Vila for Sale- extras

Vila for Sale

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. ‘But the sign has been hanging on the gate for over a month now

and I am beginning to be afraid that the day I bought it was when

I was the real fool.’

a. Who is the speaker?

The speaker is Juliette the owner of the villa.

b. What sign has been hanging on the gate for more than a month?

A signboard with ‘Villa for sale’ written on it has been hanging on

the gate for ore than a month.

c. Why does the speaker feel that she is a fool?

The speaker feels so because the villa has not yet been sold

though she has been trying very hard to sell it.

2. ‘That was a month ago and now I have only one thought, that is

to get the wretched place off my hands. I would sacrifice it at any

price. One hundred thousand francs if necessary and that's only

twice what it cost me.’

a. What does the pronoun ‘that’ refer to ?

‘That’ refers to all that had transpired since the house went up on

the market: Juliette’s feelings and the reaction of her neighbours to

when the house went up for sale.

b. Why does the speaker refer to the place as ‘wretched’?

She refers to the villas as wretched since it has not been sold for

over a month and that has frustrated her attempt to fetch some

money to improve her financial situation.

c. How much will the speaker sell the place for?

She will sell it at any price which she calls ‘sacrifice’ even as low

as twice what it cost her.

3. ‘But still. .. even so ... it would be funny if I couldn't manage to

sell a place here, a stone's throw from Joinville, the French

Hollywood, when all I'm asking is a paltry hundred thousand!’

a. What would e ‘funny’?

It would be funny if Juliette is not able to sell her villa which has

some favourable features for a sale.

b. What features of the villa favour its saleable aspect?

The Villa is very close to Joinville, the French Hollywood and

secondly it is being sold at a low price.

c. Why does she use the word ‘Paltry’ while referring to the selling

price of the Villa?

The word ‘paltry’ signifies that she is ready to sell the house for a

very low price which is only twice the cost price of the house.

4. ‘If you got what you want, do you realize what would happen?

We would spend the month of August in the villa, but your parents

would take possession of it every year from the beginning of April

until the end of September.’

a. Who speaks these lines and to whom?

These lines are spoken by Gaston to his wife Jeanne.

b. Why the speaker does does not want to buy the Villa?

The speaker, Gaston doesn’t want to buy the Villa because he

thinks that his wife’ parents may come to live in. Then they would

take possession of it.

c. What does the speaker feel will happen if he buys the Villa?

The speaker feels that his wife’s parents may come and take

possession of the Villa and then they would bring her sister’s

children with them.

5. Gaston: You have perfect right to do as you please, Madame.

Juliette: I tell you what I will do. I will be philanthropic and let you

have it for two hundred thousand.

Gaston: And I will be equally good-natured and let you keep it for

the same price.

a. What is being referred to by Gaston in what he says?

Here Gaston refers to Juliette’s right to sell the Villa at whatever

price she wanted.

b. Why does Juliette promise to be ‘philanthropic’?

Juliette promises to be philanthropic knowing that her Villa has not

been sold for over a month and is not fetching the price she wants.

So she says that she will be benevolent enough to reduce the

price.

c. How does Gaston react and in what disposition?

Gaston’s refusal to buy the house is expressed with good humour.

He cracks a joke and says that he will let her keep the Villa at two

hundred thousand francs

6. Jeanne: What on earth have you done?

Gaston: I? Made a hundred thousand francs and a Corot!

a. How has Gaston made a hundred thousand francs?

Gaston sold the Villa to Mrs Al Smith for three hundred thousand

francs and bought if two hundred thousand francs from Juliette.

Thus he made a hundred thousand francs

b. Mentions any one characteristic displayed by Gaston when he

made a hundred thousand francs.

Gaston is deceitful.

c. What is a ‘Corot’?

Corot’ is a painting by the famous painter ‘Corot’.

7. Copies are not always good. We could only imitate you and

imitations are no better than parodies. We are so different. Think of

it.... Europeans go to America to earn money and Americans

come to Europe to spend it.

a. To whom is Gaston speaking?

.... is speaking to Mrs Al Smith.

b. How is Gaston ‘different’ as he says it?

Gaston is ‘different’ because he says that he doesn’t copy as

alleged by Mrs Al Smith.

c. How does Gaston level the score with Mrs Al Smith?

Gaston tells us her Europeans go to America to earn money and

Americans come to Europe to spend it. Gaston is a European and

Mrs Al Smith is an American.

B Short Answer type questions

1. How does Juliette react to the non-sale of her Villa though she

had put up a board of ‘Villa For Sale’ about a month ago?

Juliette feels that she was a real fool when she bought it. For the

first week she was annoyed when she passed by the Villa. The

neighbours looked at her strangely. She feels miserable over its

non-sale. She is desperate to sell it more so when four people

almost bought it in the past two weeks. But the deal didn’t

materialise. She is ready to sell it at a low price of a hundred

thousand francs.

2. What does the maid suggest to Juliette to get over the hard times

that she is facing?

