Cover Letter
To whom it may concern:
I would like to thank you first for your time and effort in reading and evaluating my writing portfolio. In the academic English writing class of the spring semester in 2007, I read four stories collected in the book, International story, and I chose The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen as a focal story in my interpretive essay. My topic is “The Characteristic of Shadrach Cohen”. The works in the portfolio, three drafts of the analytic essays together with one reading log and one timed writing article, is a collection of my writing practice of this class.
The reading log reveals my interest in analyzing the characteristic of Shadrach. As a student from the marketing department, I am interested in the underlying motivation of people’s behavior. So, when many students in the class regard the story as a narration of the tough life of the Jewish people in the Americanization process, I interpret it as a description of a man’s effort to save his family relationship. I came up with the idea the first time that I finished the story and I expressed my favor of Shadrach and my concerned of the father and son relationship in the reading log.
However, it took me a long time to develop a satisfied thesis statement. In the first draft of the essay, I tried to transform my understanding of Shadrach’s motive into a thesis statement and I got an “ok” from Mr. Corio, the teacher of the course. However, when I developed the thesis into an article, the idea became less attractive. When I ask the group members for opinions during the peer review process, they told me that they were not clear about my thesis after reading the whole passage. And their comment is that “we are impressive by your detailed analysis of the character of Shadrach, but we are not sure what you are going to tell us through these interpretations.” The comment alerted me to pay attention to the audience’s interest and to concentrate my writing to the thesis. In the later editing process, I kept this awareness in mind and asked myself again and again whether each point was clear and easily understood and whether all the points were closely related to the thesis. By asking myself these questions, I was able to put myself in the readers’ shoes and improve the clarity and cohesive of the article.
Luckily, in the second draft of my essay, I found an effective method to introduce my thesis to my audience in a rather interesting and eye-catching way. The inspiration came when the whole class was discussing which introduction was more interesting in page 79-80 of our textbook. I found that the students in the class were interested in paragraph D most because the thesis in the introduction contradicted with our understanding, making the readers eager to read the rest of the essay and know how the author justified the argument. To be interesting is to be different. Inspired by this idea, I applied the finding in my essay immediately after the class. In the introduction, I first presented readers with a common understanding of Shadrach’s sudden change that held by most of my classmates, and then I presented my understanding of this behavior, which was different from the former. By comparing these two opinions, the readers would have a deeper impression of my thesis. And in the following paragraphs, I listed both evidences that supported my perspective and that refuted the widely accepted alternative. With the two way argumentation, my thesis became more persuasive.
Through the writing practice, I learned not only about how to set up a strong thesis, but also about the differences between the English writing and the Chinese writing. In the Chinese style of writing, a writer develops the article in accordance to his or her own flow of thinking and leaves the conclusion or thesis statement at the end of the article. Sometimes, the thesis is hidden somewhere in the lines of the description, and the readers have to dig it out themselves. In contrast to this hide-and-seek writing style, English writing style is more direct. The writer gives out the thesis statement at the beginning of the article where he or she introduces the background information. So the readers are clear about what to expect in the rest of the article when they start reading. The differences in the writing style bring about the differences in the focus of the writing class. The teacher in the Chinese writing class spends more time elaborating the application of the words, idioms and the rhetoric in the writing, while the instructor of the English writing class highlights the structure of the article. Clear guidelines are provided in organizing the essay, in selecting evidence for critical analysis and in quoting and documenting sources, cultivating a more logical and cautious writing style.
I benefit a lot from a whole semester’s practice and the essays in this portfolio present my improvement of this semester. I would like to thank my group members and Mr. Corio for the precious comments and advices on my writing. Their feedbacks are important for the modification and revision of my essay.
Thank you for taking the time to read my papers. I hope you enjoyed reading these papers.
