LBravo_Xmas Holidays Homework from Performer 

Page 247

• Ex.1

  I think that we can “like” a person because of his physical appearance, but we can “love” a person only for his mind, no matter what he/she looks like (as Shakespeare said, to me “love is blind”). However, in my opinion real love is not definable through words.

  I consider a marriage happy only if the two persons really care for each other. I think that my own parents are the perfect example for this: they always support each other, talk about anything that happens them, and, last but not least, have a relationship based on trust and loyalty.

   

• Ex.2

  The pictures show different kinds of marriage (Jewish, Russian Orthodox, Pakistani, Japanese and Scottish ones), that depend by different cultural conceptions.

   

• Ex.3

  In my country marriage is not still so popular nowadays: people generally prefer going to live together without having legal bonds behind their relationship. I think this happens because couples are not so sure about their choice to be together and so are afraid to decide to divorce one day, and divorce is very expensive; however, the reason could also regard the fact that they are so sure about their choice that they think they don’t have to demonstrate this through socially accepted standards.

  People today usually get married at 30 years old, but in the past they used to get married at 20 or before.

  In a wedding ceremony, there is a political or religious leader that, after the two people have made their promises, bonds them together through a signature on a contract.

Page 249

• Ex.1

  At the beginning of the extract Nazneen was thinking about her sister, who “kicked against fate” escaping from her Country with a man she loved.

  Chanu was a wealthy man with a fat belly, not violent but opportunist, because he liked his new wife Nazneen only because she was a “good worker” in keeping clean the house and preparing meals. His wife discovered this because she listened to what he was saying on phone, probably to a friend. He also said that she wasn’t beautiful, but not so ugly either.

  When Nazneen married him, she expected he had chosen her and thought he wouldn’t have said anything against her, because he wouldn’t even think she had any flaws.

   

• Ex.2

  The text is narrated in third person from Nazneen’s point of view.

   

• Ex.3

  Nazneen is presented as a woman who isn’t able to imagine a social order different from the one she is put in: this is the reason why she criticizes her sister, that appears as a sort of sinner for her non-complying act.

  Chanu is presented as a good husband, because in his Country men used to beat their wives and he hasn’t done this yet (after a week of marriage); however, he is also presented as an opportunist (↑).

• Ex.4

  Mrs Ali’s comic touch is particularly visible from “It would be possible” to “could take the weight” from line 29 to 31.

   

• Ex.5

  Marriage, in particular arranged marriage, here is presented as a duty for any women, because of the particular cultural context. What is more, to have a husband who beats you is seen as normal. However, it is also understandable thatwives usually, as the one presented here does, cozenthemselves about an happy marriage in which they are chosen because theyare really appreciated for their own qualities.

   

• Ex.6

  I’d like to get married, because I consider marriage a way to underline how your relationship is strong; what is more, nowadays marriage is a fundamental formal act that you have to do in order to have more couple rights.

   

• Ex.7

  I think that sometimes arranged marriage can be positive, in particular if the rich man you have to marry is a good-hearted person that respects you and helps you to escape from poverty and dangerous situations, but I think that cases like this practically don’t exist.