Unit 6

Blackmail Arthur Hailey

Teaching Objectives • Get to know some background knowledg

e about the story • Grasp the main idea and the theme of this

story • Learn to use some vivid expressions conn

ected with the description of character • Appreciate the writing skills of developin

g a story

Teaching Points• I. Background information• II. Structural analysis • III. Character analysis• IV. Rhetorical devices• V. Introduction to the novel

Background Information• Title of the novel • Hotel• Arthur Hailey• born and educated in Britain. 1939, RAF,

emigrated to Canada 1949. Famous novels: Hotel, Airport, The moneychanger.

Structural Analysis• Part 1. Prelude• (The chief house officer ...Ogilvie remained standing)• Section 1. The setting, main characters, and the

suspension.• (The chief house ...that both might return at any

moment.)

Structural Analysis• Section 2. The preliminary encounter

between the house detective and the Croydons. (A wave of cigar smoke...Ogilvie remained standing)

Structural Analysis• Part2: Process of unveiling the crime (Now

then...the Duchess turned away ）• Section 1. First round of clash. the Duke confessed

his crime （ Now then...Now we're getting somewhere).

Structural Analysis• Section 2. Second round of clash.(Wearily, in a

gesture...I can prove all I need to )• Ogilvie spelt out what he had found out about

the activity of the Croydons and tried to confirm all the details. The Duchess tried to win back the upper hand.

Structural Analysis• Section 3. The conviction was undeniable.

(The Duke cautioned...the Duchess turned away ).

• The Croydons realized that they were convicted of the crime

Structural Analysis• Part 3. The Dirty Deal

• Section 1. Eliminating the possibility of having the car repaired in New Orleans. ( Her husband asked...You people are hot).

Structural Analysis• Section 2. The interior monologue of the

Duchess. Her judgement, analysis and calculation of the situation, weighing the advantages and disadvantages, the pros and cons.

• (The Duchess ...Or had they? )

Structural Analysis• Section 3. The Duchess' decision to gamble on the

greed of the house detective.

• (The Duchess faced Ogilvie... the silence hung )

• Section 4. The ending.

• The dirty deal reached.

Main character of the novel:

• McDermott: assistant general manager of the hotel

Characters of the novel:• Ogilvie: chief house detective• the Duke of Croydon: newly appointed British

ambassador to the United States• the Duchess of Croydon: wife of the Duke• a prostitute called lady friend by Ogilvie

Character Analysis • A. The description of Ogilvie (notice that the

name itself sounds awkward, awful):• 1. Appearance: fat, piggy eyes, gross jowled

face, obese body, incongruous falsetto voice, moving with surprising speed

Character Analysis• 2. Character: at first rude, sardonic, self-

assured, shameless greedy, but finally subservient

• the way he deals with the cigar

• sardonically

Character Analysis• bite off the end of a fresh cigar• words spat forth with sudden savagery, blandness

gone• When mentioning the lady friend, he glanced,

grinning, at the Duchess• falsetto voice took on a musing note

Character Analysis• Whatever names you call things... I got to

live toolicked his lips

• This cigar botherin' you?

• 3. Language: uneducated, full of slang, colloquial, not grammatical.

Character Analysis• B. The description of the Duchess

• 1. Appearance: pale cheek with two high points, gray-green eyes

Character Analysis• 2. Character: imperious, three centuries and

a half of inbred arrogance, decisive, vigilant, very quick in response

Character Analysis• used “please” only once

• look pointedly at the cigar

• shot a swift warning glance

• Would you kindly put that out!

Character Analysis• 3. Language: formal, highly educated

• I imagine you did not come here to discuss décor.

Character Analysis• C. The description of the Duke

• 1. Appearance: attempt to square his shoulders but failed

Character Analysis• 2. Character: uncertain, ready to

compromise, passive, despairingly,

• “That’s interesting, I didn’t know that.” The duke spoke as if he was speaking of sb. unrelated to the whole thing.

Character Analysis• 3. Language: upper class slang

• It's no go, old girl.

Character Analysis• D. The description of the cigar:• First Part:• 1.(p.91) A wave of cigar smoke accompanied him

in.• 2.(p.92) Ogilvie removed the offending cigar,

knocked off the ash and flipped the butt... where he ignored it.

Character Analysis• Second Part:

• 1. (p. 93) Don't play games, lady. ... He took out a fresh cigar and bit off the end…

• 2. (p.p.93)...Ogilvie waved the unlighted cigar ...nose.

Character Analysis• 3. (p.94)He lit the fresh cigar.

• 4. (p.94)...took his time, ... puffing a cloud…

• (won the first round)

Character Analysis• 5. (p. 96) He paused to puff again…

• (enjoying himself)

Character Analysis• Third Part:

• 6. (p. P.103) This cigar bothering you, Duchess?

• (absolute obedience)

Rhetorical devices• Metaphor:• ...the nerves of both ... were excessively

frayed…• his wife shot him a swift, warning glance.• The words spat forth with sudden savagery.• I’ll spell it out.

Rhetorical devices• Euphemism:

• ...and you took a lady friend.

Rhetorical devices• Metonymy:

• won 100 at the tables

• lost it at the bar

• they'll throw the book,...

Type of writing

• This kind of novels are called thrillers.Generally defining, a thriller is a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure or suspense.

Type of writing

• Others can be called cop-criminal novels, detective novels. The main purpose is for entertainment, amusement.

Type of writing• Very often this kind of novels contain a lot

of action, usu. suspension, not very much deep thought, without moral intention, not considered classic.

Type of writing• The basic technique is to make the whole

story of crime into sth. like a jigsaw puzzle. You can not see the outcome until the final part is put in.

Setting:• The story happened in a hotel named St.

Gregory in New Orleans, Louisiana which is in the south of US.

Plot:• Gregory was now at the brink of

bankruptcy, but Peter McDermott, the assistant general manager, is trying every means he could to save it. Several events happened during the week with the present text as part of it.

Plot:

• The Duke of Croydon was an internationally famous statesman and the newly appointed British ambassador to Washington. They occupied the best suite of the hotel--- the Presidential Suite.

Plot:• Monday evening, the Duke went to the

gambling house. Later, his wife pursued and found him. On their way back, the car Jaguar knocked down a woman and her child. Both killed.

Plot:• Then we have the present text.

• ... ...

The end of the story• At one o'clock Thursday morning, Ogilvie

drove the car north. But he was seen leaving the hotel by McDermott. Later in the afternoon, McDermott witnessed the funeral of the two victims of the accident.

The end of the story• He suddenly realized the relation between

these two events and contacted police.

• Ogilvie was caught in Tennessee and sent back to New Orleans.

The end of the story

• The Duke decided to go to the police to confess his crime (to surrender himself / to give himself up). But he was hurled out the elevator due to the breakdown of it. He hit the cement ground and died instantly.

The end of the story• Anyway, the novel had a pleasant ending.• One of the guests, who looked old and sick,

turned out to be a millionaire. Earlier he was seriously ill and was saved by McDermott and his girl friend.

The end of the story• To show his gratitude and to repay the

hotel staffs' kindness, he bought the hotel and appointed McDermott executive vice president of the hotel.

•Thank You!