Reading notes of "The Thorn Birds" by Colleen McCullough
The author? Colleen McCullough is one of the most influential contemporary Australian writers. She was born into a family of pastoral workers and moved to Sydney at the age of twelve. Previously, the family lived a nomadic life. Colleen McCullough has shown extraordinary artistic talent since she was a child. She has been writing poetry, telling stories, and learning to draw since she was five years old. The publication of "The Thorn Birds" made more readers know this great writer.
The thorn bird was originally a rare bird from South America. It was named because it was good at foraging in thorn bushes and its feathers were as bright as burning flames. . Legend has it that this kind of bird sings only once in its life, and its song is more beautiful than the songs of all living creatures in the world. From the moment she leaves the nest, she searches for a thorn tree until she finds one. Then, she plunged her body into the longest and sharpest thorn, and let loose her voice among the wild branches. In the depth of dying, she transcended... The author named the thorn bird, which has symbolic meaning. The thorn bird symbolizes the persistent, fearless and tragic pursuit, the lifelong pursuit of the best ideal, and ultimately the sacrifice of life. It also symbolizes the final swan song of life, like a falling star, the once-in-a-lifetime beauty is beyond the ordinary beauty of this world.
"The Thorn Birds" is an Australian family history novel. The whole book is divided into seven parts. Each part is centered on one person, but they are related to each other and echo back and forth. This book takes the love entanglement between the heroine Meggie and the priest Ralph as the main line, and describes the story of three generations of the Cleary family. As a family novel, there are not many characters in "The Thorn Birds", but they are all very individual. The work shows us full-bodied and wonderful characters.
As a masterpiece, there are many things that I can read. Such as the delicate inner portrayal of the characters and the vivid description of the environment. . . Due to time constraints, I focused on the experience of the protagonist Meggie in the article, so I will focus on what I read about Meggie and my feelings after reading it! Four-year-old Meggie has the power to move people, she is like her birthday gift Like a doll, docile, beautiful and cute. As time goes by, this shy rose blooms quietly. Beautiful red-gold hair, soft, pure gray eyes, like a pair of molten gems, or as Luke saw in his eyes: all the colors in the blue spectrum, soft body, delicate body. Such a gentle and beautiful combination is the only one in the world. Meggie has a natural maternal instinct and a special fascination with children. Meggie was like a little mother when she expertly changed the diapers of her younger siblings, and those movements fascinated Ralph. After Frank left, his younger brother Hal became Meggie's center of attention. In the process of taking care of Little Hal, Meggie's motherhood continues to strengthen. She even feels that she is Little Hal's mother, and longs to truly become a mother and become a woman like Fei. Motherhood lends Meggie a holy light. Meggie is innocent and innocent, and this rose blooms quietly and spotlessly.
As a beautiful woman, Meggie has innate tenacity. She experienced menarche at the age of 15. She was naive and ignorant and thought she had a terminal illness, hiding her fear in silence. She didn’t tell anyone that she was ready to die!
Meggie’s most touching spiritual power is also the permanent beauty power of women? Persistence. Ralph is almost all of Meggie's dreams and even the purpose of her existence. Ralph was handsome and elegant, loving like a father, and caring like a brother. He took her to the fair, taught her to ride a horse, cared about any of her unhappiness and troubles, and protected her like a chick, even when Meggie had her first period. She took on the role of mother. So this man sown the seeds of love in Meggie's heart, and her love for Ralph sprouted and blossomed irresistibly as she grew day by day. For this love, Meggie spent her whole life in exchange. However, the man she fell in love with gave herself to God, and she could never get this man. This was the sharpest and longest thorn for Meggie. Although Meggie was deeply hurt in the process of persistent pursuit of love and experienced the unforgettable love, her life had a complete meaning. In her search for love, she understood her mother. After losing her most beloved son, she finally discovered and truly accepted her daughter from the bottom of her heart. God does not take away everything. Meggie seemed lonely and pitiful because of her unavailability. Her soul was only truly liberated after the deaths of Dane and Ralph. Flowers bloom and fall, and even if they die, they will turn into spring mud. This endless cycle is endless, and this is the meaning of life.
As a pure reader, I lament Meggie’s tenacity and how a woman can persist so silently! Our real life and the situations in the novel are not exactly the same, but they are both real and cruel. .
The journey of innocent girls becoming strong women and then great mothers has really moved countless people! For those of us Chinese who grew up drinking the water of the Yellow River, especially from the war years to the construction period, and then to the numerous disasters. Chinese women who have suffered disasters have never shown themselves as weak. Whether they are displaying their talents at work or caring for their husbands and raising children in life, in ordinary days, they do not ask for flowers and applause, or on romantic holidays, they devote themselves to labor silently,? China Half the sky? More than half the sky, it is simply the embodiment of perseverance and tenacity! Looking back at the women who have started families and established careers in life, it is not difficult to find that precious persistence and tenacity! So I like the tenacious Meggie in the book, who pursues hard but has no hope. Meggie without regrets!
Classic love always ends in tragedy. "Gone with the Wind", "Wuthering Heights", "Jane Eyre", "Dream of Red Mansions" and other works can be remembered for generations. The meaning of tragedy is to tear up something valuable for others to see. Just like what is said at the end of the book: When we pierce the thorn into our chest, we know it clearly, and we just want to sing the swan song like the thorn bird.
Finally, I want to say to all the teachers: True love and all good things require unimaginable costs to obtain! ;