THE DRY ROCK

Irwin Shaw, US writer (February 27, 1913 – May 16, 1984)

OUTLINE

1. Irwin Shaw

2. Plot Summary

3. Detailed Questions

4. Character Analysis

5. Conflicts

6. Theme (s)

7. Language Points

1. Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw (February 27, 1913 – May 16, 1984) was an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author.

“Irwin Shaw's material is fresh, and he handles it with rich understanding and superb technique—up to a point. Then he lays it on too thick or too pat.”

2. Plot Summary

1. “Ford runs into a cab driven by an old man. The driver of the Ford gets nasty when the cabby insists on seeing his licence, and hits him. He tries to reason with the old man, who is yelling for police. …The argument is settled by a policeman who takes them to the station house. The old man is persuaded against pressing charges. “

2. “A decent young man betrays all human decency under wifely pressure, in his responsibility as witness of a street fight between a gangster and a proud little taxi driver.”

3. Detailed Questions

1.What does the title “The Dry Rock” means?

2.What was the name of the Ford man?

3.What do you have to say about the dinner party?

4.Why did the cabby insist on calling police?

5.What did Rusk on the way to the police house?

6.Why was Rusk anxious about a possible trial?

7.What did Fit mean by “shrugged sadly” (P63) ?

4. Character Analysis

A small man of fifty, in a cap and a ragged coat, with a heavy accent, gently, wearily, calmly, with dignity, anxiously …

Cabby Tarloff

Harshly, shouted, glared, snarled, balefully, savagely, growled, hoarsely …

Ford man Rusk

4. Character Analysis

Reassuringly, impartial, judicious, patiently, sadly, his voice low, silently, …

I Fitzsimmons

Bitterly, gloomily, disdainfully, elegant, witty, sadly, coldly, …

Wife Helen

5. Conflicts

Feeling insulted, Tarloff insisted on a legal punishment on Rusk. Regretfully, Rusk tried hard to persuade Tarloff out of pressing charges.

Tarloff and Rusk

Fit tried to offer help to the cabby, while Helen kept trying to get them out of the trouble.

Fitzsimmons and Helen

How were the conflicts settled eventually?

6. Theme and Lessons

1.Unnecessary and overelaborate formalities

2.The dry rock of principle and reponsibility

3. Rise above principle and do what's right.

4. We talk on principle, but we act on interest.

5. The more laws, the less justice.

6. An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.

7. We lose dignity if we tolerate the intolerable.

7. Language Points

say, ask, call, shout, announce, growl, snarl, begin, repeat, whisper, yell, mutter, …

Expressions of “say”

“Say, listen, bud,” the young man said, his voice quick and confidential.

A policeman turned the corner, …, his eyes on the legs of a girl across the street.

Absolute structure