Something To Talk About by Eden Philpotts | Summary Explanation & Questions

Critical Aspects of the Play

Title of the play “Something to talk

The title of the play consists of spontaneous remarks uttered by Lord Redchester on two different occasions. These two occasions are the start of the play and the end of the play. The first occasion is when Lord Redchester is introduced with the Wolf by Guy Sydney and Lettice, who appreciates his greatness and cleverness.

The second occasion is when the Wolf is successfully persuaded by Bishop to rob Wallaby’s belongings. At that time, Wolf departs all the gifts of Sydney. Lord Redchester appreciates his behavior and says Grand fellow, “Something to talk about at last”.

Satire on modern English society

The play is a satire on the developed modern English society which has buried itself in the material comforts and enjoyments, but have no moral values. In the play, we notice that it is a religious family whose members are the upholders of truth, love and honesty but all of them are badly craving for some novel incident and for an adventure.

They seem to be tired of a monotonous life. But one wonders to find in that there is no religious effect on any of them. The women are fond of fashion and ornaments. Bishop has great sympathy with Sydney and for this purpose, he does not feel shy of deceiving Wolf. There is no religious goodness in him. He is only a Bishop by name.

A policy of non-violence against violence

In the play, Lord Redchester and his family members have adopted a different way

of resistance. They have used their cleverness and well-cultured affected behavior to impress a staunch believer of violence. They support his ideas, flatter his skillful performance and the greatness of his personality.

They show to be his fans and think them fortunate which has provided them an opportunity to watch a criminal and his unparalleled act of burglary with their own eyes. Thus making their dull life thrilling and worthy of mention. They think that incident would substantiate the meaningless history of their family.

The philosophical approach of Wolf

Wolf has a philosophical approach to life. He is a communist and thinks that all people have equal rights to enjoy life. When Lady Redchester refers to criminal classes, he says that there are no criminal classes any more than virtuous classes, the rogues and the rulers may both come from the gutter or palace.

A man who is from a distinguished family today yet a criminal figure tomorrow. According to Wolf, both evil and virtue are present in the same person. Social environment, different circumstances and various opportunities and accidental happenings make a man that he is, so the philosophical approach of Wolf is quite exact and excellent.

Important Questions and Answers

Question 1

What is the theme of the play ‘Something to Talk About’ by Eden

Phillpotts?

Why do the Sydney welcome Wolf in their home?

Justify the play Something to talk about as a light comedy.   

Explain Something to talk about is a pleasant one-act play.

The play Something to talk about  is a commentary on the presents

picture of Modern English society. Discuss?

Answer

fame in his profession. He comes to Lord Redchester’s house to steal Christmas presents.

Sydney’s family appreciates his greatness and is grateful to him to have chosen their humble and dull lodging for his adventure. They are so interesting people that even an act Of burglary becomes a source of entertainment for them. Guy Sydney becomes diplomatic.

He welcomes the Wolf. Wolf is astonished to see that all the family members are friendly and cooperative with him. The reason for their being so polite is quite obvious. Actually, they are tactful and want some time to settle the matter according to their own will.

When the Wolf fails to open the safe for robbery. Lettice requests her father to let the burglar know the password to open the safe comfortably. Wolf takes out the Christmas gifts one by one. First, he opens the jewel case and reveals a jade

necklace with precious beads.

The Wolf fetches out another large jewel case containing a tiara with glittering jewels and diamonds. Lettice asks Wolf to present a tiara to her as she is like his daughter. Lady Redchester says that no reasonable man wears diamonds. Like all women she also loves jewels.

She also praises him by saying a new Santa clause, and wants to wear the necklace for some moments. Bishop succeeds in tempting the Wolf to loot their neighborWallaby’s millions of pounds jewels and gold.

In short, Wolf returns all the gifts which he wants to steal. Because of the pleasant and comic behavior of the characters. the play can be called a fine piece of entertainment.

Question 2

Something to Talk About reflects the modern attitude towards criminals and crime. Elaborate.

How does Guy make Wolf believes that he will not cheat him?

What arguments Guy offers In making the burglar believe that they are

trustworthy family.

Discuss the treatment of the Sydney with the Wolf.

Answer

From the very beginning of the play, Wolf begins to believe in the words of Guy Sydney. Guy strongly claims’ that a Sydney cannot tell a lie and never breaks a promise on the word of honor.

Moreover, all through the talks, Guy Sydney shows amiable behavior, polite manner, friendly environment, authentic qualities of his family as well as the psychological techniques to impress Wolf.

All these factors collectively lead Wolf to believe as the traditions of loving family who is not used to tell a lie, Wolf believes in his word of Guy Sydney by his civilized behavior, cooperative spirit, and confidence has perfectly convinced and satisfied the Wolf, Sydney never tell a lie.

They are extremely trustworthy, as they are the oldest and dullest family in the country, having no distinguished and noted personalities to visit. Because of their complete faith in truth, they have ever avoided politics, law, and diplomacy which are all filled with lies, unfaithfulness, and double-dealings.

