All in all, I thought my lit. seminar went well. Even though I only had half the class, it was the half that had read my family, the Jong's, section, so everyone had insightful answers to my questions.
My first question was:
In this chapter, Lindo says she tried to give her children Chinese character with their American circumstances. Do you think she succeeded? Support your answer.
There were some very interesting responses to this question, ranging from how Waverly was completely americanized and couldn't connect to her Chinese roots to how Lindo had succeeded in raising her children with Chinese values. Also, many people thought that Waverly had accepted Chinese values until she left her mother's house.
My second question was not widely understood by my lit. seminar group. It was:
Lindo's mother tells her a girl with a crooked nose is bound for misfortune. Do you think she was more fortunate before or after she broke her nose on the bus? Why?
Many people did not understand this question, and if they tried to answer it, they were either off the topic or had no idea what the question was asking. If i were to do this again, I would have created a more theme-based question instead of this one.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Emily Mead's Lit Seminar
I did my lit. seminar on "Waiting Between the Trees", Ying-Ying St. Clair. My passage was on page 286, line 17. I thought that overall my lit. seminar went very well. The class was split into two groups, so everyone got to participate a lot more.
My first question was: Why does Ying-Ying feel that she needs to "cut her daughter's spirit loose"? And why does Ying-Ying want to give her daughter her own spirit?
The group answered that Ying-Ying felt that her daughter was too americanized, and that she was going down the wrong path, and by "cutting her spirit loose" she will "save her" and her Chinese culture. Ying-Ying wants Lena to understand her Chinese culture better. Also, Ying-Ying is passing invisible strength on to Lena, through her tiger spirit.
My second question was: Why does Ying-Ying consider herself a "ghost"? In China, what does it mean to be a "ghost", and how does this tie into other stories in the book?
In China, ghosts are looked down upon, and not respected. Ying-Ying considers herself a ghost because she is not really 'there' anymore, she is only a shadow. She is not heard by her daughter, she feels that she is invisible. She cannot speak up for herself. Other stories that tie into the idea of being a ghost are "The Moon Lady", where Ying-Ying had to be 'invisible' to be seen and heard by the Moon Lady. Also, in the story with An-Mei and her mother, An-Mei's aunt calls her mother a ghost, because she left her family and is no longer respected.
My first question was: Why does Ying-Ying feel that she needs to "cut her daughter's spirit loose"? And why does Ying-Ying want to give her daughter her own spirit?
The group answered that Ying-Ying felt that her daughter was too americanized, and that she was going down the wrong path, and by "cutting her spirit loose" she will "save her" and her Chinese culture. Ying-Ying wants Lena to understand her Chinese culture better. Also, Ying-Ying is passing invisible strength on to Lena, through her tiger spirit.
My second question was: Why does Ying-Ying consider herself a "ghost"? In China, what does it mean to be a "ghost", and how does this tie into other stories in the book?
In China, ghosts are looked down upon, and not respected. Ying-Ying considers herself a ghost because she is not really 'there' anymore, she is only a shadow. She is not heard by her daughter, she feels that she is invisible. She cannot speak up for herself. Other stories that tie into the idea of being a ghost are "The Moon Lady", where Ying-Ying had to be 'invisible' to be seen and heard by the Moon Lady. Also, in the story with An-Mei and her mother, An-Mei's aunt calls her mother a ghost, because she left her family and is no longer respected.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Madeline Turrini's Lit. Seminar
I was very surprised by the fact that the majority of the discussion was on one of my literary devices, being the connotation that follows the word, "fault." The majority of the group said that while Lindo felt like she had wronged her daughter in a way, she was also taking pride in her creation. They also felt that Lindo ignored her similarities to Waverly and thought of them as a joke.
As for the questions I asked, I received very mixed responses. When I was comparing the language barrier between the Jongs and the St. Claires, some people in the group believed that it barely affected the Jongs at all, while a few other students and I said that it distanced Ying Ying and her husband while it strengthened the bond between Lindo and her husband.
While discussing the significance of the beauty parlor, I was surprised by how it was compared to Friar Lawrence's cell in Romeo and Juliet. The group talked about how both locations were catalysts and how the thought of changing one's appearance irritated the mothers. I had not thought of this and was pleasantly surprised.
Katherine Huang's LIT SEMINAR
For my lit seminar I was assigned the chapter “Waiting Between the Trees” from which I chose the passage from lines 10 to 17 on page 247.
“I think this to myself even though I love my daughter. She and I have shared the same body. There is a part of her mind that is part of mine. But when she was born, she sprang from me like a slippery fish, and has been swimming away ever since. All her life, I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to penetrate her skin and pull her to where she can be saved.”
