My Pleasure Reading. Pride and Prejudice. Chapters XIX - XXIII. - V (Volume II)

The XIX chapter begins with shocking for some people and pleasant for other ones news. Mr. Collins proposes marriage to Elizabeth. Her mother sees it as the way to save their poor situation while Elizabeth, with support of Jane and the father, refuses to accept it by any means. However, Mr. Collins doesn’t seem to be very disappointed and soon makes another proposal to the Bennet’s neighbors -  Charlotte Lucas who accepts it with pleasure. Meanwhile Elizabeth’s relationships with Wickham are developing and they meet in Meryton where he apologises for his absence in the ball.  To Jane’s disappointment, which she hides studiously, Mr. Bingley and his company leave Netherfield Park  for London. Miss Bingley writes that there is no chance that they return thus showing that there is no point for Jane to hope for marriage with her brother. Trying to cheer up her dear sister, Jane tries to find disproof of it, but month after month result in the opposite. Mrs. Bennet’s brother, Mr. Gardiner, comes to stay with the family. Seeing Jane so upset, he supposes her to live with him and his wife in London for month, and she accepts it with pleasure, hoping for the meeting with Mr. Bingley. However, during her staying in London, she sees Miss Bingley only once and the latter shows her unwillingness to keep in touch. Meanwhile, Elizabeth finds out that Mr. Wickham is not so “honest” as he tries to establish reputation for himself. He begins to court another girl who becomes heiress of considerable amount of money. Elizabeth agrees to visit Mr. Collins and her friend Charlotte, in attempt to escape all these unpleasant thoughts and her mother’s reproach.

Rendering №1

The editorial published on January, 23 is headlined “Nearly 400-year-old secret painting in Rembrandt masterpiece revealed”. It begins with the author’s statement that scientists may be one step closer to revealing a hidden portrait behind a 380-year-old Rembrandt painting.

The article discusses the situation around the masterpiece, "Old Man in Military Costume" by Dutch painter Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn. It denounces the actions of scientists who had noticed the painting bears faint traces of another portrait beneath its surface. Analyzing the situation, it’s interesting to point out that Researchers had previously probed the painting with infrared, neutron and conventional X-ray methods, but could not see the behind the top coat, largely because Rembrandt used the same paint (with the same chemical composition) for the underpainting and the final version. It is also necessary to emphasize that new studies with more sophisticated X-ray techniques that can parse through the painting's layers give art historians hope that they may finally get to see who is depicted in the secret image. The reporter quotes Matthias Alfeld from the University of Antwerp: “Our experiments demonstrate a possibility of how to reveal much of the hidden picture. Compared to other techniques, the X-ray investigation we tested is currently the best method to look underneath the original painting.” There is a lot of comment on Alfeld and an international team used macro X-ray fluorescence analysis to examine a mock-up of Rembrandt's original, created by museum intern Andrea Sartorius, who used paints with the same chemical composition as those used by the Dutch master. Besides, there is general feeling to believe that the scientists targeted four elements of the paint to fluoresce, including calcium, iron, mercury and lead, and got much better impressions of the hidden painting in the mock-up than they were able to before. Giving appraisal to it, we should take into account Karen Trentelman’s statement, of the Getty Conservation Institute: “The successful completion of these preliminary investigations on the mock-up painting was an important first step. The results of these studies will enable us determine the best possible approach to employ in our planned upcoming study of the real Rembrandt painting.” The wtiter concludes the article with flash backs on this issue - This isn't the first time scientists have delved into Rembrandt's paintings. Previous research revealed why his art possesses such calming beauty, finding the artist may have pioneered a technique that guides the viewer's gaze around a portrait, creating a special narrative and "calmer" viewing experience. The correspondent comes to conclusion that the researchers found Rembrandt painted more detail in and around the eyes of his subjects, tapping into an innate human attraction to the face.

As for me, it was rather interesting to read this article and learn more about Rembrandt’s works and art on the whole. I don’t know much about those matters but I like the fact that the picture may have more than one meaning , thus becoming more attractive and worth seeing . Such kind of works, without doubt, makes us think and try to ligt the veil of secrecy and I am sure that such tendency will continue for the future generation, thus being not only the object of art but also food for thought.

