08读后感大赛初中组一等奖作品选登

“Love of Life” is one of the most famous Northern short stories by Jack London, a distinguished American novelist. The particular literary talent of Jack London enabled him to produce an emotional impact on the readers of this story, which is the key to its great appeal and popularity. Throughout the whole story, London relied on visual imagery to arouse and intensify our compassion for the hero. Reading the story, I could see the Canadian wilderness and shake with its cold and loneliness. I could feel the pain of the hero in his body and conceive the fear in his heart. I could taste the blood of the raw fish and chew the bones of a dead deer. I could hear the weird noises of a sick wolf and witness the hero biting the wolf’s throat and sucking his blood. Above all, I could share with the hero his strong willpower to beat any difficulties and his intense love of life.

In “Love of Life”, London narrated a soul-stirring story about the struggle against nature, and the fight for survival. The hero of this story is a man who was lost in the wilds, deserted by his friend. He was alone, weak and starving. Nothing accompanied him except pain, hunger and the Messenger of Death. He survived on fresh fish, broken bones and wild berries. A bear and a sick wolf chased him. His knees and feet were stripped to the bone…

But finally, he overcame all those difficulties and, luckily, the members of a scientific expedition on a ship rescued him. So, after terrible sufferings, the hero could enjoy the happy end of having enough food to eat, being cared for by a doctor and looking forward to a sweet family reunion. The strong desire to live prevailed. The struggle for survival had been carried to the very last moment. The victory was so rewarding and tasty because of the very fact that everything was given up for it, including the bag of gold, the very reason the hero came to the wilds.

From this enlightening story of Jack London, I came to realize that the art of living is to know what to hold fast and what to let go--- two truths to live by.

On one hand, there are many wondrous things like love, friendship and health in our lives to which we surely ought to cling, and life itself is the most precious gift that we should cherish most. In the story, the hero never gave up his hope of survival. Under the unbearably harsh circumstances, choosing to die would have been an easier alternative for the hero. However, instead of accepting the doomed fate, he chose to fight against it and he fought to the very last moment. It was the life in him, unwilling to die, that drove him on. It was his willpower that let him beat the death, and that’s why he was so strong! Look at those people who committed suicide, how stupid they were! No matter how unlucky you are, the most fortunate thing is to be alive! So if we have strong willpower in our hearts, the difficulties, however immense they are, could never, ever, beat us! So, what can we learn from the story? Yes, it is the first truth to live by--- the art of holding fast to the flame, the thirst of life!