Two books of Biography of Charlotte Bronte

　　
Many people start reading Charlotte's book from Jane Eyre. But the first book I read is Emma, the unfinished book by Charlotte. No evidence shows which parts were written by Charlotte and which were not. Likely that Charlotte wrote broken pieces of the story before she left this world.

The second book I read is Jane Eyre, the fomous one. The book is amazing, I found almost every sentence, from the beginning to the end, is interesting and brilliant. I feel terror, tense, sympathy and sometimes, shock. All this intensive feeling mingled together and drawed me to the book.

Thus, finally, Jane Eyre became one of my favorite books. And I want to learn more about the author, Charlotte Bronte.

I found some reading regard the life of Charlotte, two of the important ones are Elizabeth's The Life of Charlotte Bronte and Reid's Charlotte Bronte.

The former one is the earliest biography of Brontes. It is more like a story than merely a biography, judging from the style and language of writing as well as the fact that Eliz keyed the tone of Bronte's life as sad, hard and depressed.

The later, has fixed the disadvantages of Eliz's work but not particularlly interesting. The last chapter devotes to the critic of Brontes' works, not only Charlotte but also Anna and Emily.

I am now reread Jane Eyre every day before I lie myself in the bed. Having gained understanding of Brontes, I may draw some fresh and truer understanding of Jane Eyre. Later, I will start reading the other stories written by Bronte Sisiters.

It is quite an interesting and rewarding journey of reading these intelligent books!

The lesson-by Toni Cade Bambara

The main problem of poor people (often they are ethical groups), I think, is they haven’t realised they are poor and being treated unfairly. Every time I pass redfern, I saw many aboriginal people beg or crazily run along the street. They seem quite happy to live on the support of other people or the government and seem feel no shame. And I have talked with many poor people in China and in Australia, most of them are indifferent with their lives and never thought of flighting for better lives or better treatment.

Just as the children in this story They thought they are the smartest in the street and don’t care about education provided by the teacher who is also black. They wouldn’t realised they are poor if they haven’t taken to the shop in the town. The price of a toy is the amount of what a family could earn in a year. Without knowing how other people lives, the poor children would not know they are being treated unequally. Without realising the inequality, poor people are impossible to flight for what they desire.

So I start to understand why Chinese government tries to block the source of information for people to know the past and what is going on in China. Because once they know the true, it is possible for them to flight for their rights. If they have no idea of their situation, they may content about the existing lives though might be unfair.

Note: Toni Cade Bambara is one of the best African American short story writers.

The use of force-by William Carlos Williams

The story is written by William Carlos Williams and quite worth thinking for a while.




The doctor uses force as a means to check whether the girl has deadly illness. Trying to hide the sore throat, the girl dares not open her mouth, so the doctor uses violent actions to open up the girl's mouth. Finally, the mouth is opened but with brood and the girl's tears. The doctor's inner activities is quite interesting: he say to himself that what he is trying to do is in good purpose and it is what doctor should do-save life; but he also enjoys the violent attack, imagining he is tearing the girl apart. There is no description of the girl's psycological activities, but we can imagine that she obviously knows her illness and the need to be checked. But she tries her best to defense and would not let others know her secrect. After she is forced to open her mouth, her defence becomes attack with anger and frustration.



I natrually connect this story to the relationship between US and Iraq. US attacked Iraq violently, claiming that they did that for the sake of peace and welfare of people in Iraq and the rest of the world. But is it justified to use violence to achieve peace? During the war, how much blood and tears it brought with? How many innocent people died for so call "justification"? In the story, the doctor gains his success, but in the light of the girl's feeling, it might be a lost. Iraq people, just like the girl, know the ills of their country, but they just don't wanna other countries to solve problems for them. They try to defense though they know they may be better if the illness of their political system is cured. After US successfully won the battles and arrested Saddam and his accociates, people in Iraq started to attack US army by suicide bombs and terrorist attack. Exactly as what the story descrides!



The war, I think, is the exaggerated human conflict. The means applied to achieve the good aim might not be necessarily fair and justifed.

