AN ESSAY:

“John Braine and his Novel

"Room at the Top"

"Room at the Top" is an intriguing novel. To my mind, this writer’s creative work is as remarkable as the creative work of the well-known writers, such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev and others. John Braine is interested in the life of both poor and rich people. In my opinion, he tries to show us the demerits of different social classes. The writer tries to be very objective and straightforward.

In his novel he shows us a clever person, but a poor one, who tried to achieve his purpose to become rich by hook or by crook. I cannot blame Joe Lampton, because he did have a difficult life. When Joe lived in Dufton, he met many unhappy people there. Many of them lived from hand to mouth, trying to make both ends meet. Some of them suffered, because they could not endure poverty. In other words, “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.” But as the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” so Joe Lampton did find out a way for himself to avoid poverty, he decided to marry a rich girl.

I suppose that Joe Lampton tried to do his best. As the saying goes, “Much will have more.” But Joe was a poor one.

I do not try to say that Joe Lampton was a good person(,) because it would not be true. He had many flaws, and the main one was his selfish aspiration to become rich. Other people did not really consider Joe Lampton to be an interesting person. Very few wanted to make friends with him. The circumstances made Joe Lampton forget about his feelings, friends, true love. He even made himself forget about his love to Alice.

He lost all human feelings and became one of those cruel, heartless,

selfish zombies whom he despised before. As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

In my opinion, the theme of "Room at the Top" can be expressed by the phrase “A honey tongue, a heart of gall.” I believe that this phrase characterizes the main character of the novel very well.

The main characters of the novel are Joe Lampton, Alice and Susan. Alice and Susan are different. Alice was born in a poor family; Susan, on the contrary, in a rich one. But, to my mind, both Susan and Alice became victims of Joe Lampton. He never thought about their feelings. He thought only about his own mercenary interests. Alice perished. And, to my mind, Susan will not be able to be happy in her married life. I think that his hypocrisy will be discovered by Susan in the future. So, in my opinion, Joe, Alice and Susan were unhappy people, because they lived in a cruel world.

The plot of "Room at the Top " is probable. In his novel John Braine emphasized real aspects of life. I believe that the problem of poverty is actual nowadays, so " Room at the Top " is convincing, and its background is authentic.

The characters of " Room at the Top " are flesh and blood. Needless to say, we can meet such persons in real life. They are true to life. {The writer tries to express his ideas in a clear language.} The language of the novel is easy, so " Room at the Top " reads well. The author uses a lot of idioms and special phrases. And my point is that using phrases and idioms gives his language colour and sparkle.

I believe that the message of this novel can be expressed by the statement “Better die standing than live kneeling.” This is what, in my opinion, the writer tried to show to his readers.

In conclusion, I want to add that " Room at the Top " is an instructive novel as it helps us to realize how useless the lives of selfish persons can be.

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THE END

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Doubts

He lost all human feelings and became one of those cruel, heartless, selfish zombies, whom he despised (?) before.

Alice was born in a poor family, Susan on the contrary(?) in a rich one.

This is what, in my opinion, the author tried to show to his readers. (?)

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A good name is better than riches.

A honey tongue, a heart of gall.

A light purse is a heavy curse

A round peg in a square hole.

! Better die standing than live kneeling.

Better do well than say well.

When at Rome, do as the Romans do.

Yekaterina Odincova, 2000