Abstract This paper discusses the 1994 Chinese film "Farewell My Concubine", which is set against a violent background of political upheavals. Beginning during China's warlord era of the 1920s, the film spans 50 years, and includes the Japanese occupation and the Cultural Revolution. In particular, the paper argues that despite its background, the central theme of the film is the love affair between the two central male characters, Duan Xiaolou and Cheng Dieyi.
From the Paper "It might be argued that the film is not so much about a love story as about Chinese history. After all, the film is one of the first to be bold enough to expose the "Cultural Revolution" for the fascist rampage that it really was. It also gives insight into what it was like to be an ordinary citizen during the most important historical event of the era - the establishment of the Peoples' Republic of China by Mao Zedong and his Chinese Communist Party in 1949. The film is certainly flooded with politics and traumatic events such as the Japanese occupation, and all of these events have a profound impact on the lives of the characters. However, it is argued that to the viewer the political details are much less important than the love story that takes centre stage."
Abstract In this article, the concept of honor in Chinese heroes is discussed. The writer uses the films, 'Farewell My Concubine', 'The Emperor and The Assassin', and 'The Great Conqueror's Concubine' to examine the topic. Further, the writer defines what makes a true hero and also discusses heroism versus leadership.
From the Paper "This paper will analyze the concepts of honor in Chinese society as demonstrated in the movies 'The Emperor and the Assassin', 'Farewell My Concubine' and 'The Great Conqueror's Concubine' as well as in readings from the texts 'Chinese Civilization A Source book' and 'The Cambridge Illustrated History of China' both by Patricia Buckley Ebrey. The paper will first address the definition of a true hero as compared to what makes a successful ruler. It will then discuss how honor is defined ... "
Tags: Farewell my concubine, The emperor and the assassin, The great conqueror's concubine
Abstract Set in 1920s Northern China, "Raise the Red Lantern" is based on the novel "Wives and Concubines" by Su Tong. The paper discusses the story line which focuses on nineteen-year old Songlian, who is cajoled into marrying a wealthy householder to become his fourth wife. Songlian is educated, but she dropped out of college following her father's death. It discuses one of the primary themes of "Raise the Red Lantern", which is the role of women in Chinese culture.
From the Paper "The film is laced with dialogue that reveals ingrained misogyny; the concubines unquestioningly accept their roles. Songlian bemoans her fate but feels powerless to change it. The film opens with a close-up shot of Songlian's face as she speaks to her stepmother off-screen. Songlian's tearfully resolute visage sets the stage for the remainder of the film, which reveals the belief systems, values, behaviors, and customs of Northern China. Visually and emotionally captivating, Raise the Red Lantern lends insight specifically into the lives of wealthy Chinese concubines, and focuses especially on the role of women in Chinese culture."
Abstract This paper looks at women in medieval times and investigates the situations and cultural influences that paved the way toward change. It focuses on Frankish and Anglo-Saxon societies in the early Middle Ages in which women of that period were first distinguished in society because of their birth. It analyzes the lives of women born in the royal families and in the upper classes compared to the lives of the lower-class women. It examines how marriage was also a factor of division among medieval women and, in particular, looks at queens, wives, widows, concubines, and nuns.
Outline
Introduction
Women's Lives
The Upper Classes
Monastic Life
Conclusion
From the Paper "The family structure in the early Middle Ages was patriarchal. Women had rights as a person, who distinguished them from slaves, but they were not allowed to appear in political formality, such as in front of a judge in order to defend those rights. Women could not administrate directly their patrimony, and laws about heredity were not favorable to them. Women belong to their parents while they were maturing and to their husbands after they were married. According to Germanic laws, marriage was most often arranged between the woman's tutor and her future husband who gave on that occasion a bride gift. From the basis of Germanic law, a marriage which followed this formula was the only one to be completely valid in Germanic society."
Abstract This paper examines the incidence of inter-regime marriages between Hong Kong and mainland China. The paper discusses when this trend started and analyzes the cultural, socioeconomic and geopolitical factors that lead to cross-border marriages between local-born Hong Kong men and mainland Chinese women. The paper also discusses the social environment problems such as cross-border concubines, marriage brokers and legal and illegal-increases in fake marriages of convenience as women marry into more desirable locations within and beyond China's borders, creating a shortage of brides in more remote rural regions.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Methodology
Literature Review
Background of the Study
Cross-Border Marriages and Rationale in Choice of Partner
Inter-Regime Marriages
Reasons Men in Hong Kong Choose Wives from Mainland China
Cross-Border Marriages = Cross-Border Children
Legal Issues of Mainland Born Children with One Parent in Hong Kong
Basic Law Regulating Children Born Outside of Hong Kong with Parent in Hong Kong
Analysis of the "Mess" (Ho Hei-wa: Director of Society for Community Organization
Proponents of the Bill: Rationale
Uninitiated Queues and the Psychological Harm Caused to Waiting or Hiding Children
Geopolitical Aspects of Cross-Border Marriage
Summary & Conclusion
From the Paper "Corruption is prevalent in a system that requires the payment of high bribes and fees for smuggling of children into a country in order that the children may be with their parents. The government that uses regulations in this matter is one that appears bent on completely breaking down the parent-child and family structure in Hong Kong and mainland China. The red-tape and bureaucracies existing in a system that does not meet queue quotas is one that perpetuates bribery and smuggling of human beings. Furthermore, these types of regulations do not support the country economically as exampled in the cases of parents unable to work because they are the only parent available to the children due to the entry requirements and regulations in Hong Kong. Certainly, it would be more efficient to invest in more schools and teachers than to force parents into welfare situations when they would rather be working and the country as a whole would be more productive and this is not even to factor in the psychological harm caused to these children who are forced to hide while being smuggled, to live underground so as not to be discovered in Hong Kong and then there are the children who are dragged in handcuffs and repatriated to a homeland they have never known but due to regulations are forced to enter into and live among strangers."
