Book Review of the Audacity of Hope.docx

Book Review of the Audacity of Hope.docx

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BookReviewoftheAudacityofHope

BookReviewoftheAudacityofHope

Englishreadingclass2

徐芙蓉，石格格，张娟

Bookdetails

ThebookTheAudacityofHopeisthesecondbookwrittenbythe44thandcurrentPresidentoftheUnitedStates---BarackHusseinObama,whoisfirstAfricanAmericantoholdtheoffice.Thisbookisabiographyofstrongpoliticalconvictions.ItispublishedbytheThreeRiversPressinOctober,2006.

Generalintroduction

Thebookreviewincludessevenparts:

First,thebookdetailsofthebook.

Second,thegeneralintroductionofthebookreview.

Third,thebackgroundofthebook.Thispartcontainsthreeaspects:

PresidentObama’spoliticalcareer,theoriginofthetitleTheAudacityofHopeandthesocialconditions.

Fourth,thesummaryofthebook.Itconsistsoffourparts:

twoparties,values,kindsofproblemsandMr.Obama’sownexperiencesthroughthewholebook.

Fifth,theevaluationofthebook.Thispartissubdividedintotwoparts,themeexplorationandlanguageuse.

Sixth,thereccomendation.

Seventh,conclusion.

Background

1.AboutPresidentObama’spoliticalcareer

ObamawasbornonAugust4,1961,inHonolulu,Hawaii .Obamaisagraduateof ColumbiaUniversity and HarvardLawSchool,wherehewasthepresidentofthe HarvardLawReview.Hewasa community

organizer inChicagobeforeearninghis lawdegree.Heworkedasa civilrights attorneyinChicagoandtaught constitutionallaw atthe UniversityofChicagoLawSchool from1992to2004.Heservedthreeterms representingthe13thDistrictinthe IllinoisSenate from1997to2004.

FollowinganunsuccessfulbidagainsttheDemocraticincumbentforaseatintheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativesin2000,ObamaranfortheUnitedStatesSenatein2004.Severaleventsbroughthimtonationalattentionduringthecampaign,includinghisvictoryintheMarch2004IllinoisDemocraticprimaryfortheSenateelectionandhiskeynoteaddressattheDemocraticNationalConventioninJuly2004.HewonelectiontotheU.S.SenateinIllinoisinNovember2004

2.AbouttheoriginofthetitleTheAudacityofHope

ThetitleTheAudacityofHopecomesfromaarticlecalled"hope".

Onthearticle,ayoungwomanissittingontheearth—asymboloftheworldwithherbodyleaningforward,herheadbowing,andhereyescoveredwithbandages.sheisplayingtheancientGreecelyrethathasonlyonestringandsheisabsorbedintheweakmusic.Theintentionoftheartiststoshowthatthehumanwillneverlosehopeuntiltheendoftheworld.Buttheaudience'sfeelingsmaybedifferent,ObamathinkthatalthoughthebodyofthewomanseemstobethevictimofHiroshima.Althoughtheworldistornbywaranddisease,isdevastatedbyhatredandgreed,isravagedbythesuspicion,thiswomanisstilltheaudacityofhopewithheronlyonestringlyre.shewillplaynicemusicandpraiseofGod.SoMr.Obamareferredtothephraseinhis2004DemocraticConventionkeynoteaddress.

3.AboutthesocialconditionsoftheUnitedStates

Americasufferredextremelyseriouseconomiccrisisatthattime.Besides,theracialandreligiousweregrowingmoreandmoretense.

Summary

TheaudacityofhopeisthebookofthoughtsonreclaimingtheAmericandream.Inthisbook,theauthortellsthestoryabouthisownfailureandsuccess,discriminationandfortune,familybackgroundandlove,thestoryofgrowthandstruggle,andhispoliticalprogress.Thepurposeofthiswholebookis:

howtochangethepeople'slivelihoodandpoliticsoftheUnitedStates.Accordingtothistheme,thebookdividesintofourparts:

twoparties,values,allkindsofproblemsandhispersonalexperiencesthroughthebook.

Firstpartisthetwoparties:

thedemocratsandtherepublicans.TheDemocraticPartyistheleftparty,anditspolicypreferredtomiddleclass.Theypayattentiontothewelfareandfair,andwanttoreform.TheRepublicansPartyistherightparty,whichrepresenttheinterestsofthebigcapitalists.Inthisbook,herecalledhispoliticalexperiencesatfirstandthenelaboratesthesituationofthetwoparties.Thosetwopartieshaveabigconflict,whichObamathinksit’sverystupid.Hecriticizedthepoliticianstrongly.Inviewofthecurrentsituationofthistwoparties,Obamaputsforwardanideatosolvetheproblem,andhopestheycanworktogethertomakeAmericathrivingandprosperous.

Secondarevalues.Throughsomesituation,ObamastartedtothinkaboutthevalueoftheAmericanpeople.InthedepthsofAmericanspirit,therearesomecommonidealsandfaiths.Asthedeclarationofindependencesaid:

“Wearebornfree,allofus;wehavealotofpowers.Ifthereisnoreasonablereason,anyoneanycountrycannotrob;throughourownefforts,wecanalsolivethelifewewant.”InAmericanmind,therearesomecommonvalues​​,differentcolors,differentbeliefs,differentsocialstrataanddifferentpoliticalparties,Americanscanlivetogetherandworktogether.Thesecommonideals,commonvalues​​andacommonhopearealwaysexistintheheartsofthemajorityoftheAmericanpeople,tomakeAmericanadvance.

