Andrew Collins, Observer, July 4, 1999

Unit 4 Character and Personality

Part 1 Male & Female

Lead-in

1 Read this introduction to the new topic and answer the question that follows.

What's in your pockets right now? I'll tell you what's in mine. Some small change, a clean hankie, door keys, a season and an asthma inhaler. How revealing. From the contents of my pockets, you, the pop psychologist, have ascertained that I suffer from asthma, use public transport and have a front door. It really is astounding what you can find out about somebody from their belongings.

Andrew Collins, Observer, July 4, 1999

Question: Do you think these knick-knacks tell us anything in earnest?

2 In the back pages of Vanity Fair[1] each month, readers find The Proust Questionnaire, a series of questions posed to famous subjects about their lives, thoughts, values and experience. This questionnaire has lasted for more than a hundred years and in its early time it was considered a great amusement and party game.
Do an interview with your friend to find out how much more these questions can tell you about those who you already know (and know each other's basic possessions).

What is your greatest fear?	Where would you like to live?
What is your idea of perfect happiness?	What natural gift would you most like to possess?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?	What is your favourite occupation?
What is your most marked characteristic?	What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
What is your greatest extravagance?	What quality do you most admire in a man?
What is your favourite journey?	What quality do you most admire in a woman?
On what occasion do you lie?	What do you most value in your friends?
What do you dislike most about your appearance?	Who is your favourite hero of fiction or cinematography?
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?	Who are your favourite heroines of fiction or cinematography?
What is your greatest regret?	Which living person do you most admire?
When and where were you happiest?	Which living person do you most despise?
What is your most treasured possession?	What is your motto?
What is your present state of mind?	If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
What is it you most dislike?

3 Listen to an abridged review of a book, a story of Albert Einstein's early life. As you listen the first time, take notes of Einstein’s personal traits that are new to you. Report them to the class. When you listen the second time, extract the information about Mileva Maric, his first wife, and then give her a thumbnail portrayal.

Reading

4 Below is a newspaper article from the Guardian. The author muses over what we know and what we want to have in man. Study the language of the article for further exercises and discussions of masculinity.

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