Fiches Anglais

Chapitre 1 : Spearman meets the king

• QUI ? Henry SPEARMAN (personnage principal) / Pidge (wife) / Patricia (daughter)

• OU ? In the Bla Hallen (Blue Room) of Stockholm City Hall
• POURQUOI ? in order to receve the Nobel Prize in economics

In this chapter, the narrator describes Spearman.

Chapitre 2 : A nobel invitation

• QUI ? Chalotte Quinn / Annelle Cubbage / Herbert Abraham

• OU ? Monte Vista university
• POURQUOI ? They discuss wether the Uni should invite a Nobel Laureate in order to
enhance the institution’s prestige.

According to board member, why might a nobel laureate not want to teach at Monte vista ?

- Nobel Prize winners have done outstanding research and Monte Visata uni focuses
on undergratuates. Teaching must be the priority, not research.

How might a Nobel Prize be attracted to the campus ?

- Best way to attract a prestigious economist would be to offer a high salary. Let prof
choose the subject matter of the course they choose to teach.

Willing to pay for visiting prof : $200 000 – 250 000

American university : they are not subsidized by the State. High salaries for prestige prof,
private founding, promotion, board of trustees.

Chapitre 3 : No coase for concern

• QUI ? Spearman / Blake Bailey

• OU ? Harvard Hall
• POURQUOI ? Spearman talks w/ his students and colleagues. Henry Spearman is
talking with a student about prices in monopoly.

Coase Conjecture : theory first propaged by Uni of Chicage economist Ronald Coase in april
1972. 5essay called durability ans monopoly) (pour oral faire des recherches et etre capable
de parler de ca pendant 2 3 minutes)
Details of the news story Henry reads about in his office :

- 5 paintings were stolen in San Antonio, Texas from Ramos. Work by local artist
Tristan Weeler. Police responded to the call at 3 AM, place by a live in maid. Works
had not been insured. A $1 million reward has been offered for the return of the
paintings.

How does Spearman file the newpaper clipping ?

- In « the barking dog » file

Chapitre 4 : Investigation of a theft

• QUI ? detective Fitz Siegfield / Rosie Segura / Dr Ramos

• OU ? San Antonio at police station
• POURQUOI ? investigating theft

Rosie SEGURA deposition :

Woken by noises. Went upstairs w/ scisors at 2 :30 AM. Didn t see anyone. Looked in the
room. Knew someone had been there because the paintings were gone. Ramos was in bed.
The doors were locked, no sign of break in.

Why did the detective postpone questionning Ramos ?

- He had to go to the hospital to perform surgery.

Ramos interview w/ the detective :

During the evening he had been hosting a fund raiser for the Travis Museum of Art. Lewis
Martin, the curator, was invited to speak. Ramos often invites people to his home for arts
events. He had a group of 20 guests. Rosie was here to help. 3 characters from « the red
carpet » Alfredo, Suzanne and Ruthie.

Why weren’t the paintings insured ?

- Ramos was trying to save on expense. Wheeler paintings have become very valuable
and the insurance premiums are very high.

According to the detective is Rosie Segura likely to be the thief ?

- WHY NOT -> She wouldn’t know where to fense expensive paintings.
- WHY -> She could have contact or been contacted by someone who couls help sell
the paintings. She might have special needs for money (health pb ?..)
Chapitre 5 : Visiting professor

• QUI ? Jennifer Kim

• OU ? Monte Vista campus
• POURQUOI ? They discussed about their relationship.

Relation between Kim and Wheeler :

- « whirlwind friendship »
- iniatially very intellectual (lot of discuss about art and littérature)
- other women come and went
- he takes advantages of her, asks her for support but offers little in return
- she comen running when he asks her for attention

Wheeler’s true friends : His pet birds

Project Wheeler is working on :

- free art : « the free art » campaign to revolutionize the world of art
- he’s headed on a tour of the US to promote his project

What news Wheeler receive from the phone call ?

- From a campus cop saying that he had located his lost birds

What does he give Kim at the end of the chapter ?

- A note explaining why he is breaking up w/ her, which he wrote several weeks

earlier. Thanking her for everything she had done for him and his birds.
- Kim is very upset but doesn’t make a scene.

Chapitre 6 : West to Texas

• QUI ? Pidge et Henry Spearman

• OU ? San Antonio
• POURQUOI ? P and H arrive in San Antonio. They are met by Herbert Abraham who
takes them for dinner. He settle them into their new home and tells them there is a
dinner in their honor on friday.

Has winning the Nobel P affected Henry’s life ?

