Are you goin’to Scarborough fair? parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Without no seams nor needlework, then she’ll be a true love of mine
Tell her to find me an acre of land, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Between the salt water and the sea strand, then she’ll be a true love
of mine
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather, parsley, sage, rosemary and
thyme
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather, then she’ll be a true love
of mine
Are you goin’ to Scarborough fair? parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine
The Sound of Silence
By Paul Simon
Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again, Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.
In restless dreams I walked alone, Narrow streets of cobblestone, ‘Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.
And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.
“Fools” said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you.” But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.”
And whispered in the sound of silence.
Unit 3 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
II. Questions for Thoughts
The following answers are given only for reference, and the students are encouraged to present their own understandings of or opinions on these questions.
1. Why does Joanna look so sad while she is kissing her son good night? What has she decided to do? She has decided to leave home to start a life of her own. But it's really hard for her to leave her son for she loves the boy deeply. 2. Is Ted prepared for this? Why is he so insensitive?
Ted is totally unprepared for this. His job absorbs all his time and he seldom pays much attention to Joanna. He takes for granted that as a woman, Joanna's position is at home and she should feel happy and satisfied with a husband supporting the family and with a lovely kid hanging around her. Though Joanna sometimes complains, he seldom listens to her and never takes her words seriously.
3. What does Margaret tell Ted about Joanna? Has Ted become aware of the problem? Why or why not? She tells Ted that Joanna is very upset because Ted cares nothing but his job. Joanna once tells her that she feels sad because in the family she is the least noticed one and she cannot live a life of her own. Ted is surprised to learn that. However, he still believes Joanna is just angry and she'll come back to him soon.
4. How does Ted cook breakfast for Billy and himself for the first time? Why does Ted talk so much while cooking? Ted wants to prove to himself that he can get along well without Joanna and he wants to show Billy that while mom is not at home, dad can take care of him as well. So he decides to cook some French toast for Billy and himself as breakfast. However, he hasn't cooked for a long time and he feels very nervous and unconfident. So he keeps talking cheerfully to show Billy and himself that he can manage it. But soon, he finds himself have no idea of how to make French toast. He mixes the eggs, the shells, milk, and bread and butter into the frying pan till the things smoke and when he goes to grab the handle, it's so hot that he throws it away and makes all the mess crash to the floor.
5. Who is Mr. O'Conner? What is his attitude when he hears about Ted's problem?
He is Ted's boss and friend. After knowing what has happened to Ted, he tries to be sympathetic. But he suggests Ted send Billy away to some relatives so that he can fully devote himself to his work. 6. When and how does Joanna explain her leaving to Billy?
After settling down, Joanna writes a letter to Billy to explain her leaving. She tells Billy that a mom can also leave home like a dad, and like anyone else, a mom also has to do something other than taking care of a family. She tells the boy that now she is just leaving to find some interesting things to do for herself. She emphasizes that she will always be his mom and she will always love him.
7. When Ted reads Joanna's letter to Billy, how does Ted feel and how does Billy understand it? Ted feels upset for he finally realizes that Joanna will not come back home again. So does Billy. The boy feels abandoned by mom and he believes mom is leaving because he is not a good boy.
8. How is it for Ted to be a father and a mother at the same time? What does he do to make Billy happy? There are plenty of things for Ted to learn. He has to learn to do housework, go shopping, and pick up Billy from school. It's quite hard and challenging for him and he almost has no time left for any social life. To make Billy happy, Ted starts going out with Billy, playing games with him and spending more time with him.
9. How does Ted explain to Billy one evening that Joanna's leaving is his fault, not Billy's? He tells Billy in a very gentle and sincere way that Joanna leaves because he keeps trying to make her into a certain kind of person, to make her be the way he thinks a wife is supposed to be. However, Joanna just isn't like that. She tries hard to be like that but she just cannot do it. When she complains, he doesn't listen because he believes if he is happy, Joanna is happy, too. He tells Billy the reason why Joanna doesn't leave earlier is that she loves Billy too much, and she finally leaves because she can no longer stand him. 10. Does the family problem affect Ted's work in the company? How does
Mr. O'Conner treat Ted at his difficult time?
Yes. Ted no longer has time to talk and drink with colleagues and he often comes late for meetings. Mr. O'Conner finds he cannot count on Ted one hundred percent and cannot have Ted work in the office till very late, so he decides to have someone else take the program away from Ted and kick Ted out of the team. Later, when their plan doesn't