In the pursuit of excellence, compiled by Philmon Sir, AECS-2, Tarapur (IX)
- SACHA GUITRY
4. Copy and complete the following paragraph about the theme of the play using the clues given
in the box below. Remember that there are more clues than required.
sell, buying, house, enthusiastic, comes, 200 thousand francs, taking, favour, get, sleeps,
money, 300 thousand francs, unhappy, his in-laws, walks in, strikes, keep
Juliette, the owner of a Villa, wants to 1. sell it as she is in need of 2. money. Moreover, she is not
in 3. favour of the house. Jeanne and Gaston, a couple, visit her with the aim of 4. buying the
villa. While Jeanne is 5. enthusiastic about buying, Gaston detests the idea as he does not want his
6. in-laws in that house. Also, he finds the asking price of 7. house to be expensive. When Jeanne
and Juliette go around the house another customer 8. walks in and starts talking to Gaston 9.
taking him to be Juliette’s husband. Gaston 10. strikes a deal with the customer by which he is able
to give 11. 200 hundred thousand francs to the owner and 12. keep one hundred thousand francs
for himself.
5. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) Why does Jeanne want to buy a villa?
Jeanne wants to buy a villa for her old parents so that they can stay in it as well as spend a
holiday (April to September) with her husband at the villa.
(b) Why is Gaston not interested in buying the villa in the beginning?
Gaston is not interested in buying the villa in the beginning because he knows that his wife,
Jeanne, is not buying the villa for themselves but for her parents and relatives. She wants to put
her father and mother in it. Her parents would take possession of it every year from April to
September. They would also bring all her sister’s children with them. Therefore, he starts finding
fault with the villa and its excessive price. He strongly feels that buying the villa is a bad
investment. So, he has no desire to buy it.
(c) Mrs. A1 Smith makes many statements about the French. Pick out any two and explain them.
Mrs. A1 Smith makes many statements about the French. (She asks Gaston to consult his wife
before making a deal. Gaston replies that he need not consult her. Mrs. A1 Smith considers
Gaston an ‘exception’.) She comments, “Frenchmen usually have to consult about ten people
before they get a move on.” Her next comment is that “You folk are queer. You think about the
past all the time. We always think about the future.” She also mocks at the funny way of the
Frenchmen saying “You French have a very cute way of doing business.”
(d) Juliette says “now I have only one thought that is to get the wretched place off my hands. I
would sacrifice it at any price.” Does she stick to her words? Why/ Why not?
Juliette tells her maid that she wants “to get the wretched place off’ her hands. She is ready to
sacrifice it at any price. But she doesn’t stick to her words as we know that she demands a hefty
In the pursuit of excellence, compiled by Philmon Sir, AECS-2, Tarapur (IX)
price of two hundred and fifty thousand francs while selling. Gaston finds it “decidedly
excessive”. Then she tells him that she can’t let it go for less than two hundred thousand francs.
She is interested in making profit. She accepts two hundred thousand francs when the final deal
is made.
(e) Who is better in business—Juliette or Gaston? Why?
Gaston is definitely better in business. Juliette is also a hard bargainer. She pretends that she is
going to sell the wretched place at any price. But she makes a bargain at two hundred thousand
francs. She thinks that she is outsmarting Gaston. But Gaston proves to be smarter than her. He
outsmarts both - Juliette and Mrs. A1 Smith within a few minutes. He buys the house in two
hundred thousand and sells it for three thousand francs to Mrs. A1 Smith making a profit of one
hundred thousand francs.
He also cleverly acquired a picture by an artist named Corot in the deal.
Thus, it is obvious that he is better/smarter in business than all the characters in the play.
(f) Do you like/dislike Gaston? Give your reasons.
Yes, I like Gaston very much for his cool business-mindedness. He is an intelligent person and
also very clear in thinking. He keeps his presence of mind that makes him a success. He keeps
everyone happy at the end – his wife, Mrs Al Smith, Juliette and himself. So, for any sensible
student, it is rather difficult to dislike Gaston.
He is a man with the vices and virtues of a world-wise businessman. He is not interested in
buying the villa in the start because he knows that his wife is simply trying to put up her father
and mother in it. What is more, all the children of his wife’s sister will live with them. However,
he changes his stand in the end while he could foresee profit at his hand. He realises that he can
earn one hundred thousand francs by outwitting both Mrs. A1 Smith and Juliette. He plunges
into action using his presence of mind and makes a profit of one hundred thousand francs with a
few minutes. Who will not like Gaston the protagonist of the play?
6. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct
options:
(A) But the sign has been hanging on the gate for over a month now and I am beginning to be
afraid that the day I bought it was when I was the real fool.
(a) Why is Juliette disappointed?
(iii) She is unable to find a suitable buyer for her villa.
(b) Why does she call herself a fool?
(ii) There are no buyers for the villa.
(iii) She had bought the villa for more than it was worth (choose it only if the first option is not
given.)
(B) ‘But your parents would take possession of it, every year from the beginning of spring until
the end of September. What’s more, they would bring the whole tribe of your sister’s children
with them.’
In the pursuit of excellence, compiled by Philmon Sir, AECS-2, Tarapur (IX)
(a) What does Gaston mean by ‘take possession’?
(i) Her parents would stay with them for a long time.
(C) ‘While you were upstairs, I have been thinking a lot about your Papa and Mamma. ’
(a) What is the discrepancy between what Gaston said earlier and what he says now?
(i) Earlier he did not want Jeanne’s parents to stay with them but now he is showing concern for
them.
(b) What does the above statement reveal about Gaston’s character?
(ii) He is an opportunist.
7. Select words from the box to describe the characters in the play as revealed by the following
lines. You may take the words from the box given on the next page:
Lines from the play Speaker Quality revealed
One hundred thousand francs if necessary
(a) Juliette greedy
and that’s only twice what it cost me.
If you don’t want the house, tell me so at
(b) Jeanne critical
once and we ’ll say no more about it.
No! I am very fond of your family, but
(c) Gaston disapproving
not quite so fond as that.
(d) Quite so. I have, but you haven’t. Gaston domineering
1 have never cared such a damned little overbearing/
(e) Gaston
about anybody’s opinion. haughty
On the principle of people who like
(f) children and haven’t any can always go Gaston witty
and live near a school.
The garden is not very large, but you see,
(g) Juliette cunning
it is surrounded by other gardens.
I will be philanthropic and let you have it
(h) Juliette boastful
for two hundred thousand.
I have been thinking a lot about your
(i) Papa and Mamma. You see, I am really Gaston clever
unselfish.
Listening Task
8. Listen carefully to the description of a Villa on sale. Based on the information, draw the
sketch of the Villa being described.
For self-attempt.
In the pursuit of excellence, compiled by Philmon Sir, AECS-2, Tarapur (IX)
9. You are Jeanne. After coming home, you realise that the villa was not actually bought and
your husband has fooled both you and the landlady of the villa. You are filled with rage, disgust
and helplessness because of your husband’s betrayal. Write your feelings in the form of a diary
entry.
Monday
24 September, 2022 11 pm
Dear Diary
Today I feel both hurt and ashamed as my husband showed his real character. He fooled all of us
– Mrs Juliette, me and Mrs Al Smith. I never imagined the sort of person he is.
My dear, all my dreams have ended in smoke. My husband, Mr. Gaston, has fooled both of us, me
and the landlady of the villa. It is too much. There’s a limit to everything. Mr. Gaston’s main
concern is money. He knows it that I wanted to buy the villa not only for ourselves but also for
my parents. The cunning Mr. Gaston went on finding faults with the villa only not to buy it.
Then suddenly comes the change. I was surprised how he got ready to buy the villa in two hundred
thousand. He had rejected it just a while ago. He was not ready to pay more than sixty thousand.
I was overjoyed when he finally made the deal. I thought that the villa had been bought for us
and my parents. Little did I know that Mr. Gaston was befooling all, myself, Juliette and Mrs. A1
Smith. He had earned a neat one hundred thousand francs in the bargain. But I have lost both -
the villa and my husband’s confidence.
Anyway, I feel mentally exhausted and a headache now. I need to go to bed. Bye for today. Good
night!
Yours lovingly
Jeanne
Important questions (attempt the following with the help of the test).
1. Character sketch of Gaston, Jeanne, Juliette, Al Smith
2. Setting of the play
3. Who bought what, from whom and for how much?
4. What was the maid’s suggestion to Juliette in the play?
5. Why was Mrs. Al Smith not interested in going over the house?
6. What is ‘Corot’ in the play?
7. Describe the ‘Villa’.
8. What were the efforts taken by Juliette to sell the villa?
9. What was the location of the villa?
10. Why was the sign board ‘Villa for Sale’ put up after dark?
11. How did Juliette flatter Jeanne to buy the Villa?
12. Who was Mrs. Al Smith?
13. How to save oneself from people like Gaston?
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In the pursuit of excellence, compiled by Philmon Sir, AECS-2, Tarapur (IX)
