Wealth is the parent of luxury and indolence, and poverty of meanness and viciousness, and both of discontent.
—Plato
Unit Goals
After learning the unit, students are expected to be able
·to understand John Galsworthy’s depiction of the life panorama of upper middle class in his masterpiece The Forsyte Saga ,
·to appreciate John Galsworthy’s mastering of characterization sketch in the opening chapter of the novel,
·to appreciate Thackeray’s characterization art in Vanity Fair ,
·to master the useful expressions in the writings, and
·to improve language proficiency and critical thinking through the content of this unit.
Before You Read
1.Familiarize yourself with the basic storyline of the whole novel The Man of Property , and make an analysis of the position and function of the opening chapter selected by the textbook.
2.In many people’s ultimate pursuit, gaining incomparable wealth and supreme position in the hierarchy of social classes is the most desirable outputs.However, in some thinkers’opinions, wealth can be a double-edged sword.There are the hazards of losing one’s direction and being driven away from the true happiness when one is in possession of great wealth.Share with your partner your understanding of the positive and negative sides of wealth and property.
Start to Read