A Matter of Husbands

Understanding the text

a. What favour does Earnest Young Woman ask from The Famous Actress?
Ans: Earnest Young Woman asks a favour to return her husband from the famous actress. She realizes that her husband has fallen in love with the famous actress so she went to ask her husband back.

b. What, according to The Earnest Young Woman, are the indications that her husband has fallen in love with Famous Actress?
Ans: According to the Earnest Young Woman, the indication that her husband has fallen in love with a Famous Actress are the love letter written by her husband to Famous Actress which he forgets on the table and the flower that was sent to her according to the florist.

c. Is Earnest Young Woman convinced by the argument of Famous Actress? How?
Ans: Earnest Young Woman is convinced by the argument of a Famous Actress. The Famous Actress tells her that her husband has done a love affair with the actress to get her jealous and regain love from her. She said that many actresses agree on such proposals to make their family together.

d. Where is the Earnest Young Woman’s husband hiding himself as they are talking about him?
Ans: The Earnest Young Woman’s husband appears at the end of the play when the Famous Actress calls him and came out from her boudoir. The Earnest Young Woman’s husband is hiding in the boudoir of Famous Actress.

e. When do you feel that Famous Actress is really good at acting?
Ans: I feel that Famous Actress is really good at acting when she tells Earnest Young Woman that she is acting with her husband to make her jealous and she will change her behaviour and attitude to impress him. She requests a lock of hair which the Earnest Young Woman provides. There was a moment of surprise when Alfred is called out by her and came from her boudoir.

f. How do we come to know that Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman are in love?
Ans: We come to know that the Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman are in love when Alfred was called by her and came out from Famous Actress’ boudoir.

g. Write down the plot of the play in a paragraph.
Ans: The play begins in the drawing room of Famous Actress where Earnest Young Woman angrily come to the Famous Actress’s drawing room and asks the Famous Actress to return her husband. Despite she has met her husband, she tells that she hasn’t met him before and she denied it. She wants to know why she is being blamed. In the conversation, Earnest Young Woman reveals that she has come across love letters for an apology written by her husband, left forgotten on the table. She also mentions the flowers he sent to a famous actress, as told by a florist to Earnest Young Woman. Then, Famous Actress shares that she has done this to make her jealous and get affection from her. According to Famous Actress, many actresses agree on such proposals to regain their love and family. After listening to her, she convinced and even kissed the Famous Actress. After that, she leaves her drawing room. After she leaves her drawing room, Famous Actress calls Alfred and he came out from her boudoir.

Reference to the context

a. Sketch the character of Famous Actress.
Ans: The Famous actress is a young, hardworking, and beautiful actress who works in a theatre. She seems innocent in her appearance and quite good at acting. In the play, she loves the husband of Earnest Young Woman. A famous Actress was blamed by Earnest Young Woman that her husband had loved her and hide her husband. She was awful and wicked inside. She pretends to act and does this to make Earnest Young Woman jealous but in reality, she is love with Alfred’s money and property. At the play’s end, she reveals her unethical life by calling Alfred from her boudoir.

b. Shed light on the difference between an ordinary woman and an actress.
Ans: From the play “A Matter of Husband”, we get the difference between an ordinary woman and an actress. The ordinary woman is shown as simple, direct, and honest who was believed by the actress’s made-up story but the actress is smart, sharp, and clever. She blamed Famous Actress that her husband is in love with her. After learning that her husband loved a Famous Actress, she initially cried, but her mood brightened when she found out the actress was pretending to love him to get her attention. This indicates that the actress was crafty while the ordinary woman was shy.

c. According to Famous Actress, men associated with theatre use the theatre actresses to make their estranged wives jealous so as to woo them back. Do you agree with her argument? Why? Why not?
Ans: According to Famous Actress, men associated with theatre use the theatre actresses to make their estranged wives jealous so as to woo them back. No, I don’t agree with her argument. Here in the story, she was blamed for cheating with the husband of Earnest Young Woman. She told a lie and false story for escaping that blame. Many actresses form relationships with married or wealthy individuals to acquire their money and property. They both be greedy which ruin their life. The wives of men who work in theater are often simple, trusting, and easily deceived by a clever trick. In this play, the wife of Alfred i.e. Earnest Young Woman is simple and decent.

d. How does Famous Actress make a fool of Earnest Young Woman?
Ans: Famous Actress makes a fool of Earnest Young Woman by telling her the false story about Famous Actress and Alfred (husband of Earnest Young Woman) in the theatre. When Earnest Young Woman came to her room angrily and asks to return her husband. According to her, she had been loved by her husband. In the oppose to that, she told that she was acting with her husband to make her jealous and gain affection from her. After listening to her, she was convinced, apologizes, and left Famous Actress’s room.

e. The conversation between the two women takes place on the stage of the theatre. What role does the theatre house as a part of setting play in A Matter for Husband?
Ans: The role of the theatre house as a part of the setting of the play A Matter for Husband is it helps to present the views and thoughts of women without any hesitation. It delivers an important message and makes a favorable environment to discuss their private conversation which can’t be done in public places. The setting of the theatre house has made it possible to create an illusion among the public. This play shows how people are suffered by deceptive people. The theatre house makes to express their thoughts freely.

f. What do you think about the ending of the play?
Ans: I think the play “A Matter of Husbands” has a mysterious and twisting ending. Many talented individuals have been innocent, simple, and honest and taken advantage but innocent people always suffered from them. Likewise, here Alfred has a simple and honest wife and takes advantage and cheats her wife with Famous Actress. Earnest Young Woman becomes very happy with her husband at the end because he desires a lot of love and affection from her, as stated by the Famous Actress. In the end, the Famous Actress and the husband of Earnest Young Woman live together without any problems.The ending of the play is filled with delightful irony.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write a paragraph describing your favourite actor/actress.
Ans: Akshay Kumar is one of my favorite actors. Akshay Kumar is a prolific, highly revered actor and producer in the Indian film industry. With a career spanning over three decades, he has become one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars. His real name is Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia. Over the course of 30 years in acting, he has appeared in over 100 films and received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He began his career with the movie name Saugandh and he had his first successful movie a year later with the action thriller name Khiladi. One of his finest cinematic works includes the movie “Hera Pheri” and its sequel “Phir Hera Pheri.” Akshay Kumar has also appeared on television and has hosted the reality adventure series Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi, and also launched a dance reality show called Dare 2 Dance. Known for his discipline, dedication, and affable demeanor, he continues to be a beloved and influential figure in Indian cinema.

b. John Cassavetes says, “I’m very worried about the depiction of women on the screen. It’s gotten worse than ever and it’s related to their being either high- or low-class concubines . . . . There’s nothing to do with the dreams of women, or of woman as the dream, nothing to do with the quirky part of her, the wonder of her.” How do you assess Famous Actress in the light of Cassavetes’ argument about the portrayal of women?
Ans: According to the argument of John Cassavetes, women are set backward on the women. They are being discriminated against according to their high or low class. They are being judged by their gender on the screen. They are not treated like men equally. John believes that the unique and charming aspects of women on screen are not acknowledged, and they are often depicted negatively. Likewise, in the play “A Matter of Husbands” a Famous Actress is depicted negatively. She has a secret love affair with the husband of Earnest Young Woman. John’s quote bears similarities to the experiences of the famous actress. More attention is given to the negative aspects of famous actresses than the positive ones.