Topic: The theme revealed in the novel “The moon and sixpence” Outline: I. Summary about writer and the novel “ The moon and sixpence” II. Two themes revealed in the novel “The moon and sixpence” 1. The revolt of an individual against the well- established conventions of bourgeois society 2. No rooms for trivial and ordinary pleasures of life in Great Art III. Conclusion Summary about the writer and the novel “ The moon and sixpence” 1. William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) W.S. Maugham is famous English writer, well-known as a novelist, playwright and short story writer. In his writings he kept to the principles of Realism, but his method of writing was also influenced by Naturalism, Neo-romanticism and Modernism. W.S. Maugham was born in Paris where his father worked as solicitor for the English Embassy. At the age of 10 Maugham was orphaned and sent to England to live with his uncle, the vicar of Whitstable. Before becoming a writer he was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and Heidelberg University, Maugham then studied six years medicine in London. William worked in a hospital of Saint Thomas, which placed in a poor block of London the experience found its reflection in the 1 st novel. During World War, Maugham volunteered for the Red Cross, and was stationed in France for a period. There he met Gerald Haxton (1892-1944), an American, who became his companion. Disguising himself as a reporter, Maugham served as an espionage
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Topic: The theme revealed in the novel “The moon and sixpence”
Outline:
I. Summary about writer and the novel “ The moon and sixpence”
II. Two themes revealed in the novel “The moon and sixpence”
1. The revolt of an individual against the well- established conventions of bourgeois society
2. No rooms for trivial and ordinary pleasures of life in Great Art
III. ConclusionSummary about the writer and the novel “ The moon and sixpence”
1. William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965)
W.S. Maugham is famous English writer, well-known as a novelist, playwright and short story writer. In his writings he kept to the principles of Realism, but his method of writing was also influenced by Naturalism, Neo-romanticism and Modernism.
W.S. Maugham was born in Paris where his father worked as solicitor for the English Embassy. At the age of 10 Maugham was orphaned and sent to England to live with his uncle, the vicar of Whitstable. Before becoming a writer he was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and Heidelberg University, Maugham then studied six years medicine in London.
William worked in a hospital of Saint Thomas, which placed in a poor block of London the experience found its reflection in the 1st novel. During World War, Maugham volunteered for the Red Cross, and was stationed in France for a period. There he met Gerald Haxton (1892-1944), an American, who became his companion. Disguising himself as a reporter, Maugham served as an espionage agent for British Secret Intelligence Service in Russia in 1916-17, but his stuttering and poor health hindered his career in this field. In 1917 he married Syrie Barnardo, an interior decorator; they were divorced in 1927-8. On his return from Russia, he spent a year in a sanatorium in Scotland. Maugham then set off with Haxton on a series of travels to eastern Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Mexico. In many novels the surroundings also are international. Maugham's most famous story such as “Ashenden: or the British agent ’’
Maugham died in Nice, a small French town from pneumonia on December 16, 1965
2. The novel “The moon and sixpence”
Charles Strickland, a good, dull, holiest, plain man who is a conventional stockbroker. He is probably a worthy member of society, a good husband and father, an honest broker, but he
abandoned his wife and two nice looking and healthy children, a boy and a girl. A supposition is put forth: Charles walks out upon his wife to run after some woman.
A friend of Strickland is sent to Paris to find out who the woman is and if possible to persuade him to come back to his wife. After a long talk with Strickland, the man understands that the real reason that inspires him to run away is not woman. He decided to be a painter. Living in Paris, Strickland comes into contact with a Dutch painter, Dirk Strove . Strove is presented as an antipode to Strickland. Strove is a kind hearted man but a bad painter. He is the first to discover the real talent of Strickland. When Strickland falls seriously ill, it is Strove who comes to help. Strove persuades his wife to let him bring the artist home to look after him. To his surprise, his wife falls in love with Strickland who she holds in disgust. Later his wife, a housemaid rescued by Strove, kills herself by drinking acid after Strickland leaves her. What Strickland wants from Blanche is not sexual relation but the nude picture of her beautiful figure.
Leaving France for Tahiti, Strickland is in search of a world of his own. In Tahiti, he marries a native girl Ata and he has about three years of happiness. He has two children.
Strickland contracts leprosy and later becomes blind. He wants to leave the family but Ata doesn’t let him do it. His eyesight gets worse but he continues painting. Ata couldn’t go to the town and buy canvases; he uses the walls of his house. Strickland gets rid of some strong irresistible obsession imprisoning his soul with the help of those paintings. He has achieved what he longs for on this land. He has painted his masterpiece. Knowing that he is going to die, he makes his wife promise to burn down his masterpiece after his death in fear that it will be contaminated by the commercial world of money.
Two themes revealed in the novel “The moon and sixpence”
1. The revolt of an individual against the well- established conventions of bourgeois society
In many of his stories, Maugham reveals to us the unhappy life and the revolt against the set social order. The Moon and Sixpence was written in this line. It is a story of the conflict between the artist and the conventional society based on the life of a painter. The revolt of an individual against the well-established conventions of bourgeois society was shown in the following two aspects:
1.1. Money worship society
The bourgeois society with its vices such as: snobbishness money worship, pretense, self-interest…made their profit of the frailties of mankind. To them, money was a useful tool to dominate both economics and politics. Money also helped the bourgeois maintain their regal life and it connected the members in family, on the other hand, husband had obligated to support his wife and children for whole his life. Therefore, the last generations of the bourgeois forced the young generation to continue their domination. It was mentioned in the conversation between Strickland and his friend.
“I rather wanted to be a painter when I was a boy, but my father made me go into business because he said there was no money in art”.
In this society, art was non-profitable. Therefore, it must be looked down upon. In their point of view, art was nothing more than just a job to earn money. They did not see the beautiful
things that art brings. When Strickland decided to follow in his father's footsteps, his dream and aspiration were hidden on the bottom of his heart. After working hard for ages, he became a prosperous stockbroker. He is probably a worthy member of society.
However, there is in streets of the poor quarters a thronging vitality which excites the blood and prepares the soul for the unexpected.
It was actually happened in Paris, because Strickland gave up the luxury life and got acquainted with hard life just only wanted to fulfill a long-cherished dream. He had to give up his dream to follow his father’s wishes. “I want to paint.”“I’ve got to paint.”
The brief answer expressed his willingness to get out of ideology ties which were imposed by his father. And his hand and mind would express his big dream by painting masterpieces.
“I couldn’t get what I wanted in London. Perhaps I can here.”“I tell you I’ve got to paint.”
The author said that “I seemed to feel in him some vehement power that was struggling within him, it gave me the sensation of something very strong, overmastering, that held him”
And Strickland cannot have a comfortable life any more. “I haven’t any money. I’ve got about a hundred pounds.”
We could probably see it through Strickland’s appearance when he came to Paris.“Sitting there in his old Norfolk jacket and his unnourished bowler, his trousers were baggy, his hands were not clean; and his face, with the red stubble of the unshaved chin, the little eyes, and the large, aggressive nose, was uncouth and coarse.”
