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The Collector
The Collector
Introduction of the writer --- John Fowles
John was born in 1926. He is a middle class as Miranda in the book. Also he had fight in the World War II before. He likes to like the novel which related on trapped or without freedom. May be he is inspired by the book Ў§Robinson CrusoeЎЁ by Daniel Defoe. John Fowles admitted that he is the fans of Defoe. As Ў§Robinson CrusoeЎЁ is a story about a man trapped in a isolated island, may be this inspired Fowles wrote the book Ў§CollectorЎЁ.
Structure
This book divided into 4 parts. The first part is the story told out by Clegg. The second is the diary of Miranda while she had been trapped in the basement. The third and forth part is the feeling of Clegg after MirandaЎ¦s dead.
The Characteristic of this form
This can give the double vision to the reader. They can read the same feeling of Miranda and Clegg. But not only read the story by listening to the story teller.
Also, one of the characteristic of this book is the story like a circle. The ending is very look like the beginning of the story. The effect of this structure is let the reader feel the tragedy. MirandaЎ¦s dead didnЎ¦t mean to end anything, Clegg will going to trap another girl in the basement again.
Discuss the function of MirandaЎ¦s diary in the context of the entire novel.
First, this form can carry out the relationship between the trapper and the prisoner. And the reader can find out the different meaning by reading different texts of the same incident. Also, the reader can find out the characteristic of the character by aware the written style of the texts. ie. You can aware that Clegg is a non-active person as he written language is very negative; Miranda is a girl who desire the freedom as her written language is very positive.
Discuss the significance of the title
Ў§The CollectorЎЁ point out Clegg had built a kingdom without freedom. He used an arbitrary way to treat all the things he loves. For example, the way he treated those butterflies and Miranda. In his world, he never thinks about the feeling of others. All he wants is to keep his favorites forever, no matter they are willing or not.
In Clegg opinion, Miranda is same as butterflies. He used to trapped them in the same way but only the places in different. He trapped the butterflies in the drawer but trapped Miranda in the basement. He only treated Miranda as a collection but doesnЎ¦t know how to loves her as a real human being.
The Character
Clegg is a lower class person. Never study much and work as a clerk in the bank. He is a isolated person, doesnЎ¦t have any friend. He is a orphan, adopted by his auntie Annie. But he never like Annie and her daughter much, he only like Uncle Dick whom died long time ago. The only interest of Clegg is collecting butterflies.
Miranda is a Middle class. She [next page]