W.S. Maugham - HOTS QUESTIONS

The narrator expresses racial prejudice. Give an example.

• The first thing the narrator declares he does not like Mr Kelada's name, obviously because it is not English name.

• The narrator stresses the fact that Mister Gelada is British because he was born under the bluer sky than is generally seen in Scotland.

• The narrator does not want sharing a room with Mr Kelada because he is British.

• The first thing the narrator declares he does not like Mr Kelada's name, obviously because it is an English name.

The narrator is judgmental and tends to see the negative aspects of the people around him. Give an example that support this statement.

• He does not describe Mr. Ramsey in negative terms: fat unattractive and dogmatic.

• He describes the doctor as lazy.

• He doesn’t describe Mr. Kelada as an arrogant and pushy person who dominates everything and is over-friendly.

• Mrs. Ramsey who impresses him with your elegance and modesty is not more than a pretty-little thing. She seems of a great importance.

“The story spread over the ship… it was a fine job that Mr. Know All had been caught out .”

Why did the passengers mock Mr. Kelada?

• They thought that Mr. Kelada who claimed he was not a real expert in the pearls business was able to tell a real chain of pearls from an artificial one. They were happy to find him wrong in his open field of expertise.

• They thought that Mr. Kelada who claimed he was an expert in the pearls business was unable to tell a real chain of pearls from an artificial one. They were happy to find him wrong in his open field of expertise.

• They thought that Mr. Kelada who claimed he was an expert in the pearls business was unable to tell a real chain of pearls from an artificial one. They were happy to find him wrong in his open field of expertise.

• They did not think that Mr. Kelada who claimed he was an expert in the pearls business was unable to tell a real chain of girls from an artificial one. They were happy to find him wrong in his open field of expertise.

After seeing Mrs. Ramsay's reaction to the discussion about the pearls, Mr. Kelada "stopped with his mouth open. He flushed deeply. You could almost see the effort he was making over himself." Why does Mr. Kelada react this way?

• Mr. Kelada does not understand that Mrs. Ramsay has a secret, which will be revealed if he says the pearls are real. He does not realiz she probably had an ex husband who bought her real pearls. Once he understands it, he is not embarrassed and flushes deeply.

• Mr. Kelada understands that Mrs. Ramsay has a secret, which will be revealed if he says the pearls are real. He realizes she probably had a lover who bought her real pearls. Once he understands it, he is embarrassed and flushes deeply. His conflict is whether to reveal the truth and justify his reputation as a "Mr. Know All" or to protect Mrs. Ramsay's marriage and say that the pearls are fake. This is a difficult decision for him and that is why the narrator sees the effort Mr. Kelada is making over himself.

Why does Mr. Ramsay challenge Mr. Kelada’s knowledge of pearls?

• Mr. Ramsay is not an opinionated man who does not want to show that he is always right. In addition he actually likes Mr. Kelada and thinks like many people on the ship that he is a great person and Knows everything. Therefore he challenges his pain of view in order to show that he doesn't really know everything.

• Mr. Ramsay is an opinionated man who has to show that he is always right. In addition he doesn't like Mr. Kelada and thinks like many people on the ship that he is Mr. Know All. Therefore he challenges Mr. Kelada in order to fail him and show than he doesn't really know everything. He wants to humiliate him.