1.2 Family and social responsibilities
Painting is not only a ‘dreamy moon’ of Strickland but also of many progressive people in bourgeois society. According to bourgeois concepts, all the men have to be responsible for his family and children. He’s forced to have a strong connection with what is considered to belong to him. Strickland’s life is tied tightly down to family’s contract. However, all that sort of things means nothing at all to him. He doesn’t let those reasons impact on his way chasing his passion any longer. It can be obviously proved through the conversation between two men, Strickland and the author, in chapter II of the novel.
‘Hang it all, one can’t leave a woman without a bob.’‘Why not?’‘How is she going to live?’‘I’ve supported her for seventeen years. Why shouldn’t she support herself for a change?’‘Let her try.’‘Don’t you care for her anymore?’‘Not a bit’
When Strickland talks about his children, his attitude is revealed to be heartlessly scornful. ‘They’ve had a good many years of comfort. It’s much more than the majority of children have.
Besides, somebody will look after them. When it comes to the point, the Mac Andrews will pay for their schooling.’
‘I like them all right when they were kids, but now they’ve growing up I haven’t got any particular feeling for them.’
He totally gives up on his own family, children and thinks that they could live by themselves without his care. Even if they can’t make arrangement for their life, his relatives might come to help. Strickland also doesn’t mind what people loathe and despise him.‘Everyone will think you a perfect swine.’‘Let them.’‘Won’t it mean anything to you that people loathe and despise you?’‘No’‘You don’t care if people think you an utter black-guard?’‘Not a damn.’He really doesn’t care any longer.‘You won’t go back to your wife?’ ‘Never’‘You don’t care if she and your children have to beg their bread?’‘Not a damn.’
He does everything: abandoned wife and children; left his successful career behind just because he totally hates that gloomy society and its old customs.
Only by a short conversation between two men, the author already describes the strongly reactive mind of Strickland, a man who dares to stand up and fight over the old customs of that boring society and bourgeois. Regarding to Strickland’s point of view, his escape is the only decision; it’s also the solution to release his imprisoning mind. He doesn’t regret or be ashamed of what he’s done. He accepts the eyes of society because he doesn’t care. Actually, it’s never ever meant anything to him. The only thing that he really cares is his mind right now freely to follow and do everything he ever dreams of in his own ‘dreamy moon’.
2. No rooms for trivial and ordinary pleasures of life in Great Art
2.1 Sacrifice everything to be an artist.
At the beginning, the stockbroker Strickland had a stable life with happy family. However, when he started to chase his path as an artist, he had to experience a poor situation. Moreover, he was willing to get rid of everything to be an artist. Great art don’t depend on age as long as you have real passion. Even though at the age of forty “the chances are a million to one”, Strickland still wants to be a painter. “I can learn quicker than I could when I was eighteen”, said he.
He wanted to be a painter when he was a boy but his father didn’t allow him. His father consumed that there was money in art. Therefore, he had to give up his passion for such a long time. However, his fire for art wasn’t stamped out. And this was the perfect time for him to implement his dream again. On his way chasing that dream, he had to sacrifice everything. He passed by the material and the sensual to fulfill spiritual needs. He got rid of a happy family with a comfortable life to go to Paris and lived in destitute life there.
Although he knew that his family needed him and they had to suffer difficulties in life without him, he didn’t intend to change his mind and he accepted to be considered as a selfish man. He understood that his action weren’t highly appreciated; however, he still wanted to pursue art in his own way. Strickland accepted to live in a bad condition, without money, job, food and at last he found a Shelter at a hotel. Afterward, despite the fact that he got a serious disease and became blinded; he still tried to fulfill his masterpiece on the walls of his house. During the first days staying in Paris, he only found a cheap hotel to live. He appeared with such a miserable, untidy image. “He sat there in his old Norfolk jacket and his unnourished bowler, his trousers were baggy, his hands were not clean; and his face, with the red stubble of the unshaved chin, the little eyes, and the large, aggressive nose, was uncouth and coarse. His mouth was large; his lips were heavy and sensual.”
He desired to paint. He repeated his speech many times when answering his friend.“I want to paint.” “I’ve got to paint”“I tell you I have to paint”.
2.2. Strickland protects Beauty and Art.
Art is very pure. It can not be measured by the value of money or sexual relation. Strickland struggled to abandon his appetence for art.
“Let me tell you. I imagine that for months the matter never comes into your head, and you’re able to persuade yourself that you’ve finished with it for good and all. You rejoice in your freedom, and you feel that at last you can call your soul your own. You seem to walk with your head among the stars. And then, all of a sudden you can’t stand it any more, and you notice that all the time your feet have been walking in the mud. And you want to roll yourself in it. And you find some woman, coarse and low and vulgar, some beastly creature in whom all the horror of sex is blatant, and you fall upon her like a wild animal. You drink till you’re blind with rage.”
He assumed that as an artist he shouldn’t have trivial fun such as desire of women.
For Strickland, woman is like an invisible rope tightening his life. It is very hard to escape from them. Therefore, he tried to avoid it. He was willing to give her up as well as his unsatisfactory painting. He did everything to be a true artist even though it made him become a cruel man.
Finally, he achieved what he wanted. He created a masterpiece. It was worth what he’d spent. He devoted all his life to pursue art. As an artist, he didn’t care about fame or wealth. He painted pictures only to satisfy his love to art. He never sold his pictures to get money. He did not to accept his masterpiece to be contaminated by the commercial world of money. His dream was very beautiful.
III. Conclusion
Based on the life of Paul Gauguin, “The Moon and Sixpence” is W. Somerset Maugham's ode to the powerful forces behind creative genius. Charles Strickland is a staid banker, a man of wealth and privilege. He is also a man possessed of an unquenchable desire to create art. As Strickland pursues his artistic vision, he leaves London for Paris and Tahiti, and in his quest makes sacrifices that leave the lives of those closest to him in tatters. Through Maugham's sympathetic eye Strickland's tortured and cruel soul becomes a symbol of the blessing and the curse of transcendent artistic genius, and the cost in human’s lives it sometimes demands.
Topic 2: Impression of characteristic
I, William Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965)
William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris on 25th January, 1874, the sixth and youngest son of
the solicitor to the British embassy. Maugham learned French as his native tongue. At the age of 10,
Maugham was orphaned and sent to England to live with his uncle, the Reverend Henry MacDonald
Maugham, in Whitstable, Kent. .
Educated at King's School, Canterbury, where he developed a stammer that he never outgrew, and
Heidelberg University, Maugham then studied six years medicine in London. He qualified in 1897
as doctor from St. Thomas' medical school, but abandoned medicine after the success of his first
novels Liza of Lambeth (1897)
The book sold well and he decided to abandon medicine and become a full-time writer. Maugham
achieved fame with his play Lady Frederick (1907), a comedy about money and marriage. By 1908
Maugham had four plays running simultaneously in London.
