Homework for "The Woman of the House"
Write an answer based on information found on the page you have been assigned. Try, as best you can, to connect what happens on that page to events that occur either before or after in the story. Use at least one literary term (setting, conflict, plot, irony etc.) in your answer. Quote the story at least once, but no more than 20 words, maximum, for all quotes. Identify the page number, please, as a heading before your paragraph. See my model answer for more ideas on what to do.
Write between 150 and 200 words. Bring your word processed work to class on Wednesday.
NOTE: For a page number to do, use the first letter of your first name as a guide. If your name begins with A or B, do page one. C or D, do page two. Go on through the letters in the same way (for example, if your name begins with "M" it would be page seven). Sorry, but Charlotte must not have gotten my second email with these instructions!
20 comments:
Page 8
At this point in the story, the mystery of what has happened to the crippled man deepens. The painters are curious and note Martina’s strange behaviours. But what seems most important here is William Trevor’s use of setting to help create meaning. One way he does this is through contrast: Martina’s home compared to the painter’s “dwelling.” She has closed all the windows, avoiding any contact with the two men, “watching the hands on the kitchen clock” until she could open the windows and doors again. She has a warm and secure place, notwithstanding the difficulty she had with the crippled man. In contrast, the painters build a place using “fallen stones,” a “few timber beams” and “sheets of old galvanized iron for the roof.” But, “they’d known worse.” Their satisfaction with a rough home stands in contrast to the modest farm, where Martina will live on in comfort after their prying eyes are gone. It can’t be any better said than by Trevor in his final paragraph: “Their circumstances made them that, as hers made her what she’d become.”--180 words
At the conclusion of the story the painters suspect the crippled man has died. As they walked through the impoverished garden “They looked down at the solitary flower bed” “They did not say [to each other] this was a grave” However, William Trevor uses descriptive writing to describe the setting making it easy to assume it is the burial site of the crippled man. Trevor describes a “wide straight path from the gate, had been crushed and recovered.” Painting a vivid image of the path of broken grass that Martina would have traveled in an otherwise untouched landscape. With the disappearance of the crippled man the painters suspect that Martina was now fearful of them. They think that she is avoiding them, and their presence was causing her to act strangely. I however, suspect that her strange behaviour was due to her committing the murder of the crippled man. During the story the crippled man seems to antagonize Martina when drinking. I believe that Martina struggles with her internal conflict as she lives a life that she did not picture for herself. Having lost the opportunity to have children in her past relationship, and now having to care take her distant alcoholic cousin. Trevor concludes the story nicely in the last paragraph writing “Their circumstances made them that, as hers made her what she’d become.” Leaving the reader pondering what Martina perhaps had become a murderer.
-236 Words.
Page 5
On this page, the narrator, William Trevor, described the motive why the crippled man and Martine began to live together and their situations at that time. Trevor clearly revealed that she wasn’t the crippled man’s wife, and they were “cousins of a kind,” through her daily life when “she made two beds,” while he had his breakfast. However, the two painters assumed they were a couple. From their conversations about the two painters in the kitchen where this story was set, readers can see their external conflicts and inharmonious relationship. “She didn’t manage to get him out to the yard anymore” and often ignored him. Thus, we can realize that his life was restricted and dependent on her completely, but she was compassionless to him. In the last paragraph of the fourth page, Trevor depicted the relationship between Martine and Costigan who was the owner of the meat shop. In contrast with the crippled man, she had had a very close personal relationship with Costigan in his shop perhaps because he could be potential husband. This story seems the crippled man and Martine lived together because of their needs like employer and employee. (193 words)
Evelyn
April 3 2013
The Woman of the House
Page 3
In this stage of the story, the brothers were content that they had found a job. Although, they seemed to be puzzled by the crippled man’s condition, their focus was to have a job to survive. The writer presented the conflict creatively in this page. For instance, because of Martina’s first, “careless marriage had fallen apart, leaving her homeless;” she became more careful especially with money. As William Trevor said, “When Costigan was livelier, Martina enjoyed the moments of deception,” for it was during these times that she made some money for herself. In addition, the crippled man’s decision to paint the house has generated a problem between them too. Even though, she knew there was sufficient money to cover the cost for painting the house; she asked,” Where the money was coming from?” Martina’s past still haunts her and her insatiable appetite for money is creating her a convoluted life.
