Marguerite’s Character in Camille
Name: Zhu KelingNumber: 20095061821
Department: School of Foreign LanguagesMajor: English
Supervisor: Zhao QinTitle: Aociate profeor
Thesis statement:
This is my analysis about the chief personality---The lady of the camellias and her character.
Outline:
I.An introduction to the author and the novel
A .The importance of Alexandre Dumas Fils and Camille
B .The brief introduction to Alexandre Dumas Fils
C .The content of Camille
II .Personalities of Marguerite
A .Her noble soul and great courage
1 .She is different from other kept-woman and yearns for uprightne
2 .The bravene she poeed
B .Her qualities of wisdom, kindne and staunchne
1 .Marguerite’s choice of leaving her lover
2 .She always lives for others
3 .She bears all of things alone and firmly
C .My thought about other characters and the whole society of the moment
III.Conclusion: Marguerite’s lighting out for pursuing real love
Marguerite’s Character in Camille
Part I, AThe lady of the camellia is based on a French tragic play based on
Alexandre Dumas Fils’s novel Camille.The play was adapted for the theater in 1852 and then for the opera in 1853.The play became a favorite of audiences in the late 19th century.
Part I, BAlexandre Dumas Fils is a famous French playwright and novelist and
one of the founders of the “problem play”---that is, the middle-cla realistic drama which threats some contemporary illne and offers suggestions for its remedy.He is the son of Alexandre Dumas.He was raised by his seamstre mother until his father legally realized him.He inherited his father’s literary fecundity.But the style of the two men is
different.His first succe was a novel---Camille.His father’s illicit love
affairs had a big effect on him and he devoted his plays to sermons on the
sanctity of the family and marriage.Modern audiences usually find his
work and drama sententious, but in the late 19th century eminent critics
praised his plays for their moral seriousne.
Part I, CThe story Camille is set in Paris during the mid 1800’s.The lead is
Marguerite Gautier, a young beautiful courtesan.She felt used, abused
and unloved.The marquis regarded her as merchandise.Later, 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 that it was
probably too good to be true and wouldn’t last indefinitely.And it also
shows that Marguerite really loved Armand Duval, because she could
even change herself for him.In her fragile physical state, she moved to
the country with Armand Duval.In the countryside, she was happy and
free.Armand became depreed for his career seems doomed by the
intolerance of French society, and knowing that he can not support
Marguerite to the level she used to have.In order to relieve Armand
Duval’s financial preure, Marguerite sold her jewels at a low price
secretly.However, happine didn’t last for long.When Mr.Duval,
Armand’s father came to her, pleading her to leave Armand to save both
Armand’s reputation and his younger innocent sister, who is also tainted
by the scandal.Marguerite felt it was her duty to save both Armand and
his sister even it means that she had to give up her own happine and
hurt her lover.She had no choice but to do so because she loved him so
much that she didn’t want to influence his prospect.She reluctantly
returned to Paris where despairingly threw herself into her old lifestyle.
Armand didn’t know the reason and hated her.Time paed.They
accidentally met again in public.Armand insulted her severely.Sadly,
she died in debt and basically alone, except for her one female friend,
who helped her during her illne.She had her diary sent to Armand after
her death, explaining why she had left him.Armand realized his fault and
was bitterly remorseful.
Part II, A, 1When I first began to read the book, I didn’t care for Marguerite or
her attitude toward life, but as I went further into the novel, I realized that
her saucy attitude was a front to cover her inner heart.There were also
other women who give up their social status and dignity and work on the
lowest job to meet their material demand.People often look down upon
them, and I have the same feeling, too.But when I came to know about Marguerite, I was astonished and changed my opinion.Because she was
different from other kept-women and she was a noble and pure at heart.
Marguerite is just like the camellia, and the erosion is its nourishment.
However, compared to other camellias, this camellia is more beautiful
and different.In order to pursue uprightne and her real love, she could
abandon the luxurious life, but other kept-women couldn’t do it firmly.
This flower longed for the sunlight.She tried her best to touch the
sunlight.Unfortunately, she ended up with breaking off the branch.
However, her soul obtained the purification.She poeed a holy soul!
Part II, A,2Marguerite’s love tragedy is same as the delicate flower.She lived a Part II, B
Part II, C non-goal and diipated life for a long time until she encountered her real love finally.She considered the fine love as a great beacon of courage to kill all her bad habits in the past and make a firm determination to seek for a peaceful but fantastic life with her love one.And she gave up all of these which could bring her joy temporarily so as to stick with her love one.It may take great effort and determination to crawl from the depth mire and Marguerite did it succefully.She was bravely enough to pursue her real love and struggle for it in spite of all kinds of difficulties.What’s more, once she decided to leave her old bad life to the country, she is decisive.She quarreled with the marquis and drove him away from her family, because she hated and refused to be treated as merchandise.At the last of the story, she faced her own death bravely.Her courage is far beyond my description.Lingering between the words, we could completely feel how kind, dignified and rational she was.At first she refused Armand although she knew he was really loved her with his soul.Because of her gloomy despair of life, she was afraid that she may influence him.She didn’t want to bring him stain.As soon as Armand’s father came to pleaded her to leave Armand, actually she was sad.But soon she was calm and rational.In fact, she wasn’t indulged in the sadne as well as lost in their love.On the contrary, she considered toward Armand and thought about it carefully at Armand’s place.In order to save Armand’s prospect and his sister’s marriage, she made a sacrifice.How considerate and kind she was! She lived all her life for others.However, no one can understand her, even Armand misunderstood her for a short span of time.We have to admit that what a hopele torture she tolerated and what a disappointed suffering she endured at the last part of her life.It was really too much to her.She put up with these suffering all the time.What she experienced, what she faced and what she did made her a real rational, kind, sublime and eternal ideal woman in people’s heart.As far as 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
marquis wanted her body and appearance; the Duke needed to “wake up
and smell the coffee” and realized that she could never replace his dead
daughter.And lastly, Prudence was greedy.Camellia couldn’t escape
from the destiny of withering.But it wasn’t her fault; it’s because of the
evil of capitalism and the hideousne of the society.The society was so
cold that it would never show any mercy for a kept-woman.She was too
delicate to struggle against this cold and heartle society.
Part IIIThrough the whole story, I cannot help deeply touched by the bitterly
sweet love, which provided us a comprehensive understanding of love.Marguerite really lives an abundant life, for she really appreciated an
impreive love in her limited life journey.I have sympathy for her bitter fate and show my respect for her qualities.She also told us to seek after our real love bravely.So love strongly, although you may be hurtful, it is the only way to make your life completely!
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[3]张筱红.十字架上的神女——《茶花女》悲本剧成因浅探[J].2001.
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