讀書心得徵文比賽得獎名單

讀書心得徵文比賽得獎名單出爐囉!
非常感謝所有參與的同學與兩位評審老師的批改及支持:東吳大學馬健君教授
以及台中教育大學的廖美玲教授。
評審老師此次提到:
大部分作品都寫得很好，
其中幾篇，尤其深刻，讓我忍不住又再多讀幾遍。
謝謝你們給我這個美好的機會與經驗。

All of them are very good! I am impressed!


恭喜下列四位同學得獎

第一名
應外四 張O誠 Never Let Me Go
第二名
法學一 曾O菁 Before I Fall
第三名
應外四 鄭O儀 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
第三名
應外一 林O文 The Hunger Games

請四位得獎同學盡快攜帶身分證、學生證、存摺或提款卡至語言中心辦理領獎手續。

102-1 英文讀書心得徵文比賽第一名 : 應外四 張O誠

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro

        Thirty-one-year-old Kathy H. unfolds this story with her monologue-like narration. She grew up with her friends, Ruth and Tommy as her closest ones, in a school named Hailsham, then moved to the Cottages during their teenage years, and after the days in the Cottages, they are required to be either a “donor,” a person who donates his/her organs to the “normals” until the end of life, or a “carer,” a person who takes care of donors. Even if they choose to be a carer, they still doomed to, sooner or later, donate their vital organs to normal people, and then they will all “complete,” or die because that’s why they are created. This genre of this novel arguably belongs to Quasi-Sci-Fi and the time of this story sets in late 1990s. Ishiguro depicts a world developing clone technology in order to prolong human lifespan and to achieve longevity since World War II. Therefore, clones are made for donations, and Miss Emily founded Hailsham so as to prove the world that clones have souls at all.

        The depiction of emotional struggles in this novel is so remarkable that readers are pulled in to ponder over and gain spiritual growth. Along with this story line, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy demonstrate a strong emotional bound to one another. Moreover, during their dealing with the ordeals they have encountered throughout their lives, an enormous sense of loss is shown. On the one hand, they exhibit a very human-like way of interacting with others, while on the other hand, they also illustrate an almost wholeness as a human but something is missing. The biggest reason dividing humans and clones in this story is the way they’re reared. Accordingly, two themes are selected: one is regarding their being deprived of deeper education and the other is about their loss of identity. After brief discussion of the selected themes, the focus will be on Ishiguro’s message to this real world. 

        The first theme chosen is about their being deprived of further education. Though they grew up in a school and created artwork and poetry, they were never enlightened. They sense something weird and sometimes question, but they never think further, or they are blocked to do so. They were told enough to know that they are one day to donate, but they were never told enough to understand the true meanings of donation and why they have to donate. Therefore, since their childhood, they know their only mission is donation. However, some might get the answer at the very end of their lives, while others remain completely innocent when they die. Without enlightenment, they can think on the surface instead of think critically. When encountered with predicaments, like young children, they passively accept it, remain gloomy for a while, or sometimes shout desperately simply trying to drain their powerlessness out. They are not aware to change not because they are really that impotent, but because, with every clone fulfilling their mission, none of them think about escaping and being abnormal as their life mission as a donor has been internalized into their mind. As a result, education itself is a double-edged sword. It enables educated people to think critically if they receive enough nurture of quality education. However, it also paralyzes one’s thinking system if it only teaches talent-oriented subjects, such as creating artwork and poetry.

Another theme is their loss of identity. An important clue is their desire to find their own “possible,” the one who donate genes so that they can be made. A scene describing Ruth’s outrage after they know that the fine lady in the office is not Ruth’s possible best exemplifies their subordinate attitude and inferiority complex.

‘I didn’t want to say when you first told me about this. But look, it was never on. They don’t ever, ever, use people like that woman. Think about it. Why would she want to? We all know it, so why don’t we all face it. We’re not modeled from that sort… We all know it. We’re from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps. Convicts, maybe just so long as they aren’t psychos. … If you want to look for possibles, if you want to do it properly, then you look in the gutter. You look in the rubbish bins. Look down the toilet, that’s where you will find where we all came from.’