The maid has understood from Juliette’s conversation that she

(Juliette) is facing hard times. She suggests Juliette work as a cook

in the film centre for 100 francs a day. She says that the work is for

eight days and she would get 800 francs. The work is easy since all

Juliette will have to do is peel potatoes and make omelettes.

Moreover, according to her Juliette has a good chance of doing

the job as she has a comical face and looks good with her hair

slicked back.

3. Why was Jeanne so desperate to buy the Villa in the play?

Jeanne wants her relatives to come and stay with them. She

knows that a larger house would accommodate all of them

comfortably. After Juliette flatters her Jeanne is very inclined to

buying the Villa inspite of the garden being a small patch and the

tapestry in the parlour being substandard.

4. What does Mrs Al Smith say about French people first to the maid

and then to Gaston? What does she actually mean in that?

Mrs Al Smith meets the maid when she visits the house to buy it.

She first asks its price. Then she complains that the French have a

queer way of doing business. They don’t mention the price of

things upfront. According to her the price of the Villa should have

been mentioned on the board that says ‘Villa for Sale’ moreover

the French usually consult about ten people before they decide

on anything. By this she could mean that they are indecisive or

that they indulge in shady dealings.

5. At first, Gaston refuses to buy the Villa but when his wife Jeanne

comes with Juliette he shows interest in talking about its features.

What makes him do this?

Gaston has met Mrs Al Smith who has offered him three hundred

thousand francs for the Villa presuming that he is the owner of the

house. She has given him a blank cheque too. He quickly decides

to make quick money by buying the Villa from Juliette at the

offered price of two hundred thousand francs and selling it to Mrs

Al Smith. Having decided on this plan he starts showing an interest

in the features of the Villa which he had at first refused to buy.

6. What is your impression about Gaston?

Gaston is a well-mannered and suave crook who is also a

confirmed opportunist. He doesn’t have any scruples about posing

as the owner of the house and conducting a conversation with Mrs

Al Smith. He has no remorse whatsoever about cheating Juliette

out of the sale of the house and earning a hundred thousand

francs from it. He is also mean minded in his attitude towards his

wife’s family. He makes a hundred thousand francs without

spending a single penny. He is clever, materialistic and an

opportunist who believes in making money by hook or by crook.

7. What is your impression about Juliette?

Juliette is a simple-hearted and trusting woman who does not

have a suspicious nature. She is good-hearted and is very open

with her maid about her financial situation. She admits to her that

she wanted to hang on to the house for one more day and hence

put up the ‘Villa For Sale’ almost towards evening so that a buyer

would see it only in the morning. When the house does not sell

even after a month, she is desperate to sell it and reduces the

price to make it favourable for people to buy. She is also a good

saleswoman in the way she flatters Jeanne saying that a pretty

woman like Jeanne suits a house as beautiful as the Villa.

C. Long Answer type questions

1. Describe how the Villa is finally sold. How does Juliette stand at a

loss?

Juliette’s Villa is finally sold causing Juliette a loss of 1, 00, 000

francs. Its sale is unique. It is just by chance that Gaston’s wife

Jeanne shows an interest in having a look at the first floor of the

house. She and Juliette go upstairs and Gaston declines the offer

to do the same since he has no intention of buying the house.

Meanwhile, Mrs Al Smith enters the house. She sees Gaston sitting

and considers him as the owner of the house. She is in a tearing

hurry. She asks for the price of the Villa as she is in a hurry to close

the deal. She has no interest in having a look at the interiors since

she intends to pull the house down and build a bungalow in its

place. Gaston makes a quick assessment of the situation. Knowing

that Juliette is upstairs with his wife he acts to his advantage and

demands three hundred thousand for the house. Mrs Al Smith

issues a cheque and moves out. Gaston has actually sold the

house for 3,00,000 francs. Now he gets ready to buy the Villa from

Juliette for two hundred thousand francs. Juliette is unaware that

she has been duped by Gaston. The Villa is sold. She is relieved.

2. Juliette is very sad that her Villa has not been sold even after a

month since it went up on the market. Write a diary page on her

behalf.

Saturday August...

I feel helpless and sad knowing that my Villa has not been sold

although a month has gone by since it went up on the market. The

board ‘Villa for Sale’ stands as if it were mocking me. I am rather

desperate to sell it at any cost. I will sell it at a low price of hundred

thousand francs which is twice of what i paid for the house. I

thought I would get two hundred thousand francs but it seems that

it will not be so. I am simply fed up with the place. I feel so

humiliated when my neighbours look at me. For fifteen years

everybody had money at the same time and nobody wanted to

sell anything at that time. Now nobody has the money and

nobody wants to sell. It seems that there is never a right time to

sell.

I cannot understand why the Villa does not appeal to buyers

considering that it is a stone’s throw away from Joinville, the

famous French Hollywood. Secondly, I am asking for a paltry sum

of one hundred thousand francs. Despite all these facts and the

good condition of the house it has not been sold.

I suppose it is just my destiny to be stuck with the Villa and make

no money to relieve me from the hard times I am facing right now.