The Warden-by Anthony Trollope

Some said that this story is based on the real event happen in St Cross Hispital. But Trollope denied this, saying in the beginning of story that :

Were we to name Wells or Salishbury, Exeter, Hereford or Gloueester, it might be presumed that something personal was intended…We are anxious that no personality may be suspected.

But I doubt this. It seems Trollope tried to avoid troubles by claiming that the story is not real. But the harder he tried to deny, the more we believe the story is real to some extend. Anyway, it is just some of my thought beyond the subject matter and we are not gonna find any information in reading fiction.

The book is well structured and related smoothly. I am not familiar with religion so it took me some time to figure out what is archbishop, clergyman, archdeacon, canon and so on. But after I have known what those mean, I fully enjoyed reading the story. By the way, I find it useful to draw or write the charactors and their relationship in my notepad. The strutures would be presented more clearly and I don’t need to bother to remember all of the name of charactors.

Chapter I briefly describes the warden, Mr Harding-his personality, his family, his job responsibility, and the cause of the conflict. As the value of the trust estate keeps increasing and the amount given to 12 bedesmen is fixed, which means the large amount flows to the warden and the steward rather than beneficiaries. The warden is a kind old man who has never doubted with his stipend until he hears some rumors that trigger his thought.

The story begins in Chapter II. John Bold, a rich heritor (if he is not rich, I doubt that the reform would not be happen), has a very good wish to seek justification for the society as he knows the huge payment to warden contradicts the nature of the will by John Hiram and is unfair to the 12 bedesmen. Things would not be so complicated if Mr. Bold is a merely a stranger to Mr.Harding. Unfortunatly, he is a close friend to Mr. Harding and he even falls in love with Mr. Harding’s daughter, Eleaner. Mr. Bold’s reform is by no means unjustifiable, however his act aggravates the warden’s inward suffering. Actually, not only the warden but also Mr. Bold is internal conflictive. This is reflected in a conversation between Mr.Bold and his sister, Mary:

Mary: And for what?For a dream of justice. You will never make those 12 men happier than they now are.
Bold: The duty of righting these poor men would belong to nobody. If we are to act on that principle, the weak are never to be protected, injustice is never be opposed and no one is struggle for the poor (pp. 46-47)

Personally, I admire Mr. Bold. Even though he seems to act on impulse, he is passionate and ready to sac
rifice all he has-his wealth, love and friendship-for social justice. It is rare to see this kind of people nowadays.

Mr. Grantly, the archdeacon and the son-in-law of the warden, is a strong opponent of the reform. He is not a bad man; he just a conservative man ready to fight for anyone and anythings that may harm the reputation of the church. I think Mr.Bold and Mr Grantly are similar: they are both strong, determined, confident and believe in what they believe. That is why they are enemies at the first beginning but turn out to be friends at the end.

Mr. Harding is tortured by two set of opinions represented by Mr. Bold and Mr. Grantly. In addition to those forces, a newspaper call Jupiter publishes some opinions attacking Mr. Harding. He can not stand it not because he is weak and scared but he has awared that there is something wrong with the distribution of the money. He can not live on those money that should be given to the bedesmen. It is his self-consciousness and honesty that impress me.

Eleanor wants to help her father and thus begs Mr.Bold for giving up the case, ready to give up her love in return for her father’s peace and happiness. She is really a unselfish and naive woman! At the end, Mr. Bold gives up his act and find himself deeply love and beloved. But this does not exempt the warden’s pain and doubts and he decides to resign.

Mr. Harding: A man is the best judge of what he feels himself. (p.142)

The ending is a happy one: Eleanor marries Mr. Bold, Mr. Grantly and Mr, Bold become friends and Mr. Harding lives free from worries and pain. While the 12 bedesmen are the true victims of the reform: they are given hope of receiving large sum of money every year and get nothing more at the end and even lose their best friend, Mr. Harding who is the only one that truely care for them. They live and then die sadly and lonely. What is the use of the sudden wealth to these old men? Nothing can make them more happily and cozily. I think it is a pitfall of the reform.

Reading The Warden is one of the happies thing in these two monthes. This is a great book that worth reading.