        This scene can be regarded as their epiphany, a moment when they realize that they will never be a decent person as they once dreamed of. Since their childhood, they dreamed their own dreams. Some dreamed to become a Hollywood actor, while others dreamed to become their ideal profession. The fantasy that they had clung to suddenly collapsed. Their desires are never to be fulfilled; even their eagerness to find their own identity and the position in the world failed. They are rootless. Moreover, at all time, they view themselves as subordinates of human beings; therefore, it drives them to seek their identity from their possibles, even though the two parties do not have any strings attached except for genes. In addition, when Kathy worked as a carer, Hailsham was closed. Upon knowing this, Kathy thought about the students who she had grown up together, now all over the country as carers or donors. They were all separated but somehow still linked by the place they were from. Hailsham, a place where their common memories took place, was shut down, and nothing they’re related to will remain. All of them will complete. All of them will leave the world without any traces. They are born and dead without identity.

        Ishiguro depicted Never Let Me Go in a slightly gloomy fashion; all the miseries leak through the lines and shroud your heart with a thin layer of sadness instead of striking you directly with a powerful sentimental bomb. It is remarkably written and enchanting. Not only does it provide immense pleasure for a reader, but, with the first person narration, it leads readers to be the one whom Kathy talks to. In this way, the real world and the fictional world seem to merge, and it makes readers to ponder whether in this real world exist this group of minorities who suffer to make life of the majority more pleasant.

Based on my knowledge of this novel, Ishiguro indeed tried to make the world think, to think what can be done and what can’t. Throughout the whole novel, Ishiguro’s detailed depiction of clones’ misery triggers readers’ sympathy. It is certainly not humane to treat a life like that. Even if some argue that clones are not humans, people don’t do that on animals. Accordingly, there must be a distinction between the forbidden and the debatable. Some issues welcome all parties to present their arguments, while others should remain undone because morality should never fade and always be the priority.

In one of Ishiguro’s interview, he pointed out that one of the most important themes in this novel is limited lifespan. No matter clones or humans, they all live through the periods as a child, as a teenager, and as an old man. Though the life of clones is limited in around 30 years, they experienced discomfort as a suffering patient as well. Ishiguro himself also assisted in shooting the adapted film and at the very end of the movie, unlike the original novel, Kathy has a new line: “What I’m not sure about is whether our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. And none of us really understand what we’ve lived through. Or feel we’ve had enough time.” By reading this novel, readers gain catharsis through the haunting predicaments of the characters, thereby understanding that life is never long enough, not even when we try various means to prolong our lifespan. We all spend our lifetime exploring the true meaning of life. With the dandelion of this well-knotted plot landing in readers’ brain and mind, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy provide inspirations and encouragements whenever one feel defeated. What’s more, it also invites readers to thoroughly ponder over the true meanings of life and the distinction between what should do and what shouldn’t.

102-1 英文讀書心得徵文比賽第二名 : 法學組一 曾O菁

Before I fall

By Lauren Oliver

Everyone must have some experiences about “death”, maybe through one’s beloved relatives, friends or even pets. Most of them caught this opportunity to ponder on some life issues. For instance, “What is the meaning of life?” “Is there really a heaven or hell?” “Is there any destiny target waiting us to achieve?” Moreover, some people may had thought about how will the fateful moment happened and how will they feel when they have to face their own “death”. If you had once thought about the issue above, you can never miss《Before I fall》.

The cover of 《Before I fall》 is a girl lying on a meadow, it made me inferred that it must be a teenagers’ romance. Actually, I don’t like this kind of story and I didn’t pay much attention on this novel. However, thanks to my friend’s highly recommending, I fortunately didn’t miss this interesting novel. Instead of the love between two adolescents,《Before I fall》is talking about a girl’s death and what she had realized in her “die process”. The girl, whose name is Samantha, was one of the most popular girls in her high school, she had a wonderful high school life with her friends. But just as no morning sun last the whole day, she died in the car accident when her friend drove her home after a party. However, it’s just the beginning of the story.

