Unit 8Unit 8

You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine

Contents Background Information Pre-reading Activities Organization of the Text Language Points Post-reading Activities

Unit 8 You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine

Background InformationBackground Information 1. 1. William Saroyan(1908-1981)William Saroyan(1908-1981)

is one of the most colorful contemporary American writers. His

works include short stories, novels, and plays.

was born in Fresno, Calif., the son of Armenian immigrants. As a

young man, he received little formal education but he decided to

make himself a writer. He used his Armenian background in many of

his stories about his family and neighbors. The novel The Human

Comedy, from which our text is taken, was published in 1943. It is

about ordinary people in a small California town trying to understand

and manage, as fear and death touch their lives.

2. 2. Mexican-AmericansMexican-Americans Mexican-Americans refer either to native born Mexicans who

have immigrated to America and become citizens of the United States or to native born Americans whose ancestors emigrated from Mexico. Many Mexican-Americans live in the Southwestern States, the region where our story takes place.

Unlike immigrants to the US from European countries, Mexican-Americans have been somewhat slow to become “Americanized” as a result of being shut out socially and economically.

Most Mexicans are Roman Catholics and the Mexican family is noted for its closeness and emphasis on strong ties or bonds among its members.

3. Western Union3. Western Union Western Union (Western Union Telegraph Company) is the

principal telegraph company in the United States. At the present time, on top of delivery through the post office, Western Union is introducing a fast service by telephoning you and reading you your telegram message. If you wish to have a copy of the telegram, the local Western Union office will mail it to you. For out-going telegrams a similar service has been introduced.

When a person in military service was killed during World War II, the War Department (now the Department of Defense) sent a telegram to the most immediate family members notifying them of the death. Citizens with relatives serving in the armed forces hoped they would never have to answer their doorbell to find a uniformed telegram messenger. The arrival of a messenger would surely mean the loss of a person near and dear.

Pre-readingPre-readingIntroductory Remarks

The story is originally part of a novel, which is to a certain extent autobiographical. The author, William Saroyan, worked in a San Francisco telegraph office at one point in his life. It is not surprising then that the events described are so realistic. The present selection describes in all vividness a young man who suddenly finds himself in a situation he is not prepared to cope with and a woman who gives at the sad news of her son’s death.

Warm-up ActivityWarm-up Activity Act out the story in the textbook according the following scri

pt: (Knock at the door.)H: Is there anybody in the house? (The door is opened.)S: Oh! (studying Homer’s eyes) You have a telegram? Who is it

for?H: Mrs. Rosa Sandoval, 1129 G Street. Are you Mrs. Sandoval?

(Delivering the telegram.)S: Please, please come in. I cannot read English. I am Mexican.

I read only “La Prensa’ which comes from Mexico City. (She pauses a moment but continues before Homer can speak.) You must open the telegram and read it to me.

H: Yes, ma’am. (Opening the telegram with nervous fingers.)

S: Who sent the telegram – my son Juan Domingo?

H: No, ma’am, the telegram is from the War Department.

S: War Department?

H: (Mumbling swiftly) Your son is dead. Maybe it’s a mistake. Everybody makes a mistake, Mrs. Sandoval. Maybe it wasn’t your son. Maybe it was somebody else. The telegram says it was Juan Domingo. But maybe the telegram is wrong.

S: (Pretending not to hear) Oh, don’t be afraid. Come inside, come inside. I will bring you candy.

(Mrs. Sandoval takes the boy’s arm, brings him to the table, and makes him sit down.)

S: All boys like candy. I will bring you candy.

(Homer takes a piece of candy, puts it into his mouth, and tries to chew.)

S: You would not bring me a bad telegram. You are a good boy – like my little Juanito when he was a little boy. Eat another piece. (She makes the boy take another piece of candy.) It is our own candy, made from cactus. I made it for my Juanito when he came home, but you eat it. You are my boy, too. (Suddenly she begins to sob, holding herself in as if weeping were a disgrace.)

H: (Feeling awkward, frustrated and embarrassed, murmuring to himself) What can I do? What can I do? I’m only the messenger.

Organization of the TextOrganization of the Text

Line A:

The messenger (Homer) – delivered a telegram to Mr. Rosa Sandoval – felt a little awkward when seeing the old lady – read the telegram for the old lady – felt greatly sorry for the bad news that he brought that her son has been dead in the war – wanted to comfort the lady but felt out of his ability

Line B:

The Mexican woman (Mrs. Rosa Sandoval) – shocked to see the messenger – asked the young man to read the telegram for her because she couldn't read English – pretended not to hear when the messenger read the bad news for her – offered the young man the candy and talked to him as if nothing happened – made the messenger in the embarrassment

Language PointsLanguage Points

Para. 1Para. 11. He knew almost immediately that someone

was inside the house. immediately: at once E.g. – Relief work started immediately after the

earthquake.

– Where are you going? The meeting will begin immediately.

2. …he was most eager to see who this person would be…

A. most: “Most” here is a word indicating an advanced degree, m

eaning “very”. It is not a superlative of comparison. E.g. – She was most happy to help us.