Stories of belonging (1)--edited by Kali Wendorf

It is the 'belonging' in the title attract my attention. But what on earth is belonging? Is it possible that we do belong to something? And belongs to what? I can not define it, so I want to see how other people think about belonging.

Not all of the stories are good enough, but some of them are quite impressing.

The second stories: Jasmine Petals by Banafsheh Serov.

The author tries to connect main events in Iran with her grandparents' lives, her parents' lives and her own life, in order to define their belonging in Australia. I appreciate her attempt, but unfortunately, parts of the connections are not smooth and well enough. However, the beginning and the ending of the story are touching and well express the real feeling of most of the immigrants. As an immigrant, he or she belongs to two countries or belongs to neither of them. More often than not, immigrants can not waive their memories and their family bond in their own country while they are not truely accepted by the country they are living in. It is kind of sadness of semi-belonging.

There are some of her words:

My grandmother found her sense of belonging in her devotion to her family and her religion. Her children, now living in exile, find their sense of belonging in common memories, culture and the language they share with others from Iran. Her grandchildren left Iran before they could form any lasting memories of their own, yet our dark features and slight accents set us apart from locals in our new country. We exist at the peripheral edges of both cultures and at times struggle with our identity and sense of belonging.

Digging to Amercia--by Anne Tyler

The story begins when 2 Korean baby girls--Jin-Ho and Susan arrive in America and be delivered to 2 different Baltimore families. Jin-Ho comes to Bitsy and Brad's family--a typical white American family while Suan goes to Ziba and Sami--an Iranian immigrated family.

It seems that story mainly tells how 2 Korean girl take roots and become American.But it is not. It talks about how Ziba, Sami and Sami's mother, Maryam and more Iranian characters adapt to American life as well as how American try to accept foreign people and foreign culture. The core character--Maryam, is an elegent widow who has moved to America 30 years ago to marry her husband. Maryam takes pride in her foreigness and always stays away from American people and their way of life. Even though she falls in love with Dave, Bitsy's father, she afraids that she would lose her "Independence". Therefore, she escapes from her love.

But the ending of the story is warm, out of my expectation (cause I thought the 2 families would seperate and never meet again for their otherness, pride and prejudice). All of Bitsy and Brad's family members leave the "Arrival party" to look for Maryam. They say to Maryam that they can't enjoy the party without her, they want her, they need her friendship. Maryam finally takes off her pride and joins them. Two cultural different families come to one.

Actually I am really appreciate Maryam's pride and independent. Her choice that not to marry again and keep her peace is a rational one. You know,though love is amazing, it also brings harm, hate and sadness. Love takes away freedom, private desire and independence which women should treasure with great care.

Generally, it is a book easy to read and it can be a good holiday book.

A Garden, A Pig and Me, A Year at Torreyburn－by Ferguson.J

This is a book full of fun and surprise! I had never intended to read this book before. I found it one day when I was wandering around the library and searching books about gardening. I had to admit that the title attract my attention and after I read several pages, I decided to take it.

It does not merely talk about gardening, it also talks about food and feeling of live and of course some beautiful pictures! Overall the writting is lovely and always make me laugh.

Some people spend their time dreaming of paradise in heaven. I would rather try and creat it here on earth.

The authort tells us why she wants to build a garden and why she spends so much effort on it. I agree with her. When I was in China, space is limited and a garden to me is a dream never come true. But my family grows vegetables and flowers on the roof of the building. Though we cannot own our garden, we can at least grow things that we like near our home. The feeling is different when we build our mini garden which seems a paradise created by our own hands. So I think creating things that we admire is better than complaining not owning those.

In page 41, the author describes an very interesting experience about the lost lamb leg. The lamb leg is put in the sink and disappeared when the author return home (stolen by the big cat!). That is so funny and wanna u to have a look by yourself.

Let me share some of the amazing paragraphies:

It is just so much easier to run away from difficult situations, or to agree with the other person's point pf view. Particularly in a group situation, it is so tempting to go along with everyone else rather than be true to oneself and suffer possible rejection.

