xianla198501
傲慢与偏见The novel opens with the famous line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.". and ends with two marriages: Jane and Bingley's, as well as Darcy and Elizabeth's. Both couples are assumed to live happily ever after.Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet is the core of the family. Elizabeth is the second of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's five daughters, and is an intelligent, bold, attractive twenty-year-old when the story begins. In addition to being her father's favourite, Elizabeth is characterized as a sensible, yet stubborn, woman. Misled by his cold outward behaviour, Elizabeth originally holds Mr. Darcy in contempt. However, she finds that Mr. Darcy improves on acquaintance, more so than she would expect.Fitzwilliam Darcy (commonly known as Mr. Darcy) is the central male character and Elizabeth's second love interest in the novel. He is an intelligent, wealthy, extremely handsome and reserved 28-year-old man, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers but possesses an honest and kind nature underneath. Initially, he considers Elizabeth his social inferior, unworthy of his attention, but he finds that, despite his inclinations, he cannot deny his feelings for Elizabeth. His initial proposal of marriage is rejected because of his pride and Elizabeth's prejudice against him; however, at the end of the novel, after their relationship has blossomed, he is happily engaged to a loving Elizabeth.Role of women in the 18th centuryIn late-18th-century England, women were relegated to secondary roles in society with respect to property and social responsibilities. For example, women were not permitted to visit new arrivals to the neighbourhood (such as Mr. Bingley in Pride and Prejudice) until the male head of their household had first done so. Women were under enormous pressure to marry for the purpose of securing their financial futures and making valuable social connections for their families. Therefore, marriage, though romanticised, was in many ways a financial transaction and social alliance rather than a matter of love. Although Jane Austen did not condone loveless marriages (she stayed single all her life), she did approve of matches having equality in various respects, including wealth, social status, love and character. In Pride and Prejudice, wealth, social status, chastity (and the perception of chastity) and physical attractiveness are depicted as factors affecting a woman's chances for a good marriage.了不起的盖茨比Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby became an immediate classic and propelled its young author to a fame he never again equalled. The novel captured the spirit of the "Jazz Age," a post-World War I era in upper-class America that Fitzgerald himself gave this name to, and the flamboyance of the author and his wife Zelda as they moved about Europe with other American expatriate writers (such as Ernest Hemingway). However, Gatsby expresses more than the exuberance of the times. It depicts the restlessness of what Gertrude Stein (another expatriate modernist writer) called a "lost generation." Recalling T. S. Eliot's landmark poem "The Wasteland" (1922), then, Gatsby also has its own "valley of ashes" or wasteland where men move about obscurely in the dust, and this imagery of decay, death, and corruption pervades the novel and "infects" the story and its hero too. Because the novel is not just about one man, James Gatz or Jay Gatsby, but about aspects of the human condition of an era, and themes that transcend time altogether, it is the stuff of myth. Gatsby's attempts to attain an ideal of himself and then to put this ideal to the service of another ideal, romantic love, are attempts to rise above corruption in all its forms. It is this quality in him that Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, attempts to portray, and in so doing the novel, like its hero, attains a form of enduring greatness.The novel is narrated in retrospect; Nick is writing the account two years after the events of the summer he describes, and this introduces a critical distance and perspective which is conveyed through occasional comments about the story he is telling and how it must appear to a reader. The time scheme of the novel is further complicated as "the history of that summer" of 1922 contains within it the story of another summer, five years before this one, when Gatsby and Daisy first courted. This is the story that Jordan tells Nick. As that earlier summer ended with Gatsby's departure for the war in the fall, so the summer of Nick's experience of the East ends with the crisis on the last hot day (the day of mint juleps in the hotel and Myrtle Wilson's death) and is followed by Gatsby's murder by George Wilson on the first day of fall. This seasonal calendar is more than just a parallel, however. It is a metaphor for the blooming and blasting of love and of hope, like the flowers so often mentioned. Similarly, the novel's elaborate use of light and dark imagery (light, darkness, sunshine, and shadow, and the in-between changes of twilight) symbolizes emotional states as well.红字The Scarlet Letter attained an immediate and lasting success because it addressed spiritual and moral issues from a uniquely American standpoint. In 1850, adultery was an extremely risqué subject, but because Hawthorne had the support of the New England literary establishment, it passed easily into the realm of appropriate reading. It has been said that this work represents the height of Hawthorne's literary genius; dense with terse descriptions. It remains relevant for its philosophical and psychological depth, and continues to be read as a classic tale on a universal theme.