Red Rose And White Rose

Far from the Madding Crowd appeared in 1874, the year of its author, Thomas Handy’s marriage to Emma Gifford. This book is regarded as the beginning of his successful novels, and also his first novel in which Thomas Handy use the term “Wessex”, a partly fictionalized region of southwest England centred on his own country of Dorset. “Wessex” consists in many of his subsequent novels.

The story happened in a village called Weatherbury, a place obviously far away from the city crowd. The people there are busy with farm works, and they hold the general characteristics that village people own, for example, they know the neighbors inside out and they like spreading gossip and scandal around the village. The leading role, Bathsheba Everdene is a young lady with a characteristic mixed with the purity influenced by the atmosphere of the village life and the independence that a beautiful and wealthy lady has. She came to Weatherbury to inherit his uncle’s farm, and accordingly became the mistress of the farm. In her view, she is too rational and independent that it is seemed that she doesn’t need any male or a husband. Also she has little interest in love, for there is something more important in life. Compared to marrying someone she is more likely to live alone but freely.

Full of energy and the desire for freedom adds infinite enchantment to Bathsheba Everdene, strongly attracting the man around her .It is reasonable to her to refuse Gabriel Oak, a shepherd with a mild heart and tranquil mind. He fell in love with Bathsheba the moment he saw her, especially when he saw her lovely conversation with the cart man, and her airy motion when riding horses, he tried to get access to Bathsheba, and send her a lamb to tell her he wants to marry her. But all of this met cold refusal. Bathsheba needs a man stronger and more special than her, a man can tame her, in which point Gabriel is nowhere near her standard.

Finding he just try in vain to get her heart, Gabriel chose to bury his love deep in heart. Before long, Bathsheba met another man who changed her life. He is her neighbor, his name is William Boldwood, a wealthy man with a quality of nobility. Aged though he was, he left his heart unmoved for women. But a prank played by Bathsheba on Valentine's Day set his heart on love fire. A letter read “MARRY ME” was sent to him and he began to acquaint Bathsheba, naturally falling in love with her, too. Because of her beauty, or her nobility like him, or just because that this numb man need something which can help him divert his sight to woman, he fell in love with Bathsheba, and wanted to possess her like crazy. So it is not hard to understand that he never give up chasing for Bathsheba after her refusal to him.

Had it not been the night something attach Bathsheba’s skirt to the ground that as a result she met Sergeant Troy, everything seemed to be plain as usual, Bathsheba might never get married and live an ordinary life. But the man broke into her life and attracted Bathsheba deeply. Even though his words cannot be less interesting and superficial, Bathsheba cherished it as treasures. In the presence of him, she seemed to be so fragile and easily-broken. What grieves us is that actually Troy didn’t love Bathsheba. It is just her beauty and wealth that Troy married Bathsheba.

Troy’s true love is a poor girl named Fanny Robin, an orphaned servant, they should have married, but there were some mistakes happened that day, causing the cancel of their wedding. Marrying Bathsheba didn’t mean that Troy can forget Fanny, when he know Fanny and their child died , he was no longer calm and caring nothing ,he shouted at his wife and left without a single backward glance. the sudden incidence revealed his true identity , his rude and brutal words shocked Bathsheba , she didn’t know Troy’s volatile tempter and his true purpose to marry her until then. Since then, a sense of being defrauded and being betrayed by the world has taken her smile away from her face.  Bad news came again when someone said her husband was drowned. She was deep in agony.

Gabriel and Boldwood accompanied her and Bathsheba promised Boldwood that she would not get marriage again within six years .After six years it was possible that she would marry to Boldwood. In a Christmas party held by Boldwood, what shocked people is that Troy should come back, he had never changed his rudeness to Bathsheba. He was on the point of forcing Bathsheba to come home with him when the gun shot. Troy was killed by Boldwood. Boldwood left alone and finally received a life sentence.

The two man, one was loved by her, the other was loving her. Losing them suddenly can bring Bathsheba to her knees. She fell ill soon and isolated herself. She enclosed her heart and hid her emotions for months, not wanting to connect with anyone.

