Topic -- Villa For Sale� By� Sacha Guitry��

Contents :-

• About the Author
• Introduction
• Summary
• Characteristics
• Questions /Answers

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About t

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Sacha Guitry (1885-1957) Son of a French actor , was born in St.petersburg ( later laningrad) Which accounts for his Father’s profession , he become a writer Of plays and films. Some of his own Experiences with people Engaged in film production May reflected in Villa For Sale.

About the Author :-

Introduction:-

• ‘Villa for Sale’ is an interesting play by Sacha Guitry. It is a story of a Villa which is for sale. Juliette, the owner of the villa, wants to dispose it off as soon as possible, but no customer turns up. But the drama takes a turn when a couple comes to see the villa. The husband is reluctant to buy the villa, but in the end, the husband is willing to buy tire villa just because of a dramatic turn.

Summary:-

�‘Villa for Sale’a for sale is a drama written by Sacha Guitry. In this drama Juliette puts up her villa for sale.some customers come to see the villa but they do not buy it. After almost a month, Juliette gets a call saying a lady will come to buy it. A french couple Gaston and Jeanne come to take a look at the villa. While waiting for the owner of the villa, gaston indicater that he has no intention of buying a villa.�Juliette enters and gives a complete discription of the villa.after much bargaining Juliette reduces the price from 2,50,000 francks to 2,00,000 francks. Gaston doesn ‘t agree and is about to leave when Jeanne wants to have a look around the villa. Jeanne wants to see the upper floor Gaton doesn ‘t joins them.

• Mrs of Smith arrives to look at the villa. She mistakes Gaston as the owner of the villa. She buys the villa for 3,00,000 francks.�When Jeanne returns after looking at the top floor,she indicates that she has lost the idea of buying the villa but Gaston desires to buy the villa for 2,00,000 francks.Juliette is still unaware that Gaston has sold the villa to mrs al smith. Gaston ‘s ingenuitnity is later discovered by Jeanne.�Villa for sale is nothing but just about a woman( Juliette) who sells her house to a couple in hastiness,and Mr.Gatson who buys the house sells it to another american who assumes Gatson to be the husband of juliette when his wife Jeanne and Juliette go to inspect the top floor of the house. It is all about the tricky minded Gatson.]

• In my point of view – the whole drama itself is a satire (wrote with one intention, to ridicule a person in the form of a poem or a play). Here Gaston is a witty character and throughout the drama he does not agree with Jeanne thinking that this villa is impossible. His words are short but very thoughtful. He is extremely witty and clever in his replies.�“On the principle of people who like children and haven’t any can always go live near a school”�As the summary we can conclude that the use of a character like Gaston enhanced the thoughts of the writer thus helping the reader visualize what the real story is about.

• Character-sketch of Gaston:-�

• Gaston is the husband of Jeanne. He comes with his wife to took over the villa which is for sale. He is very critical of women. He tells her that he does not want to buy the villa which should be used by her parents. He has a poor opinion of women. He thinks that women are so curious. He is a shrewed man. He is not a hen-pecked husband. He is quite objective in his impressions. He is very clever and calculating. His wife goes upstairs with juliette to see the upper floor. In their absence, one American actress mrs. A1 Smith comes to buy it. She wants the house to make it into a bungalow. She pays 3 lakhs francs as it’s price. Thus, he pleases her. He persuades Ms. Juliette to part with her villa for 2 lakhs France. Thus he makes a net profit of one lakh francs.

• Character-sketch of Juliette

• Juliette is the heroine of the play. She is the owner of a villa. She wants to sell it. So she Puts it Up for sale. Not many customers come to but it. So she feels disappointed. For at least a month no good customer comes.
• According to her maid, she has a comic face. The maid tells her that she can get a role of a cook in a film for one hundred francs per day. Ms. Juliette is not so financially hard up. So she tells the maid the she would think over the proposal.
• As a mistress of the villa, she is quite practical and intelligent, she seems to be on friendly terms with her maid. The maid frankly tells her that she would like to have a day off for playing the role of a maid in a film. Juliette does not have any objection, she is willing to send her for the purpose.
• She is very clever at striking a bargain. When Gaston and jeanne come to make their bid, she shows no anxiety. She talks to them with self –confidence. Gaston makes a very low offer of sixty thousand francs. But Juliette can well see the keenness of his wife, jeanne to buy the villa. So she flatters jeanne and persuades her to go upstairs and see the beauty of her villa. She finally sells her villa for two lakh francs.

Character-sketch of Jeanne:-

• Jeanne was a nice and simple lady. Although she tried To rebel against her husband. She knows the value of relationships And emotions. She is exactly the opposite Of her husband Who is cunning and opportunits . She was very eager to buy the house For her parents. This shows That she was very caring Towards her family and Wanted to everybody To live peacefully and Comfortably . Her conversation with Juliette Show that she was kind Hearted and friend as well.

Character-sketch of A1 Smith:-

• Mrs. A1 Smith is an American actress. She is a woman in a great hurry. She comes to purchase the villa belonging to Ms. Juliette. She does not even want to sit down. When Gaston tells her to sit down, she says that she does things standing up.
• She has a poor opinion of the French as salesmen. She is in a hurry to the point of being ill-mannered. She is very authoritive. She has all the airs of a big film star. She thought the villa for three lakhs francs.
• Mrs.A1 Smith is an impressive personality. Everything about her is business-like she is always in a hurry, she does not like any delay on Gaston‘s part. She gets the house in a matter of two or three minutes.

1. Why did Gaston agree to buy the villa in ‘villa for Sale’?

• Gaston is a clever person and seems to have a genius for making money. He comes along with his, jeanne, to have a look around juliette’s villa. The maid who opens the door requests them to be seated and goes out to inform her mistress about them. Meanwhile jeanne feels attracted by it and wishes to buy it for any price. After the exit of Mrs. A1 Smith, Juliette and jeanne Come downstairs. Juliette explains the merits of her nice villa. Gaston also joins her in praising it. However, he lays one condition that she should give possession of the villa by the next evening.

2. Why did Juliette want to sell the villa?

• Juliette had a villa in France. She had bought it for fifty thousand francs. She had to get two lakh francs for it. In the beginning she felt sad over the idea of selling the house and parting with her property. So she did not allow the man to put the ‘For Sale’ sign during the day. She began to feel desperate because she could not sell the villa.
• Juliette says the there are moments in life when it is the right time to buy. But there is never the right time to sell. Now nobody has any money and nobody wants to buy it.

3. Why is Gaston Not interested in buying the villa In the beginning?

• In the beginning, Gaston was not interested In buying the villa because he knew very well that the villa will be used by jeanne’s parents and Her sister‘s children throughout the year. He considered it useless in investing in it when he and jeanne would be staying there for one month only. But in the end when he got a chance to earn one thousand francs, He at once bought the villa.

4.Why did Mrs. A1 Smith Want to buy the villa?

• Mrs. A1 Smith was an American Actress . Money was not an issue For her in possessing the villa. Neither she was she was interested in knowing about itS features . Even after buying the villa , she wanted to knock It down And build a bunglow So that she was near French Hollywood area where she was supposed to shoot For a film.