高级英语Blackmail文段分析

Blackmail, the lesson we’ve learned, is an excerpt [ek'sə:pt, 'eksə:pt]from the novel Hotel, written by Arthur Hailey. And today, I will show u guys my understanding of the image which runs through the passage, the cigar smoke from the detective, Ogilvie. So, what’s the purpose of the author to describe this? What kind of meaning this image implies? What’s its function? Now, here we go.

In general, there’re several points. First, the cigar smoke is a reflection of the detective’s character, a person who is impolite and vulgar ['vʌlɡə]. Second, the behavior of the detective with the cigar implies the change of the situation between the duchess and the detective. Last, if you are careful enough, u will notice that the whole conversation last within 2 cigars, showing this is an emergency.

As we move on, I will do some detail explanations base on related paragraphs.

Para 3: A wave of cigar smoke accompanied Ogilvie in.

The image of smoke is always considered to be neutral ['nju:trəl] or even negative. This sentence describes the ve ry first time Ogilvie’s appearance, the author use the cigar smoke to let us feel that Ogilvie is an uninvited guest with unfriendly purpose.

Para 5: Taking his time, Ogilvie removed the offending cigar, knocked off the ash and flipped the butt toward an ornamental fireplace on his right. He missed, and the butt fell upon the carpet where he ignored it.

This is a series of moves that done by Ogilvie after hearing the disapproval towards his cigar from the Duchess. Even Ogilvie agreed to put off the cigar, but he was actually unwilling to do so. His cigar is offensive, so do his behavior. All he had done is nothing but disrespect.

Para 16: He took out a fresh cigar and bit off the end.

Para 21: He lit the fresh cigar.

Para 23: The house detective took his time, leisurely puffing a cloud of blue cigar smoke, his eyes sardonically on the Duchess as if challenging her objection.

As the conversation becoming closer and closer to the point, Ogilvie was sure about what kind of serious crime the noble Croydons ['krɔidən] had committed. Thinking of being the upper hands in the negotiation named as blackmail, Ogilvie began to smoke again; he knew that the Du ke and Duchess had to put up with it even they didn’t like his smoking. The reason is he was the advantage side, and he knew exactly the secret the couple wanted to hide.

Para 42: He paused to puff again at the cigar as his listeners waited silently.

P ara 108: At length Ogilvie spoke. “This cigar botherin’ you, Duchess?”

As the story goes, the powerful Duchess tried to turn things around, she offered a big sum of money far more than the Ogilvie wanted and attempted to use Ogilvie’s greedy to help them fix the car in a proper way. Situation changed, now the initiative was back to the Duchess. Finally, Ogilvie agreed the deal, and he returned to be modest and humble.