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- A Tale of Two Cities
Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities tells the story of the French people who put their brutal king on the guillotine thing. The main characters in the story are the two brothers of the Marquis St. Evremonde, Mrs. Defarge and Defarge, Dr. Manette, Miss Lucie, Charles Darney, Miss Pross, and Sydney Carton.
A Tale of Two Cities is one of Dickens's most important masterpieces. Long before the creation of A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens was extremely concerned about the French Revolution, repeatedly studying the British historian Carlisle's History of the French Revolution and other relevant works of scholars. His keen interest in the French Revolution stemmed from fears of a serious social crisis lurking in Britain at the time. It can be seen that the motivation for the creation of the historical novel A Tale of Two Cities is to borrow the ancient irony of the present and take the historical experience of the French Revolution as a reference to sound the alarm bell for the British ruling class; At the same time, through the extreme depiction of revolutionary terror, it also warns the resentful people who want to fight against tyranny with violence, and fantasizes about finding a way out for the deepening social contradictions of the British situation.
Proceeding from this aim, the novel profoundly exposes the social contradictions that were deeply intensified before the French Revolution, strongly attacks the absurdity and cruelty of the aristocratic class, and deeply sympathizes with the suffering of the lower classes. The work sharply points out that the patience of the masses of the people is limited, and that under the brutal rule of the aristocratic class, the masses of the people are bound to rise up in resistance because of their livelihood. This resistance is justified. The novel also depicts spectacular scenes such as the attack of the insurrectionary people on the Bastille, showing the great power of the masses of the people. However, the author stands on the side of bourgeois humanism, that is, against the tyranny of the cruel oppression of the people, and also against the violence of the revolutionary people against tyranny. In Dickens's writings, the whole revolution is portrayed as a great catastrophe that destroys everything, mercilessly punishing the evil aristocratic class and blindly killing innocent people.
The novel portrays three types of characters.
One is the feudal aristocracy represented by the brothers of the Marquis St. Evremonde, whose only unshakable philosophy is oppression and are the object of the author's lashing. The two brothers of the Marquis St. Evremonde were cruel and cold. As aristocrats, they treated the people at the bottom cruelly, and they regarded the people as grass. The two brothers of the Marquis St. Evremonde were twins, and the brother crushed the children of the lower classes in a carriage but did not care to grow up, but only threw a few coins to the lower classes. The younger brother plundered the good women of the tenant family. The Marquis St. Evremonde were representatives of the French aristocracy, or the ruling class of the time, and their inhumane treatment of the lower classes was a microcosm of the rule of the French ruling class at that time. Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Dickens wanted to express his fears through a novel like this, by describing the disaster that the French Revolution had brought to the masses of the people, while at the same time warning people of the dangerous situation in England. The outbreak of the French Revolution was an inevitability.
The other category is the revolutionary masses such as the couple. Mrs. Defarge, who was a bitter and vengeful oppressed person. Therefore, her resistance was the most intense. Mrs. Defarge's family was originally French sharecroppers. Mrs. Defarge's sister was taken captive by the Marquis St. Evremonde, and of course the Marquis St. Evremonde 's brother killed Mrs. Defarge's brother-in-law before Mrs. Defarge 's sister was taken captive. Mrs. Defarge's brother went to seek revenge, and before leaving, he sent his sister "Mrs. Defarge " to the countryside, which also laid the groundwork for "Mrs. Defarge " to seek revenge in the future. Mrs. Defarge's brother infiltrated the nobleman's mansion and met his battered sister, who was about to kill the Marquis St. Evremonde's brother, but was killed by his brother. Dr. Manette is abducted by the Marquis St. Evremonde brothers while walking by the Seine, Dr. Manette is abducted into the noble mansion, threatened by the Marquis St. Evremonde brothers to see his dying sister, and eventually Dr. Manette witnesses the murder of Mrs. Defarge's sister and brother by the Marquis St. Evremonde brothers. Dr. Manette was then blackmailed and bribed by the brothers, but Dr. Manette sternly refused, so the Marquis St. Evremonde brothers threw him into the Bastille. Dr. Manette spent eighteen years in prison in the Bastille, where he was tortured, and before he was about to collapse, he wrote down with a pen dipped in blood the crimes of the Marquis St. Evremonde brothers he had witnessed. Fortunately, the Paris People's Uprising captured the Bastille, and the people of the Uprising rescued Dr. Manette. Dr. Manette, who had been mentally tortured, left behind the aftermath, and when he fell ill, he sat in front of the shoe rack and made shoes without a word, skillful and sharp, and his spirit was highly concentrated and undistracted. The novel shows the rationality of revolution and the madness of revenge from a humanitarian perspective, and the writer strongly advocates the use of a spirit of benevolence and forgiveness Relieve hatred and change those twisted hearts. Their image is distorted. For example, Deanna, who was born into an insulted and persecuted peasant family, harbored a deep hatred for the feudal nobility, the author deeply sympathized with her tragic plight, and admired her strong character, excellent intellect and extraordinary organizational leadership before and after the outbreak of the revolution; But as the revolution went deeper, it took a sharp turn and denounced her as a cold, fierce, narrow-minded Avenger. Especially when she goes to the doctor's residence to hunt down Lucy and Lucy, she is even more manifested as a bloodthirsty madman. In the end, the author let her die at his own gunpoint, clearly expressing a negative attitude.
