Portfolio

AMERICAN AND BRITISH LITERATURE

LE THI MAI LINH

2014710046
Table of contents

1. Characters of "Gone with the Wind"

2. Themes of "The Great Gatsby"

3. Themes of "Pride and Prejudice"

4. Translation of "I wandered lonely as a cloud"

5. My poem: "Warriors in white"

Characters of "Gone with the Wind"

"Gone with the Wind" is a historical fiction written by Margaret Mitchell an American
writer, in 1936. The story is set during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction
Era. The novel depicts the lives of each character and how events happening forces
them to change. By enduring a difficult period, people then have the opportunity to
explore their capacity. In the story, the two characters creating attractions that are
worth discussing are Rhett Butler and Melanie Hamilton. Let see how they get the
readers' affection!
Rhett Butler is one of the main protagonists of Gone with the Wind. As the novel
begins, he is first mentioned at the Twelve Oaks Plantation barbecue, as a visitor from
Charleston, a black sheep expelled from West Point and is not received by any
reputation family in the whole of Charleston, perhaps all of South Carolina. Rhett
Butler has made a name for himself as a wealthy scoundrel and professional gambler.
He becomes much wealthier and more influential during the American Civil War since
he acts as a smuggler and blockade runner, often in and out of the prison.
What about this character is Rhett's personality
special. He is described as a cynical, charming but
mocking philanderer. Throughout the story, readers
can anticipate the dynamic changing in Melanie,
Scarlett, and Ashley, except only Rhett who usually
turns out to be surprisingly unpredictable. He
contains conflict in the way he speaks and the way
he acts. While Rhett frequently declares that he is no
gentleman and has no honor, he does respect those
he considers true gentlemen and ladies. His first
attraction to Scarlett because of witnessing her
confession to Ashley creates a destination for these young two protagonists of
the novel. Even Rhett Butler admires and
loves Scarlett, he often thinks worst
about her. Opposition to a mocking philanderer, he is faithful in love. His
profound affection towards young Scarlett O'Hara makes him give his best to
her and become a good dad. His disappointment and desertion as Scarlett
constantly shows affection for Ashley proves that he is a normal person, a loving
man; he does have limitations and self-esteem.
There are things readers might learn from this character. Beauty is pain. What a
gentleman thinks and says are two different things. With enough courage, you
can do without a reputation (since Rhett already has a terrible reputation even
from the beginning of the story). Rhett also teaches us that if breaking
limitations, "I'm sorry" does not fix anything.
Turning to the next character - Melanie Hamilton, she is Ashley's wife and
cousin. She has almost everything that Scarlett does not have. Her character is
filled with love, loyalty, kindness, thoughtfulness, and determination. Melanie is
the moral center of "Gone with the Wind". As the film progresses, Melanie
determined kindness and perpetual calm give strength to the other characters in
the story. Though Scarlett is the one who always forges ahead, it is Melanie who
refuses to leave anyone behind, emotionally supporting Ashley even as she
soothes Scarlett's sisters and brings compassion to Rhett.
It is Melanie's calm, cool wisdom. rather than
Scarlett's
assertiveness that soothes the
characters after the raid on the shantytown, and
it is Melanie's name that Mammy calls in times
of crisis. Even Scarlett realizes how much she
has come to rely on the unfailing support of the
woman whom she viewed as a rival for so long.
She eventually dies beautifully while trying to
have Ashley's second child because she just loves
him so. Melanie embodies true femininity in this book, which unfortunately for
her, is too much sacrifice. Melanie is a very great lady" as Rhett says after she
dies; he also says she is the only completely kind person I ever knew".
In conclusion, each character has his or her own mission to drive the story to its
ending. Rhett plays his role as the plot builder, without him, Scarlett may have
not found such a trustful, caring, and loving man to rely on and may never
awake to realize what is significant and needs appreciating. Melanie, however,
appears in the story to help balance the mood and reduce conflicts, in the end, it
is her sublime sacrifice that also changes Scarlett’s behaviors and thoughts.
Both of them have a profound contribution to such an emotional "Gone with the
Wind''.
 Themes of "The Great Gatsby"
F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The Great Gatsby" is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzerald an American writer

in 1925. Set in the Jazz Age, the novel depicts the first-person narrator Nick
Carraway's interactions with a mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby and
Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. "The
Great Gatsby" is supposed to carry a romantic story of love and desire.
However, it also reflects intrinsically. beliefs and lives of people of different
classes in society at that time. The novel contains five different themes that are
much larger than the thwarted love story between a man and a woman.
The first theme is about the decline of the American Dream in the 1920s. "The
Great Gatsby '' is a love story on the surface. In fact, the influence of society is
much less romantic and much the opposite. Taking place in a circumscribed
geographical area of Long Island, New York; the novel, however, is a symbolic
meditation on 1920s American as a whole, in the disintegration of the American
dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess. Life in the
1920s is portrayed as a time of decay in social and moral values. The cynicism,
greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure are what is commonly seen. Decadent
parties and wild jazz music become a nightmare to people, corrupting the
American dream due to the uncontrolled desire for money and empty pleasures.