Having experienced so much，Bathsheba eventually find what she truly want and who she truly love. It is Gabriel that always accompanying her and loving her. She began to feel a little more relieved in the pain of losing Troy. She went outdoors to try to return the normal life as before. But when Gabriel told her his leaving, she eventually summoned up courage to retained Gabriel, implying her love to him. They got married soon. The book ends up with a happy ending.

In Zhang Ailing’s book Red Rose And White Rose, the leading role Zhen Bao loves two women, one is pure and tender like a white rose, the other is fervent and seductive like a red rose. I use the same name of Zhang Ailing’s book in my report because I think the theme of Far from the Madding Crowd bears some resemblances to her book.

Three important men influenced Bathsheba in her life. I can say that Troy is the red rose while Gabriel is the white rose. As for Boldwood, he is a tragic role, just like the thorn in a rose.

Most women love the red rose. As the original quote goes, “Nice guys finish last”, Good girls are prone to love bad boys, and Bathsheba is no different.

A scarlet military uniform is his insolent personality; Double giddy moustaches are the mystery of his unknown past; Brandishing sword is the release of his appetite. Troy is a man sending out dangerous charm all the time all over his body. He is handsome in a raffish kind of way. So mysterious and attractive he is that Bathsheba cannot control herself not to become his captive. Even though she knew Troy is dangerous, she cannot help approaching him.

The more independent and rational she seemed to be, the more easily she was captived by the man of that kind. In the misty forest Bathsheba agreed to meet Troy in secret and troy brandished his sword violently in front of Bathsheba narrowly hurt her. She is conquered by that man at that moment. Cutting her hair seemingly says that he can tame her and take her for possession. When her head got blank, Troy kissed her by surprise.

It is obvious that Bathsheba fell in love with Troy because she refuted Gabriel’s slander toward Troy and strengthen her decision. Another example is that she still married him even though he said Fanny is more beautiful than her. Through these we can speculate that Bathsheba was nothing but a spoony girl then. But Fanny’s death exposed the true Troy to Bathsheba. When he said she was nothing and Fanny is more important than she ever were, she was heart-broken, but when he come back to her to force her to come home with him, Bathsheba hesitated again, which means that Bathsheba could never find another man who can replace the position Troy took in her heart.

In my eye, I prefer Troy to other roles in this book though he is a villain. He had a wayward characteristic, unrestrained by anything. If we take into account his love for poor and ignoble girl Fanny, we can confer that Troy didn’t put great value on fame and wealth. He just lived as he like. Once Fanny appeared, his whole world was her, even though Fanny had ever screwed up their wedding, and even though she appeared again looked bad, he still love her and would not abandon her.  

Love madly if love, leave flatly if not.

I admire the man who can follow his heart like Troy. He didn’t need to cheat Bathsheba radically because he is so free to express his true emotion. But on the other side, actually he has an empty soul. It is merely hid in his violent behavior and cold words somehow. He is strongly eager to be loved and fear of loneliness. There is hardly no girl who doesn’t want to approach this melancholy soul.

Troy is the very kind of lover in most girls’ dream. Like an Italian folk song sings, he is the “Black- flame lover” .Instead of warming, that flame merely burn and hurt anyone who come close.  But once this flame flares, no one can resist its magic. I think this is the reason why he was outstand from Bathsheba’s pursuers and gained her heart.

Contrast to Troy, Gabriel is the white rose. His wish is simple and his love is silent. There is only one time in which Gabriel got crazy in the whole book. Only when he saw his dog chasing his sheep to a cliff and his sheep jump down the cliff one by one could he be desperate and mad. But those crazy feelings just last some minutes. When the sun rises the other day, he accepted the reality and set off to a new place to make a living. It is how Gabriel met Bathsheba again.    

Having known he was not enough for her, he chose to seal his love and keep calm, accompanying her and supporting her all the time. If I say that Troy looks flashy but his inner space is empty, then Gabriel is reverse. He looks simple and honest, no attractive and special characteristic to tempt Bathsheba, but underlie his outlook what we cannot see is a burning heart with crazy eagerness and enthusiasm.

As Troy let Bathsheba down little by little, Gabriel gained more weigh in Bathsheba’s heart. When rumors slandered Troy’s fame, Gabriel come to Bathsheba to warn her. His worry is a symbol of his care for her and his jealousy to some extent, both of which tell us that he love Bathsheba deeply.

What disappointed him is that Bathsheba still married to Troy. Gabriel was as calm as before, as polite as before. He was still waiting for her, though it would take long or happen never. What a timid man!

The night Bathsheba and Troy held their wedding changed this situation. It was about to rain heavily and Bathsheba noticed it. She planed to let his husband help her but met badly treat. He just slept in the barn. Angry and disappointed, she left alone and surprised to find that Gabriel is on the rick. This coincidence brought the two hearts closer to each others.

Gabriel is the sun and hope in Bathsheba’s life. When he was around her, she might not treasure his warmth and even feel boring. But once he was gone, she would be aware of his importance. Actually she had already can’t leave him. So at last Bathsheba retained him, they were finally live together.

They do far from the madding crowd, not merely their bodies, but their souls and spirits. They were no longer bothered by lies and betrayal. What they should do is to be themselves and live freely and happily.

I recall a famous poet, but I don’t know the writer.

Company is the permanent confession,

Yearning is the warmest waiting,

Love is the most romantic ending,

Staying is the longest answer,

Privity is the most silent word,

Forever is the most true happiness.

It is generally consider convictive that love is two people looking at the same place. The night both of Bathsheba and Gabriel come to the rick can substantiate that they have something in common. Gabriel knew what the rick meant since he lost his sheep. And he knew what was important in Bathsheba’s heart because he silently love her and care for her. Troy just could attract Bathsheba for a moment but not for ever.

Between the question “Fall in love at first sight or love develop with time”, it is always have different voices. I think at least in this book “love develop with time” triumphs.  Love at first sight may last some time, but it will never overcome the reality. What attracts the people who love at first sight is another person’s appearance, words, motions and other superficial things. As time goes by they may find the defects he or she has. Lacking of common points, two people often break up. Even if Troy loved Bathsheba, Bathsheba might gradually find they don’t match, regretting making such decision before, let alone Troy didn’t love her at all. “Love develop with time” is usually hard to begin, for it needs too much courage and faith. And it needs long-term sight. But once it begins, love will be accumulated by warm little things little by little. The connection between the two will be strength.

In the other way to illustrate the two processes, I think “Love at first sight” just like a situation where you look forward to a thing for a long time but when you get it, it is opposite to your expectation, your despair will be exaggerated. “Love develop with time” just like you think less of something which were about to come, but it is better than your expectation. You must be very surprised and thankful.

Living with your other half for a long time, the surprise will increase because your have never expected much. It is easier for you to accept his or her shortcomings and you are accustomed to his or her existence, hardly anything can separate you two.

This book also tells us that as female, we had better not indulge in love too deeply. Women should independent of men. We see that Fanny died of loving too much, Bathsheba was despaired for months. They are hurt by love. Fortunately Bathsheba dominated her emotion finally. Otherwise she would never receive a new life.

What I conclude from the book is that women love the red rose, love a man who can conquer and tame her. But most of them will choose the white rose in the end, which means that they will choose the man like Gabriel. Because loving the former is too tired. It will make them exhausted and become different to their true personality. The red rose looks colorful and seductive while the white one looks blank and ordinary. But little do the girls know that scarlet color is a dangerous signal to warn them not to come closer. May be they will never know the pain man of Troy’s kind will bring to them unless they are hurt by his scarlet uniform and sword. In that case, I hope every girl can return back, to find that there is always a white rose waiting for you. That silent love is the true love.

I hope every girl can find the white rose in life, if so, I hope they can cherish that pure emotion of love.

2016-01-13

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