My Pleasure Reading. Pride and Prejudice. Chapters I - XIX

A story begins with conversation between Mr. Bennet and his wife, Mrs Bennet, who primarily focuses on marrying off her five single daughters to wealthy men, because the Bennet family don’t have son and as a result, after Mr. Bennet’s death, their property will pass to his distant relative. Mrs. Bennet is inspired by the news of arriving of their new neighbor , Charles Bingley, who is “good catch”. Mr. Bingley settles at nearby Netherfield Park with his two sisters, his brother-in-law, and a friend named Darcy. The Bennet daughters finally get opportunity to get acquaintance with him when the ball is held in the neighborhood. Jane, the oldest and the prettiest of five, dances twice with Bingley, who makes good impression of everyone as opposed to his friend Mr. Darcy who seems to be cold and arrogant because of his behavior and rude comment on Elizabeth Bennet’s appearance. Sometime later, while visiting Mr. Bingley’s two sisters, Jane falls ill and stays in their house for several days. Elizabeth decides to visit Jane there and also stays there until Jane’s recovery. During this time, Jane and Mr. Bingley become closer and closer while the relationships between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is getting worse and worse. (as she believes, but in fact, he becomes more and more interested in her). Elizabeth has an aversion for Mr. Bingley’s sisters who are too proud and threats her as the dull-witted villager. She also finds out that Mr. Bingley’s sisters falls in love with Mr. Darcy. Meanwhile, the Bennet family prepares for Mr. William Collin’s visit, their distant relative who will inherit Mr. Bennet’s property. He is fat clergyman, about 25 who intends to marry one of the Bennet sisters. Mrs Bennet, getting wise about his intention, agrees, seeing it as the way to provide worthy future for herself . Meanwhile, on the way to their aunt Mrs Phillips, the Bennet sisters get acquaintance with Mr. Wickham, who has just joined the militia. At the Phillips’s dinner party, Mr. Wickham reveals Elizabeth  and claims that he has been seriously mistreated by Mr Darcy. 

My Pleasure Reading

Year I Term I - 'Evil under the sun' by Agatha Christie
Year I Term II - 'The Advantures of Sherlock Holmes' by sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Year II Term I - 'Washington square' by Henry James
Year II Term II - 'The Honorary Consul' by Graham Greene

Year III Term I - "The Thorn Bird" by Colleen McCullough

Year III Term II - "The Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

W.S.Maugham "In a Strange Land"

Speaking about the author of the story, William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. The first run of his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), sold out so rapidly that Maugham gave up medicine to write full time. During World War I, he served with the Red Cross and in the ambulance corps, before being recruited in 1916 into the British Secret Intelligence Service, for which he worked in Switzerland and Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. During and after the war, he traveled in India and Southeast Asia; all of these experiences were reflected in later short stories and novels.

The direct meaning of the title refers to the notion of being in a foreign country. As for the indirect meaning, I guess it connects with the fact that the main character of the story, an English woman who has been living in a foreign country for 30 years, and who perfectly knows its language and traditions, never feels as a part of the country she spends the big part of her life. Knowing everything there, she doesn’t feel any connection to the land she lives, even disgust.  So, the country where the most important events of her live have happened will always be a Strange Land for her.

I think that the story raises many themes, such as international marriages (an English woman who married an Italian man), relatives attitude towards such decisions (the main heroine’s relatives are against her marriage with the foreigner), the problem of motherland and the country you live (what’s your real motherland -  a country you were born, or belong to according to nationality or a country you live and build your life), and the last problem of how a foreign country, after spending many years there may affect you and your perception of life.

Now, I’d like to represent the brief summary of the story. The narrator, travelling in Minor Asia, stays at hotel where he gets acquaintance with its innkeeper –a typical English woman of that time - Signore Niccolini. After the storyteller’ several unsuccessful attempts to get her talking, she finally tells him about her life. She was a house keeper in service in a notable English family where she met her future husband of Italian descent who worked as a chief. After their marriage they saved up some money on which they opened their own hotel, having moved in Turkey, paying no attention to the disapproval of the woman’s relatives towards their marriage. Her husband died 15 years ago, and the woman continues to rule hotel service, at the same time bringing up two adopted children fathered by her late husband. However, she doesn’t see anything out of the way in her story life and she even justifies her husband describing him as a full blooded man, thus surprises the narrator.

I think that the main idea of the story that It doesn’t matter how long you live abroad, and how easy you adopt to customs and traditions there, you never be able to eradicate those things which were put into your mind with your mother’s milk. In this story we may see the perfect example of this statement. As 30 years ago, the main heroine remains to be Englishwoman to the marrow of her bones. Neither external factors such as the country she lives with the totally different customs, nor internal ones such as her international marriage which usually considers a mixture of cultures, make her to be not so English even for “gram”.

