This paper reviews the book "Chen Village Under Mao and Deng" by Anita Chan, Richard Madesn and Jonathan Unger that studies the impact of revolutionary activities on isolated communities.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, 2005, $ 44.95
Abstract The paper examines global issues and presents a book report on the book "Chen Village Under Mao and Deng." The book report includes an examination of the authors, objectives, a summary, a look at methodology and the sources that were used. The paper also includes an evaluation section that is basically in favour of the book.
From the Paper "The effects of revolutionary activities on isolated communities have always been of interest to anthropologists and sociologists. This is precisely the issue examined in "Chen Village Under Mao and Deng." The authors of this work, Anita Chan, Richard Madesn and Jonathan Unger are all sociologists associated with Universities in Australia and the United States (Chan et al). The fact that the book is written as a sociological work is not surprising considering that it was written by three sociologists. The sociological style of the book also means that it does not have a clearly defined thesis. Instead the book is more of a general exploration of life in Chen village over the early 1960s to 1990."
Abstract This paper discusses two films that address, in different ways, the myriad small and large tragedies that were spawned by the cultural revolution in China. The 1998 "Xui Xui", directed by Joan Chen is both a love story and a story of all that was lost for all people in China during the Cultural Revolution. While, Zhang Yimou's film "To Live" tells of the subtler, less intentioned ways in which each family in China was changed by the cultural revolution.
From the Paper "Tragedy written on a small scale is still tragedy for those whose lives are touched by it. But even as we understand this we are still more compelled to try to understand those tragedies that occur on a large scale. Two films that address in ..."
Tags: Cultural Revolutionm, China, Red Squads, Joan Chen
An examination of the content and implications of the article, "A New Eutriconodont Mammal And Evolutionary Development in Early Mammals," written by Z. Luo, P. Chen, G. Li, G. Chen and M. Chen.
Abstract This paper examines and discusses the article, "A New Eutriconodont Mammal And Evolutionary Development in Early Mammals," written by Z. Luo, P. Chen, G. Li, G. Chen and M. Chen. The paper discusses the content of the article, the theory that it presents with regards to evolution and the implications of the findings on our understanding of the evolution of mammals.
From the Paper "This discovery may show that the development of these key mammalian traits in modern humans may have begun to develop long before anyone had previously thought they had, and certainly long before the development of human beings. While the possibility also exists that this may be an aberration and that this development arose and disappeared and arose again in modern mammals is also a distinct possibility, and many of their fellow researches seemed to think the latter case is more likely. More transitional fossils like this one need to be found in order to corroborate this singular find. However, the rarity of the find coupled with the unusual evolutionary connections, is certainly raising many questions in the scientific community. And questions are the beginning of true knowledge."
Abstract This paper will discuss the article "Betrayed Into Motion: The Seduction of Narrative Desire in M. Butterfly" by Tina Chen. By analyzing the different aspects of performance perception within this paper, Chen utilizes the many aspects of theatrical critique to show Madame Butterflies deviation from common theater tradition.
Abstract The paper shows that in Chinese author Chen Yuan-tsung's novel "The Dragon's Village", land reform was hardly welcomed with open arms by the Chinese peasantry. Rather than acceptance, the individuals who took to the fields and rice paddies of China to spread the doctrine of communism, found a peasantry largely hostile to the ideology they espoused. The paper analyzes the heroine of the book, Guan Ling-ling and the conflicting emotions she has towards the ideologies of Communism.
From the Paper "This initial image of her early life sets up a clear portrait of the China Guan later hopes to change by going to the countryside. This China is patriarchal, as the women sit, waiting quietly to hear a man speak in the removed language of poetry. This China is hierarchical, as members of the urban class dine comfortably upon fine food. This is the food that the heroine of the book will later dream about as she starves in rural areas. (Chen, 1980, 280) Clearly, change is necessary in such an environment, and the protagonist's rejection of the trappings of such a life at first seems independent and admirable. However, the change created by land reform is no less absurd than the portrait of life in ostensibly communist Shanghai, in all of its near-aristocratic excesses."
Abstract Analysis of Yuan-tsung Chen's 1980 story of a young Chinese woman. Fictional tale is paralleled with struggles Chinese people go through as their country adopts Communism. Role of women in China and how the Revolution effected them. Protagonist's fight for equality; breaking down barriers between the sexes.
From the Paper "In Yuan-tsung Chen's The Dragon's Village (1980), the coming of age of a young woman, Ling-ling, is paralleled with the struggles that the people of China are going through as their country adopts communism. In the middle of revolution, land reform, and the Korean War, Ling-ling matures and discovers who she is as a woman and a person. Her tale reflects how the role of women in China frequently vacillated between emancipation and oppression during this time in history. Chen uses Ling-ling as well as the other women in her story as an example of what women in China were experiencing during this turbulent time, whether they were old, young, rich, poor, bourgeois, urban, or rural.
