For my lit seminar, I read Waverly Jong- "Rules of the Game". The seminar went great and I want to thank everyone who participated. It moved along fast and almost everyone had something to say. My questions were easily answered, and the responses I got from my classmates were relevant and well thought out. I thought the responses to my questions were great, so I put my question and the class answers below.
My first question was: How do you think Waverly's mom would have reacted if Waverly lost a big match? If Waverly lost do you think she would have given up?
Everyone agreed that Waverly's mom would have been upset and disappointed. She would have been embarrassed also because she had bragged so much about Waverly that if she lost, her mom wouldn't know what to do. The class also said that Waverly's mom would be crushed because winning the chess matches became almost like her dream, in a way, and she was really proud of Waverly. Most of the class said that if Waverly lost a match, she would stop playing chess and get involved in something else. Other people said that Waverly would stop playing because her mom was the one pushing her to keep playing, and Waverly didn't care if she played or not. I think those are good answers, but I came up different answer. I thought that if Waverly lost, she would have not stopped playing, but instead think about what she did wrong, and try to improve her strategies.
My second question was: How would the plot be affected if Waverly never met Lao Po?
My classmates responded by saying that Waverly would have never gotten better. Before meeting Lao Po, Waverly would play with her brothers, who were beginners, and Waverly never learned much by playing with them. But after meeting Lao Po and seeing his strategies, she was able to pick up many things. Another person brought up the fact that if Waverly never met Lao Po, she would have not gotten into any competitons, changing the plot completely. I agree with all of these answers, and all of them give me a better understanding of the story.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Jess Russo's Lit Seminar -St. Clair
For my literary seminar I read the story of "A Voice From the Wall" Lena St. Clair. My questions for the inquiry section were pretty challenging and really made people think which is why I believe they took a while to answer. Overall, the seminar went smoothly :)
After a little while of deep thought and referring back to the text, the first question I asked recieved the most feedback from the class.
The question was:
Ying Ying rearranges the furniture settings in the St. Clair’s new house several times claiming things felt “off balance”. What do you think the rearranging of the furniture conveys about Ying Ying and how she deals with seeing fear in everything in her future?
The class's responce was very close to my own, adding insightful thoughts and ideas to the topic.
I believe she tends to run away from pain and try to escape it somehow. This happened when Lena let go of her mother’s hand in the supermarket and she later regretted that she did not protect her daughter better. She is constantly telling Lena to stay away from “risky” situations or any situation that may lead to danger. This is Ying Ying’s way of teaching Lena to run away from fearful situations that can end with danger, pain, or a sacrifice of some kind.
The class agreed by saying that Ying Ying has trouble confronting the problem head on and facing her fears. The idea was also brought up that there was a reoccurring theme in which the St. Clair family seemed to be stuck in the middle of multiple situations. They are constantly finding themselves out of place and stuck between two worlds throughout the story.
After a little while of deep thought and referring back to the text, the first question I asked recieved the most feedback from the class.
The question was:
Ying Ying rearranges the furniture settings in the St. Clair’s new house several times claiming things felt “off balance”. What do you think the rearranging of the furniture conveys about Ying Ying and how she deals with seeing fear in everything in her future?
The class's responce was very close to my own, adding insightful thoughts and ideas to the topic.
I believe she tends to run away from pain and try to escape it somehow. This happened when Lena let go of her mother’s hand in the supermarket and she later regretted that she did not protect her daughter better. She is constantly telling Lena to stay away from “risky” situations or any situation that may lead to danger. This is Ying Ying’s way of teaching Lena to run away from fearful situations that can end with danger, pain, or a sacrifice of some kind.
The class agreed by saying that Ying Ying has trouble confronting the problem head on and facing her fears. The idea was also brought up that there was a reoccurring theme in which the St. Clair family seemed to be stuck in the middle of multiple situations. They are constantly finding themselves out of place and stuck between two worlds throughout the story.
