【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.

【98-1 第一回 佳作】應外三 曾佳彥：Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go

參賽者：曾佳彥（應外三）
名次：佳作
書名：Never Let Me Go
得獎作品：

     In what ways do we identify ourselves? In what ways are we different from the others? In the novel Never Let Me Go, the leading character, Kathy, says at the end that Hailsham is “something no one can take away.” It’s important for her to seek out donors who are “from the past,” “people from Hailsham.” It was because Hailsham stood for her precious childhood. She grew up with her two best friends, Ruth, and Tommy, at Hailsham. Even though she had left there for years, her memories of Hailsham never went away. For them cloned humans, they shared the same fate—becoming donors at last to end up their lives. It’s what all of them had to face. There’s no special treatment to anyone. Under this circumstance, Kathy had to find a way to identify herself, to know who she was, and to know what she owned but the others didn’t. Hailsham was where she was brought up. Hailsham made her special. The time in Hailsham was the most unforgettable to her. Hailsham represented her personality, her dignity, and her life. And it’s something no one can take away from her.

     In my opinion, Never Let Me Go is, indeed, a novel of tragedy. The cloned humans were reproduced to save the “normal” humans’ lives. They couldn’t have their freedom of living longer. They couldn’t make a choice on what they wanted to become except a carer or a donor. They were humans, but they weren’t like us. They didn’t have human rights. They were more close to animals. We took what organs we needed from their bodies, almost like we did on animals. One day we develop a more advanced and scientific world, we won’t need them. They won’t mean anything to us. They’ll be like rubbish in this world. I was touched by what Madame had said in Chapter Twenty-Two, “And I saw a little girl, her eyes tightly closed, holding to her breast the old kind world, one that she knew in her heart could not remain, and she was holding it and pleading, never to let her go.” It’s a tragedy because we deprive them of their freedom, their human rights, their value, and finally, their lives.

     After finishing reading the novel, I found that the final paragraph of the last chapter had impressed me most. Kathy imagined Tommy appearing here in “the spot where everything I’d ever lost since my childhood had washed up.” In this phase of her life, she was alone because Tommy and Ruth had both gone. Reasonably she should feel depressed and hopeless, while she had foreseen it. She had been preparing for becoming a donor without Tommy and Ruth by her side. She wasn’t surprised by the situation. She couldn’t deny her destiny, and she didn’t want to, either. She had made up her mind to face it alone. We can call it her “courage,” but we also have to recognize the truth that she had no choice. Was it really her courage, or she was forced to face the destiny? I think the answer belongs to the latter.

【98-2 第一回 優等】企管系四A 李自軒：My Thoughts of “Jane Eyre”

My Thoughts of “Jane Eyre”

參賽者：李自軒（企管系四A）
名次：優等
書名：Jane Eyre
得獎作品：

     After reading ‘Jane Eyre’, a beautiful novel written by Charlotte Bronte, I have found that the novel not only shows a girl’s mind through the heroin- Jane, but also expresses how the author views the world. In the story, it can be observed easily that Jane’s wisdom and bravery didn’t waver because of being a governess or her poverty; instead, these only strengthen that her faith of love should be based on mutual trust between each other.
Next, let’s see what ‘Jane Eyre’ talks about:

     Having lost her parents, Jane was adopted by Mrs. Reed when she was very young. Though Mrs. Reed had been told to take care of Jane; however, Jane was not treated well. One day, in a fierce quarrel with her cousins; she hit him powerfully so that she was locked in the red house by Mrs. Reed. Owing to her overwhelming fear, she just fainted. This was a crucial event during her growth—a scar in her mind but potential for her to strive for self-esteem in the future.
In Lowood, an orphanage, Jane was not treated well, either. Mr. Brocklehurst, the administrator of Lowood, always spared no efforts to find out ways to abuse the orphans there mentally and physically, and Jane was no exception. During the years in Lowood, Jane met her best friend Helen and Miss Temple, the only teacher that was nice to Jane. Unfortunately, the typhoid widely spread in Lowood and therefore caused quite a few students to die, including Helen. This event forced the authority to improve the sanitation of Lowood. After graduating from Lowood, Jane continued staying in Lowood and taught in Lowood for two years. And then she was hired by Mrs. Fairfax in Thornfield.

     Jane met Mr. Rochester, the hero of this novel when she was taking a walk. At that time, Mr. Rochester fell off from his horse, and Jane helped him out. This was their first meeting.
Jane found that her employer, Mr. Rochester, was a strange man. He was sometimes sincere but sometimes cold. He praised Jane for teaching Adele well and told her that Adele was born by a French dancer. However, she cheated Rochester and abandoned Adele. Jane thought the reason why Rochester was melancholy was not simply because of that.
One night, Jane was waken up by a weird laughter, and then found that Rochester’s room was burning. Though Rochester was not hurt, he asked Jane to keep this secret. The only thing she knew was that there was a woman who lived on the third floor, and Jane doubted that it was the woman that set the fire.

     In my opinion, the climax of the novel is in volume 2 chapter 4. Rochester was disguised in a gipsy sybil and did fortune-telling for the guests in Thornfield. Jane was the last one who went into the room and she identified Rochester at last. The reason why Rochester did so was because he wanted to know how Jane viewed him and her emotion to him. This chapter was dramatically important because this was the first time they spoke their mind mutually.
    Soon, Jane was informed that Mrs. Reed was dying, wanting to see Jane before she died. Mrs. Reed told Jane the truth that she was qualified to succeed to a great amount of money; however, she could not get the money because of her lie. Getting back to Thornfield, Jane told Rochester what happened, and they planned to get married soon. However, Bertha, who had been locked in the garret of Rochester’s house in Thornfield, was Rochester’s legal wife, and therefore she became the biggest obstacle between Jane and Rochester. On the day of their wedding ceremony, Rochester was accused of being married ‘twice’ for he had married to Bertha, and their wedding became invalid. It seemed that Jane came to the turning point in her life again, and I think this is another climax of the story.

     After leaving Thornfield, Jane met St John, who saved her life in the wild. After days of interactions, they found they were relatives, and Jane was in succession to a great amount of money, which was from her uncle. At that time, St. John was going to do a missionary work, wanting to make Jane his wife. However, it was not because he loved her, but because he admired her. One night, while St John was waiting for Jane’s decision, Jane heard Rochester was calling her desperately. Thus, Jane decided to come back to Thornfield.

     When she arrived in Thornfield, all she saw was the debris of the house. The neighbor told her that it was Bertha that burned the house. Rochester’s eyes were damaged in saving Bertha, and then became blind. Jane looked for him at once, expressed her emotion to him, and married him soon. Though it would be a little bit strange for Jane to hear Rochester miles away, we can still regard it as the sixth sense between their minds.

     My opinions:
   
     Charlotte Bronte shaped Jane as a pale and short girl, with plain appearance. Compared with heroines in other novels, Jane was not relatively beautiful. Despite the fact that her appearance was not outstanding, Charlotte gave Jane the following characteristics: brave, wise, independent. Moreover, with outstanding temperament and rich emotions, she could still stand for her faith and morality when facing Rochester. They sought to match spiritually. Indeed, so lively and dramatic is the story that the readers might not be fully conscious of all the thematic strands that weave through this work.

     Just like Cinderella, Jane was born in a poor family and not treated equally. Both Jane and Cinderella strove for their lives. During the process, they encountered their ‘heroes,’ reached the climax in their lives and then downturns. But fortunately, both of them could have the ideal outcome eventually. In addition, in these two stories, the people’s characteristics were depicted vividly, especially ‘the competition among the women’. Blanche Ingram, one of the guests invited by Rochester, was as beautiful as an angel. However, she was stuck-up, regarding Jane as ‘nothing’. What the guests focused on was the material comforts. In contrast, Jane pursued the spiritual life. Like Ingram, Jane also loved Rochester, but the way they used to draw Rochester’ attention was totally different. Coincidently, in order to catch the prince’s heart, Cinderella’s sisters tried ways to show how good they were so that they could defeat the other competitors. When Cinderella showed up at the party, she was suddenly highlighted, and her sisters could do nothing but only stood there watching Cinderella and the prince dancing.

     The difference between ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Cinderella’ was the atmosphere. Through Charlotte’s portrait, Thornfield was far away from downtown, and the critical events, such as the leading characters’ first meeting and the fire all happened at night time, thus the gloomy feeling was built. On the other hand, the castle, where the aristocrats lived, was full of the lively atmosphere. Parties were held daily, and aristocrats need not to worry about their daily lives. There was always a contrast between poor and rich, day and night.

     Last but not least, ‘Jane Eyre’ was a classical feminine literature. In this story, through the character, Jane, Charlotte said the following words:

Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; the need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer……(subtracted from volume one, chapter 12)

     Charlotte thought that women were treated unfairly in the society. From the sentences above, it can be observed easily that Charlotte was femininely conscious. She spoke for women by this book. With time passing by, this was accepted gradually by people throughout the world, and ‘Jane Eyre’ became thus the book that the feminist researchers must read.

     Now, ‘Jane Eyre’ is one of the top 10 world classics. From the time ‘Jane Eyre’ was completed, it has been existed more than 150 years and is still popular now.  As an ordinary priest’s daughter, Jane, I think, would never have thought of this. Like ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ ‘Jane Eyre’ was definitely a successful masterpiece for ever.

【98-2第一回 特優】金融五 蔡怡然：Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love

參賽者：蔡怡然（金融五）
名次：特優
書名：Eat, Pray, Love
得獎作品：

     “Eat, Pray, Love” is one of the New York Times Bestsellers I picked up couples months ago and couldn’t help but have to finish once I had begun. It tells a story about a woman, Elizabeth Gilbert, who not only did well in her career but also was assumed to be a perfect wife in her marriage. Just until her and her husband was ready to get pregnant, she realized all of this perfectness doesn’t fit her so well. She then filed for divorce and left their luxurious house in the suburb of the New York City, and decided to go on a trip to Italy, India and Indonesia for a year.

     The title “pray” might sounds like one of those religious books that put God all across the book, but it was until Elizabeth suffered from her severe stress and woe that she started to question herself and ask for God. During the entire book, the God also acts as the answers she’s been asking herself. Unfortunately, even after divorce, new romance, and learning a new language, she still had a hard time to reel herself from the depression. It seems like she was losing the appetite for life and in need of a retreat to recover from spiritual crisis, so she asked for a year’s leave from her job and went on a solo journey as a self-discovery.

     It was a year-long journey of self-searching which captivates me so well since I found it is just like every time when getting confused or depressed, I know I need to go somewhere alone, taste something new, and pull myself back together then maybe I can regain the composure and find a doorway to restart. Elizabeth’s journey, however, is not all about self-indulgence (maybe a little bit of spectacular food and luxury in Italy), and her reasons of being in these countries state quite clearly in the below from the book:

      "I wanted to explore one aspect of myself set against the backdrop of each country, in a place that has traditionally done that one thing very well," she writes. "I wanted to explore the art of pleasure in Italy, the art of devotion in India and, in Indonesia, the art of balancing the two."

     It’s never easy to leave old stuff behind and lead a life in a new city in another country even just for few months. Elizabeth found herself immersing in such exotic and incurably romantic country during the day; meanwhile, licking the past old wounds at night. She was there in Italy to experience pure pleasure, yet she found it hard to just let loose and enjoy “the beauty of doing nothing”, which she refers it to American culture where everyone is working so hard during the week that they accumulate those desires of seeking joy until the weekend. Eventually, those desires can’t be satisfied with just sitting at the backyard or enjoying the sunset at beach; instead, they can only be unleashed by much more intense amusement.

     “Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from porn to theme park to wars, but that’s not exactly the thing as quite enjoyment…….Americans don’t really know how to do nothing. This is the cause of that great sad American stereotypethe over-stressed executive who goes on vacation, but cannot relax.”

     Interestingly, I found this kind of inability to purely relax also applies to our Chinese culture here. In a sense, the work-hard-for-the-future spirit may all be inherent in us Chinese people thus we’d lost the ability of living in the moment for a long while.

     If Italy is the place for Elizabeth to regain her passion, India and Bali are the places to find the balance between the passion and her past, which eventually led to her peace. It was also in India that she finally worked out to settle the memory of her ex-husband in a way of meditating. Maybe for things like this, they’ll keep happening in our lives, and even though forgiveness may never come from the others side or a terminated relationship still remains unsolved, we owe it to ourselves to take actions, move forward, and earn the happiness back.

     To conclude, it is a universal story that we all have been there in terms of emotional trauma. At its best, the book shows a way of how she deals with it, and how she finally transformed and then let it go. As I’m trying to learn from the author’s experiences, I found the recovering process may not be easy and the situation cannot be applied for all of us, which means we can’t just do the same things in the book when getting hurt. What we can do is keeping exploring ourselves and find out what we always want to do and what’s there stopping us from doing it. Like the author put in the book, “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.”