On the outbreak of the First World War, Maugham, now aged forty, joined a Red Cross ambulance
unit in France. While serving on the Western Front he met the 22 year old American, Gerald
Haxton. The two men became lovers and lived together for the next thirty years. During the war
Maugham was invited by Sir John Wallinger, head of Britain's Military Intelligence (MI6) in
France, to act as a secret service agent. Maugham agreed and over the next few years acted as a link
between MI6 in London and its agents working in Europe.
Maugham had sexual relationships with both men and women and in 1915, Syrie Wellcome, the
daughter of Dr. Thomas Barnardo, gave birth to his child. Her husband, Henry Wellcome, cited
Maugham as co-respondent in divorce proceedings. After the divorce in 1916, Maugham married
Syrie but continued to live with Gerald Haxton.
During the war, Maugham's best-known novel, Of Human Bondage (1915) was published. This was
followed by another successful book, The Moon and Sixpence (1919). Maugham also developed a
reputation as a fine short-story writer, one story, Rain, which appeared in The Trembling of a
Leaf (1921), was also turned into a successful feature film. Popular plays written by Maugham
include The Circle (1921), East of Suez (1922), The Constant Wife (1926) and the anti-war play,
For Services Rendered(1932).
In his later years Maugham wrote his autobiography, Summing Up (1938) and works of fiction such
as The Razor's Edge (1945), Catalina (1948) and Quartet (1949).
After the 1930s Maugham's reputation abroad was greater than in England. Maugham once said,
"Most people cannot see anything, but I can se what is in front of my nose with extreme clearness;
the greatest writers can see through a brick wall. My vision is not so penetrating." His literary
experiences Maugham collected in The Summing Up, which has been used as a guidebook for
creative writing.
William Somerset Maugham died in 1965 in a small French town from pneumonia.
"I have never pretended to be anything but a story teller. It has amused me to tell stories and I
have told a great many. It is a misfortune for me that the telling of a story just for the sake of the
story is not an activity that is in favor with the
intelligentsia. In endeavor to bear my misfortunes with fortitude." (from Creatures of
Circumstance, 1947)
II. THE INTRODUCTION OF WRITING
“The Moon and Sixpence” is one of the most important and famous novels of William Somerset
Maugham. It was written in 1919, revealing to us the unhappy life and the revolt against the set
social order. It is a story of the conflict between the artist and the conventional society based on the
life of a French painter, Paul Gauging. Like many other works, “The Moon and Sixpence” is
characterized by narrative facility, simplicity of style, and a disillusioned and ironic point of view
that attract the readers.
The principal character is Charles Strickland, a prosperous stockbroker who is a good dull, holiest
plain man. He is probably a worthy member of society, a good husband and father, an honest
broker, but “there was no reason to waste one’s time over him”. Charles’s wife is a pleasant
hospitable woman and they have two nice looking and healthy children, a boy and a girl.
Suddenly, Strickland disappeared leaving his wife and children behind. A supposition is put forth:
Charles walks out upon his wife to run after some woman. A friend of Strickland was sent to Paris
(where he said to be) to find out who the woman is, and if possible to persuade him to come back to
his wife. After a long talk with Strickland, the man understands that the real reason that inspires him
to run away is not woman; it is because that he wants to paint! He does not care for his wife and
children any longer, they should try to support themselves and his wife can get married again.
Strickland has a hard life in Paris where he goes to painting classes. People are surprising at a man
of forty like him starting to learn painting without any innate talent for it. He does not care for his
hardship of life, nor does he care for people and their opinion about him. As an artist Strickland
does not care for fame or wealth. He never “sold a single picture and he was never satisfied with
what he had done”. It seems that he is seeking something new not existing in the world yet in order
to satisfy his love for art.
Living in Paris, Strickland comes into contact with a Dutch painter, Dirk Strove, another important
character of the novel. Strove is presented as an antipode to Strickland. Strove is a kind hearted man
but a bad painter. He is the first to discover the real talent of Strickland. He cares for the artist and
sees it his responsibility to help him in distress. When Strickland falls seriously ill, it is Strove who
comes to help. Strove persuades his wife to let him bring the artist home to look after him. To his
surprise, his wife falls in love with Strickland who she holds in disgust. Later his wife, a housemaid
rescued by Strove, kills herself by drinking acid after Strickland leaves her. What Strickland wants
from Blanche is not sexual relations but the nude picture of her beautiful figure.
Leaving France for Tahiti, Strickland is in search of a world of his own. In Tahiti, he married a
native girl and he has about three years of happiness. He has two children.
Strickland contracts leprosy and later becomes blind. He has achieved what he longs for on this
land. He had painted his masterpiece. Knowing that he is going to die, he makes his wife promise to
burn down his masterpiece after his death in fear that it will be contaminated by the commercial
world of money.
“The Moon and Sixpence” touches upon another problem of bourgeois society: the fate of the
intellectual in a society where the values of man are measured in terms of money. As a short story
writer W.S. Maugham demonstrates brilliant mastery of the form. He exposes the contemporary
society with is vices such as snobbishness, money worship, pretence, self-interest, complacency and
above all, the hypocrisy in the people’s way of life.
The extract we studied is Chapter II in the novel. Through the conversation of the two men,
Strickland and his friend, the character of Strickland way clearly described, and the bourgeois
concepts of happiness, responsibility, art and talent were all well revealed by the author.
III, THE ANALYSIS OF STRICKLAND CHARACTER
1. Strickland as an ordinary man
1.1 Strickland is irresponsible inconsiderate toward his wife
Strickland used be a good husband to his wife. Actually, he owns a happy family and good
economic condition. For many people, Strickland is good businessman and has good status in
society. However, he suddenly abandoned his wife and went another place. Strickland leaved his
wife and children behind without a word. His leaving makes her very miserable and she had a
suspicion that he run away with other women. His wife- Army is a pleasant hospital woman.
Strickland can’t find any reasons which belong to Arm to leave her. When Army sends him
many letters to persuade him to come back, Strickland doesn’t read any letters from her. It means
that he doesn’t concern anything related to his wife.
When making conservation with friend sent to persuade him, Strickland expresses a coolly
attitude to his wife.
“I can not describe the extraordinary callousness with which he made this reply”
Although Strickland acknowledged his action, he still does like that.
Has she deserved that you should treat her like that?
No
Then, isn’t it monstrous to leave her in this fashion after seventeen years of married life without
a fault to find with her
Monstrous”
Abandoning wonderful wife is faulty. However, letting a woman without a bob is more pitiless.
He also knows before that his wife and children will have to suffer difficulties in life without
him. But he still leaves them to pursue his aim.
“Hang it all, one can’t leave a woman without a bob
Why not?
Don’t you care for her any more?
Not a bit”
Strickland does not try thinking whether a weak woman can live without support from man;
especially she has to nurse two children. They don’t know what they should do in order to
support their life and what will wait for them in the future. He supposed that he no longer have
any responsibility to his family and all things that he did before be enough.