[6] Another consideration to note having to do with the book's popularity is that it was one of the first mass-produced books in America. Into the mid-nineteenth century, bookbinders of home-grown literature typically hand-made their books and sold them in small quantities. The first mechanized printing of "The Scarlet Letter," 2,500 volumes, sold out immediately, was widely read and discussed to an extent not much experienced in the young country up until that time. Copies of the first edition are often sought by collectors as rare books, and may fetch up to around $6,000 USD.远离尘嚣Much of the plot of Far from the Madding Crowd depends on unrequited love — love by one person for another that is not mutual in that the other person does not feel love in return. The novel is driven, from the first few chapters, by Gabriel Oak's love for Bathsheba. Once he has lost his farm, he is free to wander anywhere in search of work, but he heads to Weatherbury because it is in the direction that Bathsheba has gone. This move leads to Oak's employment at Bathsheba's farm, where he patiently consoles her in her troubles and supports her in tending the farm, with no sign he will ever have his love returned.This novel focuses on the way that catastrophe can occur at any time, threatening to change lives. The most obvious example occurs when Oak's flock of sheep is destroyed by an unlikely confluence of circumstances, including an inexperienced sheep dog, a rotted rail, and a chalk pit that happens to have been dug adjacent to his land. In one night, Oak's future as an independent farmer is destroyed, and he ends up begging just to secure the diminished position of a shepherd.This novel offers modern readers a clear picture of how important social position was in England in the nineteenth century and of the opportunities that existed to change class, in either direction. In the beginning, Oak and Bathsheba are social equals: he is an independent farmer who rents his land, and she lives on her aunt's farm next door to his, which is presumably similar in value. The only thing that keeps her from accepting his proposal of marriage is the fact that she just does not want to be married yet. After Oak loses his farm and Bathsheba inherits her uncle's farm, there is little question of whether they can marry — their social positions are too different. She is more socially compatible with Boldwood, who owns the farm next to hers and is in a similar social position.
青岛崂山逗号
The Meaning of GiftO.Henry was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father, Algemon Sidney Porter, was a physician. When William was three, his mother died, and he was raised by his parental grandmother and paternal aunt. William was an avid reader, but at the age of fifteen he left school and then worked in a drug store and on a Texas ranch. He continued to Houston, where he had a number of jobs, including that of bank clerk. After moving in 1882 to Texas, he worked on a ranch in LaSalle County for two years. In 1887 he married Athol Estes Roach; they had one daughter and one son., he died in New York on June 5th 1910.In this novel, there are many short ficition,every of them are worth reading,but The Gift of the Magi left me a deep impression is, I think this is a good article I have ever read, it is meaningful.In this article, O.Henry used his style of writing narrated a winding and simple story with humorous and a light sad, in western literary area this theme of presenting the gift in the Christmas eve is so ordinary, some of them is wonderful, but I think The Gift of the Magi is the best one.First, let’s looked from the content. the entire article took one pair of poorly love husbands and wives in American presenting the Christmas gift as a middle line, The family housewife in order to save each coin, she count each one. Even though, entire family only left one dollar and eighty-seven cents on Christmas Eve. The author did not describe much about the poor family, he used one dollar and eighty-seven cents to draw the whole novel, the housewife Della who loves her husband deeply count the money three times, she cried sadly for she could not buy her husband an satisfactory gift. O.Henry was good at using little words to make the sketch and build atmosphere, then the reader will lost in the article, tasting and pondering the character's destiny. The gloomy atmosphere which was built by one dollar and eighty-seven cents through the whole novel, even when the couples saw gifts, it still contained a little pain. The author had written a poor husband's and wife's pain, also enlightens for the people let them obtain beautiful influencing and lead the reader’s interest to a deep boundary when he was describe the character’s thought disposition and plot. This is the true value of The Gift of the Magi.In order to give her husband an exquisite watch chain, Della sold her beautiful hair though his husband James loved it. James realized that Della had worshipped long for the set of combs, side and back, in Broadway window, he also sold his valuable watch which belonged his grandparents. Della’s hair and James’ gold watch is the most precious property which in this poor family. In order to expresses the deep sincere love to the spouse, all of them had lost these two at the Christmas eve. Happiness in a twinkling had paid the expensive price, but following is the deep pain. after consider the true life ,O Henry had screened the main plot carefully, made