《茶花女》是法国作家亚历山大·小仲马创作的长篇小说，也是其代表作。故事讲述了一个青年人与巴黎上流社会一位交际花曲折凄婉的爱情故事。为大家精心整理了茶花女读后感【精彩8篇】，希望能够帮助到大家。
I read the Chinese version of “Camille” a few years ago. At that time I was deeply moved by the main character Marguerite Gautier. “Camille” or “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas, fils, is the story of Marguerite Gautier, a young courtesan, or kept woman, in Paris in the mid 1800s, and how she falls in love with a young man, Armand Duval, and then tries to escape from her questionable past. Unfortunately, it comes back to haunt her and she ends up returning to that life and dies painfully and alone, but with the knowledge that she was a noble woman at heart. When I first began to read the book, I did not care for Marguerite or her attitude or lifestyle, but as I got further into the narrative, I realized that her saucy attitude was a front to cover the lonely woman that she really was. She felt used, abused and unloved, until the gentle Armand Duval came into her life and showed her that he loved her as a person and not for what she could do for him. It must have taken great courage for Marguerite to leave the life she had lived for so long, knowing all along that it was probably too good to be true and would not last indefinitely. And it also showed that Marguerite really loved Armand Duval for she could even change herself for him.
However, happiness didn’t last for long. When M. Duval, Armands father, came to her, pleading for her to leave Armand to save both Armands reputation and that of his younger innocent sister, Marguerite saw a way to become pure of heart, if not in body. She felt that it was her duty, because she loved Armand so much, to do this even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantly returned to her former life, knowing that some day Armand would forgive her. Sadly, she died in debt and basically alone, except for her one female friend, Julie Duprat, who helped her during her illness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death, explaining why she had made the choices she had. I think Dumass last few lines about Marguerite being the exception, not the rule were quite true, and I also agreed with his view that while her lifestyle could not be condoned, we as a society assume that all of these type of women are cold and heartless, while this may not always be the case. A person can make the wrong choices in life when they are young, and try to redeem themselves, but sometimes past situations prevent them from changing their lives, even though they desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and women in many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime; drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems; poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact, which exists in the whole society.
As far as the other characters in the book, I think Marguerite was right in saying that no one truly cared about her, but only wanted something from her, the only exceptions being Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course, the Comte de G. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke needed to “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could never replace his dead daughter. If he truly cared, he could have helped her leave her lifestyle without “keeping” her himself. And lastly, Prudence was a blood-sucking leech who used Marguerite almost worse than the men. I also think she was jealous of the fact that Marguerite had so much more courage than herself and someone truly loved her.
“Camille”
I read the Chinese version of “Camille” a few years ago. At that time I was deeply moved by the main character Marguerite Gautier. “Camille” or “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas， fils， is the story of Marguerite Gautier， a young courtesan， or kept woman， in Paris in the mid 1800's， and how she falls in love with a young man， Armand Duval， and then tries to escape from her questionable past. Unfortunately， it comes back to haunt her and she ends up returning to that life and dies painfully and alone， but with the knowledge that she was a noble woman at heart. When I first began to read the book， I did not care for Marguerite or her attitude or lifestyle， but as I got further into the narrative， I realized that her saucy attitude was a front to cover the lonely woman that she really was. She felt used， abused and unloved， until the gentle Armand Duval came into her life and showed her that he loved her as a person and not for what she could do for him. It must have taken GREat courage for Marguerite to leave the life she had lived for so long， knowing all along that it was probably too good to be true and would not last indefinitely. And it also showed that Marguerite really loved Armand Duval for she could even change herself for him.
However， happiness didn’t last for long. When M. Duval， Armand's father， came to her， pleading for her to leave Armand to save both Armand's reputation and that of his younger innocent sister， Marguerite saw a way to become pure of heart， if not in body. She felt that it was her duty， because she loved Armand so much， to do this even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantly returned to her former life， knowing that some day Armand would forgive her. Sadly， she died in debt and basically alone， except for her one female friend， Julie Duprat， who helped her during her illness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death， explaining why she had made the choices she had. I think Dumas's last few lines about Marguerite being the exception， not the rule were quite true， and I also aGREed with his view that while her lifestyle could not be condoned， we as a society assume that all of these type of women are cold and heartless， while this may not always be the case. A person can make the wrong choices in life when they are young， and try to redeem themselves， but sometimes past situations prevent them from changing their lives， even though they desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and women in many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime; drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems; poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact， which exists in the whole society.