Sincerely,
Promise Xu
Essay Draft Three
June 20, 2007
The Character of Shadrach Cohen
The wave of immigration at the turn of the twentieth century brought many Jewish immigrants to American. They fled away from Russia to escape the religious persecution, but when they came to America, they were trapped in the ghettos and struggled for life. To adapt to the American society, the devotional Jewish changed their apparels, modified their religious rituals, and assimilated the local culture. The process was not finished within a few minutes; it took a long time, and it caused a lot of pain to some people, especially for the older ones. (45)
With the heritage of his father’s writing talent and the experience as a news reporter and comic supplement editor, Bruno Lessing provided us with a profound insight into the Jewish lives in New York, and “The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen” was one of his works. (45) In the story, the author depicted an old Jewish man, Shadrach Cohen, who took a few days’ time to travel from Russia to New York, but spent several months to get ready for his new life in America. In the awful days that Shadrach repelled the American way of life, conflicts and unhappy conversations took place from time to time between the father and the sons. But these displeasures made Shadrach think. If there was no such conflicts, or if his two sons respected him, obeyed all his orders and kept silent on the issue of Americanization, Shadrach would not change his mind and embrace the American culture; it was the crisis between the father and the sons that pushed Shadrach to move forward and adapt to the American society.
The beginning of the story shows that Shadrach is a person who cares about the family relationship. At the beginning of the story, he received a letter from his sons that invited him to the “nice home” in America. (46) He might feel comfortable in his old place in Russia and satisfied with the life of his own, but he was induced by the happy life described in the letter and made the decision that he would cross thousand miles to pursue the life of happiness and realize the family reunion. This is the first signal of the most important character of Shadrach – the care for the family ties. He treasured the relationship with members within the family and was willing to sacrifice everything for his family. The second signal appears when the father and sons discussed the servant issue. The father insisted on keeping the old servant, Marta, and he did this for his dead wife. We can read from the words that Shadrach pinned his memories of his wife on the old servant, and the servant was like a connection between him and his wife.
Not every dream can be realized, and not every outcome equals to the expectation. When Shadrach arrived, his excitement was interrupted by a surprise, which was the start of the conflict. He could not recognize his two fashionable young sons with diamond neckties when they threw their arms around him. And he was more surprised when his sons judged his apparels. However, he himself was the distinctive one in the crowd. His “loose, baglike garment of the Russian Ghetto” (46) and the “long, strangling grey beard and ringlets that came down over his ears” (46) contradicted with the environment and delivered a vivid signal to people around that he was “a newly landed Russian Jew” (46). Usually, people would feel uncomfortable when their behaviors and appearances are different from people around him, and would change spontaneously to join the main stream. But it was not the case with Shadrach. He made a definite declaration that he would not change his looks and he did not care how people judged him. Only people who are good at decision making can insist their own ideas as Shadrach did. His words showed that he could not be easily influenced and he had a high confidence in his culture and himself. For a man like him, the external force, such as the persuasion or the judgment of others, would not alter his course; only the internal force, his will and his own judgment could lead him and push him forward. Because of this, the turning point of Shadrach’s change can be narrowed down to the erosion of the father-and-sons relationship – he cared about the family ties so much that it became an instinct for him to save the relationship.
Three major conflicts were depicted in the narration, and each one of them was accompanied by one of Shadrach’s attempts to save the relationship. The first one happened at the night when Shadrach first arrived at his sons’. Though Shadrach was not easily influenced by the environment, he was sensitive about it. His keen sentience detected the possible crisis, and “he realized immediately that there was a wall between him and his sons”. (46)
Shadrach encountered the first conflict unexpectedly, but he made an immediate decision that he would do something to make up the relationship. While his sons felt hard to pose the request for money for the first time and spoke in a hesitated way, he answered,” I do not understand this business that you are talking about. But you may have whatever money you need. “(47) And then, he gave out the reason for his quick answer,”after all, I have no one but you two.”(47) It is obvious that if it was not for the displeasure and the approach of the crisis, he would not give the permission without a second thought. Since he was a veteran business man, he held much experience in investing and running business, and moreover, he was sure to be aware of the underlying risk of a business – the less the investor knows about the business, the greater the risk will be. However, despite all the knowledge that he owned, he gambled the money for a better family relationship.
