【99-1 佳作】應外三 張〇儀：The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye

參賽者：張〇儀（應外三）
名次：佳作
書名：The Bluest Eye
得獎作品：

     The marigolds are nowhere to be found in Lorain, Ohio in 1941, not because the seeds were planted too deeply but something terrible happened to Pecola Breedlove. The land is being hostile to certain kinds of flowers to keep them from being alive, just like the society to certain kinds of peoples.

     Pecola, an 11-year-old African American girl, is living a hard life. Pecola’s father, Cholly, is a man of drunkenness and violence. Her mother, Pauline, looks down on and feels ashamed of her own family. Sam, Pecola’s brother, keeps running away from home in response to the disharmony in the house. The Breedlove family are labelled as the ugly one. Being neglected and humiliated, Pecola, who lives without self-esteem, fervently longs for a pair of blue eyes, blue enough to run away from unfairness, to raise affection, and to embrace the happiness.

     Looking into Pecola’s haunted eyes, eyes haunted by the blue eyes, Cholly feels helpless. Racism deprives Pecola of the happiness she deserves as a child. Cholly himself is impotent as a father. He rapes her own daughter out of a combination of love and hate. After he rapes her for the secod time, Pecola is pregnant and moves to the edge of the town. No one shows compassion for Pecola except for Claudia and Frieda. They try to look for eyes creased with concern, but in vain. At last, they decide to make a miracle, planting flower seeds. If the flowers bloom, the miracle will happen, and Pecola's baby will survive. However, the marigolds never bloom.

     Everyone is born with his/her own unique beauty. However, people are always obssesed with fashion and internalized by some kinds of popular ideology of the society, for example, the grade school reading primer Dick and Jane, decribing an model bourgeois family, contrasted to Pecola’s existence; in Pecola’s case, the blue eyes of the white people, or simply whiteness. For Pauline, whiteness is beauty, which is why she loves the white girl more than her own girl, revealing her earnest assimilation to the white bourgeios culture. And for Pecola, blue eyes mean acceptance. Both of them are internalized and huanted by the white-oriented ideology. They are the victims of racism.

     However, not every sin comes from the outside world. Claudia’s self-assertion is a perfect contrast to Pecola’s self-abhorrence. Claudia’s parents are stern but loving. Her mother takes good care of her when she is ill. Her father stands out for her when she is in difficulty. Familial, or more specifically, parental support, that Pecola lacks of, still counts. Claudia is well-raised. She does not follow like a sheep, and she approves and accepts her own culture by showing her severe loathing for Shirley Temple and white baby dolls. It seems that Pecola’s tragedy could be predictable from the very beginning.

     In The Bluest Eye, prejudice of skin colors has ruined the fairness. Everyone is created equal and should not judged by their colors. People are not supposed to depreciate themselves because the bluest eyes may not see the fairest world.

【99-1 佳作】法學一 張〇安：Harvest

Harvest

參賽者：張〇安（法學一）
名次：佳作
書名：Harvest
得獎作品：

     A very good friend of mine had strongly suggested that I read this book, “ Harvest” by Tess Gerritsen, ever since she started the book. She told me that it was the first book in so many years that made her felt that she would rather die of exhaustion than put the book down. I just had to see for myself. And after the first few chapters, I can tell that my friend is not exaggerating at all.

     This book revolves around a second-year medical resident, Abby Matteo, who seemed to have a bright future because she was just tapped as a potential recruit for the hospital’s cardiac transplant team. But all dreams for a great future popped like a bubble when she made the decision to give the only available heart to a poor fourteen-year-old boy who was the first alternative rather than a rich old lady whose husband has seemingly all the power in the world. This move started all her troubles, and the dirty truth behind the whole system is unveiled. Abby and her friend vowed to discover the truth. However, just like every dirty system in the world, this doesn’t allow anyone disturbing its existence either. And as the main characters dig deeper and deeper into the core, they’re also digging their tombs bigger and bigger. Finally, they’ve uncovered the shocking truth, all the people that they trusted, even the husband of Abby, are the masterminds behind the whole scheme. Even though both of the main characters survived at the end of the day, it still leaves me panting and gasping at every turn of a page.

     After reading this book, it leaves me thinking. Is it really true that rich people can get away with everything just as long as they chuck in stashes of cash? Although in the very end, the rich wrongdoers were rounded up, but if it wasn’t for Abby Matteo and her friend’s determination to dig up the truth, it wouldn’t have happened. What if in real life, there really are places where dirty activities is happening and there is nobody there to speak up for us? Will we, people who are less financially powerful, become sitting ducks when we accidentally get in the rich and wealthy’s way? These are all very scary thoughts, however, it is very likely that these things really are going on around the world, and yet, there’s hardly anything we can do to change it. After reading this book, I’ve grown more certain of my decision to major in law, and I’ve vowed to dedicate my career to uncovering the deepest and darkest secrets of mankind.

