CALL Literary Reaction Journal 5

The Real Princess by Hans Christian Andersen

Ⅰ.Summary
The story I chose to summarize and react is The Real Princess Synopsis.
The story tells of a prince who wants to marry a princess, but is having difficulty finding a suitable wife. Something is always wrong with those he meets, and he cannot be certain they are real princesses.One day,　by placing a pea in the bed prince's mather is offered for the night, covered by 20 mattresses and 20 feather-beds,do the test that is whether the princess is a real princess.この物語はあるところに結婚したい王子がいるが、自分に見合った相手(妻)が見つからずにいた。いつもお相手を探してもうまくいかず、本当の相手が見つからない。ある日、ベッドの上に一粒のエンドウ豆を置き、その上に敷布団を二十枚敷き、さらにやわらかい羽布団も二十枚重ねることでこのお姫様は本当のお姫様なのかを試す。




Ⅱ.Reaction

1.Symbolism      

　　　　　　　　　　 Having the sensitivity to feel a pea through such a quantity of bedding
                                                  　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ↓
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A real princess
　　二十枚の敷布団を敷きその上に二十枚のやわらかい羽根布団を重ねてもエンドウ豆がこたえるという人
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　→本当のお姫様




2. Denouement
The two are married.
二人は結婚する。




3.Theme
Of a person, a quality of outward dignity and grace shows her good upbringing.
人の外部に現れた品格は育ちの良さを示している。




4. General opinion
This story tells how we make observations is important, I thought . The real problem is not the clothes, not the status, but have to see the person behind those external appearances.
この物語はどう観察するかが重要であるかを教えてくれていると思う。本当に問題なのは服でも地位でもなくて　そういう見た目(見たところからわかる情報)に隠れている人間性を見ることだと思う。

CALL Literary Reaction Journal 4

Ⅰ. Summary

The story I choose to summarize and react to is “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde.

In a town where a lot of poor people suffer, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter meets the statue of the late "Happy Prince",

who in reality has never experienced true happiness. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the story centers round what is happiness to human.

貧困に苦しむ町で、ある一匹のツバメ(彼の仲間である群れはすでに六週間前にエジプトに出発していましたが、 そのツバメは残っていました)が冬の間に幸福な王子(生きていた時に本当の幸せを味わった事のない)と呼ばれる銅像に出会う。その幸福な王子像は高台から貧困に苦しむ人々をみて、物語は人間にとって幸せとは何かを軸に展開してゆく。

 

Ⅱ.  Reaction

1. Denouement

The swallow dies as a result of his selfless deeds. The statue of Happy Prince is then torn down and melted leaving behind the broken heart.

ツバメは頑張りすぎた為死んでしまう。幸福な王子の像はその後ボロボロになり、壊れた心臓を残して溶かされてしまいました。

2. Symbolism

The more stripping of all of the statue's beauty is focused upon, the more the self-sacrifice of the happy prince and the swallow becomes tragic.

幸福な王子の美しさ(宝石)がどんどん無くなっていくことが強調されるにつれて、彼とツバメの自己犠牲が悲劇性を帯びてくる。

3. Theme

This theme holds this dead locked feeling that we sense in our time must have been sensed the way we do so repetitively in many places at many historical times. Because this story take pity on people (that there are those who have unfortunately taken the joker phisically or mentally) 　

この物語のテーマは歴史の中で何度も繰り返し起こって感じ取られている時代の閉塞感だと思う。なぜならこの物語はこの世の中に生きていて、どうしようもない、不条理な運命の中で生きている人々に同情しているからである。

4.General opinion

I thought what is the true happiness on human life after reading this story. I wonder how anyone could just ignore this problematic chaotic side of the reality and how could just say "we are going to be alright!". Without the descriptions of the very problems that we are facing right now, the creating something is meaningless I thought.

人間にとって真の幸せとはなにかをこの物語を読んだ後考えた。今現在直面している混沌とした問題があるのに、とりあえずそれは置いておいて今日を楽しく行きましょうとは言えないのではないか。もしそういう今の最大の問題を軸に考えなければ創造とは意味がないのではと思った。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CALL Literary Reaction Journal 3

I. Summary
The short short story I chose to summarize and is The important things in life.This story tell readers to set　importance of priorities.


Ⅱ.  Reaction
1 Character
Main character of this short story is a philosophy professor who tell his classmates and readers to how setting priorities is important useing some items.

2 Symbolism

The jar→your life
①the rocks→the important things (ex.your family, your health etc...)
②the pebbles→the other things matter (ex.your job, your house, your car etc...)
③the sand→everything else (ex. except①,②)

3 Theme
I think this theme is how setting priorities is important .Because 16～ line says" “If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.”

4 General opinion
 Life is often compared to a voyage. But in this short short story, life is compared to jar. That is verey interesting.