Tag Archives: marriage

The Elite by Kiera Cass

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Caution: This review contains spoilers from book one, The Selection.

One aspect of this book that I liked is that it follows the first book, The Selection, almost seamlessly. When reading a sequel, I usually find that it takes me several pages or chapters to “get back into” the story, and I appreciated that The Elite begins more or less where The Selection ends.

America Singer is left with a position as one of 6 remaining Selected girls (known as the Elite), and a choice between her dearest Aspen and the charming prince Maxon.

I found this book to be darker than The Selection, with an expansion on the situation with the rebel attacks on the castle, Illéa’s history, and the conflict created by the caste system. As tension rises within the dwindling group of Elite, as the danger of the rebels becomes far more apparent, and as America discovers more about the founding of Illéa, the Selection no longer seems like a frivolous game.

I was a bit disappointed in the shift in America and Maxon’s friendship, though it might have been expected given the need for conflict in the story. The understanding and casual words that passed between the two of them in The Selection morph into a complicated, less transparent relationship as America’s feelings for Maxon become more apparent.

Because of her growing desire for Maxon’s heart, America grows mistrustful of him and the other girls, and she begins to make decisions that seem less measured than those she made before. I liked how America was kind and helpful to the girls in the beginning of the Selection, but in this book, as her feelings for Maxon grow, she begins to see them more as opponents. Though she maintains her courageous and strong character, America allows herself to be pulled further in to the competition, meaning more uncertainty and distrust.

Additionally, I did feel like some of the conflict between Maxon and America might have been unrealistic; if they truly loved each other, wouldn’t they trust each other more and be able to express their thoughts to each other? Nevertheless, I realize that America and Maxon are both filled with doubt and worry about the decisions set before them (for instance, America debates between Maxon and Aspen: princess or Six?), and are no doubt unsure of many things–even each other.

What I admired about The Elite as well as The Selection was that Maxon did not appear like some two-dimensional character. Despite his privileged position, he is still influenced and pressured by his father, and he feels great responsibility in his choice for a princess–he feels he must not only consider his own happiness, but that of his future people and his father as well.

If you enjoyed The Selection and are eager to follow America’s story further, this is the perfect book! Additionally, it leaves off with 4 Elite … Maxon’s decision draws closer with the close of the second book.

– Mia T.

The Elite by Kiera Cass is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive. 

 

Persuasion by Jane Austen

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Persuasion by Jane Austen: 9780307386854 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

In the book, Austen spends much of her time describing the years of pain that “prudence” brings to the heroine, Anne. She wants young people to look to the future with confidence, without undue worry and caution. When Anne was young, she had to be careful that she did not know what romance was until she was old — the inevitable consequence of a deformed beginning. If in Sense and Sensibility, Austen emphasizes the triumph of reason over emotion and believes that only in this way can people achieve happiness, then in her last novel, Austen spends much of her time describing the years of pain caused by prudence to the heroine.

Persuasion affirms the evolution of characters from cautious to romantic, which undoubtedly reflects the change of the author’s own creative thinking. It was also a challenge to the traditional ideas of the time. While choosing women and women’s lives as the main themes of Persuasion, Austen also succeeded in portraying positive female images. Through the description of these female images, she protested against the distortion and degradation of women in male literature and corrected and subverted the model of male superiority and female inferiority. It is worth noting that Austen’s men, who had always been regarded as noble gentlemen, were often cast as villains and ridiculed, such as Sir Walter, who was conceited but foolish and incompetent, and Mr. Elliot, Anne’s mean-hearted cousin.

In Persuasion, Austen puts men and women on an equal footing in marriage, just as men like the beauty and kindness of women, Anne likes Wentworth not because of his male power and money (Wentworth was not born rich, but rose all the way through his own efforts, representing the emerging class). Although at the end of the novel, Austen still insisted that the heroine was married off according to the stipulations of the patriarchal society, but her marriage was no longer a Cinderella model and no longer depended on the charity of the patriarchy, but had the germination of the women’s liberation movement.

Emma by Jane Austen

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Amazon.com: Emma (Dover Thrift Editions) (0800759406487): Jane Austen: Books

Emma’s control of Harriet’s marriage cannot be said to be selfish. She did care and love Harriet, and throughout much of the book she is seen worrying about Harriet’s marriage and drawing inspiration from it herself. Out of an intolerable conceit, she fancied she knew the secrets of every man’s affections. As it turned out, she did it all wrong. But when she learned that Harriet was in love with Knightley, she suddenly discovered that she had always been in love with him. In a sharp turn of events, she and Knightley become husband and wife. She had objected to Harriet’s marrying Martin, and was glad that they were at last united. In Emma’s opinion, Martin was as unfit to be Harriet’s husband as Harriet was unfit to be Knightley’s wife.