The second conflict was more like a cold war between the father and the sons. After several months, the situation did not show any sign of improvement. The sons did not respect him and they criticized him; even Marta expressed her “nervous vigor” through the way she cleaned the cooks. But Mr. Cohen seemed to figure out an easy ways to deal with the crisis. He tried to maintain the relationship with unconditional financial support. He was so nice that his sons even described his action as “cheerfully”. However, when Shadrach responded to the request with a smiling face, his heart was aching. “He began to feel that this, after all, was the only bond between him and his sons.” (47) These words indicated a great tension between the father and the sons and naturally lead to the anticipation that the breaking point was somewhere around the corner.
Money was an easy way, but was not the ultimate answer, and so there came the third conflict. His son, Gottlieb, was reluctant to introduce Shadrach to his fiancée. And at this point, Shadrach knew that his sons were ashamed of their father and it was something intolerable for Shadrach. “He was red in the face with suppressed rage.”(48) And then, he gave out orders with “an intonation in his voice that alarmed his sons”. (48)The escalation of the crisis made Shadrach think seriously about the problem, and finally pushed him forward. He realized that it was time to demonstrate to his sons that their father was able to be an American, a successful business man and a father that they would be proud of.
One might argue that Shadrach’s change is due to the time. The months between his arrival and his change gave Shadrach enough time to prepare for the sudden change and he needed time to assimilate the American culture. It could be a good excuse for other people, but not Shadrach. As a sophisticated business man, he was not afraid of new places and new things. The first time that he went to the shop, he acted as an owner, not a visitor. The day after the breakout, he “loomed up in the doorway” and examined the place. He felt comfortable and relax. He “chuckled” at the name “Shadrach Cohen, Proprietor” (49). And he even played a little trick to the clerk, and then sent all of them away. His first tour to the shop tells us that he was able to assimilate ideas and knowledge in a quick manner and execute his orders decisively, and that the cultural shock had little effect in keeping Shadrach from the American society.
The crisis of the relationship between father and the sons pushed Shadrach to think about ways to deal with the problem, made him comprised to the requests of money, and finally gave Shadrach the impulse to move forward and embrace the American life. His change was neither a result of his fancy of the American culture nor a production of a gradual acculturation process; it was an achievement of Shadrach’s effort to win back the respect of his sons and save the father-and-sons relationship.
Finally, the crisis of the family relationship brought happiness to Shadrach. “A new life was unfolding itself before his eyes” (50), and “the charm of American life, of liberty, of democracy, appealed to him strongly” (50). And he won the heart of his daughter in law, and she “ran toward him”, “seized his hands”, and asked, “will you not give me your blessing?” (50) Shadrach had not picture the wonderful life he would have when he fitted into the American society, but the crisis lead him to change. When a man is trapped, he will come up with many plans, of which only some will work. The crisis was both a challenge and a chance. And Shadrach seized it.
Work Cited
Lessing, Bruno. “The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen.” 1903. Rpt. in The International Story: An Anthology with Guidelines for Reading and Writing about Fiction. Ruth Spack. New York: St. Martin’s, 1994. 45-51.
Essay Draft Two
May 26, 2007
The Character of Shadrach Cohen
The wave of immigration at the turn of the twentieth century brought many Jewish immigrants to American. They fled away from Russia to escape the religious persecution, but when they came to America, they were trapped in the ghettos and struggled for life. To adapt to the American society, the devotional Jewish changed their apparels, modified their religious rituals, and assimilated the local culture. The process was not finished within a few minutes; it took a long time, and it caused a lot of pain to some people, especially for the older ones.
With the heritage of his father's writing talent and the experience as a news reporter and comic supplement editor, Bruno Lessing provided us with a profound insight into the Jewish lives in New York, and “The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen” was one of his works. In the story, the author depicted an old Jewish man, Shadrach Cohen, who took a few days’ time to travel from Russia to New York, but spent several months to get ready for his new life in America. In those awful days that Shadrach repelled the American way of life, conflicts and unhappy conversations took place from time to time between the father and the sons. But these displeasures made Shadrach think. If there was no such conflicts, or if his two sons respected him, obeyed all his orders and kept silent on the issue of Americanization, Shadrach would not change his mind and embrace the American culture. In another word, it was the crisis between the father and the sons that pushed Shadrach to move forward and adapt to the American society.
