Abstract This paper takes a look at RaeYang's "The SpiderEaters - a Memoir", a book addressing the Cultural Revolution from the perspective of a person who was caught up in a frightening time in the early People's Republic of China (PRC).The paper considers the book a disturbing reflection on the youth of the Red Guard and the vicious sort of fascism created by Chairman Mao. It concludes that the book is well written and informative.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Maoism and Youth
Divisions
Conclusion
From the Paper "Yang writes in a way that is immediate and also indicating that her days in the Red Guard were far away, a dream somehow, and as much of the volume moves back and forth between the present and the past and with anecdotes to do with her childhood and family adding to a surreal and very personal explanation of a frightening time and different people's reactions to it. A chapter "A Strange Gift from the Pig Farm" refers to her habit of waking at 3 a.m. that remained after she was placed in the Manchurian countryside just as millions of other young people to finish high school were sent for menial labour away from the cities. She had had to waken at 3 a.m. to perform part of her assigned work and the habit remained, years later. (pp. 1-2) So much forgetting a disturbing time, or the person she had become, as 3 a.m. waking in America showed that some things could not be washed away. The inability to reconcile what Maoism preached, what happened, and came into view as very wrong with the CCP movement produced despair later and a wish to die which took time to overcome. Rae Yang embarked on graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts. She graduated from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1981 and in the U.S., completed her M.A. in 1985 and her Ph.D. in 1991, obtaining a post at Dickinson College where she specializes in pre-modern and modern Chinese literature."
Tags: China cultural revolution communism Chinese, red army, red guard mao maoism
Abstract This paper discusses RaeYang's memoir - "The SpiderEaters". The paper explains that the books is the story of a classless person who came of age during the Cultural Revolution and who obviously worked hard to present her experiences in a direct and emotional manner. The paper explains that Yang's volume covers the decades between 1950 and 1980 and clearly illustrates the cruelty that Yang came to see all around her though a committed communist and Red Guard. The paper also shows how Yang's memoir points to Mao as a very aware person, a megalomaniac in Communist clothing who had no care as to the degree of cruelty that was inflicted through an entire society, or how this experience might shape future Chinese society and politics. In conclusion, the paper shows that Mao and the Chinese Cultural Revolution destroyed the Chinese who might have had much to offer the socialist experiment, drove great wedges between people and accustomed the Chinese once again to conditions of great fear.
From the Paper "Mao's regime could be, just as the Red Guard she came to recognize as brutal, a movement quickly dissolving into anarchy, a kind of gang warfare, till the Red Army intervened. This is an interesting revelation given that one is so often instructed that Mao was not aware of the abuses inflicted on many Chinese during the Cultural Revolution, that the Red Army had somehow taken over or carried out what he had not intended. Yang's memoir points to Mao as a very aware person, a megalomaniac in Communist clothing who had no care as to the degree of cruelty that was inflicted through an entire society, or how this experience might shape future Chinese society and politics. Yang's volume covers the decades between 1950 and her 1980. Shortly after, Yang left for the United States where she made her career."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of RaeYang's "SpiderEaters," a political and social memoir of the life of a young Chinese woman during the Chinese cultural revolution. The paper shows that Yang's memoir is of her youth torn between two worlds, that of her loyalty to the Communist Party, and that of her parents and friends.
From the Paper "The narrative technique utilized in the book is that of first person. Continuously moving from past to present and from dream to reality this technique helps to convey the vast complexity of life in China, as well as the richness, confusion, and struggle of Yang's inner-self. For example, her dreams act as a soliloquy as they illustrate to the reader Yang's conflicted feelings as it shows her naive and tormented side."
Abstract This paper discusses treating phobias with systematic desensitization techniques. The paper uses the example of a fictitious spider phobia was used to show how the technique works. The paper relates the benefits of the technique and the problems associated with it.
