Домашнее чтение Уильям Сомерсет Моэм «Узорный покров» главы XLIV - XLVIII, 1 (Школьные сочинения)

1. Give a brief account of the events in ch. XLIV – XLVIII.

Chapter 44 takes us to the moment when Kitty was alone in her room trying to set in order the feeling in her heart. She was thinking about everything she had seen which made her impressed. She compared the seized city with a word situated neither in space nor in time. Every room seemed strange and cold to here as though she was an alien from a distant planet. She was amazed at how brave the nuns were and how strongly and blindly they respected the little vulgar chapel that had become a place of spirit. She was proud of Walter who was represented as a thoughtful and tender doctor.

She realized that it was Walter who could bear his accomplishments confidently without showing off. She had only contempt for herself because once she had felt contempt for Walter. She was scared stiff.

Chapter 45 starts with the description of the nuns who had treated her like a dear guest. She lost in the words to find the one which would express the qualities she saw in the Mother Superior. She clearly saw the gulf that separated her from those women. They spoke a different language not only of the tongue but of the heart. She felt her loneliness as hard as she had never felt before.

Then Walter came back to the bungalow. When he was talking about commonplace things Kitty interrupted him asking what they should do if they get through the epidemic. Walter admitted that he had no idea. She told him that she had visited the convent. Then she spoke her mind telling him everything she had been thinking about including the matter of Charles, the adultery and the epidemic. She admitted that she felt proud of him. He replied sharply saying that the only thing she felt towards him was contempt. Kitty wondered if he absolutely despised her. His reply

was quite laconic: ‘I despise myself.

As soon as they had their dinner eaten Walter sat by the lamp and read. Kitty was thinking about how his behaviour had changed since the moment she hurt him. He used to listen to her chit-chatting because he loved her. And now it seemed that he even didn’t notice her existence. All of a sudden he asked the reason why he had said that he despised himself. He replied that he did it because he loved her. She understood what he meant. She was sure that he was unfair because he couldn’t judge her for the way she was. It was like telling off a person who was not interested in a symphony concert because he was deaf. It was just her nature.

All the next day she thought of the convent and the morning after she crossed the river. When the chairs were set down she saw a beggar asking for alms. She gave him a few cash. She was invited into a stiff parlour where she had to wait till Mother Superior came. As soon as Kitty saw her she took notice of her red eyes. It was clear that she had been crying. The Mother Superior informed her that one of the nuns who came here with her about 10 years ago had gone. Kitty was staring at her face distorted by the grief. Kitty confessed that she had come here in order to offer her help. She was ready to take up any sort of job she could cope with. Firstly the Mother Superior resisted by saying that she had done enough by coming here with Walter. Nevertheless, Kitty stood her ground. The Mother Superior worried about her own health since at their first meet she found her quite pale, so some nuns guessed that Kitty had a baby. She forbade her to go to the infirmary but found her some job with the smaller children.

Kitty immersed in the work with her head. The days quickly passed by while she was in the convent from dusk till dawn. After a while, she realised that she had changed. She wasn’t a cold fish anymore, she didn’t find these children repulsive and terrifying.

She was a good babysitter though she had never been taught how to deal with the household chores.

ut there was one child that she could not grow used to.