Arms And Man
ARMS AND THE MAN: ACT 2
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EXTRACT 1 - page30
Nicola:” Be warned in time, Louka: mend your manners…………
Nicola:……………...But you’re young: you’re young!”
1. What does Nicola warn Louka about?
It’s a fine spring morning, Nicola, the manservant and Louka, the maidservant of the Petkoffs are talking to each other. Louka, smoking a cigarette is standing, between the table (the table that was laid in the garden) and the house, turning her back with contempt on the manservant who is chastising her for her disrespectful conduct to Raina and Catherine. He warns her that unless she mends her manners she is sure to be dismissed. The opening dialogue tells us that Nicola is engaged to Louka but Nicola tells that he won’t marry her if she disgraces the Petkoff house.
2. What was Louka’s reaction to Nicola’s warning?
Louka has a soul above her status, she isn’t servile like Nicola but a girl of high spirits. So behaving like a rebel she says the she would defy her mistress and she doesn’t care for anything.
3. What, according would be the consequences if the mistress would come to know that Louka is defying her?
If the mistress would come to know that Louka is defying her then Nicola can never marry her. It would be the same as if Louka had quarreled with him.
4. What characteristics of Nicola do these lines reveal?
Nicola is a middle-aged man of cool temperament. He is intelligent and is faithful to the family he works for. He is also prudent as he wants to start a shop in Sofia after he leaves his job or service in the house and so he does not want to offend his masters as they will be his valued customers then. Nicola mentors and advises Louka regarding her manners and her attitude as he strongly feels that a servant shouldn’t defy his masters and should ever be obedient to them.
5. What does Nicola mean when he tells Louka, ”you’re young, you’re young!”?
Nicola means to say that Louka is inexperienced and she does not have the idea of the immense power that the rich have
‘
EXTRACT 1 - page30
Nicola:” Be warned in time, Louka: mend your manners…………
Nicola:……………...But you’re young: you’re young!”
1. What does Nicola warn Louka about?
It’s a fine spring morning, Nicola, the manservant and Louka, the maidservant of the Petkoffs are talking to each other. Louka, smoking a cigarette is standing, between the table (the table that was laid in the garden) and the house, turning her back with contempt on the manservant who is chastising her for her disrespectful conduct to Raina and Catherine. He warns her that unless she mends her manners she is sure to be dismissed. The opening dialogue tells us that Nicola is engaged to Louka but Nicola tells that he won’t marry her if she disgraces the Petkoff house.
2. What was Louka’s reaction to Nicola’s warning?
Louka has a soul above her status, she isn’t servile like Nicola but a girl of high spirits. So behaving like a rebel she says the she would defy her mistress and she doesn’t care for anything.
3. What, according would be the consequences if the mistress would come to know that Louka is defying her?
If the mistress would come to know that Louka is defying her then Nicola can never marry her. It would be the same as if Louka had quarreled with him.
4. What characteristics of Nicola do these lines reveal?
Nicola is a middle-aged man of cool temperament. He is intelligent and is faithful to the family he works for. He is also prudent as he wants to start a shop in Sofia after he leaves his job or service in the house and so he does not want to offend his masters as they will be his valued customers then. Nicola mentors and advises Louka regarding her manners and her attitude as he strongly feels that a servant shouldn’t defy his masters and should ever be obedient to them.
5. What does Nicola mean when he tells Louka, ”you’re young, you’re young!”?
Nicola means to say that Louka is inexperienced and she does not have the idea of the immense power that the rich have