To understand how the revolution effected the lives of these women, one should first take a look at Chinese society and..."
Abstract This essay is about Chen Ruoxi and how she can be considered a Taiwan, as well as a Mainland-China writer. She had much experience in both non-communist and communist societies. Because of this, her stories about the Cultural Revolution, which are based on her own eye-witness experience, is very profound.
Abstract This paper examines the book, "The Execution of Mayor Yin and Other Stories from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution", by Chen Jo-hsi, a collection of short stories that show what life was like in China during the Cultural Revolution, which was created and sponsored by Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Specifically, it analyzes the author's ideas in the book and looks at how she writes of her experiences under Chinese rule and hopes to share those experiences with her readers so they understand what the Chinese people have endured under Communism.
From the Paper "From the first story, it is clear the author does not agree with the Communist rule in China, and this is one of the main ideas she carries through the book. She calls the young Red Guard "arrogant" and this is her position all through the book. The Communists and the people that support them, especially the youthful Red Guards, are arrogant and self-righteous, and they believe in the Communist Party at the expense of everything else, even their own family. People are afraid of the Guard, and they do not trust them, which the author shows is very wise by the execution of Mayor Yin, and many other happenings in the book. These people are not to be trusted. While the Red Guard were supposed to follow the teachings of Chairman Mao, and further the Cultural Revolution, they often furthered their own goals rather than the goals of the party."
Abstract This paper offers a personal view why it is theoretically preferable to be Da Chen, writer and survivor of Mao's China than K'ang-hsi, Second Emperor of the Ch'ing Dynasty of China. Mainly, this paper argues that it is more or less impossible to control a nation in an inter-connected world and it is even harder to control the world in a time and place wherein democratic principles are ascendant.
From the Paper " As someone who has been fortunate enough to study Chinese history, I feel qualified to offer my views vis-a-vis whether I would prefer to be K'ang-hsi, Second Emperor of the Ch'ing Dynasty of China or Da Chen, writer and survivor of Mao's China and (maybe) a future resident of twenty-first century China. Essentially, I am a positive person and I believe that the future is bright for China; that was not necessarily the case in the 1960s and 1970s when Da Chen was growing up under the yoke of Mao. Be that as it may, I believe that I would much rather be a young person living in twenty-first century China and looking forward to the challenges and expectations of a bright future than to be a potentate in the seventeenth century."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the film "Xiu-Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl" by Joan Chen. According to the paper, the film is a moving love story that takes place during China's cultural revolution. The paper explains that when the film's character, Wen Xiu, or Xiu Xiu, is sent to the countryside in a cultural movement to learn from Lao Jin to care for horses, she is told that she will only be there for six months, but it becomes clear that she will not be leaving the countryside again.
From the Paper "There are several places where we see the affection that Lao Jin has for Xiu Xiu. First, during the scene where the second visitor has come to Xiu Xiu, we alternately see Xiu Xiu being brutally taken advantage of, and at the same time in a different place, Lao Jin is collecting eggs. Lao Jin plans on bringing these eggs home to Xiu Xiu and the scene set in contrast to the scene in the tent turns the simple, every day act into something tender. The symbolism of the eggs, the pure white objects in the filth and dirt of a nest, also could represent the purity of Lao Jin's love."
Abstract This paper explores the game theory in international politics by analyzing a diplomatic mind game between the president of the United States, George W. Bush and the leader of Taiwan, Chen Shui-Bian. The paper demonstrates how the result from solving the game coincides with the final outcome of the situation The author also discusses, in depth, some of the external factors that affect the payoff for both sides. The paper uses online sources only.
Outline:
The Broad Picture
The Background and History
The Game Tree
Analysis
References
From the Paper "The period between 1979 and 2000 is rather uneventful with only occasional tension between China and the US. China, US and Taiwan are fairly comfortable with the status quo - although the then leader of Taiwan, Lee, made several radical speeches that irritated China. Taiwan acted largely according to the will of the US and kept the US fairly happy regarding the situation. However, things went for a sharp turn after 2000 when the current leader, Chen, was elected for the leadership role in Taiwan and largely disregarded the feeling of the US. There were some instances that angered Washington like Chen's holding a referendum during Taiwan's 2004 "Presidential" election, an act that provoked China; Chen ignored protests from Washington. Chen also broke his own pledge and dismantled a symbolic government agency in charge of reunification with mainland China. After a series of events, even Bush - who has given Taiwan an unprecedented level of military and diplomatic support since 2001, cannot stand Chen and decides to punish him a little when Chen is conducting his "transit diplomacy" en route to Paraguay in 2006. "
Abstract This paper discusses how Hon-Ming Chen, a native of Taiwan, organized and promoted a fascinatingly bizarre, apocalyptic religious group, multi-labeled as God's Salvation Church, God Saves the Earth Flying Saucer Foundation, the True Way, or Chen Tao, in the United States in 1997. Chen believed that God would arrive on Earth in a flying saucer to save the elect from the impending nuclear and natural holocaust in 1999. The history of Chen and his group, their beliefs, and how they coped with the failed prophecy are discussed.