The third category is idealized characters, who are examples of humanitarian solutions to social contradictions and the victory of hatred with fraternity, including The Menette Father and Daughter, Delner, Laurel, and Calden. Dr. Manette was killed by the Marquis brothers and had a deep hatred for the Marquis brothers, but for the love of his daughter, he could abandon the old hatred; Delner, the son and nephew of the Marquis's brother, came to great lengths, denouncing the sins of his family, abandoning titles and possessions, and determined to "atone for his sins" by his own actions. This pair of characters reflect each other, one is a victim of aristocratic tyranny, tolerant; One was the heir to the noble marquis and advocated benevolence. Among them, there is Lucy, who is the daughter and wife. Under the bond of love, they form a happy family with mutual understanding and harmonious feelings. This is obviously a way out of social contradictions that the author envisions, which is diametrically opposed to violent revolution, and it is unrealistic.
The role of Miss Prowse is also outstanding. She is a loyal servant and strong, but she is portrayed by the author as a humane slave in the book, bravely protecting her master, Miss Lucy. Miss Pross and Mrs. Defarge dueled to protect Miss Ruth, and during the duel, Mrs. Defarge and Miss Pross accidentally shot herself while they were fighting for a pistol. The author celebrates the love and beauty of human nature through Miss Prows' protection of Miss Ruth. From this point of view, the author is a supporter of the descendants of the nobility. In a way, the author is not a thorough advocate of the French People's Revolution. On the one hand, the author describes the cruel oppression and inhumane rule of the privileged aristocracy over the French people, but on the other hand, he does not fully support the French Revolution. Therefore, it seems that the author did not write this book to awaken the consciousness of the people and promote the revolutionary enthusiasm of the revolutionary people with the pen in his hand, but more like a reminder to the aristocratic ruling class to improve the method of rule and the strategy of ruling.
A Tale of Two Cities has its own differences from ordinary historical novels in that its characters and main plot are fictional. In the broad and real context of the French Revolution, the author takes the experience of the fictional character Dr. Menette as the main clue, and intertwines the three independent and interrelated stories of injustice, love and revenge, with intricate plots and complicated clues. The author adopts flashbacks, interludes, foreshadowing, foreshadowing, foreshadowing and other techniques, so that the structure of the novel is complete and rigorous, the plot twists and turns are tense and dramatic, and excellent artistic skills are demonstrated.
In addition, the novel embodies the spirit of humanism. In The Tale of Two Cities, Dickens unabashedly hated and disgusted the feudal nobility, using his pen and ink to show his sense of justice and justice. From the negative characters, we see cruelty, violence and indifference, we feel compassion, sympathy, and full of anger, and all this, they all reflect the humanitarian spirit of Dickens, who opposed violence and oppression and longed for a world of love. For these poor masses, his attitude is contradictory. He sympathized with their plight, but he did not approve of using this method of countering violence against violence to resolve class contradictions, and he longed for people to have a benevolent heart and to resolve contradictions and disputes with forgiveness and love Although this was impractical at the time, both sympathy for the toiling people and later dissatisfaction with bloodthirsty violence showed Dickens's heart Humanitarian ideals. He was kind and loving, full of empathy. And Dickens's humanitarian spirit is in the image of Carton.
It is played to the extreme, and Carton can be said to be the perfect embodiment of the spirit of benevolence preached by Dickens. He loves Lucy deeply, but fears that he is not qualified to love her, so he gives up his right to pursue her. Even though she was married, he still cared for her and loved her silently because he firmly believed that "love is much more powerful than hate". When Lucy's husband, Darney, is trapped in the circle and is about to be beheaded, he uses his resemblance to his appearance to make a careful plan, succeeding in replacing Darney the day before his execution, and loves him deeply The happiness of the woman went to the guillotine without regret and gave her young life. Caton is the embodiment of the Christian spirit of benevolence, but also the altruist who adheres to the humanitarian spirit. Carton's humanitarian spirit and benevolent heart are perfectly embodied in the novel's depiction of Carton on the guillotine, and the brilliance of humanism that shines through him still allows readers today Move. His love was purely unrequited, and his sacrifice was great. His ending is tragic, but at the same time romantic. Carton's selfless love explains the core values of A Tale of Two Cities, sublimates the theme, and also reflects the benevolence and humanitarianism pursued and admired by the author Dickens. Love is the answer to everything, and with love and forgiveness, the world is bound to be a better place.
- Robinson Crusoe
Reading Robinson Crusoe again, I had a completely different understanding compared with before.
