Communicative practice | Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime Book (+words a&q)
Text-Dependent Questions
1. PART A: Which of the following best represents a theme of the text?
A. At its core mankind is essentially moral and incapable of evil.
B. People will do crazy things for love.
C. The only kind of true prophecy is a self-fulfilling one.
D. Only a small percentage of psychics are fake.
1. C
2. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "Actors are so fortunate. They can choose whether they will appear in
tragedy or in comedy, whether they will suffer or make merry, laugh or
shed tears. But in real life it is different. Most men and women are forced
to perform parts for which they have no qualifications." (Paragraph 68)
B. "Never had life seemed lovelier to him, never had the things of evil
seemed more remote." (Paragraph 100)
C. "he recognized none the less clearly where his duty lay, and was fully
conscious of the fact that he had no right to marry until he had committed
the murder." (Paragraph 103)
D. "Do you remember that horrid Mr. Podgers? He was a dreadful impostor."
(Paragraph 203)
2. C
3. Explain Lord Arthur's reconciliation with the prediction. How does his solution to the problem contribute to the comedy of the text?
3. It seems to me that the text seems comical for some reason for many reasons that the author wanted to reveal. Lord Arthur, despite his wealth and status, fully accepts the prophecy. That is, instead of rejecting the prophecy as nonsense, he becomes obsessed with the idea that he must commit murder before he can marry and be happy. The absurd measures that Lord Arthur goes to in order to fulfill the prophecy emphasize the folly of over-believing in such predictions.
4. Summarize Lord Arthur's first and second attempts at murder.
4.
The
first victim of Lord Arthur's assassination attempt is his elderly aunt
Clementine, who suffers from heartburn. He gives her a capsule of poison,
telling her to take it only when she has an attack of heartburn. After a while,
he learns that she is dead, but she died a natural death, and he needs a new
victim. During his second attempt, Lord Arthur chooses his distant relative,
the Dean of Chichester. He carefully prepares a bomb and sends it to the Dean. However, the package is mistakenly
returned to Arthur.
These failed assassination attempts are laced with dark humor and irony. They
also emphasize the absurdity of Arthur's actions and how far he is willing to
go to fulfill the prophecy.
5. PART A: What does the word "adulterated" most closely mean as it is used in paragraph 177?
A. Made impure
B. Matured
C. Made hopeless
D. Frightened
5. A
6. PART B: Which phrase from the paragraph best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "It was a terrible blow to him, and for a time he was quite unnerved"
B. "full of elaborate apologies"
C. "had lost all faith"
D. "can hardly be got in a pure condition"
6. D
7. Explain the irony in the following lines and how it adds more humor to the text: "He had done his best to commit this murder, but on both occasions, he had failed, and through no fault of his own. He had tried to do his duty, but it seemed as if Destiny herself had turned traitor. He was oppressed with the sense of the barrenness of good intentions, of the futility of trying to be line." (Paragraph 183)
7.
The
irony in these lines lies in the contrast between Lord Arthur's belief that he
is trying to do the right thing and the absurdity of the situation he finds
himself in. The phrase “ the barrenness of good intentions” is
particularly ironic, as this concept is usually associated with good or noble things, not murder. The idea of trying to
“be right” or follow through with the planned murder adds to the humor, showing
that his desire to do something bad is completely unrelated to morality or
reason.
8. Reread the following quote from paragraph 188: "Once he thought that he caught sight of the bulky misshapen figure striking out for the staircase by the bridge, and a horrible feeling of failure came over him, but it turned out to be merely a reflection, and when the moon shone out from behind a cloud it passed away." What is the author's likely purpose for including this piece of imagery?
A. The "bulky misshapen figure" Lord Arthur sees is Mr. Podgers's ghost
haunting Arthur.
B. The "bulky misshapen figure" Lord Arthur sees is not Mr. Podgers but his
own reflection, suggesting that even though Arthur is outwardly good and
has ensured his happiness, there is a moral disfigurement confirmed in
him after committing murder.
C. The moon dissipates the "bulky misshapen" reflection, suggesting that
morality is relative and that appearances are not always true to character.
D. The dark, romantic image is in contrast with the light-hearted atmosphere
of the rest of the story, juxtaposing the natural images (i.e. night, moon,
etc.) with the shallow values of high society.
8. B
9. PART A: Which of the following statements best describes the effect the resolution has on the overall meaning of the story?
A. Everything Mr. Podgers predicted actually comes true, suggesting that
Wilde is making a point about fate or destiny as being real, though
Podgers's death implies that Wilde is making a statement against fake
psychics.
B. Lord Arthur has changed by the end of the story, though outwardly he
does not show it, contributing to the story's meaning of deceiving
appearances.