1.2 Strickland is irresponsible selfish father
Strickland does not want to take any responsibility to his children. His children are very young
and innocent. They have never done any harm to Strickland.
“Damn it all. There are your children to think of. They’ve never done you any harm. They did
not ask to be bought in to the world. If you chuck everything like this, they’ll be thrown on the
street.
They have had a good many years of comfort. It’s much more than the majority of children
have. Besides, somebody will look after them. When it comes to the point, the Mac Andrews
will pay for their schooling”.
How can children live without support from their father? He did not care about his children any
more, even though they could be thrown out in the street. For many people, rearing children is
very holly duty and happiness. For children, father is the material and spiritual favor. It is very
poor for children when he entrusts them to the care of Mac Andrews.
Especially, Strickland thought that he did not have any special feeling to his children. For many
men, children are always very special and take really important part in their emotional life.
Strickland only had special feeling to his children when they were small. When they grow up, he
no longer loves them. It seems that the nature of a father in Strickland has disappeared. He
became an unemotional father.
1. 3 Strickland is ungrateful to his friend
Dirk Strove is a very kind- hearted person. Dirk Strove is the person who recognizes the talent
of Strickland and helps him everything in bad days. When Strickland falls seriously ill, it is
Strove who comes to help. Strove persuades his wife to let him bring the artist home to look
after. Strickland must have gratitude all the things that Strove had done for him. On the other
hand, Strickland has an adulterous affair with his best friend’s wife. Moreover, Strickland just
wants to take use of her body for the nude picture and causes the death of Strove.
2. Strickland as an artist
2.1 Strickland is a really passionate painter.
He compares his passion to paint is like the desire to breath. He abandoned his wife and
children to pursuit his dream of painting. He gives up a happy life to go strange place to learn
painting. He gets divorced with his wife without any reasons and lets his children alone to devote
for art. “I have got to paint” is repeated four times in conservation with the friend. It means that
the desire to paint is full of in his head all the time.
When family’s friend is sent to persuade Strickland, he used all the tactics and arguments to
change Strickland’s decision. However, Strickland still expresses a consistent attitude to all
arguments. Strickland believes that his wife could take care of herself and also is ready to
provide all necessary background for her to divorce. His children can grow without his support.
Strickland reckons that it is the high time for him to realize his dream.
For Strickland, painting is the air of life, an interest. The painting is all. He does not concern
about all the worst things people can think about him.
“Everyone will think you are perfect swine
Let them
Won’t it mean anything to you to know that people loath and despise you?
No”
Short answers contain a terrible determination. It seems that the art is the only meaningful thing
to him now. The passion of painting is covering all his body and will.
Behind the dull appearance, Strickland has the true passion to art. Strickland- a man with old
Norfolk jacket, unnourished bowler, his trouser was bagging, his hand were not clean, his face
with red stubble of the unsaved chin, little eye, the large aggressive nose, his mount large and his
lip were heavy and sensual. On the surface, he was not born for art. The rude and sensual
appearance is completely contrary to deep passion on art and artist soul. The narrator feels
powerful desire to paint in his voice and vehement power. There is strong struggle between will
and passion inside this man. Strickland decides to leave all his family and material values, love
and lust behind to scarify for art.
Strickland accepts a poor life to devote for art and passion. From a prosperous stockbroker,
Strickland became a poor man for only reason of being a painter. He can live in cheap hotel with
about hundred pounds to learn painting. When coming Tahiti, Strickland marries with a native
girl and lives in forest far away from town. They live in misery. “When there was no food to be
had, he seemed capable”. It seems that he “lived a life wholly of the spirit” .All the material
values do not have any meaning to him. He wants to spend the rest of the life painting. He could
suffer the poorest conditions to draw.
Strickland decides to paint at the age of 40.
“Do you think it is likely that a man will do any good when he starts at your age? Most people
begin painting when they were eighteen.
I can learn quicker than I could when I was eighteen”
The age is one of the most important barriers for Strickland to overcome. People mainly paint
when they were eighteen. In spite of acknowledging this, Strickland still decides to paint by all
means. In fact, there is no limitation of age in art. However, Strickland must have had the truly
strong desire to art because it is very difficult and unusual for people to start learning painting at
this age. Strickland had dream of painting when he was very small. At his time, the values of
man are measured in terms of money. His father said that there was no money in art and obliged
him to do business. Obeying his father’s speech, Strickland became a prosperous stockbroker.
He owns a happy family and good social status. Strickland does not satisfy with the current life.
He feels the life is so boring and not meaningful. After 40 years, the dream of childhood still
obsesses him and wins other things. It seems that the man is cut for painting. At the age of 40,
after many years of empty soul, he realizes clearly what he wants, what is important to his life.
Panting is the job which he really wishes to do and succeed.
2.2 Strickland understands the rotten society and he is very brave man who sacrifices for the
real art
When Strickland abandons his wife and spends all the rest of life for painting, many people
would think he is not usual. His action is different from the normal people in society. In the
bourgeois society, money is highly appreciated and most of people live for money. They suppose
that there is no money in art and artists are not highly evaluated in social order. In contrary,
Strickland can give up everything to pursue art. Strickland wishes to paint because of true
passion, but not for money. He never sold a single picture and he was never satisfied with what
he had done. In the end, Strickland obliged his wife to burn all his picture and house so that all
his products are not survived for commercial purpose. He has the great art concept and is a
courageous man who devotes everything to art.
With the endowed talent and passion, Strickland creates the wonderful pictures which contain
the great content and perfect beauty. Strickland can go anywhere to find inspiration for his
picture. He decides to move from London to Paris, after that he came to Tahiti and live in a
forest. Strickland is in search of a world of his own. When he contracts leprosy, he still draws.
As he becomes blind, he continues painting until he died. Strickland is worth to be great and real
artist.
3. Conclusion
For Strickland’s family, he is a bad father and husband. In term of the normal concepts in the
society, Strickland is considered to be a selfish person who can abandon all important things to
pursue his own passion.
Strickland is a real artist and brave man in bourgeois society. He abandons all the normal things
including family, money, social status, moral values to sacrifice for the real art. With deep
enthusiasms, Strickland creates the great product and paints until his the last breaths. He
supposes that the true art should not be contaminated by the commercial world of money. He is
the typical artist who can scarify for the real art in the bourgeois society.
INTERACTION GAME: Crossword
We have one key expression including two words. We also have 7 sub crosswords. From
these sub- crosswords, you can find out the key expression. Sub- crosswords are used to
describe the characteristics of the main character.
The sub- crosswords:
1: Becoming a ………. for many years is so boring and unmeaning to Strickland.
(Stockbroker)
2. For children, he is ………. father. (Selfish)
3. Strickland is ………..for real artist who can devote for artist. (Typical)
4. Strickland has deep ……… on painting. (Passion)
5. In ………. society, values of man is measured in term of money. (Bourgeois)
6. The Moon and Sixpence reflects conflict between the ………. and conventional society.
(Artist)
7. As a normal person, Strickland is considered ………… to his family.
(Irresponsible)
Key expression: Charles Strickland
Topic 3: Feeling of Theme in the Daffodils
I. Biography and works
William Wordsworth (1770-1850), British poet, credited with ushering in the English Romantic Movement with the publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798) in collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, in the Lake District, United Kingdom. His father was John Wordsworth, Sir James Lowther's attorney.
