Textuality » 4A Interacting
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Part 1
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THE GIRLS AND THE DEMON FOX
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1.
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Who? Two girls usually known by their surnames.
When? During the First World War 1914-18. The Daylight. Saving Bill was introduced in May 1916.
Where? Bailey Farm a little homestead, quite a distance from The White Horse (which is cut into the chalk of Uffington Hill, near Wantage, Berkshire, west London).
What? The two girls had taken the farm together, intending to make a living from chickens, as well as keeping other animals. But things haven't gone well.
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2.
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Banford | March |
Physically: height build | Small thin, delicate | Robust (the man about the place), straight shoulders |
Money | Main investor (her father's money) | Little or no money |
Father | A trades man in Islington, north London | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> |
Health | Delicate | robust |
Marital status | Unmarried | unmarried |
Skills | [her grandfather was a farmer] | Near 30 and joinery |
Age | Near 30 | Near 30 |
Farm clothes | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Puttees and breeches a belted coat loose cap |
Movements | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Easy and confident |
Appearance | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Like some graceful loose-balanced young man |
Face | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Very feminine |
Eyes | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Big and wide and dark |
Hair | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Crisp dark |
Manner | <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> | Strange, shy and in her voice at the same time; as if in pain and irony; something odd and sardonic - i.e. Mixed with her pleasure at the chickens there is a touch of dangerous satire in her eyes and unexplained, odd whims and unsatisfied tendencies |
Attitude to the chickens | Speaks to them | Although she has a favourite (Patty) the narrator mentions "an almost satirical flicker" in her eyes when with the chickens, also toward Patty. Fowls are "stupid" |
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Things they have in common:
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1 Personality traits: gallant, enterprising.
2 Attitude to mistakes on the farm: Life was not made merely to be Slaved away; they disbelived in living for work alone.
3 Hobbies: reading and Cycling. March also loves: painting curvilinear swans on porcelain and cabinet work.
d)
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As regards March's personality, Lawrence emphasizes her
unsureness, whereas Cecily Lambert also emphasizes her
cousin's; seemingly contradictory;
"mixture of, overwhelming conceit and arrogance allied to a kind of
meekness."
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4.
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In the opening paragraphs the narrator is clearly intending to tell us an apparently true story that fascinates him and to try and explain the background circumstances in a friendly, conversational, almost gossipy way. He uses expressions like "that is" and then clarifies what he means; and he uses simple adverbs like "unfortunately" before explaining some of the problems Banford and March had. He also slips in the adverbial phrase "quite gallantly" to share with us - always in a rather chatty manner - his admiration for the two girls, who are neither young, but "certainly not old", as they "set out with their enterprise" in difficult war conditions. He is also well-informed about farm-animals, and the different kinds of chickens and the problems of keeping them - especially for those who are completely new to this kind of work. Without being satirical, he becomes, nevertheless, amused by the animals wild behavior as well as sympathetic about the girl's problems with them. Notice the conversationally short phrases, the enthusiastic repetition of words, and the use of dramatic verbs, adverbs and adjectives:
....
....
The narrator is equally amused by and sympathetic to one of the girls main beliefs, - But he then uses sentimental, exaggerated expressions to mimic and slightly laugh at their frustrations with their chickens.
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5.
uncountable noun - d) a force that makes bad or wicked things happen
countable noun - a) a very unpleasant or harmful situation or activity
adjectives - b) very wicked by nature, taking pleasure in harming ...
common phrases - c) the lesser of two evils; an evildoer; the evil eye
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6.
DEMON: b) A source of worry
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7.
name: Bailey Farm
kind of place: a little homestead
buildings: ancient wooden barn; low-gabled farm-house
land around: Fields
what is near: the edge of a wood
how near: just one field away
kind of country: wide country stretching hollow and dim into the far distance
famous place nearby: the round hills of the White Horse
time of year: the end of August
colour of the trees: darkish, brownish green ( in the full light), copper-like
grass nearby: deep, long brownish stalks that gleam
where's the pond? Under the pine trees
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8.
On the one hand, they are usually: the best of friends
Banford is: nervous and delicate, but also a warm, generous soul
March is: odd and absent in herself, but has a strange magnanimity
On the other hand: the long solitude, they tend to become a little irritable with one another; tired of one another; seeming; to have to live too much off themselves without outside stimulus. And when Babford is despondent, March speaks sharply to her.
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9.
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a) By their surnames.
b) It's amateurish; and their intention to "make a living by
poultry" is unrealistic: "things did not turn out well" . "It didn't flourish".
c)"She would be the man about the place."
d) She is delicate.
e) In "puttees and breeches" with a "belted coat" and "loose cap".
f) Life was not made merely to be slaved away. Both Banford and March disbelieved in living for work alone.
g) Painting porcelain; cabinet work; crochet-work.
h) Curvilinear swans, with green background.
i) In a railway-carriage; "a sort of out-house".
j) They have accepted financial help from Banford's father and they can adjust realistically to financial difficulties in a precarious post-war economy. Their limited diet is a reminder that this was a time of food rationing for everyone.
k) Banford was afraid of them; whereas they made March feel "uncomfortable, and disturbed" and gloomy.
l) March speaks to Patty, her favoured hen and Banford speaks "to the fowls" generally.
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10.
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Introduced as | One evil greater than any other |
Compared to | A demon (since the end of the war) |
sex | male |
Main problem | Carries off their hens |
Banford's reactions | She just starts and stares |
What she hears | Another squawk and flutter every time a chicken is taken |
Her feeling | disheartened |
Attempted remedy | They both stand sentinel with their guns at favoured times |
Legal change | A new law permits people to shoot foxes |
Speed | Too quick for Banford and march |
Financial consequences | They are making losses |
Effect on march's workload | There seemed no relief 8she is already doing four-fifths of the work) |
Effect on their feelings | The fox really exasperated them both |
Personality | Sly; it seems to circumvent the girls deliberately |
Movements | He slid along; making off, with slow leaps slow, impudent jumps, ran smoothly away; gone, softly, soft as the wind |
Compared to what animal | Difficult as a serpent to see |
Physically | The tip of his brush is white; he casts a ruddy shadow; he holds his brush smooth like a feather his white buttocks twinkle |
Attitude to march | Although she tries to shoot at him, he makes no account of this; he knew her etc; he was not daunted; half inviting, half contemptuous and cunning; cool as anything |
How long the problem continues | Two years |
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11.
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She was half watching, half musing. It was her constant state.
It was a question, whether she was there, actually consciously present, or not.
What was she thinking about? Heaven knows. Her consciousness was, as it were, held back.
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12.
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a) and
b) to know sexually
c) man, woman
d) he, her, she
e) very repetitive
f) all three are important
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14.
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a emotional
b logical
c psychological
d passionately
e same
f think
g touches
h interest
I pain
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16.
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A:4
B:3
C:5
D:1
E:2
F:6
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17.
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a They are "dark" and "heavy".
b Banford listens "to the wind in the pines". It is "a dull, heavy moist wind".
c It gets dark at 4 pm, though the day has never properly dawned.
d For the girls it is an "almost continuous darkness that enveloped them".
e It is dark, sodden, black. The rain drips.