Marriage should be matched by family, which was exactly the marriage relationship in the society at that time. The solution to women’s problems (including marriage problems naturally) put forward by Austen was serious, but her works added comedy color. At the beginning of the 19th century, sentimental novels were popular in England, and Austen’s realistic novels gave readers a fresh breath.

In her novel Emma, Austen tells most of the family trifles in ordinary life, and the author creates a female image with intelligence and independent thinking. Emma, the protagonist, demands the equality of men and women in the patriarchal society, and has her own clear views and values on marriage. It also reflects the feminist views of Austen to some extent. With her unique perspective of supporting women, Austen profoundly cut through the reality of the society controlled by men and the situation of women in social life. The author criticizes the unfair phenomenon of male superiority and female inferiority while affirming the social status of women. Therefore, to a certain extent, this novel has far-reaching social practical significance.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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In this novel, through the different treatment of Bennett’s five daughters to life events, Austen shows the different attitudes of the girls from bourgeois families in the villages to marriage and love, thus reflecting the author’s own views on marriage. It is wrong to marry for property, money and status. It would also be foolish to marry without considering these factors. Therefore, she was against marrying for money and against treating marriage as a joke. She emphasized the importance of the ideal marriage, and made the feelings of both the man and the woman the cornerstone of the ideal marriage. Elizabeth, the heroine of the book, was born in a family of small landowners and loved by Darcy, the son of a rich man. Darcy, regardless of family and wealth gap, proposed to her, but was rejected. Elizabeth hated his arrogance.

Darcy’s hubris is actually a reflection of status differences. As long as such pride existed, he and Elizabeth could not have the same thoughts and feelings, and the ideal marriage. Later, Elizabeth observed Darcy’s behavior and a series of actions with her own eyes, especially saw that he had changed his proud and conceited manner in the past, eliminated his misunderstanding and prejudice, and thus concluded a happy marriage with him. Elizabeth’s different attitudes towards Darcy’s two marriage proposals actually reflect women’s pursuit of personality independence and equal rights. This is the progressive significance of the figure of Elizabeth.

From the novel, Elizabeth is intelligent, resourceful, courageous, visionary, has a strong self-esteem, and is good at thinking. Just because of this quality, she has an independent mind on the issue of love, making her and Darcy constitute a happy family. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen also writes about the marriages of Elizabeth’s sisters and girlfriends, which serve as a foil to the heroine’s ideal marriage. For example, although Charlotte and Collins live a comfortable material life after marriage, but there is no love between them. This kind of marriage is actually a social tragedy under the cloak of finery.

Film Review: Little Children by Todd Field

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Little Children | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere

“Little Children” is a romantic film produced by New Line Films. Directed by Todd Field and starring Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson, it was released in the US on November 3, 2006. The story takes place in a small wealthy community in a small town in Massachusetts. The camera starts with the chatter of four young mothers sitting together. Compared with the other three women, who are all croaking and chattering, Sarah Pierce appears to be much more quiet. She looks at her daughter and seems to be lost in deep thought. Then came a dashing young father, Brad Adamson, famous among young mothers.

Sarah bet with three other female friends that she can get Brad’s phone number, and then Sarah not only gets Brad’s phone number, but also forcefully kisses him. It was this kiss that brought two unrelated people together so quickly and so closely. Gradually, Sarah and Brad’s dissatisfaction with their shallow lives begins to surface. Once a graduate student majoring in English and American literature and an activist for gender equality at her university, Sarah now sadly finds herself a worthless housewife. When she found her husband Robert was addicted to internet porn, she felt more gloomy and hopeless.

Brad was a policeman but also feels depressed because of his wife Kathy. Kathy forced Brad to continue his education, but instead of spending his evenings in the library, he spent playing soccer with his former cop buddy Larry. So, they found an excuse to meet again and again, in the hot summer, after they and their children spent countless peaceful afternoons together, finally surrendered to desire. On the other hand, the town’s apparent calmness has been shaken by the emergence of Ronnie James McGoway, a former child molestation prisoner. All the mothers in the community are up against each other, and the real conflict erupts when Sarah and Brad innocently invite Robert and Kathy to have a family dinner.