Lena St. Clair ~Alyson Auriemma~ p.105
My lit seminar was spanned over the course of two days due to the delayed opening. I think that the first day of my seminar went really well. On the first day we only had time to cover one of my questions. That question was :
Amy Tan used the expression pulled through the wall twice in this chapter, in the beginning and at the end what do you think she meant by this statement?
This question took up all the time i had on the first day. The class had diverse definitions; one person said that the side they were being pulled through to was a worse side than the side they were pulled from. Another person interpreted it as being pulled into someone else's shoes. Another one of my class mates stated that the wall is a metaphor for understanding. I agree with all of these statements. Especially with the one about understanding. That one side could be really bad because you do not understand, but once you go to the other side you understand it is much worse than taking the heat without understanding.
My third question was:
How is the dad in a misplaced state in the family?
What I really should have said was:
Which member of the family do you think is the most misplaced and why?
Many people, even though I said father, disagreed and said that the mother was the most misplaced. Some people also said that Lena was the most misplaced and stuck in the middle of two worlds; her mother's Chinese world and her father's American world.
Please state who you think is the most misplaced give a reason too.
My second question was:
What was the significance of the little girl in this chapter?
This question was on the second day and was the very first thing asked. I do not know if people were just tired or did not understand the question but it unfortunately did not spark a lot of conversation. I will try rephrasing the question now and if this makes any more sense comment your ideas and get some extra credit!:
The little girl in this chapter played a large role in Lena's life. She played a large role even though she only talks to her once. How does this little girl help Lena understand the death of her grandfather better by grasping the concept of being pulled through the wall?
I have one more question that i did not ask in my seminar but i think it is a good question:
Lena has a relationship with both of her parents; which parent do you think that Lena has a better relationship and why and why is the relationship with the other not as great. Does Lena's relation ship with either parent remind you of another relationship in this book? Explain.
I personally like this question and thought i was too long for class, but i wish i used it. Please comment your thoughts and ideas about this question.
Amy Tan used the expression pulled through the wall twice in this chapter, in the beginning and at the end what do you think she meant by this statement?
This question took up all the time i had on the first day. The class had diverse definitions; one person said that the side they were being pulled through to was a worse side than the side they were pulled from. Another person interpreted it as being pulled into someone else's shoes. Another one of my class mates stated that the wall is a metaphor for understanding. I agree with all of these statements. Especially with the one about understanding. That one side could be really bad because you do not understand, but once you go to the other side you understand it is much worse than taking the heat without understanding.
My third question was:
How is the dad in a misplaced state in the family?
What I really should have said was:
Which member of the family do you think is the most misplaced and why?
Many people, even though I said father, disagreed and said that the mother was the most misplaced. Some people also said that Lena was the most misplaced and stuck in the middle of two worlds; her mother's Chinese world and her father's American world.
Please state who you think is the most misplaced give a reason too.
My second question was:
What was the significance of the little girl in this chapter?
This question was on the second day and was the very first thing asked. I do not know if people were just tired or did not understand the question but it unfortunately did not spark a lot of conversation. I will try rephrasing the question now and if this makes any more sense comment your ideas and get some extra credit!:
The little girl in this chapter played a large role in Lena's life. She played a large role even though she only talks to her once. How does this little girl help Lena understand the death of her grandfather better by grasping the concept of being pulled through the wall?
I have one more question that i did not ask in my seminar but i think it is a good question:
Lena has a relationship with both of her parents; which parent do you think that Lena has a better relationship and why and why is the relationship with the other not as great. Does Lena's relation ship with either parent remind you of another relationship in this book? Explain.