C. Lord Arthur triumphs in the end of the story, making it a comedy, despite
the immoral means he takes to attain happiness; the story's meaning is
thus commentary on morality, the upper class in Wilde's era, and passing
trends such as palm-reading.
D. Lord Arthur triumphs in the end of the story, making it a comedy, despite
the immoral means he takes to attain happiness; thus, the author is
suggesting that people should all be more trusting of those who wish to
predict our destiny.
9. C
10. PART B: Which TWO quotations from the ending provide the best support for the answer to Part A?
A. "...like fitful sunbeams, [Lady Windermere] suddenly took her hostess's
hand in hers, and said, 'Are you happy, Sybil?'" (Paragraph 199)
B. "'I have no time to be happy, Sybil. I always like the last person who is
introduced to me; but, as a rule, as soon as I know people I get tired of
them.'" (Paragraph 201)
C. "'I go in for telepathy now. It is much more amusing.'" (Paragraph 203)
D. "Lord Arthur came up the garden with a large bunch of yellow roses in his
hand, and his two children dancing round him" (Paragraph 206)
E. "'Of course I [believe in cheiromancy],' said the young man, smiling...
'Because I owe it all the happiness of my life'" (Paragraphs 210-212)
F. "'What nonsense!' cried Lady Windermere. 'I never heard such nonsense in
all my life.'" (Paragraph 215)
10. D and E
Discussion Questions
1. One definition of comedy is that is shows the rise of an unexpected hero. Based on this definition, how is "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" a comedy? Explain your answer.
I think that the effect of the unexpected hero comes from the situational irony of Lord Arthur's missteps. It leads to humorous consequences and unexpected events every time he tries to commit a crime. The absurdity of his thinking lies in the fact that he seems to have a main goal - a happy marriage (that's why he commits murder over and over again), but his actions are morally questionable. At first, we are shown the protagonist as a typical aristocrat, innocent because he believes in prophecy. For us, the readers, he reveals himself in a different way when he decides to commit a crime, and after that more than once. I can also note that the novel reveals an important theme: the conflict between fate and free will. Believing in something that is not certain leads the protagonist to absurd actions and shows us that he is unable to control his fate.
2. In paragraph 68, Lord Arthur laments his destiny and the part he is to play in it ("...he felt that some tragedy was hanging over him, and that he had been suddenly called upon to bear an intolerable burden."). Are there any elements of tragedy in this shortstory? Cite evidence from the text.
This work is a tragedy because it combines the theme of internal conflict and the moral dilemma that the protagonist faces every time. Lord Arthur cannot choose between love and the need to fulfil the prophecy he believes in, which he believes will ensure happiness for both him and Sybil. Two choices and two are fundamental to him. One choice cannot exist without the other. Arthur's actions are shown to us in a more humorous way, but the consequences are serious, so Wilde aptly uses a mix of tragedy and comedy here.
3. Oscar Wilde is known for writing works that criticize the times in which he lived. What elements of society does Wilde criticize in "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime"?
The author criticises and condemns aristocracy as a social status and moral hypocrisy within this status. That is, even if a person of the upper class has everything, a character like Lord Arthur was ready to do bad things in order to maintain this status. Also, I think the idea of marriage as a social contract rather than a romantic union is well revealed in the novel. Lord Arthur wants to ensure a perfect marriage with Sybil, and this is an expectation from society. Most likely, Arthur wanted to please these higher categories rather than make his life happier.
4. What can we learn from comedy? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.
Wilde uses comedy to satirize the rigid social structure and moral hypocrisy of Victorian society. The story emphasizes the absurdity of blindly following fate and how far people are willing to go to protect social expectations. Similarly, in literature and history, comedy has often been used to criticize social norms and injustice. For example, in Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, humor is used to expose the absurdity of racism and social conventions. Comedy can be a tool for challenging authority. Wilde's works often undermine the pretensions of the upper class. Additionally, I can add that Wilde was imprisoned for loving a man, not a woman. I think this is another reason why he criticizes the upper class of society, because they are the ones who set the “norms”. Love has no boundaries or norms.
5. In the context of this story, do you believe it is possible to control your own fate, or is it all up to destiny? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature or art in your answer.
In modern literature, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series explores the idea of fate through the prophecy of Harry and Voldemort. Although the prophecy triggers certain events, it is the choices and actions of the characters that determine the final outcome. So I personally support the idea that fate exists, but it belongs to us. We can change a particular event or influence someone through our actions. Maybe it's easier for some people to live when you believe in something like that, but we need to remember that our lives are in our hands and no one has the right to tell us what to do or how to act, we have to choose our own path.
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