Iryna Myskiv

EG-41

There is nothing in the world that as much power as a book (Emily

Dickinson).

Books are of great importance in our daily life. Reading books gives us immense
knowledge about the outside world. When we develop a healthy habit of reading
books only then we realize the significant value of books in our life.

Books are important in various unexpected ways, books allow readers to travel
without using their feet, books give wings to our imagination, books are full of
knowledge, joy, happiness, wisdom and so much more into it. Books are more than
enjoyment, books have the capability to transform your life and can help you in
your hardest time. They make you realize that you are not alone in this world who
are struggling.

I spend so much time reading that it concerns me at times. Reading is my default

activity. When I have nothing else to do, I read. 

Actually, when I got bored of reading. In this case, books played the role of my
constant pleasure—so much so that I wanted to part ways.

Reading no longer holds prestige for me. When I sit down to read, I no longer
think of it as an intellectual activity; it’s just something with which I fill my time. I
feel odd when I see book goals on lists of new year’s resolutions—I have to
remind myself that, to other people, reading is not something they do several hours
each day, it’s an activity that most people struggle to fit in their daily lives.

I suppose I’m feeling a bit cynical about my reading habits right now, because the
picture I’ve painted so far is of books as a distraction. And, certainly, I do often
feel like I forego other important responsibilities in favor of reading.

But reading still remains incredibly important to me. Whether I select a book just
for fun or I challenge myself with a difficult classic or I aim to gain factual
knowledge, my reading does bring me important benefits. I believe I am more
empathetic because of the reading I’ve done, and I believe I may have slightly
balanced out the isolation of my sheltered upbringing. Books have brought me joy,
anger, sadness and fear. They have taken me to corners of the world and crevices
of my own mind that I could not have reached without their help.

One of the great reasons that signify the importance of books in our life is that
books act as our best friends. Friends are one of the most important parts of our
life. We can’t imagine our life without the companionship of a good friend.
Similarly, a book is like a best friend that constantly inspires us to become the best
versions of ourselves. Books enrich our mind with knowledge just like a good
friend. We can learn a lot from books and they can help us in overcoming our
failures as well as shape our minds.

So, I want to say, a book is a power that doing something special with our soul. It
seems like a magic world in which we are small children with a good imagination,
because the childhood is the sweetest thing in our life ever.

W.Skott’s works discuss different sociological and political problems. What

are they? Compare them with those of the contemporary society. Analyze the
behavior of Skott’s characters to support your answer. Would you
recommend his books to a friend. Why?

The problems posed by Walter Scott in «Ivanhoe» were not far from the author's
present. The feudal nobility was not completely broken: in England the bourgeoisie
was deprived of political power and, together with the people, a great struggle for
the reform of the appropriate electoral system in the country. The events recreated
in Ivanhoe took place on the eve of the twelfth century, when England was ruled
by King Richard the Lionheart. The conflict of the work leads to a struggle
between the federal feudal elite, which is interested in preserving the feudal
fragmentation of the country, against the royal power, which embodies itself in the
idea of a centralized state. The author shows that the sympathy of the people is on
the side of the king. Richard the Lionheart storms the castle of Fron de Beauf
alongside Robin Hood's archers. The writer attaches symbolic significance to this
episode. Walter Scott skillfully rejects the national conflict as well. At the
beginning of the action of your minute, more time has passed than during the work
of the normal England. Among the freedom-loving Saxons advancing to national
independence. Walter Scott made this conflict very acute, showing first of all the
hatred of the common people for normal feudal lords.

It is clear that from a moral point of view, the novel "Ivanhoe" is relevant today,
because the world is changing, and man remains almost the same. In this regard,
much of what is described in the novel, namely conscience, honor, truth, justice,
mercy, love for family and country, and the author's conclusions about these
aspects of human life can be applied to reality. Walter Scott was able to show the
features of the historical process described in the novel, as well as to show in detail
how man influences the course of events and thus creates history, as well as history
in the future. dictates to a person universally binding rules of conduct. The author
depicts the period of war between the Norman feudal lords and the Anglo-Saxons.
The people simply hated the feudal lords, there was a fierce struggle to reform the
electoral system in the country. In a sense, this can also be called relevant, as
people continue to be dissatisfied with the social situation in their countries and
fight for social equality. Similarly, in some cases, nationalism and chauvinism are
manifested in the modern world, which were also depicted in the novel «Ivanhoe».

The novel is based on the traditional for W. Scott intertwining of love and political
intrigue. At the center of the story was a couple in love - the knight Ivanhoe and
Lady Rowena, whose fate and well-being depended entirely on the development of
historical events. The hero acted against the background of historical events, he
was devoted to the code of honor, in any situation behaved in accordance with a
sense of duty and remained faithful to the beautiful beloved.

Under the guise of a pilgrim - a pilgrim - the protagonist appeared in the first pages
of the novel. He was the only one who took pity on the weak old man, old Isaac,
and gave him a place by the fire. Anonymously, he challenged the invincible
Knight of the Temple, the invincible Bouagilbert; interceded for the honor of his
son Cedric (ie for his own), saved Isaac from robbery and death, won several
battles of the Knights Templar, competed with Richard the Lionheart, saved the
beautiful Rebekah. During his work, Ivanhoe never betrayed the chivalrous notion
of honor.

I would recommend his books to my friends, because it is ideal for people who like
history. It is very interesting to know. Walter Scott's historicism was manifested in
the ability to open the secret springs of the historical process and to tell about how
their effect on the shares of individuals. Also we can still observe how in some
situations the leaders of the countries pay a minimum of attention to their citizens
and make their own comfortable existence their main goal. That is why Walter
Scott's novel remains so popular and often read by both young people and adults.