Thinks by David Lodge Thinks Chapter Chapter Chapter

Thinks… by David Lodge Thinks…

§ § § Chapter Chapter Chapter 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § § Ralph invites Helen to eat something together Helen does not meet Ralph suggests Helen to exchange their journals Helen does not exchange her journal he wants to understand the structure of women’s thought

CHARACTERS § Ralph Messanger § Helen Reed

SETTING § Maybe in their house unknown aspect of technology

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Journal § E-mails uses by Helen uses by Ralph

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Helen is going to spend the Easter weeknd with her parents, away from Ralph § Helen received Sandra’s envelope and read it (Tina and Alastair story) § Reflection about sexuality § Helens suspects Sandra may have had an affair with her husband (she goes to the English School to find out something more) § Helen and Sandra have a discussion about Martin § Carrie and Helen go to the Brine Baths

CHARACTERS § Helen Reed § Sandra Pickering § Helen’s parents § Carrie

SETTING § seminar room § Helen’s maisonette § the Humanities tower and the school of English § Helen’s parents house § Brine Baths

NARRATIVE TECNIQUE § journal

MESSAGE § In the 21 th chapter Helens speaks about sex, about what it is for her, or better what it was like having sex with Martin

SPACE AND TIME § Thursday 27 th March § Good Friday 28 th March § Monday 31 th March § Tuesday 1 st April § Wednesday 2 th April

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Carrie and Helen are chatting in the bar § They are talking about cheating § They tell how they met their husbands

CHARACTERS § Carrie (Martin’s wife, she is a novelist) § Helen Reed (Ralph’s wife)

SETTING § Baths

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Third person narrator § Direct speech

MESSAGE § The perfect family doesn’t exist § Time passes inexorably

SPACE AND TIME § Unspecified

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO WE GATHERED § to giggle = ridacchiare § to envisage = prevedere § recreational = ricreativo § wire = filo elettrico / di ferro

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Helen discusses with Carrie about the relationship between Helen and Martin: § Reflection about the rape of a woman § Reflection about Robyn Penrose’s conference § Dialogue with Ralph § Journey and visit to Ledbury § Helen discovers Carry has got a relationship with another man

CHARACTERS § Helen Reed § Ralph Messenger § Martin

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Stream of counsciousness

SETTING § From April 6 th to April 11 th

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO GATHERED § Towpath § Ghastly § Phallocentric § Sobbing § Shiverig § Effortlessly § Sneeringly § Jargon § opten

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Messenger is waiting for his flight § reflections about life in Praga, especially about poverty § poverty versus richness § Ralph remembers his night passed with Ludmilla

CHARACTERS § Ralph Messenger (a scientist and a writer) § Ludmilla (a girl that had sex with Ralph)

SETTING § Amsterdam, British Airways’ waiting room

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Third person narrator § Direct speech

MESSAGE § with poverty you appreciate things that are usually predictable

SPACE AND TIME § Sunday, 6 th April

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO WE GATHERED § arrangement = accordo, composizione § to avoid = evitare § briefcase = cartella § entrepreneurs = imprenditore § to shove = spingere § dumpling = gnocco § grant = borsa di studio

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Helen and the Messengers go to the “duck race” § Helen and Ralph discuss about the race in scientific terms and they compare it to life. § Carrie gives Helen an explanation about what happened in Ledbury § Carrie finds out her father is sick § The Messengers discuss about death and heaven (Carrie VS Ralph) § Carrie decides to fly to California with her daughter.

CHARACTERS § Helen § Ralph § Carrie § Marianne § Oliver (Marianne’s autistic son) § Mr. Richmond (Marianne’s husband)

SETTING § TIME: Sunday 13 th April § SPACE: Bourton-on-the-water

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Third person narrator § Dialogues § Present tense § Short descriptions

STORYLINE This part of the story creates the necessary conditions to Helen and Ralph’s affair: § Carrie and Ralph argue § Carrie flights to California MESSAGE Helen begins to think like Ralph (scientific and rational point of view) Ralph is very upset Thanks to a discussion about death with Carrie: “Are rational man afraid of real concrete life? ”

PECULIAR FEATURES § The comparison of the duck race and life Only a catastrophe can stop it […] like the great duck race of life § The discussion about death, truth and life between Carrie and Ralph Your trouble is, Messenger, you are very hot on facing facts in the abstract, but not when they are physical, in your face.

