Her father, after what had happened in front of the telly that evening was first on
her list. Roald Dahl (GB, 1916-1990), Matilda, 1988. UNDERSTANDING.
Would you mind if I read my book? "Mummy," Matilda said, "would you mind if I ate my supper in the dinning-room so I could read my book?"
5
10
15
20
The father glanced up sharply1. "I would mind!" he snapped. "Supper is a family gathering2 and no one leaves the table till it's over!" "But we're not at the table," Matilda said. "We never are. We're eating off our knees and watching the telly." "What's wrong with watching the telly, may I ask?" the father said. His voice had suddenly become soft and dangerous. Matilda didn't trust herself to answer him, so she kept quiet. She could feel the anger boiling up inside her. She knew it was wrong to hate her parents like this, but she was finding it very hard not to do so. All the reading she had done had given her a view of life that they had never seen. If only they would read a little Dickens or Kipling3 they would soon discover there was more to life than cheating4 people and watching television. Another thing. She resented being told constantly that she was ignorant and stupid when she knew she wasn't. The anger inside her went on boiling and boiling, and as she lay in bed that night she made a decision. She decided that every time her father or her mother was beastly to her, she would get her own back in some way or another. A small victory or two would help her to tolerate their idiocies and would stop her from going crazy. You must remember that she was still hardly five years old and it is not easy for somebody as small as that to score points against an all-powerful grown-up. Even so, she was determined to have a go. Her father, after what had happened in front of the telly that evening was first on her list. Roald Dahl (GB, 1916-1990), Matilda, 1988.
UNDERSTANDING ¾ Getting into the story 1 . Main point. Choose the right answer. a. b. c. d.
Matilda is a happy child; Matilda admires her parents; Matilda is beginning to understand that she wasn't born into the right family; Matilda is a naughty child.
¾ Word watch 2. "I would mind!" he snapped. (l. 3) What way of talking does "snap" evoke? Explain. 3. "Matilda didn't trust herself to answer him." (l. 9) This means that Matilda was not too sure of ... 4. Is "beastly" (l. 16): a noun? an adjective? an adverb? What word is it derived from? Does that word evoke something nice? Give a synonym for "beastly". 1
glanced up sharply: jeta un coup d'œil méchant. a gathering: a reunion. 3 Dickens or Kipling: English writers. Dickens (1812-1870) is the author of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, etc. Kipling (18651936) is the author of the Jungle Books. 4 to cheat: flouer, tromper. -12
MATILDA
GRAMMAR AND MEANING 5. Relevez dans le texte (§6) une phrase qui contient un verbe au passif. 6. Réécrivez cette phrase, en n'utilisant que des verbes à la forme active. 7. Considérez la partie de la phrase où s'oppose le passif (Dahl) et l'actif (votre reformulation). Bien que la version de Roald Dahl et la vôtre soient logiquement synonymes, a) la version de Dahl porte-t-elle sur Matilda, ses parents ou d'autres personnes? b) votre version porte-telle sur Matilda, ses parents ou d'autres personnes? 8. De ces deux versions, laquelle est la mieux adaptée au contexte? Pourquoi?
PRACTICE 9. Given that her parents did not love her, imagine what Matilda underwent. Make five sentences in the passive. Ex.: She was not loved. 10. Re-write the following sentences so as to obtain passive constructions. a) b) c) d) e)
Tom often looks after Perry. Mrs. White is typing Paul's book. Kate wrote this book. Marina was feeding the cats when I arrived. Louise has run this bookshop for five years.
GOING FURTHER INTO THE STORY 11. Which of the adjectives below do you associate with Matilda? With her father? Justify by referring to the text. polite / refined / sophisticated / aggressive / stupid / dishonest / brave / narrow-minded 12. Comment on the passage: "The father glanced up ... watching the telly." (§2) 13. Who does Roald Dahl want the reader to side with? Matilda? Her father? Explain. 14. Through Matilda and her father, what is the reader expected to think of television? of books? 15. Are the characters and the situation realistic? Explain. 16. Does your answer to the previous question mean that Roald Dahl's message is not serious? Explain.
WRITING ¾ Summary 17. Sum up the passage. Don't forget to use linking words, but don't use too many!
¾ Opinions 18. In your opinion, when is it wrong to watch the TV? 19. Why do most people spend more time watching TV than reading books? 20. (Bac techno 2000) Explain why most children and adolescents do not want to be different from their friends. (about 120 words) -2-