At the dinner table, Sarah slips up and Kathy confirms what she has long suspected about her husband’s infidelity. Chaos has officially descended on the small, already sweltering town. “Little Children” is not so much a complex love-hate drama between two couples in a languid marriage as a concrete insight into the lives of ordinary people. Director Todd Field keeps a cool, compassionate eye on the crowd as it spins out of control through heart-stopping choices. And the visual enjoyment presented by the picture and the moving mirror is so beautiful in the tragic style that it makes people confused and moved.

The film does a good job of capturing the essence of the original, blending satire with a sensitive and slightly neurotic portrayal of love. The film is animated by the group performances of its four main characters, Kate Winslet, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Connelly. The plot of the film is more appealing than the narration, and it deeply expresses the struggle and search, insecurity and anxiety of the middle class in the face of the ideal and reality. “Little Children” is an interesting film, even drawing on Hitchcock’s thriller elements. The actors in this film make this film funny, sexy and sad.

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

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Tennessee Williams’s play A Streetcar Named Desire is set two years after the end of World War II in New Orleans. The play follows the lives of two differentiating sisters: Stella Kowalski and Blanche Dubois. 

Stella chose to leave their home in Belle Reves to marry Stanley Kowalski and explore the reality of the world. Meanwhile, Blanche held on to the fake riches and luxury of Belle Reves until all her loved ones died. 

Blanche brings the daydreams and illusions of her Southern Belle persona to visit her sister. While she lives in the cramped flat with Stella and Stanley, Blanche builds a fake personality to charm everyone and hide her dark past. Eventually, Stanley reveals Blanche’s secrets to Stella and uncovers what truly drove her to insanity – desire.

 Thus, the play focuses on the theme of illusion versus reality. Williams shows the audience of the terrible consequences that come from not owning up to your own actions. He emphasizes the ideal “Romantic” era in contrast to the cruel reality of World War II’s effect. 

The play’s symbols, irony, and allusions tie in beautifully in order to make the reader understand the underlying tragedy. However, this classic book is recommended for analytical individuals or for those who want to reach out of their comfort zone. I loved reading this dramatic literature as I am sure others would too.

-Zohal N. 

Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Another Country by James Baldwin

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Image result for Another Country (novel)

This novel explores all aspects of maturity, including homosexuality, marriage, death and friendship. Of course at first this book sounded somewhat uncomfortable to me and I really didn’t want to read it. But because over the course of the period I have became the biggest of the James Baldwin I eventually decided to read it at last.

Initially, Rufus Scott is definitely a character that me, or almost everyone can relate with. At one point during our lives, we wonder what really is the point of life or why should we exist on this earth? I get tired of constantly changing faces and hiding my real self as if happiness was only mask on my face, I only peel it off when I go into my room and throw it in the trashcan. Only with Rufus Scott, he goes to the extreme and directly suicides. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s got a family there to support him, or at least half of the family.

Moving on the marriage between Cass and Richard pretty much presents a typical style of American life. One person has an affair, and the marriage breaks. Both people are not excellent parents but they still love their kids in my opinion. This also reflects how parents in real life tend to neglect the real needs of their kids due to their own stress or jobs.

-Coreen C.

Another Country by James Baldwin is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

 

In a Perfect World By Laura Kasischke

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inaperfectworld_laurakasischkeIn a Perfect World, by Laura Kasischke is about a flight attendant, Jiselle, getting proposed to by Mark Dorn, the captain of the plane she works on. At first, she is overjoyed. All the other flight attendants dreamed of marrying Captain Dorn and Jiselle can finally quit her job which she never truly enjoyed. She also cannot wait to meet her three stepchildren. Camilla, Sara, and Sam.

However, after a few months, Jiselle is not quite as excited as she first was about her choice to marry Captain Dorn. Her stepdaughters, especially Sara hate her and try to make her experience as Mark’s wife as miserable as possible. Ever since the outbreak of the Phoenix flu, a fictional disease, which originated in the US and is spreading quickly, Mark’s job as a pilot is becoming riskier and he is gone longer and longer hours. Jiselle often finds herself alone in the house looking at old photos and realizing that she could never replace Mark’s ex-wife, Joy who died trying to protect Sam.

One day, everything takes a turn for the worse when Mark calls Jiselle and tells her that he is being held in quarantine. Left alone to take care of he stepchildren, Jiselle must make the best of this situation even though everything in her life is slowly falling apart.

I enjoyed this book very much. It never had a dull moment and had a fantastic ending. It captivated me and before I knew it, I was on the last page. I would definitely rate this book a 10/10 and recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

-Matthew R.

In a Perfect World is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.