Continued from
Part 2
Suddenly, without a word to anyone, the gentleman set off and flew full speed in pursuit of my unknown lady. She was racing like the wind, but the staggering gentleman was overtaking — overtook her. The girl uttered a shriek, and... I bless my luck for the excellent knotted stick, which happened on that occasion to be in my right hand. In a flash I was onthe other side of the street; in a flash the obstrusive gentleman had taken in the position, had grasped the irresistible argument, fallen back without a word, and only when we were very far away protested against myaction in rather vigorous language. But his words hardly reached us. “Give me your arm,” I said to the girl. “And he won’t dare to annoy us further.” She took my arm without a word, still trembling with excitement and terror. Oh, obtrusive gentleman! How I blessed you at that moment!
By
Fyodor Dostoevsky
1821-1881
From ‘White Nights and Other Stories’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881).
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author
aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that
strike you. How do they help the author communicate his
ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you?
How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939)
by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at
Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn,
Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University,
USA.
Précis
The girl became first agitated, and then frightened, calling out wildly for help. The narrator leapt to her defence, ready with the stout stick he carried. The tipsy gentleman retired breathing threats, but the narrator silently blessed him, for the trembling girl meekly allowed our hero to lead her away, arm in arm.
(53 / 60 words)
The girl became first agitated, and then frightened, calling out wildly for help. The narrator leapt to her defence, ready with the stout stick he carried. The tipsy gentleman retired breathing threats, but the narrator silently blessed him, for the trembling girl meekly allowed our hero to lead her away, arm in arm.
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Variations:
1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words.
2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words.
3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, if, must, or, since, unless, until, who.
Archive
Word Games
Suggest answers to this question. See
if you can limit one answer to exactly
seven words.
Variations:
1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words.
2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words.
3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Express the ideas below in a single
sentence, using different words as much as possible.
Do not be satisfied with the first answer you
think of; think of several, and choose the best.
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1
Arrow.
Breath.
Utter.
2
Doubt.
Leaning.
Very.
3
Attention.
Mistake.
Sight.
Variations:
1.
include direct and indirect speech
2.
include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who
3.
use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
rds
(14+2)
See Words
arduous.
erodes.
radios.
radius.
raids.
readies.
reads.
reds.
reeds.
rides.
rids.
roads.
rodeos.
rods.
redoes.
roadies.
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: Help Available
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or ask for help with any of the
exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
nicholas@claylane.uk
See more at Post Box.
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