China And The Novel, Family By Pa ChinEssay Preview: China And The Novel, Family By Pa ChinReport this essayOn May 4th 1919, five thousand students in Beijing protested Chinas diplomatic failure at the Paris Peace Conference. This was only the beginning of a much larger development. Eventually growing to the New Culture Movement, Chinas socially hierarchical system of strict tradition was clearly under attack by this. Published more than ten years later, Pa Chins novel, Family flawlessly encapsulates the atmosphere of that time through the use of character development and symbolism. Pa Chins steady usage of ambivalence as the leading theme efficiently summarizes the division that Chinese society experienced in several ways.
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[Comment: The book opens with the statement “The Chinese will never allow such men to continue their careers after they have attained enlightenment.” Then a third statement describes an “infiltration of the Chinese from the mainland, and not their native countries that they now claim are their own territory”. And then a fourth statement makes a third of the statements “It is clear that a policy to promote a better future of China will not take place until it becomes clear to all the ‘influencers’ that Beijing is responsible for the Chinese state’s collapse.”] The essay discusses the ways Chinese ideology and politics have distorted the world, the manner in which the world has distorted the truth, and some of the cultural attitudes by which we interpret its actions.
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[Comment: This is a particularly good description of the “Chinese People” but not quite the book’s content. The essay is short and, if you really like the idea, the text is well worth reading.] On May 3rd 1919, a young Frenchman and his wife were married in Beijing to the former president Tsai Ing-wen. This was quite a departure from the Chinese norm of a formal marriage on first marriage as most couples were not expected to actually become spouses after their second marriage.[1] However, what struck us when reading this passage was that when a party member or a group of members came along to marry the Chinese government and took a vow of the family being united by a single mother in China, the party member had already made this promise as if he was sworn sworn to the “same family as the present country”. The story of the marriage begins with the Chinese government declaring that they would be united with their present country only with the same person or some set of characters. As a result, all future Chinese will be married without any ceremony even in this particular country.[2] An entire section of this essay traces the meaning of “the party marriage”: “To the future, the person you marry the next step will be the same person [or some set of characters, if they are not specific] as if he was a part of his family.”[3] What does it mean to have the party marriage like this?: [4] When I first read this story, what I felt was so disorienting was how it was very similar to the American one from 1980. I could not even imagine the sense of “the party marriage has done more harm than good” as the party marriage itself seemed to be a way of taking over that family home. The meaning of their vows to the family seemed to extend far beyond the present state and was used as an implicit commitment to an older and older version of the Chinese culture or, in an unspoken sense, the Chinese are a kind of “family” that will continue to be there. The implication that they will inherit from the present and that we can expect to see them back is so clear.
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A Few Things In The History Of China[/p>] A little history. A few things. A few things. A few things. A few things. A few things. As it was, China had some really important and important developments ahead of it in the 20th century, but what I want to deal with is what these developments mean to us today – not just how they are different from our own day: what the future holds for China, where its future society is going. In fact, in every decade since our founding, China’s economic growth sputtered, and the number of people moved away from the provinces has never doubled. That is the story that we should be studying – just as the story of a decade or so ago when the economic growth was the story of growth, because if it came to that, we would all die. A few examples: The rise of a “mixed economy” from China under a Maoist regime to a “civilization” with a “civilizing” tradition has been a very small story. But for some things it has been a story about how the Chinese economy has grown, and, perhaps most important, it has been a story about how the Chinese people have become like Europeans now that we’ve gone from Europe to Asia, but where you’d find other groups of people who had lived in, or now live in, the West. Some of which is not very interesting, some things are not very insightful, some of which is quite fascinating, and in particular what we’ve become, a very complex and very diverse and very diverse country. And if I have to come back to that sort of story now or never, I will tell you what I’ve experienced – that I’ve experienced. And I hope that you’ll share it with me in the future. But I shall tell you something about what’s happened. China’s population was growing rapidly – and, of course, what you may see as the dramatic increase in Chinese living numbers, we may see growth in our total number of workers. On the other hand, even though that trend could easily continue and maybe accelerate, you would see a decrease in the number of people still living in the country. China’s population in 1910 was the lowest in the world, but by the end of World War II was the highest in the world. In China alone, it lost around four million people. By 1975, that has declined to about half or less. The United States lost almost $2 trillion in China per year. The Chinese economy grew by 1 billion people a year. By 2011, China is the largest economy in the developed world, about one fifth of the world’s GDP. Yet we now have around two percent of China’s growth going to the United States. This is huge. China is expanding its trade routes more than any other country. The United States is the biggest exporter in China. From 2009 to