Thirdarethekindsofproblems.Obamagivehisgoverningideasinthisbook.HebelievesthattheUSisthebiggestcountryintheworld.Buttherearestillmanyproblems.Thedifferentreligionsideas,theeconomiccrises,racialdiscrimination,andsoon.Inhisrulingideas,hishasastrongconceptionofhistory.HissawtheUnitedStates’progress,andproveditbyhisownexperiences.Healsobelievesthattheunitedstatesofdemocracy,freedomequalityofopportunityinconceptionisthenationalstrongguarantee.

Thelastpartishisownexperiencesthroughthewholebook.Weallknowheisablackman,andsoyoung.HowcouldhebecomeapresidentofAmerica?

Ofcourse,byhisfairy,nevergiveup.Throughhisefforts,hereflectstheAmericandream,thatis:

everyoneisequal,andeveryonehastherightoffreedom,everybodycanusehistalenttoaccesstothesuccess.Miracleisinourhands,andeverythingispossible.ThisisAmericandream.Ifeveryonecanholdthisdreamandtryhisbesttodoso,Americasocietywillbemoreperfect.

Allinall,thetopicofthisbookistotellushowtotranscenddifferences,tryyoubestandthensolvedalltheproblemstocreateanewAmerica.

Evaluation

Theaudacityofhopeisawell-writtenbookthatObamausesskilledrhetoricalskillsandhislifeexperiencestodemonstratehiscriticalthinkingondifferenttopics,fromwhichwecanlearnalotabouthislifeexperienceandAmericanhistory,values,faith,politics,familyandsoon.Weevaluatethisbookfromthefollowingtwoaspects:

thethemeexplorationandthelanguageappreciation.

1、Themeexploration

（1）Afterreadingthisbook,whatimpressesmemostisthelovethatreflectedinthebook.Hisloveforhisfamilymembers:

mother,grandparents,wife,twolovelydaughtersandfellowAmericans.Asachild,heisgratefulforhismotherandgrandparents’upbringing,andhelearnsalotfromthem.Asahusband,hethankshiswifeforhersacrificeandunderstandingandsupportingforhim.Asafather,heloveshistwolovelydaughterslikeanyotherfathersintheworld.Asastatesman,hisloveforthecommonpeoplemotivateshimtogointopoliticstoexpresstheirrealthoughtsandconcernsanddosomethingreallyusefulandmeaningfulontheirbehalf.

（2）Thesecondoneisthehopes,dreams,valuesthathavebeenconveyedinthisbook.Itwasnotonlythestrugglesofthesemenandwomenthathadmovedmebutalsotheirdetermination,theirself-reliance,arelentlessoptimisminthefaceofhardship.Theaudacityofhope.ThatwasthebestoftheAmericanspirit—havingtheaudacitytobelievedespitealltheevidencetothecontrarythattheycouldrestoreasenseofcommunitytoanationtornbyconflict;thegalltobelievethatdespitepersonalsetbacks,thelossofajoboranillnessinthefamilyorachildhoodmiredinpoverty,theyhadsomecontrol—andthereforeresponsibility—overtheirownfate.

2、Languageuse

Asweknown,Obamaisagreatandtalentedpublicspeaker,sohislanguagecanbeextremelypowerful,vivid,inspiringandeloquent.Thoughthisbookisconsideredasanautobiographyofobama,however,itisquitedifferentfromothers.Heknowshowtowritewell.Therefore,inthisbooktherearemanywell-writtensentencesandparagraphs.

Toproducesucheffect,heusesmanyfiguresofspeech,suchassimile,parallelismandotherwritingskills,likedescription,largenumberofexamplestoimpressthereadersortocreatehumorouseffect.

Herearesomegoodexamples:

（1）Love（description）

ChildrenLaterthatnight,backhomeinChicago,Isatatthedinnertable,watchingMaliaandSashaastheylaughedandbickeredandresistedtheirstringbeansbeforetheirmotherchasedthemupthestairsandtotheirbaths.Aloneinthekitchenwashingthedishes,Iimaginedmytwogirlsgrowingup,andIfelttheachethateveryparentmustfeelatonetimeoranother,thatdesiretosnatchupeachmomentofyourchild’spresenceandneverletgo—topreserveeverygesture,tolockinforalleternitythesightoftheircurlsorthefeeloftheirfingersclaspedaroundyours.

Iknowthattuckinginmydaughtersthatnight,Igraspedalittlebitofheaven.Inthisvividdescriptionabouthisdaughters,heappliedmanyverbstoportraytheirmovements,theyaresolovely.Fromhisinnervoice,wecanfeelhisdeeplove.

（2）Hopes&Dreams&Values（parallelism）

（a）Whatstruckmewasjusthowmodestpeople’shopeswere,andhowmuchofwhattheybelievedseemedtoholdconstantacrossrace,region,religion,andclass.Mostofthemthoughtthatanybodywillingtoworkshouldbeabletofindajobthatpaidalivingwage.Theyfiguredthatpeopleshouldn’thave