That is perhaps the most important reason for the dullness and colorlessness of their lives. Guy practically helps Wolf in all the ways, giving assurances and ample confidence of no danger and even passing no information about his visit. Guy Sydneycompletely satisfies Wolf about the friendly nature of his family.

Question 3

Answer

Question 4

Answer

Question 5

Write a note on the character Sketch of Lord Redchester.

Answer

Lord Redchester is the head of the Sydney family. He is a very wealthy person. He is seen wearing a scarlet dressing gown and a red nightcap in the scene. He is a very jolly person, When he looks at the Wolf for the first time, he shows his anger, but later he becomes cal.

He does not believe that the notorious burglar of England has come to his house. Lord Redchester is a hospitable person. He does not afraid of the Wolf. He appreciates the skill and expertness of Wolf. He encourages the Wolf. when Wolf fails to open the safe, Lord Redchester tells him the password, and then Wolf opens the safe.

Lord Redchester is not a strict person. He behaves with his family members and Wolf in a humorous manner. He does not show any sign of tension when Wolf wants to take all the Christian presents. He appreciates the Wolf for chosen his house for robbing Christmas gifts. In short, he is the most lovable and humorous character in the play.

Question 6

Answer

Lady Redchester is the wife of Lord Redchester. Like her husband, she is also very jovial and amiable. She is seen wearing a showy cap and dressing gown in the scene. She appreciates the arrival of Wolf at her home. Lady Redchester is fond to meet notorious burglar.

She appreciates the Wolf and calls him Santa Claus. She likes his appearance at her home. She is very polite and humble with Wolf. She offers her help to Wolf in his efforts to break the safe. She becomes kind to Wolf when he fails to break the safe. She requests her husband to tell him the password.

Lady Redchester is very prideful and showy. She wants to become beautiful at any cost. When Wolf takes out gifts from the safe, she demands to wear a necklace. She does not want to return the necklace to Wolf. In the play, she proves a good character.

Question 7

Writer a Character of Wolf.

Answer

Wolf is the notorious burglar of England. He enters the house of Lord Redchester to steal the Christmas gifts. All the family members appreciate him and call him a blessing of God for them. He appears in a tight-fitting dress.

He has a black cap on his head and a black mask. He has an electric torch in one hand and a bag full of burglar tools in the other hand. Wolf is very cautious and expert in committing the act of theft. At the smallest doubt, he gets alert and warns Guy Sydney.

When he finds Guy a friend and person, he orders him not to make a loud noise. But with the passage of time Guy calls the members of his family. Wolf is a young and lusty man. He is influenced by the beauty of Lettice. He says to Guy l can never say no to beauty.

When Lettice shakes hands with him he is further influenced by her conversation. In short, Wolf is morally a weak person. He is the terror of England but easily tempted by the Bishop, He is easily influenced by the diplomatic behavior of Sydney.

Question 8

What role does Bishop play in Something to Talk About?

Why is the robber in Something to talk about compelled to remark while addressing Bishop, You might be one of us yourself.

Answer

Bishop is the central character of the play. He is the brother-in-law of Lord Redchester. His real name is Charles Bishop. He is the person who saves the gifts from the Wolf. Although he appears in the last scene of the play yet he shows his clever nature and saves the Christmas gifts from the Wolf.

Bishop is a priest by profession. He is very intelligent who saves the Christmas gifts with his wisdom and deceitful nature He proves very cooperative to the Wolf. He tells Wolf about his neighbors and says that they are richer and prosperous than of Sydney.

Bishop is a very selfish and deceitful person. He does not give money for the construction of an old church. He shows off his wealth all the time. He only wants to save his crosier. To sum up we can say that he is a very clever and greedy person.

Question 9

Answer 

EXPLANATION WITH REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT

Passage 1

Tell him the password, Redchester. He has done his best. We don’t want to ruin his Christmas.

Reference

Context

Explanation

These given lines are spoken by Lady Redchester. Lady Redchester is the wife of Lord Redchester. Like her husband, she is also very jovial amiable. She is seen wearing a showy cap and dressing gown in the scene.

She gets happy with the arrival of Wolf at her home. She is very fond to meet notorious burglars. She appreciates the Wolf and calls him Santa Claus. She likes his appearance at her home. She is very polite and humble towards Wolf.

She offers her help to Wolf in his efforts to break the safe but he refuses her help. She becomes kind to Wolf when he fails to break the safe. She requests her husband to tell him the password. She does not like to ruin the charismas of Wolf.

Passage 2

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

In these lines, Guy Sydney assures the notorious burglar Wolf about the nobility of their family. He tells him that the members of their family never appear in the newspapers. They do not even have accidents when they are out hunting. They have never indulged in the law and politics and diplomacy.

They have never got busy in any unlawful activity except the marriage ceremonies and the funeral processions. But now everything has changed due to the arrival of the Wolf. They are very pious people. They are attached to all religious functions and Ceremonies.

Passage 3

My dear friend, I know a bush with a magnificent bird on it, which you

could secure with no trouble whatever.

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

These lines are spoken by Bishop. He is the brother-in-law of Lord Redchester. His real name is Charles Bishop. He is the sole person who saves the gifts from the Wolf. He plays his trump card (victory card). From Wolf’s behavior, he concludes that Wolf is both a lost sheep and a greedy person.