The magnificent landscape deeply affected Wordsworth's imagination and gave him a love of nature. He lost his mother when he was eight and five years later his father. The domestic problems separated Wordsworth from his beloved and neurotic sister Dorothy, who was a very important person in his life.
With the help of his two uncles, Wordsworth entered a local school and continued his studies at Cambridge University. Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787 when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine. In that same year he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, from where he took his B.A. in 1791.
During a summer vacation in 1790 Wordsworth went on a walking tour through revolutionary France and also traveled in Switzerland. On his second journey in France, Wordsworth had an affair with a French girl, Annette Vallon, a daughter of a barber-surgeon, by whom he had an illegitimate daughter Anne Caroline. The affair was basis of the poem "Vaudracour and Julia", but otherwise Wordsworth did his best to hide the affair from posterity.
In 1795 he met Coleridge. Wordsworth's financial situation became better in 1795 when he received a legacy and was able to settle at Racedown, Dorset, with his sister Dorothy.
Encouraged by Coleridge and stimulated by the close contact with nature, Wordsworth composed his first masterwork, Lyrical Ballads, which opened with Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner." About 1798 he started to write a large and philosophical autobiographical poem, completed in 1805, and published posthumously in 1850 under the title The Prelude.
Wordsworth spent the winter of 1798-99 with his sister and Coleridge in Germany, where he wrote several poems, including the enigmatic 'Lucy' poems. After return he moved Dove Cottage, Grasmere, and in 1802 married Mary Hutchinson. They cared for Wordsworth's sister Dorothy for the last 20 years of her life.
Wordsworth's second verse collection, Poems, In Two Volumes, appeared in 1807. Wordsworth's central works were produced between 1797 and 1808. His poems written during middle and late years have not gained similar critical approval. Wordsworth's Grasmere period ended in 1813. He was appointed official distributor of stamps for Westmoreland. He moved to Rydal Mount, Ambleside, where he spent the rest of his life. In later life Wordsworth abandoned his radical ideas and became a patriotic, conservative public man.
In 1843 he succeeded Robert Southey (1774-1843) as England's poet laureate.Wordsworth died on April 23, 1850.
II. Wordsworth on nature and man
II.1. Wordsworth on nature:
Wordsworth is a nature poet. Wordsworth’s poetry describes scenes of natural beauty. His poetry charts the effects of this beauty on him. His poetry reveals his deeply spiritual and emotional response to nature.
• Visual Beauty in Nature
Wordsworth portrays nature’s beauty in his imagery. Nature has a tremendous impact on Wordsworth’s imagination. Wordsworth is a sensual poet. He delights in depicting the visual beauty of various locations.
• The impact of Sounds
Sounds have a profound effect on Wordsworth’s moods. He responds to aural beauty in nature. His poetry contains responses to natural and human sounds. A solitary girl singing in a pastoral scene is beautiful. A crowd of people going about daily life makes a depressing ‘din’.
• The Spiritual Quality of Nature
Certain times of the day and year give Wordsworth an exalted feeling. He experiences nature’s beauty especially at sunset. There is a religious intensity in Wordsworth’s response to sunsets. Dawn, even in a city, gives Wordsworth a feeling of euphoria. He sees the force of nature as god-like. He also feels a spiritual power in nature in springtime.
• The Healing Power of Nature
Nature can heal depression. Contemplation of remembered scenes of beauty is a form of therapy. For Wordsworth, nature plays a more comforting role. Wordsworth sees nature as an eternal and sublime entity, but rather than threatening the poet, these qualities give Wordsworth comfort. As Wordsworth writes:
I have feltA presence that disturbs me with the joyOf elevated thoughts; a sense sublimeOf something far more deeply interfused,Whose dwelling is the light of setting sun,And the round ocean and the living air,And the blue sky, and in the mind of man. (Norton 2, p. 154)
Wordsworth was a relatively solid and conservative member of the Church of England. Thus, with the faith of religion to back him up, Wordsworth was able to look at nature and see the benevolence of God behind it. For Wordsworth, the world could be a place of sorrow, but it was not cruel. Though suffering surely occurred, Wordsworth comforted himself with the belief that all things happened by the hand of God, manifesting Himself in the ultimately just and divine order of nature.
II.2. Wordsworth on man:
Wordsworth is perhaps not as good at describing the natural landscape as a number of other poets. As a purely descriptive poet he is highly capable, but his real genius lies in showing what happens when the innate power of Nature meets the power of perception of human mind, it is as if the individual’s perception of Nature, its awe, power and capacity to teach, is what matters, rather than nature itself, it is the interaction of Nature and human nature that enlivens and stimulates him. Rather than placing man and nature in opposition, Wordsworth views them as complementary elements of a whole, recognizing man as a part of nature. Hence, Wordsworth looks at the world and sees not an alien force against which he must struggle, but rather a comforting entity of which he is a part. Wordsworth’s poetry also celebrates the healing influence of nature on the human spirit. Writing poetry became therapy for Wordsworth.
-William Wordsworth has chosen the theme of nature to convey the secret longing about a beautiful and glorious world. In that place, man and nature as a harmony with the infinite joy that a life of freedom and peace. Besides the natural poetry Wordsworth is also the world people who love freedom to burning. Thus, the journey to look for spiritual freedom, Wordsworth turned to the theme of Nature and Man as his special style. In the beautiful nature pictures, people appear with love of freedom, love of nature, love of things. They also love life, love freedom as his breathing and are portrayed as symbols of freedom desire of simple people.
III. The writing situation of “The Daffodils”
“The Daffodils” known as “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is a famous poem written in 1804 by William Wordsworth. “The Daffodils” is one of the most popular poems of the Romantic
Age, unfolding the poet's excitement, love and praise for a field blossoming with daffodils. It was inspired by an April 15, 1802 event, in which Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, came across a “long belt” of daffodils on a walk near Ullswater Lake in England. This poem was first published in 1807, and a revised version was released in 1815. Just reading the first verses, we can feel the time and space William wrote “The Daffodils”. The inspiration for this poem may have been drawn from a walk he took with his sister Dorothy around Lake Ullswater.
“I wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high o’er vales and hills …… Beside the lake, beneath the trees”
His sister Dorothy later wrote in her journal as a reference to this walk: “When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow Park, we saw a few daffodils close to the water side. We fancied that the lake had floated the seed ashore and that the little colony had so sprung up. But as we went along there were more and more and at last under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about and about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the lake, they looked so gay ever dancing ever changing. This wind blew directly over the lake to them. There was here and there a little knot and a few stragglers a few yards higher up but they were so few as not to disturb the simplicity and unity and life of that one busy highway. We rested again and again. The Bays were stormy, and we heard the waves at different distances and in the middle of the water like the sea.” (Extracted from Dorothy Wordsworth, The Grasmere Journal, Thursday, 15 April 1802).