As far as the other characters in the book， I think Marguerite was right in saying that no one truly cared about her， but only wanted something from her， the only exceptions being Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course， the Comte de G. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke needed to “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could never replace his dead daughter. If he truly cared， he could have helped her leave her lifestyle without “keeping” her himself. And lastly， Prudence was a blood-sucking leech who used Marguerite almost worse than the men. I also think she was jealous of the fact that Marguerite had so much more courage than herself and someone truly loved her.
Home Work of Reading Course 1
Number:1001021010
Name:
Major：
College: Building Construction
土木建筑学院
The name of English literature:
A.《Robinson Crouse》
B.《The book thief》
《Robinson Crouse》
Daniel Defoe，the writer of 《Robinson Course》was born in a merchant family in London in 1660. His novels were all finished at his senior age. The work《Robinson Crouse》
and《Mole Fronds》and so on significantly affected the development of fiction in Britain and even in Europe. He was also considered the “Father of Fiction in Britain and Europe”。 He was just a merchant before he wanted to write frictions and he had never though about being a wrier. He had ever managed his own business such as underwear production materials industry, alcohol and tobacco industry and so on. He experienced bankrupt and lots of failures, but never gave up until he was at an old age. Where he falls over himself, where he picks himself up. While managing corporation, he constantly participated in the politic activities at the same time. He was sent to prison several times by police because of his aggressive comments on the policy made by local government. The articles written by him were numerous as he joined in about five magazines, which showed his extreme energy. The success of this book is never a coincident that all his experiences provided the thoughts and skills that were needed. It was said that this book had been published many times less than 《Bible》. Now, it is praised as the first full-length novel in the literary history of Britain, which is a valuable contribution to the world literature.
《Robinson Crouse》was created when Defoe was inspired by a true story. In the 1800’s, there was an England sailor whose name was Alison; he once had a conflict with the captain, which was left on a small island. He had noting but sea and sand. With an amazing determination, he lived nearly five years and a half and eventually found and brought home by the famous navigator named Luis in 1771. This event was once a panic in society at that time. He did not do a few special things deserved great respect, instead, what the sailor just did was some things necessary for survival. In general, he performed negatively rather than positively. But what Defoe described was the represent of new class of capitalism which was an ideal hero who announced the importance of work and development. He was against just enjoying life and content with that people should be full of curiosity，the desire of conquer and the sprit of risk to develop outward, which proved the convention of western ocean civilization. This book highly praised the work sprite and quality of persistence in human being, which had created the new way for western realism.
The main plots of《Robinson Crouse》are introduced as follows:
Robinson Crusoe was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family. As he always wanted to travel around the world by sea, he did not listen to his father’s sincere
advice and left his home, becoming a crew of a ship. They were attacked by pirates somewhere near the shore of Africa. After that he became a slaver. The life of being a slaver was actually tough and upset that he could not bear. Finally, he got a chance and he grasped it and successfully escaped from that place. Fortunately, he was saved by a Spanish vessel on the way to Brazil. When he arrived at Brazil, he started to manage plantation and he made a great fortune. He made up his mind again to make a voyage as some people suggested him sailing to Africa for trading black slave. He was knocked down again by his inclination to go to the sea. This time was beginning of his unfortunate. The ship encountered a big storm that they had never seen before. With six days’ and nights’ blowing and trembling, the ship was finally all swallowed up. No one had a life exclude Robinson who was rushed to the beach of an unknown island by waves. Although he luckily survived but he at the same time faced the challenge he had never experienced. In order to make a living, he began to transmit things in the ship to the island including grain, cloth, tools and so on. With these materials, he started his life in the island alone. Living such a lonely life that no one talked to him and sometimes he did not say any word at all for about one week, he had to read《bible》to fulfill his sprit every day. However, with the amazing determination and persistent labor, he built his own house, gained grain, tamed goats and made cloth with animals’ leather. Later, he adopted a wild man as his servant and named him Friday. At the period of time, he experienced plenty of disturbances until a British ship came here and Robinson helped the captain to subdue the rebels. After that, he was picked up back to Britain where he had been away for 28 years. When he went back home, his parents had already passed away. Robinson resumed all the profits of his plantation in Brazil and gave part of them to people who had ever helped him.