     All in all, this book is definitely a wonderful read. It didn’t become “the phenomenal New York Times bestseller” for nothing. I would most certainly recommend it to anyone who has a lot of time on his or her hands. Why? Well, this book isn’t one that you can stop whenever you want. You would stop only when you finish it, plus, there is no guarantee that you would read it only once. Trust me, this book, is just that good!

【99-1 優等】應外四 鍾〇樑：The Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher

參賽者：鍾〇樑（應外四）
名次：優等
書名：The Fall of the House of Usher
得獎作品：

     The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, and it sees from the first point of view, the Narrator. The Narrator surprisingly got a letter from his boyhood mate, Roderick Usher, invited him to accompany him. As the Narrator arrived the House, strange things started to creep out. Roderick's sister Madeline was severely sick and died at the first few days of the Narrator's visit. Soon he found out Roderick was suffering from unknown mental illness. After buried Madeline in the family vault under the House. Roderick kept fearing that they buried her alive. One day, when the Narrator tried to read a story to calm Roderick, spooky noises echoed around the House and push the whole storyline to the climax. They were horrified to see Madeline stood there at the threshold, with a freshly bloodied white gown. She cried and rushed toward her brother and then the Narrator saw two corpses on the ground. He dashed out the House and witnessed the House felt apart and devoured by the tarn.

     After reading Poe's works, I fall in love with his delicate depictions of human mental process, mostly madness. The horror elements in his stories are mysterious and fascinating. We can never tell what is actually right but everyone can have his own interpretation. In this one, Poe uses mirror to create the ambiguity between life and death, sanity and madness, man and woman. When Madeline was alive, the description was ghost-like. After Madeline was dead, the description became vividly alive. It seems like death brought her strength to fight back. And the Narrator entered the House with awe as well as fear. Roderick's illness somehow frightened him as well as inspire him. Maybe the Narrator was undergoing psychological change. I cannot tell whether he was mad or not. It has many possibilities await to be uncovered. As twins, the Roderick and Madeline somehow shared a connection, both alike and different. Roderick's self-fulfilling prophecy gave Madeline the power to break the tomb. They cannot be separated as individuals. The traditional identity of man and woman chained both of them. Roderick was talented while Madeline was weak and self-closing.

     At the same time, the title can refer to the actual collapse of the House and also the “fall” means the fall to the evil. In the middle of the story, a verse called “The Haunted Palace” indicated the evil things penetrated the palace like a ghastly river. And the king – Thought was decayed by the evil. The final story which the Narrator told Roderick was a foreshadow of the ending. The fall of the shield refers to the fall of the House. Poe's depiction foreshadowed the fate of the House and the people who lived in. He created dreary but interesting elements to support his story. Although many critics criticize Poe's similarity plot designs in every work but still, he is one of the greatest American writer in history. Poe opened a window to the dark but he didn't block the light. He left us to explore its wonders.

【99-1 特優】經濟二B 張〇瑄：Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

參賽者：張〇瑄（經濟二B）
名次：特優
書名：Pride and Prejudice
得獎作品：

     There is nothing quite like reading a novel that draws upon the slow growth of affection between two people while encountering the obstacles that fall in their way. Obstacles such as money, social class, reputation, and parental agreement were common barriers in Victorian-day marriage. These problems can be identified in Jane Austen’s six literary works: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Emma, and Mansfield Park. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy encounter obstacles of prejudice, social class, and arrogance. Although Jane Austen led a quiet life, her observant eyes recorded down in her novels even the most intricate events that happened to her. Jane Austen’s most celebrated work, Pride and Prejudice, provides a glimpse of social concerns in eighteenth century England and themes that still apply today in our daily lives.

     Living in a time of change and revolutions, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice dealt with social concerns of the upper class and lower class people in England. Women’s education in eighteenth century England was limited and was not organized (www.pemberly.com). There were three jobs women could have: become a wife, a governess, or a spinster. Jane Austen, who was mostly self- educated, had “little respect for formal education” (Todd 3). Schools and universities such as Eton, Oxford and Cambridge did not welcome women, and took in only men as students (www.pemberly.com). Since women had no real careers, and were expected to take on domestic responsibilities, there was little movement for a formal female education system. Yet, domestic responsibilities were the job for the servants in Pride and Prejudice, where Mrs. Bennet states her daughters are too “genteel” to be working in the kitchen (www.pemberly.com). Drawing, playing music and singing were considered to be women’s primary accomplishments (www.pemberly.com). Elizabeth Bennet is represented as a woman who is well-read, not very skilled at the piano, but has good taste in music; yet, she is not pictured as a woman with formal education. Elizabeth, without a governess was self- educated (MacDonagh 94). Elizabeth’s sister Mary, however, did not represent intelligence even though she was a profound reader. She represented “false accomplishment” having no talent in playing the piano or singing as well as trying to impress others to an unnecessary extent (MacDonagh 95). Jane intended to say that even the educated are fools if they do not use information with aptitude (Todd 3).