Just the love of nature, especially the love of the beauty of daffodils, and the above notes helped William Wordsworth write the poem “The daffodils”, which was considered as the most successful work of William Wordsworth and made strong impressions on many generations of readers.
IV. The feeling of the poem “The Daffodils”
In this poem, the poet describes his experience of the sight “a host of daffodils” during a lonely walk, the daffodils delight him with her beauty and “their sprightly dance”. He also remarks on the beauty of the lake nearby, but adds that even its sparkling waves are not as exuberant as the yellow daffodils “dancing in the breeze”. Moreover, when he is sad, he thinks of daffodils “and then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils”, that is to say, when his feelings are depressed, thinking of daffodils cheers him up. Thanks to these glorious daffodils, the emotion of the poet changes from the loneliness to the happiness.
In the first stanza, the feeling of loneliness of the poet is expressed opposite to the daffodils. The poet was wandering in the forest and enjoying the fascinating nature around him, when suddenly he saw a crowd of golden daffodils by the lakeside. The daffodils appeared so beautifully that he was compelled to gaze at these flowers playing with pleasure in the wind. How glorious and plentiful these daffodils were! Maybe this was also the first time he had come across such an immense field of daffodils along the shore.
I wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high o'er vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
The poet is wandering in the Lake District and he presents us a very huge landscape "over vales and hills", but his thoughts are interrupted by a vision of "a crowd, a host of golden daffodils". He is wandering in a state of loneliness and absent-mindedness “as a cloud”: is a simile, he compares his lonely to that of a cloud and the cloud symbolizes his integration with the natural world.
Suddenly, this state of isolation is interrupted by the appearance of these flowers that present human connotations, the words "crowd" and "host" in apposition to the daffodils is a personification, because they are nouns associated to human beings. I agree with the general thought that the crowd of daffodils can represent the human race, thus the poet is fascinated by them and he watches the flowers, but he has no control over men.
Both he and the cloud are floating on high, when he saw a field full of golden daffodils. Both he and the cloud are aspects of the world, which is subjected to the laws of nature but they can still retain their freedom in spite of this. Other images in the poem reinforce this – the 'lake' 'trees' 'cloud' and 'waves' are all natural images and the daffodils give the clear focus of the poem which predominately makes nature the most important feature throughout the host of golden daffodils. The poem was inspired by the sight of a field full of golden daffodils waving in the wind. These daffodils are located in the countryside near a lake and trees and are also seen to move continually in a dance. Wordsworth expresses feelings for nature through these symbolic objects.
He personifies the daffodils as dancers, dancing gaily as part of the beauty of nature to emphasize on their liveliness.
Continuous as the stars that shineAnd twinkle on the Milky Way,They stretched in a never-ending lineAlong the margin of a bay:Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
To William Wordsworth, the daffodils appeared to be as continuous as the twinkling stars on the Milky Way galaxy. They were arrayed in a seemingly unending line along the bank of the adjacent bay. To the poet, it seemed as if ten thousand daffodils were bobbing in the gentle breeze and he imagined them to be engaged in a lively dance.
“Continuous as the stars that shineAnd twinkle on the Milky Way…” (Simile)
Though the lake’s sparkling waves danced beautifully, the daffodils seemed to do much better than them, in its pleasure. The poet emphasizes the point that there are a whole lot of daffodils. More daffodils than he has probably ever seen before. After all, these are flowers that usually grow in scattered groups in the wild or in people’s well-tended gardens. The flowers stretch "continuously," without a break, like the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, each one gleaming like a star. The comparison to stars provides new evidence that the speaker is trying to make us think of angels or other heavenly beings.
They stretched in never-ending lineAlong the margin of a bay:
Like the Milky Way galaxy, the flowers are roughly concentrated in a line that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see "never-ending". The flowers line the shore "margin" of a bay of the
lake, which must be a relatively large lake. If you’ve ever seen the Milky Way, you know that the galaxy appears to be a band that has more stars and a brighter appearance than the night sky around it. It’s not a perfectly clear line, but more like a fuzzy approximation of a line. We imagine the same effect with the flowers. It’s not as if there are no flowers outside the shore of the lake, but most are concentrated on the shore.
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The speaker takes in "ten thousand" dancing flowers at once. That’s a lot of daffodils. Wow, he’s fast at counting if he knows the number after only a quick glance. But, of course, the speaker is not actually counting, but just guessing. The flowers "toss their hands" while dancing to the wind. By "heads" we think he means the part of the flower with the petals, the weight of which causes the rest of the flower to bob.
The third stanza describes the effect that the flowers have on the poet, it is the feeling of glee and friendliness between them.
The waves beside them danced; but theyOut-did the sparkling waves in glee:A poet could not but be gay,In such a jocund company:I gazed – and gazed – but little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought.
In this stanza, the poet starts to talk about the waves which are in the lake. The waves, like the daffodils, are dancing. They are happy, therefore, they are moving as if they were dancing in the lake besides the daffodils. The joy of the waves exceeds the joy of the daffodils. The waves and the daffodils are humanized as they feel joy. But, the waves are happier than the daffodils. This scene affects the poet and makes him happy. So, in the company of happy daffodils and waves, the poet should be happy like them. In this contemplation, everything in nature affects him, and makes him happy.
In the third stanza, when describing the effect that the flowers have on the poet, there are many words associated with happiness as: "glee", "gay", "jocund company", happiness caused by this experience, which everybody can have. In line "I gazed—and gazed" is an act in which the poetic transformation takes place spontaneously, without full consciousness on the poet’s part of what he is doing and "he little thought" what this show meant to him.
Many years later, the images of daffodils came to mind and flashed upon his inner eyes:
For oft, when on my couch I lieIn vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitude;And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the daffodils.
In the final stanza, "the inward eye" reminds him what he has experienced and in the tranquility he can recollect these thoughts in the solitude of his house, moreover he realizes what this show meant and his heart is filled with pleasure. The poet is not able at a first sight to interpret the act, it is only afterwards, that thoughts are understood and described, nonetheless he can
understand this experience, thanks to "the inward eye", which represents feelings of imagination, it is a metaphor, a special way to see things; the poet is able to interpret the secret language of nature and technical poetry made up of emotions.
They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude
The memory of the daffodils was etched in the author's mind and soul to be cherished forever, when he was feeling lonely, dull or depressed, he thought of the flowers and cheered up. Then his loneliness and sorrow seemed to vanish; and he desire to dance with the daffodils.
And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.
The full impact of the daffodils' beauty did not strike him at the moment of seeing them, when he started blankly at them but much later when he sat alone, sad and lonely and remember them.
For off, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye...
We can point out that his state was changing in a slight way. He was not alone any longer, yet he probably thought that he would be stronger if he made a contrast between a lonely traveler and happy daffodils. This simple but effective way seems to take hold on us, and then each time we read this poem, we can see the harmonious beauty of the poet and the long belt of the golden daffodils and enjoy the brightness.
