THE DRY ROCK
Irwin Shaw, US writer
(February 27, 1913 – May 16, 1984)
OUTLINE
1.
Irwin Shaw
2.
Plot Summary
3.
Detailed Questions
4.
Character Analysis
5.
Conflicts
6.
Theme (s)
7.
Language Points
1. Irwin Shaw
Irwin Shaw (February 27, 1913 – May 16, 1984) was
an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and
short-story author.
“Irwin Shaw's material is fresh, and he handles it
with rich understanding and superb technique—up
to a point. Then he lays it on too thick or too pat.”
2. Plot Summary
1. “Ford runs into a cab driven by an old man. The
driver of the Ford gets nasty when the cabby insists
on seeing his licence, and hits him. He tries to
reason with the old man, who is yelling for police.
…The argument is settled by a policeman who takes
them to the station house. The old man is persuaded
against pressing charges. “
2. “A decent young man betrays all human decency
under wifely pressure, in his responsibility as
witness of a street fight between a gangster and a
proud little taxi driver.”
3. Detailed Questions
1. What does the title “The Dry Rock” means?
2. What was the name of the Ford man?
3. What do you have to say about the dinner party?
4. Why did the cabby insist on calling police?
5. What did Rusk on the way to the police house?
6. Why was Rusk anxious about a possible trial?
7. What did Fit mean by “shrugged sadly” (P63) ?
4. Character Analysis
 Cabby Tarloff
 A small man of fifty, in a cap and a ragged coat,
with a heavy accent, gently, wearily, calmly, with
dignity, anxiously …
 Ford man Rusk
 Harshly, shouted, glared, snarled, balefully,
savagely, growled, hoarsely …
4. Character Analysis
 I Fitzsimmons
 Reassuringly, impartial, judicious, patiently, sadly,
his voice low, silently, …
 Wife Helen
 Bitterly, gloomily, disdainfully, elegant, witty,
sadly, coldly, …
5. Conflicts
 Tarloff and Rusk
 Feeling insulted, Tarloff insisted on a legal
punishment on Rusk. Regretfully, Rusk tried hard
to persuade Tarloff out of pressing charges.
 Fitzsimmons and Helen
 Fit tried to offer help to the cabby, while Helen
kept trying to get them out of the trouble.
How were the conflicts settled eventually?
6. Theme and Lessons
1. Unnecessary and overelaborate formalities
2. The dry rock of principle and reponsibility
3. Rise above principle and do what's right.
4. We talk on principle, but we act on interest.
5. The more laws, the less justice.
6. An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.
7. We lose dignity if we tolerate the intolerable.
7. Language Points
 Expressions of “say”
 say, ask, call, shout, announce, growl, snarl, begin,
repeat, whisper, yell, mutter, …
 Absolute structure
 “Say, listen, bud,” the young man said, his voice
quick and confidential.
 A policeman turned the corner, …, his eyes on the
legs of a girl across the street.