A Letter from An Unknown Woman
►Introduction:
A letter from an unknown woman，written by Stefan Zweig, is one of the most classic literary masterpieces in the world .It can be apparently seen that the title is based on the universial content of the book,which presents to the readers that the body part of the novel is a uncommon letter received by a writer from a woman who he had little impression on yet loved him so desperately for her lifetime.It is said that Zweig drew dispiration from his real experiences—he got two letters from”unknown woman”.Thus this work can be considered as a autobiology of Zweig.
In general,the book contains profound and intriguing revelations on the theme.An attempt summarizing the themes roughly into three aspects was made in this book review.
Firstly,it is a miserable story of love and sacrifice,exhibiting how powerful and deep true love can be.Actuclly, it can be concluded from the title .The letter full of desperate love is received by the writer,which might implicates that he is always brutal receiver of love and the center of his admirer—the woman’s world,while the woman is always a giver and even a prey in their relationship.
Secondly,by comparing the brutal indifference of the writer in the novel and the extreme enthusiasm of the woman,the book partly unfolds the inequality between the upper class and the lower class in the society.And also，it includes inequality between men and women.
Moveover,the deeper theme of the novel is ,to some extent, related to the very time when Zweig lived. So it is remarkably significant for readers to understand the background beforehand.Born in November 9th,1881,into a rich Jewish capitalist class family in Vienna, Austria, Stefan Zweig,one of the most influential writers and noviests at that time, studied philosophy and literature in Vienna and Berlin in his youth and distinguished himself by publishing his first piece of poem in a magazine in 1898. Then he began his travel around the world.During the travel,he made acquaintances with eminent writer Romain Rolland and philosopher Rodin and was deeply influenced by them.The novel A letter from an unknown woman was first published in 1922,shortly after the WWI.At that time,the sorrow and affliction of the aftermath that the devastating war resulted in still hovered over people’s heads.In order to prevent the world from worse situation, Zweig was devoted to pursit true peace.However,unlike most of the anti-war fighters who took radical action, he took up his pen and began another form of battle against war and furthermore,mental crisis.And it was then when he waited for various ideologies and tides ebbing away and had a reflection on his own creation and major world issues.Therefore, the book A letter from an unknown woman is a product of the process in which Zweig researched on the meaning of life and the indentity of a individual in an unrest society .Besides,his doubts on the elf - centered value is also included in his reflections.
As far as I am concerned,the novel is worth being recommended to readers.For one thing，in the novel，the love of the unknown woman to the writer is regarded to be the purest and cleanest love,which is particularly treasurable in a money-oriented or power-oriented so-called modern society. It gives readers courage to pursuit his or her own happiness and make sacrifices for people’s ideal life. For another thing,the style of writing ,ways of organizing a novel,and the use of some functional devices are of remarkable ues for readers and learners in writing.
►Summary of the Content:
The book A Letter From An Unknown Woman mainly tells a heart-breaking love story about a woman , or rather, a woman growm up from a little girl.
At the very beginning of the novel, a writer received a letter from a strange woman in his 41th birthday. In this letter, the woman said she was dying because her child had died and she uncovered the love story about herself to the writer before she kicked the bucket .She fell in love with the man at the very first sight since she was a child. And she still was obsessed by him throughout her adolescence. After she become an adult, she seized every chance to look at the writer’s life and was deadly eager to get the attention from the writer in order to make herself acknowledged by her beloved man.However,the writer never recognized her and ironicly regarded her as a easy prostitute. After the man left her,she found she was pregnant.Never did she think of unveiling the truth to the writer because she did not want it be a burden for him.To bring up the child and provide him with a comfortable living environment, she became mistress of rich men.She made no attempt to get married just for waiting for him and even in a dancing ball she left her best friend in shame in order to have one night stand with the writer. Her love was never known by the man until her child died and she lost all hope for her life eventually.
