unit5-a-friend-in-need

NeverJudgebyAppearancesAFriendinNeedWilliamSomersetMaughamBy满园外国语学院范文艺外国语学院郑欢数学学院WilliamSomersetMaughamEnglishwriterShortstoriesHumanweaknesses•1874•attheageof10orphaned•St.Thomas'medicalschool•LizaofLambeth(1897)•traveledinSpainandItaly•fourplaysrunninginLondonatonce•secretagent•OfHumanBondage(1915)•TheMoonandSixpence(1919)•TheTremblingofaLeaf(1921)•1927•1965•In1947,MaughaminstitutedtheSomersetMaughamAward,awardedtothebestBritishwriterorwritersundertheageofthirty-fiveofaworkoffictionpublishedinthepastyear.Onhisdeath,MaughamdonatedhiscopyrightstotheRoyalLiteraryFund.•OneofveryfewlaterwriterstopraisehisinfluencewasAnthonyBurgess,whoincludedacomplexfictionalportraitofMaughaminthenovelEarthlyPowers.GeorgeOrwellalsostatedthatMaughamwasthemodernwriterwhohasinfluencedmethemost.TheAmericanwriterPaulTheroux,inhisshortstorycollectionTheConsul'sFile,updatedMaugham'scolonialworldinanoutstationofexpatriatesinmodernMalaysia.HoldenCaulfield,inJ.D.Salinger's1951TheCatcherintheRye,mentionsthatalthoughhereadOfHumanBondagetheprevioussummerandlikedit,hewouldn'twanttocallMaughamuponthephone.AFriendinNeed12—34—514—1617—3132—511Thenarratorpointedoutthatyoucannottrulyknowpeoplefromthefirstimpression(appearances).Pointoutthemainideadirectlybymeansofcomparison.2—3Thedescriptionsofthenarrator’sfriendwhohaddied,EdwardHydeBurton,whoseemedtobeverykindtopeople.Ahintforeshadowinglaterdevelopmentsinthestory.4—51ThemainplotofthestoryEdward‘snamesakediedofhimwhichshowshimupinhistruecolors,andalsoprovedthenarrator’sopinion-----ourfirstimpressionsofapersonarenotalwaysright.4—16Edwardgenerallyintroducedhisnamesake,LennyBurtonwhenhemetthenarratorattheloungeoftheGrandHotel.17—31Lennywasdownandoutasaresultoffailinplayingcardsanddrinking,sohewenttoEdward,hisnamesake,askingforajob,buthecouldonlycapableofswimmingexceptforplayingcards.32—51Edwardshowedhiscruelside,hesetaunreachableconditionforofferingajobonpurposeasheknewLennywouldbedrowned,becausehedidn’thaveavacancyintheoffice.Looks:•atinylittlefellow,notmuchmorethanfivefeetfourinheight,slender(smallandfrial)•whitehair,redfacewrinkled,mildblueeyes•alwaysneatlyandquietlydressedinaccordancewithhisageandstation.Charcteristics：•playedagoodgameandagenerousone•didnottalkverymuch,buthadadryhumor•voicewasgentle,smilewasbenign,feltinhimarealloveforhisfellows•couldtellwithpointagoodandspicystory,somethingofanathlete•arichman,madeeverypennyhimself•youfeltthathecouldnotbeartohurtafly!!Thenarrator’sfirstimpressiononEdward:kindlinessHowever...Heartless,cruel,notafriendinneed,namesakediedofhisjoke“Well,Ihadn’tgotavacancyinmyofficeatthemoment.”SOIRONIC!!Looks:•well-dressed,smart-looking,handsomewithcurlyhairandpink-and-whitecheeks,35yearsoldCharcteristics：•remittanceman•playcardswell•wild,dranktoomuch•candonothingexceptplayingcardsandswimmingBackgroundThisarticlewaswrittenbySomersetMaughamwhowasaBritishnovelist,playwright,short-storywriter,highestpaidauthorintheworldinthe1930s.Maughamusenewcriticismtheoryanalysisofthenovelcharacterdepiction,giventhecharacter,especiallyoneofthedefectsthatshowshowfragilelifeisandrevealsthelackofhumanity.ReferenceMapYokohamaKobeTarumiThankyou