One of the critics in Britain said: “If people want to grasp the sprit that is full of energy and confidence, nothing better than Defoe and ，《Robinson Crouse》. That is, as the classic adventure, doer and colonist, Robinson always has its valuable place in the history of didacticism.
《The Book Thief》
Everyone has the same start that he or she comes to the world crying and the same ending that is death. In the western myth, death is cold and chill with a long sickle in his hand
to reap lives and take people away from the noisy world. The relater inwritten by Markus Zusak was the death who wondered around the streets taking away lives as God told him. However, the death was not indifferent. He used his dark eyes staring at some people’s sprits. When he reaped people’s lives, he could become tender as well. There was one Germany girl called “The book thief” by him among all these sprits he focused on.
The girl’s name was Liesel Meminger. She had ever stolen six books totally and written a fiction < the book thief> according her own experience. That was the reason why the death called her “the book thief”。 The death was pretty tender to the girl: She lived a long life and finally passed away peacefully in her sweet sleeping. However, the death nearly took everybody’s life one by one around her: First, her father as a member of German Party was sent to the prison. Later, she watched her brother being killed who was only six years old; several years later, her adoptive parents were murdered by Germany soldiers. Rudy, a boy who smiled a lot and ran like a bird was killed as well.
Planes, tanks, bombs and so many other modern products were much more precise and efficient to take away lives, which made the death appear lots of times everyday. Dead bodies, wandering sprits and the busy death were the pictures described by this book. It was something to tell people that no truth in people’s life and death was the final meaning. And because of that the fiction also hid a question that where was the meaning of living when we faced the final existence of death? We can see from the book that the meaning doesn’t lie in the lifestyle of Hitler which is emphasizing struggling by oneself, standing on the top of the privilege and building his plan on dismissing others’ life. Living like this is worse than dyeing directly. Likewise, the meaning of life does not lie in giving up thinking about life, disposing of inner humanism and ignoring and insulting lives which are filled with weakness. These Nazi people ignored Jews who suffered a lot, which resulted in the final ending that their lives gradually became noting with development of the World War Two.
The massage 《The book thief》tries to convey is quite simple: It is the very reason that we can not resist death why the real stuff is the most valuable treasure God gives us. Every life, regardless of Germen or Jew and child or adult deserves to be respected equally. The girl’s name was Liesel Meminger who became an orphan after her father’s being caught, her brother’s death and his mother’s missing. What a great sorrow for such a little girl who was
only 9 years old. Inferiority, stubbornness, flimsiness and loneliness fill up her heart and she always longed for love and safety. She just wanted to get relief and suck the sprit energy from the words in the book stolen by her to prevent herself from loneliness. The life of Max Vandenburg who was a Jew deserved respect. In order to escape the ethnic cleaning, he had no way but lived a life in the basement of Beumer’s house like a mouse that could not exposed to the sunlight. What he eager for was a life with freedom and dignity. When residents of Hammill Block hid in the bomb shelter for safety, Max took a risk going out basement to see the moon though the window at which he hadn’t looked for nearly 22days without considering the threat from the air. He came back to the basement and wrote the beautiful but desperate sentence：“Stars lighted up my eyes while looking though out the window of Hammill Block.” The rights of being loved, living and freedom combined together and that is the respect to lives. They always shouted to love and concern which has surpassed concept of racial, sexism, age, blood relationship and so on. In, the doer was Liesel’s adoptive father-Hans Hubermann. He respected every life. He helped his adopted daughter to scatter the nightmare, strake her sorrow, teach her writing and reading and give her endless love. In spite of knowing about the dander of taking Jews in, he decided to protect Max Vandenburg as much as he could. When he watched Jews were captured by Germen on the street, he couldn’t help approaching and giving the old Jew a piece of loaf in his hand. He was beat heavily by the Germany soldiers because of that. The same thing happened when the person was Leisel’s adoptive mother, Rose Hubermann who had this kind of love as well. She yet couldn’t know a lot about her daughter’s inner world like his husband did, but she could hold her daughter’s hands firmly while the plane throwing bombs. The smart, strong and bold woman who brought the hot food to Max at the first time accepted him with her real action. This kind of parents had this kind of kid who’s like Liesel. She read books for people who hid in the shelter when bombs exploded outside in order to comfort them. She lived with Max and Bowman’s. They loved each other, cared each other and enjoyed mutual respect and emotion, finally becoming relatives who were bone of the bone and fresh as close as fresh and blood. She changed this kind of emotion as the deep sympathy to the whole Jews.
