CLASS XII ATM WKBK PGS 188 TO 190

5 (i) : Raina had first seen Bluntschli as a one of the defeated Serbian soldiers seeking refuge. At that time we were told that he was "in a deplorable plight", in a "desperate predicament". He was bespattered with mud and blood and snow". "his belt and the strap of his revolver case" were keeping together "the torn blue" Serbian soldier's tunic. Those were the details which described his "unwashed unkempt condition" at that time. In Act 2 when he returns after the war we are told that he is "clean, well brushed, smartly uniformed, and out of trouble". This is the change that Raina notes of Bluntschli's condition.

(ii) : The reasons which Bluntschli gives for his changed condition was that he had had the opportunity to have got a wash, whereas previously he was coming in after fleeing from the Bulgarians who had just defeated them in a battle. He had been able to take care of his appearance (brushed) and that he had had slept well - unlike the previous time when he had not slept for the previous forty-eight hours as he had been engaged in battle. He was also well fed (breakfast) whereas the previous time he was famished, having finished eating all his "chocolates".

(iii) : The morning Raina is referring to is the morning after the "midnight adventure" when after she had given him refuge in her room and hidden him from the Russian officer and the Bulgarian soldiers, she and her mother had disguised him in Paul Petkoff's coat and sent him off.
           "That morning" Bluntschli had made his way to Pirot. We do not know for sure how he got there, but Bluntschli does mention a railway cloak room, so he might have gone there by train. However, whichever way he traveled he was disguised to look Bulgarian by Raina and her mother.

(iv) : Raina thinks that Bluntschli fellow soldiers from the Serbian army, of the specific artillery regiment which had been defeated by Sergius,  would have been angry with him. She resumes that they would have been angry with him because she expects that they might have been true soldiers being supposedly courageous and who would have stood their ground and faced their enemy rather than Bluntschli running away to save his life.

(v) : Bluntschli says that his fellow Serbian soldiers of his regiment were glad to see him, because like he had done, they had also all run away after being routed by Sergius cavalry regiment.
        It tells us that soldiering is not as romantic a life as we might think it is. While we may expect soldiers to stand up to their enemies and sacrifice their lives for their countries, soldiers probably are not so courageous and self-sacrificing. they too are practical and judge when it is better to stand up and fight and when it is better to count one's losses and flee.

(vi) : The story Raina is talking about is the story of how Bluntschli was given refuge bu Raina and Raina had been taken up by his manner; of how Catherine (Raina's mother) was also taken up by Bluntschli's behaviour and that they had helped him escape. Of course, when the story was told the identity of Raina and Catherine were not known.
          Sergius had told the story - the story that he and Paul had been told by Bluntschli.
          The story had been told to Raina and Catherine when they were recounting their acquaintance with that "bagman of a captain" (Bluntschli) in Act 2, shortly after Paul and Sergius had returned home.

CLASS XII AATM WKBK PGS 186 TO 188

4 (i) : Major Paul Petkoff had asked his wife, Catherine, to accompany him. Paul had been asked my Bluntschli to go after Sergius to ensure that Sergis talks to the soldiers who were to take the orders for the movement of three cavalry regiments to Phillipopolis. Paul had felt that the soldiers would "be far more frightened" of Catherine than they would of him ! and thus do their assigned duty well.

(ii) : Catherine refers to her husband Major Paul Petkoff as "you" in the first line of the extract. She feels that Paul would only splutter at them i.e. speak fast and incoherently as he would be uncertain and would lack confidence when he would issue the commands that Bluntschli wanted the soldiers who were to deliver the messages Bluntschli had written out, to have. Catherine feels that Paul would not be confident because she probably knows him very well. Paul seems to know himself and thus he asks for his wife's presence with him when he was ordering the soldiers !

(iii) : We had been told at the very beginning of the play that Catherine was an "imperiously energetic" person. We have seen that Catherine takes command of even very tricky situations in the play - she knows how to react appropriately - thus she subdues an otherwise aggressive Russian officer who had come to search her daughter's room. In this situation, too Catherine does not balk at an assignment which is definitely beyond her  experience - she takes up the challenge.
          Regarding Catherine's relationship with Paul, Paul may be the "man' of the house" but Catherine definitely "wears the pants" in the home. Catherine is the person who gets the necessary done. Paul prefers to relax in the comfort of his home. This suits Catherine very well as she knows her abilities. Catherine, though, seems to dominate Paul and her remark about his blustering expresses this.

(iv) : Bluntschli refers to the soldiers of the Bulgarian army when he uses the word "they".
         Cannons were sometimes made out of wood when metal was not available. However, these wooden cannon were notoriously weak and broke after one or two shots. Thus, Bluntschli conveys his poor opinion of the preparedness of the Bulgarian army to wage battle.

