![]() ![]() Did prevailing attitudes about ceremony seem to change over the course of the narrative in Wild Swans? What attitudes did the individual women appear hold on the subject?ħ. As the author notes, it was not uncommon even in the 20th century for a family to bankrupt themselves to put on an impressive wedding or funeral. Ceremony, pageantry and ritual have been important elements of Chinese culture for millennia. Discuss the range of ways in which they reacted to this tension.Ħ. Particularly watchful was the Communist regime, which stipulated heavy penalties for "putting family first." The key players in Wild Swans often found themselves caught in the middle between concern for their loved ones and the social and political demands placed on them. Familial love was also the object of close government scrutiny and control in the last century, despite the historical importance of the clan in Chinese tradition. How did the politicization of the deeply personal affect the lives recounted in Wild Swans? At what cost did these men and women pursue love?ĥ. For each of the principal figures in this book, romantic love was strictly controlled and radically circumscribed - and yet such feelings played a powerful role. What was the effect of this disorientation? Did the women ever show a sense of political or spiritual homelessness?Ĥ. The women of Wild Swans lived through an era of such upheaval that they were constantly being called upon to pledge allegiance to a new regime or a new leading figure, each one distant from their day-to-day lives, and each usually claiming to be more "revolutionary" or diehard than the one before. How did it affect their lives, and specifically their political feelings?ģ. ![]() Although none was violent by nature, all three were witnesses to - and sometimes victims of - naked savagery, to the extent that it may have begun to seem almost mundane. ![]() The 20th century could rightly be called an era of violence in China, and the lives of these three women were indeed remarkably touched by brutality. ![]() Does one stand out as particularly courageous?Ģ. Compare the kinds of bravery they exemplified. All three of the women at the center of Wild Swans display great courage, often to a stunning extent - speaking out in times of enforced unanimity, facing firing squads, risking their lives for the sake of others. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |