ACT 1 WK BK NO 30 PGS 102 TO 104

ACT 1 WK BK NO 30 PGS 102 TO 104

(i)                  : ‘The Man’ says that he would not trust his father to accept to give an enemy soldier refuge in his home against the soldiers of his own country and against his own people.

The irony of the statement about his father is that it will be the inheritance he receives from his father which would give him the wealth which will convince the parents of Raina to permit her to marry him – she now (in Act 1) being ‘The Man’’s (who is Swiss) enemy, as they are on opposing sides of the present war.

(ii)                : Raina’s father has gone to Slivnitza because in the war the Bulgarians are having with the Serbs, the latest battle is being fought at Slivnitza and as Raina’s father Paul Petkoff is a Major in the Bulgarian army he is there – at Slivnitza

Raina’s father Paul Petkoff would not approve of his daughter giving refuge to an enemy soldier. We know this when in Act 3, Paul Petkoff realises that it is his daughter and wife who gave refuge to enemy soldier, we are told that he “confronts Raina severely and says to her sarcastically “You’re a nice young woman aren’t you ?”

(iii)               : Raina takes the pledge to ensure the safety of the man whom she has just agreed to give refuge to.

Raina offers her hand to “the Man’ as a sign that her pledge has been sealed and that she can be trusted to fulfil her pledge of offering him security and safety.

(iv)              : The Man tells Raina not to touch his hands because his hands are dirty. We were told when he was described when he entered Raina’s room that his clothes were bespattered with mud and so we can expect that his hands were dirty and not fir for him to shake a lady’s hand with.

       This tells us that ‘The Man’ is chivalrous and considerate and would like in some way to respond to the kindness that Raina has shown him. It even shows that he trusts Raina to keep t her pledge even though they might not have shaken hands to seal their agreement.

(v)                : Raina calls him a gentleman because she is surprised by his act of consideration in not taking her hand as his hands were not clean – that action of his showed ‘The Man’s’ consideration of Raina’s position and this impressed her.

(vi)              ‘The Man’ proves to be a true gentlemen in the play because later in Act 2 when he comes to return the coat we see that he is well washed and cleaned. We also learn that he has made fast friends with Sergius and Paul and is thus as much of a gentleman as any of them. In addition in Act 1 itself, just before this quotation, he had asked Raina to inform her mother about his presence in her room – if the man were not a gentleman he would not have required Raina to inform her mother of his presence.