For me, age brings confidence and greater feeling of acceptance of oneself, and this in turn brings power. The best thing about fifty is at last being able to be oneself. Murmurings that have been locked up deep inside are allowed to pop out now. We try so hard to be dignified when young, and now that we are older, by some strange twist, we are able more truely to acknowledge the child within, and be ourselves.(pp.87-88)

Lincoln is not the only person to be criticised for helping animals. It is a familiar experience for many to be upbraided for wasting their time and money in suck efforts, when there are so many humans who need help.

This sort of criticism is self-centred and short-sighted. All living creatures are connected, and to work with animals is to work at the heart of what we are ourselves. Compassion does not discriminate. It flows from the one source deep in our hearts...The connection between how we treat animals and how we treat other people is inextricably linked.(pp.52-53)

p.s sorry that I can't find a picture of the cover~maybe not many people read it ..

Book lover-by Kaufman J. and Mack K.

This book is not bad, even though some of the parts are seemingly disconnected and the ending is a little bit odd.

To Dora, the main character, book is the first priority, the comfort and the lover.

“…no matter what’s going on in my life, I will always need a book. Nevertheless, after all that happened to me, reading is not purely an escape. It’s more of a search for some kind of meaning in this world. Now when I read, I think I might open to any page and find the true…The answers are there. Somewhere. Each author has their own vision, whether it be transforming, unnerving, inspiring, or devastating. It’s comforting in a pathetic sort of way and I have wallowed in this comfort for most of my life.” (pp.255-256)

But later on, she understands that the books can not tell everything to her and she has to explore her life by herself rather from the books. After she falls in love with Fred, the owner of the bookshop, she gets to know that the lover is not as compliant as the characters in novels. Fred is so cold-hearted to his family and Dora can not stand his attitude.

Finally Doro spits up with Fred and at the same time she finds out that she still love her ex-husband and she can’t calm down herself by reading books. She needs a job, a family, a normal life free from the shadow of unhappy childhood. Bits by bits, things are getting changed and Dora gains more confidence towards her life.

The meaning of reading books? I haven’t thought too much about it, but I feel really happy when I read a book. In reality, I have a lot of unhappiness, sadness, sorrow and pressure, but when I read books, I feel that I still have peaceful and happy moment in my life. Nevertheless, I believe life is more important than books and it can teach you more lessons than those from books. I think the authors are trying to express the similar feelings to us, right?

China Witness--by XinRan

It is a collection of interviews with Chinese people. Different people from different provinces, having different political background, may have different stories.

People talk about the past, the political activities and some terrible experience forced by the Party. But I don't think they are willing to tell the truth from the bottom of their heart. Since they are still live in China and people's talk are still under Party's control, they are afraid to say what they would like to say.

Thus this book is not as good as I have expected for it lack of detail and deep analysis of China's history. Maybe the book will be better if the author interviews with Chinese who are living outside Mainland China. However, it still provide some interesting insight into the elders' past experience.

The Last Chinese Chef-by Nicole Mones

I like cooking; it is a source of creation and happiness. So I am very excited to find this book: The Last Chinese Chef.

The author does a fantastic job to link a cliffhang story with Chinese cuisines and culture.

The story begins when Maggie, a widowed American food writer, learns of a Chinese paternity claim against her late husband’s estate. She has go immediately to Beijing, China. She asks her magazine for time off, but her editor counters with an assignment: to profile the rising culinary star Sam Liang.

In China, she knows that his husband has a one-night affair with a Chinese woman, Gaolan. She meets Gaolan’s child, Shuying with the help of Sam. Millions of reason that Maggie should hate her husband and angry with the Chinese woman, but she accepts this fact. She remember her husband once asked for having a child before he died but she proponed so that they never have opportunity to have a child. In Maggie’s heart, she hopes the child proved to be his husband’s and she understand the pain and helpless of Gaolan after they met. Even though the lab test proves the child belongs to the other man, not Maggie’s husband, she still provides help to Gaolan.

Meanwhile, with Sam as her guide, Maggie is drawn deep into a world of food rooted in centuries of history and philosophy. Unlike western food, the peak of Chinese cuisine is giving and sharing of food. “Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasure can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?” Chinese people like to place all the dishes at table and every one can eat those dishes. That is sharing: food must be eaten with a group of people.