     Other social concerns, such as marriage and courtship, resonated in Victorian England of the eighteenth century, where social gatherings took place on the dance floor (Nicolson 26). In Pride and Prejudice, dances were held regularly where the protagonist and antagonist would meet and become acquainted. Caroline Bingley once stated: "A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word" (Austen 35). Illustrating that accomplishments, reputation, and also wealth were factors that were considered for eligibility (www.pemberly.com). Mr. Wickham, a poor soldier, started to show attention to Miss King when he heard she had just inherited 5000 pounds from her uncle. Wickham’s lust for money pressed him into marrying her just for her wealth. In addition, reputation was important when a lady was considered for marriage. When Lydia eloped with Mr. Wickham, illegitimate marriage was considered to be serious in England. Lydia’s elopement tarnished the Bennet family’s reputation and disgraced them, preventing them from finding good husbands in the future. “Lydia- the humiliation, the misery, she was bringing on them all” (Austen 231). Jane Austen often commented in her novels about events that were happening to her about the informal education for women and marriage.

     Along with the social concerns of the Victorian era, in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen incorporated the theme of first impressions and love. Judging people based on first impressions leaded to many misunderstandings. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a proud man, made judgments on people the second he meets them: “My good opinion once lost is lost forever” (Austen 50). When Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth met for the first time, he refused to dance with her because he felt she was “slighted by other men” (Austen 12). Since Elizabeth was not dancing, it meant she was not wanted by any other men. Elizabeth, however, was not dancing because there was a scarcity of men in the room (Austen 11). As time progressed, Mr. Darcy, overlooked his prejudice, and found Elizabeth attractive due to her intelligence and the beauty in her “fine eyes” (Austen 25). Mr. Darcy realized that his affections for Elizabeth were growing stronger, which resulted in his marriage proposal later on. Mr. Darcy’s good opinion may not always be lost forever.

     Elizabeth was quick to judge others or bear immediate dislike upon first impressions of others. Similarly, at the ball, Elizabeth set down her first impressions against Mr. Darcy based on what she has seen and heard. Elizabeth overheard Mr. Bingley suggesting that Darcy should dance with Elizabeth, whom he comments to be “very pretty” (Austen 12). Mr. Darcy refused, saying “she is tolerable, but not enough to tempt [him]” (Austen 12). At this point, Elizabeth, unimpressed and piqued, declared Mr. Darcy to be a proud and disagreeable man. Mr. Darcy’s refusal to dance with anyone he considered to be low class caused Elizabeth to dislike Mr. Darcy. As a result, she bore a grudge from this ‘first impression’. Elizabeth’s dislike for Mr. Darcy heightens at the arrival of Mr. Wickham who related to her about his past misfortunes with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth’s prejudice blinded her which made her vulnerable and accepted any comments spoken about Mr. Darcy. When Mr. Darcy had a chance to explain himself against all the lies that were spoken against him, Elizabeth’s prejudice was erased. Elizabeth, who prided herself at her skillful judgment of others, realized how mistaken she was.

     In Pride and Prejudice, the theme of love is dealt in two different ways. Love, resonating throughout the whole book, is powerful and can overcome all obstacles that fall in the way. The biggest obstacle is the separation of the upper class and the middle class is evident. The Darcys, Bingleys, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh are part of the upper class while the Bennets belong to the middle class. From the beginning of the book, Austen emphasized the prejudices and the tensions that go on between these two classes. The upper class, especially Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley, treated the middle class with inferiority. Mr. Darcy gave the impression he wants nothing to do with the lower class people having once declared at a dance: “There is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with” (Austen 12). He was a proud man, and constantly aware of whom he socialized with. For the Bennets, associating with the upper class is their dream in hopes of obtaining a marriage proposal. Though there are many obstacles between these two classes, Austen showed how true love can surmount any pride, prejudices, and any other tensions. At the end of the book, she ended off with two happy marriages of Elizabeth and Darcy, and Jane and Mr. Bingley.