From the Paper "Wayne Weiten defines a phobia as, "Irrational fear of specific objects or situations" (Weiten G-7). Phobias can involve the fear of just about anything from various types of animals to water. The good thing about phobias is that they are treatable using any number of techniques. One of the most common and most effective techniques is known as systematic desensitization. Systematic desensitization is a technique that involves reconditioning people. According to Weiten, The treatment assumes that most anxiety responses are acquired through classical conditioning (as discussed in Chapter 14)."
Abstract This paper explains how these poems present us with images about spiders that work against the common perceptions of spiders. It shows that while spiders are creatures that are associated with fear, Whitman and Dickinson present us with different images of them that are filled with awe and respect. Whitman watches a spider spinning his web and is filled with such a sense of respect that he relates the spinning of a web to his own act of reaching out in the world. Dickinson, too, sees an aspect of her life in the spider's action of spinning a web. The paper explains that through different elements of language and grammar, each poet is able to establish a certain and very different mood about spiders, which is directly related to the feeling each poet experiences.
From the Paper "In his poem, "A Noiseless Spider," Whitman uses many words to establish a mood of tranquillity. For example, we are told that the spider is "noiseless" (Whitman 1), and it stands "isolated" (2). In addition, it is marking out how to explore a "vacant, vast surrounding" (3). These words convey a sense of serenity when the poet looks at the spider as it begins its daunting task. The speaker also presents us with an image of a spider that is very deserving of respect. For instance, the words "vast" (3) and "measureless" represent the endless the cycle of life. We also know that the spider approaches his task "tirelessly" (5) and "ceaselessly" (8). With this poem, we can see how Whitman is commenting on how nature is akin to the human spirit. He begins the poem with a general observation of the spider and then relates what he sees to what he has experienced within in his spirit, or soul. We know that the spider is long-suffering in that he launches "forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself" (4) all in an attempt to make his way across "measureless oceans of space" (7). The poet is drawing a parallel between the spider's attempt to reach across the vast space and his own attempt to reach out. Here we see how the poet is apostrophizing his soul."
Abstract This paper explains that, in Chang Rae-Lee's "Aloft", the protagonist Jerry Battle may seem lucky with a girlfriend who has been with him for years, two smart and successful children and a family business; however, as the narrative unfolds, Jerry is avoiding many problems. The center of Jerry's crisis, the author relates, is the death of wife Daisy, which took such a toll on him that he never seems to get his life back together. The paper concludes that Rae-Lee's most poignant thesis is that, for any individual or family, the natural course of life, which possesses crisis, pain and suffering, is a continual battle through these elements to earn the joy of the good things.
From the Paper "Jerry acknowledges fully that he tends towards the lazy and would rather not be heavily involved in the pain of life, both for himself and the people around him. When he sees that it is pushing his loved ones away he still acknowledges his faults to a degree, but ignores it. This is why Daisy serves as a confirmation to continue down that path; when she descends in to madness and ultimately dies, Jerry abandons the business to his son and his father winds up in a rest home."
Tags: plane, mental illness, disconnection, self aware, nursing home
Abstract Examination of the widow spiders as most dangerous to humans in North America. Spiders as arthopods. Scientific analysis of the species. Webs of black widow. Three types of black widow spiders in the U.S. Description of the Southern, Western and Northern female. The European black widow. Adult male black widow spiders. Mating process. Spider bites.
From the Paper "Spiders are arachnids, a group of arthropods which includes scorpions, harvestmen, mites, and ticks (Akre, Catts and Antonelli, 2001). Spiders have jointed legs and a hard external or outer skeleton. They have four pairs of legs, and the body is divided into two sections, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, whereas insects have six legs and their bodies are divided into three sections, head, thorax and abdomen. Spiders have no wings or antennae, but they do have large, sharply pointed jaws which are their fangs (chelicerae).
All spiders are predators, and they feed on a variety of insects and other soft-bodied invertebrate animals (Akre, Catts and Antonelli, 2001). Spiders attack and subdue their prey by biting them with their fangs and injecting them with poison. All spiders spin silk, but not all of them use it to spin webs. Most ..."
