The-moon-and-sixpence-读书报告

Giantgapbetweendreamandreality1821班王议娴18212502075NowIamwellawarethatpettinessandgrandeur,maliceandcharity,hatredandlove,canfindplacesidebysideinthesamehumanheart.——WilliamSomersetMaugham《Themoonandsixpence》ThenovelTheMoonandSixpence,appraisedasafairytaleforadults,waswrittenbyW.SomersetMaughamandpublishedin1919.WilliamSomersetMaughamwasbornin1874andlivedinParisuntilhewasten.HespentsometimeatSt.Thomas'sHospitalwiththeideaofpracticingmedicine,butthesuccessofhisfirstnovel,LizaofLambeth,publishedin1897,wonhimovertoletters.OfHumanBondage,thefirstofhismasterpieces,cameoutin1915andwiththepublicationin1919ofTheMoonandSixpencehisreputationasanovelistwasestablished.HisfameasashortstorywriterbeganwithTheTremblingofaLeaf,subtitledLittleStoriesoftheSouthSeaIslands,in1921,afterwhichhepublishedmorethantencollections.In1927SomersetMaughamsettledintheSouthofFranceandlivedthereuntilhisdeathin1965.Thestoryistoldthroughfirst-personnarrationandbasedlooselyonthelifeofthefamousartistPaulGauguin.Gauguinhadbeeninterestedinartsincehischildhood.HehasbecomefriendswithCamillePissarro,VincentVanGoghandsoon.By1884GauguinhadmovedwithhisfamilytoCopenhagen,wherehepursuedacareerasastockbroker,justliketheprotagonistofthebookinthebeginning.However,thenhereturnedtoParisin1885,leavinghisfamilyinDenmark,inordertopaintatfulltime.In1888hespentnineweekspaintinginArles,andexperiencedboutsofdepressionevenatonetimeattemptedsuicide.TheseexperiencesarejustsimilartohisfriendVincentVanGogh.Andthisleadsmetothinkisitthenormalstageofoutstandingartiststobecomecrazyandoutofmind?Iwonderwhy.Iguessmaybetheyfeeldisappointedwiththenormallife,thelifeintheworld.JustlikeGauguin,whofeltdisappointedwithImpressionism,andfeltthattraditionalEuropeanpaintinghadbecometooimitativeandlackedsymbolicdepth.TheheroofthisnovelcalledCharlesStrickland.Atthebeginningofthestory,heworkedasaconventionalstockbrokerandhadahappyfamily,justlikethosenormalandsecularpeople.Yetthensuddenlyatthe17thyearofhismarriage,hegaveupallofthoseenviablethingsevenincludinghischildrentopursuethelifeofanartistinParisandTahiti,thoughheisnotgoodatpaintingatall.Hebetrayedhisfamily,dutyandhonor,whichanormalpersonshouldaffordandtakeresponsibilityof.Everyoneincludinghiswifeandfriendsthoughthemustbecrazyandkindofanti-social.Hewassufferedfromhunger,diseasesandthecruelrefusalstohisworks.Hewanderedhereandthere,finallyrovedinanislandcalledTahitianandfellinlovewithanativewoman,Ata.Onthatisland,heenjoyshissimplelifefortherestofhislife,wherehepaintsalldayandhisTahitianwife,Ata,caresforhim.Afterhisdeath,Ataburnstheirhutdowntodestroythedisease,whichunfortunatelydestroyshislastpainting.Fromthedescriptionofthearticle,Icanfeelthat,comparingthelifeafterleavinghomewiththatbeforeleavinghome,Stricklandwasmoresatisfied.HeisfarhappierinTahitithanheeverwasinLondon,becauseheisexploringhispassion—painting.Thestoryiskindofabsurd,whilesomeoneoncesaidthatthisnovelcreatesavividportrayalofthementalityofagenius.ThefirsttimeIwasrecommendedthisbookbymyclassmatewasaboutfiveyearsago.Atthattime,wehadabookclubandallthestudentswillhaveanopportunitytorecommendafavoritebookbysummarizingthemaincontentandtheidea.Afterhearingtheman,Strickland,gaveuphisfamilyinordertorealizehisowndream,Ifeltuncomfortableandcan’tunderstandwhy.Atthatyoungandnaiveage,frommypointofview,heisirresponsibleandselfish.However,IcannotsaythatIhavetotallyforgivehisbehavioraswellasunderstandingthespiritbehindhisexperience.WhatIhaverealizedisthegiantgapbetweenthedreamandthereality.“Thegroundisstrewnwithsixpences,whileIlookedupandsawthemoon.”SixpenceisthesmallestunitofBritishcurrencyatthattime.Andthemoonrepresentedtheloftyideal,whilethesixpencerepresentedthereality.Everyoneisshapedbylifeandlabeleddifferentlybysociety.Somelabelsfitwell,evenforsixpence,theywillbehappyeveryday.Somelabelsaremisplaced,butbecausetheyareunwillingtoteardownsotheyhavethelabelsallthetime.Evenifyouarethemoon,youmaybemislabeled.ThatisthereasonwhyIcalledhimaheroabove,whichmeansaherothatdearstochallengeandresisttherealityandpursuethedream,themoon.WhentheprotagonistStricklandabandonedhishappyfamilyanddecentjob,andvanishedregardlessofanything,everyonedespisedhim.WhentheyknewthetruthwhyStricklandleft,theyshowtheirsympathyandpity.Whenhehadlovingaffairswithhisfriend’swife,peoplehatedhim.Whilewhenhisso-called“garbage”workbecomethemasterpiece,peoplemockedhim,scrambledtobuyhisworksandpretendtounderstandhim,asifwhateverhedidisnormalforagenius.Fromthedifferentattitudesthatpeoplethrewathim,theauthorMaughamusedasatire:everyoneischangingwiththeflow,onlyStrickland,stayedfirmonthewaytodream.Stricklandregardstheonlygoalasthemeaningofexistence,andthatonlygoalisworthofgivingupanythingelse.Helivespurelyandsimple.Heisaveryrealpersonandsurvivetodreamandart.Inourlifetime,wewillhavedreamsofcourse,whichmaybealawyer,adoctor,achemist……Butmaybeneveronelikenow.However,wesubmittedtothereality,goingwiththeflowandgivinguptheopportunitytochangethestatus.Becausewehavereceivedaneducationthattellsustoobeytherulesofthesociety,toobeytheframeworkthatothers