Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland on October 16th, 1854, and died in 1900 in Paris. He
distinguished himself both at Trinity College, Dublin, and at Magdalen College, Oxford. Wilde
was a sincere supporter of the Aesthetic movement. He reflected on the emotional protest of an
artist's social conditions in England at the end of the 19th century. However, he came to a false
conclusion: art isolated from life, and life only mirrored art. He glorified natural beauty but
admired artificial beauty also. Moreover, Oscar Wilde incorporated aspects of both fantasy and
realism into his works. Especially, he admired unselfishness, generosity, and despised egoism,
greedy - a dark and tragic tale of the evils of human nature.
The happy prince
Moral values: There will be good rewards for those who feel for the poor and make
sacrifices to remove the miseries and sufferings of other people. The outward beauty doesn't
mean a lot, the real beauty is in the person's heart which have the deep feelings and the ability
to feel the sorrow and hardship of other.
William Somerset Maugham (25/1/1874 - 16/12/1965)
- Born in Paris, France & died in Nice, France
- His childhood was awful to him: Mother died when he was 8; Father died when he was 10
Living with his uncle, a clergyman
Inspiration for his master piece: “Of human bondage”
- Studied medicine in German and became a qualified physician
- But writing was his true vocation
- Maugham met Brooks in 1890. They left England to Capri and lived there for fear of prosecution
after Oscar Wilde’s trial.
- He avoided homosexual themes and gay characters in his works
- Maugham followed the principles of Realism. He had rich experience of life and insight into
human nature that impacted the analytical and critical quality of his works. He also showed
readers many bitter truths of modern society and invariable sympathy for common people.
Characters in his works were inspired by real people (Of human bondage, The moon and
sixpence). He was not always giving a clear-cut assessment of his characters but left it for
readers. Finally, Maugham was a primary writer of short stories and novels characterized by
narrative facility and simplicity of style with 24 plays, 19 novels and a large number of short
stories.
Implication of the title (The moon and sixpence)
“If you look on the ground in search of a sixpence, you don’t look up, and so miss the moon.” – If
you look down at the ground for a six-cent coin instead of looking up at the sky, you will miss the
moon.
The "Moon" symbolizes a noble ideal that is hard for anyone to completely reach. The "Sixpence" -
the lowest valued silver coin in England at the time, represented worldly desires. The moon in the
book represents ambition and the six-cent coin is for practicality.
We all have ambitions. On the path of life, we constantly follow the footsteps of the moon, but on
the same path, all of us can't stop grinding in practice, sharpening the edges and slowly. integrate
into this society. We put on masks, gradually lose our sincerity, and then lose our original essence.
Most people are not who they want to be, but who they should be. In this harsh life, how many
people can still completely remember what their ambition is and courageously pursue it? How many
people dare to drop a six-cent coin all over the floor and just look at the moon?
There are few people in this world who are willing to look up at the moon and give up the six-cent
coin that fell on the ground.
"The Moon and the Six-Pence" is not simply a book about pursuing an ideal life, it is a book about
being true to yourself, following your heart and instincts. If the life you choose is what you really
want, unimpeded by the outside world, then "the moon" or "the coin" doesn't matter, right?
The Escape
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers of mankind, the most representative author of the
European renaissance period. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon around 1564 and
died on 23 April 1616, when he was 52 years old. The exact reason of his death is not known as it is not
addressed in any chronological documents. William Shakespeare is mankind's number one playwright.
He has brought his plays to the whole world, imbued with philosophy as well as profound humanity.
Shakespeare's genius is unique. There was no one before him, and more than four centuries later, there
is no one to match him. William Shakespeare's masterpiece "Romeo and Juliet" was published in 1623.
The story of lovers Romeo and Juliet's passionate love with a tragic ending has truly become a cultural
phenomenon. Othello is considered one of the classic plays of theatrical art, these works have proved
the writer's talent for building tragedy.
Romeo & Juliet
