Facing Death by August Strindberg
ABOUT THE PLAY
MAIN SUMMARY
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ALL PLAYS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Facing Death by August Strindberg
Answer the following questions:
a. Have you ever observed your parents in a financial crisis? If yes, what was it like?
Answer:
Yes, I have observed my parents in a financial crisis. It was the worst experience for them.
b. Have you ever appreciated their selfless act for your sake? If yes, how?
Answer:
Yes, I appreciated their selfless acts for my sake. I appreciated them for making me educated and capable in this world.
Answer the following questions:
a. Where does the play take place?
Answer:
The play takes place in the dining room of Monsieur Durand, a former railroad worker, widower, and owner of the boarding house who lives there with his three daughters.
b. Why do the grocery, the baker and the butcher send their bills to the Durand household?
Answer:
The grocery store, the bakery, and the butcher send their bills to the Durand household because the Durand household hasn't paid their bills for a long time. Therefore, they are unable to deliver even more goods until the bills are paid.
c. Why does Monsieur Duran spend money on candles when he doesn’t have money to buy even bread?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand spends money on candles when he doesn't have money to buy even bread because he wants to light the candles on the death anniversary of his late dear son, René, who died in his infancy. Durand is saddened by his passing and still has a feeling of affection for the dead child. Durand has another intention: to set his house on fire and get fire insurance money to make up for his daughters' fortunes as they grapple with financial troubles.
d. Why did Monsieur Duran sell his life insurance?
Answer:
Monsieur sold his life insurance to pay off the debtor's loan. His condition was so miserable, whereas the debtor was quite angry with him for not paying the dues.
e. Why has Monsieur Duran paid fire insurance?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand has paid fire insurance to make a compensation claim later on. He intends to get compensation from the fire insurance by burning his house so that the money given as compensation will help his daughters.
f. How did Monsieur Duran and Mrs. Duran run out of their inheritances from both the sides?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand and Mrs. Durand ran out of their inheritances from both sides because of Mrs. Durand's carelessness and foolish speculation. Both of them lost paternal and maternal inheritance, which was used in raising their daughters.
g. Why does Monsieur Durand tell a lie about his birthplace?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand tells a lie about his birthplace for two different reasons.
▪︎ He fell in love with a woman before his age. He wanted to marry that lady. So he left his birthplace and moved to Switzerland. To save his and his wife's reputations, he tells a lie.
▪︎ He fought against his own motherland, France, from the side of Switzerland. To hide this shame, he tells a lie.
h. What business is Monsieur Durand running to make a living?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand is running a boarding house to make a living. He has converted his house into a lodge to earn money. He provides lodging and dining services to his guests. There is quite a good facility, like a homestay.
i. What plan does Monsieur Durand have to help his daughters with money?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand plans to commit suicide and set his house on fire. He hopes to get compensation from the fire insurance policy so that he can help his daughters with the money. He wants to sacrifice his life for the sake of his three daughters.
j. How does Monsieur Durand die?
Answer:
Monsieur Durand dies, committing suicide at last. He drinks poison to help his daughters with the amount of compensation from the insurance policy.
a. Sketch the character of Monsieur Durand.
Answer:
Monsieur Durand is the main character of the play "Facing Death." He is a widower, the lodge owner, and a former railway worker. He is a financially ruined person who has three daughters. All of them live in the lodge. The relationship between Durand and his daughters isn't good. Here, in this play, we find him a loving, caring, and protective father. Due to his bankruptcy, he is spending his miserable life with his three daughters. His daughters hate him and blame him most of the time. But he keeps on thinking about the well-being of his daughters. He sacrifices his life for the welfare of his daughters, who hate him. He is quite an enduring man who endured injustice from his late wife and remained silent for the rest of his life, blaming her for the financial ruin. He is also a loving husband. He is a patriot too, who loves his native France, although he is forced to live in Switzerland. He is a tragic hero who faces financial difficulties and eventually ends his life tragically by committing suicide for the well-being of his three daughters.
b. How do we know that the Durand family has reached a dead end?
Answer:
We know that the Durand family has reached a dead end after seeing their miserable state at their lodge. This family is completely bankrupt. When Mrs. Durand was alive, both husband and wife had lost their maternal and paternal inheritances. Mr. Durund and his daughters spend their miserable lives in an economic crisis. Due to their miserable economic status, they have converted their living house into a lodge. Mr. Durand's household has been borrowing money from others for years. There are numerous bills in the name of the Durand household that must be paid to different debtors. Among all family members, the condition of Durand is so bad. We find him living a tolerant life. He doesn't have a good relationship with his daughters. His daughters hate him and blame him for many reasons. We even find that the family doesn't have money to buy bread for coffee. Due to hunger, we find Durand eating the rat's bait. This family has reached a dead end due to this financial crisis. Due to this financial hardship, Durand has planned to kill himself and burn down his lodge for the welfare of his daughter. Here, we find Durand successful in his deadly plan at last.
c. ‘The mother, though already dead, seems to have had a great influence on the daughters, especially Theresa.’ Do you agree?
