Comprehension Qs 1. Please search for words and expressions in the text which may help you describe: (1) Martin (2) Mary, and (3) the life they were living at the time. 2. How does the author describe the couple ’ s feeling about the spring sowing? How do you understand such a mixed feeling? 3. Did Martin feel confident in himself? And was he eager to start the sowing? Please find evidence in the text. 4. What kind of a role was Mary playing here? 5. What did they aim to achieve for the day? 6. Why did Mary put an arm round Martin ’ s waist and how did Martin react to this? 7. What did the earth mean to Martin? What did he do to prove himself a worthy husband? Was he exceptional among the men in the village? 8. Notice the words used by the author to describe the man ’ s actions: advance, commence, spit on palms, spoke rapidly, eyes fixed on, assert manhood, subjugate, worked furiously, whirl, beat the sods ... and what did these words imply? What was Mary thinking of while gazing distantly at the ground? Why did she suddenly become afraid of the earth? . Paraphrase 1. ... While Mary raked out the live coals that had lain hidden in the ashes ... (Para. 1) 2. ... it was hateful leaving a warm bed at such an early hour. (Para. 2) 3. ... sleepy and yet on fire with excitement, for it was the first day of their first spring sowing as man and wife. (Para. 3) 4. But somehow the imminence of an event that had been long expected, loved, feared and prepared for made them dejected. (Para. 3) 5. Mary, with her shrewd woman ’ s mind, thought of as many things as there are in life as a woman think in the first joy and anxiety of her mating. (Para. 3) 6. Martin fell over a basket in the half-darkness of the barn, he swore and said that a man would be better off dead than ... (Para. 3) 7. And somehow, as they embraced, all their irritation and sleepiness left them. And they stood there embracing until at last Martin pushed her from him with pretended roughness and said: “ Come, come, girl, it will be sunset before we begin at this rate. ” (Para. 4) 8. ... as they walked silently ... through the little hamlet, there was not a soul about. (Para. 5) 9. And they both looked back at the little cluster of cabins that was the center of their world, with throbbing hearts. For the joy of spring had now taken complete hold of them. (Para. 5) 10. And there was a big red heap of fresh seaweed lying in a corner by the fence to be spread under the seeds as they were laid. (Para. 6) 11. When she was a little distance down the ridge, Martin advanced with his spade to the head, eager to commence. (Para. 9) 12. Suppose anybody saw us like this in the field of our spring sowing, what would they take us for but a pair of useless, soft, empty-headed people that would be sure to die of hunger. (Para. 10) 13. His eyes had a wild, eager light in them as if some primeval impulse were burning within his brain and driving out every other desire but that of asserting his manhood and of subjugating the earth. (Para. 12) 14. ... but she drew back at the same time and gazed distantly at the ground. (Para. 13) 15. ... he turned up the first sod with a crunching sound. (Para. 13) 16. ... to drive out the sudden terror that had seized her at that moment when she saw the fierce, hard look in her husband ’ s eyes that were unconscious of her presence. (Para. 13) 17. She became suddenly afraid of that pitiless, cruel earth, the peasant ’ s slave master, that would keep her chained to hard work and poverty all her life until she would sink again into its bosom. (Para. 13) 18. Her short-lived love was gone. Henceforth she was only her husband ’ s helper to till the earth. (Para. 13) 19. And Martin, absolutely without thought, worked furiously ... (Para. 13)