Hello, everybody! It is Julia again. I would share with you my impressions. I have read a novel “The Unconquered” by W. Somerset Maugham. This novel has a deep patriotic sense. The action takes place in France during World War II. The main character is a girl Annette who has patriotic feelings to her motherland. She hates German aggressors. It happened that she was raped by a German soldier and got pregnant. The soldier’s name was Hans. He wasn’t a bad guy and he wanted to marry Annette in some time. But her strong patriotic feelings prevented her from doing it. She gave a birth to her child but then she drowned him. One must have great willpower, courage and fearlessness to accomplish such a deed. She didn’t resign herself to the conquers and remained a patriot nevertheless.
Julia
You know... To be frank with you, I disagree with this perception of the main idea, deep down there.. Some may call me short-sighted, or too influenced by my work with war crimes and seeing loads of such women in a similar situation... But my feeling about this novel was also, to a great extent, formed by reading other Maugham 's novels. What I find wonderful about him is that he does not focus on great patriotic notions and ideas, unlike the big names of some Soviet or Chinese or Latin American Communist literature. He wrtes about ordinary people and their incredible world and lives. And that is why my impression (a strong inerasable impression) was that he was writing about a WOMAN here, a human being, a soul, human dignity and integrity in the face of humiliation and violence. I can't help feeling that patriotism and the war itself were only chosen as a background since they were probably the theme of the day, yet the idea which was drivig him all through the story was very far from any political, social or nationalistic concept. Again, I dare not speak for what the great author was thinking and may even change my opinion with time))
ОтветитьУдалитьI also read the short story and I loved it.I must agree with the comment above, I think it's more about human dignity than patriotism.
ОтветитьУдалитьI read this story as well, and in my opinion the situation between these characters illustrates the situation between the countries. This parallel can be seen during the hole story.
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