Thinks…

1. Thinks… David Lodge

2. Chapter 11

3. Short denotative analysis • Ralph Messenger is talking about his collegue and he criticizes him • Reflection on the meanng of winning a Nobel Prize • He remembers the moment when he kissed Helen and when he descovered Emily in the bathroom

4. Characters • Ralph Messenger • Helen Reed • Duggers, a Ralph’s collegue • Emily Carrie’s daughter

5. Narrative technique • Stream of consciuosness

6. Setting • Thursday, March 12° • 17:30 • Ralph is in his car

7. New Words • Ahead = avanti • Flashy = sgargiante • To begrudges = invidiare qualche cosa a qualcuno • To Screw up = accartocciare • To Gang up on = fare comunella contro qualcuno • Broomstick = scopa • To ditch= abbandonare, mollare

8. Chapter 12

9. Short denotative analysis • The female protagonist talks to Sandra Pickering because the protagonists of their books are the same • Sandra says that she wrote her book before reading hers and they discuss about the matter • Helen Reed goes to Cheltenham to buy a present for Ralph and a dress.

10. Characters • The female protagonist: Helen Reed • Sandra Pickering: a Helen’s student • Simon Bellamy: a Helen’s student • Martin:Helen’s dead husband • Ralph Messenger: a male protagonist

11. Setting • Thursday 13th March: University of Gloucester • Friday 14th March: Cheltenham and Richmonds’ house

12. Narrative technique • Journal • Direct and indirect style • Comparison between the protagonists of the two books : Burnt and The Eye of the Storm

13. The protagonist of two book. A comparison Burnt and The eye of the storm Alastair and Sebastian: • Tall • Gangly • Absent-minded • Untidy • Odd socks They have the same features

14. New words • To glimpse = intravvedere • Subdue = sottomettere • Sharpish = pungente • To bang into = sbattere contro

15. Chapter 13

16. Short denotative analysis • At the party the guests chat about topical problems (DNA, dolly the cloned sheep and elections) • Ralph has a lot of lovers (Marianne is one of them) and he takes them to a cottage • Ralph tries to kiss Helen

17. Characters • Ralph Messenger: the male protagonist • Helen Reed: the female protagonist • Carrie: Mr. Messenger’s Wife • Prof. Douglass: a party guest • Laetitia Glover: a further party guest • Jasper Richmond: Helen’s friend • Sir Stanley and Lady Hibberd: vice-director and his wife • Colin Riverdale: one more party guest • Marianne: Richmond’s wife and Messenger’s lover

18. Setting • Messenger’s house EVENT He celebrates his birthday

19. Narrative technique • Direct style • Description

20. Particular features • Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist . He advanced the Theory of evolution • T. O. M: Theory of the mind • AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

21. New words • Poll =sondaggio • To wink = fare l’occhiolino • Cheerfully = allegramente • To feed = dare da mangiare

22. Chapter 14

23. Short denotative analysis • Helen passed another weekend to the Messengers • Ralph tried to kiss her, but she doesn’t want to have an affair with him • She has new neighbours, a young couple • She doesn’t see or hear much of the neighbours

24. Characters • Helen • Ralph • Carrie • Ross and Jackie • Annabelle Riverdale

25. Setting • Messenger’s house • Helen’s house • Library

26. Narrative technique • Journal

27. Message • Convey the idea of embarassment of telling something which crossed our mind, but we don’t really want to say it (opposition between say what we want and what we think)

28. Chapter 15

29. Short denotative analysis • Ralph Messenger is in tailback • Flashback of Ralph: Isabel Hotchkiss, their sexual intercourse and San Diego • Come back to present: sexual intercourse between Ralph and his wife

30. Characters • Ralph Messenger (the main character, a professor at Cheltenham’s University) • Isabel Hotchkiss ( works with Ralph, she is his lover) • Carrie (Ralph’s wife)

31. Setting • Inner Ring (the street where Ralph is in tailback) • Hotel in San Diego • Ralph and Carrie’s house (their bedroom)

32. Narrative technique • Stream of consciousness • Flashback • Direct speech • Free direct speech

33. Message • Remembering the past we can try to improve our present

34. New Words • Trap = boccaccia • Purdah = reclusione donne società musulmana e indù • Bloke = tizio, vecchione • To have a bit of time in hand = avere un po’ di tempo a disposizione • To dim = affievolire • To nod =f are un cenno col capo • To frow = disapprovare • To truant = marinare la scuola • Hem = orlo

35. Chapter 16

36. Chapter XVI is organized into three stories about the same theme: SCIENCE vs PHILOSOPHY • Mary Comes Out • Mary’s Rose • Mary Sees Red

37. Short denotative analysis Mary Comes Out • Mary, a grown woman, sees colours for the first time • she lives into a kind of prison in which only white, black and grey exist • a masked man teaches her a lot of things about a wide range of subject everyday how do humans react when they see colours for the first time and what happen in their brains? Mary dies for the intensity of her sensations and thrills FINAL TEST: A RED BUDROSE

38. Short denotative analysis Mary’s Rose guinea pig: Mary VS philosophers scientists • is colour different for everybody? • does it exist on its own? • is colour the same for everybody? • does it happen just in your brain?

39. Short denotative analysis Mary Sees Red • Philosophers and scientists jailed Mary from the day of her birth • Her books taught her everything about everything FINAL TEST: At the age of thirty-one they take her into a white room with a red rose • Unfortunately they forgot Mary is a woman and has got her period BLOOD IS RED!

40. Characters • 1. • Mary Willingdon • Lucy • Hubert Dearing, the masked man • Miss Calcutt • 2. • Mary • Scientists and philosophers • 3. • Mary • Giles Dickinson, philosopher • Mr. Stigwood, neuroscientist

41. Setting TIME We don’t have any temporal reference signalling the first two stories but the third is set in the future, in year 2031 • SPACE • secret house • colourless house’s underground • white room

42. Narrative technique • Lodge uses the third-person narration which provides the reader with a full view of the characters and their feelings and he speaks directly to the reader (‘she did not see color when she was a baby like you and I’) • there are also dialogues between characters which complete our knowledge about what is happening

43. From the Reader’s Point of View Mary dies and his jailer won’t ever have his answers • Human beings are fragile in front of thrills philosophy beats science 2. Senses are more important than mental knowledge 3. The reason why Mary already knew red colour concerns body structure and scientific notions science beats philosophy are colours merely brain’s reactions or are they a part of us that exists on their own? through her death Mary will keep this secret for her own

44. New Words 1 minute/hour – hand rosebud to kneel lancetta minuti/ore bocciolo di rosa inginocchiarsi to feel blue to be red with anger to be green with envy essere triste essere rosso di rabbia essere verde d’invidia 2 alzare la posta nutrire prigione sotterranea to rise the stake to nourish dungeon 3

45. Mary’s name symbolic choice: Mary = Jesus’ mother innocent uncontaminated pure she can be turned into whatever her jailers want ‘Willing’don she’s glad to do it : volunteer

46. Chapter 17

47. Short denotative analysis • Discussion about fantasy and science • Ralph goes to Helen’s maisonette to install the modem

48. Characters • Ralph Messenger • Helen Reed

49. Narrative technique • Dialog • Third person narrator

50. Setting • Late morning on Friday, March 21st • Ralph’s office • Helen’s maisonette