I personally like this question and thought i was too long for class, but i wish i used it. Please comment your thoughts and ideas about this question.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Rose Hsu Jordan- Kelsey's Seminar
I thought the class participated really well for my seminar and I really enjoyed the insight everyone had of my chapter. You guys had some really great points, and really understood the section. My first question was: How does Rose’s family rely on their Nengkan in this story? Do you think that her parents’ Nengkan has more to do with faith or fate? Most people agreed that Nengkan is the combination of having faith in one's fate. Someone also made the connection between the Hsu's Nengkan is similar to the Jong's invisible strength. My favorite comment was when someone mentioned An-mei's treatment of her Bible and that she uses it as a tool to keep balance in their lives by wedging it underneath a wobbly table to make it stable. I thought this was especially insightful and explained why An-mei kept the Bible clean even though it is placed this way. My next discussion question was: Do you think Rose’s Chinese heritage or the American culture she grew up in has a greater impact on this story? Some people believed that since Rose and her family's Nengkan played such a large role in the story, that her Chinese heritage had a larger role. Most of the class, however, agreed that it was the mix of the two cultures complemented each other much like the light and dark side of the yin-yang. Many people also believed that Nengkan is represented in many different stories. While it may be called by another name, this idea is not specifically Chinese.
"Scar"- An-mei Hsu--> Sam Levy
Thanks to everyone for participating in my literary seminar! =] The answers to my inquiry questions were very insightful, and they helped to make me understand not only the different views of different readers, but also some new ideas of symbolism throughout the chapter.
Here are my two questions, and the answers I recieved during the seminar:
1. In the chapter why does An-mei’s mother sacrifice her own skin for Popo, An-mei’s dying grandmother? What do you think this symbolizes?
As a class, we agreed on a few main ideas for this question. First, we believed that An-mei's mother sacrifices her skin for Popo just purely because it was an ancient Chinese tradition. As well, even though An-mei's mother is seen as a "ghost" to Popo (An-mei's grandmother), An-mei's mother realizes that by not sacrificing her own skin, she would be even more shunned from the family. Some people in the discussion believed that An-mei's mother still loved and cared for Popo, even though she left. Other people thought that the mother did it more for An-mei, to show that she still cared.
Her physical sacrifice of her own flesh symbolizes how generous her sacrifice was for her mother. If one were to try to expunge one's mother from oneself, one might as well cut off one's flesh. To understand one's mother, one must take the biggest risk of all--looking deep within. The situation also questions what sacrifice is really about. An-mei's mother sacrifices her very flesh, but her sacrifice can revive neither Popo nor their mother-daughter relationship.
2. Do you believe that the sacrifice was for Popo or for An-mei’s mother’s own benefit? Explain.
As a class, we seemed to be torn over this question. About half of the class believed that the sacrafice was purley for Popo. An-mei's mother wanted to show that she loved her mother, and that she would accomplish any thing in her power to save Popo, whether Popo cared or not. Perhaps it was An-mei's mother's way of apoligizing to Popo for her wrong actions from the past.
The other half of the class believed that the sacrifice was actually just for An-mei's mother's own benefit. No matter how deeply An-mei’s mother scared her own arm though, she not can heal An-mei's physical scar or her emotional scars. Perhaps the sacrifice is more for the person who sacrifices (in this case, An-mei's mother) than she for whom it is made (Popo and An-mei), since it allows her to resolve her own guilt over two acts she cannot take back: disgracing her mother and abandoning her daughter.
At the end of the discussion, Ms. Wrede, as well as a few other students, noticed a form of symbolism that I had missed when reading the chapter. An-mei is burned by the soup at the beginning of the chapter when her mother is leaving (=pain). At the end of the chapter An-mei's mother puts her flesh into the soup to try to heal Popo (=healing). Perhaps the soup is a symbol of An-mei and her mother's relationship. The soup burns and the soup cleanses.
*What are your opinions on the soup? What do you think about its symbolism?
Here are my two questions, and the answers I recieved during the seminar:
1. In the chapter why does An-mei’s mother sacrifice her own skin for Popo, An-mei’s dying grandmother? What do you think this symbolizes?
As a class, we agreed on a few main ideas for this question. First, we believed that An-mei's mother sacrifices her skin for Popo just purely because it was an ancient Chinese tradition. As well, even though An-mei's mother is seen as a "ghost" to Popo (An-mei's grandmother), An-mei's mother realizes that by not sacrificing her own skin, she would be even more shunned from the family. Some people in the discussion believed that An-mei's mother still loved and cared for Popo, even though she left. Other people thought that the mother did it more for An-mei, to show that she still cared.