The poet presents vocabulary associated to loneliness: lonely, solitude; opposition between nature and society, vocabulary associated with light: sprightly, stars, golden, shine, twinkle, flash, sparkling. Movement is linked to: wandered, floats, fluttering; moreover we have images of earth: vales and hills; images of air: clouds, breeze; images of water: lake, waves. Moreover, there is a choice of tense in the poem in the last stanza, the poet returns to the reality, the present records the memories, it is a process of creative imagination, an outstanding experience. All of these also reveal the feeling of the poem. The lonely feeling of the poet has been changed by his senses of the liveliness, the glee, and the friendliness with the daffodils to the happy feeling when thinking of daffodils
V. ConclusionWordsworth concentrates on nature in all its forms, without using simple descriptions and
concentrating on the ways in which he responds and relates to the world; in his view, poetry is a means to look at the relationship between nature and human life and to explore the belief that nature can have an impact on our emotional and spiritual lives. This poem could be seen as what poetry was and how it might be written, that is to say in solitude, with an "inward eye", imagination, immersed in nature, recollecting all the thoughts and impressions in solitude following the power of memory and imagination.
Topic 6: MARK TWAIN writing styleOUTLINE
I. An introduction about Mark twain and “The advantures of Tom Sawyer”
II. Mark Tawin’s writng style revealed in “ The advantures of Tom Sawyer” chapter II.II.1 HumorousII.2 Flexible, Varied, FluidII.3 The vernacular languageII.4 Realism and optimism
III. ComparisonIII.1 Mark Twain and Vu Trong PhungIII.2 Mark Twain and Doan Gioi
IV. Conclusion
I.An introduction about Mark twain and “The advantures of Tom Sawyer” Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910) well known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Twain is noted for his novels Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), which has been called “the Great American Novel”. Tom was is a friend to presidents, industrialists and European royalty. Mark Twain was very popular, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned praise from critics and peers. Upon his death he was lauded as “the Greatest American humorist of his age”, and William Faulkner called Twain “ the father of American literature”. Mark Twain is a mixture of idealism and skepticism, the sentimentality and cynicism. In 1930s, Hemingway said, "All modern American literature comes from a book called Huckleberry Finn." Mark Twain said that he was not only the founder of modern American literature, but also invented a new kind of autobiography, the enhancement of individual and creative. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is going to focus primarily on Tom Sawyer. The young native of St. Petersburg, Missouri has a liking for escapades, exploits, deeds of derring-do, or what you might call adventures. Note that the book is called The Adventures rather than The Adventure of Tom Sawyer. Little Tom gets up to a lot of trouble by book's end, and his various feats are not all related. Although Mark Twain created his characters with harsh racist ideals, these ideals are exactly what made Twain's writing so true to life. Twain used realism in his writing to shock and educate his readers. Before Twains writing, literature was thought to be more of an entertainment rather than an education. People wanted to hear fantasy depicting a perfect world with a fine line between the good and the bad. Twain paid close attention to detail in his writing. With this detail he was able to draw the reader into the book and immerse themselves into the story. This also helped to make the story more realistic. Furthermore, Twain wrote in the vernacular of the time.Although this was not grammatically correct, it gave the characters life and allowed the reader to familiarize themselves with the characters.
II. Mark Tawin’s writng style revealed in “ The advantures of Tom Sawyer” chapter II.
Mark Twain’s most famous book is “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” so a good place to begin your analysis of Mark Twain’s writing style is with this book, as it aptly demonstrates his use of humor, satire, irony, and sarcasm. This book also demonstrates a theme that Mark Twain was concerned with during his lifetime – abuse of the black man. Mark Twain’s other famous works such as “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” also contained these same elements of sarcasm, irony, wit, and satire.Furthermore, an analysis of Mark Twain’s writing style should focus on Twain’s upbringing and how this upbringing and the times in which he lived significantly influenced his writing style. Twain’s writing was controversial and offensive to some because he was so outspoken. He also included slang and regional dialect in
his stories. These techniques should be described in an analysis of Mark Twain’s writing style as well.
1. Humorous
Mark Twain is a famous satiric (trào phúng) writer of America. Characters in his products is criticism and humor to those vices, hypocrisy, greed in the West American at that time. His products includes deep ironic. Chapter II of this novel also expresses this writer’s style:
- Irony: “But of course you’d druther work- wouldn’t you? – Of course you would!”- Comparision and contrast : worldly wealth is marbles, bits of toys and trash: “…from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth…- “ They would make a world of fun for him, the very thought of it burnt him like a fire, this dark and hopeless moment”- “All gladness left him, life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden”- Humorous reference to himself as the “great and wise philosopher”- Use big words: glorious, issue, melancholy, expedition- One of the most impressive aspects of his writing is the dialogue which describe little boy’s characteristics effectively. Their boyishness was described effectively though the humor. “ Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the late steam Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, munched his apple…” Or “ Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden” When Tom must do his task, he saw everything through black eyes.
2. Flexible, Varied, Fluid
Twain certainly has a flexible style; he can suit his words quite easily to the situation, whether he is describing the thoughts of Tom or expounding upon some lofty subject. That said, one of the most impressive aspects of his writing is the dialogue. Rather than try to describe it, we'll give you a taste. Tom, having just barely survived an encounter with Injun Joe the night before, goes to talk with Huck:
"Hello, Huck!""Hello, yourself."[Silence, for a minute.]"Tom, if we'd 'a' left the blame tools at the dead tree, we'd 'a' got the money. Oh, ain't it awful!""'Tain't a dream, then, 'tain't a dream! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't, Huck."
The way Mark Twain used humor was very flexible, its not only criticized but also reduced the tense.
Mark Twain renders the rhythm of the speech beautifully, using contractions and slang to give life to Tom and Huck's speech. Small touches, like the "we'd 'a'" and "dog'd" go along way toward making them sound like real boys. Even that bracketed pause speaks volumes. Without suitable dialogue, all of Twain's observations and remarks would be like a cake without icing: still delicious, but not quite right.
3. Using the vernacular language.
Mark Twain was the first writer to use vernacular language in his own writing, especially in dialogue. Sometimes it is rather hard to understand but it reflects the real life of people there.
For examples, when Tom begged Jim to change bringing water for whitewashing the fence, Jim denied:” Oh, I dasn’t, Mars Tom. Ole missis she’d take an’ tar de head off’n me ” ( Ôi tôi không thể cậu Tom à. Bà dì cậu sẽ đổ tội lên đầu tôi)
4. Realism and optimism.
- Realism: In his works, Mark Twain always focuses on describing the nature and character of living space. In chapter II:- “…all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every face and a spring in every step. The locust-trees were in bloom and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air…”
Natural scenery is beautiful, but with Tom, he fell “life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden” Here, the author present an ironic laugh again when he describles nature is opposite to the mood of Tom.