- Yes. His idead get more attention. He gets more requests for consultations w/
government or to lecture, conferences or universities. He has an agent to
organize his agenda and negociation fees.
What is the law of diminushing marginal utility ? Why is it mentionned ?

- Some of his colleague in the department of eco feel like teaching

undergratuates courses follos this law. The more prof teachs the same
undergraduates courses the more boring that course becomes. Teachers are
bored. Henry Spearman disagrees.

Henry S topic for undergraduate course at Monte Vista : ART

Chapitre 7 : An All nighter

• QUI ? Henry Spearman

• OU ? at San Antonio (Monte Vista University)
• POURQUOI ? He is preparing a lecture he is a little bit nervous because he never done
that before.

How long does it takes to Henry to prepare a lecture ? (amphi)

- 25 years and 3 hours. Lecture about art and eco.

Henry considers several formats for how his new course will be taugh :
- lecture -> a course in front of a big group
- socratic dialogue -> a discussion on intellectual subjects
- break out groups (TD) -> pair work, but not during the whole class

Henry’s behavior while he works :

• hep aces, he is consumed by his work. He can spend the entire day working without
seeing time go by.

Chapitre 8 : The artist has a visitor

• QUI ? Wheeler / Sean Daniels

• OU ? At Monte Vista University
• POURQUOI ? The chapter begins with a description of Daniels, he was a poor student,
he had to pay for his studies. He would like to be a painter.
At the end of the chapter, Sean Daniel found Wheeler. Wheeler was hanging with a rope
around his neck in the bathroom. He straightened the chair, so he tampered with the crime
scene.

Sean Daniels’s early experience in university : no money. Had to clean and do the dishes. Odd
jobs

Sean duties as assistant : many menial tasks : sweeping the studio, shopping for supplies,
cleaning the parrots birdcage, preparing canvases, running errands for wheeler’s.
Annelle Cubbage choose Tristant Wheeler as the university’s artist in residence because: she
had heard about him through her NY friends and tough he was an American master as yet
undiscovered.
Was Wheeler content with his popular success?

- NO, he is a prolific painter and has sold many paintings at a good price.
However, he is annoyed by the fact that the gallery owners are getting rich
from his work

Brand of pen Wheeler use: Mont Blanc « A mont Blanc is a work of art that makes more
art »p54

Which famous artist eventually became Wheeler’s inspiration ?

Jackson Pollock for his drip technique

What was the « second stage » in wheeler’s artist development ?

- He began using computer and pinters. He wanted to bypass the gallery owners
and communicate directly w/ the public

What happened to the birds ?

- They were killed and disfigured and thrown behind a scholl building
- Wheeler were distraught
- Sean thinks this explained wheeler’s explosive temper

How does Sean find Wheeler ?

• He feels there someone in the apartment, but there is no answer when he calls
out. Goes to the bathroom and finds Wheeler hanging from a rope.

What does he do when he finds the body ?

• He straightens the chair (he moved evidence, he tempered w/ the crime scene)

The first chapter « flashfoward » is not placed in its correct chrono order . Between which 2
chapters he should be ?
• 7-8

Chapitre 9 : The scene of Crime

• QUI ? Detective Fuller, Rosie, and Ramos

• OU ? At Ramos House
• POURQUOI ? She went to interviews Rosie and Ramos because she does not
think that Wheeler committed suicide.

How detective Sherry FULLER react to suicides ?

- She is used to seeing dead bodyes but the bodies of those who killed
themselves give her creeps as she does not understand.
Advantages of living at Oakmont Court :
- Academics : close to the campus
- Within walking distance of cultural & athlectic events
- Safe neighborhood (city police + uni security personnel)

Rosie’s opinion about artists :

- She doesn’t see the point of knowing the artist personally even if you appreciate his
art

What interesting information does Rosie share w/ the detective concerning Wheeler ?
He looked like he was drunk. He got sick to the bathroom. He showed up uninvited at Ramo’s
party the night before he died.
As he was drunk and got sick, Ramos walked him home.

Questioning the residents of Oakmont Court was NOT conclusive because it has neither
supporter nor rebutted the suicide of Wheeler.

Why would Sean Daniels be a plausible suspect :

- Knew Wheeler
- Was told that he might inherit something from a rich artist
- Had been treated w/ contempt & will manners by his boss for weeks
(En gros pour la dernière raison, il a été traiter de manière condescendante par ses boss dont
Wheeler)

Dr Ramos account (récit) :

He was hosting a party for the Travis Museum w/ many guests. Tristan was completely drunk
(always drinks when he is painting). Ramos gave Wheeler a mild sedative, walked him home
& put him to bed. His party earned him thousands of $ in donations.