Her physical sacrifice of her own flesh symbolizes how generous her sacrifice was for her mother. If one were to try to expunge one's mother from oneself, one might as well cut off one's flesh. To understand one's mother, one must take the biggest risk of all--looking deep within. The situation also questions what sacrifice is really about. An-mei's mother sacrifices her very flesh, but her sacrifice can revive neither Popo nor their mother-daughter relationship.
2. Do you believe that the sacrifice was for Popo or for An-mei’s mother’s own benefit? Explain.
As a class, we seemed to be torn over this question. About half of the class believed that the sacrafice was purley for Popo. An-mei's mother wanted to show that she loved her mother, and that she would accomplish any thing in her power to save Popo, whether Popo cared or not. Perhaps it was An-mei's mother's way of apoligizing to Popo for her wrong actions from the past.
The other half of the class believed that the sacrifice was actually just for An-mei's mother's own benefit. No matter how deeply An-mei’s mother scared her own arm though, she not can heal An-mei's physical scar or her emotional scars. Perhaps the sacrifice is more for the person who sacrifices (in this case, An-mei's mother) than she for whom it is made (Popo and An-mei), since it allows her to resolve her own guilt over two acts she cannot take back: disgracing her mother and abandoning her daughter.
At the end of the discussion, Ms. Wrede, as well as a few other students, noticed a form of symbolism that I had missed when reading the chapter. An-mei is burned by the soup at the beginning of the chapter when her mother is leaving (=pain). At the end of the chapter An-mei's mother puts her flesh into the soup to try to heal Popo (=healing). Perhaps the soup is a symbol of An-mei and her mother's relationship. The soup burns and the soup cleanses.
*What are your opinions on the soup? What do you think about its symbolism?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Jing-Mei Woo ~ Ann Kenny's Lit Sem
Thank you all for participating and moving my discussion along quickly. Everyone had something relevant and insightful to add. The answers that were given, I took out of class to further my understanding of the passage I chose. So thank you again. Below are the two questions discussed in class, along with the answers that I received during my seminar.
1. From reading Suyuan Woo's story of her day in Kweilin, and comprehending the tone given, do you feel her experiences there had a major effect on her life later on? How about her death?
As a class, we all agreed that Suyuan’s experience in Kweilin tremendously affect her life later, which was clearly expressed through her parenting. Another indication that Kweilin affected Suyuan Woo was through her storytelling. Included in Suyuan’s story, was the abandonment of her first two children. We discussed that the particular incident impacted her so immensely, that her concern for Jing-Mei was a direct result. Although the medical reasons for Suyuan’s death are ambiguous, we did infer a possible cause of death. Because it is stated that she died of her thoughts, perhaps the grief over her children was a major cause of her death.
2. Experiences in life affect who you are, and shape you as a person. Perhaps one feels that Suyuan Woo raised her daughter in a unique way due to her understanding of life. Do you feel that Jing-Mei Woo harbors resentment torwards her mother's understanding of life --> methods of parenting?
The class, as a whole, did not feel that Jing-Mei felt any resentment towards her mother’s way of raising her, instead come confusion. Jing –Mei was not truly sure who her mother was, but she did know her of past – whish affected Jing-Mei. Jing-Mei also says that Her mother stories casted shadows into her life as well, but there is no indication of resentment.
1. From reading Suyuan Woo's story of her day in Kweilin, and comprehending the tone given, do you feel her experiences there had a major effect on her life later on? How about her death?
As a class, we all agreed that Suyuan’s experience in Kweilin tremendously affect her life later, which was clearly expressed through her parenting. Another indication that Kweilin affected Suyuan Woo was through her storytelling. Included in Suyuan’s story, was the abandonment of her first two children. We discussed that the particular incident impacted her so immensely, that her concern for Jing-Mei was a direct result. Although the medical reasons for Suyuan’s death are ambiguous, we did infer a possible cause of death. Because it is stated that she died of her thoughts, perhaps the grief over her children was a major cause of her death.
