Balac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Reading Questions(2)

P. 21-41

Vocabulary-Synonym-Antonym
Prudent-cautious-careless
Pitiless-merciless-kind
Capricious-unpredictable-firm
Precarious-insecure-certain
Anthracite-the type of the coal-cannot be found
Livid-angry-delighted
Poultice-poultice-cannot be found

10. What details from the text suggest that the Chinese Seamstress is different form other people on the mountain?
The Chinese Seamstress is different from other people on the mountain because she wears shoes whereas the village people are barefoot. The author describes her as fine feet and ankles which show that maybe she does not do hard labor whereas the other villagers do. Also, the author describes her as wearing new clothing such as her white nylon socks and her hair tied with a brand new red silk ribbon which is in contrast to the clothing of the other villagers.
11. When the narrator asked Luo whether he has fallen in love with the Chinese Seamstress, Luo sternly report that “She’s not civilize, at least not enough for me.” What does this tell us bout Luo, his background, and his outlook on life?
Luo thinks that he is more civilized than her because he is from the city whereas she is from the country. He also has a higher education level than her. Moreover on page 25, Luo mentions that the mountain people were mostly illiterate. Luo asks her if she could read and she answers not much. From what I have read Luo seems to have a more modern outlook on life.
12. How is the time the boys spent in the copper mines symbolic of their education?
The coal mines were the symbolic of their reeducation because the coal mines were collectively owned by every body and were exploited to meet the local demand for fuel. So the boys were put through hard labor for the collective which is like the communist idea.
13.Why is the narrator convinced that it is Luo crying in the tunnel? What type of crying is Luo doing?
The narrator was convinced that it was Luo crying because Luo had told him before that he was going to die in this mine. Luo was crying like someone who was weeping with passionate abandonment.
14. When Luo falls sick with malaria he is revived by the affections of the Little Seamstress. Explain the 3 ways that she helps him through his sickness.
The seamstress first made medicine from a plant called “broken bowl shards.” Secondly, she invited sorceresses to come and keep vigil. Thirdly, she asked to perform a film to wake up Luo.
15. The story of The Little Flower Seller appears in the text several times as does the line, “A sincere heart can make even a stone blossom.” So tell me, was the flower girl’s heart lacking in sincerity? What meaning do you make out of these lines?
The sincere heart is the girl who went to extreme lengths to save her mom which is symbolized by the stone blossom. However, in the end, her mother still dies. The question is asking of the girl if did do enough or not.

Grammar and Usage Practice

1. Participle
When Mr. Niu who killede Youqing visited his grave, Jiazhen roared crying loudly with anger.
2. Absolute
Fugui was sitting in front of the gambling table, arm shaken, eyes closed.
3. Adjectives Shifted Out of Order
The daugther tried to wear the hat after she met Erxi in front of the mirror on the wall not moved and stucked.
4. Action Verbs
When the nurse shouts out that Fengxia is bleeding badly, Fugui and his wife rush into the room immediately.
5. Appositive
Mr. Niu, Fugui’s neighbor and a local town leader, is Fugui’s good friend and heps him in many ways.
6. Method for Painting Characters
1. By describing an action of the character: Yoouqing watched the shadow puppets which his father played.
2. By sharing specific speech of the character: “You owe me a life!”
3. By reporting what other characters say about the characters: Jiazhen said to her grandson, a little bun, “Such a good little boy.”
4. By explaining the traits and motives of the character: Youqing likes dumplings and meats.

Answer questions about "To Live"

1. Why do you think that the name of the movie is To Live?
Because it represents the life of one family which is deeply related to the time period of China and it shows us vicissitudes of the life.
2. How does the main character, Fugui, represent life in China during this time period?
Through the events Fugui has undergone. For example, he was a ruined landlord and captured by the nationalists party and also the communist party.
3. How specifically does Fugui’s wife, Jiaz, adapt to the changing time?
When her husband, Fugui was captured, she had to take care of the family alone. It might be difficult for her, but she tried to work hard not giving her life up.
4. In what ways did the loss of his house and fortune, ironically, become the best thing that ever happened to Fugui and his family?
If Fugui’s family kept living in that house, his family would be accused of being a landlord during the revolutionary period.
5. What do you think of Mr. Niu and what do you suppose happened to him hear the end?
I think Mr. Liu not only performed well as a town leader but also helped Fugui in many ways. However, it is likely to happen that he would be accused of counter-revolutionary activities.
6. How do the two children become victims of the political climate? Give specific examples.
Fugui’s son, Youqing was killed by the communist party, Chunsheng. Moreover, His daughter, Fengxia died from excessive bleeding because there were no doctors in the hospital. All doctors and experienced staffs were arrested. Even though Erxi brought a doctor from the prison, he was useless since he was sick after eating seven buns. Therefore, both of Fugui’s children were died by the fault which caused by Communism.
7. The Communist Revolution is widely seen to have been successful in raising living conditions for millions of Chinese peasants. Give some positive examples from the movie of improvements in living conditions and good results from the change in political system.
Through the public provision of meals, people could be fed equally and this provision could be a good method to get rid of hunger for poor people.
8. What is the final positive outcome for this one family? Expalin.
Even though some people who they loved were passed away, the remaining members: Fugui, Jiazhen, Whan Erxi and Fugui’s grandson would continue to live together taking good care of one another.
9. To Live was banned in China, and the director, Zhang Yimou, and the leading actress, Gong Li, were barred from filmmaking for two years. What specifically do you think that the Chinese government objected to? Give at least two or three examples.
In the movie, it was shown that Fugui was drafted by communists during the civil war between the communists and the capitalists. Furthermore, people could watch that some people are accused of being capitalists and landlords. These were the only reason that some people are accused. Therefore, those two happenings are unreasonable and show us that communists have trampled upon human right. If this fact were exposed by the movie, it would be unavoidable for Chinese government to become the focus of criticism. So, In my opinion, Chinese government was afraid of to be blamed by other countries.
10. Write your won movie review for this film.
This is a really impressive movie that I have never watched before. Especially, this movie contains diverse events during the revolutionary period so it reflects Chinese social systems and ideologies. Therefore, it helps us to understand that period of China. Furthermore, the actor, Ge You and the actress, Gong Li acted very well so that they could be rewarded in Cannes Film festival.
The last scene stays in my mind for a long time. The remaining three family members eat food happily and I felt that the calm impression spreads over my mind. They survived from hard and bitter times and have learned “to live.”

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Reading Questions(1)

Vocabulary-Synonym-Antonym
risible-ridiculous-foolish
surreptitious-secret, clandestine-open
sonata-composition-cannot be found
audacity-daring-cowardice
reactionary-conservative-radical
vertiginous-dizzy-stable
insidious-stealthy-straight forward

1. The opening section deals with Luo and the narrator’s arrival on the mountain where they are to be reeducated. What does the village headman assume about the violin? How do Luo and the narrator fool village? How does this establish the central conflict between the villagers and the boys who are to be reeducated?
The village headman assumes that the violin is a toy because he has never seen a violin before. Luo and the narrator fool the villagers by saying that the song the narrator was playing on his violin was called “Mozart is thinking of Chairman Mao.” They fool them because during that time, all western composers including Mozart was banned by the communists so if Luo and the narrator had told the villagers that what the narrator was going to play was Mozart’s music, they would have been persecuted. The central conflict between the villagers and boys was the violin and the music so the boys had to lie to hide the fact.

2. Summarize the events and key players in China’s revolution. How did the society change and what was the intended purpose?
Chairman Mao launched China’s Cultural Revolution with other communists in 1968. All universities were closed and all books were banned except Mao’s book. Moreover, students only learned the basics of industry and agriculture. Many people who were deemed intellectuals were sent to the countryside to be reeducated. People cannot be educated and were forced to follow communism otherwise they were subject to persecution.

3. Why is it ironic that Luo and the narrator are sent to be reeducated? Ho do their families’ occupations ad actions effect the boys?
It’s ironic that they were sent to be reeducated , even though the government labeled them “intellectuals”, they had only graduated from middle school. They were also “young intellectuals” because both of their parents were doctors. Moreover, Luo’s father was publically humiliated because he was accused of having an affair with a nurse. Therefore, these reasons caused the boys to be sent away.

4. Why does Luo punch the narrator after seeing his father under public, physical attack?
Luo was angry when he saw his father humiliated and seeing his best friend crying made him even angrier so he punched him.

5. What is the name of the mountain that the boys are banished to and why does the narrator suggest it is called by that name?
The name of the mountain was “Phoenix of the Sky.” The narrator suggests that it is called by this name because of the mountain’s great altitude where only mighty mythical creatures such as the phoenix could ever fly high enough to its’ peak.

6. In father Michel’s account of Phoenix of the Sky, he descries the mountain and its primary sources of income. What are they and what does it say about the economy?
The mountain’s primary sources of income are copper and opium which reflects their economic dependence on agriculture.