164 words
Page 4
In this page, the story for the first time reveals the social environment of two painters that they are stateless “Gypsies,” and the author characterises the two men around this. That is a mandatory circumstance that they “born into a community of stateless survivors in the mountains.” This situation makes them somewhat self-abased and sensitive but also prompts them as firm and tenacious. The vagrant and wild life in the childhood gives them an honest and virtuous nature, and separating them from their family when thirteen and fourteen causes “survival as they were was their immediate purpose.” The readers can see how these backgrounds affect the two men’s actions and attitude in the story. These are reflected in such as the two men cunningly bargain with the crippled man and honestly perform the contract; the two men carefully and attentively deal with the mysterious woman, and the two men have a keen insight into the changes of the farmhouse. I believe the portrayals about circumstances of the two men successfully meet the requirement of characterisation, and they make a unique perspective to differ this story from others.
-187 words
page 4
The author selects the settings carefully to unfold the conflicts and plots further in this story. The settings are so naturally, familiar, but very useful. In the sitting room, Martina asked why they would paint the house angrily; that hints argue will burst. In Carragh, the laps bought brushes and paint, asking what would be the best for painting walls. Actually, “they had never painted a house before.” This plot shows the laps’ character, regarded as Gypsies, deeply. “Knowing what to do... acquiring what had to be required,” they possessed the ability for survival. In Martina’s bedroom the plot, before her wardrobe looking glasses, reveals her inside. And the details spill her secret: hiding money in the Gold Flake tin; wiping away the lipstick “smudged by Costigan”. All characters have appeared in this page, and some suspensions loomed. More plots will be developed on the following pages.
Words: 147
The Third Page
We can see the efficiency of a strong point of view and conflict on the third page of the story. William Trevor by appropriate usage of omniscient portrays the depth and thought of the characters. He reveals how much the painter men are needy and become glad of finding the work, and Martina’s feeling about “Costigan” and her enjoyable “moments of deception,” while “she had saved still secreted[the money] in her clothes.” We get more information about the crippled man, his inability and indulgence in alcohol, and also the complicated relation between Martina and him through the conflicts that writer has used. Rejecting to give him more drink by Martina, their argument about the painting and the source of money for that, are the examples of conflicts on that page. William Trevor by using these techniques, has illustrated Martina’s thought, her situation, the cousin’s pressures on her, beside the painter men’s struggling in order to survive. In fact, he has made the reader’s mind prepared for the following events, that finally, terminates with removing the crippled man as a barrier in the way of “their circumstance”.
189 words
Page 4
Trevor Williams tries to show the social environment through the two sets of characters. Martina, the
main character, annoys with her cousin when she learns that he has given advance to the painters. She
asks him, " why would they paint a house when all they have to do is walk in and help themselves?" It
shows her lust for money. She has spent her life in poverty and she doesn't believe anyone where
money involves. She tries to save money though she has to sell her morality. Whereas, the painters, who were born as stateless survivors and have faced a hard life want to do their work honestly. They had got a contract to paint the outside of the house and they had got the advance. They could easily run away but they prefer to buy the material from the market. Writer shows us two different character traits on this page; Martina who has been living with the crippled man for the last twenty years and the two painters who have met him recently. They didn't deceive him for paltry gains, but she has been
deceiving him for a long time and she does it even after his death.