(v) : When Bluntschli says that "the officers send for their wives to keep discipline" he is referring to Paul requesting his wife to accompany him to ensure that the soldiers who were to take the messages which Buntschli had made out understand the urgency of their work. Paul had admitted quite frankly that the soldiers would be "far more frightened" of Catherine that might be of him, even though he was the highest ranking Bulgarian officer in their army !

(vi) : Satire is the use of humour, irony or exaggeration to expose or criticize people's stupidity or vices. Thus, Catherine uses satire to criticize her husband, Paul, for the lack of ability to command his soldiers - "you will only splutter at them". However, it is Bluntschli who uses satire most cuttingly here to criticize the Bulgarian army, here represented by Sergius and Paul Petkoff, of which he was so recently an enemy sand against whom he had fought a war. His satire is expressed in the remark "What an army ! They make cannons out of cherry trees; and the officers send ffor their wives to keep discipline !".

CLASS XII AATM WKBK PGS 185 TO 186

 3 (i) : The "work" which Major Paul Petkoff is talking about in this extract is not any work which he has been doing. In fact most of the work had been done by Bluntschli. That work had consisted ofr deciding the best manner in which three cavalry regiments could be sent to Philippopolis - the main difficult in so doing being t have adequate forage for the horses on the way. Paul and Sergius had found the task beyond their capacities and had requested Bluntschli who had unexpectedly come to the house to help them. Bluntschli worked with a "quick, sure, businesslike" manner - studying a couple of maps which were in front of him and writing orders. Sergius is also "supposed to be also at work", but he is gnawing the feather of a pen which he used to sign the orders Bluntschli had written out.

(ii) : The work had actually been done by Bluntschli. Since Paul and Sergius didn't know how to get the the three cavalry regiments to Philippopolis and provide them with adequate fodder, they had invited Bluntschli to study the maps and write out the necessary orders to complete the operation.  Bluntschli had, thus, really done nearly all the all the work.
          Sergius had only to sign the orders.
          Paul Petkoff was sitting comfortably with a newspaper and a hookah within easy reach and only very politely asking if he could help with the work, knowing that there was nothing for him to do or nothing which he could do !
           To complete the work, Sergius was asked by Bluntschli to give the orders to the dispatch riders with a warning to them not to delay at all.
           Bluntschli requests Paul to ensure that Sergius spoke to the dispatch riders in the right manner - a job on which Paul asks his wife to accompany him, feeling that her presence would give the riders the correct message.

(iii) : Bluntschli asks Sergius to meet the soldiers who are to take the orders which have just been prepared and to ensure that they leave without delay - keeping in mind that Bluntschli had mentioned the time by which they should hand the orders at their various locations. He tells Sergius to warn them of dire consequences if they did not deliver the orders on time.
         Bluntschli asks Major Paul to ensure that Sergius spoke to the dispatch riders in the manner in which his directives would be followed - to see that Sergius "talks to hem properly".

(iv) : Sergius had "stiffened indignantly" when he had heard Bluntschli's threat to the dispatch riders that they would have the "skin taken off their backs", i.e. they would be punished severely if they did not do the job in time. Sergius says that if any of those soldiers were offended bythe threat and had the boldness of character to "spit in his face" Sergius would buy that man's discharge from the army and in addition give that man a pension. It means that Sergius would reward the man for standing up to the bullying tactics of his superiors.
        This tells us that Sergius either respects people's dignity and that he does not subscribe to officers theatening their subordinates, or if he has said what he had in jest, he hints that he would strive to do the job he had been given by Bluntschli as perfectly as possible and that his tone would be so severe that no would dare take his orders lightly.

(v) : Bluntschli asks Major Petkoff to check that Sergius talks properly to the soldiers who would deliver the orders which have just been written out. Bluntschli was not so sure that Sergius would use the right tone - he might not be convincing enough  so that they do they do their work in time or he might upset them with an over officious tone. He made this request to Major Petkoff to ensure that the dispatch riders got the right message and in the right tone.

CLASS 12 AATM WKBK PGS 183 10 185

2 (i) : Major Petkoff makes a bet first with Catherine, his wife, that Nicola will not find his old coat in the blue closet. He promises to give Catherine any piece of jewellry  she would like to order from Sofia, if she were to win the bet. However, if she were to lose the bet she would lose a week's housekeeping money. Catherine had confidently agrees to Paul's bet.
           Paul then wishes to gamble a little more and make bets with Bluntschli and Sergius.

