Short stories

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Short Stories

story fragment

She sat in her room, one hot afternoon, in her peignoir, listlessly (futloos, lusteloos)  drawing through her fingers the strands of her long, silky brown hair that hung about her shoulders. The baby, half naked, lay asleep upon her own great mahogany bed, that was like a sumptuous (weelderig, luxueus) throne, with its satin-lined half-canopy. One of La Blanche’s little quadroon boys - half naked too - stood fanning the child slowly with a fan of peacock feathers. Desiree’s eyes had been fixed absently and sadly upon the baby, while she was striving to penetrate the threatening mist that she felt closing about her. She looked from her child to the boy who stood beside him, and back again; over and over. “Ah!” It was a cry that she could not help; which she was not conscious of having uttered. The blood turned like ice in her veins, and a clammy moisture gathered upon her face.

  

Uit welk verhaal komt dit fragment? Wie is de schrijver?

Waarom roept Desiree hier “Ah!”? Welke lichamelijke reactie heeft ze en waarom?

Tegen welke historische achtergrond speelt het verhaal zich af? Waarom is die belangrijk?

Hoe verklaar je de titel?

Hoe verschillen Armand en Mme Valmonde van elkaar m.b.t. hun liefde voor Desiree?

Hoe verandert het karakter van Armand in de loop van het verhaal? Leg uit.

Wat is ironie?

Wat is de ironie in dit verhaal?