2. Experiences in life affect who you are, and shape you as a person. Perhaps one feels that Suyuan Woo raised her daughter in a unique way due to her understanding of life. Do you feel that Jing-Mei Woo harbors resentment torwards her mother's understanding of life --> methods of parenting?
The class, as a whole, did not feel that Jing-Mei felt any resentment towards her mother’s way of raising her, instead come confusion. Jing –Mei was not truly sure who her mother was, but she did know her of past – whish affected Jing-Mei. Jing-Mei also says that Her mother stories casted shadows into her life as well, but there is no indication of resentment.
Lindo Jong: The Red Candle- C-Rod's seminar
1. Do you think Lindo Jong's reasoning, after learning she was to be with Tyan-yu forever, was the sign of an intellignt mind or a desperate mind?
I believe Lindo Jong's reasoning was that of a desperate mind, which showed her intelligent mind, as many said throughout Chris' seminar. At first Lindo Jong brings up a thought of "throwing [her] body into [the Fen River]" (Tan 53) which she heard countless stories of it eating children and swallowing homes, but then she realizes something else. She stares into the mirror and finds someone deeper in her that she had not seen before. She finds a confident and intelligent young woman in herself. At that moment you can start to see the intelligent side of her, which was brought out by the desperate side willing to do anythign to get her out of the marriage.
2. In previous pages, Lindo Jong states that she thought the Huang family dear to her. Do you believe she meant it, or do you believe the promise she made to her mother made her feel that way? Why?
At first I believe Lindo Jong finds the Huang family dear to her because of the promise she made to her mother of not disgracing the family, but as time goes on, you learn she has forgotten the promise and just feels as though she never had another family. On page 51 Lindo Jong finds she actually enjoys working for the Huangs, and she also states she has never felt any better. So i believe she actually finds the Huangs to be dear to her only because of the promise she makes to her mother. There is also evidence of this because later in the story, Lindo Jong finds a way to get out of the marriage without disgracing her family.
I believe Lindo Jong's reasoning was that of a desperate mind, which showed her intelligent mind, as many said throughout Chris' seminar. At first Lindo Jong brings up a thought of "throwing [her] body into [the Fen River]" (Tan 53) which she heard countless stories of it eating children and swallowing homes, but then she realizes something else. She stares into the mirror and finds someone deeper in her that she had not seen before. She finds a confident and intelligent young woman in herself. At that moment you can start to see the intelligent side of her, which was brought out by the desperate side willing to do anythign to get her out of the marriage.
2. In previous pages, Lindo Jong states that she thought the Huang family dear to her. Do you believe she meant it, or do you believe the promise she made to her mother made her feel that way? Why?
At first I believe Lindo Jong finds the Huang family dear to her because of the promise she made to her mother of not disgracing the family, but as time goes on, you learn she has forgotten the promise and just feels as though she never had another family. On page 51 Lindo Jong finds she actually enjoys working for the Huangs, and she also states she has never felt any better. So i believe she actually finds the Huangs to be dear to her only because of the promise she makes to her mother. There is also evidence of this because later in the story, Lindo Jong finds a way to get out of the marriage without disgracing her family.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Ying-Ying St. Clair - Max's Seminar
To everyone who participated good job except for someone who always raised his or her hand without actually having a comment. It was funny at first, but then it got annoying. Anyways back on topic.
To everyone who went so far: We are done!
1. How do you think the experiences of the Moon Lady Festival affect her somber outlook on life? Do you think that the revelation that the Moon Lady was really a man had any affect on her?
The main thing that most of us could agree on was that it showed the audience how young and unknowing Ying-Ying really was. It showed her as a simple girl who was just realizing for the first time the complexity of the world. She is similar to Pip in that manner. Pip realized early on in his life that he was a simple boy, relatively new to the world and hardly knowing anything beyond what directly pertains to everyday life. We compared him to St. Clair and found that they are very similar.
