EAS 40 midterm

Question 1

Timeline of May fourth

Answer 1

1911: Chinese revolution, end of imperial rule
1914-1918: End of WW1 in 1918
German colonies of China were given to Japan due to Germany’s lost in the war
War lords signed the peace treaty to give this part of China to Germany

Question 2

Goals of the Movement (1915-1921+)

Answer 2

National independence, emancipation of the individual (defining what an indiv. is), rebuilding society and culture

Question 3

Relevance of May-Fourth?

Answer 3

Mandarin wasn’t normalized until 100 years ago
Modern Chinese literature wasn’t created until 100 years ago
Classical writing = higher status
—> Entire culture, including the language, changed

Question 4

Who is Nora? (introduced in 1918)

Answer 4

character in a Norwegian play by Henrik Ibsen in his playwright “A Doll’s House”
Nora= an individual is an autonomous being who should think for herself and has duties for herself

Question 5

Synopsis of A Doll’s House

Answer 5

Nora worked as a housewife and was the image of a perfect marriage
husband got sick and had no money and she forged a signature to get money for her husband to heal
her husband found out and blew up\

Nora’s REALIZATION
wasn’t treated as an equal or a grown person by her father or husband “a doll”
loved as a doll not a person
adapted to her husband’s tastes didn’t have the authority to have her own individuality

Question 6

who wrote EMBROIDERED PILLOWS

Answer 6

LING SHUHU

Question 7

PURPOSE of EMBROIDERED PILLOWS

Answer 7

signifies that even if a woman upholds what is told of her she will not win the end of the bargain. Signifies a societal change and exemplifies woman oppression at the time.

Separates woman and men’s spaces in society (aka Inner sphere)

Question 8

Why doesn’t Eldest Young Mistress have a name?

Answer 8

reinforces the class system
unable to call her by her name signifies that she is in a different world
doesn’t and isn’t given the freedom to have a personality or identity
labor-induced slavery, her eyes hurt for a few days (40 different colors on the tail alone)
tied to marital status, age, and her family ranking
only know who their husband or father’s last name is in China

Question 9

time of embroidered pillows

Answer 9

Summer, two years passed

Question 10

what is the space divided into in embroidered pillows?

Answer 10

3 women (2 working, 1 upper class) no men in their space

Question 10

Appreciation from the servant for the pillow symbolism

Answer 10

finally got the pillow after 2 years when it was stepped on, gives them some shared common ground when the work isn’t appreciated
intended individual for the pillow doesn’t work and therefore doesn’t appreciate the eldest young mistress’ work on the pillow
eldest young mistress can’t recognize the recognition from the servant but recognizes her work on the pillows (recognition is one way!!)

Question 11

who talks in embroidered pillows?

Answer 11

young niu

Question 12

what is the eldest mistress’ DREAM & DESIRES:

Answer 12

social status, materialistic possessions, has no mention of marriage and love
wants her friends to be envious

Question 13

who wrote Southeast flies the peacock?

Answer 13

Yuan Changying

Question 14

Main storyline of Southeast flies the peacock?

Answer 14

Tragic love story of Zhong and Lan
married woman can’t go home, social lineage switches to her husbands
brother decides her fate as their is no father figure becomes the authority

Question 15

importance of embroidery

Answer 15

remembering the robe Lan sent Zhong
POV: given the embroidery and is appreciated by Zhong
Lan uses her embroidery to express her love
Mandarin ducks: birds fated for life
expressing her feelings was seen as not virtuous and therefore distasteful
young women wasn’t supposed to have any desires
less talented a woman is the more virtuous she is -Mother’s pov

Question 16

Importance of Lao Lao

Answer 16

Chasity memorial as a war trophy, was court sanctioned and honored
financial value, lower taxes
Lao lao fighting from herself, give up love and tenderness
Chasity arch: stone structures to commemorate chaste widows
Began around 11th century with Neo-Confucianism

Question 17

What was wrong with Zhong and Lan, according to her mother in law? (ritual)

Answer 17

Zhong should’ve greeted his mother first before Lan not respectful (elders first)
young man and woman can’t express personal desires even when married
oppression of both Zhong and Lan in their marriage

Question 18

what do we see in Separation?

Answer 18

physical separation from lover, mother’s pressure

Question 19

what do we see in Regrets for the past?

Answer 19

neighbors stare for living together and not married, cooking, chickens, and dogs
man wanted to be a translator
-social pressure after neighbors stares

Question 20

what do we see in After Victory?

