2004 г. был годом юбилея выдающегося английского романиста, автора первого в мире детективного романа Уилки Коллинза. Произведения Коллинза включены в обязательный минимум литературных произведений, изучаемых студентами специальности 0303 “Иностранный язык” в курсе зарубежной литературы и домашнего чтения.
В ознаменование юбилея предлагаем вашему вниманию внеклассное мероприятие по произведениям У. Коллинза.
Wilkie Collins.
Compere 1: Dear Friends! Ladies and Gentlemen, Teaches and Students! Glad to see you at this party dedicated to Wilkie Collins, the English writer, who was born 180 years ago.
Compere 2: But what is he famous for?
Compere 1: Don’t you know? Do you like detective stories?
Compere 2: I adore them! Conan Doyle, Agatha Cristie …
Compere 1: By the way Wilkie Collins has been called “the father of the English detective story”, “the inventor of the Sensation Novel”. He was one of the best known, best loved and best paid of Victorian fiction writers. And nowadays almost all his books are in print, he is studied widely and new films and television versions of some of his books have been made.
Compere 2: Oh, Let’s leave for the 19th century I want to see everything with my own eyes! The time machine is bringing us to the 1860s.
Wilkie Collins: Let me introduce myself. They say I’m an expert in mystery, suspense and crime, I’m often regarded as the inventor of the detective story. Although I was one of the most popular novelists of my day, my reputation now rests on my novels “The Woman in White” and “The Moonstone”.
Now, listen … I was the eldest son of the landscape artist and was born in London in 1824. Educated for ten years at private schools in London I was 13 years old when the family moved to Italy, and it is here that I gained my real education. Rebelling against my father’s strict religious code and conservative values, I refused to settle into life either in the tea business or as a barrister and remained adamant that I would write.
My first book, a biography of my father, was published in 1848. I was a close friend and traveling companion of Charles Dickens. I wrote regularly for Dicken’s periodicals. We both shared a keen interest in the theatre and in London’s high life. They say my popularity grew to such an extent that queues formed to buy the next instalment. Among my novels are “No Name”, “Armadale”, etc. I continued to write until my death, producing 15 more novels.
I was never married and my private life remained a mixture of the romantic & the raffish. Living with my mother until I was 32, I then left to set up home with a young woman, Caroline Graves, and her daughter by another man.
Remaining with Caroline on and off for the rest of my life, I also fathered illegitimate children by Martha Rudd. This scandalous arrangement led to me being ostiacised by smart Victorian society.
Plagued by gout from early thirties onwards I was often in great pain which I attempted to dull with increasing amounts of opium. As my addiction to it drew I became more obsessed with the bizarre.
W. Collins: Where am I? I see a lot of young people …
Nice to meet you, Ladies and Gentlemen, but who are you?
Compere 1: Nice to meet you too, dear Wilkie! We are the students of the teachers’ training school. We study English. We live in the 21st century, but we know and like your novels very much!
W. Collins: Oh, all of you are my readers?!
I’m very proud of it!
Compere 2: Besides, the students have prepared the party for your birthday. They are to show their knowledge of your biography and works. Dear Wilkie, you are welcome to the party!
W. Collins: With pleasure!
Compere 2: Dear friends! Be active! You’ll do the tasks and answer the questions. You’ll get chocolate medals for your correct answers.
The winner with the largest quantity of medals will get the first prize …
Our honorable jury will help to determine the winner. …
Compere 1: The first quiz is about Collins’s biography.
Do you know his biography?
I’m Sure you do. Answer the questions please.
Contest 1.
Quiz.
Name Collins’s date of birth. (the 8th of January, 1824)
Where was he born? (London)
What was his father? (a landscape painter)
What is his full name? (William)
What did he study at Lincoln’s Inn? (law)
Collins traveled a tot. What countries did he visit? (Italy, France, the USA).
Who was his best friend? (Charles Dickens)
When was his first work ‘Memories of the Life of William Collins’ written in memory of his father, published? (1848)
How many novels & short stories did Collins write? (25 novels & over 50 short stories).
What are his most successful works? (“The Woman in White”, “The Moonstone”, “No Name”, “Armadale”).
Compere 2: By the way do you remember the characters of his books “The Woman in White” and “The Moonstone”?
Name them.
The next task is to guess the characters according to their descriptions.
Be careful.
Contest 2.
The main characters of “The Moonstone”
This person is a pleasure to the eyes, beautifully shaped, graceful. Although cheeky, playful and secretive by nature, there is nothing false about her. She is wild, stubborn – but she’s as honest and true as steel (Rachel).
