youngcoupleexercises


 * __The Young Couple by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala__**


 * Background**

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born in Germany in 1927, the daughter of Polish0Jewish parents, who emigrated to England to escape persecution before the start of the Second World War in 1939. She obtained a degree from London University and then, after meeting and marrying an Indian architect, Cyrus Jhabvala, in 1951, she emigrated again, to New Delhi, India, where they raised three daughters. Since 1955 she has become internationally famous for her nine novels, there volumes of short stories and her film adaptations and screenplays. Her novel //Heat and Dust// won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1975 and her filmed adaptation of it won a BAFTA for Best Screenplay. She won Oscars for her adaptation of two E.M.Forster novels, //A Room With a View// and //Howard’s End//, and was nominated for another Oscar for her adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s //Remains of The Day.// Much of the writing in her novels and stories is concerned with the culture clash between the Indian and the British ways of life.


 * NB:**
 * mausoleum (line 13):** a large tomb
 * modestly veiled woman (line 208):** many Indian women, especially Muslims or Hindus, wear veils to cover their arms, heads, and faces in public, because of their religious beliefs
 * peon (line 417):** a personal assistant, a “gofer”.


 * What’s the story?**

1. The Young Couple is the story of a marriage which begins in England, the wife’s home country, and then moves to the husband’s home in India. Take a large piece of paper and trace the feelings of the young wife, Cathy, as the relationship develops, entering further stages on a graph. Estimate the passage of time along the bottom. Should it be days, weeks, months, or even years? How does she feel at the start? What about at the end?


 * Characters-what are they like?**


 * 2.** How would you describe Cathy? Is she independent, determined, loving or lazy, ungrateful, discontented-or is she all of these at different points in the story?

3. How would you describe Naraian? Is he idealistic, determined, loving, or is he weak, dependant, selfish-or is he all of these at different points?

4. How would you describe Naraian’s parents? Are they interfering, possessive and bossy or are they devoted, generous and unselfish-or are they all of these at different points?

Support your impressions of each by referring to their words and actions.


 * The plot-conflicts and twists**

5. Conflicts develop between Cathy and Naraian’s family, and eventually between Cathy and Naraian. Trace the pattern of these conflicts (and the changes in Naraian) by answering the following questions:

a) Why doesn’t Cathy enjoy the Sunday lunches (line 119)? b) Why does Cathy feel “let down” (line 244) c) What does Naraian mean by “It’s not Oxford Street, you know” (line 274)? d) Why does Cathy feel “very miserable” (line 389)? e) Why is Cathy annoyed that “Naraian did not come to the defence of their nest...” (lines 440-1)?

6. One of the central //narrative// questions is: **Will the young couple lose their happy independence and become completely dominated by Naraian’s family?** What are your feelings about this by the end of the story? Think about:

· Naraian telling Cathy not to roam naked around the flat (lines 459-60) · The sacking of their old sweeper-woman (lines 466-70) · Cathy’s vision of the room in the final sentence.


 * Themes-what is it really about?**


 * Culture Clash**


 * 7.** There is a contrast in this story between the life Cathy remembers in England and her new life in India, largely because of differences in customs and beliefs, and particularly in attitudes to women. Identify the differences between the two cultures, as suggested in the story, with reference to the following:

· the way in which Naraian’s friends react to Cathy(lines 52-65) · Naraian’s behaviour with Cathy in public (lines 66-81) · the family’s involvement in the young couple’s life (lines 139-70) · the reasons why Cathy doesn’t go out to work (lines 178-94) · the attitude of the family to Cathy’s shopping trips (lines 216-32).


 * The tyranny of family domination**


 * 8.** Despite their best intentions, the young couple are drawn into and dominated by the family. How do Naraian’s parents establish control? Think about:

· the payment for the flat · the pressure to attend family meals (lines 119-26) · the comments on Cathy’s behaviour ( lines 231-2) · the reasons why Naraian finally wants it move into the family home.


 * The writer and the writing-Jhabvala at work**


 * Characterisation**


 * 9.** Most of this story is told from Cathy’s //point of view//, for example, her view of Naraian’s friends: “She didn’t care for...she thought...what galled her...she felt...felt sighted...saw...” (lines 53-63). Also look at lines 376-91 where Cathy gradually realises that Naraian has accepted the job with the family firm without discussing it with her. Why do you think Jhabvala gives us Cathy’s point of view here? Does this technique:

· make us share her feelings and sympathises with her · make us share Cathy’s standpoint as an outsider · build up suspense, in that we know as little as she does about the job?

10. You have considered your response to Naraian in the section on **Characters.** Jhabvala reveals his character to us (and the way it changes) in subtle, indirect ways rather than telling us precisely what to think. What does she suggest about Naraian in the following descriptions of his expressions and gestures?

a) ...she looked again towards Naraian who was now busy eating the flesh around the stone of his mango... (lines 238-9) b) He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, then decided to be bold: turned out the light... (lines 275-6) c) Cathy caught Naraian’s eye again; he looked away quickly... (lines 388-9) d) ...he kicked a door so that its poor, cheap wood splintered a bit further... (lines 481-2)


 * A closer look at language choices**

11. How does Jhabvala suggest the family’s power and control over the couple in:

· the descriptions of the food, the furniture, the parents... (lines 129-38), in the description of the garden (lines 372-5) and in the final sentence · the water imagery (lines 140-1) · the image of the “ring” (line197)?

12. How does Jhabvala give the impression that the relationship between the young couple and the family is like a battle?