I stated that the theme of this passage was "like mother. like daughter." It is a theme that reoccurs throughout the story with different mothers and daughters. No matter the difference in upbringing, generation, economic status, and a language barrier, there is no match for the traits that permeate through blood. Also, there is a common goal among the mothers to save their daughters from similar mistakes and heartache.
Overall, I was super happy with the way my lit seminar turned out. The majority of students participated habitually and had very insightful things to say. I only had time to ask one of my questions, which is as follows:
Since childhood, Ying Ying has had the innate ability to predict events in the future: her reluctant first marriage to the watermelon man, the gender of her firstborn, her indifferent second marriage to St. Clair, the death of her ex husband before even reading her aunt’s letter, to finally, the eventual failure of her own daughter’s marriage.Do you believe Ying Ying’s ability to foresee the future to be a curse or a blessing? Please give specific examples to back up your argument.
My answer was that the telepathic skills were a negative. Ying Ying has a tendency to remain passive and let forecasted events befall her, sometimes even molding her actions around them, as she believes her life is in the palms of fate. Often times people (especially superstitious people like Ying Ying or people with OCD) have an ability to MAKE themselves see certain things or carry out certain actions that they believe it is necessary. Who knows if the visions were actually real or not? The point is, Ying Ying became so blind-sighted by them and obsessed that they had no choice but to come true. I was very impressed with the class responses to this question.
The majority of the class believed her skills to be negative or neutral toward negative, with a similar reasoning that Ying Ying tends to enforce her own predictions. "It is better to be ignorant because ignorance is bliss" (max?) exclaimed one student. Since the majority of Ying Ying's predictions are negative, why bear the bad news? If someone is going to die soon, would they really want to know when or how? A particularly insightful observation was that Ying Ying's obsession with the events she forecasts is very similar to traveling in a "light tunnel" (doug?) Even if good fortune were to come Ying Ying's way she'd be too focused on her doom to realize it, grab ahold and perhaps change her destiny for the better.
I had a total of three questions. Here are the two others I didn't get to:
1. The menacing shadow of a failed marriage is looming. This time, it’s Lena. In order to help her daughter deal with the denial and grief of ending matrimonial bliss, Ying Ying must confront the skeletons of her own failed marriages. Do you think Lena’s failed marriage could possibly be a disguised blessing, as it is allowing Ying Ying to finally rediscover her “tiger spirit” and save her daughter from a similar life that is lacking chi? (My answer is kind of mixed in with the question.)
2. From wild and arrogant gold to cautious, stealth black, Ying Ying has evolved through the stages of the tiger as she has triumphed and taken missteps in her life. Now, she claims to be a “tiger spirit,” unseen and fragile like a browned leaf. Do you think Ying Ying will ever revive her former spirit? If so, which side of the tiger would she be, gold or black? Please support your opinion with textual evidence.
In conclusion, the seminar was a lot of fun. Everyone was definitely really attentive and prepared for discussion. If you feel like answering one of my questions, leave a comment with the number of the question you chose. Thanks!
“I think this to myself even though I love my daughter. She and I have shared the same body. There is a part of her mind that is part of mine. But when she was born, she sprang from me like a slippery fish, and has been swimming away ever since. All her life, I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to penetrate her skin and pull her to where she can be saved.”
I stated that the theme of this passage was "like mother. like daughter." It is a theme that reoccurs throughout the story with different mothers and daughters. No matter the difference in upbringing, generation, economic status, and a language barrier, there is no match for the traits that permeate through blood. Also, there is a common goal among the mothers to save their daughters from similar mistakes and heartache.
Overall, I was super happy with the way my lit seminar turned out. The majority of students participated habitually and had very insightful things to say. I only had time to ask one of my questions, which is as follows:
Since childhood, Ying Ying has had the innate ability to predict events in the future: her reluctant first marriage to the watermelon man, the gender of her firstborn, her indifferent second marriage to St. Clair, the death of her ex husband before even reading her aunt’s letter, to finally, the eventual failure of her own daughter’s marriage.Do you believe Ying Ying’s ability to foresee the future to be a curse or a blessing? Please give specific examples to back up your argument.
My answer was that the telepathic skills were a negative. Ying Ying has a tendency to remain passive and let forecasted events befall her, sometimes even molding her actions around them, as she believes her life is in the palms of fate. Often times people (especially superstitious people like Ying Ying or people with OCD) have an ability to MAKE themselves see certain things or carry out certain actions that they believe it is necessary. Who knows if the visions were actually real or not? The point is, Ying Ying became so blind-sighted by them and obsessed that they had no choice but to come true. I was very impressed with the class responses to this question.