►Analysis of Text:
“I know the very day and hour when I consciously gave my whole heart to you”. The style of Zweig in his writing is vivid in A Letter From An Unknown Woman.In this book, some trace of Romanticism can be found ,especailly the scenes where the woman showed her inward but deep love for the man. For example,when she abandoned her friend just for one hopeless night with the man,she said,” You did not entice me, deceive me, seduce me. I threw myself into your arms; went out to meet my fate”.She gave up getting rid of such a dangerous obsession .Instead ,she rushed to meet her miserable fate.If she had a little sensibility,mabey her fate would not had been like this.Everything seems to be doomed and it is impossible for the woman to escape from it.For readers ,it may seem unreasonable and weird,feeling nothing if not unacceptable at first.Readers may doubt the existence of such kind of love in real life.But they will not suspect the purity of the love of the poor woman in the novel.That is because Zweig is excellent at picturing the inner world of a person.Many details are given in his writing,which convinces us of the authenticity of such a story.For instance,when she was 13 ,having no idea of the adults’ world,she fell in love with the young at the first sight and handsome writer.She changed herself to suit every hobbies he had such as music,books.It is so vivid that maybe girls who are chasing idols share the same feelings and do the same things.Here comes the most striking detailed scene, afraid of being hated and disliked by the man,the girl got intensely nervous at a patch on her uniform skirt and every time she came arcoss the man in the stair case,she used her schoolbag to cover the patch.It is a small action but it is indeed a intriguing action which showed how much the girl cared about the man’s adminssion.It seemed that Zweig is just casually illustrate the action of a real little crazy girl he knows.It is so real that it can be visualized.That is why his writing can easily struck the most sensitive nerve of a reader.Zweig drew a picture of inner impulse of human,which is definitely inflammatory and appealing.His devotion to some kind of dramatic plots is not equal to fabricated artificiality.What he focuses on is how to stand impressive and striking people and thins in our normal life.That is also why Zweig’s style is learned and recommended by many influential writers.
Another distinctive feature of the novel is the way of organizing the writing.As what is mentioned above,the story is told by a letter from the woman.Zweig used a traditional first-person way and omniscient point of view to describe it. Skillfully,he avoids the disadvantage of first-person way ,which may sometimes imposes too much subjective thinkings on readers so that the writing becomes superficial and artificial,by using the form of a letter,successfully turns the disadvantage into advantage.The form of a letter is not only the basic framework and a important factor attached to the plots,but also the best way for the heroine to pour her love out and expose it to the man and readers as well.Undoutedly ,it is the last chance for the woman to express her emotions of love.In this way,the door to the inner world of the woman is widely open to readers,for better understanding the changes of the fate of the heroine.
The repeatance of some lines in this novel strengthens the feelings expressed by the woman.The most typical one is the crying “please recognise me” .It is the most hopeless and desperate appeals I have ever heard.In the whole story,there are at least five chances for the writer to recognize and save the woman. the woman went back to her previous residence,where the writer still lived nextdoor.She secretly observed his life and although she acted timidly when she came across him and received a provocative look from him,at the bottom of her heart,she is eager to be noticed, to be recognized,to be loved by him. For the first time,the poor woman encountered the destiny of being disremembered.It is a torture to wait for a man day after day.When the good-looking woman got the attention of the writer initially,they spent three sweet nights together.The feelings of possessing him thrilled her and made up of unforgotten memorise.In this innocent woman’s sweetest dream ,she still held the expection that the writer could recognize her when he held her in his arms but her dream broke again.With time elapsing,they met from time to time in threaters , in concerts,in parks or in different streets ,every time ,the woman cried”recognize me ”quietly and deeply inside.But the glance of him cast on the woman contained no expression.Therefore,the helpless woman had no other choice and think of the white roses that the writer gave her before,so she sent a bunch of white roses in every birthday of the writer just in order to arouse some remote and vague memorise of those nights.However, what disappointed her was that the writer became more stranger and unfarmiliar to her because this time he crammed some money into her hands.At that moment,the sound of a breaking heart must can be heard.Time and time again,she heart was raised to sky and then drawn into the deep deep abyss.And Sadly, even at her last try ,when she unveiled her hidden love and exposed the truth directly,only vague impression was left on the writer’s mind.In fact,the repeatance of the crying “please recognise me” gradually deepens the sorrow and pierce the woman’s fragile and sensitive soul.
►Evaluation of the Text:
In spite of the moving and honorable love of the woman to the man ,what can be discovered critically is that when it comes to matters related to her beloved man ,she was so blind and so willing to make every sacrifice, giving up her adolescence, her real self,her dignity, her honor and even her whole life.It is not suprising that such a woman would do everything for her lover.From a perspective of a female,I think the biggest shortcoming of the novel is that it puts women in a subordinate place.Zweig described a woman in old times living in people’s stereotypes.Namely,it is a kind of sexism to some extent. And it seems natural that women should behave in this way ,submissive，obedient，less rational and easily to be influenced and dominated by men .However,it is not fair to picture female in this way. With feminism developing ,an importance of female’s getting independence from male should be emphasized.
