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1Name:徐璐Number:12010011056c班英语小说选读Teacher:刘亚娜Date:2012-12-30Theegg“Theegg”waswrittenbySherwoodAnderson,anAmericanwriter.Hechosealittleboyasthenarrator.Inmyopinion,theauthorwantstomakereadersthinkdeeplyandtodigoutthethemeofstory.Thetaleistalkingaboutstruggleofsadhistoryofacouple.Atthebeginning,fatherworksasafarmhand.Whenhewasthirty-fifty,hemarriedawoman.Aftertheironlychildborn,“theybecomeambitious”.“Motherinducefathertogiveuphisplaceandembarkonanindependententerpriseofhisown.”——chickenraising.Itfailed.Buttheydidnotgiveup.Theybegananother.“TheymovedtothetownofBedwill,Ohio,andembarkedintherestaurantbusiness.”Itstillfailed.Inthisstory,symbolismisobviouslyimportantelement.Theegghasavarietyofmeanings.Next,Iamgoingtoanalyzesymbolismandcharacters,tryingtofigureoutthepurposeofthisshortstory.Thisstoryistoldbyaboy.Onhispointofview,hesawaworldwhichdifferentfromadulthadseen.Atfirst,hisfather,boysaid,wasacheerfulandkindlymanbynature.Heworkedasafarmhand,quitehappyinhispositioninlife.Buthismotherwasquiteambitiousforhisfatherandhimself.Onthenarrator’spart,becausehisparentswerebusychargingtheirchickenfarmandtakelesscareofhim.Then“hebecameagloomymaninclinedtoseethedarkersideoflife.”Theeggherestandsforathief.AsfarasIamconcerned,childshouldbenaïveandpuerilewhenhewasyoung.Heshouldenjoyhiscarelesschildhood.Nevertheless,thethiefwasjustbreakingintoboy’slifeanddisturbinghischildhood,stealingawaynatureofboyandmakinghimbecomepremature.Theboyfoundthat“chickeneatsquantitiesofcornandmealboughtbythesweatoffather’sbrow,getsdiseases,standslookingwithstupideyesatthesun,becomesickanddies.”Fatherdidnotharvestanythingbutwastedhismoneyandeffort.Sotheeggnotonlystealsboy’happiness,butalsorobfather’treasure.Becausefatherwasacheerful,kindlyman”before,hewasinordertoachieveabetterlifeforhischild.Andhefoundanotherjob.Thesituationoffamily,however,wasnotchangeandgotworse.Theegghasothersymbolism.Itisparasitewhichjustgetswhattheyneedandtakeeverythingfromitsowner.Thereasonisthatfatherdevotedhimselftohischicken,suchastime,energyandmoney.Thetruthisthattheeggisalwaystakingbutnevergives.Theywastedfather’money,andtookawayhishope.Nowhegainednothingbut“dreadfulcycle”.“Thusthisfamilygaveupstruggleandbegananother.”Duringthejourneyofmovinghouse,childrecalledthelifeoffarm,observinghisfather.Childfoundhis“fatherhadbecomehabituallysilentanddiscouraged”.Hisfathersufferedalotfromtheegg.Heconsistedonfightingwiththeegg.Sotheeggsymbolizesthedestiny.Peoplekeepsstrugglingwhentheyalive.Butsometimethefatewatchthestupidpeoplestruggleandmockatthem.Fatherprotectedhisgreatesttreasure—grotsquesthroughoutajourney.Here,grotesque’s2symbolicmeaningtopredicthisdreamwouldnothappenandtellthereaderfatherwasmad.Father’sbehaviorseemsdefendourdestinyagainstinvasioncarefully.Theyrentedanemptystorebuildingasarestaurantoppositetherailroadstation.Motherselectedthisplacesoastosendherboyintoatownandbecameamanofthetownsoneday.Shepinherhopesonhim.Fatherstillputexpectationontheegg.Hewonderedifheadopts“acheerfuloutlookonlife”.Andhealsodreamedofentertainingtheirgustswhetherthereisanopportunity.Heneverabandonsthechanceofcontrollingtheeggashewantstokeepthedestinyunderthecontrol.Onedayintheevening,therewasrarechancewhichagustcametovisit.Fatherwouldn’t,ofcourse,letsuchaperfectopportunityslipaway.Thenfatherexhibitedthegrotsques.But“hisvisitorwasmadealittleillbythesightifthebodyofterriblydeformedbirdfloatinginthealcoholinthebottleandgotuptogo.”Fatherbegantodoatrickwithaneggandwantedtocatchvisitor’attention.Itfailed.Visitorlaughedathimandthoughthewasmildlyinsaneandharmless.Atlast,fatherlostfaceandreputation.Theeggwon.Fatherlostthefateandhesadlyadmitted.AfterIhadreadtheshortstory,Ifeelsympatheticforthefatherandchild.Theyaremadefooloftheegg.Inaddition,theeggstandforAmerican’dream.Becausetheexperienceoftheauthormakehimraiseadeeplythought,andtopickuphispensoastowakeuppeoplewhoareobsessedwithmakingtheirAmericandreamcometrue.Atworse,thishasleadtopeoplenotthinkingforthemselves,andsimplyfollowingpublicopinion.Buttherealityisquitecruelandtotallydifferent.