Answer 20

isolation, routine job, cooling love
- all consuming passion to help them overcome other obstacles didn’t continue

Question 21

what do we see in wife?

Answer 21

understanding of natural obligation and instinct of woman
-biological condition that restrains what she can be and what she can’t be
- pain and confusion trying to become an autonomous individual

Question 22

Why do you think the writer focuses on the mother? (Zhong’s mom)

Answer 22

unrealistic expectations of women in this society
underlying patriarchy that she focuses on her son after her husband dies vs. her daughter
her son deviates from the tradition
Laolao as a parallel
denial of basic human nature to suppress her emotion, love, and tears to follow what it means to be a good woman
rational voice
Mother is controlled by her love, jealously, and emotion
let her emotions come out
let her desires show
hurt by the system itself (laolao was an example)

Question 23

Hu shi’s background

Answer 23

advocated modern vernacular, science and democracy, freedom, progress, and social action
His mother was a widow when he was 6
made him wake up at dawn and was told off about his mistakes the day before
he left at 12 yo
betrothed at 13

Question 24

Hu Shi marriage background

Answer 24

betrothed at 13 and married at 26 went abroad for 7 years then got married didn’t see one another till they got married, stayed home, and didn’t showcase her desires like a virtuous woman had three kids, had a long correspondence with his professor’s daughter

Question 25

who wrote the main event in life?

Answer 25

Hu Shi

Question 26

setting of the main event in life

Answer 26

western and Chinese art in their parlor Shift from traditional chinese art to dutch landscape paintings shift of the modern age

Question 27

How are Mr and Mrs.Tian different?

Answer 27

MR.TIAN modernist view, should trust your own judgement believes Buddha as statues (wood & plater) cites the analects (aka bible) authoritative —> ironic = still has traditional values Mrs.Tian believes in superstition and those goddesses traditional ideals about marriage

Question 28

What’s wrong with fortune telling & tradition?

Answer 28

not evidence based superstition Questioning authority can’t question the beliefs, needs rational thinking

Question 29

What motivates Yamei to walk out?

Answer 29

chen’s note (her bf) that tells her that their marriage only concerns them two she becomes stronger by his words he bears more of the consequences she doesn’t have to worry about money as Mr.Chen is already wealthy

Question 30

What's the role of the absent boyfriend (CHEN)?

Answer 30

modern view sense of security for yamei

Question 31

who wrote separation?

Answer 31

FENG YUANJUN

Question 32

what piece is epistolary fiction?

Answer 32

letter narrative

Question 33

Filial Piety

Answer 33

fundamental principle of Confucian mortality good to your parents than you will be a good subject to your emperor if you are a filial son, you’ll be good to your siblings, wife, and friends parent has the authority so the child has to show piety to parental authority carry out sacrifices

Question 34

What is the main crime the protagonist has committed in separation?

Answer 34

DISOBEY PARENTAL AUTHORITY! having an affair while married wants to keep love from her mother (family) and love from her partner

Question 35

3 Types of Separation

Answer 35

physical: like how those in contract marriages were not allowed to see one another till day of marriage conceptual(ideas): illicit cohabitation (mother’s pov) vs. girl’s pov of love as sacred, noble, and innocent ideal vs. reality: ideal life in college until she went back home and was imprisoned until she was supposed to be married

Question 36

Who is Werther and why is he important?

Answer 36

from the “Sorrows of Young Werther” written in 1774 by Goethe at 24 yo epistolary novel (written in letters) influence in romantic movement (1800s) storyline: fell in love with someone who was married banned in europe created many copycat suicides due to unrequited love

Question 37

Why does the author choose epistolary fiction?

Answer 37

story told through letters, diary, etc. intimate dramatic immediacy not quite the author favored by woman writers, was not considered virtuous to express their feelings and write would usually burn what they wrote and mostly wrote to their friends

Question 38

Who wrote YECAO?

Answer 38

Ding Ling

Question 39

Why is it important for a woman to write?

Answer 39

parallel between Ding ling and Yecao projecting her ideal onto her work expressing her feelings specifically political to transform society asserts individuality, freedom of speech can write about women’s social experiences and sexuality

Question 40

setting of Yecao?

Answer 40

spring, represents youth and sexual fantasy/desires

Question 41

What is Yecao's job?

