Part One
1.a According to Ban Zhao, humility means to be respectful, selfless, knowing one’s own faults and putting up with mistreatment. It might have been allowed at the time but all it is is an excuse for men to blame women for stuff, allow them to take some of the burden the men had and coerce uniformity of the household under the patriarch without rebellion. Obedience is similar in that the woman are to obey what they are told and the order of things, it’s just that being subservient is obedience to the extreme. It’s a nicer word for being slavish to the man and reinforces who is in charge. To be subservient means to blindly follow orders. Women of the time were supposed to do as the men told them and it would be out of place for a woman to deny or even question those orders. The relationship is more of an employer employee relationship rather than being partners in marriage. Industriousness as defined by Zhao meant that a woman should pull her weight in the house and on the land. Many were dependent on what they grew or made as their primary income. This was also at a time where much of the work was more physically demanding giving men the distinct advantage in the workplace and therefore at the head of the house, but there are limitations to a human and because humans aren’t machines more people are required to tend the land, and this
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The film follows the life of Mrs. Xianglin in chronological order allowing for the distinct beginning of her time with her husband’s family, the climax of both her son and new husband dying, and the end where she wanders and dies. The story doesn’t let the reader in on any of her past so quick. There is little interaction between the author and her, she dies later on and because of this not nearly as much sorrow is felt because the reader hasn’t learned her life story yet. All of what he knows of her is secondhand, so not even he is at that big of an emotional
Ultimately, The Death of Woman Wang, by Jonathan Spence is a timeless, educational, historical novel. Spence purpose to enlighten the reader of the Chinese culture, tradition and its land were met through the use of sources, like the Local History of T'an-ch'eng, the scholar-official Huang Liu-hung's handbook and stories of the writer P'u Sung-Ling. The intriguing structure of The Death of Woman Wang will captivate any reader's attention.
Most of these conflicts are self-imposed drama that interrupt the story often through the character conflict. She builds up these conflicts in her head and make them much worse than they really are. For example; she worries about her family judging her by obsessing about every tiny detail. Later she realizes that this was never an actual conflict because her family loves her and does not judge her. Another conflict she deals with is not knowing her culture and how she does not feel Chinese. “I ask, what does Jing-mei mean?” “Your name so special, Jing like excellent jing. Not just good, it’s something pure, essential the best quality. Jing is good leftover stuff when you take impurities out of something like gold, or rice, or salt. And ‘Mei,’ this is common mei, as in meimei, ‘younger sister.’ ” (190). All June May needed to do in order to understand her Chinese heritage was ask about it. Before the trip to China she did not even know what her name meant in Chinese. She grew up in America and never really cared about her Chinese roots when she was younger but now that her mother has died she feels ashamed not knowing her culture. She finally realizes that she doesn’t need to be ashamed and learns from her father, his aunt and other family members about her family history. Another similar conflict she deals with
...c. 4). This is an example of one of the seven unequal relationships in Confucianism. Much of the social structure of classical China was based on Confucian ideals (Doc. 3). In Greece the relationship between a husband and wife also very unequal due to her young age and lack of education. Alone a woman had no political rights and limited legal powers therefore is was necessary for a husband to provide for his wife much like a father would (Doc. 6) A woman would learn house hold management and eventually produce heirs. These two similar systems of social roles was not a benevolent system. It did not take into account the welfare of individuals, particularly woman who had little power to leave in a bad marital situation. However by insuring that people know their place, which kept them in line, classical societies were more prosperous and able to run more smoothly.
Men and women were seen to live in separate social class from the men where women were considered not only physically weaker, but morally superior to men. This meant that women were the best suited for the domestic role of keeping the house. Women were not allowed in the public circle and forbidden to be involved with politics and economic affairs as the men made all the
Cultural humility was a film based on opinions and reactions to the concept itself. The film started out with two females describing “Cultural Humility” as a “multi-dimensional concept”, where it begins as a life learning and critical self reflection process where we need to understand that each one of us is a completely different individual, who is unique in its own way. They also talk about recognizing and challenging power imbalances to create better partnerships. This part of the film starts out by talking about those who lack power are the ones who are denied the ability to challenge their human rights. They give an example of the Chinese Progressive Association, some Universities, and how San Francisco’s Health Department
submissive, powerless objects of their husbands. Equality and balance within their marriages were of no
The beginning of the book starts out with Liang’s typical life, which seems normal, he has a family which consist of three children, two older sisters and him the youngest, his two sister’s reside in Changsha 1 his father has an everyday occupation working as a journalist at a local newspaper. Things start to take a turn early in life for Liang Heng, his families politics were always questioned, the mistake mad...
