liquidacid
07-02-2003, 06:29 PM
Ok, here's a test for someone. My French friend, who is an English student, has asked me for help with her assignment. She though that my being English, i'd have no problems. Thing is, my girlfriend, my two flatmates and myself are all puzzled as to what her tutor is looking for......
okay, the story is like that...they have separated a year ago and now he is bringing back the children...they went to the park but it started to rain...so he brings back the boys and asks his wife to give him an umbrella because it is raining heavily and it takes him a bit to get to the next underground:
"I'm not giving you one, " she said. "If there were a thousand umbrellas there I would not give you one."
He said, "They are my umbrellas."
"No," she repeated.
"How petty u've become."
Didn't I give you everything?"
He cleared his throat."Everything but love."
"I did give u that , acutually." She said, "I've rung my friend. He's on his way."
He said, "I don't care. JUst give me an umbrella."
She shook her head. She went to shut the door. He put his foot out and she banges the door against his leg. He wanted to rub his shin but could not give her the pleasure.
He said, "Let's try to be rational."
He had hated before, his parents and brother, at certain times. But it was a fury, not a deep intellectuel and emotional hatred like this. He had had psychotherapy; he took tranquilizers, but still he wanted to pulverize his wife. None of the ideas he had about life would make this feeling go away. afreind had suggested it would be no bad thing if he lost the "good" idea of himself, seeing himself as more complicated and passionate. But he could not understand the advantage of seeing himself as unhinged.
"You used to find the rain "refreshing" she said with a sneer.
"It has come to this "; he said.
"Here we are then ", she said. "Don't start crying about it."
So, what is meant by him saying "It has come to this ", and her saying "Here we are then".
What we had thought was that it was simply his acknowledgement of how petty and spiteful their dealing with each other had become, and her saying, that this was the way it was (going) to be.
Thing is though, this is what my French friend had thought too, but her tutor had told her no.
Is she giving him the umbrella when she says "here we are then"? I'm quite puzzled as to what is being looked for here.
Can any bright spark help us out? My sexy French friend would be very grateful to anyone who can help.
I hope the mods don't mind but i am going to doublem post this in the lounge and bookworld. This is because i could do with an answer tonight.
okay, the story is like that...they have separated a year ago and now he is bringing back the children...they went to the park but it started to rain...so he brings back the boys and asks his wife to give him an umbrella because it is raining heavily and it takes him a bit to get to the next underground:
"I'm not giving you one, " she said. "If there were a thousand umbrellas there I would not give you one."
He said, "They are my umbrellas."
"No," she repeated.
"How petty u've become."
Didn't I give you everything?"
He cleared his throat."Everything but love."
"I did give u that , acutually." She said, "I've rung my friend. He's on his way."
He said, "I don't care. JUst give me an umbrella."
She shook her head. She went to shut the door. He put his foot out and she banges the door against his leg. He wanted to rub his shin but could not give her the pleasure.
He said, "Let's try to be rational."
He had hated before, his parents and brother, at certain times. But it was a fury, not a deep intellectuel and emotional hatred like this. He had had psychotherapy; he took tranquilizers, but still he wanted to pulverize his wife. None of the ideas he had about life would make this feeling go away. afreind had suggested it would be no bad thing if he lost the "good" idea of himself, seeing himself as more complicated and passionate. But he could not understand the advantage of seeing himself as unhinged.
"You used to find the rain "refreshing" she said with a sneer.
"It has come to this "; he said.
"Here we are then ", she said. "Don't start crying about it."
So, what is meant by him saying "It has come to this ", and her saying "Here we are then".
What we had thought was that it was simply his acknowledgement of how petty and spiteful their dealing with each other had become, and her saying, that this was the way it was (going) to be.
Thing is though, this is what my French friend had thought too, but her tutor had told her no.
Is she giving him the umbrella when she says "here we are then"? I'm quite puzzled as to what is being looked for here.
Can any bright spark help us out? My sexy French friend would be very grateful to anyone who can help.
I hope the mods don't mind but i am going to doublem post this in the lounge and bookworld. This is because i could do with an answer tonight.