society stresses that you don’t need others consent to make a decision, it is your
soul, so it is your choice. You set your own standards and choose what you take
part in, and no one else can convince you to do otherwise.
2. Analyzing Stanzas
Stanza 1:
The Soul selects her own Society —
Then — shuts the Door —
To her divine Majority —
Present no more —
The speaker begins the first short verse of 'The Soul Selects Her Own Society' with
the sentence that later became the poem's title. Because all of Emily Dickinson's
poems remained unidentified after she penned them, this is a typical practice when
it comes to her poetry. In the first lines, she tells how "The Soul," whether hers or
someone else's, chooses the person or persons she wishes to become close to and
then "closes the Door." No one is permitted to enter her "divine Majesty" at this
time. Only a chosen few, or one, are permitted to genuinely and completely
understand her.
Stanza 2:
Unmoved — she notes the Chariots — pausing —
At her low Gate —
Upon her Mat —
In the second verse of 'The Soul Selects Her Own Society,' the soul's strength and
determination are stressed. Dickinson's speaker observes that it makes no
difference who comes knocking on her soul's door. It could be an Emperor
"kneeling" on the Chariots' mat, "pausing— / At her humble Gate." None of this
would persuade her to open the figurative door to her heart. This should
demonstrate to the reader that the individual at the door is of the sort described
(their statue, wealth, grandeur). The soul only opens its doors to people it chooses
for reasons other than the banal.
Stanza 3:
I’ve known her — from an ample nation —
Choose One —
Then — close the Valves of her attention —
Like Stone —
The speaker zooms back in the final four words of 'The Soul Selects Her Own
Society,' speaking about the soul's exclusive selection process. She has known
"her" to pick "one" from the "ample nation" of people who desire to enter her
innermost life. Then she shuts the "Valves of her attention— / Like Stone." As a
result, no one will ever open the "valve" or door again. The valve metaphor, along
with the stone imagery, aids in firmly concluding the poetry. This is how things
are, the speaker says, and no one can persuade the soul to change her opinion.
3. Meaning of difficult words
 Soul acts as human and has human capabilities or closing a door.

 divine Majority could mean the social or religious system to which she is
no longer present.
 the Chariots symbolize other religions coming and the door symbolizes
religion which is shut out when the door is in a sense closed.
 an Emperor stands for the importance or status of the speaker or God.
 her Mat: external trappings of the soul’s residence, are the only items
describing the soul specifically in the second stanza.
 the Valves: stands for the entry ways to her heart or mind.
4. Poetic/Literary devices
a. Style of poetry
b. Form:
Like many of Dickinson's poems, "The Soul selects her own Society"
doesn't use an existing form (like the sonnet), but invents its own. This brief
poem uses three quatrains (four-line stanzas), almost every line of which ends
in one of Dickinson's favorite punctuation marks: the dash. (See the Poetic
Devices entry on end-stopped lines for more on those dashes.) Dickinson's
unusual choices around meter and rhyme here also contribute to the poem's
idiosyncratic effect; read more about that in the Meter and Rhyme Scheme
sections.
There's a simplicity to these three punchy quatrains that mirrors the
personified soul's matter-of-fact rejection of the "divine Majority." The soul
gives no explanation for her choices: she simply makes them. The poem's
brief and unusual form reflects this soul's unapologetic independence.
c. Tone
The tone of this poem is serious, authoritative, and a bit rebellious. This
reflects Dickinson's Transcendental nature of individuality. Our poem connects
with the essay on Dickinson's life in many ways.
d. Punctuation
Dickinson is noted for her unusual handling of punctuation. In this
poem, she uses dashes both at the ends of lines and between words. This
peculiar technique has been the subject of much critical study, but it is
generally believed that Dickinson, who did not typically follow the standard
rules of grammar, used dashes to indicate how words, phrases and clauses
should be interpreted. Note, for instance, how the first dash in line two alters
the reading rhythm of the formal iambic structure.
e. Alliteration: Alliteration is used in the first line, “The Soul selects her own
Society”.
f. Rhyme.
The Soul selects has a rhyme scheme: abab with both full and slant