(ii) : Bluntschli says that taking the bet with Paul would be robbing him because Bluntsschli has "insider's information", meaning he is privy to the information that since Paul has looked into the cupboard the coat which was in the bag that he had brought with him would surely have been been placed in the cupboard under Catherine's direction, if not by herself, given that Catherine is an "imperiously energetic" woman and would not hesitate to ensure that what was necessary would be done with all haste. Bluntschli could thus say with confidence "Madame is sure to be right" and he (Bluntschli) would be sure to win and Paul would have to pay more money to him. rob" in this sense would mean to take the money when Paul did not suspect that Bluntschli knew he would win it.

(iii) : Sergius bets that if he (Sergius) would lose he would give his best horse (Charger) to Raina. However, if Paul were to lose, Paul would need to buy Raina and Arab mare.
         The bet that Sergius suggests shows that he would like to shower his betrothed with very expensive gifts. It could either show that Sergius was willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of his love for Raina or that he wanted to proclaim how mu ch in esteem he held Raina and that whether he won or lost he would like her to be a beneficiary of a very expensive gift.

(iv) : Paul supposed to give jewelry to Catherine if he lost the bet. Paul had said that should she win she would be given any piece of jewelry she liked to order from Sofia.

(v); When Raina uses the phrase "my Arab" she is referring to the bet Sergius had suggested to Paul : that if Paul lost the bet to Sergius, he would have to gift Raina an Arab mare. Raina speaks as if she has already won the bet and already owned the "mare".

(vi) : We do not know if Nicola really finds Paul's old coat in the blue closet or whether when he was asked to fetch his master's old coat, he took it out Bluntschli's bag. All we know is that he does return with Paul's old coat, much to Paul's great surprise.
         In either case it shows that Nicola is a very trusted servant and knows well what is expected of him in all circumstances. In this circumstance, he had either very deftly placed the coat which Bluntschli had returned with in the blue closet between when Paul had searched for it and the time he was asked for it. On the other hand if the coat had still been in the bag, he had promptly done what was expected, even if it was ungentlemanly, and opened Bluntschli's bag, removed the coat and brought it to Paul. 

.CLASS XII AATM WKBK PGS 181 TO 182

1 (i) : Paul Petkoff is referring to an old house coat in which he felt very comfortable when he was at home. It was the same coat that Catherine and Raina had disguised 'The Man' who had sought refuge in Raina's room (Bluntschli).

(ii) : Catherine was aware that when her husband, Paul had checked the blue closet he had not found his coat, because it was either she or her or her daughter Raina, who had taken the coat from there and had disguised 'The Man' who had sought refuge in Raina's room, in it so as to save him from the Bulgarian soldiers who were looking out for Serbian soldiers, like him, who had fled after the battle of Slivnitza through their town. Catherine did not acknowledge that fact as she did not want her husband and Sergius to know that it was Raina and herself who had so unpatriotically sided with the enemy on that occasion. Neither did she want Sergius to know that Raina had been taken in by the manner of that Man. She had returned the coat to the closet after Bluntschli had returned it and so she wanted to bluff her husband into thinking that he had just not checked the closet properly.

(iii) : By pressing the button of the electric bell Paul thinks that Catherine wanted to show off the use of the newly inserted electric bell. However, Catherine was only showing her total command of the situation be haughtily ringing the bell to get Nicola to come up so that he could check the closet and surprise Paul with the coat.

(iv) :

(v) : According to Major Petkoff Catherine is mistaken in thinking that she will find his old coat in the cupboard because he has carefully checked it and has noted exactly which items of clothing were hanging there - a list of which she gives her. He is very sure that she will not find it there and that she is wasting her time pretending that it is.

(vi) : The extract tells us that Catherine is a very proactive person. She has taken the short time she has had to make sure that the coat which Bluntschli had just returned with is kept back, because Paul had already been mentioned that he couldn't find it. Catherine did not want Raina and her secret to be revealed to Sergius and Paul.
         In addition, this extract proves to us that that the description of Catherine at the beginning of the play as an "imperiously energetic" person is true. She is obviously competent and actively involved in running her home and her family and she her competence results in her having an arrogant and dominant attitude towards her husband who seems quite satisfied to be looked after.  

XI AATM WK BK PGS 56 TO 58

6 (i) : Louka is the maid, a servant, in the house of Raina and Catherine Petkoff. Though she is of Bulgarian peasant background she is proud and defiant. Shaw tells us that she is a "handsome" girl.
          Louka asks the ladies to close all the windows as, after the defeat of the Serbs in the battle of Slivnitza, the Serbs are fleeing through the town chased by the Bulgarian cavalry. Also the town's people are ready for them and there is surely to be gun fire. Thus Louka would like the  windows to be closd to ensure that no stray bullets enter the house and hurt someone.

(ii) : The Serbs are being chased by the Bulgarian cavalry. They are being chased by the Bulgarian cavalry because they Serbs had been so badly defeated by the Bulgarians in the battle at Slivnitza that they were scattered and those who survived fled. The Bulgarians were after them as the war was still in progress and the Serbs were the enemy.
         The Serbs were being chased through the Dragoman pass next to which the town was situated and it was thus expected that the fleeing Serbs may head into the town.

(iii) : Now that Louka has come upstairs and has made sure that all the windows are closed and the upstairs of the house made safe, Catherine wants to check for herself that the lower part of the house is safe too from the fleeing Serbs.
          The characteristic traits which are referred to in the extract are firstly, Catherine's "housekeeping instincts", i.e. her natural inclination to ensure the well-being of her home. Secondly, Catherine shows a very practical and realistic part of her character when she makes Raina realise that in war the opposing enemies would not feel any pity for the people and forces of the opposing side.

(iv) : In this case the "wretched fugitives" are the Serbian soldiers who have just been defeated by the attack of Sergius cavalry regiment and they are more wretched for having being chased by the Bulgarian cavalry behind them and the people of the town ready to kill them as they enter the town.
          Raina feels that there is no glory in killing wretched fugitives as they were not standing up and putting up a fight and thus they had given up and were only running away to save their lives. thus killing such soldiers who clearly were no threat to them would not be something she could be proud of.

(v) : This extract creates suspense in the play because we wonder what impact this event will have on the lives of the characters we have just met - Raina, Catherine and Louka.We know later that one fugitive will seek refuge in Raina's room and his entry will change the course of Raina's and Louka's lives.

CLASS XII AATM WKBK PGS 168 TO 170

28 (i) : Raina calls the visitor who has just called to the Petkoff home "The Chocolate Cream Soldier". To Raina, who had known him since their "midnight adventure" he is 'the man' to whom she had given refuge in her room and to whom she had given the last of her chocolate creams. To catherine, who also knows him from that same incident and whom she had unsuccessfully tried to hurry away from the house before her husband and Sergius saw him, he is the 'The Man' - the Swiss mercenary fighting in the Serbian army, whose presence her daughter had revealed to her and whom she had disguised in her husband's coat and sent off. To Paul and Sergius he is the Swiss, who tricked them into signing a deal they came the worse out for and who had told them an interesting story of two Bulgarian women who had given refuge to him.
             Raina's exclamation tells us that she is at best a very spontaneous person. At worst she is an immature young girl who says what she feels without considering the situation or the consequences.

(ii) : Raina had let 'the cat out of the bag' with referring to Bluntschli as the "chocolate cream soldier". By doing so she indicated that she was familiar with him and her words drew an immediate and confused reaction from Sergius to Petkoff who looked to his wife for some enlightenment. Caught in that predicament, Catherine, as Shaw notes, shows great "Commanding presence of mind" and saves day. Catherine seems to admonish her daughter for making an offensive comment in the presence of guests. Raina plays ball and responds explaining her misguided exclamation on entering.

(iii) : Raina has landed herself and her mother in an embarrassing situation where Sergius and Petkoff seem to want an explanation as to why Raina seems to have some knowledge of the gust and why she should address him as a "chocolate cream soldier". Raina, taking the cue from her mother explains her exclamation by making up a story. Raina informs those present that her exclamation "Oh ! the chocolate cream soldier !" was only an expression of disappointment at Nicola having destroyed a beautiful decoration she had made for an ice pudding when he put a pile of plates on it.

(iv) : Nicola is totally confused when he is blamed for destroying decoration for the ice pudding. Since he had been blamed for wrongfully bringing Bluntschli to the garden rather than to Paul who was in the library and then  for bringing Bluntschli's bag to the garden, the third accusation completely shook his confidence and he dropped the bag from his hands almost on Paul's toes. Later Nicola is asked about this and maintains his respect to his mistress merely saying "You heard Miss Raina say that I did" and "I am sure that Miss Raina is incapable of saying anything that is not true". He thus does not let down his mistresses and keeps their confidences. He thus, shows himself a faithful servant.

(v) : Bluntschli knows that Raina is addressing him as "the chocolate cream soldier" as she had called him that when he had gobbled up the last few chocolate creams which she had and when he told her that, like all experienced soldiers, he didn't carry ammunition to war but chocolates.
        However, Bluntschli knows that Raina has made a faux pas (an embarrassing remark) and though he bowed in return to Raina's bow to him, he is relieved that Raina was able to concoct a story which was plausible enough  to discourage Sergius and Paul Petkoff from making any further inquiry into the "chocolate cream soldier" comment. If she had not been able to come up with an immediate explanation it might have been relieved that Raina knew him and that he was given refuge by none other than Raina and Catherine.