The beginning of the story introduces the reason why Shadrach came to America, which gives us the cue that the family crisis was the key factor for Shadrach’s sudden change. He received a letter from his sons, on which it wrote,” We have a nice home for you here. We will live happily together” (46). Shadrach might feel comfortable in his old place in Russia and satisfied with the life of his own, but he was induced by the happy life described in the letter and made the decision that he would cross thousand miles to pursue the life of happiness and realize the family reunion. This is the first signal of the most important character of Shadrach – the care for the family ties. He treasured the relationship with members within the family and was willing to sacrifice everything to fix the relationships. The second signal appears when the father and sons discussed the servant issue. The father insisted on keeping the old servant, Marta, and he did this for his dead wife. We can read from the words that Shadrach pinned his memories of his wife on the old servant, and the servant was like a connection between him and his wife.
Not every dream can be realized, and not every outcome equals to the expectation. When Shadrach arrived, his excitement was interrupted by a surprise, which was the start of the conflict. He could not recognize his two fashionable young sons with diamond neckties when they threw their arms around him. And he was more surprised when his sons judged his apparels. Actually, he himself was more distinctive in the crowd. His “loose, baglike garment of the Russian Ghetto” (46) and the “long, strangling grey beard and ringlets that came down over his ears” (46) contradicted with the environment and vividly delivered a signal to people around that he was “a newly landed Russian Jew” (46). Usually, people would feel uncomfortable when their behaviors and appearance are different from people around him, and would change spontaneously to join the main stream. But it was not the case with Shadrach. He made a definite declaration that he would not change his looks and he did not care whether people judged him. Only people who are good at decision making can insist their own ideas as Shadrach did. His words showed that he was not easily influenced and he had a high confidence in his culture and himself. For a man like him, the external force, such as the persuasion or the judgment of others, could not alter his course; only the internal force, his will and his own judgment could lead him and push him forward. Because of this, the turning point of Shadrach’s change can be narrowed down to the erosion of the father-and-sons relationship – he cared about the family ties so much that it became an instinct for him to save the relationship.
Three major conflicts were depicted in the narration, and every one of them was accompanied by an effort of Shadrach with an attempt to save the relationship. The first one happened at the night when Shadrach first arrived at his sons’. Though Shadrach was not easily influenced by the environment, he was sensitive about it. His keen sentience detected the crisis that he had with his sons:
“Shadrach was racking his brains to find some explanation that would account for the change that had come over his sons. They had never been demonstrative in their affection for him, and he had not looked for an effusive greeting. But he realized immediately that there was a wall between him and his sons; some change had occurred; he was distressed and puzzled.” (46)
Shadrach encountered the first conflict unexpectedly, but he made an immediate decision that he would do something to make up the relationship. While his son felt hard to pose the request for money for the first time and spoke in a hesitated way, he answered,” I do not understand this business that you are talking about. But you may have whatever money you need. “(47) And then, he gave out the reason for his quick answer,”after all, I have no one but you two.”(47) It is obvious that if it was not for the displeasure and the approach of the crisis, he would not give the permission without a second thought. Since he was a veteran business man, he held so much experience in investing and running a business, and moreover, he was sure to be aware of the underlying risk of a business – the less the investor knows about the business, the greater the risk will be. However, despite all the knowledge that he owned, he gambled the money for a better relationship of the family.