rhyme dominant. So, first line rhymes with third line and second line with
fourth. The thing to note though is that not all the rhymes are obviously full,
and one pair completely misses the full rhyme boat.
The first stanza is more or less in harmony with full rhyme, which
reflects familiarity and certainty, a counterbalance to the syntax which is full
of uncertainty due to all the dashes: Society/Majority and Door/more.
The second stanza contrasts sharply with the first because a pair of lines
that should rhyme does not at all : pausing/kneeling whilst Gate/Mat - is
pararhyme, that is, the consonant sounds are the same.
The third stanza has full rhyme nation/attention and what is known as

embedded rhyme One/Stone where the first word is contained within the
second. This reinforces the idea of rigidity and finality.
g. Personification:
The soul is personified in this poem, referred to with the pronouns
"she" and "her". This " she" performs the human behaviors associated with
determining with whom she desires to associate. The “soul " selects her own
Society," meaning that she chooses with whom she wants to interact; she
carefully selects her own few friends from among a great many choices. The
speaker describes the soul as " shutting the Door" on the majority of people
and as being "Unmoved" by those who come in chariots. “At her low Gate,"
even including " an Emperor" who comes to kneel before her. In other
words, the soul is not impressed by people who are rich (and drive chariots)
or powerful (like heads of empires) and is unmoved by status and wealth;
these things do not compel her to choose a person. She must value other
qualities that have nothing to do with these things. The speaker says that she
has known the soul to select only one person from among an "ample nation,"
or fairly large group of people, and then close herself off again and pay no
more attention to anyone else. Ultimately, then, the human action that the
soul performs is an intangible one, though the soul's decisions are so final
that they feel almost tangible, like closing a door or turning to stone.
h. Metaphor
The metaphor (describing one thing as another) of "closing the valves
of her attention" is an unusual one: taking us right into the heart where such
allegiances (or rejections) of others' are made.
i. Repetition:
The repetition (repeating a word) of "unmoved" illustrates the firmness with
which the female soul chooses her associations and sticks with them.
j. Simile:
The simile (comparing one thing to another using like or as) of "Like stone"
shows the determination of the soul in establishing her relationships, and the
stubbornness with which she retains her position.
4. Symbols
A. The Emperor
Unmoved — she notes the Chariots — pausing —
At her low Gate —
Upon her Mat —
The imagined "Emperor" who comes to beg for the soul's favor (together
with the "Chariots" that herald his coming) represents worldly power and
success. When the emperor comes calling, the soul doesn't give a hoot,
implying she has little time for the things the outer world considers
important: wealth, prestige, and acclaim are little to her. Perhaps there's a
message here that love gestures don't move the soul either: the kneeling
emperor could be asking (unsuccessfully) for her hand in marriage.
While the world has no power over the soul, the soul appears to have
some power over the world! After all, the "Chariots" and "Emperor" are
prostrating themselves in front of the soul's humble house, with its everyday
"low Gate" and "Mat." Perhaps the sovereign soul possesses power both
beyond and in contrast to the worldly.
B. The Soul's House
“shuts the Door, her low Gate, her Mat”
The speaker uses an extended metaphor in which the soul is compared
to a mansion. More specifically, the soul appears to have a house, complete
with doors, a gate, and a doormat, but the soul also appears to be that house,
with the ability to both let people into and keep them out of her inner world.
This house metaphor, in turn, reflects the speaker's perception of the
soul: as something locked off and self-contained, with the ability to keep
unwanted guests out. The thought of the soul being/having a dwelling also
conjures up images of the symbolic comfort and intimacy of the home.
Also note that this house isn't fancy: it has only a "low Gate," not a
drawbridge, and there's a perfectly ordinary "Mat" out in front for visiting
emperors to kneel on. But its normalcy is also part of its power. While the
soul's house isn't anything special, it's also completely her own.
5. The Theme of the poem
The theme of The Soul Selects her Own Society is it doesn’t matter
what others want or expect of you, only what you want and expect of
yourself.
This poem is about the decision the soul made about the society she
wanted to be a part of. The Soul Selects her Own Society first describes that
the soul made her decision then “shuts the door;” on all her other choices
and what the majority wanted her to do. Others had attempted to persuade
her, but she paid no attention; “Unmoved, she notes the chariot’s pausing At
her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.” To her,
others inputs did not matter. She chose to “close the valves of her attention
Like stone.” The Soul Selects her Own Society stresses that you don’t need
others consent to make a decision, it is your soul, so it is your choice. You
set your own standards and choose what you take part in, and no one else
can convince you to do otherwise.
6. Moral Lessons
The message of "The Soul selects her own Society" is that the soul has a
capacity to connect deeply with a few people and then close itself off from
everyone else. The soul seems to know with certainty what it wants, and once a
decision has been made, the soul cannot be moved to open up again, even for
emperors—or those in positions of authority and societal rank.
1. From the poem, the attitude of the soul toward the rest of the word can best be described as
a. Uncharitable
b. Friendly
c. Indifferent
d. Cautious
2. how does the soul react to the chariots and emperor?

