Mr. Know All - Part 1
The narrator is sad to hear that he is about to share a cabin with Mr Kelada. Why is that?
His name doesn't sound British.
Name the 4 people who shared a table with the narrator.
1. Mr Kelada / Mr Know All
2. Mr Ramsay
3. Mrs Ramsay
4. The doctor
What is the topic of the bet, who is betting, and how much money is involved?
The bet is about Mrs. Ramsay's chain of pearls. Mr. Kelada says that they are real, while Mr. Ramsay says that they are fake. The sum of the bet is $100.
Where does Mr Ramsay work?
The American Consular Service
Explain why it is racist when the narrator thinks that Kelada has an "oriental smile"
Because there is no such thing as an oriental smile.
Referring to someone's smile as "oriental" reduces them to a narrow set of characteristics based on their race or ethnicity.
Such generalizations can lead to harmful prejudices and stereotypes.
After meeting Kelada, the narrator thought that he was too... (2 things)
1. chatty (talkative)
2. friendly (familiar)
What two types of pearls are presented in the story? Where do they come from?
1. real / natural pearls, which are created by pearl oysters
2. fake / cultured pearls, which are made by the Japanese
Mr. Kelada examines the pearls, and is about to speak. Then, he looks at Mrs. Ramsay, and stops. What does he see, and what does he understand about Mrs. Ramsay?
He sees that she is pale, and it looks like she is about to faint. Mr. Kelada understands that she probably has a lover in New York and that she has been cheating on her husband.
Does Mr Ramsay's job pay well? How do you know?
Mr Ramsay doesn't make a lot of money. We know that because he wears ready-made clothes that don't fit.
What is the Levant area?
Why is it racist to refer to Kelada as the "Levantine"?
The Levant generally refers to the geographical region that includes countries in the Middle East like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, etc.
the term "Levantine" carries stereotypes about people from that area. This includes unfair generalizations about their cultural, social, or behavioral traits.
Name at least 2 things that the narrator says about Mr. Kelada's luggage
1. His brushes are dirty
2. His toiletries are too French and too fancy
3. He has too many labels on his suitcase
4. He has too much luggage
The morning after the bet, an envelope is slipped under the door. What's in it, Who put it there, and whom is it for?
Mrs Ramsay put it there for Mr Kelada. In the envelope, there is a $100 note.
How do we know that Mr. Kelada was angry after he "lost" the bet? (3 signs!)
1. He gave Mr. Ramsay the money "without a word"
2. He flushed deeply
3. His hands were trembling
Mrs Ramsay wears something that everyone notices. What is it? Where does she say she got it from? Where is it actually from (probably)?
She has a chain of pearls.
She claims to have gotten it at a department store in New York, but she probably got it from her lover.
The narrator assumes that Kelada “was born under a bluer sky”.
What does this sentence mean?
In England, the sky is usually gray. In the Middle East, however, the sky is usually blue, as it rarely rains there.
The narrator believes that someone who was born in a place with a sunnier or "bluer" climate is inferior or less refined compared to those born in England.
What does Mr Kelada do to make the narrator like him? (at least 2 things)
1. He offers him alcohol
2. He joins his game of cards and shows him card tricks
3. He tells the narrator that he is British, and even shows his British passport to prove that
What is the moral of the story? Which of the characters has learned this lesson? About whom?
The moral of the story is not to judge a book by its cover.
The narrator realizes that he was mistaken about both Mr Kelada for thinking bad things about him, and about Mrs Ramsay for thinking only good things about her.
What does Mr. Kelada do for a living? Why is it important for the matter of the bet?
Mr Kelada is in the pearl business. He travels around the world and trades pearls. His profession is important because he is the only one at the table who can actually tell whether Mrs. Ramsay's pearls are real. As a result, he has the power to help her by lying to everyone for her.
Give at least 2 things that the narrator thinks of Mrs Ramsay
1. pretty
2. sense of humor
3. sense of fashion
4. good manners / polite
5. modest
“King George has many strange subjects.”
Who was King George? What does "strange" mean? Who is strange?
King George was the king of England.
The use of the word "strange" suggests a judgmental attitude. The narrator judges people who do not fit his definition of what it means to be British.
The narrator views Mr. Kelada as an outsider who does not belong to the same cultural or racial group, and he is surprised they have the same passport.
Everyone on board calls Mr. Kelada "Mr Know All".
Is it a compliment? What do the people on the ship mean by that?
Mr. Kelada takes it as a compliment, but it is clearly an insult.
He earned the nickname because he would argue any point, even the smallest one, until he had won the argument. Many of Mr. Know All’s “victories” came as a result of his ability to wear down (להתיש) his partner in a debate.
How does the narrator feel about Mr Kelada at the end of the story?
What made him feel this way?
At the end, the narrator said that he did not entirely dislike Mr Kelada. His feelings about him changed because he saw that Mr. Kelada was a sensitive person who was ready to lose a hundred dollars and look like a fool to help Mrs. Ramsay. He was a true gentleman.
What is Mr. Kelada's conflict? What are the consequences of each decision he makes?
He wonders whether he should tell everyone that Mrs Ramsay's pearls are real or lie and say that they are fake.
The consequences of telling the truth: he may destroy Mrs Ramsay's marriage.
The consequences of lying: he may become the joke of the ship for not "knowing it all".
What does the narrator think of Mr Ramsay? Give 2 answers.
1. opinionated / argumentative / has to show that he is always right
2. selfish / not sensitive / doesn't pay attention
3. ignorant / doesn't really know what he's talking about
4. dogmatic / stubborn
Explain the words in bold in the following sentence:
The Union Jack is an impressive piece of drapery, but when it is flourished by a gentleman from Alexandria or Beirut, I cannot but feel that it loses somewhat in dignity.
1. Union Jack: The Union Jack is the national flag of the United Kingdom (it combines the flags of England, Scotland, and Ireland)
2. flourished: to be waved or displayed
3. A gentleman from Alexandria or Beirut: Someone from Alexandria (in Egypt) or Beirut (in Lebanon). The narrator talks about people from outside Britain, possibly from the British colonies.
4. It loses somewhat in dignity: The narrator is saying that when someone from Alexandria or Beirut waves the flag, it seems to lose a bit of its prestige (יוקרה) in the eyes of the narrator. This reflects the narrator's biased perspective.