     True love can be forsaken if there is money involved in the process. The middle class, Bennet girls have a mindset of marrying a wealthy man. In eighteenth century England, daughters of the family had no share of the inheritance at all. Hence, it was imperative that the daughter be married into a wealthy man to secure a home and her future. An example of this mindset is Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins. Charlotte Lucas has no affection or love for Mr. Collins: “I ask only for a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collin’s character, connections, and situations in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair…” (Austen 108). She sacrificed true love in exchange for reassurance that she will not live in poverty. Mr. Wickham is another example of marrying for wealth. When Miss King inherited 5000 pounds from her uncle, Mr. Wickham started to pay close attention to her in hopes of obtaining her affection (Austen 132). Mr. Wickham did not love her; he just wanted to be the master of that money when he is married to her. He was willing to do anything just to obtain those 5000 pounds. Love, when spoken on terms with money, cannot be regarded as genuine.

     To fully appreciate Pride and Prejudice, it is imperative to understand the life of the author, Jane Austen, the social concerns of eighteenth century England, and themes that still exist today. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have a change in character as they realize their past mistakes. Elizabeth started to notice positive attributes Mr. Darcy possessed while Mr. Darcy became friendlier. Elizabeth affections grew for Mr. Darcy and she accepted his second proposal. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as well as Jane and Mr. Bingley both find happiness in their marriages because of true love existing between them. Therefore, it is universally acknowledged that even though obstacles fall in the way of a relationship, love is so powerful it can overcome anything.

【98-2 第二回 佳作】應外三 鍾錦樑：Reflection on Doctor Faustus

Reflection on Doctor Faustus

參賽者：鍾錦樑（應外三）
名次：佳作
書名：Doctor Faustus
得獎作品：

     Christopher Marlow’s Doctor Faustus is not only a masterpiece in the English Literature but also a perfect reflection on human nature. We all have desires so we do whatever it takes to fulfill and pursue them no matter what the results are. A tragedy often has a tragic hero who will lead the situation to destruction. Doctor Faustus is qualified as a tragic hero because of his desiring for knowledge and reputation which finally led him to destruction.

     Like every other scholars, Doctor Faustus tried hard to understand the mystery of human knowledge and dare to challenge the limitation. Not satisfied with his studies, he began to use dark magic to make up for the insufficiency of his knowledge. He feared for the unknown world yet he was fascinated by it. Summoning Mephistophilis, he gave his afterlife to Lucifer in return for 24 years to live. His arrogant of pursuing knowledge blinded his thoughts and made him choose the dark magic. And his desire was so strong that forced him to ignore the good angel of his heart. There were two angels lived inside Faustus’ mind, good and evil. Because he could not control his desire, he followed the evil in exchange for long live. Although he only asked for 24 years, the ideas came out as people pursuing immortality. Most of us don’t want to age and then die. That’s why we fear the unknown world but at the same time crazy about it.

     Such characteristic followed him to the end of the play and he failed to repent. His pride represents the superiority of human being. We often think that we cannot end miserably due to our intelligence of everything but the simple fact is that we have to change for the better. Most people don’t regret even before their deaths. At the end of the play the devils tore Faustus apart and left him be damned in hell because of his hubris. This was Doctor Faustus’ tragic flaw. He refused to change and this personality drove him to insanity but not eternity he had searched for.

     The playwright gave us a warning by the story of Doctor Faustus. To err is human. We cannot force too much on pursuing the desires. Even though we make mistakes, we can still repent and start over. Nothing is doomed to death. We think we know everything and are the mightiest but the fact is that we still have a lot to learn from the world. Doctor Faustus shows the extremity of pride and desire. Christopher Marlow used beautiful words to represent the scholastic knowledge of Faustus. The moral issues lie deep under the words waiting for discovery. Everyone has a Doctor Faustus inside his heart. But we have to know ourselves like we know Doctor Faustus. We never know what our fates are but one thing is for sure, that is we always have choices to make. Try our best to make the changes right!

【98-2 第二回 優等】行政二B 宋艾玲：The Gift - Danielle Steel

The Gift - Danielle Steel

參賽者：宋艾玲（行政二B）
名次：優等
書名：The Gift
得獎作品：

     The story happened during 1950s, in a small mid-western town near Chicago. Another part of story took place on a tree- lined street in the heartland of America.

     The Gift is a very powerful love story. It doesn’t, however, only talk about love between a boy and a girl. The story highlighted love in the family, between a mother and her children, between husband and wife, among friends and even between strangers. The author successfully created a simple story that will influence readers to believe in the magic of love and to just keep on believing.

