Questions for
pp 27 – 32
(Deadline for these answers: 11 March)
(Deadline for these answers: 11 March)
1. a. What is characteristic of Marjorie’s flat?
b. What
impression do you get of her life?
2. a. Describe the way the ants life.
b. In what
way(s) does it resemble the way people live?
3. What is Marjorie’s attitude to Mich during the last
meeting?
4. What does she do to Mick at the end of the story?
Why?
Serrusalmus
ReplyDelete1. marjorie's living room on the nineteenth floor, is full of brightness. She has colorful fish tanks on the one side of the living room and window glass on the other. There is a silence only interrupted by the hum of the electric pumps, aerating the water. Through the window she overview the streets below, where cares and humans occur tiny and busy.
2. You get the impression of her, as being a very unsocial person. She is not getting out much and the agoraphobia, pretty much steers her life. It is not something she is unaware of. She seeks comfort in quietness and that must be the reason why aquariums appeal so much to her. Her way of life seems isolated and harsh.
a. The ants live in their own little world which can be compared to the human world. In the text they appear busy and hard working, trailing from their nest to the leafs which they cut in to peaces weighing 10 times their own bodyweight just to carry them back again. It is like a never ending process only briefly stopped by something that would seem like small chitchat when they bomb in to each other.
b. The way of the ants are in many ways similar to the way of humans. The ants are social creatures just like humans, they live in colonies similar to our cities, where we all live close and benefit of each other.
3. Marjorie's attitude towards Mick, in the end, has radically changed. Mick dispose weakness, and Marjorie sees her chance to benefit of this weakness. She no longer fears him, and she is determined to physically harm him. Her attitude has completely changed, and she becomes very sadistic.
4. She pours him a glass of whisky which she has poised with medicine. The drink tranquilizes him and she now takes her vengeance for all that psychological terror he has brought upon her. She feeds Mick's hand to Russ, who is a carnivore fish. This is a act of revenge, and it releases some of all that grudge she has build up against Mick.
Very good and detailed answers to questions 1 to 4. Marjorie living on the nineteenth floor sees the world as if it were little ants. Both the ants (in the zoo) and Marjorie live in a glass box.
DeleteAs to question no 5:
The fish are in their own little world like Marjorie. They are also the link between her isolation and the real world - she needs fish supplies.
As to question no 6:
The theme is mainly horror, but goes to the gross-out as to the description of what happens to Mitch