Домашнее чтение, Уильям Сомерсет Моэм «Узорный покров», главы XXXIV - XXXVIII, Discussion Questions (Сочинение на свободную тему)

1. Comment on the following: ‘She wished to despise him because so long as she only hated him she knew that she was very near loving him’ (ch. XXXVI).

Though Kitty wished to hate Charlie she still had feelings for him. Her endless amount of attempts of trying to despise him failed. Maybe she tried to pretend that she had nothing but scorn towards him, but somewhere deep inside she was charmed by him. Her love was blind. Even after talking about Charlie with Waddington she wondered what she liked about him so much. He had nothing but a pleasant appearance to be loved for.

2. Comment on Waddington’s remark: ‘…you and I are the only people here who walk quite quietly and peacefully on solid ground.

The nuns walk in heaven and your husband – in darkness. ’ What did he mean?

In this statement, Waddington told about his and Kitty’s roles in Mei-Tan-Fu. He clearly understood that they were unlikely to get in danger, that’s why he said that they were the only people who walked quite quietly and peacefully. They didn’t connect with citizens, kept to the rules to avoid getting infected. While Walter faced the danger every day. People were dying like flies, and it was he who could save them and contribute greatly to science. The nuns were at risk as well because taking care after the ill was up to the. I don’t clearly understand why Waddington said that they were in heaven, while Kitty’s husband was in darkness. Maybe he meant that they were religious.

3. Speaking not ironically, is a wife’s place always by her husband’s side? (ch. XXXVIII)

Of course, it isn’t. It is up to the wife to decide whether she has to be by her husband’s side or not. Maybe in the period when these events happened, it was different, but nowadays reality shows that any woman even if she is married has a right to decide. There is a tendency that more and more women aim to be independent of a man. There were periods of time when any woman was considered only as a caretaker of her man and home. Her opportunities were confined.

ut everything has changed greatly.