Stories from a Ming Collection

Believe it or not, but American and Chinese culture do have something’s in common. They see eye-to-eye on some aspects. Like providing for their children “Parents work together for the well-being of their children” [Example from Article]. It is true that parents do the best they can to work towards a better financial life for their kids. That’s why many Chinese parents come over to the states, so that they can provide a better life, and a better education. They would also go to great lengths for their children no matter what the cause “Parents will risk their life for their children” [Example from Article]. Any parent would risk their life for their children no matter what ethnicity, or cultural aspect! There is no bond like a parent and their child.

Seeing something that is different can be interpreted in many various ways. In a world full of judgement and curiosity, making conjectures from something that is strange can lead to conflict. In the story “The Tall Woman and Her Short Husband” by Feng Ji-cai, an odd couple: Mrs. Tall and Mr. Short are separated by the height of 17cm capturing the interest of passerby’s. The couple was often made a laughing stock by neighbors. The Tailor’s wife a know-it-all was especially intrigued by the incongruous couple. During the Cultural Revolution, China’s government and politics were at debate in this time. The lives of many people were changed by this event. Feng Ji-cai uses the literary elements such as symbolism and theme of love, judgement, and uniqueness to show how the Cultural Revolution and others affected the lives of Mrs. Tall and Mr. Short.

The Chinese culture is built around thousands of years of tradition. Understanding these Chinese beliefs and social influences may benefit you when attending to someone of this culture.

Firstly, the relationship expectations in Chinese customs and traditions were strongly held onto. The daughters of the Chinese

This book started with Wang Lung introducing himself and how his life is like. He lived with his father mostly because his father was really sick and Wang Lung had to take care of him. His father was a traditional and moral man. He did not approve many things that went on in the house. Later on, he went to the house of the Huang’s and got a slave to be his wife. Her name was O-Lan. O-Lan was a slave and she was treated really terribly most of her life, even when she married Wang Lung. Together they had 5 children: three boys and two girls, each with very different characteristics.

In “Plight of the Little Emperors” by Taylor Clark the article talks about the difficulties of young children growing up in China.

Timothy Brook’s book, The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China is a detailed account of the three centuries of the Ming Dynasty in China. The book allows an opportunity to view this prominent time period of Chinese history. Confusions of Pleasure not only chronicles the economic development during the Ming dynasty, but also the resulting cultural and social changes that transform the gentry and merchant class. Brook’s insights highlight the divide between the Ming dynasty’s idealized beliefs, and the realities of its economic expansion and its effects. Brook describes this gap through the use of several first hand accounts of individuals with various social statuses.

Medieval China, as seen in the Stories from a Ming Collection, was characterized by distinct separations between men and women’s abilities, typical old fashioned family structure, and a desire to advance their social status. Throughout all the stories in this book, it dives deep into different aspects of how men and women are treated, how families were structured and how that affects their lives, as well as the values these people held. A very common trend in the stories was how different men and women were treated and the limitations they may or may not had.

Described as utopian in nature, the Chinese culture is often in pursuit for the perfect individual, a harmonious and structured society where the citizens as a whole create the ideal culture. In a collection of short stories entitled The Bridegroom, author Ha Jin documents this aspect of reality in homeland China. Primarily for the purposes of instruction and satirical verse, Ha Jin, shows how people are trying to find themselves in a society that focuses on the ‘whole’ of the country rather than the individual. He is able to interconnect this theme of individualism through four major stories in the book while presenting ‘Chineseness’ or satire of fictional verse as a way to focus on the changes throughout China

Life was not idle in China as everyone had something to do. Based on Confucian values, groups and classes respected each other and their work knowing the value of each. Chiang's father further demonstrated this by being an "honest and generous man, respected by the people of the village in particular and surrounding districts generally" (Chiang 29). By giving honor and reverence to others, Chiang's father in turn received such respect. His benevolence was noticed by the community and thus treated him in a higher light. However, relation with other classes was not always bright, especially in other nations. Chiang describes his encounters in America as he says "California was not so hospitable a land socially for the Chinese as to make on feel congenial or at ease" (Chiang 68). Regardless of being part of the elite class, he was not always treated with the utmost status. Skin color and national origin created barriers between individuals and societies in general. Chinese elite's relations with the other classes embodied more than the typical notion of master and servant. Individuals were respected for their own work and valued for what they brought to China.

The family structure has traditionally been the basic unit of Chinese society, where women have long been given the task of the continuation of the society 's core values, in their roles as wives and mothers. While the expected values have evolved with time, from the imperial period to the Communist revolution to the modern day, this responsibility for women has

I agree with the statement “the history of a family begins when a person leaves home” . when Chang left rural tradition behind to make a new life for themselves in the city. The old rules no longer apply, traditional education and family values have little or relevance, and new arrivals in the city have to learn fast and adapt quickly in order to survive and prosper in this strange and often hostile new environment. I saw so many changes for people migration to city .

Imagine a world where it's perfectly normal to eat people with no consequences. Where something completely out of the ordinary becomes unusually normal. Chinese culture is purely based on everyday life and morality inside the lives of their followers. Having a deep connection to your ethics links to the human aspect of Chinese culture (Violatti). Filial piety plays a vital role because the Chinese believe how one treats one's elders reveals a lot about oneself (¨Filial Piety in Chinese Culture¨).

China has about five thousand years history which is a very long period of time. Also, the Chinese civilization was growing with these periods of time and it will continues greater than ever. Many wars and unhappinesses were happening during this period. Although, the time has passed, the histories and the civilizations have not passed. These family virtues, serious, working attitudes, sense of justice and the great Confucian tradition have been deeply assimilated into the Chinese people. Some Chinese traditions are different from North American’s. The Chinese culture has many special characteristics which are very interesting for people to learn.

This year is my forth year that I has been studying in the United State. I’m already used to the U.S. culture and the U.S. living style. So in general, I didn’t experience any culture shock after I got here. If I had any culture shock, it’s probably three years ago. I couldn’t remember any of them. However I do have some thoughts about the differences between the U.S. and China after four years of studying in the United States.