The second conflict was more like a cold war between the father and the sons. After several months, the situation did not show any sign of improvement. The sons did not respect him and they criticized him; even Marta expressed her “nervous vigor” through the way she cleaned the cooks. But Mr. Cohen seemed to figure out an easy ways to deal with the crisis. He tried to maintain the relationship with unconditional financial support. He was so nice that his sons even described his action as “cheerfully”. However, although Shadrach responded to the request with a smiling face, his heart was aching. “He began to feel that this, after all, was the only bond between him and his sons.” (47) These words indicated a great tension between the father and the sons, and it is nature to anticipant that the breaking point was somewhere near the corner.
Money was an easy way, but was not the ultimate answer, and so there came the third conflict. His son, Gottlieb, was reluctant to introduce Shadrach to his fiancée. And at this point, Shadrach knew that his sons are ashamed of their father and it was intolerable for Shadrach. “He was red in the face with suppressed rage.”(48) And then, he gave out orders with “an intonation in his voice that alarmed his sons” (48). The escalation of the crisis made Shadrach to think seriously about the problem, and finally pushed him forward. Shadrach attempted to demonstrate to his sons that their father was able to be an American, a successful business man and a father that they would be proud of.
One might argue that Shadrach’s change is due to the time. The months between his arrival and his change gave Shadrach enough time to prepare for the sudden change and he needed time to assimilate the American culture. It could be a good excuse for other people, but not Shadrach. As a sophisticated business man, he was not afraid of new place and new things. The first time that he went to the shop, he acted as an owner, not a visitor. The day after the breakout, he “loomed up in the doorway” and examined the place. He felt comfortable and relax. He “chuckled” at the name “Shadrach Cohen, Proprietor” (49). And he even played a little trick to the clerk, and then sent all of them away. His first tour to the shop tells us that he was able to assimilate ideas and knowledge in a quick manner and execute his orders decisively, and that the cultural shock had little effect in keeping Shadrach off the American society.
The crisis of the relationship between father and the sons pushed Shadrach to think about ways to deal with the problem, made him comprised to the requests of money, and now, it finally gave Shadrach the impulse to move forward and embrace the American life. His change was neither a result of his fancy of the American culture or a production of a gradual acculturation process; it was an achievement of Shadrach’s effort to win back the respect of his sons and save the father-and-sons relationship.
Finally, the crisis of the family relationship brought happiness to Shadrach. “A new life was unfolding itself before his eyes” (50), and “The charm of American life, of liberty, of democracy, appealed to him strongly” (50). And he won the heart of his daughter in law, and she “ran toward him”, “seized his hands”, and ask, “Will you not give me your blessing?” (50) Shadrach had not picture the wonderful life he would have when he fitted into the American society, but the crisis lead him to change. When a man is trapped, he will come up with many plans, of which only some will work. The crisis was both a challenge and a chance. And Shadrach seized it.
Essay Draft One
May 3, 2007 The Character of Shadrach Cohen
The wave of immigration at the turn of the twentieth century brought many Jewish immigrants to American. They fled away from Russia to escape the religious persecution, but when they came to America, they are trapped in the ghettos and struggle for life. To adapt to the American society, the devotional Jewish changed their apparels, modified their religious rituals, and assimilated the local culture. The process was not finished within a few minutes; it took a long time, and it caused a lot of pain to some people, especially for the older ones.
With the heritage of his father’s writing talent and the experience as a news reporter and comic supplement editor, Bruno Lessing provided us with an profound insight into the Jewish lives in New York, and “The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen” is one of his works. In the story, the author depicted an old Jewish man, Shadrach Cohen, who took a few days’ time to travel from Russia to New York, but spent several months to get ready for his new life in America. In those awful days that Shadrach repelled the American way of life, conflicts and unhappy conversations took place from time to time between the father and the sons. But these displeasures made Shadrach think. And it was the crisis between the father and the sons that pushed Shadrach to move forward and adapt to the American society.
The beginning of the story introduces the reason why Shadrach came to America. He received a letter from his sons, on which it wrote,” We have a nice home for you here. We will live happily together” (46). Shadrach might feel comfortable in his old place in Russia and satisfied with the life of his own, but he was induced by the happy life described in the letter and made the decision that he would cross thousand miles to pursue the life of happiness and realize the family reunion. This is the first signal of the most important character of Shadrach-the care for the family ties. He treasured the relationship with members within the family and was willing to sacrifice everything to fix the relationships.