The majority of the class believed her skills to be negative or neutral toward negative, with a similar reasoning that Ying Ying tends to enforce her own predictions. "It is better to be ignorant because ignorance is bliss" (max?) exclaimed one student. Since the majority of Ying Ying's predictions are negative, why bear the bad news? If someone is going to die soon, would they really want to know when or how? A particularly insightful observation was that Ying Ying's obsession with the events she forecasts is very similar to traveling in a "light tunnel" (doug?) Even if good fortune were to come Ying Ying's way she'd be too focused on her doom to realize it, grab ahold and perhaps change her destiny for the better.
I had a total of three questions. Here are the two others I didn't get to:
1. The menacing shadow of a failed marriage is looming. This time, it’s Lena. In order to help her daughter deal with the denial and grief of ending matrimonial bliss, Ying Ying must confront the skeletons of her own failed marriages. Do you think Lena’s failed marriage could possibly be a disguised blessing, as it is allowing Ying Ying to finally rediscover her “tiger spirit” and save her daughter from a similar life that is lacking chi? (My answer is kind of mixed in with the question.)
2. From wild and arrogant gold to cautious, stealth black, Ying Ying has evolved through the stages of the tiger as she has triumphed and taken missteps in her life. Now, she claims to be a “tiger spirit,” unseen and fragile like a browned leaf. Do you think Ying Ying will ever revive her former spirit? If so, which side of the tiger would she be, gold or black? Please support your opinion with textual evidence.
In conclusion, the seminar was a lot of fun. Everyone was definitely really attentive and prepared for discussion. If you feel like answering one of my questions, leave a comment with the number of the question you chose. Thanks!
Morgan Holleran's Lit Seminar - "Double Face"
I felt that overall my Lit Seminar went very well even though the class was split up into 2 different groups that day. My passage was from "Double Face", on the Jong family. The excerpt i chose was on the bottom of page 298 to the top of page 299. It began with "After the first day..." and went to "... She was quite plump".
My first question was Do you think that Lindo and Waverly each having the same crooked nose shows something about their relationship and/or personalities? I believed that the crooked nose shows a different personality than most other people, and the fact that they have the same nose shows that even though they do not believe to be similar, this is proof. The nose is a physical trait that will always be there, no matter what they try to do to change it. My group discussion elaborated on this question very well, believing that this is a sign of similarity. Kat Huang described it in a way that everyone understood, and the people who spoke after her each believed the same as she did. She said that the physical appearance is a symbol for their like-ness, and they will always show the trait, which is proof of how they are so similar.
My next question was Because of the cultural difference between China and America, even though Waverly was brought up in a semi-Chinese culture, how do you think her personal life would have changed if she was brought up in China, or just in a more Chinese environment while still living in America? Do you think her relationship with her mother would be different if she was raised in China? My group decided that if Waverly had grown up in China, she would have not played chess, but she would have played a different game, because of her being such a prodigy at a young age. We agreed that she would still be succesful because of her dedication to the certain game she chose. Responding to the second portion of the question, we also agreed that her relationship with her mom wouldn't be so distant. Because of the cultural difference and beliefs between China and America, this is considered a main reason of their arguments, and that they dont always see eye-to-eye because of the social and cultural differences. If she had grown up in China, their beliefs would be much more similar, and this would most likely have eliminated most of their problems in the mother-daughter relationship.
How would you have answered the questions of you were in my group for this day? Or if you were, is there anything that you wanted to say but never did? A lso, do you have any other reactions of this discussion?
My first question was Do you think that Lindo and Waverly each having the same crooked nose shows something about their relationship and/or personalities? I believed that the crooked nose shows a different personality than most other people, and the fact that they have the same nose shows that even though they do not believe to be similar, this is proof. The nose is a physical trait that will always be there, no matter what they try to do to change it. My group discussion elaborated on this question very well, believing that this is a sign of similarity. Kat Huang described it in a way that everyone understood, and the people who spoke after her each believed the same as she did. She said that the physical appearance is a symbol for their like-ness, and they will always show the trait, which is proof of how they are so similar.
