Answer the questions below.
Chapter 1. The Stowaway
Answer the questions below.
1) What or who does WE refer to in the following sentence: ‘ The men were overburdened with the feeding rota, and their women, who beneath those leaping fire-tongues of scent no doubt reeked as badly as WE did, were far too delicate.’
Who narrates the story? What effect does the author want to achieve entrusting this character with the narrative?
2) How many vessels were there initially? What happened to four of them?
3) Describe the process of choosing the animals for the Ark. How does the narrator explain the gap in the diversity of wildlife?
4) Why was it more appropriate to say that the dove discovered the land?
5) The ideas of clean and unclean animals, cross-breeds and purity of species penetrate the story. What do they stand for? What political and social practices do they allude to?
6) What situations from the chapter prove the obsession of people with the figure 7?
7) The new version of the story is a metaphor for characteristic social and political behaviour. What are the parallels between events in the chapter and political and social practices in modern society?
Characterise Noah, his sons and their wives. Support your characteristics with the words from the chapter.
3. Comment on the following quotations and explain their meaning. Do you agree with them?
1) Now I realize that accounts differ. Your species has its much repeated version, which still charms even sceptics; while the animals have a compendium of sentimental myths.
2) It came as little surprise to us that God decided to wipe the slate clean; the only puzzle was that he chose to preserve anything at all of this species whose creation did not reflect particularly well on its creator.
3) But among us there had always been … a sense of equality.
4) If you had a Fall, so did we.
5) … still he certainly knew which side his bread was buttered; and I suppose being selected like that as the favoured survivor, knowing that your dynasty is going to be the only one on earth – it must turn your head, mustn’t it?
6) Guilt, immaturity, the constant struggle to hold down a job beyond your capabilities – it makes a powerful combination, one which would have had the same ruinous effect on most members of your species.
The book is full of references and allusions to the British social, political, cultural life which are very important for understanding and interpretation of the novel. Comment on the meaning and usage of the following references and allusions; give the context they are used in.
1) Who are stool-pigeons? What is the origin of this word?
2) What role did Tree of Knowledge play in the Bible?
3) What kind of creature is Simurgh? Can it be found in real nature?
4) Who are called Darby-and-Joan? In what literary work can we find these characters?
5) In what part of the Bible can we find the law concerning Cloven-footed ruminants? What does it say?
6) When can a person be called Cock-eyed? What is the origin of this word?
7) What is called Rough trade?
8) What do you get when you get the best quid pro quo out of anything? Find the origin of this word combination.
9) What is the meaning of the phrase “Shift the goalposts”?
Think of the means the author uses to make some kind of a dialogue with a reader.
6. Barnes is a master of contemporary English famous for mingling registers. Find the examples of formal, informal, old-fashioned words. What is the effect achieved by using such a mixture of registers? How does it characterise the narrator?
7. The Chapter is hilariously funny. Identify passages or scenes you find especially funny and then discuss how Barnes creates humour / irony.
Chapter 2. The Visitors.
Answer the questions below.
1) What kind of voyage is it going to be? What is said about the passengers getting on the board?
2) Who is Franklin Hughes? What is his job? Is he travelling as an ordinary passenger? His assistant Tricia?
3) When describing people Franklin pays much attention to the clothes. Why?
4) For Tricia many TV people seemed a bit fake, but it was different with Franklin –‘he was just the same off-screen as on’. Why? Isn’t he fake?
5) In what context is Franklin’s desire to be a writer mentioned? Find and comment on.
6) Could you describe the atmosphere on the board? What characteristics are given to the trip by the author?
7) How have the visitors appeared on the board? What is the first reaction of the passengers on them?
8) Find the extract of Franklin’s first negotiations as a representative of passengers with the head of the terrorists. What has Franklin understood? What is the development of the situation?
9) Why have the passengers been divided into groups on the basis of their nationality? What are the plans of the terrorists?
10) Commenting on the process of the division of passengers Zimmermann said the following: ‘Separating the clean from the unclean’. What does he mean? Is there any connection with Chapter 1?
11) Why is the experiment with the monkey mentioned?
12) What is the Franklin’s final lecture devoted to? Should passengers try to understand terrorists’ reasons and aims?
13) What is altruism? Can we call Franklin’s actions altruistic?
14) Whose point of view is the story presented from? Prove it.
15) Why do you think the chapter is called ‘The Visitors’?
2. Franklin under pressure of the terrorists had to give a lecture explaining their actions; he had to present their version of the historical events. How does the Western world interpret those events? Find some additional information