Abstract The paper shows how prostitution has existed for as long as history has been recorded and beyond. It defines the term prostitution and shows its history from the time of the Bible through the Middle Ages and finally the history of prostitution in the United States. The paper also examines prostitution in America today.
From the Paper "During the 1800s, America was expanding. Men were often alone on the frontier for months to even years at a time. When women finally arrived, many of them were part of a family, but many more came seeing an opportunity. Prostitution now spanned three major subcultures. Women in it strictly for the money made up five to ten percent of the first subculture. The second subculture was male; 'sporting males' were encouraged to hire prostitutes. The third subculture was organized brothels. Men could find hundreds of brothels in St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Chicago, and as the Westward Expansion carried people further west, you could find them in all the "rip-roaring" mining towns of the west too, like San Francisco, Denver, Virginia City, and Sacramento."
A paper which discusses that despite the severe limits placed on Chinese women throughout their history, they still managed to demonstrate tenacity and courage and the power of decision within these restrictions.
Abstract The paper discusses how women throughout Chinese history have experienced the oppression their tradition and culture exert as well as the power only members of their sex can attain in their chosen domains. It shows that although readers have been exposed to historical anecdotes relating foot binding and Man's superiority to women, there are also many stories relating their freedom and tenacity, whether they are wives, concubines, courtesans or prostitutes. The paper discusses how the history of Chinese women is not necessarily limited to persecution and being dominated, it is also peppered with inspirational stories of women who have been able to find happiness, success and fulfillment within the parameters Chinese tradition and culture dictate.
From the Paper "The girl split from her first family with the understanding that she was never going back to them nor even allowed to communicate with them unless she had the permission of the man. On the surface the procedure is very much like a father marrying off his daughter, making the same arrangements as if it was a legal marriage. However there were a few things that distinguished the wife's status over that of the concubine. Legally, a Chinese man can only have one wife but could possess innumerable concubines. So the status of wife was more special than that of the concubines. Wives were also allocated property upon their marriage while concubines were not. Concubines did not have dowries and their first family did not receive any presents from the man upon losing their daughter."
From the Paper "Farewell My Concubine by Chen Kaige (1993) was one of the rare Chinese films that has made its way to Western audiences. it was acclaimed by Western critics and received awards from various critics organizations. The film also represented a shift in artistic opportunities in China. The film is an opportunity for Westerners to see inside China today, to appreciate the state of Chinese filmmaking, and to gain a different view of humanity from a filmmaker who has a strong command of the medium.
The story of the film covers a long period in Chinese history. The film begins with a prologue in which two of the main characters are preparing for a farewell performance of their best theatrical vehicle, a piece called "Farewell My Concubine." They are stage performers in the Beijing Opera, and much of the spectacle in the film derives from the way the opera in China is..."
From the Paper "Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi: the last female ruler
of the Manchu Imperial House
In spite of her last words, ?Never again allow a woman to hold the supreme power in the State,?1 Tzu Hsi survived three waves of succession to rule over China for almost half a century. During a period that was racked by internal turmoil and foreign invasions, Tzu Hsi overcame tremendous odds to hold on to the reins of power. Her character contributed greatly to her skills as a consummate politician. She was a charismatic leader that attracted the adoration of her subjects including common people who had never seen her in person.2 Furthermore, she was driven by a fiery ambition to ensure that the Manchu dynasty did not disintegrate in the face of the pressure brought on by rebels and the foreigners. She cemented her grip on power by..."
Abstract The book analyzes and reviews Patricia Buckley Ebrey's book, "The Inner Quarters: Marriage and Lives of Chinese Women in the Sung Period" which examines the lives of Sung women in relationship to their interactions with their own blood families, their husbands, their husband's families and their own children. The paper also raises several inadequacies of the book.
From the Paper "Another problem, or perhaps more an inadequacy of the book, is contained within what could be taken as Ebrey's thesis statement. She says in the Introduction that she intends to focus on, "the intersection of women and marriage" (7). While it can be clearly seen from the text that marriage or widowhood was the usual status of women, the book's decision to exclude accounts of single women is disappointing. However small a percentage, society would have contained women without dowries, divorced women, and women who remain single for religious reasons, such as Buddhist nuns. An exploration into their place in society would have been an interesting contrast."