Samantha felt that herself had already been dead, but she then be woke up by her alarm clock and found that it was the morning of her doom day! She had to repeat that day again and again. At first, she tried to avoid things that may lead to her death, but what she had done was all in vain because she would still die in other ways. Even if she had successfully avoided it, she got in another repeat after she slept. Meanwhile, through experiencing her doom day again and again, she found out that even the smallest decision she made that day would cause a vast effect at the end of the day. Though it made her so confused and had tortured her so much, she discovered some hidden facts in her life, found out who really loves her and found out who only wanted to use her. Most important of all, she found out that the most significant thing in her life is her beloved family. After “practicing” so many times, Samantha found the best way for her to live the very last day of her life.

In《Before I fall》, the author used the element “the butterfly effect” to make the story more attractive. Because of the effect, Samantha had seven totally different February 12 to found out many secrets and amazing facts and finally realize what is the most important thing in her life that is worth it to catch the last chance to spend her last day on. But the heartbreaking thing is that she got the point too lately. At least she got the point at the last chance and made herself a better ending, but how about we normal people in the real world? Do we have the chance to regret and to change anything at the last day of our lives? In the story, Samantha had drawn a line in her room and forbad her mother to get through it for protecting her privacy. But in the morning of the last day of the repeating ones, Samantha almost gave up to deal with the confusing situation because she thought she had arranged all things in the right place. She thought that she deserved a great ending but what she found out after she opened her eyes was that she was on her bed with another February 12. Feeling Frustrated, She powerlessly lay on her bed. Samantha’s mother came upstairs to get her out of her bed to go to school and found Samantha was not right. Without hesitation, Samantha’s mother stepped over the line and hugged Samantha.

Though the author didn't explain why Samantha has this unbelievable experience, the story is delicate enough to inspire me. Once I get close to “death”, maybe do something dangerous or when some of my relatives passed away, I would think about the questions about meaning of life again. Sometimes I may not only think about the meaning of life but also what we should pursue and cherish. Moreover, I may think about why human beings should have to experience those complicated expressions and cope with those complex relationships. Are those above gifts or torment from god?

After finishing reading《Before I fall》, I saw the movie《Seven Days in Heaven（父後七日）》, another excellent movie which focus on the love between family members, the meaning of life and the rituals of traditional Chinese funeral. It's great by using a humor way to see those sad things, which made the audience have a stronger feeling to the ironical points by many intensive contrasts. Compare to《Seven Days in Heaven》,《Before I fall》has more focus on teenagers’ bullying issues and their rebelliousness in the gloomy salad days, which makes them neglect they family. I think that is the main idea that the author wants us to realize ── we should not only cherish our family but catch every opportunity to enjoy in our family love because life is always fickle. 

102-1 英文讀書心得徵文比賽第三名 : 應外一 林O文

The Hunger Games

 By Suzanne Collins

  It was the last page of the book, but I refused to read the ending. I wanted the story to be continued. How was Katniss after winning the game? What about Peeta? Deeply put myself in the story, I held my breath and turned to the last page, as if I were Katniss, seizing every opportunity to survive.

  I could see the outline of the Capitol emerging in front of me. The crowd had their hands high in the air, cheering for the Tributes they supported. However, it was not a sport game. The twenty four Tributes from twelve different Regions had the same fate in the end—being killed. The only person was allowed to go home alive was the winner. In other words, the winner must kill all the other twenty three Tributes to end the game. Sadly, there were no winner left occasionally, for the challenges in the game was too tough.

  It was a strategy for Peeta to pretend that he love Katniss, and he was willing to sacrifice for his love. The story did touch the crowd form the Capitol. People wanted to see Peeta and Katniss fighting for the survival for each other. The stories alike could be romantic in our lives, but it was nothing but a brutal challenge in the game.

  From some imaginary screens, I saw Katniss fighting for her own survival. She had her bow and arrows, running through the forest, trying to escape from the enemies that intended to kill her. She hid herself in ponds, slept in trees, and struggled to find Peeta. Peeta was badly injured, dying somewhere in the furious forest. He failed to protect himself. Worst of all, he might get kill by other Tributes in any moment.

