- Du Maurier uses dolls and puppets in her short stories, ‘The Doll’ and ‘The Alibi’ (pp.1-3).
In your view, what effect does this have on her presentation of human characters? - In both stories the creative arts are foregrounded, music in ‘The Doll’ and painting in ‘The
Alibi’. Is this an important part of each story, and if so, why? - Du Maurier is said to be the ‘mistress of the macabre’. How do these texts employ tropes
more usually associated with the gothic genre? - Comment on the use of gaps, lacunae and ellipses in any of the three short stories. What effect
does this have on your experience of reading? (for example see ‘The Alibi’, p.17) - Research the ‘Übermensch’, a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche’s
1883 text Thus Spake Zarathustra. How could this concept accord with the character
of James Fenton in ‘The Alibi’? - Write a list of adjectives to describe the character of Anna Kaufman, what type of
person is she in your opinion? - If you had an animal head that reflected your character, which animal would it be, and
why? Give your reasons… - Which animal head does Marda West have at the end of ‘The Blue Lenses’? In your
view what is the significance of the kind of animal head she has? - Consider the representation of marriage in ‘The Alibi’ (James and Edna Fenton) and
‘The Blue Lenses’ (Jim and Marda West). Compare the two marriages and be
prepared to comment on them in tutorial. - What are the publication dates for ‘The Alibi’ and ‘The Blue Lenses’?
- What is the penalty for committing murder in Great Britain in this period?
- To what extent does this affect your view of James Fenton’s dramatic confession at
the end of ‘The Alibi’?
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