This essay looks at how two poets utilize a spider in their poems for completely different purposes in Frost's "Design" and Whitman's "Noiseless Patient Spider".
1,000 words (approx. 4 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract This essay contrasts how poets, Robert Frost and Walt Whitman, both eloquently utilize a minute spider and turn this creature of nature into a grandiose display of life, but for opposite reasons. The author shows how Frost's spider is a mediation of man's attempts and failures in finding order and meaning in the universe, whereas, Whitman's is a contemplation of man's attempt to fully connect to and understand the world around him.
From the paper:
?Poems, unlike prose, are direct expressions of a creator's feelings. Though a poet also makes use of metaphors and figurative speech to convey images, it is something else beyond the upper layer of language that makes a poem work. It is something that relates directly to the feelings and passions of the poet. For example, Robert Frost's poem, "Design", is an exquisite play on striking images of dark and light, offering a look into this oppressive and isolated poet's stark outlook on life. Whereas, his comrade, Walt Whitman, goes far above and beyond in both voice and metrical line with such a striking mural expansion of his optimistic view of the world around him in his poem, "Noiseless, Patient Spider".
A comparative analysis paper about "Lolita" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman". In both "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "Lolita", unconventional parental relationships lead to abnormalities in the behaviors of Molina and Lolita, respectively.
2,420 words (approx. 9.7 pages), 8 sources, 2001, $ 73.95
Abstract This paper compares Nabakov's "Lolita" with Puig's "Kiss of the Spider Woman". The author discusses the unconventional parent-child relationships between the main characters and their mothers, and how such characters were viewed as abnormal by society's standards. The paper examines how parental behavior toward offspring, as well as popular culture, can affect an individual's sexuality. The author frequently quotes both novels in the essay.
From the Paper "Kiss of the Spider Woman and Lolita examine the effects of ineffective parenting while attempting to show that society is the cause of the very behaviors it condemns. Molina's close relationship with his mother, through no intentional fault on her part, causes Molina's homosexuality and feminine behavior. Molina does not have any other role model besides his mother from whom to learn interpersonal skills, and therefore wants all relationships to be as satisfying as his relationship with her. Charlotte and Lolita have very different temperaments, resulting in a parent-child dyad that causes Charlotte to constantly criticize Lolita's actions, forcing Lolita to respond through rebellion. Both Puig and Nabokov attempt to show that while society shuns homosexuality and adolescent promiscuity in their respective characters, popular culture is the origin of the behaviors that it condemns and that these behaviors are socially learned."
Abstract This essay analyzes the "Sin Eater" story and examines nourishment symbols and their meaning. The writer examines the essays the "Ornamental Cookery" essay in order to support his conclusion.
From the Paper "In "The Sin Eater" Margaret Atwood creates situations in which women are burdened by the rules and inequalities of their societies and they discover that they must reconstruct a brave, more self-reliant version of herself in order to survive. Through the Protagonist's journey, we find that there is a great deal of food and nourishment symbols within the context of the story, in regard to allusion to the myth as laid out by Joseph, and within the action of the story. However, it signifies another level of metalanguage that holds the fabric of the story together and that adds a nourishment element to the story."
An exploration of Thomas De Quincey's preoccupation with the romantic notion of the dual self and the significance of this view in the conflicting narrative voices in "Confessions of an English Opium Eater".
Abstract Through an examination of the interplay between the controlled and impassioned personas, it is ascertained whether De Quincey's portrayal of a divided self in his novel "Confessions of an English Opium Eater", is as clear-cut as the romantic view, or, whether his ego is a rendezvous of indeterminable personas. The meta-narrative repercussions of this interplay on structure, language and authorial perspective is also examined.
