Concetti Chiave
- The novel "Alfred and Emily" is divided into two parts: a fictional narrative and a memoir about Doris Lessing's parents.
- In the fictional section, Lessing imagines alternative lives for her parents, where Alfred becomes a farmer and Emily a nurse, avoiding the hardships of World War I.
- In reality, the war profoundly impacted Alfred and Emily, with Alfred losing a leg and Emily her first love and social standing.
- The family's move to Rhodesia is driven by hopes of wealth, but it brings challenges, particularly for Emily, who struggles with the unfamiliar environment.
- Lessing also explores her childhood experiences in Rhodesia, her mother's involvement with RAF Salisbury during WWII, and her own personal conflicts.
Alfred and Emily
Alfred and Emily consists of two parts: one fictional , one a memoir, both dealing with the lives of Alfred Tayler and Emily McVeagh, Doris Lessing's parents. In the first part the author gives her parents the lives they would have wanted for themselves if the First World War hadn't broken out. Alfred decides, against his family's wishes, to become a farmer while Emily becomes a nurse at the Royal Free Hospital in London instead of a doctor as her father would have like.
The two protagonists meet but never marry. Alfred marries a nurse called Betsy and soon after two healthy boys are born . Alfred proves a kind father and a good farmer. Emily marries a cardiologist, a cold and distant man, but her life changes after her husband's sudden death. She establishes a charity and opens a number of schools.In the second half of the work the reader is given Alfred and Emily's actual lives. The real Alfred and Emily are shattered by the war. The father has lost not only his leg in the trenches but also his comrades. The mother has lost her first love and her bourgeois identity. Back from Persia, where Alfred had been working for the Imperial bank , the
family visits the Imperial Exhibition in London. They are greatly impressed by the Southern Rhodesian stand. The couple leave for Rhodesia with the hope of becoming rich by growing maize. Alfred responds with great passion to Africa
but Emily, who has come to Rhodesia expecting an elegant life with "our class of people" , finds a hostile and unfamiliar country. She has to help her invalid husband choose land and build a house made of mud and thatch.
Lessing describes the Rhodesian bush ans narrates some meaningful childhood experiences. She also reports episodes referring to her conflicts with her mother, her father's death and the period she spent working as a married woman in Salisbury.
In the final part of the novel Lessing describes how her mother helped RAF Salisbury during the World War II.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cómo habría sido la vida de Alfred y Emily si la Primera Guerra Mundial no hubiera ocurrido?
- ¿Cómo afectó la guerra a las vidas reales de Alfred y Emily?
- ¿Qué experiencias significativas describe Lessing sobre su infancia en Rhodesia?
En la parte ficticia, Alfred se convierte en un granjero y Emily en una enfermera en el Royal Free Hospital de Londres. Alfred se casa con Betsy y tiene dos hijos, mientras que Emily se casa con un cardiólogo y luego establece una organización benéfica y abre escuelas.
La guerra dejó a Alfred sin una pierna y sin sus camaradas, mientras que Emily perdió su primer amor y su identidad burguesa. La pareja se trasladó a Rhodesia con la esperanza de hacerse rica cultivando maíz, pero enfrentaron desafíos significativos.
Lessing narra experiencias significativas en el monte de Rhodesia, sus conflictos con su madre, la muerte de su padre y su tiempo trabajando como mujer casada en Salisbury. También menciona cómo su madre ayudó a la RAF en Salisbury durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Accedi a tutti gli appunti
Tutor AI: studia meglio e in meno tempo