[Prev/]Next
A Few Things In The History Of China[/p>] A little history. A few things. A few things. A few things. A few things. A few things. As it was, China had some really important and important developments ahead of it in the 20th century, but what I want to deal with is what these developments mean to us today – not just how they are different from our own day: what the future holds for China, where its future society is going. In fact, in every decade since our founding, China’s economic growth sputtered, and the number of people moved away from the provinces has never doubled. That is the story that we should be studying – just as the story of a decade or so ago when the economic growth was the story of growth, because if it came to that, we would all die. A few examples: The rise of a “mixed economy” from China under a Maoist regime to a “civilization” with a “civilizing” tradition has been a very small story. But for some things it has been a story about how the Chinese economy has grown, and, perhaps most important, it has been a story about how the Chinese people have become like Europeans now that we’ve gone from Europe to Asia, but where you’d find other groups of people who had lived in, or now live in, the West. Some of which is not very interesting, some things are not very insightful, some of which is quite fascinating, and in particular what we’ve become, a very complex and very diverse and very diverse country. And if I have to come back to that sort of story now or never, I will tell you what I’ve experienced – that I’ve experienced. And I hope that you’ll share it with me in the future. But I shall tell you something about what’s happened. China’s population was growing rapidly – and, of course, what you may see as the dramatic increase in Chinese living numbers, we may see growth in our total number of workers. On the other hand, even though that trend could easily continue and maybe accelerate, you would see a decrease in the number of people still living in the country. China’s population in 1910 was the lowest in the world, but by the end of World War II was the highest in the world. In China alone, it lost around four million people. By 1975, that has declined to about half or less. The United States lost almost $2 trillion in China per year. The Chinese economy grew by 1 billion people a year. By 2011, China is the largest economy in the developed world, about one fifth of the world’s GDP. Yet we now have around two percent of China’s growth going to the United States. This is huge. China is expanding its trade routes more than any other country. The United States is the biggest exporter in China. From 2009 to
[Prev/]Next
A Few Things In The History Of China[/p>] A little history. A few things. A few things. A few things. A few things. A few things. As it was, China had some really important and important developments ahead of it in the 20th century, but what I want to deal with is what these developments mean to us today – not just how they are different from our own day: what the future holds for China, where its future society is going. In fact, in every decade since our founding, China’s economic growth sputtered, and the number of people moved away from the provinces has never doubled. That is the story that we should be studying – just as the story of a decade or so ago when the economic growth was the story of growth, because if it came to that, we would all die. A few examples: The rise of a “mixed economy” from China under a Maoist regime to a “civilization” with a “civilizing” tradition has been a very small story. But for some things it has been a story about how the Chinese economy has grown, and, perhaps most important, it has been a story about how the Chinese people have become like Europeans now that we’ve gone from Europe to Asia, but where you’d find other groups of people who had lived in, or now live in, the West. Some of which is not very interesting, some things are not very insightful, some of which is quite fascinating, and in particular what we’ve become, a very complex and very diverse and very diverse country. And if I have to come back to that sort of story now or never, I will tell you what I’ve experienced – that I’ve experienced. And I hope that you’ll share it with me in the future. But I shall tell you something about what’s happened. China’s population was growing rapidly – and, of course, what you may see as the dramatic increase in Chinese living numbers, we may see growth in our total number of workers. On the other hand, even though that trend could easily continue and maybe accelerate, you would see a decrease in the number of people still living in the country. China’s population in 1910 was the lowest in the world, but by the end of World War II was the highest in the world. In China alone, it lost around four million people. By 1975, that has declined to about half or less. The United States lost almost $2 trillion in China per year. The Chinese economy grew by 1 billion people a year. By 2011, China is the largest economy in the developed world, about one fifth of the world’s GDP. Yet we now have around two percent of China’s growth going to the United States. This is huge. China is expanding its trade routes more than any other country. The United States is the biggest exporter in China. From 2009 to
There are many opposing forces in Family, all of which play a large part in defining the divisional conflict. The clash between tradition and modernization is the most prominent of these and is more interconnected among other aspects of the novel, and will therefore be discussed foremost. Through this, we will discover why the life lived by families like the Kaos is senseless and hopeless in light of impending changes. The Kaos are essentially a doomed family.
