入圍決選獎
姓  名 林詠萱 學  校 國立新竹女子高級中學 年  級 二年一班

 

 

Reflection on the book “Matilda”

If anyone asked me to name out my favorite novels, “Matilda” would definitely be at the top of my list. “Matilda” has been one of my favorite books of all time since I first read it when I was a child. As a child, I was already fascinated by the story and couldn’t help reviewing it again and again. After so many years, when I reread this book with already knowing what will happen, I can still feel the magic inside of it and enjoy every word beneath my fingertips.

The story is about a girl named Matilda, who is smart, mischievous, and has a passion in studying. However, her family was an actual nightmare. Her dad sells stolen cars, her mom only cares about appearance, and her brother is a couch potato most of the time and never thinks with his brain. Also, differing from most parents nowadays, Matilda’s family doubts that studying could do any good for her future. With being so different from her family, Matilda puts herself in an isolated position at home. When Matilda finally got the opportunity to go to school, it turns out that the principal was a horrible female who was a control freak. One day, Matilda found out that she had magical powers. By using her powers and her knowledge, she helped her teacher and friends to conquer many difficulties, and eventually, she found herself a place to belong to.

I’ve always been a big fan of stories that has elements of magic and miracles, especially when the main character is a female, because in that case I think myself as the character and can feel the magic that surrounds them. In this story, Matilda has got the ability to move objects without touching them, which is a super power that I’ve always dreamed to have. When Matilda uses her powers, it feels like I’m the one who’s controlling the magic. When imagination works, excitement runs through my veins, and this is also one of the reasons why I like this book so much.

One thing I would like to mention about this book is its concept of education. It is said that people’s domestic environment influences their personality and thoughts very much. This may not be precise for every family, but it’s definitely true for most of us. I personally believe in Mencius’s theories, “Every human was born with a kind and gentle heart.” In this case, when children misbehave, we should think about the reason why they do wrong, instead of simply punishing them. Children often imitate what they see, thus, a child’s problem might also be a family’s problem.

Fortunately, Matilda’s personality hadn’t been affected much by her misbehaving parents. However, everyone needs a guide light in life, to Matilda, her guide light is her teacher, Ms. Honey. Just like her name, Ms. Honey is a sweet and generous young woman. As a teacher, she shows all her support to Matilda instead of trying to change her mind. In my opinion, that’s what our education should be doing. School education shouldn’t be trying to force youngsters into a path that seems to be successful, but to help them find their own way. As long as our motivations aren't related to crime, why not let us explore our interests by ourselves?

At last, I would like to praise for the author’s marvelous creativity and humorous writing skills. Reading the book “Matilda” has always been like an adventure to me. I find it miraculous that the themes in the story are able reflect on different stages of my life, and maybe that’s why I find something new each time I read this story. I whole-heartedly love this book, and I guess I wouldn’t ever get tired of reading it.