2. Do you think that her outlook on life will change, or do you believe she will remain with a disheartened attitude for the rest of her role in the story? Why?
By the time we got to this question the period was almost over. However we did get to discuss this question a little. One of the things that was said was that she will act a little less trusting and be more suspicious of things, unsure if they truly are what they appear to be. Another thing that was discussed was that she will remained disheartened, a little saddened.
Good luck everyone else, writing this was loads of fun.
To everyone who went so far: We are done!
1. How do you think the experiences of the Moon Lady Festival affect her somber outlook on life? Do you think that the revelation that the Moon Lady was really a man had any affect on her?
The main thing that most of us could agree on was that it showed the audience how young and unknowing Ying-Ying really was. It showed her as a simple girl who was just realizing for the first time the complexity of the world. She is similar to Pip in that manner. Pip realized early on in his life that he was a simple boy, relatively new to the world and hardly knowing anything beyond what directly pertains to everyday life. We compared him to St. Clair and found that they are very similar.
2. Do you think that her outlook on life will change, or do you believe she will remain with a disheartened attitude for the rest of her role in the story? Why?
By the time we got to this question the period was almost over. However we did get to discuss this question a little. One of the things that was said was that she will act a little less trusting and be more suspicious of things, unsure if they truly are what they appear to be. Another thing that was discussed was that she will remained disheartened, a little saddened.
Good luck everyone else, writing this was loads of fun.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Jing-Mei Woo: Joy Luck Club (Lisa's Seminar)
The first story of Joy Luck Club is an interesting introduction and in my seminar I focused a lot on the cultural barrier that blocked Jing-Mei Woo and her mother, Suyuan, and made them so distant from each other. The passage I chose magnifies the communication barrier and cultural gap between mother and daughter. The passage tells how Suyuan spoke Chinese to her daughter, amplifying the translation struggle between the two. The link between the languages that each woman spoke brought up some good points, and I thought that a lot of people had really good contributions to the first "Woo" seminar. Liz said that because both women "speak different languages," figuratively and literally, it makes it really difficult for them to understand one another. Also, Charlie added that Jing-Mei would speak to her mother in English but Suyuan would answer in Chinese, which shows a lot about each character and their "failed translations."
I also asked if beginning the book from the perception of one of the Americanized daughters, rather then a mother, was effective in presenting theme and introducing the meaning of the book. Personally, I thought that Amy Tan did a great job of introducing the themes of cultural barrier and power of dreams and expectations. Like Shawn said, it shows the impact of the mother's stories and struggles on their daughters. Amy Tan tells Suyuan's story through Jing-Mei and presents an account of regrets and lost dreams. I thought it served as a really powerful opening, serving as almost a "story within a story" as Ms. Wrede said. I agree with Alyson, that this introduction was subtle and relateable and allowed for an easy transition into the book. Also, the first story shows a lot about the characters, their cultures, and wishes. I thought Kelsey had a good point, she said that Suyuan and Jing-Mei's expectations show that they're actually very similar. Then, Nikki made some effective comments, comparing Jing-Mei and Suyuan's expectations to Pip in Great Expectations.
There were so many other good comments and contributions in the seminar, so I'm really sorry if I missed you. I really liked this introduction into Joy Luck Club, I thought it was effective in introducing theme, characters, symbols, and the plot. Comment, to tell me what you thought of it =]
I also asked if beginning the book from the perception of one of the Americanized daughters, rather then a mother, was effective in presenting theme and introducing the meaning of the book. Personally, I thought that Amy Tan did a great job of introducing the themes of cultural barrier and power of dreams and expectations. Like Shawn said, it shows the impact of the mother's stories and struggles on their daughters. Amy Tan tells Suyuan's story through Jing-Mei and presents an account of regrets and lost dreams. I thought it served as a really powerful opening, serving as almost a "story within a story" as Ms. Wrede said. I agree with Alyson, that this introduction was subtle and relateable and allowed for an easy transition into the book. Also, the first story shows a lot about the characters, their cultures, and wishes. I thought Kelsey had a good point, she said that Suyuan and Jing-Mei's expectations show that they're actually very similar. Then, Nikki made some effective comments, comparing Jing-Mei and Suyuan's expectations to Pip in Great Expectations.