Westerners do not understand the real Chinese food. “A meal for them was nothing but food. When it came to the food of China they had their version, a limited number of dishes that always had to be made the same way with the sauces they would recognize from other restaurants. Sameness was what they wanted. They went out for Chinese food, they ordered their dishes, and they did not like them to change.” It is true that, in western countries, we can’t find out a restaurant that offer real Chinese food because chefs have to modified Chinese dishes to meet the need of westerners. So it is sad that westerners rarely understand Chinese food and culture. (I miss Chinese food so so so much!)

Different parts of China have different food and culture. Maggie comes to know that food always related to the Chinese culture and history. “The major cuisines of China were brought into being for different purposes, and for different kinds of diners. Beijing food was the cuisine of officials and rulers, up to the Emperor. Shanghai food was created for the wealthy traders and merchants. From Sichuan came food of common people, for, as we all know, some of the best-known Sichuan dishes originated in street stalls. Then there is Hangzhou, whence came the cuisine of the literati. This is food that takes poetry as its principal inspiration. From commemorating great poems of the past to dining on candlelit barges afloat upon West Lake where wine is drunk and new poems are created, Hangzhou cuisine strives always to delight men of letters. The aesthetic symmetry between food and literature is a pattern without end.”

Beside these cuisines, there are thousands of local cuisines all over China, you may have unexpected surprise while you eating in different parts of China.

Sam is participate in a banquet contest and has to prepare dishes with the help of his uncle. Maggie follows him to visit his dying uncle Xie in Hangzhou. She feels warm and comfortable in Xie’s house. The close relationship between relatives and friends is quite different from America and Maggie comes to enjoy life in China. She used to eat alone and live apart from people; she thought it is the life she wants. But after she comes to China, recalling the old life, she realizes she lost so much happiness in the past. At the end, Sam loses the contest. But he gets more than expected—love. Maggie and Sam are in love: they are brave to step out of their comfort zone.

“Eating is only the beginning of cuisine! Only the start! Flavor and texture and aroma and all the pleasure—this is no more than the portal. Really great cooking goes beyond this to engage the mind and the spirit—to reflect on art, on nature, on philosophy. Never cook food just to be eaten.”

If we cook food just to be eaten, cooking may become a repeated and uninteresting task. Food should be shared and appreciated with others--that is what Maggie learnt in China and that is what readers learnt in this book.

All about escaping

I have found out that Australian People have great passion of France. It’s easy to pick up a book which talks about new life in France. I don’t particularly like France for its famous stiff government operation. But I enjoy seeing people explore new life in another land.

Escaping-Henrietta Taylor (Australian)

As the book title indicates, the theme is about escaping the life in Australia. The author (Hen for short) is a language teacher in her early years. She likes traveling all the time. But after meeting Norman, her later husband, then gives birth to the two children, she spends time at home. She is quite content about the family life until Norman has cancer and his temper change while he is fighting with the disease. Though Australian people have great humor about dead, Norman still feels upset and frustrated when he comes near the Dead Angle.

Hen suffers a lot and leaves no time for herself for years before Norman die. She try to do what mother should do, but she meets lots of difficulties. She takes a brief visit in France and found the way to get along with her son and daughter. This trip makes her becoming stronger and leaves a great impression in Hen’s mind.

After returning to Australia, Hen realises that she desperately want to start a new life in France and escapes the existing life. By chance, she finds an rental ad and rents a house in a tiny village in Provence. She finds a new circular of friends, an unexpected role of proprietor of 3 houses and relationship with a man.

I don’t think it’s France that change her way of life. I regard that it is the new environment apart from old friends and family makes her to be independent and responsible.

Back to the book, the former chapters are good but the last few parts seem prolix. I just skip them quickly. It is a book that unfolds the course of an Australian woman becoming mature and it help me to look into Australian life.

Au Revoir-byMary Moody (Austalian)

This is another book talking about leaving Australia for France to experience new life. Why so many Australian fall in love with France?