My next question was Because of the cultural difference between China and America, even though Waverly was brought up in a semi-Chinese culture, how do you think her personal life would have changed if she was brought up in China, or just in a more Chinese environment while still living in America? Do you think her relationship with her mother would be different if she was raised in China? My group decided that if Waverly had grown up in China, she would have not played chess, but she would have played a different game, because of her being such a prodigy at a young age. We agreed that she would still be succesful because of her dedication to the certain game she chose. Responding to the second portion of the question, we also agreed that her relationship with her mom wouldn't be so distant. Because of the cultural difference and beliefs between China and America, this is considered a main reason of their arguments, and that they dont always see eye-to-eye because of the social and cultural differences. If she had grown up in China, their beliefs would be much more similar, and this would most likely have eliminated most of their problems in the mother-daughter relationship.
How would you have answered the questions of you were in my group for this day? Or if you were, is there anything that you wanted to say but never did? A lso, do you have any other reactions of this discussion?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Nicole Masiello's Literary Seminar
I did my Literary Seminar on Jing-Mei Woo's "A Pair of Tickets". There wasn't as much discussion as other seminars due to the smaller groups, but I think many good points were raised and discussed. My first question was "why do you think Amy Tan chose for this to be the last story in the book? How does it add closure to the consistent theme of mother-daughter relationships?" Kelsey brought up a good point by saying it shows that even though they fight, they are still connected in the end. She also linked the meaning of Suyuan's name (long-cherished wish) and how Jing-Mei finally made that wish come true at the close of the book. Liz stated that it showed how much Jing-Mei would go through for her mother. Charlie brought up that Jing-Mei really was Suyuan's life importance because she was the one who made Suyuan's wishes come true, which I think was a really good point to bring the story to a close.
My second question was "by travelling back to China, what new understanding do you think June has about her mother and the relationship between her and her mother?" Aaron said that he thinks Jing-Mei finally realized that she is Chinese inside and out, like her mother had always told her when she tried to deny it in high school. Lisa thought that by travelling to China, Jing-Mei had discovered who she was more, and through that, discovered her mother even further. I really liked this statement because it unites all the references in the other Woo stories about how after her mother's death, Jing-Mei found herself possessing more and more traits that her mom had displayed. Liz pointed out that in China, June finally understood the magnitude of the problems her mom had faced, which explained Suyuan was so hard on Jing-Mei when she was growing up. Charlie also said that Jing-Mei was fixing these problems. I completely agree with what Liz said because the generation gap prevented her to fully comprehend her mother's stories, but witnessing it firsthand and meeting her Chinese family really gave her an idea of what Suyuan's life in China was like.
My second question was "by travelling back to China, what new understanding do you think June has about her mother and the relationship between her and her mother?" Aaron said that he thinks Jing-Mei finally realized that she is Chinese inside and out, like her mother had always told her when she tried to deny it in high school. Lisa thought that by travelling to China, Jing-Mei had discovered who she was more, and through that, discovered her mother even further. I really liked this statement because it unites all the references in the other Woo stories about how after her mother's death, Jing-Mei found herself possessing more and more traits that her mom had displayed. Liz pointed out that in China, June finally understood the magnitude of the problems her mom had faced, which explained Suyuan was so hard on Jing-Mei when she was growing up. Charlie also said that Jing-Mei was fixing these problems. I completely agree with what Liz said because the generation gap prevented her to fully comprehend her mother's stories, but witnessing it firsthand and meeting her Chinese family really gave her an idea of what Suyuan's life in China was like.
Megan Wallace's Literary Seminar
My seminar was on Rose Hsu Without Wood. The seminar was okay, my questions did not have a lot of discussion, but I did get enough information to sum up an answer. My first question was Is the appearance of nengkan apparent or more apparent in Rose in this chapter than in the last? If so, in what form do you see it? Well someone answered that Roses decision to want the house and go against Ted was an appearance of nengkan. That is what I thought it was too. Normally Rose does not really have nengkan, but now that she wants the house she has put her mind on it and will get it.
My second question was Why do you think it is that Rose does not have dreams anymore, unlike when she was growing up, but then suddenly has a nightmare? There was more of a discussion for this question, which had differebt answers. Some thought that she was not dreaming because she was sick or depressed, others thought the dream was her clearing her mind/head. The class also said the nightmare was her snapping awake and becoming appart of reality. Others said it was an explosion of tension that had built up over the strain of her marriage. All points make sense and I agree with them all.
My second question was Why do you think it is that Rose does not have dreams anymore, unlike when she was growing up, but then suddenly has a nightmare? There was more of a discussion for this question, which had differebt answers. Some thought that she was not dreaming because she was sick or depressed, others thought the dream was her clearing her mind/head. The class also said the nightmare was her snapping awake and becoming appart of reality. Others said it was an explosion of tension that had built up over the strain of her marriage. All points make sense and I agree with them all.
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