Something to Talk About

                         Something to Talk About

                                               Eden Phillpotts

                                   



                                                              Question# 1
                                                Discuss the title of the play?
       
                         This play is basically a clever piece of writing that displays modern mentality. It represents the modern attitude towards different events. The pace of modern life has increased tremendously and nothing seems novel today. The blessed faculty to “wonder” has been snatched away from the modern man. He has become reckless and bold.
              A well-bred family has been shown in this one-act play that deals with the unexpected situation in an unexpected manner. They claim to be the dullest family of the county. Nothing ever happens to them, they never have accidents or any other event that can be reported to a newspaper. Their family motto is “nec elata, nec dejecta” which means neither happy nor dejected. In this situation when a famous burglar comes to their home they call it, “manna in the wilderness”.  The head of the family Lord Redchester exclaims that at last it is something that they can talk about. So the title shows the importance of something new in life that one can talk to other people about. It also indicates towards the modern life that lacks adventure and novelty

                                                               Question# 2      
                                         How do they behave with the Wolf?

                           It is three o’ clock at Christmas morning when the most famous burglar of England enters into the Tudor Manor Redchester. He is dressed in black and is fully equipped for his difficult task of burglary. He is fumbling at the safe when Guy Sydney enters…. He has come to have some soda water but is confronted with a crook who asks him to put his hands up. He is not at all ruffled or confused to see the Wolf there. He behaves in a proper manner and asks him to trust him and let him put his hands down. He offers him a drink and shows great surprise and a sense of being honoured by Wolf because of his expedition into their home. He repeatedly assures him of the straightforward and trust-worthy conduct of the Sydney family. When the Wolf starts his work, he asks him to let his sister come who is much interested in the Wolf and his exploits.  Lettice is a nice looking girl and her manners and attitude too set the Wolf on ease. She shows great interest in him and his tools of burglary. Then there comes their butler, Preston who is however not able to act in accordance with the attitude of rest of the Sydney family. Lord Redchester, Lady Redchester and Bishop all come one by one and express their pleasure and surprise at the Wolf’s presence in their home. They cunningly win the trust of the burglar and later they manage to turn the table through the positive impression that they have cast on him.

                     Some critics have considered the attitude of the Sydney family as incredible. But they only represent the working of nice breeding that enables them to behave in an ideal manner. They treat the burglar without tremors and flaws. They do not lose their balance thus controlling not only the situation but also the burglar himself.

                                                                 Question# 3
                                                     How do they turn the table?

                       The Wolf tries hard to enter into the family safe of Redchester family but can’t do so because the safe is made of a new metal and is crook-proof. The Wolf is disappointed but to his surprise, Lord Redchester tells him the password and he gets the safe open in a second. The safe contains Lord Redchester’s Christmas gifts that he has bought for his family. They are very expensive and the Wolf is very happy to see them.
                      The Sydney family has treated Wolf in a decent manner and they have carefully managed to make him believe in any word spoken by any one of them. They have assured him that they are a very simple family whose strongest suit is the rectitude. They successfully manage the propaganda and get their desired results. When the Wolf is ready to depart with their valuable gifts, Bishop indirectly talks to him and says that if he takes their presents, he will regret because in this way he may lose a far superior advantage. This arouses the Wolf’s curiosity and he gets interested. Guy and Bishop cunningly portray Lord Wallaby’s wealth.  They exploit the Wolf’s greedy nature and tell him about the expensive things present in Lord Wallaby’s home. They tell him the way to enter in that home easily. Thus they make him accept all that they say. The Wolf naively believes in them and decides to give their presents back to them. Thus they turn the table by wisely proceeding step by step. Their repeated assurance of their honourable character befools the Wolf and he is dodged successfully.
   
                                                          Question# 4
                      Why does Bishop want him to turn a new leaf from that day?

                     Charles is Lord Redchester’s brother and is the bishop of the Redchester Cathedral. He is a clever man and can handle people easily. At the end of the play when the Wolf relents the Christmas presents of Sydney family and is ready to rob the Wallaby’s. At this point Bishop says that the Wolf should turn a new leaf from that night. This is a very crucial remark because the Sydney family has successfully saved itself from a burglar and the burglar is planning to invade some other home the next night. In this way they have provided him a chance to reconsider his trade of robbing others. They want to give him time. It may be possible that they report about all of this to police and the police may arrest him. When a simple family has befooled the Wolf, he has opened the door of his destruction. The Wolf has been considered as the greatest burglar of England and all the police in England is after him… but he has been dodged by a common family. Thus he has proved himself vulnerable and this may prove to be his last adventure.  So the reader can expect a new leaf to be turned over in his life at that night.