After World War I, the generation of young Americans faces Victorian social
morality in the early 20th century. The dizzying rise of the stock market led to
the sustained increase in national wealth; newfound materialism appears and
becomes the trend of the time. In addition, the ban on selling alcohol created a
thriving underworld designed to satisfy the massive demand among the rich and
poor alike.
Another theme of The Great Gatsby is the hollowness of the upper class. The
sociology of wealth, specifically, how the newly minted millionaires of the 1920s
differ from and relate to the old aristocracy of the country’s richest families is
one of the major topics explored. In the novel, West Egg and its denizens
represent the newly rich, while East Egg and its denizens, especially Daisy and
Tom, represent the old aristocracy. What the old aristocracy possesses in taste,
however, it seems to lack in heart, as the East Eggers prove themselves careless,
and never worry about hurting others. Gatsby, on the other hand, with a sincere
and loyal heart, becomes lamentable. Ironically, Gatsby died pleads guilty on
behalf of Daisy and in shot. The Buchanans simply move to a new house far
away rather than condescend to attend Gatsby’s funeral.
In "The Great Gatsby", class is the theme that influences all aspects of life,
especially love. The millionaire pursuits of Daisy are bound up with the class.
Only after he becomes rich and owns a giant property does he feel able to make
his move. The resolution amazingly The class dynamics dictate which marriage
survives (Tom and Daisy), which is destroyed (Myrtle and George), which will
never exist (Gatsby and Daisy). Only the affluent couple endures through all
hardships to the resolution of the story. As landing in the elite class status, Tom
and Daisy give themselves a choice to be immune to the consequences of their
actions. According to Nick Carraway: "They were careless people, Tom and
Daisy. They smashed up things and people. And then retreated back into their
money and their vast carelessness." how class affects marriage.
Love and Marriage is the last theme of the story. It is proved that love and
marriage do not go parallel to each other, resulting in two loveless marriages:
Tom Daisy and George Myrtle. In fact, marriages seem to be the union of
convenience or advantage rather than actual love. Myrtle is married to George
because she thinks he is a gentleman, hoping to raise her class status. Daisy
almost backs out of her marriage to Tom the day before her wedding and Tom
had an affair within a year of the wedding, they still come together and are well-
suited with fun and possession. Even Gatsby's passion for Daisy seems to be the
desire to possess something unattainable than actual love. Nick, the narrator,
dates a woman to whom he feels just a sort of tender curiosity. Love does not
truly exist in this society. Hence, people will always find empty happiness that
blurs all moral values.

In general, the main themes of The Great Gatsby bear directly on the novel’s
main issue – its criticism of the American Dream as an ideal that can be
achieved. This novel is more than a story. It is a thought, a dream of F.Scott
Fitzgerald that attracts readers and leaves an aftertaste, thinking something not
only about love but also about the contradiction, irony, the pain of fate and
human life.
Themes of "Pride and Prejudice""
Jane Austen

“Pride and Prejudice” takes place in England either in the late 1700s or early
1800s based on the setting of the Napoleonic Wars. This is a classic work that
satirizes 18th-century society and, particularly, the expectations placed on
women of the era. The novel, with Austen’s signature wit, made the readers have
the most honest view of the romantic entanglements of the Bennet sisters which
includes themes of love, class, family, and, as one might guess, pride and
prejudice.
As one might expect from most cherished love stories in English literature, love
is a central theme to Pride and Prejudice. In particular, the novel focuses on the
different ways love may grow or disappear. However, what makes this theme
most stand out is the courtship between Darcy and Elizabeth. They must fight
through trials and tribulations in order to come together in happiness. Elizabeth
and Darcy are a classic couple, but they could not reach their point of bliss until
each character overcomes personal biases and flaws. Elizabeth must overcome
her prejudices and Darcy must fight away from his prideful nature in order for a
happy union to result. Austen, besides, poses countless smaller obstacles to the
realization of the love between Elizabeth and Darcy, including Lady Catherine’s
attempt to control her nephew, Miss Bingley’s snobbery, Mrs. Bennet’s idiocy,
and Wickham’s deceit. However, Darcy and Elizabeth’s realization of a mutual
and tender love seems to imply Austen’s views that true love is a force separate
from society and one that can conquer even the most difficult of circumstances.
The next important theme made pretty clear by the title is pride. The message
conveyed in this word is more nuanced than just the concept itself. As Mary
Bennet says in one of her memorable quotes, "Pride relates more to our opinion
of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." There are plenty
of prideful characters in the novel, mostly among the wealthy. Pride in social
position is the most common failing: Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine both
believe themselves superior because of their money and social privilege; they also
are vain because they are obsessed with maintaining this image. Darcy, on the
other hand, is intensely proud but not vain: he does initially place too high a
value on the social station, but he is so proud and secure in that pride that he
doesn’t bother with even basic social niceties. This pride costs him Elizabeth at
first, and it is not until he learns to temper his pride with compassion that he
becomes a worthy partner.
Another theme that also appears in the title is prejudice and its meaning is about
preconceived notions and snap judgments rather than race or gender-biased
biases. Prejudice is a flaw of several characters, but first and foremost it is the
main flaw of our protagonist Elizabeth. She prides herself on her ability to judge
character, but her observations also lead her to form bias very quickly and
deeply. The most obvious example of this is her immediate prejudice against Mr.
Darcy because of his dismissal of her at the ball. She is predisposed to believe
Wickham’s tales of woe without stopping to think twice. This prejudice leads her
to judge him unfairly and to reject him based on partially inaccurate information.
Jane Austen presents prejudice in the novel as a stage in a person's moral
development, something that can be overcome through reason and compassion.
Turning to social class, it seems to appear clearly in the gradations between the
rich gentry and those who aren’t so well off and becomes the key theme
throughout the novel. While it’s true that the middle-class Bennets may
socialize with the Bingleys and Darcys they are always treated as social
inferiors. We can see clearly in Mr. Collins’ behaviour to Lady Catherine and
Miss Bingley’s one to anyone not same as her class. To contrast them, Austen
offers more positive examples in Mr. Bingley and the Gardiners who do not take
class differences too seriously. Moreover, Elizabeth's calm attitude replies Lady
Catherine, “He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter. So far, we are
equal.” Obviously, the power of happiness and love to overcome the boundaries
of class and prejudice is evident in the marriages of Darcy and Elizabeth, and
Jane and Bingley.

