XI. Discussion.

1. What does the word “crossing” in the title mean: Colin’s fatal crossing of the river or something more important? How many crossings are there in the story? Can you think of a better title for the story? Give your own variant.

2. The author doesn’t present the events of the story in chronological order. He resorts to a circular pattern of the plot structure, i.e. the closing event or the very eve of the closing event (that is the case in this story) is given as an introduction. What effect does the author want to produce? What other patterns of plot structure do you know? Enumerate them.

3. As the old saying goes “The heart that once truly loves never forgets”. Whose feelings to Flora and Flora’s to whom can you characterize by means of this saying? Ground your choice.

4. Where does your sympathy lie – with Colin or with Angus? Why? Whom would you have chosen if you were Flora?

5. Why do you think Colin’s footsteps led up to the window and then into the water? What happened? Can you say that Colin was a weak person? Why/why not? Give a character sketch of Colin. What kind of person was he? Try to use at least 10 adjectives to present him.

6. What do you think became of Angus and Flora afterwards? Did they stay together or part? Can happiness be built on someone else’s bones? Explain your viewpoint.

7. How would you have felt after Colin’s death if you were Angus or Flora? Why?

8. Give a character sketch of Angus. What kind of person was he? Try to use at least 10 adjectives to present him.

9. Give a character sketch of Flora. What epithet* is used by the author to accentuate her beauty? What kind of person was she? Try to use at least 10 adjectives to present her.

10. Compare the attitude of Nick from “Ten Indians” to his partner’s unfaithfulness with Colin’s attitude to the same situation. Why did they react in such a different way? Was the situation really the same? What determined their choice? Give evidence for your answer.

11. What would be your choice if your partner were unfaithful to you: to forget and stay with an unfaithful partner, to forgive and part, to part but to bear a grudge against him/her and revenge, to commit suicide or to kill the offender? Why? Give your reasons and your own way out of the situation if none of the enumerated above suites you.

12. What have you learnt about love from this story? Does it conform to your concept of love?

13. Do you know of any other love stories that end in tragedy?

*The epithet is a figure of speech involving an attributive characterization of a person, thing or phenomenon. It is simple in form. In the majority of cases it consists of one word: adjective or adverb, modifying respectively nouns or verbs (e.g., It was an angry sunset; He carried himself brutally). Sometimes epithets may be expressed by nouns, mostly in of-phrase (e.g., They had the spirit of modesty), or compounds – equivalents of whole phrases (e.g., Brian felt a quiet I-told-you-so satisfaction).

WRITING ACTIVITIES

XII. Summarize the story in 20 sentences. Read your summary aloud in class and explain why you have chosen these very sentences.

XIII. You are a police detective who has been called in to investigate the causes of Colin’s death. Write a brief report (100 words) with the conclusions you have made.

XIV. Write a final paragraph/paragraphs (250-350 words) for the story giving it another twist. It’s up to you to decide what moment to change the story from.