Therefore,though I respect the sacrifice made by the woman for chasing true love,I actually disapprove such a way of expressing love.The main reason I can figure out may be this kind of love is too fragile and menial.In this novel,the man is superior to the woman because he did not lose his own in love or in a relationship.He has a self-centered value,which puts himself on the superior location than others.That is the reason why he could never recognize the woman since the only one he loves is himself.On the contrary,the woman lost herself at all in love.She thinks herself as a dependency of her lover.She said,”I love you,but it is my own affair”.These words seems a declaration of self-dignity of female,but what is it in fact?A loyalty for love or anesthesia in love?
Nowadays,modern female are bound to break the barriers of unchanged and old-fashioned image on women which are set by a society where men have more political,ecomomic and social rights.Great efforts should made to strive for equality love between men and women.
If there is only responsibility left in love,without affection between two people,is it worth trying hard to keep it ? It is an awkward choice in love.Her extreme stubbornness kept her away from taking a progressive step.For a romanisticist ,loving a person,asking for nothing in return and admire him or her in even a blind way,is just like a devout and religious worship. And if there is only responsibility left to maintain this relationship,this kind of love is dead in fact.The woman’s understanding is just too pure and it can not be restrained by morality,obligation,sense of responsibility.Her keeping silent in love dose not equal to shyness,inferiority,degradation like some people assume.It is because that the woman may consider that once these words be spoken out,it will be stained and not pure any longer.It will contain entreaty of love in return.However,the woman is the least willing to do that when she notices her existence is likely to cause the slightest uncomfort to him.
There is a famous saying,the weak ,you name is woman(Shakespeare).Actually in my opinion,I cannot agree that women should be the weaker side and need someone to rely on. I think it is a matter of value.If women themselves regard that they are bound to be the weak or they play a role that should be protected and taken responsibilities for,it is not strange that women are so easy to be bullied and hurt. Therefore,I am also against those who only make sacrifices in love.Instead, a win-win situation should be strived for by both sides.So true love will help in promoting one’s ideals.
However,there is no doubt that the pure love of the woman would never fade away in literature and in our readers’mind .I try to figure out what is the most appealing thing to the readers for centuries.
Yes, I have to admit that the woman may be a total loser in actual love.She hurt badly,her son died in the end,and even herself passed away in a really awful condition,desperate and sad.But what about the writer,the man who is loved by her?Had he won in love?As far as I am concerned,the writer is also a loser.When he received the letter from the unknown woman ,who is actually his lover with whom he met a lot of times,he could not picture what she looked like,and it is at this very moment that he lost everything. When he received the letter from the unknown woman ,he still stay alone except at some nights having other unknown women around him.So,in his whole life,had he ever have a taste of true love?Maybe I should say that he used to get it and lose it for ever.What did he really get ?What so-called a letter from an unknown woman?
In terms of spirit,the heroine overcame everything,besides the world and her love.Her life is just like the fraint candlelight and any storm in love will make her panic and shiver.Fortunately or unfortunately,she found her refuge,she found the way to warm herself.That is to light up herself.She used the love ,only of herself,to warm herself and light her dim life.She succeeded in the end.But ,is it too painful ,in this way?
I clearly remember that before her pain be healed by death ,she said, I believe in you alone. I love none but you. Only in you do I wish to go on living-just one day in the year, softly, quietly, as I have always lived near you.She was so devoted to love and she never regretted it even until she died.Even though I do not believe that love is everything for a individual ,I will be smypathic about what she was suffering in love and I can not look down upon this poor woman.The majority of us may resign to our destiny and give up what we used to be devoted in life,to pursue a happy family, a good meal, good-looking clothes,a decent job or other secular things.So when I read about the story of such a woman who is devoted to herself ,I am inspired and think her as an honorable person.I admire her and show great sympathy on her.However,she needs nothing from others,and what she was really anxious to get is impossible love from a man who never recognized her.Since she knew she might never be able to get that ,she became more and more stubborn or in other words,so natural and unrestrained,following her heart for her life time.She was free in love,of which I really envy indeed.
The theme of this story is not only about love ,in my opnion.The unknown woman protect the purity of love until the last minute of her life.She is undoubtedly martyr for her ideal.When a person put his or her emotion,whether it is love or not, in the place that higher than where he or she puts life,how can you use secular standards to judge this kind of people? To this kind of deep affection,we are small and insignificant at all.A judgement of others’ can not weigh the weighth of the nature of it.
Those who are keen on chasing after money and fame all the time,who will never understand the deed and emotion of the unknown woman,must feel ashamed if they get chances to read it.
京公网安备 11010802032529号