Carol(The Price of Salt )

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Carol(The Price of Salt )

Today, I wanna intrduce an English book called Carol to y’all. It is a story about two women... (It concerns about homosexuality.)

Carol(The Price of Salt )

Long long ago, no. I’m kidding, not that long. It is a picture paints of American middle class society in the early 1950s.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

We can also say that this book is written  from Therese’s perspectiv, because most of the time ir is describing Therese’s feeling towards Carol.

Therese Belivet is a lonely young woman, just beginning her adult life in Manhattan and looking for her chance to launch her career as a theatre set designer. On a long and monotonous day, working in the toy department of the department store, Therese becomes interested in a customer, an elegant and beautiful woman in her early thirties.

Christmas was approaching, and Therese was working in the department. Their eyes met at the same instant, Therese glancing up from a box she was opening, and the women just turning her head so she looked directly at Therese. Therese felt sure the women would come to her. She was right, Carol did come to her and bought a gift for her daughter as a Christmas gift and asked whether the department can shift the gift to her house before Christmas. The answer was “yes” and she left her address to Therese and left.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

If it didn’t , she would deliver it herself. Therese thought to herself. Look at the picture, I can tell that they were in love with each other at their very first sight. Especially Therese, she got a crush on Carol out of the blue.

The two lock eyes across the harried sales floor, and nothing will ever be the same again.

In the middle of the afternoon, she went down to the first floor and bought a card in the greetings-card department.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

She stood with the pen poised over the card, thinking of what she might have written – ‘You are magnificent’ or even ‘I love you’ – finally writing quickly the excruciatingly  dull and impersonal: ‘special salutations from Frankenberg’s’.

Carol received the letter and found out that Therese might be the one who sent the letter to her and she phoned Therese to hang out for some time. She said on the phone: ‘Well-since it’s Christmas , why don’t we meet for a cup of coffee, at least? Or a drink.?’ So Carol invited Therese first to lunch and then to visit her at the impressive home in New Jersey .

Carol(The Price of Salt )

After hanging out for several times, to take her mind off her enforced separation from her daughter, Carol asked Therese if she wants to take a drive west for a road trip, Therese accepted. For Therese, this is an internal journey of self-discovery coincides with her new sense of space.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

So at their third destination, Therese told Carol that she loves her.(this is one of my favorite parts in this book, heart-stopping!) When they were standing in the hotel room:     

‘What are you standing there for ?’ Carol asked. ‘ Get to bed, sleepy-head.’

‘Carol, I love you.’

Carol  straightened up. Therese stared at her with intense, sleepy eyes. Then Carol finished taking her pyjamas from the suitcase and pulled the lid down. She came to Therese and put her hands on her shoulders. She squeezed her shoulders hard, as if she were exacting a promise from her, or perhaps searching her to see if what she had said were real. Then she kissed Therese on the lips, as if they had kissed a thousand times before.

‘Don’t you know I love you?’ Carol said.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

But what they don’t know is that a private investigator unleashed by Carol’s husband, Harge is hot on their heels. He shows his resentment by suing for custody for their daughter. And of course, the revelation of their secret contains the seeds of its destruction.

While Carol breaks the free from the confines of marriage, her husband threatens her competence as a mother when her involvement with Therese comes to light. So Carol left Therese and went back home to handle this tricky problem.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

Finally, Carol pays a very high price for love. Whatever lies in her future, this relationship will never be an unmixed blessing, but she came out to her husband at the court for her true love and true feeling and gave up the custody of her daughter.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

In my point of view, in our daily life, everyone is Carol. We have many many many things to worry about, our family, our friends, our study, and even other people’s opinion.

So we need the courage of Therese, to face who we really are and to become who we exactly are . We want to ignore everything just to do what we want to do.

We always say that love is love, however, when one of our friends is  coming out ahead of us,we just can’t bear it, including myself. So we need to walk the walk，and talk the talk.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

Carol is undeniably an erotic love story .There’s an instant spark of attraction between them but neither knows quite how to react. They are drawn to each other , trying for friendship , but unable to resist the deeper attraction. Their flirtation with danger and desire makes for almost unbearable tension.

Think about this, salt is badly needed in our everyday life, so salt here describes an unspeakable desire of women.

Carol(The Price of Salt )

I myself don’t know a thing about homosexuality, but I agree with that love is love, we have the freedom to be different, and we also have the freedom to love who we wants to love. As far as I am concerned, homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender...

Carol(The Price of Salt )

But which surprised me was even scientists do not know exactly what determines an individual‘s sexual orientation, but they believe that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences, and do not view it as a choice. They favor biologically-based theories, which point to genetic factors, the early uterine environment, both, or the inclusion of genetic and social factors. There is no substantive evidence which suggests parenting or early childhood experiences play a role when it comes to sexual orientation. While some people believe that homosexual activity is unnatural, scientific research has shown that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation.

When it comes to the reason why I chose this book was that I want to challenge myself, because this kind of topic is quite sensitive in China, even for today. On the contrary, we need these kinds of education, such as education about sex or about homosexuality. What’s more, homosexuality is also causing more and more attention.

Actually my roommate recommended this movie to me at first, after watching the movie I searched some comments online, then found out that  audience said that the book is more poetic and moving than the movie. Therefore, I bought the book and read the book. This book haunts me with its tale of love denied and forbidden and a woman’s quest to live authentically while facing social prejudice and bigotry that force her to make a difficult choice. It is a visual poetry. Additionally, this book became my first authentic version.

I read the book at least 4 times and listened to this twice I guess, but after that I still had no idea where to start, I also read a dozens of comments on line and I don’t know whether I can tell a good story.

Carol(The Price of Salt )