The final theme is the strength of family networks. Each character of the novel
has a network of families that serves to either help or hinder any given
character’s growth. Family opinions seem to mean a lot to most characters in
some way or another and this impacts how everyone interacts both in social
settings and in more personal dynamics. The Bennet sisters constantly have to
navigate their mother’s plans and schemes. While male characters like Mr.
Darcy and Mr. Bingley have much more social and financial independence, they
still rely on the judgment and opinions of Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine
de Bourgh. Individuals are judged according to the behavior of their family
members. Therefore, the theme of family shows that individuals never lead
totally autonomous lives, and that individual actions have wider communal
implications.
To sum up, Pride and prejudice has conveyed many meaningful messages to
readers through its main themes. Love, pride, prejudice, familial strength, and
even social class distinctions made a picture with many different colors, and
intentionally depicts the entire face of British society at that time. The virtues
and pride of a person seem to prevail above all else, but they conquered
everything to write the beautiful love story and leave its mark in English
literature.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
_William Wordsworth_

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is one of the most famous and best-
loved poems written in the English language. It was composed by
romantic poet William Wordsworth around 1804, unfolded the poet’s
excitement, love and praise for a field blossoming with daffodils.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
_Translation_
Như đám mây phiêu diêu đơn độc
Bồng bềnh trôi trên thung lũng, núi đồi
Bỗng trước mắt là khoảng trời rộng lớn,
Đẹp làm sao, một rừng hoa Thuỷ tiên
Bên bờ hồ và dưới những tán cây
Rung rinh đung đưa trong gió thoảng.
Và cứ thế như sao trời toả sáng
Lấp lánh trên dòng sông ngân hà,
Cánh đồng hoa ngút ngàn vô tận
Uốn mình theo bờ vịnh quanh co
Trong tầm mắt ngàn hoa rực rỡ
Khẽ đung đưa theo điệu nhạc xuân thì
Sóng bên hồ gợn bọt tung tăng
Sao bằng rừng thủy tiên hòa nhịp
Một bài thơ không thể nào tả hết
Nhưng niềm vui bên bạn bè – có thể
Tôi ngắm nhìn và rồi chợt băn khoăn
Điều tuyệt vời sinh sôi tràn ngập.
Và mỗi tối khi nằm trên trường kỷ
Dẫu bộn bề hay tâm trí thảnh thơi
Bóng Thủy tiên trong mắt sâu vời vợi
Cho tâm hồn hạnh phúc lúc đơn côi
Và trái tim ngập tràn niềm hoan hỉ
Nhảy múa cùng những đoá Thuỷ tiên
xinh.
Sending our sincerest thanks to the frontline heroes in the
fight against the pandemic.

Be strong, Viet Nam!

People who silently sacrifice
Leaving behind loving family
Ready to leave when the country needs
Whether wartime or peacetime.
Warriors in white
Use human’s love to fight Covid,
Ignore the fatigue, still give the best,
Day or night,
Rain or shine.
Helping patients is a sacred mission.
Then,
How many people have fallen
Not bombs like on the battlefield
They passed away peacefully
But,
The white shirt color is forever
In all hearts
The deceased and the remained.
The white shirt lights up hope
For a Vietnam without Corona.
_Mai Linh_
 MAI LINH'S PRODUCT

Thank you
for ejoying!
These are my feelings after this
course, hope to receive your
comments to make the product more
perfect.

References:
https://www.sparknotes.com/
https://image.thanhnien.vn/w1024/Uploaded/2021/kbfwobj/2021_09_09/khongcotieude101_202108
31213654_yvjh.png
http://docs.portal.danang.gov.vn/images/images/Nam%202020/Thang%2007/tham-lang.jpg