I remember the first time I was reading "La Dame aux Camélias" (The lady of the Camellia) years ago when I was in high school, it was an old translation. The book is about Marguerite- a prostitute girl and her painful love. This time when I re-read the book in a new translation, all my feelings were coming back. It turns out no matter for how long, the pain still remains the same and can not be faded.
As a child I could not understand why a girl like Marguerite can not be happy. She lived in silk and jewelry. She has all desires of men in town. But growing up, I understood that there's nothing hurtful than a love was killed by the prejudice of society. In our age, a love between a man who has well educated with a prostitute girl will always be imposed prejudice, right?
Marguerite is the most beautiful prostitute girl in town. To signaling to her guests, she took a red camellia flower with her when she were in her period. And when she's ready for making love with men, she took a white one. She lives by making men happy and take their money. She has a lot of fans, gentlemen willing to spend money to please her charm and beauty but they will never give her love because society does not accept it.
Marguerite lived a life of luxury with expensive and fashionable dresses, chariots that even the ladies of the envy were jealous. And then she met Armand, a middle-class young man. When he met her for the first time, his young heart fell in love immediately. If it was the whole story, it's definitely a fairy tale.
But this story would make many other young girls, whether born in noble families or the poorest families want to be Marguerite, and they will always dream a dream can not be true. Armand started jealous with the rich men who are the guests of Marguerite. They gradually conflicted and no longer love each other as much as before. At the end of the book, she died of tuberculosis when no one was around. All her possessions were sold. Her haters were so happy when seeing her died in lonely. At the moment of death, Marguerite was still looking forward to seeing Armand and constantly calling out his name. Many critics believe that when mentioned the word "tuberculosis", the author's intention is "syphilis" - a disease of prostitute girls.
The excellent of Alexander Dumas Junior is to wake us all up, readers who are still immersed in Marguerite's happiness. Just like a dream , no matter how happy we were, no one lives forever in dreams. We have to wake up in the fact pain, for those who go contrary to the social rules.
Although the meaningful idea of the author. The thing inside of my heart is love of Marguerite for Armand. Yes, she is just a prostitute girl but I think she deserves to love and to be loved. My dear Marguerite, who taught me to love someone better if it wasn't you?