ASSIGNMENT PART

Read chapters from 1 to 3 and answer the following questions:

1. Give a characteristic of American society of the beginning of the XX century, as provided by the author.

2. What characters of the story are already mentioned in the first chapters? Describe them.

3. What characters of the mentioned ones were historical and what fictional?

4. Refer to the personality of Harry Houdini, describe his trade, explain the phrase “Today, nearly fifty years since his death, the audience for escapes is even large”.

5. Give a characteristic of the relationship in the family, in particular between Mother and Father. Refer to the phrase “The marriage seemed to flourish on Father's extended absences”

6. Refer to the episode of Father meeting a transatlantic vessel packed to the railings with immigrants. What does Father feel at that particular moment. Look up the chapters for some more information about immigrants coming to the US and the author’s opinion on the topic, quote the text to prove it.

7. Refer to the metaphoric description of water coming to dead bodies in morgues and tears (The faces of the dead were upturned into the streams of water that poured over them like the irre­pressible mechanism in death of their own tears).

8. Describe the procedure of immigrants’ arriving to the US and their living conditions in the new land. Explain the phrase “the immigrant population set great store by the American flag“

9. Explain the meaning of the “crazy quilt of humanity” as seen by Jacob Riis. Speak about the irony of “dismantling of Europe”.

Look up the dictionary for the following words and statements:

Crest (n)

Dormer (n)

Bay window (n)

Awning (n)

Bunting (n)

Accoutrement (n)

Social outing (n)

Swarm (n)

Parlor (n)

Marsh (n)

Shoal (n), (v)

Towline (n)

Odd (adj.)

Shack (n)

To read between the lines

Scion (n)

Terra cotta (n)

Embellish (v)

Haze (n)

Volute (n)

Billow (n), (v)

Bondage (n)

Handcuffed (part.)

Strait jacket (n)

Rolltop desk (n)

Dishevel (v)

Penitentiary (n)

Padlock (v)

Swerve (v)

Demeanor (n)

The thermometer read…

Diffidence (n)

Amateur (adj.), (n)

Disbursement (n)

Voluble (adj.)

Deft tricks

Distort (v)

Coitus (n)

Gird for (v)

Gear (n)

Befit (v)

Varnish (v)

Restrain (v)

Doff (v)

Go around the bend

Prow (n)

Shawl (n)

Riffraff (n)

Insolent (adj.)

Derelict (n)

Babushka (n)

Galvanized iron

Pinafore (n)

Roam (v)

To become accus­tomed to

Air shaft (n)

Indigent (adj.)

Pennant (adj.), (n)

Crossbow (n)

Chaise (n)

Refectory table (n)

Harpsi­chord (n)

Snuffbox (n)

Hustler (n)

Exorbitant price

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 626