龚梦南 河南师范大学
Good afternoon ladies and gentleman, today I would like to share with you an impressive story from this year’s Oscar winner--Black Swan.
Nina is a featured ballerina, whose life is completely consumed with dancing for winning the opportunity of joining the famed show: Swan Lake, and portraying the leading role in place of the prima dancer. As the director’s first choice, however, this time Nina has to play a monopolylogue, the innocent white swan and her guile twin sister, the black swan, which is a challenge for the timid and shy Nina. As time goes on, her self-demanding of perfection, the pressure that her fellow dancers’ competent performances, as well as the eagerness to touch her own dark side for the black swan drive her to an ultimate fantasy and depression. The story ends with Nina’s satisfying performance in which the black swan killed the white swan. The bleeding Nina hurt her body and even sacrificed her life for the dream of perfection.
People may have various interpretations on this story. As for me, the play and Nina’s life are both tragedies, which are warning us that, for most of the time, dream is a luxurious commodity.
The process of realizing dreams is lonely, especially in this crowded and noisy world where most people are striving for a better life. For young adults with less social experiences, answering the call of dreams may lead to a way against the mainstream, with disappointed parents and doubtful friends. Facing the perplexing journey, we’d better ask ourselves that are we ready to accept the disillusion of the dream, can we resist the pressure around, and have we made up our mind to live in solitude? If so, go ahead. From my knowledge, I only know one person who made it-Vincent Van Gogh, whose paintings received little appreciation during his life time but still insisted on what he loved. Then what? He was recognized long after had been killed by himself and the public factually. Though he is a good example of a dream-catcher, it is too costly to barter life for dream. However, Van Gogh still left the world with a deal of precious works.
On the contrary, there are many dreamers whose dreams make no contribution to human civilization but greatly damage people’s life and work. Computer virus inventors, drug sellers, and ambitious nuclear weapon holders, they selfishly achieve personal goals by the cost of others’ top secrets, lives or even the whole world.
Besides, what dreams to a dull life seems like what a lighthouse to a vast ocean, it leads us to find the right way. But after realizing it, we may lose ourselves in the next stage of life. The plain Cinderella got married with the handsome Mr. Right, however, would she be accustomed to the royal life? You know, being a princess was not an easy task. Therefore, life is not about reaching the summit but what you have done in this journey.
At last, I’d like to redirect Nina’s story with a seemingly simple ending. As an optimistic and dedicated dancer, she tried to portray the black swan but failed to disobey her nature. Without straining herself too much, she just played the white swan as vivid as life. While living with her loving mother, she kept her naive personality and became a successful ballet teacher, whose life was still passionate and dreamful.
Thank you very much！
