Apple tree

Author: (English) Galsworthy
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Apple Tree is a novella that the author considers one of his best stories, with beautiful and engaging prose. The entire narrative depicts the young university student Aesculapius falling in love with the innocent village girl Megan out of "compassion," becoming engaged to her under the apple tree, and then abandoning her due to class consciousness. He brings about a tragic love story, and in the end, he is filled with sorrow because he has lost the most beautiful thing in his life—"that apple tree, that song, and that gold."
This book is a classic masterpiece that every university student of English must read. It features concise and accessible content, fully reflecting the characteristics of Anglo-American literature. At the beginning of the story, Aesculapius discusses "compassion," calling it "at least a pearl in an oyster." This question was also debated by the author in a letter to Hardy while writing The Apple Tree, where he said, "The oyster suffers because of the pearl, but the pearl is the most beautiful thing—it is more precious than the oyster itself." Based on this, it is not difficult to discern the author's moral critique and aesthetic philosophy in the novel. "That apple tree, that song, and that gold."