Vocabulary

urban

a thorn in my side

to end up

to get burned up

to get on in years

a plight

Factual Questions

1. Where does the writer of this letter live?

2. Are the writer and her husband happily married?

3. What is the thorn in her side?

4. What happens when her in-laws go on vacation?

5. What happens when her family goes on vacation?

6. Why does she resent her husband's brothers?

7. What question does the woman ask?

8. In what state does she live?

Discussion

1. Why do you suppose the two farms are next to each other?

2. Do you think the two brothers are younger than the writer's husband? Would this explain why he must give more help to his parents than his brothers do?

3. Does the statement "they were a lot smarter … they went to college …" mean that her husband was less intelligent that his brothers and therefore was not admitted to a college?

4. How do you think the husband feels about the situation?

5. Do you think the husband would agree with the question which his wife asks at the end of her letter? Is there any indication in the letter that he is unhappy with the present arrangement?

Writing

Write a letter to Dakota Plight, as if you were Ann Landers, and give your opinion about the situation.

Vocabulary

insoluble

to be tried up

to compromise

hostility

From the desk of Ann Landers

Dear Dakota,

Your problem is as close to insoluble as any I've ever read. Not only is your husband tied up financially with his parents (I'll bet they gave him his farm), but worse, he is tied up emotionally in a way that his brothers are not-which is probably why they left and he stayed.

Ask your husband to compromise on one point. He should tell his parents that he can't handle their chores when they take vacations. Suggest that from now on they hire the same man you hire when you go away. If he agrees, it will reduce your hostility.

Discussion

1. Can you think of any other suggestions?

2. How come Ann Landers realizes that it's impossible for the husband to break himself away from his parents but his wife doesn't?

Situation 10.

An Uninvited Guest

Dear Ann Landers,

What should a person do if he is dining in the home of a friend and he comes upon a foreign substance in the food like, shall we say, a hairpin in the soufflé? This happened to me recently and I said nothing, but it could have been a serious thing. Yesterday I had a similar experience, only it was a worm in a fresh peach which had been sliced and served over ice cream. I was speaking to the hostess when I noticed it. I kept my wits about me, continued to talk, and ate around the worm.

If such a thing happens again, what should be done? Do you feel the hostess would want to know?

Lost My Appetite

Factual questions

1. What recently happened to this letter writer?

2. What was the similar experience yesterday?

3. What did the writer do about it?

4. What is the question that the writer asks?

Discussion

1. Is the writer a man or a woman? What evidence do you have for your answer?

2. Have you ever had this kind of experience? If so, describe the circumstances and what you did.

3. If you were the host or hostess, would you expect or want your guests to tell you if anything is wrong with the food that you serve?

4. Would you act differently if this happened in a restaurant? Why?

5. What would you do in a similar situation if you didn't like the food your hostess had prepared?

Writing

Write a letter, as if you were Ann Landers, that answers the question asked by Lost My Appetite.

Language in life

Suppose you decide that the answer to the question in the last sentence is: Yes, the hostess would want to know. You might say, "Excuse me, there seems to be a worm in my peach." Suggest other polite ways to tell your hostess this embarrassing information.

Suppose this happens in a very expensive restaurant and you are extremely upset. Demand that the management pay for your meal, which has been ruined.