Mary has a full life in Blue Mountain and leads a successful career as a writer and TV presenter. At fifties, most women satisfy with a life as grandmother, while Mary decides to live in Lot, a remote and beautiful place in France. She has never live alone, so she long for picking up a different life as a single person.

Her writing of people she meets, scenery she sees, and the food she eats is very vivid and beautiful. She not only talks about the life in Lot, but describe the history and stories of it. The words inebriant me to love every detail of the views presented.

Her escape does not draw her apart from love. As she says at the end of the book:‘It dawns on me that no matter where I am in the world, I will be surrounded by people and laughter and food and wine at gathering such as this. I may have run away with the idea of being alone. But that was never going to happen.’

My escaping

It is comfortable to live in the same place for the whole life. But we sometimes want to get out of the comfort zone to take challenge or refresh ourselves.

For me, I have escaped the life in China; I try to breathe freely in another country far away from my family and friend. It is hard, sometimes lonely, but I have time to be true self and take challenge.

Out of protection is a way to grow up. I like moving form one place from another one. It is the life-style I really enjoy.

Emma-by Charlotte Bronte

I have read the book Emma, not the one written by Jane Austen, but by Charlotte Bronte and another lady.



Charlotte is famous for her well-known story Jane Eyre. Only several chapters of Emma are written by Charlotte before she passed away. Another lady whom the name we don't know complete the later chapters.

So technically, it is the book with join effort, while the style of Charlotte remains.

Emma, this character is not the main actress in the story, it is a clue which link the mysterious girl, Martina and the guardians, Mrs.Chalfont and Mr.Ellin together.

Martina with her father came to the school. Driving a splendent carriage and dressing beautifully, they show themselves as rich people, and the school's owner, Miss Wilcox believes so. So Miss Wilcox took the girl as her favorite student, dream of earning huge money from Martina.

But sooner, it turn out that Martina's name "Matilda Fitzgibbon" and the address given as "May Park, Midland County" are both false. Miss Wilcox was so angry that she drawed Martina off the school and sold all her items.

The poor child was taken by Mr.Ellen to Mrs Chalfont's home to stay in the holiday. As the girl refused to tell anything about herself and her Papa, they tried many methods to find the true identity of the little girl but all fail.

As they get along for a period, Mrs. Chalfont grows a deep love for the girl who reminds her memory in the former marriage. Had married a rich man who has four children, Mrs. Chalfont prepared to be a responsible stepmother to the childern. But after the event of Emma, the daughter of Mr.Chalfont escape from the house, Mr.Chalfont forbiddened Mrs.Chalfont to see his children, saying that it will cause the hate and misfortune to the children. Emma, the wild and selfish girl become the wound of Mrs.Chalfont.

By some incidents, Mrs.Chalfont and Mr. Ellin found out that the name Emma lettered in the snake bracelet is the same person of Mrs.Chalfont's stepdaughter, Emma.

An incident happens, which breaks the peace of the small town and reveals the truth identity of Martina.

One day, Martina was found disappear after class was over. People doubt that Martina was kidnapped and Mr. Ellen left to find the little girl.After a hard search, Martina was found in the orphanage far away from the town and her identity was assured by Mrs.Chalfont's stepsons, Gay and Launce.

Poor little girl tell everything to Mr. Ellen and point out the person who took her away from Mrs.Chalfont is Emma.Why Emma try to hide Martina and why she refuses to tell things about the girl?

Finally, Emma was caught by her brothers and Mr.Ellen on the way throwing criminal evidences into the well.

Truth turns out that the “dead” baby gave born by Mrs.Chalfont actually not dead. Emma brought the dying baby to her friends who can’t have their own baby. This is a crime to steal a baby from her or his parents and this is the reason why Emma was so afraid of Martina.

The ending is warm: Martina turns out to be Mrs.Chalfont’s daughter; Mrs.Chalfont marries Mr.Ellen; Mrs.Chalfont’s stepsons build a good relationship with her; Emma marries a rich man and people who know the truth try to forgive her. Everything is placed at its place, finally.

It is really a good story. Even though it is completed by an unknown lady, its style remain as Charlotte Bronte’s—excited, suspenseful unexpected and warm.