4) ―Oh, Elmer, you can’t bet on a certainty,‖ said Mrs. Ramsay. (line 155)
5) ―But how can it be proved?‖ she continued. ―It’s only my word against Mr. Kelada’s.‖ (line 159-160)
6) Mrs. Ramsay hesitated a moment. She put her hands to the clasp. (line 164)
7) ―I can’t undo it,‖ she said. ―Mr. Kelada will just have to take my word for it.‖ (line 165)
8) The Levantine took a magnifying glass from his pocket and closely examined it. A smile of triumph spread over his smooth and swarthy face. (lines 170-172)
9) … Mrs. Ramsay’s face. It was so white that she looked as though she were about to faint. She was staring at him with wide and terrified eyes. They held a desperate appeal. (lines 173-175)
(4) Why did Mr. Kelada choose not to tell the truth of the value of the pearl necklace?
(Obviously he wanted to help the helpless lady by not revealing the true value of the necklace. Otherwise she would have to face an awful and embarrassing explanation. He might have regarded Mr. Ramsay as being unworthy for the lady and acted out of disdain.)
(5) Why did the narrator say by the end of the story ―I did not entirely dislike Mr. Kelada‖?
(He seemed to be aware of his own prejudice after he had seen the positive quality of the Levantine: wisdom, self-sacrifice, and sensitiveness to other’s misfortunes.)
英语短篇小说教程 虞建华 高等教育出版社 课后答案
3) Explanation and Interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)
(1) I was prepared to dislike Max Kelada even before I knew him.
(This indicates that the narrator, the English gentleman, had a deep-rooted racial and cultural bias against non-English. It is not the person, but what his name represents that he disliked.)
(2) But when I was told the name of my companion my heart sank…. I should have looked upon it with less dismay if my fellow passenger’s name had been Smith or Brown.
(―Smith‖ and ―Brown‖ are typical English surnames. The name ―Max Kelada‖ indicates a man from a different, most likely ―inferior‖ culture in the opinion of the narrator.)
(3) The Consular Service is ill paid, and she was dressed always very simply.
(This foreshadows the fact that the pearl necklace was far too expensive for her purse.)
(4) Mrs. Ramsay in her modest way flushed a little and slipped the chain inside her dress.
(She quickly hid the chain inside, an act that reveals her fear of its true value being noticed by somebody.)
(5) ―If I had a pretty little wife I shouldn’t let her spend a year in New York while I stayed at Kobe,‖ said he.
(Mr. Kelada hinted that the husband’s leaving her alone in New York was unwise and had led to some consequences. She had now a wealthy suitor. )
4) Suggested Homework:
Let us suppose that in the afternoon on the same day when Mr. Kelada got back the 100 dollars, he met Mrs. Ramsay somewhere on the deck, and there were no other people around. They had a short conversation about what had happened previously. Using your imagination, write out the short dialogue between the two. The conversation may begin like this:
(-- Good morning, Mrs. Ramsay. It’s a surprise to see you alone here.
-- Good morning, Mr. Kelada. I don’t feel well, so I come out for a bit of fresh air.
-- It’s always a pleasure to see a charming lady like you.
-- Thank you for saying so. I’m extremely sorry for what happened yesterday, and I’m grateful for what you did, for me.)
-- Lying about the necklace?
-- Lying for my sake. You are generous and have a good heart.
-- Anyway, I got the 100 dollars back. You delivered it yourself?
-- Yes, I did. You did me a great service, and there is no way that you should be paying that money.
-- I have been the laughingstock of everybody on board.
-- You have my respect. I was real terrified yesterday, and fortunately you came to the rescue.
英语短篇小说教程 虞建华 高等教育出版社 课后答案
-- It is a wonderful gift, that necklace, from a true admirer, I guess?
-- You embarrass me, Mr. Kelada, but you seem to notice everything.
-- It’s a good match to a pretty lady like you.
-- Don’t laugh at me, I beg. I don’t think I’ll be wearing it anymore. Thank you again, and I think I’ll be going back to the cabin.
Keys to Unit Six
Mary Gavell: The Swing
1) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) What is the significance of the opening sentence ―As she grew old, she began to dream again‖? Is it only the old age that causes the mother to dream and daydream more often now?
(Dream is a replacement of what she cannot have in real life. As she grew old, she became less active physically and felt more lonely in her emotional life. That is why, most of her dreams are about the remembered past, the life with her son.)