Shadrach’s excitement was interrupted by a surprise. He could not recognize his two fashionable young sons with diamond neckties when they threw their arms around him. And he was more surprised when his sons judged his apparels. His “loose, baglike garment of the Russian Ghetto” (46) and the “long, strangling grey beard and ringlets that came down over his ears” (46) contradicted with the environment and vividly delivered a signal to people around that he was “a newly landed Russian Jew” (46). Usually, people would feel uncomfortable when their behaviors and looks were different from people around him, and would change spontaneously and inconspicuously to join the main stream. But it was not the case with Shadrach. He made a definite declaration that he would not change his looks and he would not care whether people judged him. Only people who are good at decision making can insist their own ideas as Shadrach did. His words showed that he was not easily influenced and he had a high confidence in his culture and himself. He was decisive, proud and stubborn.
Shadrach did not take the suggestions from his sons, but it did not mean that he was a bullhead and totally was unaware of the situation. He was a sensitive person, and his keen sentience detected the crisis that he had with his sons:
Shadrach was racking his brains to find some explanation that would account for the change that had come over his sons. They had never been demonstrative in their affection for him, and he had not looked for an effusive greeting. But he realized immediately that there was a wall between him and his sons; some change had occurred; he was distressed and puzzled. (46)
This is the beginning of the crisis. Because the family ties are so important for he, Shadrach tried and compromised. While his son felt hard to pose the request for money for the first time, and spoke in a hesitated way, he answered,” I do not understand this business that you are talking about. But you may have whatever money you need. “(47) And then, he gave out the reason for his quick answer,”after all, I have no one but you two.” And it is obvious that if it was not for the displeasure and his sensing of the crisis, he would not give the permission without a second thought, since he was a veteran business man and he possessed so much experience in investment and running a business.
Then after several months, the situation did not show any sign of improvement, but Mr. Cohen seemed to figure out an easy ways to deal with the crisis. He tried to maintain the relationship with unconditional financial support. He was so nice that his sons even described his action as “cheerfully”. However, when Shadrach responded to the request with a smiling face, his heart was aching. “He began to feel that this, after all, was the only bond between him and his sons.” (47)
Money was an easy way, but was not the ultimate answer. Shadrach put the family relation in such a high place that he would do every thing to rescue it. The easy route was just a temperate solution. And the only reason that Shadrach did not take a step further was that the crisis was not urging enough. The escalation of the relationship crisis made Shadrach to think seriously about the problem. When Gottlieb, one of his sons, told Shadrach that he had to wait for some time to meet his daughter in law, He realized that his sons were ashamed of their father. It was something that Shadrach could not tolerant. “He was red in the face with suppressed rage.”(48) He gave out orders with “an intonation in his voice that alarmed his sons” (48). The crisis of the relationship between father and the sons pushed Shadrach to think about ways to deal with the problem, made him comprised to the requests of money, and now, it finally gave Shadrach the impulse to move forward and embrace the American life. His change was not a result of his fancy of the American culture; it was Shadrach’s attempt to demonstrate to his sons that their father was able to be an American, a successful business man and a father that they would proud of.
Shadrach’s change was quick and fast. He did not repeat the excuses that he “was tired after the long journey” (47) and “did not understand the business” (47) any more. He “loomed up in the doorway” and examined the place. He even “chuckled” at the name “Shadrach Cohen, Proprietor”. He was not afraid of new place and new things. The first time that he went to the shop, he acted as an owner, not a visitor. He even played a little trick to the clerk, and then sent all of them away. There might be a cultural shock that prevent Shadrach to react quickly to the American society, but his first tour to the shop told us that he was able to assimilate ideas and knowledge in a quick manner and execute his orders decisively. He was not afraid of new things, and that he needed time to adapt was not a reason why he would not change.