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO WE GATHERED § kinda= (slag, kind of) abbastanza) §Sneer = ghigno § bugger = bastardo § flavour = gusto § On top of all your skills

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Ralph Messenger writes about his routine on his notebook. § He meets Helen and they go to the pub and have lunch. § They talk about Helen’s novel and afterwards they go to the cottage and they make love.

CHARACTERS § Ralph § Ludmilla § Carrie § Helen

SETTING SPACE AND TIME § At home § In a pub in Horseshoes § In the cottage § In a swimming pool

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § 1 st part free indirect style and thanks to the stream of consciousness expresses Ralph’s emotions and feelings towards Helen. He remembers when he met Ludmilla for the first time in Prague. § Ralph has continually betrayed his wife but Helen was different from all other women. Just she once dismissed Ralph doesn’t cut and does everything to have her; he really does not read his book carefully and will do everything to make her says yes.

STORY LINE § The use of stream of consciousness allows us to understand the protagonist Ralph Messenger. § In this chapter the writer wants to tell us human beings are attracted by things they cannot have. § As a matter of fact, Ralph contacts Helen just to have sex because she is different from all other women with whom he has betrayed his wife.

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO WE GATHERED § Scythe = falce § Prat = stupido § Dashboard = cruscotto

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § Carrie’s father is ill She’s in America with him § Ralph and Helen enjoy themselves together § Both take a position with regard to politics

CHARACTERS The most relevant characters are: n Helen n Ralph n Children (Emily, Hope, …)

SETTING Helen is writing her journal She is probably be in her maisonette

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Journal Which person am I? The narration switches from first person to third § Helen’s sense of guilt

MESSAGE § Religion VERSUS erotic life § Horatio Carpe diem § Erotic life VERSUS Politics

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS Ralph discovers to have an unknown liver mass § With the return of Carrie the relationship between Helen and Ralph becomes problematic § Ralph has a few problems with the students’ newspaper § Ralph asks Helen to be helped if the cancer is incurable § Ralph is forced to invite Ludmilla, under the threat that she proves their relationship at Prague to a congress in Gloucester § Ralph has a few problems with the police, because someone in his department has downloaded pedo-pornographic images

CHARACTERS n Ralph n Helen n Carrie n Children n Ludmilla (a Ralph’s friend) n Mr Henderson(the doctor)

SETTING § Ralph’s house § Helen’s house § Office § Hospital

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE NARRATION § Third person narrator DIALOGUE § E-mails (with Ludmilla)

MESSAGE § Rationality and Irrationality are complementary

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § § Ralph is admitted to hospital because he has a lump on his liver. He is very worried He speaks about his love story with Helen He is worried: he thinks that someone can find out his love story with Helen He speaks about Donaldson’s honorary degree

CHARACTERS § Ralph Messenger: the male character § Helen Reed: the female character § Carrie: Ralph’s wife § Pomeroy: a nurse § Agnew: policy sergeant § Ludmilla Lisk: a Ralph’s lovers § Jasper Richmond: chairman of arts subjects § Sir Stan and Lady Viv: vice-rector and his wife

SETTING § Abbey Hospital in Bath

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Stream of consciousness § Free direct style § Free indirect style

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO WE GATHERED § To admit: ricoverare § Lump: massa § To thrive: prosperare § To bluff: bluffare § Aloud: leggere, pensare ad alta voce

DENOTATIVE ANALYSIS § § § Helen’s speech is presented at the end of the conference Ralph finds out he has not a cancer and communicates it to Carrie and Helen When Agnew wants to see Douglass’ PC, he suicides

CHARACTERS § Ralph Messenger: the male character § Helen Reed: the female character § Agnew: policy sergeant § Douglass: Ralph’s colleague

SETTING § University of Gloucester

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE § Monologue (Helen’s speech) § Direct style § Description

NEW LANGUAGE AND INFO WE GATHERED § Arguably: avverbio usato quando ci sono buone ragioni per sostenere qualcosa § Pattern: modello § To enhance: mettere in risalto, far aumentare § Shade: ombra § Bliss: gioia