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1. What Is The Relationship Between The Two Characters In This Scene Of The Play? 2. Where Are They? 3. What Happened Before This Passage In The Play? 4. What Do You Think Will Happen After This In The Play?
11 Answers
The Cactus Flower
TONI: [From the ladder] May I help you, Madam?
STEPHANIE: [Every inch the upper middle class lady] I’m really not looking for anything in
particular. I just thought I'd browse a bit.
TONI: Fine. I'm here if you want me.
STEPHANIE: I've heard there‘s a marvelous recording of uh [Trying to think of something] of
Horowitz’s last concert. Do you have it?
TONI: Horowitz? We’re all out, but I can send it to you.
STEPHANIE: That will be fine. I believe my husband has a charge account here. Send the record
to . . . [Laying it on] Mrs. . . . Julian . . . Winston.
[TONI has been putting records away as she talks. Now when she hears JULIAN‘S name, she
misses the shelf with a record and it drops.]
TONI: [Coming down ladder and crossing to STEPHANIE] You?
STEPHANIE: [Nodding] Me.
TONI: You didn’t come on account of Horowitz?
Homework Making inferences 7
STEPHANIE: No. You see, Miss Simmons—
TONI: Call me Toni.
STEPHANIE: [Graciously] Thank you. Toni . . . Dr. Winston, my husband, said that you were
most anxious to meet me. Well, here I am. [She sits and crosses her legs.]
TONI: [After a moment, a bit impatiently] Did he . . . did he tell you about his—our plans?
STEPHANIE: [Same gracious smile] The divorce? Naturally.
TONI: [After another pause] Well?
STEPHANIE: Well what?
TONI: You don’t mind?
STEPHANIE: My husband and I are in complete agreement about the divorce
TONI: [Letting out a sharp breath of relief] Whew! That makes me very happy!
STEPHANIE: [As sweetly as possible] I'm glad.
TONI: You see, Mrs. Winston—[Sudden thought] You know, I don’t know your first name.
STEPHANIE: [Thinks for a moment] Mrs. Winston will do very nicely. Of course, I won’t be
Mrs. Winston very much longer. [There is a slight touch of real and fake sadness in that last
phrase.]
TONI: [Suddenly] Then you do mind.
STEPHANIE: Of course I don't. Things between the doctor and me have become… impossible.
TONI: I can't tell you how good that makes me feel.
STEPHANIE: [Looking at her with a smile] I've really made your day.
TONI: It’s just that I didn’t want to be the cause of your divorce. I never pushed Julian into it. I
am no home wrecker.
STEPHANIE: I'll remember that. [Rises, speaks gravely] Now, Toni, may I ask you a question?
TONI: Anything.
STEPHANIE: Are you absolutely sure you love Julian?
TONI: You can’t ask that!
STEPHANIE: I just did. Do you love him?
TONI: Madly! Wildly! Desperately!
STEPHANIE: Just so long as you're fond of him. I don't want him to end up unhappy and bitter.
TONI: Oh, I understand, especially after he's just had such a terrible marriage.
Homework Making inferences 8
STEPHANIE; [Stiffening] Not so terrible! Our marriage, after all, lasted Ten years and we still
have a very deep respect for each other.
TONI: Of course.
STEPHANIE: We always had to look after Dr. Winston, my husband. You know, aside from his
profession, at which he's a master, the doctor is a very vulnerable man. An idealist . . . a child . . .
a silly child . . . damned silly child.
TONI: Also an adorable child.
STEPHANIE: I guess you do love him. Well, now that you’ve heard what you wanted to hear, be
running along. [Holds out her hand to TONI. TONI takes it.] I do hope you have better luck with
Julian than I did.
TONI: Mrs. Winston. . . . What about you? What are you going to do?
STEPHANIE: Forget about me. I’ll ride off into the sunset . . . or something.
TONI: It’s just that . . . I want to be sure you’re all right.
STEPHANIE: I’ll write you every day. [She starts for street door.]