A person of 25 years old borrowed everywhere he went, spent money like water, Lady Verinder’s nephew. (Mr. Franklin Blake).
This person has been a thief, became the second housemaid. A plain looking girl with a deformed shoulder. (Rosanna Spearman)
The next person is a lawyer, a president of several women’s charities, a public speaker, most popular with the ladies (Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite).
She is Lady Verinder’s niece, a religions person, an obtrusive person. She tried to force her views, Christian Books upon everybody (Miss Drusilla Clack).
The main characters of “The Woman in White”.
About 22 years old, with thin and pale face, fair hair and large trusting eyes, dressed from head to foot all in white (Anne Catherick).
A very self – centred person, who was interested in nothing except his own health. About sixty years old with a delicate, nervous face (Mr. Fairlie).
A clever and kind person with thick black hair and dark shining eyes. She wasn’t at all beautiful but the expression on her face was bright, friendly and intelligent. (Marian Halcombe).
He seemed charming, polite and friendly, but really he was cruel and wicked (Sir Percival Glyde).
A huge fat man of about sixty years old, the most attractive, interesting and fascinating man who could talk about great variety of subjects, loved small animals and birds. (Count Fosco).
Compere 2: How clever of you! You really know all the characters of Collins’s books! You’ll meet them at the next contest.
Compere 1: Collins’s novels immerse us into the atmosphere of mystery & enigma. As for me I couldn’t stop reading them. I was eager to reveal the secret of the disappearance of the moonstone, and the mystery of the Woman in White.
Now you’ll meet your favorite novels & characters once more. You’ll watch the episodes from his novels. Try to name the book and the episode. (The students dramatize the following scenes).
Contest 3.
- In the boat-house. (The Woman in White)
- Marian informs Laura about the date of the wedding day. (The Woman in White)
- Rachel’s birthday party (the Moonstone) (ч. гл. VI)
Compere 1: Brilliant! You know the characters, you can guess the episode. But now it’ll be the most difficult task. Can you name the character according to his or her cues?
Contest 4.
The Moonstone
Who said it?
“Rachel’s worst enemy is herself.” (L. Verinder)
“Rachel, where will you put your diamond tonight?” (L. Verinder)
“I let the dogs loose and when we had shut up the house, I took my old bones up to bed and lay awake all night listening to the rain & the wind outside.” (Betteredge)
“There isn’t a mystery this man can’t solve!” (Mr. Franklin Blake)
“I take no interest in Rosanna Spearman.” (Mr. Franklin Blake).
“When the Betteredge’s girl came downstairs I decided to have a Christian word with her about the unnecessary amount of ribbons on her cap. She opened the front door before telling me (with a minimum of politeness) that I was invited to lunch tomorrow.” (Miss Clack)
“Afterwards, Mr. Bruff looked at me, hoping perhaps that I might leave him alone with my aunt. He might as well have expected the Rock of Gibraltar to move.” (Miss Clack)
The Woman in White.
Who said it?
“Will you show me where to get a cab to London?” (The Woman in White)
“I will always wear white as long as I live”. (The Woman in White)
“Such truth and such faith only make me love you more”. (Walter H.)
“Sign nothing unless you have read it first.” (Marian)
“You’d better hurry. I’ve sent my servant to Blackwater Park to warn Sir Persival Glyde what you are doing”. (Mrs. Catheric)
“Please hear what he has to say and don’t make a noise. My nerves are very delicate, you know” (Mr. Fairlier)
“Yes, he’s your child, but he’s also a Very Important Person. Let me introduce you. You are looking at the future owner of Limmeridge House”. (Marian)
Compere 1: You did it! I think that you are the most attentive and the cleverest readers! Are you ready to prove that you are the most attentive spectators.
You’ll watch some episodes. Our actors will show them silently without any cues. Try to guess the episode and the novel. Then our actors will show them with cues. (The students dramatize the following scenes silently).
Contest 5.
- The moonstone is lost. (The Moonstone) (гл. VI ч.1)
- In search of Rosanna. (The Moonstone) (гл. ХIV ч.1)
- Marian overhears the conversation between Sir Persival and Count Fosco. (The Woman in White) (гл. VI )
- Miss Clack is placing the books in Mrs. Verinder’s house (The Moonstone) (гл. III ч.2)
Compere 2: You’ve really proved that you are the most attentive spectators, the most skilful readers.
But who is the best?
How many medals did you win? Let’s count.
The winner is …
Your applause!
Compere 1: Your applause to our actors and actresses – the third & the second year students, who have prepared the party!