Particular habit did Wheeler have w/ his birds ?

• The parrots, Canvas & Frame, had been trained to call out the colors he used when he
dizzled (éttoufé) paint on the canvas

Chapitre 10 : Spearman gets the news

• QUI ? Henry Spearman

• OU ? At his house in San Antonio
• POURQUOI ? He found the Death of TW in the local news paper

Spearman knew about Wheeler death because he reads it in the newspaper.

The investigator pays a visit to Spearman’s house because Wheeler lives 2 houses down the
Spearman’s house so she wanted to know if they saw something.
A cost and benefit analysis are a process business use to analyses decision.
Van Gogh go against this when he cuts his ears before dying.

According to Spearman : Matt Battles should wear expensive clothes to not spill something on
them.

Connection between herbert Abraham & Wheeler :

- Abraham bought a painting from him (un achat et un cadeau). He have 2.
- Were not friends
- Same neighborhood
- Both teachers
- Abraham didn’t appreciate Wheeler because he invites wife’s friends.

The opportunity cost is what you accept to give up to get something else.

George Akerlof : born in 1940. Winner of the nobel prize in 2001 (w/ 2 other people) in eco
for his theory of information asymetry. Prof of eco at uni of California.

Spearman said that in business school, prof of eco are not as well paid.

Opportunity cost of building the Spurs stadium in San Antonio according to Spearman :
- If they’ve put taxes on the citizens of San Antonio, they could have provided other
public services
Clarify Henry Spearman’s conception of marriage as interdependent utility functions. How is
different from a model of marriage using the theory of bilateral monopoly

One spouse’s1 satisfaction/ utility is maximized by the other and vice versa.
Each spouse exclusivity rights granted by marriage.

1
C’est l’époux ou l’épouse
 Personnages

Henry SPEARMAN: Very short. He is in his 50s. Attended Columbia as an undergraduate. In

graduate school he was already seen as a rising star. He was later hired as a prof at Harvard.
Wife: Pidge. daugter: Patricia (a vet)
Bald, glasses, fashionable clothes.

Charlotte QUINN: president of Monte Vista university

Nicholas QUINN: charlotte’s Quinn husband

Annelle CUBBAGE: Wealthy texas rancher. Patron of the arts. Likes guns. Multi-millionaire.

Jack CUBBAGE: The husband Annelle CUBBAGE. Self-centered, he is focused on his wealth,
complex of superiority of the rich Texan.

Herbert ABRAHAM: a faculty memberon the board. Prof of éco. Early 60s. Always well
dressed, sit up straight, know the details of the meeting agenda.

Blake BAILEY: student, quiet in class but ask a lot of q°.

Dr Hendersen Ross: psychology prof for the past 25 years.

Ramos: a physician (doctor) surgeon. Divorced, 2 children (live in other cities). In chapter 4 in
thinks he is the smartest guy in the room.

Tristan Weeler: a painter, subject to melancholia and frustation (artistic temperament),

keeps birds, a womanizer. Attractive to women.
Mercurial moods, in the past few weeks’ paranoid, sometimes very witty and brilliant,
explosive temper, has bird in his studio while he is working.

Detective Fitz Siegfield: He is the one investigating the theft of Wheeler’s painting and his
two parrots

Rosie Segura: small. Housekeeper, Latino origin, send money to family member in Mexico,
has worked for Dr Ramos for 7 years. Dr Ramos housemaid.

Lewis Martin: curator.

Alfredo, Suzanne and Ruthie: 3 characters from « the Red Carpet »

Jennifer Kim: a junior lecturer in economics.prof. likes teaching at Monte Vista, a friend of
Tristan Wheeler.

Sean Daniels: Wheeler’s assistant, employed by the dep of art. Majored in art as an
undergraduate at Monte Vista. Comes from a low-income family (his father abandoned his
mother when he was little), worked his way through university. His mother didn’t support
his decision to take up art as a career, but he was encouraged by his prof. He thinks he has
no talent.

Sherry FULLER: homicide officer in charge of investigating Wheeler’s death. Wears glasses
and her hair in a bun. She looks more like a librarian. She is strong and fast. Has spent a
decade in the homicide squad.

Matt Battles : (ch10)

Anjali Vitali: She is from an Indian Family, senior student in eco and she the student’s
representative. ‘The emissary student’

Michael Cavanaugh: He is a prof of art, friend with Tristan Wheeler.