There were so many other good comments and contributions in the seminar, so I'm really sorry if I missed you. I really liked this introduction into Joy Luck Club, I thought it was effective in introducing theme, characters, symbols, and the plot. Comment, to tell me what you thought of it =]
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Joy Luck Club Jong Seminar (chris's seminar)
I would like to start by thanking you all for participating and keeping it going... I was more then a little nervous my seminar would move slowly...is probably the most politically correct terminolgy. There were a few points I would like to mention that really stuck to me and I think they stuck with the class as a whole, or were large points of contoversy.
At the beginning of the passage Lindo says she kept her promise, from earlier we know the promise to be obeying her new family, and being a faithful wife who doesn’t disgrace her old family, and does she really, fully keep this promise? (keep in mind the Huangs asked her not to tell anyone about her doomed marriage…one that she doomed herself)
Question One: It surprised me slightly we all agreed she kept her promise, but the points brought up truely supported it: Lindo never did tell anyone about why she takes ff the bracelets on the Festival of Pure Light, the day she had her "vision". Furthermore it was brought up she kept it more then was meant to in that she was a good wife while living with the family, but she also knew her husband wouldn't have children and thus found him someone already with a child. The braceltets turned out to be a big discussion point: we mentioned how the bracelets not only were metaphors for her freedom but also for her past that wasnt free.
Lindo says that she later heard the servant girl that replaced her was so struck with this miracle of marrying Tyan-yu, do you believe Lindo believed it was a miracle? Does the servant girl really believe it’s a miracle?
Question Two: We all believed the servant girl did see this as a miracle, or at least not a curse: It was brought up that in this time period an illigitamate child probably would not be too well off in society, and that this is protection for the child in a stable,rich family, and no one calling him a "bastard" However on the other hand it was said that we have no idea if the delieverary man would have recognized the son and married. The servant girl may have wanted to live a struggling life with someone she clearly loved as compared to someone who she took as an option to keep the child safe.
These are just the strongest points that I could note, and I believe them all to have merit and logic, so feel free to add on or argue these points out.
At the beginning of the passage Lindo says she kept her promise, from earlier we know the promise to be obeying her new family, and being a faithful wife who doesn’t disgrace her old family, and does she really, fully keep this promise? (keep in mind the Huangs asked her not to tell anyone about her doomed marriage…one that she doomed herself)
Question One: It surprised me slightly we all agreed she kept her promise, but the points brought up truely supported it: Lindo never did tell anyone about why she takes ff the bracelets on the Festival of Pure Light, the day she had her "vision". Furthermore it was brought up she kept it more then was meant to in that she was a good wife while living with the family, but she also knew her husband wouldn't have children and thus found him someone already with a child. The braceltets turned out to be a big discussion point: we mentioned how the bracelets not only were metaphors for her freedom but also for her past that wasnt free.
Lindo says that she later heard the servant girl that replaced her was so struck with this miracle of marrying Tyan-yu, do you believe Lindo believed it was a miracle? Does the servant girl really believe it’s a miracle?
Question Two: We all believed the servant girl did see this as a miracle, or at least not a curse: It was brought up that in this time period an illigitamate child probably would not be too well off in society, and that this is protection for the child in a stable,rich family, and no one calling him a "bastard" However on the other hand it was said that we have no idea if the delieverary man would have recognized the son and married. The servant girl may have wanted to live a struggling life with someone she clearly loved as compared to someone who she took as an option to keep the child safe.
These are just the strongest points that I could note, and I believe them all to have merit and logic, so feel free to add on or argue these points out.
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