                                                          Question# 5
                        This play shows the mental state of modern people. Illustrate.

                    The Sydneys are a well-bred modern family who behave in an appropriate way when confronted with an unexpected situation. They don’t get confused and hold the situation in their own hands. They try to feel the pleasure in a dramatic situation. They are not worried at the Wolf’s presence in their home rather they are jubilated to have something to talk about. Like anyone else they too don’t want to be dispossessed of their valuable gifts but they act in a sensibly different manner.

                   Thus they represent the mental state and attitude of the modern people who are badly bored because of their monotonous everyday life. They want to have a break from the tedious routine of life and want to revel in any adventure. They want something different and dramatic. This play of course is an exaggeration but it indicates towards a growing trend of modern life. The stale day-to-day routine has made their senses numb and some break from it is always welcome. So the family in the story presents the modern bent of mind as well as the modern rational attitude in any unforeseen situation.

                                                       Question# 6
                                   Draw the character sketches of
                                                 1-Wolf, 2-Guy 

WOLF

                       Wolf is a dangerous burglar who comes to rob the Sydney family. He is the most famous burglar of England and all the police of England are after him. He has been carrying on this trade for a long time that’s why he is quite well known. Often the newspapers report about him and tell some mysterious stories about his conduct and behaviour especially with ladies.

                He behaves in a rude manner with the Sydney family and repeats, “I’ll plug you” again and again. He is violent and often uses bad language to others. He doesn’t believe any one and holds his revolver in his hands all the time. He is very confident about his skills and proudly declares that no safe in the world can beat him. He uses modern technology for his purpose.

          He suspects the Sydneys and is not easily ready to believe in them. He presents himself as a pitiless and cunning fellow but in fact he is a dupe and greedy man. He suspects them in little matters like he asks if Lord Redchester’s tobacco is doped. Then he asks Guy not to make a strong drink for him but when it comes to the serious business, they easily take him in.

                     He seems to be an educated man because he quotes some classical sayings. Lettice calls him, “a lost sheep in wolf’s clothing”; he retorts immediately, “Wolves do change their hair, but not their hearts”. When Lady Redchester mentions about the criminal classes he says, “there ain’t no criminal classes, any more than virtuous classes. The rogues and the rulers may both come from the gutter, or the Palace. A man can be in the House of Commons today and the House of Detention to-morrow, can’t he?”

               He is attracted to beauty like any other man and welcomes Lettice. He praises Lord Redchester’s gifts open heartedly. He claims to make a clean sweep and behaves rudely in order to get the jewels back from ladies. He gives many sarcastic remarks; when Bishop asks who he is…. He says, “I am a piano tuner”. Again when Bishop asks him to join the ranks of the honourable, virtuous and trustworthy…. He retorts, “Do you want me to abandon my craft and start keeping rabbits”?

               He professes to be a cunning man but proves to be a fool. He is greedy and leaves the booty in hand in anticipation of an imagined treasure. He himself said, “ One in hand is better than two in bush” but later forgets it and goes for “two in bush” leaving the “one in hand”. The Sydney family befools him and makes him leave their treasure.
             
               On the whole this is a superb presentation of a modern crook. He is unusual and dramatic and cannot be easily forgotten.

GUY SYDNEY

                       Guy Sydney is a young boy who comes across Wolf in his study room. At the Christmas morning he comes to have a drink, when he sees the Wolf. He controls himself fully and doesn’t show any alarm or confusion. He behaves nicely with Wolf and asks him to be polite. He reiterates his family’s strong points forcefully. He tells him that his family is the most straightforward and trust worthy family of the county. It is he who sets the attitude of the whole family. His friendly manners make Wolf think that he is among friends.
               
                  He calls his family members one by one and perhaps he prepares them for the situation. He is intelligent and self-assured. He is active and controls the situation fully. He again and again gives him drink and takes interest in his tools. He shows himself as caring and asks many questions about Wolf’s life.

           At the end he assists uncle Bishop in turning the table. He eagerly gives him the whole map of Wallaby’s home. He tells him about the riches present in Wallaby’s drawing room and dinning room. He makes a whole list of expensive things present there and even lets him know the location of these things. He paints such a picture before Wolf that he is completely befooled. He leaves their gifts and is ready to intrude into Wallaby’s home.
   
               Thus Guy Sydney can be called the main instrument of Wolf’s destruction. He artfully plans the strategy from very first moment and leads it to his desired objective.