Imogene+Edson,+Sean+Duggan+&+Gordon+Armstrong

From Juliet to Sidney 28th January 1946

Dear Sidney, Yes, dinner with pleasure, I'll wear my new dress and eat like a pig.

I am so glad I didn't embarrass S&S about Gilly and the teapot ~ I was worried. Susan suggested I make a 'dignified statement' to the press too, about Rob Dartry and why we didn't marry, I couldn't possibly do that, 1 honestly don't think I'd mind looking a fool, if it didn't make Rob look a worse one. But it would ~ and of course, he wasn't a fool at all. But he'd sound like it. I'd much prefer to say nothing and look like a feckless, flighty, cold-hearted bitch.

But I'd like you to know why - I'd have told you before, but you were in the Navy in 1942, and you never met Rob. Even Sophie never met him - she was up at Bedford that autumn and 1 swore her to secrecy afterwards. The longer I put off saying anything, the less important it became for you to know, especially in the light of how it made me look - witless and foolish for getting engaged in the first place.

I thought I was in love (that's the pathetic part - my idea of being in love). In preparation for sharing my home with a husband, \ made room for him so he wouldn't feel like a visiting aunt. 1 cleared out half my drawers, half my cupboard, half my bathroom cabinet, half my desk. I gave away my padded hangers and brought in those heavy wooden ones. I took my teddy bear off the bed and put her in the attic. Now my flat was meant for two, instead of one.

On the afternoon before our wedding, Rob was moving in the last of his clothes and belongings while I delivered my Izzy article to the Spectator, Then I tore home, flew up the stairs and threw open the door to find Rob sitting on the low stool in front, of my bookcase, surrounded by cardboard boxes, He was sealing the last one up with tape and string. There were eight boxes - eight boxes of my books bound up and ready for the basement!

He looked up and said 'Hello, darling. Don't mind the mess, the caretaker said he'd help me carry these down to the basement" He nodded towards my bookshelves and said, 'Don't they look wonderful?'

Well, there were no words! I was too appalled to speak, Sidney, every single shelf- where my books had stood - was filled with athletic trophies: silver cups, gold cups, blue rosettes, red ribbons. There were awards for every game that could possibly be played with a wooden object: cricket bats, squash racquets, tennis racquets, oars, golf clubs, ping-pong bats. bows and arrows, snooker cues, lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks and polo mallets. There were Statues for everything a man could jump over, either by himself or on a horse. Next came the framed certificates - for shooting the most birds on such and such a date, for First Place in running races, for Last Man Standing in some filthy tug of war against Scotland.

All I could do was scream, 'How dare you! What have you DONE?! Put my books back!'

Well, that's how it started. Eventually, I said something to the effect that I could never marry a man whose idea of bliss was to strike out at little balls and little birds, Rob countered with remarks about damned bluestockings and shrews. And it all degenerated from there – the only thought we probably had in common was. What the hell have we talked about for the last four months? What, indeed? He huffed and puffed and snorted - and left. And 1 unpacked my books,

Remember the night last year when you met my train to tell me my home had been bombed flat? You thought I was laughing in hysteria? I wasn't - it was in irony - if I'd let Rob store all my books in the basement, I'd still have them, every one.

**Imogene Edson**    The author of this letter uses clever language and a list of details showing us that Juliet has a tough demeanor. An example of this is in the first paragraph when she says, “I’d much prefer to say nothing and look like a feckless, flighty, cold-hearted bitch.” Throughout the passage Juliet acts as though she could not care less what anyone thinks of her. The author makes it clear that Juliet has a slight feminist attitude, it is clear that she appreciates women education and the rights that men and women should be equal, it is noted when she states, “I cleared out half of my drawers, half my cupboard, half my bathroom cabinet, half my desk.” The author uses descriptive language to show the readers clearly how hard Juliet is trying to be ask she removes her things to make room for a man, which she doesn’t seem to excited to have.
 * Responses to Letter**
 * English Class 2011****1. How is the personality of Juliet conveyed?**

 **2. How does the the story told in the letter reveal the character of Rob?**  At first, one may feel as though Rob is a jerk, yet Juliet’s tone softens the readers perception of who he actually is. At the beginning, one may feel bad for him because Juliet states, “Susan suggested I make a ‘dignified statement’ to the press too, about Rob Dartry and why we didn’t marry.” The reason why the readers would have sympanthy on Rob because Juliet admits that she was being a “cold-hearted” bitch. When Juliet comes home and sees that he has packed up her books, fury may pass through the reader’s conscience, replacing the pity which had settled in the reader’s mind. Although, as Juliet’s reasons begin to pile up, for why they didn’t end up marrying, she eases up and collectively blames the both of them.

 **3. Comment on the use of the listing of details in this passage?**  The details within the passage help describe the characters on a more personal basis. An example of this is when the author lists all of the trophies Rob has, “There were awards for every game that could possible be played with a wooden object: cricket bats, squash rackets, tennis rackets, oars, ping-pong bats.” The list goes on, but it shows how those little details are important to the story being told. When Juliet lists all of the things that she does for Rob, making room for him and eventually stowing her teddy bear away, the emotion that coats the lists of details give the reader an idea that she is only doing what she must. After reading those lists, one may think that it was helpful to read about that because it gives more insight on who the character is.

