Those Beautiful Flowers

---Book Review: “Camille”

I read the Chinese version of “Camille” a few years ago. At that time I was deeply moved by the main character Marguerite Gautier. “Camille” or “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas, fils, is the story of Marguerite Gautier, a young courtesan, or kept woman, in Paris in the mid 1800's, and how she falls in love with a young man, Armand Duval, and then tries to escape from her questionable past. Unfortunately, it comes back to haunt her and she ends up returning to that life and dies painfully and alone, but with the knowledge that she was a noble woman at heart. When I first began to read the book, I did not care for Marguerite or her attitude or lifestyle, but as I got further into the narrative, I realized that her saucy attitude was a front to cover the lonely woman that she really was. She felt used, abused and unloved, until the gentle Armand Duval came into her life and showed her that he loved her as a person and not for what she could do for him. It must have taken great courage for Marguerite to leave the life she had lived for so long, knowing all along that it was probably too good to be true and would not last indefinitely. And it also showed that Marguerite really loved Armand Duval for she could even change herself for him.

However, happiness didn’t last for long. When M. Duval, Armand's father, came to her, pleading for her to leave Armand to save both Armand's reputation and that of his younger innocent sister, Marguerite saw a way to

become pure of heart, if not in body. She felt that it was her duty, because she loved Armand so much, to do this even though it meant giving up her own happiness and hurting Armand temporarily. She reluctantly returned to her former life, knowing that some day Armand would forgive her. Sadly, she died in debt and basically alone, except for her one female friend, Julie Duprat, who helped her during her illness. She had her journal sent to Armand after her death, explaining why she had made the choices she had. I think Dumas's last few lines about Marguerite being the exception, not the rule were quite true, and I also agreed with his view that while her lifestyle could not be condoned, we as a society assume that all of these type of women are cold and heartless, while this may not always be the case. A person can make the wrong choices in life when they are young, and try to redeem themselves, but sometimes past situations prevent them from changing their lives, even though they desperately wish to do so. This applies to both men and women in many different types of circumstances: involvement in crime; drug or alcohol abuse; gambling; prostitution; financial problems; poor marriage choices; etc. And this is the fact, which exists in the whole society.

As far as the other characters in the book, I think Marguerite was right in saying that no one truly cared about her, but only wanted something from her, the only exceptions being Armand and Julie Duprat. Of course, the Comte de G. and Comte de N. wanted her body and appearance. The Duke needed to

“wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that she could never replace his dead daughter. If he truly cared, he could have helped her leave her lifestyle without “keeping” her himself. And lastly, Prudence was a blood-sucking leech who used Marguerite almost worse than the men. I also think she was jealous of the fact that Marguerite had so much more courage than herself and someone truly loved her.

Last morning, when tiding my bookshelf, I took this book out of the shelf, and a dried flower flew away from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. a dried flower flew away from the book. It was pale blue, very transparent, with thin fine veins. I held it against the morning light and blew on it. The soft breeze carried it away. Camille is just like the camellia, she could never escape from the destiny of withering. But it wasn’t her fault; it’s because of the evil of Capitalism and the hideousness of that society. Suddenly, I remembered a saying: “Women are like the flowers”. Those pretty women are like those beautiful flowers; their delicate beauty makes people feel they are the miracle of life. However, even the God envies their beauty. It seems that beautiful women always have tragic endings. As we are normal persons, even we can see the hideousness of humanity that results in their fate of withering, we can at most ask quietly in our hearts: Where have those beautiful flowers gone? Where have they gone?

 

第二篇：book report of The Lady of the Camellias-茶花女的英文读后感(578字)

The Love between Marguerite and Armand

——The Lady of the Camellias

“The Lady of the Camellias” was written by Alexandre Dumas, fils. It’s a story of Marguerite Gautier, a young courtesan, in Paris in the mid 1800's; it’s a story of how she fell in love with a young man, Armand Duval, and then tried to escape from her questionable past; it’s a story of how she ended up returning to her former life and died painfully and lonely.

I had been thinking that it was Armand Duval’s father who strangled Marguerite’s love, while after reading the book I realized actually it was Armand’ s vanity and suspicion did it.

There are two ways in pursuing a courtesan: money and sentiment. Armand’s 8000 franc was absolutely insufficient. Therefore he could only use “sentiment” to pursue Marguerite. Finally after several years of effort, Armand not only made Marguerite his lover, but also won her true love.

A courtesan sells her body and soul for living, but she also has love which one is not willing to sell. Perhaps it is because she has seen too much hypocrisy that she treats love more carefully, and also longs for true love. When mistaking Armand’s admiration for the true love, Marguerite devoted all to him without hesitation.

However, Armand actually did not believe that a courtesan knew true love, therefore Armand sent Marguerite a letter asking for rupture just the third day after winning her heart. Whereas, when he realized that Marguerite, an attractive lover, could save face for him, for vanity he sent her a letter requesting forgiveness.

To Armand, it’s much more satisfying to possess a famous courtesan than to possess Marguerite's love. It means that what he wanted truly is the vanity of possessing a famous courtesan, not a woman's love.

True love sublimes human beings. Armand became even more degenerate, while Marguerite turned truly lofty. Armand enjoyed the vanity all day long. He never considered about giving Marguerite a normal life. In the light of his behavior, Armand’s love to Marguerite is not worth mentioning. On the contrary, Marguerite firmly abandoned his past, and turned over a new leaf.

Although they had lived a happy life, Armand never believed in his subconscious

that Marguerite was truly willing to escape from her past life. So when Marguerite left him and reluctantly returned to her former life because M. Duval, 's father, pled for her to leave Armand to save both Armand's reputation and that of his younger innocent sister, Armand denied Marguerite’s true love entirely and immediately. What is more pitiful, instead of thinking over why Marguerite left him unexpectedly and trying to retrieve Marguerite, Armand crudely and despicably carried on all sorts of shameless retaliation. Finally, Marguerite died in debt and basically lonely.

We cannot deny that Armand truly loved Marguerite. However, he never believed that Marguerite also truly loved him. He didn’t know how to love selflessly without receiving value in return.

Vanity may satisfy one who haven’t encountered with love, but once did, vanity may become vulgarly. So when Marguerite fell in love with Armand, she was eager to get rid of vanity, but Armand didn’t give her the chance. He just wanted to maintain the sumptuous life and enjoy being the envy of all the other men.

Marguerite is just like the camellia, she could never escape from the destiny of withering. But it wasn’t her fault; it’s because of the vanity of that society.