From the Paper ""Nietzsche's claim that 'the ego is a rendezvous of persons' (Letwin: 1987: 84) is aptly reiterated by Thomas De Quincey: 'A self-conquest may reasonably be set off in counterbalance to any kind or degree of self-indulgence' (De Quincey: 1998: 2). De Quincey exemplifies a distinctly Romantic approach to the complexities of divided selfhood, a view that originates in Plato's concept of the dual self, 'a rational self battling against the irrational self' (Letwin: 1987: 85). In De Quincey's autobiographical work, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, a tension exists between an impassioned, exaggerated 'self', and an analytical, cohered, 'self', demonstrating an apparent interplay between subjective emotional self and objective creator."
Abstract Vincent Van Gogh, born March 30, 1853, was a Dutch painter who began after the impressionist era. This paper discusses how Van Gogh's work is full of passion and his style very spontaneous. It explains that Van Gogh was the son of a Dutch Protestant pastor; therefore he was brought up in a very religious setting. It discusses how his life experience gave him the inspiration to paint and soon he was becoming well-known for his abilities. In 1885, Van Gogh painted what would be forever known as his first masterpiece. It shows how this painting, "The Potato Eaters", was his intentional attempt to establish his reputation in the painting world.
From the Paper "Van Gogh began this painting in August of 1883 after studying for over five years in the art community. This was his hope of becoming a respected artist by not only other artists but also by art dealers. Soon he gave up after only completing a sketch of the piece because he was restless and realized that the project entailed more than he was able to produce. After spending more time studying the art of painting and proper technique, Van Gogh determined that he was now ready to return to his sketch and create the scene of peasant farmers at their meal. The Potato Eaters contains five figures that were painted in such a technique that they would appear real along with their feelings displayed for the viewer. "Dark and somber, sometimes crude, these early works evidence van Gogh's intense desire to express the misery and poverty of humanity as he saw it among the miners in Belgium" (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 1). The Potato Eaters was Van Gogh's representation of reality during his time. After finishing several sketches, he set out to transfer his final sketch as an oil painting on canvas."
Tags: art, artist, artwork, canvas, gogh, paintings, van, vincent
Abstract This paper explains that by creating the characters Molina and Valentin in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1985), directed by Hector Babenco, Manuel Puig has confronted issues of sexuality and gender in a masochistic Latin American culture. The author points out that there are many symbols of Christianity in the film as observed in the opening sequence of the film where the viewer sees, painted upon a faded cement wall, a painting of an angel with a harp in the sky with the sun blazing behind it, the shadows of bars and clotheslines off to the left. The paper relates that the film "Kiss of the Spider Woman" is significantly different from Puig's book; Babenco's film sequences deal with questions of the political and propaganda nature of art; whereas, Puig uses the film narrations as another chance to further explore sexuality.
From the Paper "Molina describes a real man in terms of him being marvelous looking and strong without looking like it. Valentin on the other hand realizes that without power behind you no one looks strong. A real man does not humiliate people and does not make the people around them feel degraded - but that is exactly what the torturers are doing to the prisoners, particularly the political prisoners. It is exactly what they do to when they scream, "You FAG!" at Molina as he lies, blood pouring out of his mouth, in a police surveillance car. These are not real men, they are men who seem strong but only because they have power behind them."
Abstract This paper analyzes David Quammen's essay "The Face of a Spider," in which he discusses arriving in his office one day to see it covered by baby black widow spiders. The paper reflects on Quammen's actions and thoughts as they are described in his essay. It then discusses the questions of how a human should behave toward the members of other living species.
From the Paper "The narrator in the story arrives at his office and finds it full of spiders, and he is able to turn such an odd occurrence into something which gives him a greater reflection towards the world. He knew the mother spider was there, yet he ignored the problem and thus was forced to face black widows in his office. Now he is reflecting on that even from a few years ago, saying that, "To me, they stand for something" (Quammen). He even goes as far as to say what they stand for and that is a question he poses but he cannot answer. However, because of the experience with the spiders he is now enlightened. This state of enlightenment is expressed not only through his actions and direct language, but also through the way he speaks about other culture's dealings with living species. He is not critical, but open minded when mentioning the Janist culture for example. It is all part of a reflection on the events of the past, and therefore David Quammen has taken a simple event with little meaning and applied so much more to it."
