My Journal on “the Torrent, ” “the Lamp at Noon, ” and “the Peace of Utrecht”

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My journal on “The Torrent,” “The Lamp at Noon,” and “The Peace of Utrecht” After reading “The Torrent,” “The Lamp at Noon,” and “The Peace of Utrecht,” I was astonished by the fact that all of the three stories have elements that remind me of a famous Canadian children’s literature called “Anne of Green Gables.” In “The Torrent,” the mother appears to be a monstrous woman, who shows no sign of maternal love, and tortures her son not only physically but mentally as well. She devotes herself wholly to work and God, but her God, like Marilla’s God in “Anne of Green Gables,” is a stern God, emphasizing on “discipline,” “Hell,” and “original sin.” Only through hard work and feverish prayer can people enter heaven. In the beginning of “Anne of Green Gables,” Marilla, a woman embuilded with Calvinistic theology, often makes Anne to do the housework, and mocks Anne of her flowery language, romantic enthusiasm, and exaggerated imagination. The mother in “The Torrent” shares similar Christian value with Marilla, but also a relatively extreme one. Therefore, under her influence, Francois grows up in an environment filled with harsh punishments and terrors, resulting in his distorted and conflict character that leads him an unhappy life. The rural setting of “The Lamp at Noon,” and the small town, Jubilee, in “The Peace of Utrecht” also draws a parallel to the prairie setting of “Anne of Green Gables.” An interesting fact that I observed is that all of them are located in an isolated area. “The Lamp at Noon” highlighted the couples living condition in an exhausted land with extreme climate. Due to the over plowing of the field, the land has become a desert, forcing the wife to lit the lamp at noon, for the flying dusts cover the daylight. Despite the hardship of living in the countryside, Paul still refuses to work for his father-in-law in town. Part of the

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