毛姆短篇小说《无所不知先生》读后感Word格式.doc

毛姆短篇小说《无所不知先生》读后感Word格式.doc

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W.SomersetMaughamwasawell-knownBritishnovelistdramatistandessayist.Mr.KnowAllisoneofhisexcellentshortstories.ThisarticletellsmainlywhathadhappenedinMaugham’sshortstoryMr.KnowAll,theanalysesofthemaincharactersaswellasthethemeofthestoryandthetechniquesusedbytheauthorincreatingthestory.

Keywords:

W.SomersetMaugham,humannature,demerit,bias,firstimpression

摘要：

威廉·

萨默塞特·

毛姆，英国著名小说家、戏剧家和散文家。

《无所不知先生》是其出色的短篇小说之一。

这篇文章主要从人物性格、主题以及写作手法方面对这篇小说进行分析。

关键词：

毛姆人性弱点偏见第一印象

Mr.KnowAllisafamousshortstorybyW.SomersetMaughamwhowasafamousBritish.HisshortstoriesmainlyportrayedtheBritishpeople’slifedomesticandoverseas.TheideasofescapingoftheWesternmoderncivilizationandrebuildingofspiritualhome,thepursuitoffreedomandspiritualredemptionfoundtheirvividexpressioninmostofhisworks.InthestoryMr.KnowAll,theauthorcreatedsomefiguresfulloffleshandbloodbythevividdescriptionofappearances,wordsandtheunexpectedplot.Likethenarrator,Mr.KeladeandMr.Ramsay.Throughtheseremarkabledistinctivefigureshecriticizedthearrogance,vanityandselfishnessinthehumannature,specificallythenarrator’sbiasandMr.Kelade’sconceitandvulgarity.Additionally,heexpressedtheeagernessofMr.Keladetosearchforasenseofbelonging.

Thestorymainlytellsaboutnarrator’sexperienceonanonaoceangoinglinersailingfromAmericatoJapanonthePacificOcean.ThenarratorhadtoshareacabinwithastrangerMaxKeladawhowasnotaBritishasthenarratorhadexpectedhimtobedespiteheindeedhasaBritishpassport.Thereasonwhyhedidn’tlikeKeladewasbecauseinnarrator’seyes,hewastalkativeandconceited.Heseemedtoknoweverythingandwasinvolvedineverything.Nowonderhewasdislikedbyeverybodyelseontheship.Oneeveningduringthedinnertime,Mr.KeladahadabetofahundreddollarwithMr.Ramsay.HewasquitesurethatMrs.Ramsay’snecklacewasmadebyrealpearlsyetheclaimedthathehadmadeamistake.Hewasmockedbyotherpeople.Whilethenextmorning,Mr.Keladareceivedanoteofahundred,throughwhichthenarratorfoundedoutthatMr.KeladalostthewagerdeliberatelybecauseheknewthatMrs.Ramsay’spearlnecklacewasbroughtbyherloveranddidn’twanttobrokeafamily.Attheendofthestory,peoplemayfoundthatMr.Keladaactuallyhassomemeritswithhim.Anywayhewasabusinessmanwhogotverygoodpersonalities.HewouldratherlosehisfaceandadmitthathewaswrongthantellMr.Ramsaythathiswife’snecklacewasarealone.Thusthenarrator’sprejudiceagainstMr.Keladehasdisappeared.

ThenarratorthoughtthathehimselfasaBritishwassuperiortothosewhowerenotBritish.HefeltquiteproudofhisBritishnationalityandbehavedasagentleman.Attheverybeginning,abiasedanduneasyatmospherereignedonthisstory,becausethenarratorsaidthathewaspreparedtodislikeMaxKeladaevenbeforeheknewhim.Ashehasmentioned,“ItwasbadenoughtoshareacabinforfourteendayswithanyonebutIshouldhavelookeduponitwithlessdismayifmyfellowpassenger’snamehadbeenSmithorBrown.”Hethoughtthatanyonewhoaddressedastrangershouldadda“mister”justasanEnglishgentlemandid.HetookseveralexamplestoprovethathowdislikableapersonMr.Keladawas.Inthestoryhesaid,“IdidnotlikeMr.Kelada.Inotonlysharedacabinwithhimandatethreemealsadayatthesametable,butIcouldnotwalkroundthedeckwithouthisjoiningme.Itwasimpossibletosnubhim.Itneveroccurredtohimthathewasnotwanted.Hewascertainthatyouwereasgladtoseehimashewastoseeyou.Inyourhouseyoumighthavekickedhimdownthestairsandslammedthedoorinhiswithoutthesuspiciondawningonhimthathewasnotawelcomeguest.”

Mr.Keladawaslabeledapersonofloquacitybythenarrator,peoplemaysayitwasjustthenarrator’sprejudiceagainsthimandtheytriedtoexamineMr.Keladawithobjectiveness.Howeverfromhisbehaviorandwords,peoplecouldfoundthathereallydidn’tleavepeopleagoodimpression.Hewaschatty,arroganceandvanity.ButasJimCarreyoncesaidinthemovieEternalSunshineoftheSpotlessMind（2004）,“Constantlytalkingisn’tnecessarilycommunicating.”Forthemosttimes,hewasjustexpressingratherthancommunicating.Itwasironyenoughthatwithallhisloquacity,hadnevertoldanyonewhathisbusinesswas.Hecanknoweveryoneonboardinthreedays,yetmostpeopledislikedhimanddidn’twanttotalkwithhim.

