Choose one of the following questions and answer in a 150 to 200 word paragraph.
1. Explore a social or ethical issue raised in the writing. Judge the behaviour of the characters or the views of the author. Are they right or wrong in your opinion?
2. Tell about how you feel toward this writing or its author and why.
3. Write about something that surprised you, angered you, delighted you, or evoked any strong reaction as you were reading. Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading.
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William Trevor paints us a vivid world in his story, “The Woman of the House.” His first description of the farmhouse has one of the painters looking at “the gray, cracked flags of the kitchen floor”; next we find the house hasn’t been painted in nineteen years! There is real world humour in having his character, the crippled man, believe the Gypsy painters are both Polish and “good Catholic lads.” Whatever smooths the waters! But there is intrigue, too, in Trevor’s story. What Martina has done is given to us through the eyes of the two brothers who note the grass “had been crushed and recovered” and that “bright-colored seed packets [were] marking the empty rows” of a freshly turned garden. Having the crippled man’s death happen offstage, but observed through men who need to be observant to survive, delights me--subtle, but somehow more devastatingly effective. Poor Martina and her evil, but understandable, deed leaves me wondering what I might do in the same situation. When fate takes us to “a lonely place,” what might anyone do?
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William Trevor describes precisely in his story “The Woman of the House” the view of the conservative religious culture for single woman. I had risen in very conservative religious culture no matter if it is Catholic, Islamic or Hindus. Unfortunately single woman is insulted in culture like that. One day, Martina finds herself alone “leaving her homeless.” she wished if she has children “if children had been there to make a center for her life.” living with her stingy cousin in a lonely place like a slowly death. He gives her shelter and food but not trust, “He wanted the list back, and the receipt.” She gives him care but not love. He trusts on two young strange painters but not on Martina. “A good Catholic boys.” And I wonder is Martina Catholic? Why he do not trust on her, Although the crippled man wants her “Come in and keep me warm.” He wants a woman just like Martina who wants more than shelter and food. She wants a man. She did that not with him but with Costigan not for some money but for her thirst or needs. The two gypsy painters want Martina to return back to give them their fee. Every men character in the story need something from the woman, Martina. Let us be more considerable to the values and morality of the religious that we pretend we are following. No religious prefer man or woman, all of us at the same position who is best who is the best attitude to others. Man and woman complete each other.
William Trevor presents us a world with secrets through his story of “The Women of The House”. Everybody in the story has his/her own secrets. It is understandable that we need our secrets because life drives us. The two painters claimed they were Polish and Catholics but “they were regarded often now as Gypsies” because they needed to survive in this world. Martina cheated cripple man for money, and then she cheated for cripple man’s pension. She was forced to do these by life. As for cripple man, some secrets can be imaged reasonably. Why did he treat Martina as a hiring more than as a relation? He didn’t know Martina’s past at all, “Why’d they call you Martina?” he said. Then what happened to them? Did they realize they were cheated? Were they really hurt by secrets? It is not important to say yes or no, anyway we need secrets to living in this world. Sometime under some occasions, truths mean loss.
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“The Woman of The House” is a strange story. There is no evident conflict but a person, the owner of the house, died without any expression of the cause. Moreover, the woman of the house left the house, and did not return before the story ended. I conjectured that the author intended readers to give their own stories. I think the postscript should be: one night the crippled man wanted Martina to “keep him warm”. Martina said no emphatically, but the rippled man grasped her hand tightly. Trying to get out in anger, she shook him violently. The crippled man fell down from his bed; his head knocked on a table leg, and died immediately. She was frightened for the happening, and she was not herself. She changed dramatically both in her behaviour and appearance so that the painters could not even recognize her beside her similar dress after they returned several days late. Martina knew the painter brothers would be surprised by the absent of the rippled man; she could not bear to see them again, so she left the house. While waiting several days after completed the painting, the painters lost their patient at last and they went into the scullery. On the dinner table there were some money and a note which said that the money was their payment. They counted the money and found it was the same as they had agreed with the crippled man.
William Trevor presents us a true life in “The Woman of the House” story. Many people who are in need have to deal with many difficulties to survive. First, the story tells us about the two men, who went to Ireland to get a better life. They have to deal with the language. Even though they speak a little bit of English, they found the way how to communicate with the cripple man. They did it by “Not saying anything, only nodding and gesturing.” With that effort, they made the cripple man to understand and have an agreement with him. Next, they have to lie to the cripple man that they are Polish to get a better impression and to avoid being rejected. Polish are “Good Catholic Boys.” If the cripple man finds that they are “Gypsies,” they will have a bad prestige and it will be hard for him to trust. About Martina, her situation is clearly difficult. She also looked for the way to survive. Without place to go, and food to eat, she has to tolerate the bad temper and behavior that the cripple man has towards her. Also, her situation obligated her to make sex with the butcher so she can get a least some free meat and keep the money for herself to survive.
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William Trevor precisely presents us real life in his story " the woman of the house" .He clearly explained to us that most people are prejudgedious about one another.in this world.The cripple man is an example in this story.He believed that polish are only people he can trust , he says "are ye polish".Most people are like that. They judge you because of your race, religion and gender . This is not right because in any group of people,there most be a good and bad ones. So we should not judge people base on who they are but their character.the two painter are smart boys who said they were polish just to survive . This might be lie but what could you do if you are in this locality.Martina reminds me of the challenge single women face.she went through a lot in her life.she is a lonely woman who did all she could just to make it through.this story leave me wondering why life is unfair.