In, it was the war brought by Hitler that killed numerous people like the couple of Bowman as one hand, on the other hand, it was the people who ought to have
been already forgotten that survived with the help of Bowman. They were “the book thief” Liesel, Max and so on. On the one side, there was nonsense death and destruction going on, on the other side, love that resisted death and subdued death was being created. This was such a complex world that made death confused and moved deeply.
The Lady of the Camellias--Review After reading “The Lady of the Camellias” which was written by Alexandre Dumas,fils, I wanted to give my opinions on the book. Alexandre Dumas,fils, born in Paris in 1824, is considered as one of the most notable French dramatists of the nineteenth century. He was the illegitimate son of Alexandre Dumas.(father), the author of novels: The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. Dumas was raised by his seamstress mother, until his father legally recognized him and assumed responsibility for his care. But his father never recognized his mother. Therefore, someone think that Dumas expressed his great sympathy with his poor mother through this article. His illegitimacy caused him much unhappiness, both in private school and in college where he had few friends. At age of seventeen, he moved in with his father, soon adopted his extravagant lifestyle and fell into debt. One evening, at the theatre, he first met Marie Duplessis who had already famous in the demimonde for her beauty and ability to make men spend money on her. One day, out of the opera, he saw her coughing episode resulted in her spitting up blood. He suggested her to change her lifestyle, but she replied, "I should die. The exciting life keeps me alive". In order to change Duplessis’ lifestyle, He implied that she would get better if she did as what he said, and she finally agreed upon the condition. "You are not to spy on me, you are not to ask questions;
I shall live exactly as I please without giving you any account of what I do."
Finally, he decided to break up with her. He was on a trip to Spain and North Africa when he heard that she was gravely ill. He wrote to her, telling her that he would return and ask for her forgiveness. But he waited too long. Duplessis died of tuberculosis in 1846. Her tragic death, along with bitterness over his illegitimacy, inspires Dumas to write the novel The Lady of the Camellias, which are based on the Duplessis-Dumas affair. The name of the hero, Armand Duval, is a thin disguise for the author. Actually, Dumas tells the story in the third person as it was related to him by Armand Duval. Having read the English version of The Lady of the Camellias which was so attractive that I stayed up late to read this works every night I was deeply moved by the main character Marguerite Gautier for her poor status but noble heart. Let me tell you the tragic love story between Marguerite Gautier and Armand Duval. Marguerite Gautier was a young courtesan, in Paris in the mid 1800's. A However, Dumas found that Duplessis never try to give up the way she live in the past. He argued with her but it didn’t work. courtesan can't have the true love. But she falls in love with Armand Duval who is a middleclass young man and Armand loved Marguerite very much. “Now, I was in love with Marguerite. I had nothing more to ask of her. Nevertheless, though she was only a courtesan, I had anticipated for myself. Perhaps I poetize it a little, a hopeless love, that the nearer the moment approached Now. It seems that I am not handsome or rich or elegant enough to possess such a woman, now I was filled with vanity;
then I began to fear that Marguerite had no more caprice for me. And I said to myself since we have to part soon, it would be better not to keep her appointment, but to write and tell her my fears and leave her. From that I went on to unlimited hope, unbounded confidence. I dreamed incredible dreams of the future;
I said to myself that she should owe me her moral and physical recovery, that I should spend my whole life with her, and that her love should make me happier than all the maidenly loves in the world. Armand said to himself when he was waiting for meeting Marguerite. For Marguerite’s fragile physical state, she moves to the country. There in her new house, a confrontation between the jealous Armand and her rich admirers to（★）ok place. Finally, Marguerite made a choice between Armand and other admirers to show her love to Armand. After that, they lived a period of happy and peaceful life in the country. However, Armand began to become depressed for he found that he was not able to support his Marguerite daily life. Marguerite had sold her horses and diamonds for their life secretly. But Marguerite said “I love you ,and I want to do something for our love. You know I don’t need these luxurious things any more If I had you. We can use the money to buy a small house and live together forever.” When the happy future was approaching, the arrival of Armand’s father broke the peace. Armand’s father