this ordinary theme bright again, gold watch and beautiful hair are the great wealth for the poor family which gain 20 dollar per week, This regret brought astringent feeling, caused each reader’s heart to tremble. This is condensing the real contradiction which the social real life is unable to solve multiplies really because of the writer deep style of writing, cause reader's pitying with the sympathy, and lead them to a more profound ponder. For a while sentimental impulse Della and James had extremely sacrificed most precious thing for each other. In those only money all-powerful societies, their gift can not regard as wisdom, they lost wealth, but they deepened the precious sincere love. In love and in wealth contradiction they have sacrificed the latter.The novel revelation society reality does not depend on preaching, but depend on the development of character’s emotion. Inspires the reader to touch, feels the character who have the tragedy color. In this society which money can buy love, psychology and sentiment appear the distortion, the sincere deep love between James and Della has filled with writer’s idealism. O.Hery oes not write the money to ruin love in this society, but wrote the artistic flavor in this gloomy lens, admired the intelligence of James and Della, This is certainly unusual manpower pen, Therefore, the work gives us is not depression and gloomy, But is the beautiful pursue and the attachment, Thus lead the reader to the noble boundary.Processing novel ending, Is O Henry’s most creative contribution, also causes him enjoys the great reputation in American and in the world history of literature. He is good at designing plot theatrically, lays down the foreshadowing, finally appears a beyond expectation result in the ending which makes the reader to feel suddenly sees the light, joy after sorrow, also beside anticipation and in reason, strike the table and shout bravo.O Henry is worth the world famous novelist, his excellent writing technique enabled his novel to have the title of O.Henry.I have read many kinds of article, before reading O.Henry’s article, I liked detective book, but after reading this book, I knew short fiction is better, Henry’s humors gave me a deep impression, it will never feel boring no matter how many times you have read
懒云堂主
雾都孤儿英文版读后感(英文) To Regain the Nature of Goodness —— Review of ‘Oliver Twist' Oliver Twist, one of the most famous works of Charles Dickens', is a novel reflecting the tragic fact of the life in Britain in 18th century. The author who himself was born in a poor family wrote this novel in his twenties with a view to reveal the ugly masks of those cruel criminals and to expose the horror and violence hidden underneath the narrow and dirty streets in London. The hero of this novel was Oliver Twist, an orphan, who was thrown into a world full of poverty and crime. He suffered enormous pain, such as hunger, thirst, beating and abuse. While reading the tragic experiences of the little Oliver, I was shocked by his sufferings. I felt for the poor boy, but at the same time I detested the evil Fagin and the brutal Bill. To my relief, as was written in all the best stories, the goodness eventually conquered devil and Oliver lived a happy life in the end. One of the plots that attracted me most is that after the theft, little Oliver was allowed to recover in the kind care of Mrs. Maylie and Rose and began a new life. He went for walks with them, or Rose read to him, and he worked hard at his lessons. He felt as if he had left behind forever the world of crime and hardship and poverty. How can such a little boy who had already suffered oppressive affliction remain pure in body and mind？ The reason is the nature of goodness. I think it is the most important information implied in the novel by Dickens-he believed that goodness could conquer every difficulty. Although I don't think goodness is omnipotent, yet I do believe that those who are kind-hearted live more happily than those who are evil-minded. For me, the nature of goodness is one of the most necessary character for a person. Goodness is to humans what water is to fish. He who is without goodness is an utterly worthless person. On the contrary, as the famous saying goes, ‘The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose', he who is with goodness undoubtedly is a happy and useful person. People receiving his help are grateful to him and he also gets gratified from what he has done, and thus he can do good to both the people he has helped and himself. To my disappointment, nowadays some people seem to doubt the existence of the goodness in humanity. They look down on people's honesty and kindness, thinking it foolish of people to be warm-hearted. As a result, they show no sympathy to those who are in trouble and seldom offer to help others. On the other hand, they attach importance to money and benefit. In their opinion, money is the only real object while emotions and morality are nihility. If they cannot get profit from showing their ‘kindness', they draw back when others are faced with trouble and even hit a man when he is down. They are one of the sorts that I really detest. Francis Bacon said in his essay, ‘Goodness, of all virtues and dignities of the mind, is the greatest, being the character of the Deity, and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing, no better than a kind of vermin.' That is to say a person without goodness is destined to lose everything. Therefore, I, a kind person, want to tell those 'vermin-to-be' to learn from the kind Oliver and regain the nature of goodness.