     The conflict in the story was resolved when the two dissimilar families that came from different places, which just like a parallel line that will never have an intersect point, met together and their lives became connected somehow. In the begging, the Whittaker family is a perfect and full of happiness family. After Annie, the youngest child, died from an accident on the day of Christmas, everything changes a hundred eighty degree. The family broken down and every one walk their own way of life. There’s no laughter in the house, no celebrating of any holiday, and not even sit together in one table for a meal. Another family, a teenage girl- Mari Beth Robertson’s life was going to be shattered because she got pregnant out of marriage.

     The Whittakers lost a precious gift of life while Mari Beth lost her life when she got pregnant. Mari Beth left her baby to the Whittakers as a gift of love because it was the wisest decision she can have. They helped to give Mari Beth her life back by assisting her in schoolwork and building her self- confidence by simply believing in her.

     The courage of a person is really important for choosing the way you want to go in life. Whatever choice the person takes, she or him self need to have the responsibility to handle the things that would happen after. If I was in Mari Beth’s situation, I don’t think I’ll do the same thing- to face the truth. There’s possibility I might suicide or make myself become a depraved person or perhaps I will like Mari Beth face the problem and solved it. Everything can be change so fast just like a snap of the fingers. No one knows what event or adventure will come next minute of life, when it’s there…it’s there! Any problem in life there’s a solution to solve, and it’s just depended on whether you want to solve or not.

     I have learned many things from this special story. Some lessons are hurtful enough to make a reader cry while others make the heart full with happiness. I learned more about love and hatred, about living and dying, and about the meaning of getting gifts and giving gifts.

     The story helped me realize some truths like life becomes beautiful when you keep love in your heart or that dying is not the end of life. I also appreciate how the main characters showed good attitudes like humility, patience, honesty, positive thinking, and unselfishness. It influences readers to emulate them.

     The most touching part in the story for me is a quote goes like this, “It’s like some people just come through our lives to bring us something, a gift, a blessing, a lesson we need to learn, and that’s why they’re here. After giving the gift then they’re free to move on and you’ll have that gift forever.” This is a very inspiring quote and it teaches us about accepting some circumstances and Letting it go.

【98-2 第二回 特優】企管三B 陳綺雯：Book Review on “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold

Book Review on “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold

參賽者：陳綺雯（企管三B）
名次：特優
書名：The Lovely Bones
得獎作品：

“The Lovely Bones” begins with an “end” – Death.

     Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in 1973, narrated a thrilling and heart-stirring tale full of surprises and hope. Her wish was to become a biological photographer, but her dream never comes true as she was then in heaven observing how her death had affected her loved ones’ lives in the world of mortals. She was alive in her own perfect world – where she got everything she ever wanted simply by thinking of it. However, there was one wish that heaven could never fulfill her - to be back in life and live with her loved ones.

     Several weeks after the tragedy, all the things went wrong. Her father kept on unrelentingly looking for clues to find the murderer and while trying to forget the pain and emptiness inside her heart, her mother was involved in an extramarital affair. Her sister Lindsay, hardened herself so that not to get hurt from rumors from her schoolmates and Buckley, her little brother, tried to grasp the meaning of death.

     When Mr. Harvey, the murderer and also their neighbor, tried to cover his tracks, Susie wished nothing more but an immediate death of him. But then her family was broken apart with her mother leaving and her father hurt himself while struggling to find out the truth. Susie finally realized that hatred never brings any good, only love and cherish can mend broken hearts. Through care, inspiration and growing understanding, Susie saw her loved ones passed through grief and began to recover as time passed.

     I believe every story has its own underlying message for its readers. A good ending is always something like “The evil will not triumph over the virtuous, and the Prince and Princess living together happily forever and ever”, but “The Lovely Bones” conveys another message that a good ending can be different. It can be like the evil were meted with punishments and those who suffered can also manage a happy life no matter what they have gone through.

     Before I start reading the book, I was curious about the title – what does “The Lovely Bones” literally mean? When I finished, I realized that the “bones” actually mean the connections which had “grown” around Susie’s absence, sometimes tenuous and sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent. The events that happened after she was gone were “bones” of a body that would finally become whole at some time. I finished the book not long before my grandmother passed away. I come to understand that what will be will be and all things has its own way, we cannot change them but we can change our thoughts towards all these “bones” that grown after them.

     We often take everything we have as granted and would only realize that someone or something is important until we lose them. Every person we met in our lives means something to us. It is destined. I hope all of us can learn how to love and care about others, so that we will not have regrets whatever happens to us - good or bad. And one thing I believe is that no matter what difficulties we may encounter, we can overcome with the love and support of the family members and friends and we must have confidence in our loved ones in time of needs.