 **4. In what ways does the fact that this passage is a letter affect its style?** The passage is written in letter format which instantly hooks a reader in. It is aberrational to see a letter written within a book, therefore being a delight to the eyes. A letter adds a personal touch to a third person and allows the reader to get to know the character a little more. At one point in the letter, Juliet goes on a rant about how appalled she was that Rob would move her books. Juliet says, “Well there were no words! I was too appalled to speak.” She continues on, with //a lot// of words, explaining how she felt in that situation, which most likely not have been clarified in a regular book setting. Also, a letter gives information that a reader would not have figured out if the author had decided not to include it. It gives the author the chance to go into extreme detail and explore different writing techniques that they normally wouldn’t have.

 **5. Note anything else in the passage that you find distinctive**  Throughout the passage, I find that the author uses literary devices to their advantage. Humor, irony, figurative and descriptive language are what make the letter complete. An example of this is, “Eventually, I said something to the effect that I could never marry a man whose idea of bliss was to strike out at little balls and little birds.” Without the literary devices found in this passage, it would be bland and emotion would be difficult to detect. **Response to //From Juliet to Sidney//**Sean Duggan  1. From the Passage, Juliet's character is revealed as a strong, literate and independent women that is ashamed of ever being in love. In her opening sentences, she writes with informal rude humor mentioning that she'll wear her 'new dress and eat like a pig'. Later in the paragraph, she says she'd 'much prefer to say nothing and look like a feckless, flighty, cold hearted bitch'. Sidney must be a very close friend to Juliet for her to write in a 'rude' style, even though it brings out her strong, individualistic traits. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2. Later in the letter, we learn more about Rob's character. When he finally arrives to the house, he seems anti-feminist and self-rightious. The image of his trophies and awards replacing Juliet's books is a very selfish image of his character. For example, after Juliet had seen the books in the boxes, he says 'the caretaker said he'd help me carry these down to the basement'. It's as if he has no respect for what she tried to do to make space for him. Instead he mounts the bookshelves with "awards for every game that could possibly be played with a wooden object. His reaction to her books is a great example of why he is not meant for Juliet. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 3. I feel the writer's use of listing might be for the purpose of Juliet making her point about the situation she was in. On Line 17, Juliet writes, "I cleared out half my drawers, half my cupboard, half my bathroom cabinet, half my desk...'. She definitely seems keen on making a point on the sacrifices she'd made for Rob and his arrival. Of course, her expectation change when she sees all of Rob's belongings had taken over her shelves. In this use of listing, she makes very general statements about his 'statues for everything a man could jump over, either by himself or on horse'. She almost makes him look like an insensitive savage of nature and the arts. This is why listing her problems tends to benefit the mood of the paragraphs.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> __**Group Discussion:**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;">
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the character, Juliet seemed really cool
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">structure of the letter didn’t help the story in any way
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the letter sets a background for the story later
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">first impressions of Rob: a jerk, anti-feminist, self-righteous
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Juliet: nice that she was able to stand up for herself
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Juliet doesn’t care about what people think
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the letter lets the readers think what they want about Juliet with out having any beginners knowledge of who she is
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Descriptive writing made the letter more interesting
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">authors use of italicized words is important to catch because it makes a certain point, or the times that she uses them are connected in some way

Gordon Armstrong

1. How is the personality of Juliet conveyed? Through her won words in a letter to her friend. Through her emotional outbursts, her actions and the way in which she interacts with the man she is engaged to. She feels the need to justify not saying anything to her friend until now. 2. How does the story told in the letter reveal the character of Rob? Through his actions, as described by Juliet. The most notable being that he clears out all of the bookshelves to make space for his trophies with no regard for Juliet, who always cleared out half of her belongings. This reveals Rob's arrogance and sense of self-importance. These traits are difficult to carry into a marriage where the partner expects equality. To be fair, Juliet did not consider the thought of clearing out half of her bookshelves 3. Comment on the use of the listing of details in this passage. The teddy bear and padded hangers are mentioned to show the extent of Juliet's sacrifice. With the long description of Rob's sports trophies, she reveals how shocked she is at the sheer number of trophies. She is shocked that someone could have so much of something that she does not care for. It is surprising that she remembers these details years later. 4. In what ways does the fact that this passage is a letter affect its style? The passage is biased towards Juliet. It allows her to put into words, things that she might not say in public. For example "what the hell have..." "feckless, flighty, cold-hearted bitch" -her self assessment. Style- lots of dashes "--" and rhetorical questions. Incomplete sentences "But I'd like you to know why ..." "But it would- and of course...". Juliet italicizes things she wants to emphasize and bolds the word "DONE". 5. Note anything else in the passage that you find distinctive. The time period is during WWII. Did women serve in the navy back then? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"> Back to the First Collaborative Commentary Description page