CLASS IX DRAMA THE VILLA FOR SALE

 a) Why does Jeanne want to buy a villa?

Ans. Jeanne wants to buy a villa for her parents to live in.

b) Why is Gaston not interested in buying the villa in the beginning?
Ans. Gaston is not interested in buying the villa because he does not want to invest money for his wife’s parents.

c) Mrs. Al Smith makes many statements about the French. Pick out any two and explain them.
Ans. Two statements which Mrs. Al Smith makes are:

1. "Frenchmen usually have to consult about ten people before they get a move on.” This statement means that the French ask and discuss the matter with many people before taking a decision.

2. "French people have a cute way of doing business!”. This means that the French have different rules for business than Americans.

d) Juliette says “………………. now I have only one thought that is to get the wretched place off my hands. I would sacrifice it at any price”, Does she stick to her words? Why / Why not?

Ans. Juliette does not stick to her words. She quotes a hefty amount of 250000 francs for the villa. Later, she reduces it to 200000 but does not bargain further. She is ready to give up the deal than to sell the villa for a lesser price.

e) Who is a better business person – Juliette or Gaston? Substantiate with examples from the text.
Ans. Gaston is better than Juliette in business. He managed to strike a deal with Mrs. Al Smith out of nothing and earns a good amount of money. He also gets the painting by Corot in the deal as a souvenir.

(f) The ending of the play was a win-win situation approach for Gaston, Juliette, and Mrs. AI Smith. Explain.
Ans. I like Gaston because he is shrewd, business – minded and manages to strike a deal out of nothing. On the other hand, his reluctance to spend money for Jeanne’s parents makes me dislike him. He seems to be self – centred.

Q4. Answer in detail.
a) Social Satire is a style of fictional representation that uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s behaviour, particularly in a social context. Substantiate how Villa for Sale reflects this style.
Ans. In Villa for sale, we see the characters of Juliette and Gaston to be using social satire. Gaston is humorous when he expresses astonishment that there is a bath in the bathroom. He also says that the villa is nothing but Twenty-five yards of Cretonne and a dash of paint. The maid suggests Juliette to act in plays in order to solve her financial problems. All these instances show that the play has social satire in it.

b) Passive characters are often considered ‘weak’ and ‘uninteresting,’ but can also be the true driving force of a story. Do you feel that the maid and Jeanne were the driving force of this play? Rationalise with evidence from the play.
Ans. The maid and Jeanne were the driving force of the play because they made it lively. Both the characters had a positive spirit, were determined and hard-working. They remain the same which brings stability to the otherwise over dramatic characters of Juliette and Gaston. Although they are passive characters, they help in providing a common thread from where the main characters often retake the story. Thus, we cannot overlook the importance of these passive characters.