Zhou Shuren, better known by the pen name Lu Xun is generally regarded as the father of modern Chinese literature and was thought by many to have his finger on the pulse of the nation’s conscience. His early notoriety was achieved as a result of his short works of fiction which were often satirical, sometimes humorous, and at times very gloomy (“Lu Xun”). Lu Xun was a mindful of his art and labored over his stories to eliminate unnecessary detail, yet they are filled with rich characters, interesting plot lines, vivid imagery, and strong themes. “It can be argued that in the overall output of Lu Xun’s writings his twenty-five short stories constitute a rather slim volume. But is should also be noted that, given the relatively brief time span (eight years), Lu Xun was able to demonstrate an unparalleled range and diversity of technical experimentation. (Lee 57) “Kong Yiji” and Ah-Q-The Real Story are exceptional examples of his talent and contain numerous similarities in terms of, characterization, , plot, and theme.
“Kong Yiji,” which was published in 1919 bears the title of protagonist: yi and ji are the first characters in a child’s calligraphy primer, and Kong is the English translation of the surname of Confucius. Thus the name translates loosely to “Confucius ABC” (“Lu Xun”). Ah-Q- The Real Story also bears the title of its main character whose name is also symbolic. His name is written with the Latin letter Q possibility suggesting a pun on the English word queue, or to suggest the image of the typical head of Chinese man during the Qing era with is pigtail or queue on top of his head (“Lu Xun”). A possible explanation of the translation of Kong Yiji’s name indicates he was unsuccessful, he has the typical ideolog...
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...ith Chinese symbolism, this point in the story seems to be the “end” of Kong Yiji. With the loss of his legs, he has ultimately lost his life. And in fact, we don’t really know what became of him and no one seems to care. Although falsely accused, the crowd is satisfied when Ah-Q is executed, “Everyone agreed that Ah-Q had indeed been an evil man, the clear proof of which could be found in the fact that he had in truth been executed. If he hadn’t been, then how could he have gotten himself executed (Lu Xun 172)?
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This story follows Wang Lang a poor young farmer in rural China that is forced by his father to marry a slave that belongs to the powerful local Hwang family. The Hwangs sell Wang a 20-year-old slave named O-lan who becomes his wife. O-lan and Wang Lung are pleased with each other, although they exchange few words and although Wang is initially disappointed that O-lan does not have bound feet. Together, Wang Lung and O-lan have a cultivate, beautiful and profitable harvest from their land. O-lan becomes pregnant, and Wang Lung is overjoyed when O-lan’s first child is a son. Meanwhile, the powerful Hwang family lives decadently the husband is obsessed with women, and the wife is an opium addict. Because of their costly habits, the Hwangs fall
The Sun of the Revolution by Liang Heng, is intriguing and vivid, and gives us a complex and compelling perspective on Chines culture during a confusing time period. We get the opportunity to learn the story of a young man with a promising future, but an unpleasant childhood. Liang Heng was exposed to every aspect of the Cultural Revolution in China, and shares his experiences with us, since the book is written from Liang perspective, we do not have a biased opinion from an elite member in the Chinese society nor the poor we get an honest opinion from the People’s Republic of China. Liang only had the fortunate opportunity of expressing these events due his relationship with his wife, An American woman whom helps him write the book. When Liang Heng and Judy Shapiro fell in love in China during 1979, they weren’t just a rarity they were both pioneers at a time when the idea of marriages between foreigners and Chinese were still unacceptable in society.
Appreciably, Pearl S. Buck depicted her very characters on such a detail basis that everyone in her story seemed to move truly alive in each single page of the bound book in the meant time of reading and after. One of them comes Wang Lung, the main figure of being the peasant of Nanking, the son of an old man, the husband of O-Lan, the father of sons and daughters, the escaper of the famine, the looter of the great house in the south, the peasant-turn-wealthy of his town, and the old one of himself. Yet, is he a good man? Right here in this text, a negotiable one, he comes representing all of himself and lets the deep considerate and well concerning readers judge and say whether, "Wang Lung is a good man." or "Wang Lung is not a good man." through their respective points of view.
The end of the film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, is a tragedy as Jen leaps off the mountain and leaves Lo trying to understand her decision (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). She is also overwhelmed with the death of Li Mu Bai who demonstrated chivalry in the film. She has also upset her fantasy is gone and that she is no longer the person she was in the Gobi desert where she was with Lo (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). She tells him to make a wish and this connects the story of the young man leaping from the mountain to save his parents (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). Jen feels by leaping she is granting Lo’s wish (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). This makes Jen the tragic hero as she is finally free from the imprisonment of her duties as a governor’s daughter as well as her past with the Jade Fox (Crouching Tiger Hidden
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Cao Xueqin’s Story of the Stone is a classic in Chinese literature, showcasing the life and exploits of the wealthy Jia clan during the feudal era. Through Cao’s depiction, the reader is afforded a glimpse into the customs and lifestyle of the time. Chinese mode of thought is depicted as it occurred in daily life, with the coexisting beliefs of Confucianism and Taoism. While the positive aspects of both ideologies are presented, Cao ultimately depicts Taoism as the paramount, essential system of belief that guides the character Bao-yu to his eventual enlightenment.
This analysis draws focus on the differences between Hua’s novel and Zhang’s film by juxtaposing two key themes and dual-symbolism that had changed from one format to another. The paper is broken up into two parts and begins with an introduction and analysis of Yu Hua’s novel and Zhang’s film. Finally, the second part analyzes the film and novel’s representations of two themes and symbolism that tie in with the GPCR. This paper posits that while Zhang’s film does contain many adjustments based on its adaptation, those changes were not simply a means by which he would meet the status quo, rather they were a means by which the film could become more realistic and exploits the true nature of the GPCR.
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