comes to plead for Marguerite to leave Armand so that she could save both his son's reputation and his younger innocent sister -- whom is also tainted by the scandal. He said “Miss, You love Armand, and the only way you will be able to show your love to him is to leave him. He sacrificed for the future of your love. What is the only way? That means you leave without saying anything. Marguerite found a way to become pure. She felt that it was her duty because she loved Armand so much even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She returned to Paris where she desperately throws herself back into her old lifestyle. Armand can't believe her left and look for her .finally he find she was in Paris in the arms of a new love. The two meet again in public. But now Armand was companied with an another beautiful courtesan and began to "paying court"
not with her but with her friend in order to strike back at Marguerite for his own pain. Facing with the great pain Armand brought to her, Marguerite said “The hurt you sought to do to me was your good opinion.” Marguerite visits Armand last time and Armand hoped they could get together again. But Marguerite is haunted by guilt that she can only harm Armand and keep her promise to his father -- she abandoned him again as he slept. Finally Marguerite died sadly and alone. At the end, Armand was given Marguerite's diary in which he finally learned her illness and her undying love for him along with the extent of anguish. He was deeply painful. Marguerite never came back. After finished the book, I found that Marguerite was right in saying that no one truly cared about her, but only wanted something from her because she was just a poor courtesan. the only exceptions were Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course, the Comte de G. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke needed to “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could never replace his dead daughter. So when she met Armand who could give her true love, She gave all her love in return at the cost of her happiness and life. But the ruthless society didn’t allow Marguerite to get her own happiness no matter how much effort she had made. Eventually, Marguerite, a beautiful and innocent courtesan died on a cold winter. A nice and pure camellia withered away in the world.
However, happiness didn’t last for long. When M. Duval, Armand’s father, came to her, pleading for her to lea一ve Armand to sa一ve both Armand’s reputation and that of his younger innocent sister, Marguerite saw a way to become pure of heart, if not in body. She felt that it was her duty, because she loved Armand so much, to do this even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantly returned to her former life, knowing that some day Armand would forgive her. Sadly, she died in deb一t and basically alone, except for her one female friend, Julie Duprat, who helped her during her illness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death, explaining why she had made the choices she had.
I think Dumas’s last few lines about Marguerite being the exception, not the rule were quite true, and I also aGREed with his view that while her lifestyle could not be condoned, we as a society assume that all of these type of women are cold and heartless, while this may not always be the case. A person can make the wrong choices in life when they are young, and try to redeem themselves, but sometimes past situations prevent them from changing their lives, even though they desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and women in many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime; drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems; poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact, which exists in the whole society.
I read the Chinese version of “Camille” a few years ago. At that time I was deeply moved by the main character Marguerite Gautier. “Camille” or “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas, fils, is the story of Marguerite Gautier, a young courtesan, or kept woman, in Paris in the mid 1800's, and how she falls in love with a young man, Armand Duval, and then tries to escape from her questionable past. Unfortunately, it comes back to haunt her and she ends up returning to that life and dies painfully and alone, but with the knowledge that she was a noble woman at heart. When I first began to read the book, I did not care for Marguerite or her attitude or lifestyle, but as I got further into the narrative, I realized that her saucy attitude was a front to cover the lonely woman that she really was. She felt used, abused and unloved, until the gentle Armand Duval came into her life and showed her that he loved her as a person and not for what she could do for him. It must have taken great courage for Marguerite to leave the life she had lived for so long, knowing all along that it was probably too good to be true and would not last indefinitely. And it also showed that Marguerite really loved Armand Duval for she could even change herself for him.
