Sujet 3 ♦ Sujet national,juin 2005, série L, LVI Shortly after the riots, like many other white Detroiters, my parents...

« Sujet 3 ♦ Sujet national,juin 2005, série L, LVI Shortly after the riots, like many other white Detroiters, my parents began looking for a house in the suburbs.

The suburb they had their sights on was the affiuent lakefront district of the auto magnates: Grosse Pointe. It was much harder than they ever expected.

In the Cadillac, scouting the five Grosse Pointe (the s Park, the City, the Farms, the Woods, the Shores), my parents saw FOR SALE signs on many lawns. But when they stopped in at the realty offices and filled out applications, they found that the houses suddenly went off the market, or were sold, or doubled in price. After two months of searching, Milton was clown to his last real estate agent, a Miss Jane Marsh of Great Lakes Realty.

He had growing suspicious. 10 is "This property is rather eccentric", Miss Marsh is telling Milton one September afternoon as she leads him up the driveway.

"It takes a buyer with a little vision." She opens the front door and leads him inside.

"But it does have quite a pedigree.

It was designed by Hudson Clark." She waits for recognition.

"Of the Prairie School 1 ". Milton nods, dubiously 2 • He swivels his head, looking over the place.

He hadn't much cared for the picture Miss Marsh had shown him over at the office.

Too boxy-looking.

Too modern. 'Tm not sure my wife would go for this kind of thing, Miss Marsh." 'Tm afraid we don't have anything more traditional to show at the moment." She leads him along a spare white hallway and clown a small flight of open stairs.

And now, as they step into the sunken living room, Miss Marsh's head begins to swivel, too. 20 2s Smiling a polite smile that reveals a rabbity expanse of upper gum 3 , she examines Milton's complexion, his hair, his shoes.

She glances at his ·real estate application again. "Stephanides.

What kind of name is that?" "It's Greek." "Greek.

How interesting." More upper gum flashes as Miss Marsh makes a notation on her pad.

Then she resumes the tour: "Sunken living room.

Greenhouse adjoining the dining area.

And, as you can see, the house is well supplied with windows." "It pretty much is a window, Miss Marsh." Milton moves doser to the glass and examines the backyard.

Meanwhile, a few feet behind, Miss Marsh examines Milton. 30 "May I ask what business you're in, Mr.

Stephanides?" 1. Prairie School : 20th century school of architecture made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright 2.

Dubious: uncertain. 3.

Upper gum: pink flesh inside the mouth above the teeth. "The restaurant business." Another mark of penon pad.

"Can I tell you what churches we have in the area? What denomination are you?" _ 35 "I don't go in for that sort of thing.

My wife takes the kids to the Greek church." "She's a Grecian, too?" "She's a Detroiter.

We're both East Siders." "And you need space for your two children, is that right?" "Yes, mà am.

Plus we have my folks living with us, too." 40 45 50 "Oh, I see." And now pink gums disappear as Miss Marsh begins to add it all up.

Let's see.

Southern Mediterranean.

One point.

Not in one ofthe professions.

One point.

Religion? Greek church.

That's some kind of Catholic, isn't it? So there's another point there.

And he has his parents living with him! Two more points! Which makes-five! Oh, that won't do.

That won't do at ail.

Discreetly, Miss Marsh now draws a tiny "5" next to "Stephanides" and circles it.

As she does so, however, she feels something. A kind of regret.

The point system isn't her idea, after all.

lt was in place long before she came to Grosse Pointe. "Tell me more about this Hudson Clark fella", he now asks. "Clark? Well, to be honest, he's a minor figure." "Prairie School, eh?" "Hudson Clark was no Frank Lloyd Wright, if that's what you mean." "What are these outbuildings I see here?" "I wouldn't call them outbuildings, Mr.

Stephanides.

That's making it a bit grand.

One's a bathhouse.

Rather decrepit, l'm afraid.

l'm not sure it even works.

Behind that is the guest house. Which also needs a lot of work." 55 "Bathhouse? That's different.

You don't have to show me any more.

Decrepit outbuildings or not, l'll take it. Il There is a pause.

Miss Marsh smiles with her double-decker gums.

"That's wonderful, Mr.

Stephanides", she says without enthusiasm.

"Of course, it's all contingent on 4 the approval of the loan." 60 But now it is Milton's turn to smile.

''You don't have to bother with that", iny father said, relishing the moment.

"l'll pay cash." Over the barrier of the Point System, my father managed to get us a house in Grosse Pointe. Adapted frorn Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, 2002. 4.

Contingent on : dependent on. Compréhension 1.

Read from "Shortly" (1.1) to "suspicious" (1.

9). a) ln what country and what region does the story take place? b) ln your own words, say where Grosse Pointe is situated and what sort of people live there. c) What is the name of the narrator's father? 2.

a) What do the narrator's parents want to do in Grosse Pointe? b) ln your own words, explain why the narrator's father is becoming suspicious.

(20-30 words) 3.

Read from "This property" (1.

10) to "with us, too" (1.

38). Explain what Miss Marsh's job consists in. 4.

What is Milton's opinion of the house? Pick out four elements to justify your answer. S.

a) "lt takes a buyer with a little vision." (1.

11) What does Miss Marsh mean? (20-30 words) b) "lt was designed by Hudson Clark." (1.12) What effect does she think that name will have on Milton? c) Why does Milton nod "dubiously" (1.

14)? 6.

Focus on Milton's answers to Miss Marsh's ques.tions.

What exactly do we learn about Milton and his farnily? (origin, religion, job, household) (30-40 words) 7.

Read from "Oh, I sèe" (1.

39) to the end. a) Focus on the passage from "Let's see" (1.

39) to "at ail" (1.

42).

Why is it passage in italics? b) "Oh, that won't do.

That won't do at ail." (1.

42) Explain what Miss Marsh means. 8.

a) In your own words, explain how the "Point System" works.

(30-40 words) b) What does it reveal about the community of Grosse Pointe? (20 words) 9.

a) In one sentence saywhat Miss Marsh's goal has become. b) What argùments does she now use? (20-30 words) 1O.

Focus on the expressions on Miss Marsh's face.

How can these expressions be interpreted? (30-40 words) 11.

a) From "Tell me more" (1.

46), what shows that Milton is gaining control of the situation? (30-40 words) b) "But now it is Milton's turn to smile" (1.

59).

Explain this sentence.

(30-40 words) Expression Choose one of the following subjects (250 words approximately.

Write clown the number of words.) 1.

The Stephanides have moved into the house.

A few months later, Milton sends a letter to a friend telling him about their life in Grosse Pointe.

Write the letter. 2.

Can money.... »