He tempts Wolf’s greediness for money. He promises to help Wolf in robbing a fairly rich family if he spares their costly gifts. Wolf swallows the bait and returns all the things to Sydney. He goes away empty-handed with a strong desire to loot the wallaby on behalf of Sydney.

Question 4

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

In these lines, Guy Sydney assures the Wolf, about the nobility of his family. He tells him that the members of his family never appear in the newspapers. They do not even have accidents when they are out hunting.

They have never indulged in the commission of burglary and firing. They have never indulged in any unlawful activity except marriage ceremonies and funeral processions. But now everything has changed due to the arrival of the Wolf.

Passage 5

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

In these lines, Wolf, the notorious burglar is telling Lady Redchester that it is not possible to divide the society between the criminals and the virtuous, as the values and circumstances continue to change.

The criminals and the rulers both belong to the same society. They change their places in society according to the changing of circumstances. A person may be a member of the House of Commons today, and he may be in the prison house, the next day.

Passage 6

The password, and quick about it, or I’ll plug you! I can’t mess around there all night.

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

The story of the play reveals that the Wolf is a notorious burglar of England. In these lines, Wolf warns the Sydney that if they will never tell him the password of the safe then he will shoot them.

In the given lines, he shows himself as a very brave person. He proclaims that he is really a terror of England. Even here Lettice takes his revolver and calms him. She asks him to place down his revolver and be glad and wise, and enjoy the day.

Passage 7

Thanks; but I’ll make my own arrangements. Not a whisper to the Wallabys, mind.

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

The notorious criminal of  England named Wolf breaks into the library of Lord Redchester in Tudor Manor at 3.00 a.m. on Christmas morning. From Wolf’s behavior, the family members conclude that Wolf is both a lost sheep and a greedy ‘person.

They tempt Wolf’s greediness for money. They promise to help Wolf in robbing a rich family if he would spare their costly gifts. Wolf swallows the bait and returns all the things to Sydney. Wolf warns them not to disclose his future plans to the Wallabys.

Passage 8

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation:

The notorious burglar, Wolf speaks these lines to Guy Sydney. Wolf breaks into the library of Lord Redchester in Tudor Manor at 3:00 a.m. on Christmas morning. He wants to steal away the precious Christmas gifts from the safe of Lord Redchester.

He is smartly clad in a tight black suit. He carries burglar tools and a revolver. He is about to work on the safe when Guy Sydney, the son of Lord Redchester, happens to come there. Though Guy is startled to find Wolf, he does not lose his balance and Guy proves himself a clever boy.

When Wolf orders him to sit there then he accepts his order In a gentle manner. He knows the true nature of criminals like Wolf. Gray treats him politely and does not use any kind of force.

Passage 9

Wolf: (Taking necklace and putting it in cricket bag) Ain’t I been nice? Dammy, you people don’t know your luck. You might have been lying dead in a row if it weren’t for Christmas morning.

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

Wolf the burglar enters the house of Lord Redchester, where he receives excellent reception. They all were admiring lavishly on his repute of a most skillful burglar. They even flatter him, by calling themselves his most ardent fans.

In the process, they put up no rather cooperation with him. He has been treated in a skillful clever and diplomatic way. Wolf has packed up all their Christmas presents from the safe. He even takes back the jade necklace from Lady Redchester, who wishes to put it in her neck for few moments.

He informs the family that they are fortunate, not to have been killed by him. It is because of the fact of Christmas morning. They would have been laid dead in a row and that he has kept and the sanctity of Christmas.

Passage 10

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

It is a play about a famous burglar, Wolf. The family of Sydney says an honorable reception in his honor and values his visit extremely in a proud manner. Wolf is rather treated as a most wanted person a rare commodity.

That is all the members of the family pay for his professional skill, craft, and perfection. They doubt, at first, the credentials of the truth of Wolf, as he entered into the house of an ordinary, oldest as well as dullest family in the country.

Guy Sydney takes the opportunity of his visit as a peculiar and unique event in the history of the family. As their house was the oldest and dullest, wherein no famous person has ever visited them.

He says that they are quite acquainted with the adventures of Wolf and they appreciate his daring and bold actions. He even tells Wolf that his visit has multiplied their rejoicings on Christmas and that it will grant an opportunity of having, Something to talk about.

He says that his visit will certainly brighten their Christmas and that they will be grateful to him for giving them the honor to visit Sydney. With his visit, their house will be no more under the usual circumstances, and that Sydneys are in a position of owning Something to Talk About.

Passage 11

He is now our next-door neighbor and has just secured a Tudor mansion and enormous estate, three miles from here. Our dear old cathedral is tumbling down and I have invited Lord Wallaby to rebuild it.

Reference & Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

These lines have been spoken by Bishop when he tries to divert the attention of the burglar, Wolf. He tells him about Lord Wallaby who is the richest man of the town according to Bishop.

He tells Wolf that you can steal more expensive things from his house. He is our new neighbor three miles away. Bishop proves himself very cooperative to Wolf. Actually, it is his tactics to save the Christmas gifts from the burglar.