TONI: [flurrying after her and stopping her] Mrs. Winston, who's going to tell the children?
TONI: [From the ladder] May I help you, Madam?
STEPHANIE: [Every inch the upper middle class lady] I’m really not looking for anything in
particular. I just thought I'd browse a bit.
TONI: Fine. I'm here if you want me.
STEPHANIE: I've heard there‘s a marvelous recording of uh [Trying to think of something] of
Horowitz’s last concert. Do you have it?
TONI: Horowitz? We’re all out, but I can send it to you.
STEPHANIE: That will be fine. I believe my husband has a charge account here. Send the record
to . . . [Laying it on] Mrs. . . . Julian . . . Winston.
[TONI has been putting records away as she talks. Now when she hears JULIAN‘S name, she
misses the shelf with a record and it drops.]
TONI: [Coming down ladder and crossing to STEPHANIE] You?
STEPHANIE: [Nodding] Me.
TONI: You didn’t come on account of Horowitz?
Homework Making inferences 7
STEPHANIE: No. You see, Miss Simmons—
TONI: Call me Toni.
STEPHANIE: [Graciously] Thank you. Toni . . . Dr. Winston, my husband, said that you were
most anxious to meet me. Well, here I am. [She sits and crosses her legs.]
TONI: [After a moment, a bit impatiently] Did he . . . did he tell you about his—our plans?
STEPHANIE: [Same gracious smile] The divorce? Naturally.
TONI: [After another pause] Well?
STEPHANIE: Well what?
TONI: You don’t mind?
STEPHANIE: My husband and I are in complete agreement about the divorce
TONI: [Letting out a sharp breath of relief] Whew! That makes me very happy!
STEPHANIE: [As sweetly as possible] I'm glad.
TONI: You see, Mrs. Winston—[Sudden thought] You know, I don’t know your first name.
STEPHANIE: [Thinks for a moment] Mrs. Winston will do very nicely. Of course, I won’t be
Mrs. Winston very much longer. [There is a slight touch of real and fake sadness in that last
phrase.]
TONI: [Suddenly] Then you do mind.
STEPHANIE: Of course I don't. Things between the doctor and me have become… impossible.
TONI: I can't tell you how good that makes me feel.
STEPHANIE: [Looking at her with a smile] I've really made your day.
TONI: It’s just that I didn’t want to be the cause of your divorce. I never pushed Julian into it. I
am no home wrecker.
STEPHANIE: I'll remember that. [Rises, speaks gravely] Now, Toni, may I ask you a question?
TONI: Anything.
STEPHANIE: Are you absolutely sure you love Julian?
TONI: You can’t ask that!
STEPHANIE: I just did. Do you love him?
TONI: Madly! Wildly! Desperately!
STEPHANIE: Just so long as you're fond of him. I don't want him to end up unhappy and bitter.
TONI: Oh, I understand, especially after he's just had such a terrible marriage.
Homework Making inferences 8
STEPHANIE; [Stiffening] Not so terrible! Our marriage, after all, lasted Ten years and we still
have a very deep respect for each other.
TONI: Of course.
STEPHANIE: We always had to look after Dr. Winston, my husband. You know, aside from his
profession, at which he's a master, the doctor is a very vulnerable man. An idealist . . . a child . . .
a silly child . . . damned silly child.
TONI: Also an adorable child.
STEPHANIE: I guess you do love him. Well, now that you’ve heard what you wanted to hear, be
running along. [Holds out her hand to TONI. TONI takes it.] I do hope you have better luck with
Julian than I did.
TONI: Mrs. Winston. . . . What about you? What are you going to do?
STEPHANIE: Forget about me. I’ll ride off into the sunset . . . or something.
TONI: It’s just that . . . I want to be sure you’re all right.
STEPHANIE: I’ll write you every day. [She starts for street door.]
TONI: [flurrying after her and stopping her] Mrs. Winston, who's going to tell the children?
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