...ies, she goes back to the piano and finds two songs. She begins to play “Pleading Child,” the song that caused the breaking point of her relationship with her mother. This song, with its fast and aggressive melody, best represents the mother’s aggressive attitude towards her daughter. Then Jing-mei plays the song next to “Pleading Child,” called “Perfectly Contented.” It turned out to be lighter and slower. It is a much happier song. Jing-mei’s determination to be herself, “Perfectly Contented,” corresponds with this song. “And after I played them both a few times, I realized they were two halves of the same song.” (499). Like the ying-yang and the songs, Jing-mei’s relationship with her mother may seem disastrous and apart, but together they share a strong bond that makes them whole. Even though the two disagree, like the songs, they form one beautiful song.
The film explains the difference between Chinese and American values of gender in marriage and family as well. It clearly shows how Chinese woman is expected to good wives for their chosen husband. Girls are promised at an early age to a man. In the film Aunty Lindo had an arranged marriage when she was only four years old. In an American marriage, it is supposed to be based on a love and connection between two people.
In the beginning half of the 20th century, China experienced an intellectual revolution, known as the May Fourth Movement. Among other things, May Fourth thinkers were passionate about women’s rights, and fought for equality between the sexes. Like in any school of thought, ideas about women and their roles evolved over time. In 1925, Lu Xun wrote “Regret for the Past”, a story about Shih Chuan-Sheng and Tzu-chun, a modern couple whose relationship falls apart. Ten years later, in 1935, the film “New Woman” was released. The film follows Wei Ming, a music teacher whose life begins to crumble due to the machinations of a lecherous businessman. Both Tzu-chun and Wei Ming represent a version of the “modern woman, but their similarities and differences illustrate how the idea of the modern woman changed and stayed the same over time.
...s to serve her husband like the Chief Equerry prefers, or the middle-class, easily understandable woman like Tō no Chūjō prefers, or the lady that is well-educated, creative and rich like the majority in the Heian period preferred.
The main conflict of this story is Jing-mei's struggle between accepting her identity based on her heritage and not on a personal image. There is no real order in which this conflict is clarified, because the climax and resolution come about at the same time. The conflict is internal due to the fact that she cannot accept her true identity. The climax comes when she finally meets her twin sisters and says, "I get beyond the gate, we run toward each other, all three of us embracing, all hesitations and expectations forgotten" (870). It is then that the resolution comes into play and "After all these years, it can finally be let go" (870). It is at that point, when she can finally a...
The theme that comes to mind for me when I read this story is conflicting values. While growing up it was an important value to Jing-mei to be accepted for the daughter that she was. Unlike the value of her mother which was to not only become the best you can be but a prodigy, someone famous. In the way that Jing-mei's mother pushes so hard for her to become something bigger than she was it seems that Jing-mei tried her hardest not to.
Jing-Mei tries to live up to her mother’s expectations but feels that her mother expects more from her than she can deliver. She doesn’t understand why her mother is always trying to change her and won’t accept her for who she is. She feels pressure from her family when she is compared to her cousin Waverly and all her accomplishments. Soon the conflict grows to resentment as her mother tests her daily on academics, eventually causing Jing-Mei to give up while her mother struggles to get her attention and cooperation. Her mother avoids arguing with her daughter early in the story, continuing to encourage her to strive for fame. Her mother’s next assignment for her daughter is piano lessons. This goes along pretty well until her mother forces her to participate in a talent show. The daughter’s failure on her performance at the talent show causes embarrassment to her mother. Conflict is evident when two days later, after the talent show, she reminds her daughter that it’s time for piano practice and the daughter refuses to obey her mother. The conflict that the daughter feels boils over in an outburst of anger and resentment towards her mother for trying to make her something that she is not. Harsh words are spoken causing the mother to retreat and not speak of this event ever
Cultural humility is the act of acknowledging cultural differences between another individual and yourself, understanding the value of the individual’s cultural identity, and orienting your interaction towards the cultural identity of other person, especially when it comes to the aspects of their culture which they value the most. For me, my Roman Catholic upbringing could influence the way I deliver healthcare, as it does impart negative views on things that many people do not view negatively, such as birth control. However, it is important for me to never forget that I am here for my patient; I am not here for myself. My purpose is to maximize the value I provide to my patient, and to do so I need to work within the framework of their cultural