a. Unmoved
b. very impressed
c. bows the pressure to react
d. rebels in fury
3. is basically a description of how people____
a. hurt people
b. become royalty
c. end relationships
d. let other people into their life
4. What can be inferred from the writer’s use the word “Valves” as an image?
a. The soul has complete control over her mindfulness.

b. Emotions are like water, moving and fluid
c. Only one worthy soul is admitted at a time
d. Emotions need to be controlled.
e. The soul must be very selective in choosing whom to love.
5. All the following themes can be found in this poem EXCEPT
a. Individualism
b. The soul reigns supreme
c. Wealth and power rule
d. Self-knowledge
6. What do you think the author meant by “her divine Majority”?
a. Those requesting her friendship

b. Those she refuses
a. Those who seem worthy
b. Those to whom she reveals herself
c. Those who are sent by Go
POEM BY ME
LOVE
The loyalty that's really happily,

Above all others is the devotion.
Deepest, disinterested devotion.
Does the devotion make you shiver?
does it?
All that is glad is not lovey,
lovey, by all account is sad.
Are you upset by how glad it is?
Does it tear you apart to see the lovey so pitiful?
I saw the wooly sensitiveness of my generation destroyed,
How I mourned feelings.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the feelings,
Gently they go - the hairy, the addled, the woolly-headed.

38.cao Thu Hien - Tong Hop AM

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Unit 1.

1 Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

I. Summary of the story

- It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals.

b. Oxymoron: to create antagonism or irony

The complete sentence should be "There is no red rose in all my garden".

4. Why couldn’t the student find a red rose himself?

a. People are ungrateful

1. What would you do if you were the nightingale?

Unit 1.2 William Somerset Maugham (1897-1956)

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

2. Author’s attitude to Mr. Kelade

5. What do pearls symbolize?

4.. What would you do if you were Mr. Kelada ?

5.. What would you do if you were Mr. Ramsay?

Unit 1.3 John Galsworthy (1867-1933)

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

I. Summary of the novel

IV. Reflective Questions

Unit1. William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

No Nightingale did ever chaunt

Will no one tell me what she sings?--

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

I. Summary of the poem

Behold her, single in the field,

 The speaker notices this, and then gives another order.

 We're also getting lesson in iambic tetrameter, which is the meter Wordsworth uses in

No Nightingale did ever chaunt

 Just where, exactly, would such a place be located "Among Arabian sands"?

 "The Solitary Reaper" continues that revolution. Viva la revolución!

Will no one tell me what she sings?—

Unit 1.5 Bernard Shaw (1856 –1950)

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

I. Background of the play

Act II opens with everyone back at home in London. Sartorius, in talking to Mr

II. Literary Analysis

Unit 6: Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)

Mr. Earnshaw displayed considerable partiality toward Heathcliff and evidently

The plot of Wuthering Heights is heavily influenced by social status. Heathcliff's

As a result, the concept of death is central to this novel. It is typically perceived by

Unit 2.1 (Mark Twain (1835-1910)

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

1. Tom’s “great, magnificent inspiration” in paragraph 1 is important to developing

12. Themes, Motifs and Moral Lesson:

Unit 2.3 O. Henry (1862 - 1910)

II. Literary Analysis

4. What would you do if you were in this place?

Jack London (1876 - 1916)

2. A task for individual settled by Nature

The Soul selects her own Society —

Then — shuts the Door —

To her divine Majority —

Unmoved — she notes the Chariots —

At her low Gate —

Unmoved — an Emperor be kneeling

Upon her Mat —

I’ve known her — from an ample nation

Then — close the Valves of her attention

QUESTIONS & PRACTICAL EXERCISES

This poem is situated in a metaphorical setting rather than a physical one: a