Daisy chain | Yttria A.

Posted by Yttria on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 // 15:50 // 2 comments (+)

This one is another story which illustrated children version I read when I was still a little kid. Being in the same childhood book rack as Little Women, I used to read it while eating or before going to bed, which made it ripped and now gone forever, only God knows where the book is now. I read this book a lot I still remember clearly the drawings which were illustrated inside. Sometimes I wish I would find the same children-illustrated book in a bookstore I visit, but then I think I don't have to. It is meant to be gone, and it is the absence of it that makes it more special now. This is by far my favorite novel, I read this for almost five times. The story itself is one of the world's classic stories, and has been adapted into many stage plays throughout the century.

Daddy Long Legs was written by Jean Webster, and published in 1912. The story is in an epistolary novel form, i.e. written as a series of documents. The one that I read is in Japanese-bookcover version. The book dedication really does make readers feel special, it is dedicated "To you". Another thing that I like most about this novel is the childlike illustrations - made by Jean Webster herself - complement the writing.

The story itself focuses on Jerusha 'Judy' Abbott, a girl from an orphanage who is offered an opportunity to continue her study in college, because of her writing potential. In return, Judy is expected to write a letter of her study progress and activities of daily life as acknowledgment every once a month to her financial supporter whom she never met. The only thing Judy knows about her benefactor is that the person is a male and is a very tall guy, she saw a glimpse of the man when he was walking to his car. And he is apparently a philanthropic Trustee of the John Grier Home, the orphanage asylum where Judy lived from when she was still a little. At first, Judy expects reply letter from him, but - despite her curiousity and sometimes emotional anger towards this situation - she always keeps on writing the letters even though she never gets any reply from the mysterious Mister. She always believes that the Mister reads her letters. She writes the letters with this image of the person on the other side: a rich old man with grey hair. She soon grows a daughterly love towards him as if he is her father.

Judy herself is a sunny soul by nature, she is poor, and silly, but eager to learn things and is very adventurous. She spent her entire 17 years inside the asylum John Grier Home, and her daily activity is only to take care of children in the asylum. So this scholarship really is a good fortune for her. Being sent out of the asylum to experience new life, Judy is feeling properly grateful with the opportunity. She soon meets Sallie McBride and Julia Pendleton whom she make friends with in college. At first, Judy feels hard, not because of the work and study in the college, but because of the play. She finds it hard to join the conversation that their jokes seem to relate to a past that everyone has shared but her. I find that I am the only girl in college who wasn't brought up on Little Women. (even myself; from thousand miles away from where she grew up and with different background culture as she was; was brought up with that story. Poor Judy.)

Like many other students, she begins to experience college life. And of course; the falling in love. She soon grows interest in Julia Pendleton's uncle, she calls him Master Jervie. She couldn't bear mentioning him in almost every letter she sent to the Mister benefactor. She said that he is such a sweet lamb, a socialist, a real human being (not a Pendleton at all), and she is longing for an uncle ever since. Master Jervie is a very companionable guy. It is right before the last letter only she finally reveals that her Mister benefactor, her Daddy Long-Legs; is actually the guy that she liked after all this time: Jervie. She doesn't know that all the happiness brought to her by Daddy Long-Legs was actually all things that Master Jervie had done until she was invited to meet Daddy Long-Legs to discuss something... Funny that the last letter in the story is actually the first love letter she ever wrote to a guy!

In the middle of reading, you'll find that Judy's personality is quite interesting. She is a very brave and cheerful girl. She is also witty and smart, has a good sense of humour with clever words. She takes the opportunity came to her as her chance to self-development, she isn't rebellious towards it despite the monotonous life in her past. She is also very optimistic and is a dreamer. Study in the college is not that easy, she sometimes flunks notes but then promises to study hard (the writer even got a funny illustration on this, haha). But she often changes her mind, sometimes she would be very realistic that she forgets about her dreams. And sarcastic. And silly. And has big curiousity. And often feels that she should be treated as grown-up. Surely at that age of Judy, girls are often confuse about things due to their puberty, but at times she shows that she is apparently naturally a young girl at heart who still much adores the excitement of today's fashion and style. For instance she yaps about silly stuffs on millinery shop in her letter.

Though adoring those which are being liked by girls those days, she doesn't seem to like to be drowned in it, she stands on being modest and humble. She still focuses on being a writer as her Daddy Long-Legs wished her to be, so she chooses books over those adorable things. She is young indeed, but is mature enough to understand that she is a grown woman that she can assure she could stand in her own two feet, that she herself is the one who can tell her what to do. I must show him that he can't dictate to me. No one can dictate to me but you daddy - and you can't always. That, and lots of references show that Judy is somehow very strong-minded and independent. These are I think making this story criticized as being too feminist. And like many other young girls, she is quite talkative. Awfully hard for me not to tell everything I know. I'm a very confiding soul by nature, if I didn't have you to tell things to, I'd burst. Haha.. I guess I understand very well about her personality. Well, girls should have, anyway.

The guy character (though there's no part of him writing or talking in the story), Master Jervie, seems to be a very nice person, he could act both as a father, a friend, and a lover. She writes very respectful to the man and at the same time doesn't hesitate to show her pure witticism which sometimes in a way sounds sentimental and sarcastic, sometimes blunt and silly. For instance a snappy question asking the Mister if he were bald or not. Or a silly unnecessary sudden statement concerning about citizenship, saying that a country would be tagged as awfully wasteful if they throw away such an honest educated conscientious intelligent citizen as she would be. I love the way she wants to be treated seriously but she apparently doesn't realize she demands it in a silly way..

College gets nicer and nicer. So excited about all these new adventures that I must talk to somebody, and you're the only one I know. I loved the way the writer describes about happy moments of school time through Judy's letter. Everything - even the sad and bad ones - seems to be joyful to be passed. It also interesting to see how Judy writes; it definitely looks like a diary of letters, and really reflects her personality well. The plot structure is an epistolary novel where the story is written in a form of letters or series of documents. There's also unique letter closing in every letter on the story (I thought of doing so too at the end of this post). At the end of the story, the last letter finally reveals its love side. I think this is the gong of the story, and the story would never be lovelier any other way.

In a very contented frame of mind (Hopefully so... Haha. Xoxo!),
Y

Images were taken from Gutenberg EBook and Forever Young Adult. I just found out that the first link (Gutenberg) provides an ebook of Daddy Long-Legs, be sure to visit and read!

Labels: book review

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Saturday, April 02, 2016 11:52:00 pm: beuh, basa inggris, emang jago deh neng ytt ini hehee, ayo diisi lagi sheffield dong diliputt

Monday, February 26, 2018 1:14:00 am: Teh Apiin, maap baru liat komen yang ini lagi... Sip Teh, kapan kalo ada waktu mau nulis2 tentang Sheffield juga :D

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Hello! My name is Yttria. Here's where I share some of my photoworks, sketches, stories and quick thoughts. Some are just doodles and mumbles. Hope you enjoy it.

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