Answer:
Yes, I agree with this statement. Here in this play, we find that the mother has had a great influence on her daughters, especially Theresa. While their mother was alive, she used to teach the children to hate their father, Durand. She made them obey herself. Most of the time, she blamed her husband and became successful in making the children fight against their father. After her death, Mr. Durand remained silent all his life because he did not want his daughters to doubt their mother's goodness. He is a much more enduring person who endured injustice from his late wife and remained silent for the rest of his life, blaming her for the financial ruin. Due to the mother's teaching, all three daughters hate their father. They think that their father was the main cause of their financial ruin. Theresa is the one who has been greatly influenced by her mother. She shows her rude behaviour most of the time. She snatches the matches away from her father when he is about to inhale tobacco with a briar pipe. Similarly, she seizes the glass of milk from him. She seems so unkind towards her father. Among the three sisters, she is the one who is filled with much anger against her father.
d. Discuss the relationship between Monsieur Duran and his wife.
Answer:
The relationship between Monsieur Durand and his wife was not so good. While Mrs. Durand was alive, she used to blame Mr. Durand, though she herself had ruined the ancestral property. Due to her negligence and foolish conjecture, she ruined the ancestral property. She used to spend household money on lottery tickets. After being abused, she threatened her husband with becoming a prostitute for money. He called her a lone soldier. She taught all her daughters to hate their fathers and filled their minds with all the negativity. She had become successful in diverting her daughters' minds and turning them against their father.
e. ‘Money determines the relationship between characters in this play.’ Elaborate this statement with examples from the play.
Answer:
Here in this play, "Facing Death," money has played a very vital role in the lives of Mr. Durand and his daughters. Money is the first and foremost thing that has become the sole cause behind all the problems in this drama. The economic hardships of Mr. Durund's family have forced the entire family to live a miserable life with a lack of various essential needs. This family has been presented with agony due to hunger. Due to the economic crisis, the family is unable to buy bread. Mr. Durand has had to live with hunger for a long time. He is even seen eating rats' bait in the drama. Mr. Durund is unable to provide for the basic needs of his daughters due to this economic crisis. The relationship between Mr. Durand and Mrs. Durand also deteriorated due to the struggle to lose wealth. The daughters do not like the father because he doesn't have enough money to support the family. The economic crisis leads them to convert their living house into a lodge. Here, we find that money determines the relationship between the characters. Mr. Durand's three daughters hate and blame him most of the time. They show their rude behaviour towards him. The daughters do not even give a glass of milk because the father cannot bring bread. They snatched the glass of milk from him. They snatch the matches from him when he goes to smoke. They show their kind behaviour to their father when their father says, "I'll bring you money." They even kiss him lovingly. They use the words kindness and love. They even apologised for their rude behaviour.
f. Monsieur Durand kills himself so that his daughters would get 5000 francs as compensation from the insurance company. What does his plan tell us about him?
Answer:
In the play "Facing Death," Mr. Durand is presented as a tragic protagonist who commits suicide by drinking poison and sets fire to his house to get compensation from the fire insurance company to improve the financial condition of his daughters.
Mr. Durund has been spending his life in extreme poverty. Due to the financial crisis, he has been blamed most of the time by his daughters. He has been considered a failed and irresponsible father. His plan for the welfare of his daughters tells us that he is a caring and loving father who keeps thinking about his children's future. He is the man who sacrifices his life for the bright future of his three daughters.
g. Discuss Facing Death as a modern tragedy.
Answer:
By modern tragedy, we mean a play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.
The play "Facing Death" is a modern tragedy as it ends with the tragic death of the protagonist, Mr. Durand. Modern tragedy deals with realistic representations and common problems. Realism and naturalism are the main features of modern play.
The protagonist of a modern tragedy is a common man. Furthermore, modern tragedy deals with the problems of the modern individual, such as dysfunctional family relationships, socio-cultural problems, loneliness, etc. Characters become victims of their sociocultural environment, fate, economic class, gender, external environment, etc.
Here in this play, we find the exact features of modern tragedy. This play has presented the life of a common modern man with an immense crisis in his life. Due to economic hardships, he has been suffering a lot, along with his three daughters. In the play, we can easily find problems with bad relationships and poor economic status. Mr. Durand, a common modern man, has suffered a lot due to economic difficulties. This play also ends with the tragic downfall of the main character, Mr. Durand. He kills himself and even burns his house for the welfare of his three daughters. This play has presented realism as well as naturalism.
a. Write a few paragraphs describing the role of the father in the family.
Answer:
Our country, Nepal, is a country of patriarchal norms and values where we find the vital roles of fathers in families. In most Nepalese families, fathers are considered the heads, who lead the entire family.
In the context of a Nepali family, the position of the father is at the top; he decides the overall activities of the family members. The father in the family is the responsible person who takes care of his family and members. He is regarded as the breadwinner who performs his duties, being responsible for the welfare of his family members. The entire family feels a sense of security in the presence of the father. The following are the roles of a father in the family:
A father is one who teaches and guides righteousness among his family members.
▪︎ Father is the pillar of the family and faces a lot of hardships for the welfare of his family.
▪︎ Father plays a very vital role in the development of a child’s emotional well-being.
▪︎ Father provides a feeling of security to his children, both physical and emotional.
▪︎ Father plays supportive roles in his children's studies.
▪︎ Father sets the bar for relationships with others. He is the man who shares the culture, tradition, and rituals of the family with his children.
▪︎ Father develops the confidence of his children.
▪︎ Father sets rules for children's bright future.
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