As for the character sketch, I’d like to describe Signora Niccolini. She is a typical English woman with typical English prejudices towards other nations. There is not anything unusual with her appearance and her outward “world” – she is not beauty but not ugly, a solidly built middle aged woman . However we can’t say the same about her “inward” features. Although she lives in Turkey for many years, her behavior, her life perception and even her accent represents her as a real English woman. She looks like a servant, but holds herself with dignity and with a little arrogance.

Speaking about my impression on this story, I really like it, especially for the themes I have found there. The story is very easy and pleasant to read thanks for the author’s particular style of writing. The story makes you think and as evidence, I collected my thoughts for some time after reading. I also like it because of the connection which is established between the title and the main idea. Besides I like the way the main heroine is represented and described in the story – very indirectly and this circumstance lets you to think over her image, thus helping you to form your attitude towards her action, the themes which are raised on her example and come to your own conclusion.

Individual Reading. The Patriot Games. Part 4

Individual Reading. The Patriot Games. Part 4

Rendering № 12

The editorial published on August 31 is headlined " Wyoming wolves to lose Endangered Species Act protection”.  The article carries a lot of comments on Gray wolves in Wyoming, the last still federally protected in the northern Rockies which probably will lose endangered species status at the end of next month, opening them to unregulated killing in most of the state.

Speaking about this issue, it is necessary to point out that the planned delisting of Wyoming's estimated 350 wolves caps a steady progression of diminishing federal safeguards for a predator once hunted, trapped and poisoned to the brink of extinction throughout most of the continental United States. It is also interesting to point out some general stuff, such as the fact that Wyoming will officially regain control over the management of its wolf population on September 30, joining Montana and Idaho, where more than 1,500 wolves were removed from the federal endangered list in May of 2011. It Is followed by statistics: About 4,000 wolves in the northern Great Lakes region -- primarily Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota -- lost their status as endangered or threatened last January.

Emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, it is necessary to note that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe on Friday hailed delisting of the last wolf population in the northern Rockies as a victory assured by the Endangered Species Act and cooperation among state and federal partners. Then, the author of the article, Laura Zuckerman, cites Dan Ashe : “The return of the wolf to the Northern Rocky Mountains is a major success story”. Analyzing the situation in details, it is interesting to note that Conservationists decried the move, questioning how an animal could be protected until September 30 only to be subject to "open fire" on October 1, the first day of Wyoming's regulated hunting season. Environmental groups say they fear ending federal safeguards could push wolves back to the brink. To understand situation more deeply, the author compares Wyoming with  Idaho and Montana, all of them are required to maintain a statewide population of at least 150 wolves, including 15 breeding pairs, to prevent a relisting. Wyoming wolves will remain off-limits to hunters inside national wildlife refuges and national parks, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, as well as on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

As for the motto “FROM PROTECTION TO BULL'S EYE”, there is general feeling to believe that restricted hunting will be permitted from October through December within zones just outside those parks and refuges in the greater Yellowstone region of northwestern Wyoming, where most of the state's wolves reside. There is also every likelihood that For the rest of the state, wolves would be classified as predatory animals, subjecting them to unlicensed, unregulated killing year-round through methods such as shooting, trapping and pursuit on mechanized vehicles.

There are signs that Under Endangered Species Act protections, wolf numbers rebounded in the northern Rockies, far exceeding the original recovery goals set by the federal government. Efforts in recent years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove wolves in Idaho and Montana from the endangered species list were reversed by court rulings. It’s an open secret that Wyoming's wolves had remained protected while state and federal officials negotiated what safeguards would sustain a viable population under Wyoming management. The Fish and Wildlife Service's latest estimate puts current numbers in all three states at more than 1,774 adult wolves. The gray wolf originally was classified as an endangered species across the lower 48 states and Mexico, except in Minnesota, where the animal was listed as threatened. The reporter concludes the article with statistics according to which 7,000 to 11,000 wolves roam much of Alaska, but are so abundant they have never been federally protected.

As for me, I think that protection of endangered species is very important because it will be impossible to do anything with it, if we miss the opportunity now. I am sure that all of us can do something to solve or help at least this problem. We should remember that animals are not our enemies; they are living creatures like we are. We should do our best to protect them from extinction and get involved government in it by insisting on enacting laws to help to protect and take care after the species and having national endangered species control agencies.