201 words
Page 6
There is an obvious conflict on page six- the painters hear the altercation from the house when they are working, and the subject is about money and land. This part matches the plot well. On page three, after Martina buys groceries and arrives home, the crippled man wants the list and receipt, and checks them carefully; on the other hand, Martina hides the money that Costigan gives back to her and enjoys “these moments of deception”. By telling these stories, William Trevor shows us that for Martina and her crippled cousin, money is more important than each other, even though they have lived together for twelve years. Besides, when the crippled man shouts for his pains and asks her “Come in and keep me warm,” Martina rejects him directly. What a cruel woman! Despite that she is waiting to “inherit what was left”, they are distantly related after all. It leads me to think that Martina doesn’t want to wait and kills the crippled man. ---167 words
P1
In the story “The Woman of The House,” the painters are the key figures through the story. The crippled man seems be isolated from the world; he didn’t know many things had been changed by time, but “saying that had been the cost the last time﹝nineteen years ago﹞.” For this reason, we can understand what William said: “No one would miss the crippled man,” at the end. How cold and detached the society is. People are careless about others. For example, there would be a chance to expose the scheme by the painters, but they just cared about their life. They did not choose to fight for justice. On the other hand, everyone in the story is attached to money, and because of money they did whatever they can to achieve. Firstly, the crippled man who can afford to pay, but bargained with the painter to save more money. Secondly, Martina who allowed the butcher take liberties with her may commit the murder for “more” money as well. To my surprise, the younger men who are the soul of the story just keep silence because they wanted to get the money back. Even though it is just a simple story, it reveals the really realistic society and human nature. 213 words
Page 5
On this page Trevor sheds light on the relationship between Martina and the crippled man. Trevor states they they were not a couple, like the painters thought, but they were "cousins of a kind". The relationship between them was reciprocal and they both needed each other. Martina was "on her own and occasionally employed," and the crippled man also lived alone since his mother's death and needed support, for he is dependent.Moreover, Trevor on this reveals the life and characteristics of the crippled man. He was born with a disability and was always depended on others. The man didn't seem to go out of the farm nor communicate with others and that is why "people assumed that he died." The man reflected the common drinking-Irish stereotype which we can clearly see in the story .He also had lots of arguments with Martina who ignored him most of the time. Trevor also talks about their daily routine with emphasizing on the settings. Every morning Martina collected "what eggs had been laid in the night," she sets the breakfast table and "she made the two beds." Trevor used sensory language to describe the settings, for example "the clatter of the dishes and the sound of the frying," and "the lid of the kettle rattling."Overall, from this page we can clearly notice the relationship between the two characters which is based on there needs for each other.
220 words
Page 8
William Trevor on this page described how the two painters noticed that the crippled man wasn't there any more. The setting was very important to understand the events on this page. Many things changed after the painters came back to work. First, the woman started to avoid them, and the tea came without additions and in varying times.Moreover, the crippled man was not in his chair by the range, and they didn't hear his voice since they had returned after the rain. Trevor also described how the woman waited for the painters to go before opening the doors and windows: "in the kitchen she waited for another quarter of an hour, watching the hands of the dresser clock." On this page the conflict began, when the two men started to talk about the crippled man.Since the payment was agreed upon with him, they were worried that he might have left the house or passed away, and that the woman won't give them the money. In conclusion, Trevor's description of the setting was very interesting. 170 words
Page 3
When I was reading previous pages, I was confused by the author’s writing style. William Trevor was talking about a crippled man and two painters on page one, but jumped to another start of Martina’s introduction in the fifth paragraph of page two. On this page, the story is connected. I had found three literary terms in this page: setting, conflict, and irony. Readers are clearer that the house is belonging to the crippled man and Martina and he was alone when the painter brother came to find work. Martina and the man are having a conflict at the bottom of the page that they are arguing on paying moneys to the painters. It is really funny that Martina said “A blue van was in the boreen” after the crippled man remained her he couldn’t see with the dialogue - “I wouldn’t know what color it was.” Page three is an important page that makes all the details concatenated, and gives more descriptions of all characters.
166 words
Page 5
In the fiction “The Woman of the House” written by William Trevor, the main character’s conflict with one another is gradually revealed. The relationship between Martina and the crippled man looks like a couple, but she has conflict with him over years. For example, when Martina bought groceries to home, he unexpectedly wants “the list back and receipt.” That shows the reader he suspicious her. On page five, this kind of conflict between them are escalated. Martina has already lived with him and taken care of him for twelve years since his parents died, but what he does shows the reader that their relationships are “cousins of a kind” and she is “only occasionally employed”. Consequently, she ignores him easily. At the end of the story, when the woman hides the death of the crippled man, the conflict that she has reaches the peak. Gradually showing the character’s conflict is the effective way to catch the reader’s attention and tense.