Finally, the crisis of the father and son brought Shadrach a new life in America. “A new life was unfolding itself before his eyes” (50), and “The charm of American life, of liberty, of democracy, appealed to him strongly” (50). And he won the heart of his daughter in law, and she “ran toward him”, “seized his hands”, and ask, “Will you not give me your blessing?”(50) Shadrach had not picture the wonderful life he would have when he fitted into the American society, but the crisis lead him to change. When a man is trapped, he will come up with many plans, of which only some will work. The crisis was both a challenge and a chance. And Shadrach seized it.
Final timed writing
Final Timed-Writing
Directions: From The Necklace, what might have been the quality of Mme. Loisel’s life if she had not lost the necklace? Is her life better or worse now?
It is lucky for Mme. Loisel to lose the necklace. This experience gave her a lot of things to do and to think, as well as precious memories to recall. And her life is better that she lost the necklace on the ball.
Mme. Loisel’s life would be boring if she had not lost the necklace. After the ball, she was still a wife of a clerk, and she did not have other goals to work for. She did not have money and she did not have any chance to show off her beauty. The only thing that she had was time – a lot of time that enabled her to do more day dreaming and complain about the current situation of her life. The experience at the ball could only make her more isolated from the friends that she had in the same social class, because she would look down on them and laugh at their tastes. And I think that is a miserable life. She had dreams, but she did not have any opportunity to work for it.
Losing the necklace brought dramatic change to her life. She worked hard and she earned a large sum of money. And since she got back the necklace from her friend after finding out the truth, she became wealthy and she was capable of leading a life that she wanted. And I believe that the experience of a hard life enabled her to design a better lifestyle for herself and her family. The other reason that her life would be better after losing the necklace is that the experience prevented her from losing more important things in her life. If she did not lose the necklace, she might borrow a more expensive one the next time that she attended a party or a ball. And that might bring a bigger trouble if she lost it. And it is possible that she lost the most precious thing in her life – her husband. He was a good man and he loved his wife. But Mme. Loisel’s lust for luxuries might drive him away from her.
In conclusion, losing the necklace is good for Mme. Loisel. If she did not lose the necklace, she would continue her life without knowing where she was going. If she did not experience the panic of losing an expensive object, she would not know how to treasure her beloved husband and the happy moments that took place around her. If she did not work hard to pay the debt, she would not understand that there are so many incredible things other than luxury parties in life to pursuit. And now, she is happier than ever.
Reading log
Wisdom of the parents
I cheered for the happy ending the first time that I finished the story and I felt so happy for Shadrach Cohen that his effort to win the respect of his sons was finally paid off. It is a story of a father’s success that should be learned by all of us.
I like Shadrach. His directness made him a lovely figure in the story. His thoughts were simple. His words were direct. And he followed his heart and did what he thought was right instead of pretending to be someone else. Besides, Shadrach impressed me with his rich experience in the business field and his decisive manner in solving the problems. When I read the part where he played a trick on the clerk and fired the clerk for his unsatisfactory performance, I smiled. The action of the cute old Jewish man made me thought of the wizard in “Sword in the stone”, who educated the young Arthur by putting the young man into different magic scenarios. In my mind, the appearance of Shadrach is just like that of the wizard, a white-haired old man whose eyes are shinning with glisters of wisdom. Moreover, Shadrach was brave. He dared to take a step forward and embrace a culture that was different from his original one. And I wish that I would have the same courage when I pursuit a higher degree of education in a foreign country few years later.
From the story of Shadrach, I see the wisdom of the parents. Although Shadrach had the inertia in his old lifestyle, he understood the trend of the society. In my view, most of the parents own a better insight of the society – Their past experience helps them to identify the problems embedded in a seemingly flawless situation. And I even have a little envy of the two sons in the story. The two sons were so lucky to have a father beside them and they could turn to their father anytime for the advices needed in the business operation. In contrast to the two sons, I live thousands of miles away from my family now, and I cannot have long conversations that I used to have with my parents. I miss the talks so much and I wish that I could have a chance to tell the two sons in the story, “treasure the time with your father!”