160 words
William Trevor's short story “The Women of The House” gave me an sad feeling. In my opinion ,main character Martina was not a responsible housewife, Guardian, even she is not a successful woman. why I say that? First she is not a good wife and mother because she did not earnestly manage her marriage. ’'Earlier in her life, a careless marriage had fallen apart'', Second she is not an good Guardian, When she lived in her crippled cousin's house to take care him ,she did not work hard. because in the farmhouse there was " at the gray, badly cracked flags of the kitchen floor'' and ’'the grimy panes of an upstairs window''; she was not an honest woman, '' she hid money in the Gold Flake tin.''. Maybe she did some wrong things made her crippled cousin can't trust her, therefore, “He wanted the list back, and the receipt”, Third she is not an traditional, virtuous woman. she has an abnormality relationship with Costigan ''his hands all over her. He no longer invited her to accompany him to the deep freeze''. Finally maybe she killed her crippled cousin.", Martina said “He’s in another room,” she said. “A room that’s better for him.” “He’s quiet there,”. Although two painter’' did not say this was a grave'', they found ’' at the bright-colored seed packets marking the empty rows'' and ’'' in a wide straight path from the gate, , had been crushed and had recovered''. In summary, Martina is an evil.
soltan said...
William Trevor in the story of"The Woman Of The House".His decription an old farmhouse located in isolated area.The auhtor writes very intently about house location,and it has big reason to the character.In addition,Martina character shows that reason.I had rise in very conservative religious and cultere,so asingle woman has difficulty in life.As example,Martina lives with the crippled man.Also,Willam Trevor clearly shows every character does somehting for his benifit.The crippled man wants Martina to"come in and warm".And the two painter want their fee from her.Costigan gives the grocery to her because hislustful intentions.Asresult,men in the story are selfish.Martina be cometride of his rude behaviour,so she killsthe crippled man.
Something that angered me in the story the Woman of The House was how they made the sroryout to be a mystery. William Trevor's whole idea of the story was to leave you thinking at the end, which in my opionin i wouldnt of done it for this story. I don't like leaving my readers with so many unanswered questions. It makes me feel like im not goning to read stories like that. It's just an uneasyfeeling you get when you want to know what really happened. But were not it is up to us to believe happened at the end! There is never a wrong or right conclusion to this story."The womans history was not theirs to know, even thoughthey were now part of it themselves," that rght there give us an example. For instance we are part of the story becasue we read it, But the ending is up to us, werenot suppose to know what the author would of wrote for the ending.That's somethng thqat angered me in the story The Woman of The House!
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As i was reading the short story it seemed very bland and subtle. It had a sense of monotone feel; Therefore, really have no interest on me. Patiently...Waiting for some type of clue or answer to my thoughts. What William Trevor has done in ``The Woman Of The House`` is distinguish a world full of mystery, and has provided insight of how devious culture may be. In spite of expectations this story left me evoked with anger and curiosity. For the Reason, Martina, the Gypsies , and the crippled man were all stingy and sneaky. Martina having to hide the money in the Gold Flake tin, after seeing Costigan. The Gypsies not wanting the crippled man to know where they reside from, and also how the crippled man is a cheap selfish hag. It frustrated me how Martina basically sold herself to Costigan for next too nothing.
“Come out to the shed till we’ll see” , “his hands all over her”. So you can see, how she sold her body for a piece of meat. In all, this story left me questioning the motives of Martina, and everyone, are we all capable of such greediness?
From Mr. Jerry Braun
Question 3:
In the story, “The Woman of the House” I feel the author, William Trevor, does a good job with bringing the reader into the story through everyday events that happen to the woman of the house, events that trigger specific emotions that the writer describes very well. As a reader I could feel the pure “hell on earth” the poor lady was living through everyday she had to spend with the old crippled man. All through out the story the author would explain to us just how difficult the old man was to live with. Describing to us how the woman did everything for the old crippled man. She would cook for him, cleaned for him, shopped for him and continuously explaining to him the same story of how she got her name, even though she knew that he did not forget. I liked this story, not so much for the characters that were involved, but for the way the story was written. It truly is a perfect example of how to “show” a story and not just “tell” a story.
William Trevor introduces a story about people making choices and keeping their silence between one another in, “The Woman of The House.” The first few samples he gave about the men communicating in silence “consulted one another, not saying anything”; then when Martina decides its best not to reply back “not saying anything before she went.” Sometimes ignoring to avoid any further conflict is much better, then to say something out of line to cause further problems. This story is realistically comparable to what really happens in peoples lives and what they must go through in everyday choices. Such as Martina’s decision to whore herself off to the butcher Costigan, “invited her to accompany him in the deep freeze” in order to earn money for herself. There are times in life where people have no other choice, and one must make shameful choices in order to gain better things in life. This story makes one think; had those men made wise choices when they knew about the sudden death of the “crippled man” and yet not to say a word. Or to mention the new freshly soiled grounds, “the fields that neglected had impoverished.” Do the right thing and jeopardize one’s own life or keep in silence and both parties win?
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