Abstract This paper provides a brief history of slavery in general and the different types of slavery that have evolved over the years such as agricultural slaves to farmers and domestic slavery. It discusses the rise of slavery in the Muslim world during the time of the Byzantine Empire and how in Islamic life, owning slaves was a sign of wealth. Slaves were used as soldiers, concubines, cooks and entertainers. It examines the facts that slavery still exists today in some third world Muslim countries such as Sudan and Mauritania and the issue of slave-child-soldiers, children that are kidnapped at an early age to fight as soldiers. The slave trade in the Muslim world is indeed a deplorable institution that is long over due for reform. However, it has existed for centuries and efforts of recent have only led to perpetuation.
From the Paper "There is much concern regarding the fact that slavery still exist in several Muslim countries. The Koran deals directly with ?the issue of slavery ? states that subjected or conquered people should be given the option of converting to Islam"if they refuse, only then may they be taken as slaves"and Muslims should never be enslaved by other Muslims? (Schindler 2001). When Christianity was born, the Roman Empire spanned the globe, so the question of newly conquered people never arose. Christian conversions were voluntary, thus slavery was not a religious issue, although it was obviously practiced contrary to Christian belief (Schindler 2001). However, slavery in the Islamic East developed differently."
The paper provides a review of the 1991 Chinese film "Raise the Red Lantern" by Zhang Yimou and compares and contrasts the 1920s Chinese society depicted in the movie to American society of the same era.
Abstract The paper analyzes the role of women in turn of the century Chinese culture and reveals the emphasis on ritual and custom in Chinese culture.
The paper looks at the story depicted in the film, which focuses on nineteen-year old Songlian (played by Li Gong), who is cajoled into marrying a wealthy householder to become his fourth wife. It also compares the practice of polygamy and concubines, a religious practice which is alien to the American viewer. The paper examines the difficulties surrounding the film's initial release in China because the film seemed to contain anti-government innuendo.
From the Paper "It is Zhang Yimou's choice to use the concubines as windows into this facet of 1920's Chinese culture. The film is full of reminders of the shocking misogyny ingrained in Chinese culture. An American viewer might initially scorn Chinese culture based on this insight, but a closer analysis reveals striking similarities between Chinese and American societies. Especially in the 1920s, women accepted their subordinate roles in society. Until the year 1920, American women had no say in politics. They did not work nor attend college, unless it meant meeting a man to marry. American family life seems devoid of rituals when compared to the family shown in Raise the Red Lantern, but in fact, American families are indeed structured and ritualized. However, arranged marriage, polygamy, and more brutal mistreatment of women are singular to the Chinese culture depicted in the film."
Tags: Su, Tong, household, foreign, tradition, communism
Abstract This paper is a discussion on "The Tale of Genji". "The Tale of Genji" happens to take the reader into aristocratic Japan and a complicated array of principal and secondary wives, concubines, and persons related by different kinds of relationships that all have their connections to the old source of power. The characters have their connections too, to what will happen in the next generation as Genji manages to establish his own court and heirs. In these dynamics, the pattern of the novel is set.
This paper reviews and analyzes Lady Murasaki Shikibu's 11th century novel "The Tale of Genji" which focuses on Confucius, Buddhism and Japanese culture.
Abstract This informative paper details the plot of Shikibu's novel, "The Tale of Genji" which centers on Hikaru Genji, the son of a Heian period emperor and one of his concubines. This paper addresses Japanese culture in the 11th century and contains pertinent information and facts relating to Buddhist and Confucian philosophy as well as Japan's expanding intellectual freedom, which is apparent in Shikibu's writing style.
From the Paper "In arguing for an essentially humanistic and even existential perspective on the nature of a moral life, Lady Murasaki was arguing against what much of Confucianism taught. The philosophy of Confucianism, imported from China and highly influential in terms of Japanese culture and social structure of the Heian period. Confucius was a minor aristocrat and official who served in the Chinese state of Lu, which is located in what is now Shandong Province. He spent most of his life - from the fifth century to the early fourth century before the Christian era - serving as an advisor to the rulers of various neighboring states and as a scholar and teacher."
Abstract This paper studies that Dowager Empress Cixi came of modest origins and entered the court as a low concubine. The writer examines that she learned how to manipulate the court, produced a male heir and exploited her position as Dowager Empress for more than 50 years, most of it remembered for misrule. Further, the writer discusses her as a treacherous woman who was much written about.
From the Paper "Chinese women tend to be stereotyped as quiet, demure creatures, shaped by their culture to not give offence, or as people using their feminine ways, in a society controlled by men. In the example of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) is found someone rather different. Like her contemporary, Queen Victoria of England, she was comfortable wielding power. Unlike Queen Victoria, she rose from an official concubine of the lowest rank to have tremendous power and a ruthlessness that remains legendary. Indeed, Empress Cixi has a full chapter in a popular volume, The Most Evil Women in History."