However, happiness didn’t last for long. When M. Duval, Armand's father, came to her, pleading for her to leave Armand to save both Armand's reputation and that of his younger innocent sister, Marguerite saw a way to become pure of heart, if not in body. She felt that it was her duty, because she loved Armand so much, to do this even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantly returned to her former life, knowing that some day Armand would forgive her. Sadly, she died in debt and basically alone, except for her one female friend, Julie Duprat, who helped her during her illness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death, explaining why she had made the choices she had. I think Dumas's last few lines about Marguerite being the exception, not the rule were quite true, and I also agreed with his view that while her lifestyle could not be condoned, we as a society assume that all of these type of women are cold and heartless, while this may not always be the case. A person can make the wrong choices in life when they are young, and try to redeem themselves, but sometimes past situations prevent them from changing their lives, even though they desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and women in many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime; drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems; poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact, which exists in the whole society.
As far as the other characters in the book, I think Marguerite was right in saying that no one truly cared about her, but only wanted something from her, the only exceptions being Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course, the Comte de G. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke needed to “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could never replace his dead daughter. If he truly cared, he could have helped her leave her lifestyle without “keeping” her himself. And lastly, Prudence was a blood-sucking leech who used Marguerite almost worse than the men. I also think she was jealous of the fact that Marguerite had so much more courage than herself and someone truly loved her.
Last morning, when tiding my bookshelf, I took this book out of the shelf, and a dried flower flew away from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. a dried flower flew away from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. I held it against the morning light and blew on it. The soft breeze carried it away. Camille is just like the camellia, she could never escape from the destiny of withering. But it wasn’t her fault; it’s because of the evil of Capitalism and the hideousness of that society.
Suddenly, I remembered a saying: “Women are like the flowers”。 Those pretty women are like those beautiful flowers; their delicate beauty makes people feel they are the miracle of life. However, even the God envies their beauty. It seems that beautiful women always have tragic endings. As we are normal persons, even we can see the hideousness of humanity that results in their fate of withering, we can at most ask quietly in our hearts: Where have those beautiful flowers gone? Where have they gone?
“Camille”
I read the Chinese version of “Camille” a few years ago. At that time I was deeply moved by the main character Marguerite Gautier. “Camille” or “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas, fils, is the story of Marguerite Gautier, a young courtesan, or kept woman, in Paris in the mid 1800’s, and how she falls in love with a young man, Armand Duval, and then tries to escape from her questionable past. Unfortunately, it comes back to haunt her and she ends up returning to that life and dies painfully and alone, but with the knowledge that she was a noble woman at heart. When I first began to read the book, I did not care for Marguerite or her attitude or lifestyle, but as I got further into the narrative, I realized that her saucy attitude was a front to cover the lonely woman that she really was. She felt used, abused and unloved, until the gentle Armand Duval came into her life and showed her that he loved her as a person and not for what she could do for him. It must have taken GREat courage for Marguerite to leave the life she had lived for so long, knowing all along that it was probably too good to be true and would not last indefinitely. And it also showed that Marguerite really loved Armand Duval for she could even change herself for him.
However, happiness didn’t last for long. When M. Duval, Armand’s father, came to her, pleading for her to leave Armand to save both Armand’s reputation and that of his younger innocent sister, Marguerite saw a way to become pure of heart, if not in body. She felt that it was her duty, because she loved Armand so much, to do this even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantly returned to her former life, knowing that some day Armand would forgive her. Sadly, she died in debt and basically alone, except for her one female friend, Julie Duprat, who helped her during her illness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death, explaining why she had made the choices she had. I think Dumas’s last few lines about Marguerite being the exception, not the rule were quite true, and I also aGREed with his view that while her lifestyle could not be condoned, we as a society assume that all of these type of women are cold and heartless, while this may not always be the case. A person can make the wrong choices in life when they are young, and try to redeem themselves, but sometimes past situations prevent them from changing their lives, even though they desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and women in many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime; drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems; poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact, which exists in the whole society.
As far as the other characters in the book, I think Marguerite was right in saying that no one truly cared about her, but only wanted something from her, the only exceptions being Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course, the Comte de G. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke needed to “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could never replace his dead daughter. If he truly cared, he could have helped her leave her lifestyle without “keeping” her himself. And lastly, Prudence was a blood-sucking leech who used Marguerite almost worse than the men. I also think she was jealous of the fact that Marguerite had so much more courage than herself and someone truly loved her.