7. How do the boys use the technology from the city world to ease their burdens on the mountain? What does this tell us about their characters?
They sneaked in an alarm clock where all the villagers depended on to know the time. Luo, not wanting to wake up and do hard labor would readjust the time which eased the boys physically and mentally. This action reflects their intelligence and resourcefulness.

8. How long does reeducation typically last? Why are Luo and the narrator especially despondent about their reeducation?
Reeducation typically lasts two years. Even though the official time was two years, for the sons and daughters of families classed as enemies of the people such as Luo and the narrator, the chances to return to hone was three in a thousand.

9. What is Luo’s gift? How does he put it to use in the village? Predict why the narrator says this gift will lead to complications.
Luo’s gift was telling stories, and Luo entertained the village with his stories which stemmed from films he had seen in the cinema. The villagers were so entertained by his stories that the headman would send them to watch films so they re tell the story to villagers after watching the film. The narrator thought that this might cause complications because they would experience something that influences their lives greatly.

Apply 3 of the Methods of Integration

Apply 3 of the Methods of Integration
October 2, 2008
A2, Grace Hong
① According to Wang Lung’s uncle’s wife, “Now, Wang Lung is seeking to pluck a flower somewhere.”

② In “Well, and I have seen many a man,” Wang Lung’s uncle’s wife explains the reason for his strange behavior when she says, “and when one smooths his hair and buys new clothes and will have his shoes velvet all of a sudden, then there is a new woman and that is sure.”

③ Wang Lung’s uncle’s wife pretended to refuse Wang Lung’s offer when she loudly whispered that “No, and I will not. We are one family and you are my son and I am your mother and this I do for you and not for silver.”

The notes for Integrating Quotations in Compositions

September, 30, 2008
A2, Grace Hong
Intro.
Think of quotations as helium balloons. If you let go of a helium balloon, it flies away. In a similar way, if you use a quotations all by itself in your writing (without “holding it down” with an explaining sentence)
That quotation will seem disconnected from your own thoughts and from the flow of your sentences.

IMPORTANT!

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- Any sentence/paragraph/phrase/words taken word for word from the novel (or other book, magazine, article)
- It does not mean only things in a novel which are said by a character.

There are at least four ways to integrate quotations.
1. Introduce the quotation with a complete sentence and a colon.
Ex. Thoreau ends his essay with a metaphor: "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in."

a. This is an easy rule to remember: if you use a complete sentence to introduce a quotation, you need a colon after the sentence.
b. Be careful not to confuse a colon (:) with a semicolon (;).
c. Using a comma in this situation will most likely create a comma splice, one of the serious sentence-boundary errors.

2. Use an introductory or explanatory phrase, but not a complete sentence, separated from the quotation with a comma.
Ex. According to Thoreau, "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us."

Remember:
a. You should use a comma to separate your own words from the quotation when your introductory or explanatory phrase ends with a verb such as "says," "said," "thinks," "believes," "pondered," "recalls," "questions," and "asks," and many more.
b. You should also use a comma when you introduce a quotation with a phrase such as “According to Thoreau.”

3. Make the quotation a part of your own sentence without any punctuation between your own words and the words you are quoting.
Ex. Thoreau argues that "shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous."

Reminder:
a. Notice that the word "that" is used in three of the examples above, and when it is used as it is in the examples, "that" replaces that comma which would be necessary without "that" in the sentence.
b. You usually have a choice, then, when you begin a sentence with a phrase such as "Thoreau says." You either can add a comma after “says” (Thoreau says, “quotation”) or you can add the word “that” with no comma (Thoreau says that “quotation.”)

4. Use short quotations--only a few words--as part of your own sentence.
Ex. Although Thoreau "drinks at" the stream of Time, he can "detect how shallow it is."

Remember:
a. When you integrate quotations in this way, you do not use any special punctuation.
b. Instead, you should punctuate the sentence just as you would if all of the words were your own.
c. No punctuation is needed in the sentences above in part because the sentences do not follow the pattern explained under number 1 and 2 above: there is not a complete sentences in front of the quotations, and a word such as “says,” “said,” or “asks,” does not appear directly in front of the quoted words.

All of the methods above for integrating quotations are correct, but you should avoid relying too much on just one method. You should instead use a variety of methods.


-Notice that there are only tow punctuation marks that are used to introduce quotations:
The comma (,) and the colon (:)
Note that a semicolon (;) is not used to introduce quotations.