Furthermore,hewasconceitedwhentalkingwithpeople,forinstance,“hewouldnotdropasubject,howeverunimportant,tillhehadbroughtyouroundtohiswayofthinking.Thepossibilitythathecouldbemistakenneveroccurredtohim.”WhentheytalkedaboutMrs.Ramsay’spearlnecklace,againheboasted,“They’llneverbeabletogetaculturepearlthatanexpertlikemecan’ttellwithhalfaneye.”HepointedtoachainthatMrs.Ramsaywore.“Youtakemywordforit,Mrs.Ramsay,thatchainyou’rewearingwillneverbeworthacentlessthanitisnow.”

Whenitcametohisvanity,ithasbeenexposedtothefull.Firstly,itwasquiteironicthatpeoplecalledhimMr.KnowAll,eventohisfaceyethetookitasacompliment.Secondly,judgingfromhischoiceofwords,Mr.Keladaappearedtobeveryartificial.“IwasjollygladwhenIheardyouwereEnglish.”Hesaidwhenhegreetedhisroommate.Insteadofusing“veryglad”,hechoseanold-fashionEnglishword“jolly”,whichwasusuallyusedbythenoble.Moreover,whenheofferedsomewinetothenarratorhesaid,“Well,thereareplentymorewherethatcamefrom,andifyou’vegotanyfriendsonboard,youtellthemyou’vegotapalwho’sgotalltheliquorintheworld.”

Nomatterthroughthenarratororjudgedbythereadersthemselves,obviously,allthatreadersknewabouthimwasmerelyhisloquacityandkindness.Actuallyinhisdeepsoul,hewantedsobadlytobeacceptedbyothergroupsofpeople,especiallybythenativeBritishpeople.Hisappearance,wordsandbehaviorshowedthathewasnotaBritishpeopleinbornbutanativeofoneoftheBritishcolonies.Thereasonwhyheappearedtobeextremelytalkativeandvehementwasthathewantedtobewithotherpeopleandfindasenseofbelonging.HiscountryturnedtothecolonyoftheBritain,thereforeithaslostitssovereignty,andsodiditspeople.Theyhavenodignity.MaybetheysimplywantedtofindsomethingthatcouldmakethemequaltotheseBritishcolonizers.Hechattedwithalmosteveryoneoneverytopictoprovehowgreathewasandputsomeaironhim.

Inthisshortstory,irony,contrastandforeshadowingwereappliedinshapingthecharactersanddevelopingtheplot.Basically,insteadofpresentinghisfeelingstowardsthecharactersdirectly,theauthorusedobjectivefacts,theincisive,vividanduniqueartisticdescriptiontogivethereadersspacetohaveideasoftheirown.Takesomesentencesfromthestoryasillustrations,“IfellprettysurethatacloserinspectionofthatBritishpassportwouldhavebetrayedthefactthatMr.KeladawasbornunderabluerskythanisgenerallyseeninEngland.”Thesewordscamefromthenarrator.Hedidn’tdirectlypointoutthatMr.KeladawasnotaBritishpeople,butused“Abluersky”tomakeithumorousandironic.TheauthorusedalargeamountofdialoguestointerpretMr.Kelada’sarroganceandloquacitywithaviewtoformacontrastwithhisconsiderateandsympathytoMrs.Ramsay.

Itwasnotdifficulttofindthatforeshadowingexistedinthisstorythatindicatedwhatwouldhappenlater.Forexample,thedescriptionofMr.Kelada’sluggagewasactuallytheindicationofhissocialstatusandhisbackground.Hisluggagecontainedmanystaffs:

excellentMonsieurCoty,andbrushesebonizedwithhismonogramingold.Theseindicatedthathewasanexperiencedmanandwithsomemoney.Inaddition,heraneverything.Hewaseverywhereandalways.Helikedtodealwithallkindofpeople,whenhesawMrs.Ramsay’snecklace,herecognizeditimmediatelyandprettysureitwasmadebyrealpearls.NeedlesstosayhedaredtohaveawagerwithMr.Ramsay.ButwhenhesawMrs.Ramsay’swideandterrifiedeyes,hesaidhewasmistaken.ItwasalsoanindicationthatMrs.Ramsay’snecklacewasreallyvaluable,hewasagoodpersonattheendofthestory.

Afterfinishedthisshortstory,itwasworthmentioningseveralpointsconcerningthethemeofthestory.Atfirst,thereissomethingaboutthefirstimpression.Mr.Keladahaslivedanimpressionofaproud,chattyandphilistinebusinessman.Indeedhehashisweaknessesandlimitations,butthereweresomethingshiningpointsinhischaracter,thatishehasaheartofkindnesswhichcannotbeseeneasilybutcanwinpeople’srespect.Hewasapersonwithdistinction,notforhisknowledge,buthispersonalities.Thismayinformthereadersnottojudgeapersonsimplybyhisappearanceandtheywouldeasilybetricked.Onethingwasclear,onlybygettingalongwithsomeonecanyoutrulyunderstandhim.

Besides,culturaldifferenceneededtobetakenintoconsideration.Mr.Keladathoughtthathishospitalitywasaneffectivewaytodealwithastranger,butitwasturnedouttobeuseless.Britishpeoplelikethenarratorvieweditasanoffense.Actuallytheydidn’tliketobeforcedintoaconversation.Inthenarrator’sconceptsagentlemanshouldbemodestinsteadofconceited,shouldbequietduringmealsratherthanvoluble,andshouldbecourtesy.Sincetheyhadquitedifferentbackgrounds,undoubtedly,thereweremisunderstandingsandbiasesexisted.

Inbrief,byaconcisedescriptionofwordsandbehav