exercise 12 = Road the passage below from A Roomtul of Roses, a play by Edith Sommer. Working with another ‘student or a group of students, try to infer the answers to the questions below. Then underline the ‘words or phrases that helped you. A Roomful of Roses Naney: I'm sorry—Bridget. (Reaching toward her in an impulsive gesture of affection) Dating, | ‘do want you to stay. More than anything in the world, | want you to stay. We all want you— ‘won't you think about it? Just during the next few days, think about it Harc. io! It's utterly impossible! Naney: Are you so happy at home? Baioeer: Why do you ask me that? "Naxey: | want you to be happy somewhere. If not with me, then somewhere else. Baoeer: You don't have to worry about that. | am happy. Terribly. Nancy: And you lke your school? [Bruoasr:| Jove it. The only thing | don't ike—I don’t like this conversation. Anc if t's allright with you, ll dress for dinner now. Naney: Oh, baby-—you don't have to be so lonely. Baoaer: Listen! Don't say a thing ike that to me. Don't you dare to be sorry for me! Naver: Bridge BBriocer: Don’t you dare! You have no right! (She starts up the stairs.) "Nancy: Bridie! You come back here, Don’t ever speak to me in that tone again. | don't care ‘what you think | have done to you, you are never to speak to me in that way again. Do you understand? Brooeer: Yes. Naney: Allright. Now come over here and sit down. Brioeer: | have nothing to say. Nave: But | have something to say. I've been waiting a long time to say it, so! hope... want you to understand, that no matter how you feel toward me, you are a deep and important part of my life. I love you very much. Bruooer: Is that all? Naxev: No. No, it isn’t, There is something else. | knew—you would feel resentful and hurt..But | didn't dream it would be like thi. I've tried in every way | know to reach you. I've stayed ‘awake nights trying to think of a way—some way—of reaching you. jbaeT: Of breaking me down, you mean. [Nanov: Yes, ifyou want to put it that way. Bridie, you're a little gir stil. In mary ways a very little gi, But soon—you will be a young woman. (Bridget starts to rise.) Now walt! It's for your own sake I'm saying this. It's for you. Bridie, don’t let the fact that there was some- thing very bad in your life once be the most important thing about you. Don't blame every ‘one you meet for something that happened a long time ago. 160162 ‘Brioaer: May I go to my room now? Navey: Do you really hate me s> much? ‘Brioasr: No, | don't hate you. I don't feel anything about you at all. Just blankness. And I want to keep It that way. Brooaer: Bridle, it wasn't all my fault—what happened wasn't all my fault 've never told you this before, but your father was—Oh, dear. [Bruoaer: | don’t care whose faut it was! You were the one who ran away! Nancy: Not from you! | wanted you with me. | tried—you know I tried—I didn’t run away from you. ‘Brioosr: You ran away from Dad and me. Why? Because you liked Jay better? INavey: No—things aren’t that simple. Brioost: Then why? Nave: Bridie, listen—there are things you won't understand until you are older, but try—try to Understand this—the love | have for Jay is love your father did not want from me. And it has. nothing whatever to do withthe love | feel for you. Braet: You're too late, Mother. I don’t care anymore. That's funy. | call you Mother. But it's ‘only because | don't know what else to call you. To me you aren't my mother. As far as I'm ‘concerned, my mother is dead. And I used to wish you had died. Oh, how I wished...’ lie ‘awake in bed at night and pretend that you had died. Sometimes it seemed so real—and I'd cry. All ight, now you know what I realy feel about you. Do you still want me to stay? Naxey: More than ever. Brioast: You're orazyl.. (She turns and runs up the stars.) 1, What is the relationship between these two characters? 2, Where are they? 3. What can you tell about the past? 4. What do you think will happen after this in the story?