《茶花女》论文

绵阳师范学院
本科生毕业论文（设计）
题目On the hard Choice between the Future and Love in the Lady of the Camellias 论《茶花女》中未来与爱情的艰难抉择
专业英语
院部外国语学院
学号1104020512
姓名李娟
指导教师高建国
答辩时间二○○九年五月论文工作时间：2008年9 月至2009 年 5 月
Contents
1. Introduction (1)
2. Brief introduction to the Lady of the Camellias (1)
2.1 The introduction to the author (1)
2.2 The introduction to the background (2)
2.2.1 Social background (3)
2.2.2 Novel‟s background (3)
3. On the hard choice between the future and love in the Lady of the Camellias (7)
3.1 The love between the main characters (7)
3.1.1The hero‟s love for the heroine. (7)
3.1.2The heroine‟s love for the hero (7)
3.2 The comparison of the future of both characters (7)
3.2.1The future of the hero. (7)
3.2.2The future of the heroine (8)
3.3 Which one should be deserted,the future or love (8)
4. Conclusion (8)
Bibliography (10)
Acknowledgement (11)
论《茶花女》中未来与爱情的抉择
学生姓名: 李娟
指导教师: 高建国
摘要:爱是这个世界永恒不变的主题，是无数仁人志士、英雄豪杰竞相追逐、无数经典著作竞相歌咏的对象。

然而，古往今来，人们始终摆脱不了、逃脱不掉的还是爱情与未来的艰难抉择。

所以本文将以《茶花女》为研究对象，从未来与爱情艰难抉择的角度解读茶花女的悲情故事。

《茶花女》是法国作家亚历山大·小仲马的代表作，是一部世界经典。

这是部凝聚永恒爱情的小说，以女主人公玛格丽特的生活经历为主线，真实细致地描写了一位外表和内心都像茶花一样纯洁美丽的巴黎风尘女子，为了自己不被认同的爱情而被命运抛弃的故事。

小说中女主人公的悲剧是多方面造成的，其中男主人公对于未来与爱情的抉择是其必不可少的原因。

选择决定了女主人公的命运。

关键词: 爱情；未来；抉择
On the hard Choice between the Future and Love in the
Lady of the Camellias
Undergraduate: Li Juan
Supervisor: Gao Jianguo
Abstract: Love is the eternal theme of the world, the most wonderful affection attracted by numerous scholars and heroes, and the invariable permanent topic of countless masterpieces. However, from ancient times , many people still cant‟t get away from the hard choice between the future and love. So I will chooses the Lady of the Camellias as the research object, and analyze the tragic fate of the Camellias from the perspective of the hard choice.The Lady of the Camellias was a masterpiece of world literature and even was presented on the stage for many times.It was a tragic story between Marguerite Gautier ,a prostitute and a young bourgeois Armand Duval. Although Marguerite was a prostitute ,she was still a very beautiful girl with pure heart.She could sacrifice everything for her love, even her own life. Her tragic destiny was caused by many reasons, however, the choice of the hero, between the future and love was also one of the reasons.Just as someone says, choice decides destiny.
Key Words: love; the future ; choice;
1. Introduction
The Lady of the Camellias was one of the masterpieces of Alexander Dumas Fils(1824-1895), and it mainly told the love story between a prostitute and a young man. It was a very famous book in France even across the world, because it was not only about love but also represented the decadent lifestyle of the upper class. This novel deeply criticised the feudalism‟s apathy and ruthless and showed greatly sympathy to the extended poor people especially for poor women.
2. Brief introduction to the Lady of the Camellias
In order to make this article more clear, I choose to write this brief introduction from two parts.The one is about the author, the other one is about the related background.
2.1 The introduction to the author
Alexander Dumas Fils (1824-1895), was an outstanding writer and playwright. He was a son of Alexander Dumas, born in paris ,France,and he was also the illegitimate child of a dressmaker.When he was seven, his father legally recognized him and made sure that he received best education , but still did not recognize Alexander Dumas Fils‟s mother as his wife. Alexander Dumas suffered a lot in his earlier school life because his illegitimacy. The cruel taunts and malevolence of his companions ranked through life, and left indelible marks on his personality. His mother‟s agony inspired Dumas Fils to write about tragic women.
Most themes of Alexander Damas Fils were women, marriage and family problems. His novel truly reflected the life of the capitalist society and emphasized the importance of moral values. The lady of the Camellias was the beginning of his fame and it was also his masterpiece which denounced the hypocrisy of bourgeois morality and also reflected the truth of the human, tolerance and respect between people, and the love of humanity. Such thoughts and feelings resonate with different people so they are generally welcomed.
2.2 The introduction to the background
The background is a quite important factor to help us understand a book. So here
I would like to analyze the social background and the novel‟s background.
2.2.1 Social background
The story happened in July Monarchy. The aristocracy held the french rule of power. The social conflict was extremely acute. Free competition ruined some people and helped some people make a good fortune. The former lived a luxurious but the latter lived a vagrant life. Country girls came from home to the city, such as
Marguerite, just began to be chased by bourgeoisies who spent billions of dollars and lived a luxurious life.
In that kind of society, money was everything, even the interpersonal relations were measured by monetary.These beautiful young women were treated as playthings, but when they became old, they would be cold-shouldered aside, thus they became the victim of society. Marguerite said:”Our lives are no longer our own. We are not human beings, we are things.We rank first in their pride and last in their good opinion”(The Lady of the Camellias, 2005, p.105)
2.2.1 Novel’s background
The Lady of the Camellias told us a love story between Marguerite Gautier, a prostitute and Armand Duval, a bourgeoisie. Armand fell in love with Marguerite and ultimately became her lover, convincing her to turn her back on her old life and live with him in the countryside.Then Armand‟s father shew up and ruined their life. His father worried the scandal created by the illicit relationship may destroy his daughter‟s chance of marriage, so he convinced Marguerite to leave Armand. Nevertheless Armand did not know the truth. Instead, Armand thought Marguerite betrayed him. So Armand intended to hurt her in every way he could. Ultimately, Marguerite passed away with her love for Armand. When Armand finally found out the truth, it was already too late.Armand lived with regret in the rest of his life.
The author used the technique of flashback to begin in the whole story. Firstly, the novel gave us the death of the heroine, and told us the story from the very beginning. In this way, the whole story became more vivid and appealing.With the technique, the author also created a feeling of suspense and made the whole story well-structured. In general, the language style of the Lady of the Camellias was quite natural and realistic. The whole novel had a strong sense of lyric and fluent language.
3.On the hard choice between the future and love in the Lady of the Camellias
To love or not to love, that is a question. So sometimes we are caught in a dilemma, You can‟t have your cake and eat it. Although there are still many people who own great expectations and the true love, there are still another some people have to make a choice between the future and love. The future and love are not two opposite things, however, for the characters in the novel, they have to desert one. How cruel the choice is!
3.1 The love between the main characters
What was it that caused the heroine‟s tragic destiny? Why did Armand decide to leave her at last? Because they did not love each other enough? Because love was not so important as the future? Let‟s go to feel their love to each other and find out what kind of love it was .
3.1.1 The hero’s love for the heroine
The first time Armand met Marguerite, he fell in love with her. Not only attracted by her charming appearance but also he felt her noble soul. “The first time I had seen her in the place de la Bourse, outside Susse‟s. An open barouche van standing there, and a woman in white had stepped out of it. A murmur of admiration had greeted her as she entered the shop. For my part, I stood rooted to the spot from the time she went in until the moment she came out.I had no idea what sort of woman she was and was afraid that she would guess my reason for entering the shop and be offended. However I did not believe that I was destined ever to see her again. (The Lady of the Camellias, 2005, p.61)
The love from Armand was both unselfish and selfish. Even if he was not so rich compared to other upper class, he loved her and could sacrifice everything for her. He wanted to take good care of her, and made her live a peaceful life. When Marguerite was ill, he anonymously sent flowers to her every day. However, love was indeed selfish. He would be very angry and jealous once he knew Marguerite had some relations with other men.
We can see, the love Armand for Marguerite was very narrow. What he needed was just to possess her. Compared to other men, he just used the name of love to advertise how he loved Marguerite. Many things he did were fairly childish. He never thought for Marguerite, and it was his love made Marguerite die. If he ever thought for Marguerite, they would not be separated by his father. He also did not know how much Marguerite loved him, already sacrificing everything for him, even her life.
3.1.2 The heroine’s love for the hero
If we said that it was Armand love Marguerite first and loved her more at first, then Marguerite love deeper than Armand. All of women were sentimental, once they loved someone,they would never change.
When Armand first said he loved her, Marguerite‟s mind is perturbed, even if she was a prostitute who spent many years in the realm of love. She should have been apathetic for love for a long time. To our surprise, she unexpectedly believe what Armand said. Maybe she never lost feeling for love, or she longed for love in her deep heart.
Marguerite‟s love was properly unselfish, and she can sacrifice everything for Armand. When Armand begged her not have contact with other men who can support her, she agreed without hesitation and went with him to live a peaceful life in the countryside. Although she got used to living a luxurious life, she was still willing to
change for him. When there was no money for supporting their life, she quietly mortgaged her jewellery. She was a woman with pure soul and so many good characteristics.
When Armand‟s father persuaded her leave Armand, though she was very painful, she chose to leave Armand confirmedly. She would rather anything than gave people the idea that she had between Armand and Armand‟s family. Even if she loved Armand so much, she wanted to live with him so much, she left him at once. She also made Armand mistook her for her bad behaviour.
3.2 The comparison of the future of both characters
Through comparison, we could know the difference. Sometimes our future also decide whether we could be together. The reason why the journey called love of main characters is so rough lies in that the difference of the future of them. So it is necessary to compare their future and find the answers.
3.2.1 The future of the hero
Armand was a young man, and there were great expectations waiting for him. His family could be called a reputable family. As long as he found an ordinary woman, he could live a wonderful life. However, he deliberately loved a prostitute just like Marguerite. This kind of love was not accepted by his family, because it would cast the shadow of a stain on the honorable name of his family.
3.2.2 The future of the heroine
In terms of heroine’s social identity, Marguerite, as a prostitute, was in the lowest level of the society. People saw prostitute as a commodity. Prostitutes sold their bodies in exchange for money. The female body could be things to be bought and sold while the dignity of human nature was completely lost. So it was impossible she would have a future. She was doomed to be the sacrifice of society.
3.3 Which should be deserted, the future or love?
Sometimes in our life, we deeply love someone who we should n‟t love, and loving her will pay a high price. Just like Armand and Marguerite, one being a prostitute, even if he likes her so much, it ends in the death of Marguerite. When we can …t choose both things, which should we choose？Let‟s see what Armand‟s father said.
“And do you think, sir, that the mission of a gentleman is to bring about spiritual changes in courtesans? Do you imagine that God has given life so grotesque a purpose. And that a man‟s heart must have no other zeal than this? How will this miraculous cure end? And what will you make of what you‟re saying now. When you‟re forty?
You‟ll laugh at this affair, If you are still able to laugh. If, that is, it has n‟t left an indelible mark on your past. Where would you be now if your father had thought as you do, if he‟d surrendered his life to the enticements of love instead of setting it unshakeably upon a belief in honor and integrity? Think, Armand, and stop talking nonsense. Come, you shall leave this woman. Your father begs you to,”
“Armand,”continued my father, “in the name of your saintly mother, listen to me: give up this way of life. You will forget if far more quickly than you think and, in any case, you are kept chained to it by a philosophy which is quite absurd. You are twenty-four: think of the future. You won‟t always be loving with this woman, nor will she love you forever. You have both exaggerated what you feel for each other. You …re shutting all the doors to a career. Take one more step, and you will never be able to get off the path you‟re on. And you will regret your misspent youth for the rest of your life.”
What Armand‟s father said was meaningful. Could love make us have a bright future? Why we must choose a kind of love that might destroy our future? Maybe now we love a man or a woman so deeply, but how long could we love him or her if he or she could n‟t bring anything to you but just wanted to live with you.
4. Conclusion
As has been discussed, the Lady of the Camellias, one of the most famous books of Alexander Damas Fils, told us that love is so great, everyone wants to have a crazy love, no need to caring time and space. However, just as showed in the Lady of the Camellias, sometimes it is so difficult for us to choose from the future and love.
The heroine said:”Because I love you, I want to give you a better future, so I choose to leave you quietly.”The hero said:”Because I love you , I give give up everything for you let alone future.”Because of love, future is no more important. Besides, because of love, you must choose future rather than me.
In the end of the novel, Armand left Marguerite and Marguerite died alone, leaving us boundless thinking. What should we for our love and future? The society is developing, so we also should develop ourselves. We can indeed live without love, but we can‟t live without money. If I have to make a choice between love and future, I will choose my future. Just as someone said,” there are so many people in the world, you would find some another one better suit you. It is not necessary to wait for someone or live only with someone. To love a person who can‟t give you future is completely stupid.
Love your future, and there will be someone better waiting for you.
Bibliography
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Acknowledgments
At the point of finishing this paper, I‟d like to express my sincere thanks to all those who have lent me hands in the course of my writing this paper. First of all, I'd like to take this opportunity to show my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Mr Gao Jianguo, who has given me so much useful advice on my writing, and has tried his best to improve my paper. Secondly, I‟d like to express my gratitude to my classmates who offered me references and information on time. Last but not the least, I‟d like to thank those leaders, teachers and working staff in Mianyang Normal University and especially those in the School of Foreign Languages. Without their help, it would be much harder for me to finish my study and this paper.
Li Juan。