  When it came to the end of the game, there were two Tributes left—Katniss and Peeta. Since the crowd of the Capitol was so eager to see their romance, the designers changed the rule of the game. However, the rule was revised again later. The government found that their power was challenged by the young couples. They wanted only one winner instead of two. Katniss and Peeta decided to eat a kind of poisonous berry, for they didn’t want to kill each other. Meanwhile, the crowd from the Capitol would like to see both of them stay alive. Influenced by the crowd, the designer of the game changed the rule again in the end. The pretended lover survived and won the game, but the government was not happy to see this.

  What impressed me most was not the characters or the plot, but the will power of survival. Living in the concrete jungle, it’s pretty hard for me to imagine how difficult it could be to stay alive. Nevertheless, Katniss showed me how impossible it could be. A weird question came to me after reading the story. What if I were one of the characters in the book? Even worse, I was selected to be one of the Tributes. Although that was just an imaginary situation, I thought about it seriously. What if, I could possibly die tomorrow?

 

  I got the answer after reading the book for two or three times later. If I had to die young, I would like to share everything I own with others. Just as Katniss did before she was selected to be the Tribute, I would like to be the candle in the darkness. Providing the needed with hope and warm would be my core value of my life. For I may die young, I shall leave no regret in my life. I should love the ones that are worth loved. I should keep a positive attitude toward every challenge and depression as well. There are no reason for me to look down on anything or feel hopeless, since I must seize every opportunity to live as brightly as possible.

  Now, I breathe the air of freedom and safety, cherishing every moment I live. Even if I know I would not be selected as one of the Tributes, I try hard to share what I have with others. Looking at the bright side of everything and never quit, I refused to surrender to any challenge. Just as Katniss, I fight not only for myself, but also for the ones I love. 

102-1 英文讀書心得徵文比賽第三名 : 應外四 鄭Ｏ儀

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower describes the life of senior student. It is about what Charlie, the main character, has encountered; who he has befriended and how he felt and transferred upon being along with a group of unique friends.

Generally speaking, it should be a book that people who have passed the time of being senior high students will resonate and shout, “Yeah! These were what I did when I was young.” When I read this book, I’m already a college student. I have to be honest that the situations happening in the book probably seldom appear in the lives of the students in Taiwan, no matter in senior high or college. There are issues of friendship, love and family in the story. These are what all human are tangled with in our lives. However, a majority of students in Taiwan may have already missed the very time to experience the craziness and wildness which the characters were having in their senior high. Students in Taiwan put all their efforts in studying, striving for something called “future”; however, while we are keeping our paces to the upcoming future, we have already neglect the moment we are standing on; what we want is a great leap, a leap which may lead us to the top. We bump, we jump; exhaustedly, we fall and try again and again. Repetitively, we never have the chance to enjoy what we are standing on and what surround us. Compare to those who can renovate how the characters feel, Taiwanese readers may can only admire and pity for what they hope to experience at least once.

The characters in the story experience the sweet and sorrow complicated relationship between lovers, bearing the struggling and painfulness of seeing their lovers dating with others, enjoying the relationship and then breaking their hearts in tears. They dance with music, enjoying parties, driving cars, celebrating festivals with friends together. These are so-called normal things and experiences in some of the western society; however, students in Taiwan seem all become the wallflower like Charlie, observing what are happening around them. When I read the story, I have the same feeling as Charlie, as if I am a wallflower like him.

 Charlie, who suffered from a kind of depression and oppression because of his aunt and his good friend who committed suicide, was feared of school. He observed people, hoping to join them but wanting to escape from people at the same time. Then he encountered a group of friends, each of them had their own styles and acted as their own ways. Charlie was shy and even invisible to others, he performed well in academic area but he had no friends before he met Patrick and Sam. I somehow observe people as Charlie did and sinking into our own thoughts. Not knowing how to join others, we escape but hope there will be someone grapping us in. We stand at the edge of the circle which most people are in. We are sensitive and caring. I am really glad when Charlie met Patrick and Sam, who led him to the road of being infinitive. They cared about him, leading him, sharing and laughing with Charlie. They filled out the blank in his empty heart. They needed not to be like everyone else; they had their lives in their ways. And, they teach him something: they can be hero in their own world. They could still be at the edge of the circle, but there are a group of people standing with him, hand in hand. And I feel the infinity as I let them lead me into their world. And back to the reality, I am finding my ways to be a hero in my life.