Robinson Crusoe is a classic masterpiece created by Daniel Defoe. This book describes the story of a 19-year-old Robinson who, in order to realize his dream of sailing, despite the persuasion of his parents, resolutely gave up a stable and comfortable life and finally embarked on a sailing journey. On a beach, he was sent to a desert island by a huge wave, and began a difficult and long road career. But Robinson was not intimidated by the difficulties, but dared to challenge nature, to challenge death, to build tents, fences, to build castles, to make utensils, to grow food, to raise livestock, to fight against wild people, and to create miracles on a desert island. In the end, he returned to his hometown of London, England, where he had been away for a long time, and lived a happy life.
I read this book when I was young (although it was a Chinese edition), but it impressed me because at the time it taught me a spirit of tenacity and perseverance. Robinson is on a desert island, in the face of such a harsh living environment, can calmly cope with danger, bravely survive, what are the difficulties we encounter in daily life? To me as a child, this is an inspirational story that promotes spiritual growth. The protagonist could have enjoyed a comfortable life, but his dreams and ambitions did not allow him to live a mediocre life, he was extremely adventurous, overcoming loneliness and fear many times, improving the living environment through his own bravery, positive attitude to life and labor, Robinson returned to his home, and also sent food and daily necessities to the islanders, which also reflected the quality of his gratitude.
But when I go to read the book again now, I see something different.
First, the book undoubtedly carries with it the dross of the times, such as the over-reading of the Bible and the discrimination against non-Christians and other races. (Of course, it's unreasonable to look at the work in the light of the times, and the book is still a successful novel that shows the strength of human nature.)
According to the background of the author's writing and the protagonist's spirit of adventure, the epitome of the new bourgeoisie of the eighteenth century can be seen from Robinson's body. Realizing the value of life through the creation of wealth, handling interpersonal exchanges with contractual relations, and treating the black slave trade as a reasonable trade exchange are typical characteristics of the new bourgeoisie. Robinson's pursuit of wealth and the "rule" of desert islands directly reflect the characteristics of the bourgeoisie.
The plot of the book also epitomizes colonialism. Robinson established three homes on the island, became the owner of the island, and began to rule the island, believing himself to be the king of the island and possessing all the natural resources. He not only broke the original order of existence in nature, but also colonized the local indigenous people. He fully practiced the Western cultural colonial model, starting with colonial rule ideologically, and first of all, the promotion of English from the language. Especially after Robinson saved the slave Friday, the first thing he taught him was to say "master", "yes", and "no" in English. Second, he instilled a Sense of Christianity into Friday, deepening Friday's blind worship of Christianity. Robinson's brainwashing of Friday's religious ideas is a manifestation of the process of enslavement by the colonizers, and his communication with Friday also reflects the process of enslavement of the colonists. Perhaps the work is full of utopian ideas, and the protagonist eventually leaves with a full fortune, but what he does reminds me of the colonizers of the West, at least for the indigenous peoples and flora and fauna on the desert island, which is not "utopia".
If you look at this book, you can also see the relationship between man and nature. In the 18th century, Britain had begun the Industrial Revolution, the entire human society was full of technology and prosperity, people fell into the expansion of the consciousness of technology dominating nature, and the isolated islands of South America were primitive desert islands, and there was no human being The destruction of nature has a reverence for nature. But when Robinson's desert island survived, a large number of animals were hunted. In the novel, it is said that Robinson would go out every day with his gun, on the one hand, to eat something, on the other hand, for entertainment, he hunted animals, most of the time not to eat meat to survive, more often than not to eat his own pleasure. He would also drown kittens alive in the water because the animals were breeding too fast, creating a quiet living environment for himself. What's more, after the female goat was hunted, the accompanying lambs were also brutally killed, simply because the lambs refused to eat. In Robinson, I could see no compassion for animals, nor did I see man's reverence for nature. In the process of survival, he gradually used modern human thought to transform the desert island. He brought grain, wine, ammunition, wheat seeds and other items, and he introduced cereal cultivation into the natural life of the isolated island with the theory of food collection that had experienced different periods from primitive civilization to handicraft civilization. Even before Robinson left the isolated island, he left a lot of beans, vegetable seeds, etc., to help the people who stayed on the island to solve the problem of food and clothing. This move undoubtedly shows the tenacity of human beings to overcome natural survival, and it is also the destruction of the natural ecological environment of the desert island.
Robinson may be a good character, but from him we also see people's selfishness and self-interest. In the process of Robinson's transformation of the desert island, his attitude towards the plants and animals on the island is based on human self-interest as a starting point, always revealing human selfishness, of course, more importantly, the anthropocentrism of the whole society. In Robinson’s consciousness, the natural world has only instrumental significance to human beings and has no other effect. He is most for his own economic gain began the transformation of the desert island, first of all, to establish his own home and increase the guarantee of his own safety. Then, explore everything on the island, gradually colonizing and expanding, from a local development to an entire desert island.
Robinson Crusoe is a classic text that adapts to the new trend of the development of Western history and culture, and from the creative labor of human beings, we further see the great role of human ability, thus promoting human wisdom and labor creation ability, and denying the absurd theory of God's omnipotence and God's creation of everything. I think the meaning of a book is dynamic, and Robinson Crusoe warns us today of how humans should get along with people and how they should get along with nature.
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