From the Paper "For the most part, God's Salvation Church grew from Hon-Ming Chen's imagination rather than some experience of disenfranchisement, deprivation, disaster, or clash of cultures. This apocalyptic worldview of Chen played itself out mostly in Texas, where he and his followers tried to persuade the world, albeit through very limited means, while waiting for the end to come. After the destruction of the world prophecy fell through, most (about one hundred ten out of one hundred forty) followers returned home, the remaining staying loyal to their teacher."
Abstract The paper looks at the ideas of Daniel C. Lynch in his article "Dilemmas of Thought Work in Fin de Siecle China", Gordon White in "Riding the Tiger" and Feng Chen in "Rebuilding the Party's Normative Authority." The paper discusses how these writers show that those who anticipated capitalism as the bringer of democracy did not understand the largely administrative but also intellectual role played by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as well as the low expectations of the Chinese regarding the CCP. The paper explains how all three articles show signs of the CCP attempting to show its sovereignty, but is challenged by ordinary Chinese indifference.
Outline:
Introduction
Daniel C. Lynch
Gordon White
Feng Chen Analysis and Conclusion
From the Paper "Daniel Lynch reviewed the nature of thought-work in the People's Republic of China (PRC) at the end of the 20th century and explained the failure of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to regain control over thought-work or to build the long promised socialist-spiritual civilization for which the Chinese masses were instructed to be patient, for so very long. Society and culture in the PRC have changed radically since the rise of Chinese capitalism in relation to the forces of Globalization. Gordon White wrote on ideological decay as one price of the Reform Era's economic and social changes, what seemed a mere shift to a mixed economy in 1978 taking on all sorts of mammoth changes through the later 1980s and 1990s to make much CCP ideology irrelevant. Feng Chen referred to the CCP as an institution that was under renovation and which described itself as the proper normative authority. However, as all three agree, the role of the CCP and Beijing has been more and more concerned with ordinary administration and laws and policies serving the all-important business sector."
Abstract This paper analyzes three articles that relate to issues in contemporary China. It specifically examines "Rebuilding the Party's Normative Authority: China's Socialist Spiritual Civilization Campaign. Problems of Post-Communism" by Feng Chen, "Dilemmas of Thought Work in Fin de Siecle China" by D. C. Lynch and "Economic Reform and Ideological Decay: the Decline of Ideology, in Riding the Tiger - the Politics of Economic Reform in Post-Mao China" by Gordon White.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Reform and Ideology
Lynch on 'Thought Work'
Gordon White and Riding the Tiger
Feng Chen Conclusion
From the Paper "When studied after Lynch's paper and White's early 1990s summary, Feng Chen's work seem on target. He shows the Party's intellectuals and ideologists inventing work for themselves according to 'human interest' topics such as crime, removing unwholesome influences, bringing on patriotic education for the young - and these do point to some sort of socialist function. Ironically, the CCP is to run the Chinese state whose shifts to capitalism bring social problems and work towards correcting the social problems created. Feng Chen's discussion is effective in the irony of the CCP being unable to make a "normative order" according to socialism when nearly all else it pursues is so geared to capitalism. (41) An alert reader too will see that none of this matters because the Chinese show in different ways that, first and foremost, they want the benefits of capitalism. It seems like the CCP can have its moralizing intellectual and ideological "role" if it wants, because the Chinese want to be employed and have buying power. Also, they see the clear failings of capitalism as pursued by an archaic Party in millions of visibly poor people and the migrant worker population that is mentioned by others as a strong defect of the present system. If a reader follows the Chinese press, he or she can begin to think like an everyday Chinese who does not expect accuracy from the state media, does expect to be given some message of what it means to be a Chinese citizen, how China will be "great" of course, and as Feng Chen added, some instruction to do as the Party suggests. (33)"
Abstract This paper reviews the critically acclaimed 1991 film, "Raise the Red Lantern" by world-renowned director Zhang Yimou. The author summarizes the film about a young girl who becomes the third concubine of the wealthy Chen household. The paper describes the film as a parable for the corruption of modern society in China and explains the symbols used to depict communist authoritarianism in the film - the Chen household represents the government, and the customs of the house are the laws of the country. The author also praises Zhang's use of rich colors to enhance the the emotional response to the film.
From the Paper "The red lanterns in this film are a stunning image, representing the power of the concubine. As was done in historical China, the lanterns are lit at the house of the concubine who the master favours. The concubine that has the lit lanterns ultimately has control over the rest of the concubines, as well as great influence over the master. If a concubine breaks the rules of the household, her lanterns will be covered in black cloth."