– Sam will be most disappointed when they leave .

– Professor Smith is a most learned scholar, I should say.

B. eager: full of strong wish E.g. – Soldiers are eager for any news from home.

– Mr. Young is eager to succeed in his field.

3. …who was now to hear of murder in the world and to feel it in herself…

A. be to: The “be + infinitive” structure is often used to express a

n action planned to take place soon. The structure can also be used in the past to indicate “destiny” – things which were sure to happen in the future.

E.g. – The premier is to visit the United States next year.

– I felt nervous because I was soon to leave home for the first time in my life.

– When we said goodbye, I thought it was forever. But we were to meet again, many years later, under very strange circumstances.

B. hear of: hear about E.g. – As soon as I heard of his arrival I h

astened to meet him.

– Have you ever heard of a poet by the name of Prior?

– The librarian had never heard of the book I wanted.

C. to feel it in herself: to feel deep down the horror caused by murder or the effects of murder

4. The door was not a long time opening… Not: expresses simple negation, but is us

ed here for the stylistic effect of understatement. But for this effect, the author could very well have written “The door opened immediately…”

E.g. – The sum I inherited was not a fortune.

– The movie isn’t bad.

5. …as if, whoever she was… whoever: no matter who E.g. – Whoever made the mistake wil

l surely be punished.

– Information will be given to whoever inquires.

Para. 2Para. 2

1. …so that now, after years of it, her lips were set in a gentle and saintly smile.

A. after years of it: after years of being patient

B. set: put into a fixed position E.g. – Her eyes were set in a look of surp

rise. – His jaw was set firmly in anger.

2. …the appearance of a messenger at the front door is full of terrible implications.

implications: sth. hinted but not stated E.g. – A good diplomat should be able to t

ell the implication behind a statement.

– Her face grew white immediately after understanding the implication of the news.

3. Homer knew that Mrs. Rosa Sandoval was shocked to see him.

shock: (v.) cause unpleasant or angry surprise (t

o sb.) E.g. – I was shocked at the news of her a

rrest / to hear of her arrest.

– Mrs. Ernest was shocked to find her daughter in bikini.

(n.) (1) sudden disturbance of feelings E.g. – Mrs. Ernest never recovered from

the shock. – The news was such a great shock

that she dropped her cup.

(2) violent blow or shaking E.g. – Mental patients receive electric

shocks as a kind of treatment. – The shock of the bomb can be felt

from a distance.

4. Her first word was the first word of all surprise. She said “Oh”…

(Paraphrase:) All expressions of surprise can begin with the interjection “Oh!”

E.g. – Oh, wonderful!

– Oh, how terrible !

– Oh, yeah?

5. Before she spoke again she studies Homer’s eyes…

study: examine carefully E.g. – He studied her face with intere

st.

– The doctor studied the shape of the wound.

Para. 4Para. 41. His work was to deliver telegrams. deliver: (1) take sth. to the place where it mu

st go E.g. – As a rule the newspaper boy d

elivers papers to the door.

– I’d like you to deliver a message for me.

(2) give forth in words E.g. – The audience waited in

eagerness for him to deliver his opinion.

(2) help a woman in childbirth E.g. – In Thailand , policemen must

learn how to deliver babies in case of emergency.

2. He felt awkward and almost as if he alone were responsible for what had happened.

A. awkward: (1) uncomfortable E.g. – I am awkward in front of the ca

mera.

– The professor’s question was met with an awkward silence.

(2) clumsy; having little skill E.g. – Having visited China for

several times, he is no longer awkward with chopsticks.

– She started painting just a year ago, so her painting are still awkward.

B. be responsible for: be the cause of; deserve blame for

E.g. – The window has been broken. Who’s responsible for that?

– The moisture is responsible for the rust.

– Who do you think is responsible for the failure of the experiment?

3. At the same time he wanted to come right out and say…

come (right) out: be direct or straight forward

E.g. – She came (right) out and asked me to leave the room.

– They will come right out and demand food if you don’t feed them.

4. …but it is only because it is my work to do so.

“Do” acts as a substitute verb for the main verb “bring”. Since this “do” is transitive, it requires an object which may be one of the usual substitute words such as “it”, “that”, or “so”.

E.g. – He eventually escaped, although I don’t know how he managed to do it.

– They say they will increase pensions. If they do so, it will make a bid difference to old folks.

Para. 6Para. 6

1. He extended the telegram to the Mexican woman…

extend: (1) hold out E.g. – The baby extended her arms to em

brace the mother.

– The hostess extended her hand in greeting.

(2) make longer E.g. – I plan to extend my stay in France

to two months. – The subway will soon be

extended to the suburbs.

(3) communicate with words, gestures, etc.

E.g. – The Prime Minister extended warm welcome to the foreign guests.

– Thank you for the invitation you extended to me.

Para. 8Para. 81. She paused a moment and looked at the boy… pause: (v.) stop for a short time E.g. – The professor paused a moment to wipe sweat o

ff his face. – He paused to feel his key before shutting the do

or.

(n.) a brief stop E.g. – Push the “pause” button if you want to finish anot

her thing first. – The dying patient expressed his wills with pause

s for breath.

Para. 11Para. 111. But now the woman interrupted him. interrupt: (1) stop by breaking in E.g. – The normal TV program was interrupted

by a special news report.

– Unlike Chinese teachers, American teachers welcome students to interrupt the class with questions at any time .

– Sorry to interrupt but there is am emergency case, Dr. Samuel.

(2) hinder; obstruct E.g. – All communication with the

mountain area is interrupted by heavy snow.

– The skyscraper interrupts our view of the river.

Para. 13Para. 131. He opened the telegram with nervous fingers. nervous: (1) uneasy E.g. – She was nervous of / about speaking to such a la

rge audience. – The boy grew nervous when the girl he loved ca

me near . – I am nervous from having a large sum of cash on

me.

(2) of the nerve E.g. – There is something wrong with your nervous syst

em if you often sleep badly.

2. …and tried to smooth it out. smooth out: make smooth(er); take wrinkl

es out of E.g. – She smoothed out a table-cloth .

– The husband smoothed out the ball of crushed paper and read it.

Para. 14Para. 141. “No, ma’am.” Homer said. “The telegram is from

the War Department.” department: a division of a government, business,

university, etc. E.g. – Mrs. Shirley became spokeswoman for the

Department of Justice in 1987. – Those who are interested in the job p

lease write to our Human Resources Department .

– How many departments are there in your university.

Para. 16Para. 16

1. Homer said swiftly… swiftly: quickly. E.g. – An efficiency expert solves proble

ms swiftly.

– Seeing no one around, the beggar took a loaf of bread from the counter swiftly.

Para. 21Para. 211. …put it into his mouth, and tried to chew. chew: crush and grind food into little bits i

n one’s mouth E.g. – The baby has not grown any to

oth yet, so it is unable to chew.

– I always have my steak well done, because I have no patience with chewing.

Para. 24Para. 241. Now suddenly she began to sob, holding

herself in as if weeping were a disgrace. A. hold in: restrain; keep in E.g. – She managed to hold in the

laughter until he had gone.

– Eventually their grief could be held in no longer .

– He was raging inside, but he held himself in.

B. disgrace: shame E.g. – A traitor brings disgrace on his

family as well as his country.

– GOP leaders called him a disgrace to the party.

2. …and if she had asked him to take the place of her son…

take the place of: replace E.g. – George took the place of Edward a

s Captain of the team.

– Plastics have taken the place of many conventional materials.

– Remember always that nothing, not even the highest natural ability, will take the place of persistent hard work.

3. …he meant to begin correcting what could not be corrected…

This is intentionally ambiguous. It might refer to the fact that Homer could not be her son; or that her son could not be brought back to life; or that Homer would never know how to help her; or that no one could help Mrs. Sandoval at this time.

4. What the hell can I do? By using the expression “the hell”, th

e boy is showing his impatience and frustration at being unable to make the woman less happy.

Post-reading ActivitiesPost-reading Activities Group discussion 1. What do you think of Homer? What do you t

hink makes him speak or act as he does? Do you think he is able to make Mrs. Sandoval feel better about his son’s death?

2. What does Mrs. Sandoval do to make Homer feel less uneasy and awkward in her home? Why do you think she does these things?

3. What does the title “You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine” imply and how does it fit into the story?

Comprehension of the TextComprehension of the Text1. When Homer knocked at the door to Mrs. Rosa Sandova

l’s house _______

a. he knew that no one was at home.

b. he was eager to see who Mrs. Sandoval was.

c. he didn't know anything about the contents of the telegram.

d. he lost his sense of hearing momentarily.

2. Homer felt ________ about delivering the telegram to Mrs. Sandoval.

a. awkward b. blameless c. angry d. happy

b

a

3. Mrs. Sandoval _______

a. didn't have any idea what was in the telegram.

b. knew that the message was not a welcome one.

c. was expecting good news in the telegram.

d. knew that the telegram was from his son.

4. Before he opened the telegram, Homer ________

a. didn't know what news was in it.

b. wondered what news was in it.

c. knew what news was in it.

d. didn't care what news was in it.

b

c

5. Homer read the telegram to Mrs. Sandoval because ______

a. he wanted to. b. she couldn't read English. c. she was crying and couldn't read it. d. it was his duty as a messenger to do s

o.6. Mrs. Sandoval was _______ Homer bec

ause of the news in the telegram. a. angry with b. sorry for c. afraid of d. doubtful about

b

b

7. Homer knew he would stay with Mrs. Sandoval for a short time because _______

a. it was his duty to do so. b. she was crying. c. he wanted to be her son. d. he wanted to make her less unhappy.8. Mrs. Sandoval pretended not to hear when Homer read

her the telegram. This is because ________ a. when the truth is too painful, people tend to

disbelieve it. b. her mind simply rejected it as impossible c. she wanted to give Homer a piece of her own candy

first. d. she wanted Homer to read the telegram once again.

d

a

The End!The End!

Unit 8 You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine