OliverTwist,oneofthemostfamousworksofCharlesDickens',isanovelreflectingthetragicfactofthelifeinBritainin18thcentury.
TheauthorwhohimselfwasborninapoorfamilywrotethisnovelinhistwentieswithaviewtorevealtheuglymasksofthosecruelcriminalsandtoexposethehorrorandviolencehiddenunderneaththenarrowanddirtystreetsinLondon.
TheheroofthisnovelwasOliverTwist,anorphan,whowasthrownintoaworldfullofpovertyandcrime.Hesufferedenormouspain,suchashunger,thirst,beatingandabuse.WhilereadingthetragicexperiencesofthelittleOliver,Iwasshockedbyhissufferings.Ifeltforthepoorboy,butatthesametimeIdetestedtheevilFaginandthebrutalBill.Tomyrelief,aswaswritteninallthebeststories,thegoodnesseventuallyconquereddevilandOliverlivedahappylifeintheend.Oneoftheplotsthatattractedmemostisthatafterthetheft,littleOliverwasallowedtorecoverinthekindcareofMrs.MaylieandRoseandbegananewlife.Hewentforwalkswiththem,orRosereadtohim,andheworkedhardathislessons.Hefeltasifhehadleftbehindforevertheworldofcrimeandhardshipandpoverty.
Howcansuchalittleboywhohadalreadysufferedoppressiveafflictionremainpureinbodyandmind?Thereasonisthenatureofgoodness.IthinkitisthemostimportantinformationimpliedinthenovelbyDickens-hebelievedthatgoodnesscouldconquereverydifficulty.AlthoughIdon'tthinkgoodnessisomnipotent,yetIdobelievethatthosewhoarekind-heartedlivemorehappilythanthosewhoareevil-minded.
Forme,thenatureofgoodnessisoneofthemostnecessarycharacterforaperson.Goodnessistohumanswhatwateristofish.Hewhoiswithoutgoodnessisanutterlyworthlessperson.Onthecontrary,asthefamoussayinggoes,'Thefragrancealwaysstaysinthehandthatgivestherose',hewhoiswithgoodnessundoubtedlyisahappyandusefulperson.Peoplereceivinghishelparegratefultohimandhealsogetsgratifiedfromwhathehasdone,andthushecandogoodtoboththepeoplehehashelpedandhimself.
Tomydisappointment,nowadayssomepeopleseemtodoubttheexistenceofthegoodnessinhumanity.Theylookdownonpeople'shonestyandkindness,thinkingitfoolishofpeopletobewarm-hearted.Asaresult,theyshownosympathytothosewhoareintroubleandseldomoffertohelpothers.Ontheotherhand,theyattachimportancetomoneyandbenefit.Intheiropinion,moneyistheonlyrealobjectwhileemotionsandmoralityarenihility.Iftheycannotgetprofitfromshowingtheir'kindness',theydrawbackwhenothersarefacedwithtroubleandevenhitamanwhenheisdown.TheyareoneofthesortsthatIreallydetest.
FrancisBaconsaidinhisessay,'Goodness,ofallvirtuesanddignitiesofthemind,isthegreatest,beingthecharacteroftheDeity,andwithoutit,manisabusy,mischievous,wretchedthing,nobetterthanakindofvermin.'
Thatistosayapersonwithoutgoodnessisdestinedtoloseeverything.Therefore,I,akindperson,wanttotellthose'vermin-to-be'tolearnfromthekindOliverandregainthenatureofgoodness.
JaneEyre,isapoorbutaspiring,smallinbodybuthugeinsoul,obscurebutself-respectinggirl.Afterweclosethecoversofthebook,afterhavingalongjourneyofthespirit,JaneEyre,amarvelousfigure,hasleftussomuchtorecallandtothink:
Werememberhergoodness:forsomeonewholostarmsandblindedineyes,forsomeonewhodespisedherforherordinariness,andevenforsomeonewhohadhurtherdeeplyinthepast.
Werememberherpursuitofjustice.It’slikeacompanionwiththegoodness.Butstill,avirtuouspersonshouldpromotethegoodneononesideandmustcheckthebadneontheotherside.
Werememberherself-respectandtheclearsituationonequality.Inheropinion,everyoneisthesameattheGod’sfeet.Thoughtherearedifferencesinstatus、inpropertyandalsoinappearance,butallthehumanbeingareequalinpersonality.
Wealsorememberherstrivingforlife,hertoughneandherconfidence…
Whenwethinkofthisgirl,whatshegaveuswasnotaprettyfaceoratranscendenttemperamentthatmakeusadmiredeeply,butahugecharmofherpersonality.
Actually,shewasn’tpretty,andofcourse,theordinaryappearancedidn’tmakeothersfeelgoodofher,evenherownauntfeltdisgustedwithit.Andsomeotherseventhoughtthatshewaseasytolookdownonandtotease,sowhenMiIngrammetJaneEyre,sheseemedquitecontemptuous,forthatshewasobviouslymuchmoreprettierthan‘theplainanduglygoverness’.Butasthelittlegovernehadsaid:‘Doyouthink,becauseIampoor,obscure,plain,andlittle,Iamsoulleandheartless?Youthinkwrong!’ThisistheideaofequalityinJaneEyre’smind.Godhadn’tgivenherbeautyandwealth,butinstead,Godgaveherakindmindandathinkingbrain.Herideaofequalityandself-respectimpreussomuchandletusfeelthepowerinsideherbody.
Inmymind,thoughaperson’sbeautyonthefacecanmakeothersoncefeelthatoneisattractiveandcharming,ifhisorhermindisn’tthesamebeautifulastheappearance,suchasbeautycannotlastfor,whenothersfindthatthebeautywhichhadcharmedthemwasonlyafalsity,it’snottrue,theywilllikethepersonnomore.Foralongtime,onlyaperson’sgreatvirtue,anoblesoul,abeautifulheartcanbecalledasANEVERLASTINGBEAUTY,justasKahillGibranhassaid,that‘Beautyisaheartenflamedandasoulenchanted’.Icanfeelthathowbeautyreallyis,asweareallfleshlymen,sowecan’tdistinguishwhetheramanisofnobleneorhumbleness,butfleshlymen,sowecan’tdistinguishwhetheramanisofnobleneorhumbleness,butastherearegreatdifferencesinoursouls,andfromthat,wecanknowthatwhetheramanisnobleorordinary,andevenobscure,thatis,whetherheisbeautifulornot.
Herstorymakesusthinkingaboutlifeandwelearnmuchfromherexperience,atleast,thatisafreshnewrecognitionoftherealbeauty.