---160 Words
At the conclusion of the story has covered some mysterious and reflective elements. The painters suspect that the crippled man has died and bury under the “solitary flower bed.” Also, Trevor uses descriptive technique to capture the image of the suspected grave. I said it is suspected because “they [the painters] did not say this was a grave.” Besides, the painters are worried that the woman will deny the payment since the agreement is made by the crippled man. “They listened for the chug of the car’s unreliable engine but did not come.” The painters now try to show they have no threat by not touching her money. Lastly, I have a feeling that the woman suddenly behaves strange is due to she commit a crime. The sentence “At last impatient, anger had not allowed a woman who had waited too long to wait,” makes me believe that she can’t bear with the crippled man’s rude manner and kill him. However, there is a doubt too because the crippled man takes aspirin with his alcohol together. Trevor uses “tomorrow they [the painters] will travel on” to end the story, and I think it is a good ending.
197 words
Page 9
At this moment, the secrecy of what happened to the crippled man is unknown. The painters were interested to solve this mystery and they noted that Martina was leaving the house when they arrived. Martina’s car wasn’t supposed to be on the “road for the last thirty years,” said the mechanic of Kirpatrick’s garage where she took her car for repair. Her car gave her many problems even when she drove slowly. William Trevor used a setting to show her unhappiness after arriving at the farmhouse. She found that the crippled man has had a drink with the two young men he has hired to paint the outside wall of the house. The other day, she wanted to leave before the painters came in but one “rear tire had lost some air.” They thought that she was the woman of the house but she didn’t have a ring on her finger. The two men relocated the ladders from one opening to the following till they have “gone all the way around the house.” They didn’t hear the crippled man inside during all these time of silence. The crippled man was dead inside the house. 194 words
Page 7
In the evening the brothers , who was painting the farmhouse, returned all equipment. During the rain they had a day off. That time, the crippled man "was fuddled with drink" like usual. Martina told him - "not wanting to look at him" - " about her saint" because he asked it. The scene, the conversation of the crippled man with Martina, changed on the painters. The men had continued their work quickly after the rain on the farmhouse because they lost time. "The money was better" for them. The brothers thought about another work in the future. They were of the view that Martina was the wife of the crippled man. Moreover, the brothers had seen some strange habits of that "couple" in a daily routine like the tea was coming "at varying times" and so on (on the others pages). - 151words
On page 2, in the story, “The Woman Of the House”, William Trevor illustrates the character Martina’s complicated trait. She is tolerant. Her old Dodge van had frequently stopped, and it was considered useless, but she wanted “to be tolerated because it was necessary.” This vehicle was important for her and it also was an excuse of being late home. Living with an emotional man is torture. “He had begun to argue” and “it could go on all day.” When he had a good mood, his regular request “tell me” also was annoying. In the meat shop, she was used to Costigan fondling her, and “she had enjoyed these moments of deception.” She saved the money that Costigan gave back to her. No one could guess what is In her complicated mind behind her tolerant appearance.
On page one of “The woman of the house,” is about two stranger printers came to the farmhouse to look for a job opportunity. I might say that they were unlucky because they asked an old crippled man who had been living out of this reality for long time. As the price was told, the crippled man complained that the price was not reasonable, so he mentioned that “If it was nineteen years since the house had been painted, he said, the price would have been less than would be worthwhile for them now. A man that could afford to pay off that price, but he choose to tear off his face to ask for less just wants to save a little. People are selfish, but they also have their principle of doing things so we all should respect them. -140 words
Page 7
At this point in the story, the painters returned the ladders, assuming that the rainy days would continue longer and got a new temporary job, working at the mill conversion. When they had worn out the subject of the pension, the crippled man would request her to tell about the saint she was named after. But, on the rainy day, she didn’t say anything before she returned from the yard. Though he complimented her when she finished speaking, she didn’t want to look at him, standing behind him. This situation implies that, sooner or later, she would let him die of alcohol. Meanwhile, the painters worked at the mill conversion for nine days, longer than expected. In fact, they preferred to work longer because “The money was better and there was talk of more employment in the future.”When they returned to paint again, the place was quiet and no one was seen there. William Trevor described that only “The tea came without additions and at varying times.” (169 words)
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