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- Optimism:+ describe beauty of nature( first paragraph…)III.Comparison
1.Mark Tawin and Vu Trong Phung
Chapter II of this novel also expresses Mark Twain’s style:- Irony: “But of course you’d druther work- wouldn’t you? – Of course you would!”- Comparision and contrast : worldly wealth is marbles, bits of toys and trash: “…from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth…- “ They would make a world of fun for him, the very thought of it burnt him like a fire, this dark and hopeless moment”- “All gladness left him, life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden”- Humorous reference to himself as the “great and wise philosopher”- Use big words: glorious, issue, melancholy, expedition
* Vu Trong Phung is also a humor writer of Viet Nam.
For a long time, people have considered work “Lucky destiny” of Vu Trong Phung as a outstanding work of humor nonfiction. Of which is a work of art typical of prose humor in Vietnam. With “Lucky destiny”, the readers laugh from beginning to end, a gloating smile, comfortable.- Irony: + expressed in the tittle : “Happiness of a funeral family”
+ use the ironic words: “funeral dresses”, call Tuyet’s dress: “innocent”, meanwhile it is ridiculous, revealing, “romantic sadness” on her face.
- Constract: “funeral is very big, so big that the dead in casket smiles happily”Tuyet is a debauchted girl, but half-debauched.- “ the restpectful descendants are anxious to berry the dead”- Tu Tan tell each person how to stand, how to express the face, how to make the
postures…to take photos… This make the readers fell that it is not a funeral family but a happy family.
- In funeral, everyone talk to each other, but not about the funeral; they talk bout the dresses, houses, a new chest they just bought; others scorn, annoy, flirt each other.
Different: humor in Vu Trong Phung’s works is ironical, bitter about the dark of rotten society at that time. His aim is accusing the uptown person, who greedy for money.
2. Mark Tawin and Doan Gioi
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Mark Twain is also famous about autobiography style. In Vietnam, there are some writers
who has the same autobiography style such as: To Hoai (The adventures of Cricket),
Nguyen Thanh Long (Quite Sapa), Nguyen Minh Chau (The Picture)…
Comparison “The advantures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain in 1876 to "Southern
forests " (Đất Rừng Phương Nam) by Đoan Gioi in 1957.
“Southern Forests” is the adventure of a native boy named An in the South of Vietnam when the French invaded this country. He became a homeless boy after the enemies had made an attack on South West. That pushed him in a adventure to looking for his father. An and the local patriotic people fought against the French. Comparison writing style.- Similarity+ Simplicity: Like Mark Twain, Doan Gioi used simple language to describe the real life in the Southern area. Especially, the work was written in the local language, maybe it’s very difficult to understand but that is the effective way to paint the real Southern picture. Both Mark Twain and Doan Gioi loved the nature in their homeland. With Mark Twain, he love Mississippi river and painted it in his work while Doan Gioi described the river, small canal as one distinguishing characteristic of Mekong Delta where he was born and grew up.+ Realism and Optimism: Mark Twain’s writing style express both realism and optimism. There is similarity between Mark Twain and Doan Gioi. The “Southern Forests” reflected the poor life of the people in the war truthfully. However, the readers still see the optimism of the characters and also of the writer. There are some paragraphs which describe the beautiful nature of Southern area, especially the great and wild scene of U Minh, virgin forest in Vietnam, and the beauty of Southern villages with endless row coconut trees and mangroves. “The surface of canal is bright in the lighting. The mangrove and wandering canoes on the other side is appeared with deeper blue. It seems that heaven, ground and trees, and slight ripples on the waves tapping two banks are fluttering in the blue magic”+ Both Mark Twain and Doan Gioi loved the nature in their homeland. With Mark Twain, he love Mississippi river and painted it in his work while Doan Gioi loved the river, small canal as one distinguishing characteristic of Mekong Delta where he was born and grew up.- Difference:+ Purpose of humorous writing style: It is said that Mark Twain succeeded in describing the main character, Tom Sawyer, in chapter II, as a naughty and smart boy by humorous writing style. By this style, Mark Twain eased the tense and gave criticism for society.However, Doan Gioi used the laughter to express the people’s optimism. During hardship situation, soldiers still saw the joy of living, the beauty of nature and the happiness during the mission.III. Conclusion
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Mark Twain is widely known for his use of humor and satire in his works. Through these works, Twain had a great influence on American politics and society. An analysis of Mark Twain’s writing style examines Mark Twain’s most famous works and analyzes his use of humor, satire, irony, and sarcasm. If you're the type of person that loves to read. Then you would probably won't miss out beautiful piece of literature like, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, etc. By the first important American novelist (Pearson), Mark Twain. And as you read them, I bet you'd notice that Twain have a distinguish style of writing compare to all the author that you've known or read before. He is well-known for the use of his "irreverent, biting social satire, and realism of place and languages".Twain have a very distinguish style of writing, and best known for his use of his irreverent, biting social satire, and realism of place and languages. Twain use jokes and get his point across very well during his lectures.
Topic 7: Characteristics of the hero Frederic Henry in chapter IV “A
Farewell to Arms by Hemingway.
Outline
I. Introduction of the author and the novel
1. The author Earnest Hemingway
2. The novel A Farewell to Arms
II. Characteristics of the hero Frederic Henry
1. General Characteristics of the hero Frederic Henry in the
novel
2. Characteristics of the hero Frederic Henry in chapter IV
III. Conclusion
Introduction of the author and the novel
1. The author Earnest Hemingway
Biography
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Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), born in Oak Park, a small town in the state of
Illinois, started his career as a writer in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the age of
seventeen. After the United States entered the First World War, he joined a volunteer
ambulance unit in the Italian army. Serving at the front, he was wounded, was decorated
by the Italian Government, and spent considerable time in hospitals. After his return to
the United States, he became a reporter for Canadian and American newspapers and was
soon sent back to Europe to cover such events as the Greek Revolution.
Hemingway began his writing career as a journalist and in the 1920s, while living
in Paris, worked as foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star. As a journalist he learned
to focus only on events being reported, and to omit superfluous and extraneous matter.
The year 1929 was marked by the publishing of his famous novel “A Farewell to
Arm” that stresses the necessity to attain moral courage to live and face the social chaos.
From 1928 to 1938 the writer lived in Florida. He traveled a lot to France and Spain.
Some his works in this period such as: Men Without Woman (1927), Winner Take
Nothing (1933), Death in the Afternoon(1932), Green Hills of Africa (1935), To Have
and Have Not (1937) and The Fifth Column (1937). Hemingway used his experiences as
a reporter during the civil war in Spain as the background for his most ambitious novel,
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). Among his later works, the most outstanding is the short
novel, The Old Man and the Sea (1952), the story of an old fisherman's journey, his long
and lonely struggle with a fish and the sea, and his victory in defeat. This work helped
him won the Pulitzer in 1953 and the Nobel Prize for literature.
Hemingway is a democrat and humanist. He devoted his whole life to the struggle
against fascism and wars. He considered arts and literature as having an important role in
the world so he always tried to use his language to convey his message to mankind