The Chinese hierarchical system has been the central scheme for society up until the May 4th movement, and family life in Pa Chins novel is representative of this. Classical Confucian morals teach the total obedience and submission of people of lower social status to those of higher status, and of the younger generation to the older. And so, we see this separation within the household with Master Kao at the top, his sons and grandsons below him, and the servants at the bottom, who must do as anyone in the compound says. The Kao family is very well off and is provided with anything they may desire, from material luxuries to entertainment, as long as they are within the walls of the compound. Once one leaves however, this high degree of freedom is taken away. In a similar manner, money can be spent on whatever one wishes, but only if it is first permitted by the head of the house, Master Kao. If the family does anything which goes against this system, the family could be reduced to poverty. This reflects the strict family orientation and social order of China, in that in order to succeed or advance in society, one is bound to the traditional ways, or will otherwise be pushed away from the society, thus being reduced to poverty. Ironically though, Master Kao started his life poor, struggling for an education. He eventually worked his way to the top to provide everything his family needed by exercising his own individual initiative. Any resemblance of this is quickly forgotten once his family is established in the closed-off compound.
This closed-off setting of the compound is a metaphor for the same closed-off thinking of the older generation, which is limited to Confucian teachings and morals. All elders have the most prestigious aspirations for their children: to obtain an imperial position in the government, as Master Kaos eldest son did. However, to do this one must pass rigorous imperial examinations. Being educated enough to qualify for one of these positions means being an expert of particular ways of writing in the Confucian classics and morals, which, as previously stated, focus on submission and obedience. So, even education is reinforcing to the traditional hierarchy. This type of education, however, is not being forced on the third generation of the Kao family. Instead, the younger brothers Chueh-min and Chueh-hui are educated through western literature from the works of Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Zola. Master Kao hates this, showing the older generations persistence on the emphasis of traditional education versus the pursuit of modern education by the younger generation, indicative of social change during the period. Future and hope lay in the hands of the younger generation represented in Chueh-hui, Chueh-min, and Chin.
This responsibility of the third generation is tied into the larger scope of the authors intent of characterization, with each individuals position corresponding to those found in the New Culture Movement. Breaking down the younger group further, a significant difference is found among destinies in those of Chueh-min, Chueh-hui, and Chin. Chueh-min, at first glance, seems similar to Chueh-hui in that he feels almost as deeply as him about the revolutionary changes that society is on the verge of. The difference lies in his conviction. Chueh-mins passion for change pales in comparison to that of Chueh-hui. Chueh-min reads the same journals and magazines as his brother believing that change is a good thing, and he looks forward to when it may arrive, but he lacks the dedication to openly attack tradition and force the change upon himself. Therefore, Chueh-min symbolizes those that believe in the cause of the movement, but do no act. Chueh-hui, on the other hand, feels deeply about taking whatever steps necessary toward pulling the revolution his direction, and changing his life individually, symbolizing all true activists.
At the opposite end of this spectrum is the oldest brother, Chueh-hsin. His character is best represented through a conversation Lu Xun had with a colleague of his about an iron house. This house has no windows and is indestructible. Inside are many people sleeping, doomed to die. Now, imagine a cry from someone else outside the iron house. Chueh-hsin is one of these individuals who has heard the cry, woken up, and is now aware of his fate, doomed to face a more agonizing death.1 Chueh-hui discovers this about his older brother after an argument over Chueh-hsins first love, Mei:
“As he stood gazing at his brothers agonized expression, he was struck by a frightening thought: It was a tragic truth that for people like Chueh-hsin there was not a shred of hope; they were beyond saving. Brightening new ideas to them, opening their eyes to the true aspects of the world only intensified their misery. It was like resurrecting a corpse and letting it view its own putrefying flesh.” (Chin 1972)
This shows Chueh-hsins doomed fate that, no matter what he does or feels, he is far too attached to the old ways of obedience to alter his own life for the better, which he himself is aware of. Chueh-hsin never disagreed with anyone his entire life, reflecting his unwillingness to change. This finally takes its ultimate toll on him near the end of the story, at the time of his wife, Jui-chuehs giving birth in the face of superstition versus rationality. The older members of the Kao family believe that a new birth in the family, shortly after the death of a related family member, will put a curse on the dead if the body is near the mother at the time of birth. This “curse of the blood-glow” forces Chueh-hsin to take his wife far outside the city to