Answer 41

24 yo author in Shanghai (also like ding ling)

Question 42

Describe the park scene in yecao

Answer 42

French Park with Nanxia darkness —> romantic modern, westernized ambience met her ex at that the same park

Question 43

problem in yecao

Answer 43

mimetic relationship between the writer and fictional character that she is writing women can be rational vs. emotional “pitiable”

Question 44

Dark vs. light symbolism in Yecao

Answer 44

love (romance) is meant to be hidden and bad (dark) allows you to be someone you are not opposite of clarity light, her feelings of distaste after Yecao’s high feeling of love and emotion everyone must become well-behaved in the light

Question 45

Nanxia's letter

Answer 45

willing to die than not win Yecao’s love seems like Yecao goes on the date to just fill her void of being intimate with someone

Question 46

who wrote What Happens after Nora Walks Out?

Answer 46

Lu Xun

Question 47

Lu Xun's thoughts

Answer 47

after nora awakened she couldn’t return to her dream and only option was TO LEAVE but faced the choice between degradation and returning home believes money is essential freedom can’t be bought but it can be sold humans main defect: we get hungry believes Nora can either fall into degration or return home compares nora to a pet bird

Question 48

what is humans weakness according to lu xun?

Answer 48

bad memory--> repeat mistakes of predecessors we get hungry

Question 49

lu xun's message

Answer 49

first, economic independence is most crucial to individual liberation; second, economic independence could only be achieved through radical revolution; and third, individual liberation could not be achieved unless the collective society is priorly liberated only a comprehensive social change will liberate its individual member, not the other way around

Question 50

who wrote regret for the past?

Answer 50

Lu xun

Question 51

regret for the past storyline

Answer 51

Juansheng regret after not treating Zijun well, not fiancially stable

Question 52

problem in regret for the past

Answer 52

cohabiting with opposite ex and not married

Question 53

Tzuchun

Answer 53

TzuChun appears noble and brave, capable of sacrificing herself for love at any cost and completely fearless and impervious to people's "sarcastic smiles or lewd and contemptuous glances she wasn’t the best at cooking but earnestly tried

Question 54

representation of leather shoes

Answer 54

change of cloth shoes to leather for woman, change that woman can move around now and are not locked up in their homes woman represent the sleepers he walks behind her instead of him walking in front of her as a man against traditional thoughts walking behind her to show that they were not a couple

Question 55

why did Chuansheng get fired?

Answer 55

neighbors thought they were immoral for cohabitating together

Question 56

who wrote Lin Nan's diary?

Answer 56

Shi Pingmei

Question 57

how long was he husband gone?

Answer 57

husband was gone for 3 years

Question 58

pov of lin nan's diary

Answer 58

Chinese literature wrote woman waiting as an expression of love wrote from POV of a traditional wife (abandoned woman) felt abandoned by the times no only her husband but from tradition lin nan was educated and knew ibsen’s nora she is embedded into relationship isn’t her own individual (ex: a mother, daughter in law, wife)

Question 59

character in lin nan's diary

Answer 59

Lin Nan (diariest) married to Lin (affair to miss qian) Xiu Qin is Jing’s gf Jing and Dai are siblings to Lin

Question 60

Why can’t Lin Nan leave?

Answer 60

has three children is a daughter in law, guilty and feels like no one will take care of her parents in law has no family

Question 61

Shi Pingmei (impossible dilemma)

Answer 61

found a love, and found out he was married later fell in love with someone very devoted also had a marriage, divorced his wife then dies 2 years mourning and died 3 years after

Question 62

Why does the author adopt the perspective of the wife? (lin nan's diary)

Answer 62

6 year difference reflects how quickly times were changing of women and daughter in law ideals = different moral map

Question 63

who wrote lusha?

Answer 63

Shi pingmei

Question 65

who are bowei & Lusha?

Answer 65

bowel is the individual that lusha is writing to in her letter Lusha is a disenchanted soul from a utopia

Question 66

what are the emotions expressd in lusha's letters

Answer 66

pity and sadness for women during those times, better to imagine a better life to stay sane

Question 67

what does after victory refer to?

Answer 67

initial successful marriage that later fades away

Question 68

main ideas of after victory

Answer 68

change from honeymoon stage to depressed state in marriage Qinzhi writes in her letter to Qiongfang questioning why can’t women also make a contribution/change to society can’t free women from housework and society doesn’t have anything for them to do (except for teaching)