Last morning, when tiding my bookshelf, I took this book out of the shelf, and a dried flower flew away from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. a dried flower flew away from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. I held it against the morning light and blew on it. The soft breeze carried it away. Camille is just like the camellia, she could never escape from the destiny of withering. But it wasn’t her fau< it’s because of the evil of Capitalism and the hideousness of that society.
Suddenly, I remembered a saying: “Women are like the flowers”。 Those pretty women are like those beautiful flowers; their delicate beauty makes people feel they are the miracle of life. However, even the God envies their beauty. It seems that beautiful women always have tragic endings. As we are normal persons, even we can see the hideousness of humanity that results in their fate of withering, we can at most ask quietly in our hearts: Where have those beautiful flowers gone? Where have they gone?
Those Beautiful Flowers
---Book Review: “Camille” I read the Chinese version of“Camille” a few years ago. At that time I was deeply moved by themain character Marguerite Gautier. “Camille” or “The Lady of theCamellias” by Alexandre Dumas, fils, is the story of MargueriteGautier, a young courtesan, or kept woman, in Paris in the mid1800s, and how she falls in love with a young man, Armand Duval,and then tries to escape from her questionable past. Unfortunately,it comes back to haunt her and she ends up returning to that lifeand dies painfully and alone, but with the knowledge that she was anoble woman at heart.
When I first began to read the book, I didnot care for Marguerite or her attitude or lifestyle, but as I gotfurther into the narrative, I realized that her saucy attitude wasa front to cover the lonely woman that she really was. She feltused, abused and unloved, until the gentle Armand Duval came intoher life and showed her that he loved her as a person and not forwhat she could do for him. It must have taken great courage forMarguerite to leave the life she had lived for so long, knowing allalong that it was probably too good to be true and would not lastindefinitely. And it also showed that Marguerite really lovedArmand Duval for she could even change herself for him. However, happiness didn’t lastfor long.
When M. Duval, Armands father, came to her, pleading forher to leave Armand to save both Armands reputation and that ofhis younger innocent sister, Marguerite saw a way to become pure ofheart, if not in body. She felt that it was her duty, because sheloved Armand so much, to do this even though it meant giving up herown happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantlyreturned to her former life, knowing that some day Armand wouldforgive her. Sadly, she died in debt and basically alone, exceptfor her one female friend, Julie Duprat, who helped her during herillness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death,explaining why she had made the choices she had. I think Dumasslast few lines about Marguerite being the exception, not the rulewere quite true, and I also agreed with his view that while herlifestyle could not be condoned, we as a society assume that all ofthese type of women are cold and heartless, while this may notalways be the case.
A person can make the wrong choices in lifewhen they are young, and try to redeem themselves, but sometimespast situations prevent them from changing their lives, even thoughthey desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and womenin many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime;drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems;poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact, which exists inthe whole society. As far as the other charactersin the book, I think Marguerite was right in saying that no onetruly cared about her, but only wanted something from her, the onlyexceptions being Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course, the Comte deG. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke neededto “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could neverreplace his dead daughter.
If he truly cared, he could have helpedher leave her lifestyle without “keeping” her himself. And lastly,Prudence was a blood-sucking leech who used Marguerite almost worsethan the men. I also think she was jealous of the fact thatMarguerite had so much more courage than herself and someone trulyloved her.Last morning, when tiding my bookshelf, I took this book out of theshelf, and a dried flower flew away from the book. It was paleblue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. a dried flower flewaway from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thinfine veins. I held it against the morning light and blew on it. Thesoft breeze carried it away. Camille is just likethe camellia, she could never escape from the destiny of withering.But it wasn’t her fault; it’s because of the evil of Capitalism andthe hideousness of that society.
Suddenly, I remembered asaying: “Women are like the flowers”。 Those pretty women are likethose beautiful flowers; their delicate beauty makes people feelthey are the miracle of life. However, even the God envies theirbeauty. It seems that beautiful women always have tragic endings.As we are normal persons, even we can see the hideousness ofhumanity that results in their fate of withering, we can at mostask quietly in our hearts: Where have those beautiful flowers gone?Where have they gone?