Feng: M. Butterfly

The story starts around a French diplomat, Gallimard and a Chinese Peking opera singer, Song.  In the beginning, they work together for an opera, Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. Song acts Cho-Cho-San, the tragic oriental young lady who is known as “butterfly” in this classical opera. In fact, as a lot of other singers for female characters in Peking opera, Song is a man. He acts and sings as a female when he shows in the Peking operas. However, in his real life, he also pretends to be an oriental young lady. He tries to be a perfect woman for Gallimard to love with, because he works for Chinese government and plans to get political information from Gallimard.

As an oriental beautiful lady, Song and Cho-Cho-San are kind of like. Both of them are growing under the similar oriental culture. Not only the oriental society puts them and all other women down than man; but also they follow the traditional training and innocently grow to be slaves for man. Both of them are weak oriental women who need to be protected. Within the background of the opera, Song’s well done of the acting and singing brings out the spirit of the character who known as “Butterfly”. Meanwhile, the characters of Cho-Cho-San add Song the oriental weak and tragic beauty. Through Song’s acting, Gallimard feels more the spirits of Cho-Cho-San. Moreover, he finds himself more form Song, because he thinks that he had found his perfect woman who he can love and who he can protect as he can protect the butterfly from the classical tragical opera.  

Because of the background of the opera, Madame Butterfly; because of Song’s well acting on Cho-Cho-San; because of Song’s good pretending, finally Gallimard falls in love with Song, and he trusts his own love. He lives with Song and he even believes that Song has bore a boy for him. After their separating in China and back together in Paris, for his perfect woman and his loving son, he spies for China. However, how he could image that his perfect woman, who he has loving for 20 years, is a man? At the end, he is arrested and is sent to a court where he just gets to know that Song is a man. After the court, when he is arrested with Song in a same jail, he does not have any courage to face Song’s body. He does not want to realize that his love one, his butterfly is a man. For so many years he lives with his own imagination.

At the beginning, Gallimard believes that Song is his butterfly who is weak and tragic oriental woman; Song is a perfect woman to him; Song needs his love and protection; Song needs to be saved. Nevertheless, 20 years later he finds that he only loves and lives with his own imagination for so many years. He finally finds that he is the real tragic role in his real life. He never finds his love, and he is utilized. He is the real tragic one, the tragic butterfly.

As the story goes to the end, Gallimard finds he is the real tragic butterfly, but how about Song? Does Song still proud with his pretending? (He was ever proud with his successful acting. After he getting Gallimard’s trust and let him to believe that he has pregnant for Gallimard, he said the reason for why for the oriental opera always male acts being female is because male know female will how to react with male.) In so many years, does Song even feel love with Gallimard? When he is arrested back to China, what is from his eyes when he sits in the plane and knows that at that time Gallimard was faced the punishments for his spying? At that moment what will be in his mind or what he would think about his life? Is “Life is like a drama, and drama is like life.” the only sentence he could think about in his mind?

Zena: Woman Warrior, "White Tigers"

Important terms and characters:

• Ideograph - a symbol that represents an idea
• Drinking gourd - a dried and then hollowed-out melon or squash, often oddly shaped, that can be used as a drinking vessel
• Baron - socially and economically, the most important group of landowners—next to a country’s ruler—during feudal times.
• Brave Orchid – Maxine Hong Kingston’s Mother
• Fa Mu Lan – A character in the Chinese Folk story derived from “The Ballad of Mu-lan”. This woman warrior fights in place of her father when he is drafted into the emperor’s army and returns home to her family and resumes her normal life after battle.

 

   The “White Tigers” chapter opens up with Kingston saying that she was taught that she could be more than a wife or slave. She remembers how her mother, Brave Orchid, would talk story about the woman warrior Fa Mu Lan. Kingston then fantasizes about being Fa Mu Lan.

      She follows a bird up a mountain until she reaches a hut. There, an old couple tells her that if she stays with them for fifteen years they will train her to become a woman warrior. She would then return to her village and avenge her village against the baron and robbers. She agrees to stay and for fifteen years she undergoes intensive training, both physically and mentally. She spent years trying to survive the forest of the white tigers.

      While she is away, Kingston watches her family from a water gourd that the old man gave her. She sees her wedding ceremony and later her brother and husband being conscripted into the army by the baron. She wants to go help them but she can’t leave until she is 22 and ready.

      When the old couple tells her she is ready to leave, they give her powerful beads. She returns to her parents with the vow to go and fight the baron's army. Early in the morning, her parents take her and carve oaths and names on her back as a sign of revenge if she got killed. When she recovers from the pain, a white horse appears and she puts on a man's armor, clothing and ties up her hair. She prepares to leave and the villagers volunteer the sons that had hidden during the last conscription to go and fight with her.

      She becomes a great warrior and has many victories. When she meets her husband they stay together for a little and eventually have a child. They tie the umbilical cord to a flagpole out like her mother used to do so it dries out. When the baby is one month old, she sends her husband and baby away. She again becomes the slim young man she was before but she is lonely, becomes careless, and is almost defeated. She eventually leads her people to overthrow the corrupt emperor and replace him with a peasant who understands the people. When she returns to her village, she confronts the baron alone and beheads him because he drafted the village boys and terrorized village so while he enjoyed the rich life. Afterwards, she returns to her husband’s parents to fulfill her filial duties by doing farm work, housework, and bearing more sons.

      As a conclusion, Kinston says that she and the woman warrior are not so different. “What we have in common are the words at our backs. The idioms forrevenge are ‘report a crime’ and ‘report to five families.’ The reporting is the vengeance—not the beheading, not the gutting, but the words. And I have so many words—‘chink’ words and ‘gook’ words too—that they do not fit on my skin.” (Kingston 53). Using her talent with words and talk story, Kingston will be a woman warrior and fight against prejudices against women and races that threaten the welfare of the people. 

      How Does Maxine Hong Kingston’s Fa Mu Lan differ from the traditional Fa Mu Lan? How are they the same?

Jamilah: Woman Warrior, White Tigers

In the second chapter, White Tigers, Kingston relates herself to Fau Mu Lan. She believes she is this great female warrior taking revenge on everyone. At the age of seven she wonders around and comes across an old couple and they ask her to stay for fifteen years of training to become a great warrior, and she does. She learns the dragon, she traines on the mountain of the white tigers and fended for herself, etc. Kingston lerned that her brother, and husband were drafted into war and she wanted to defend them. She returns home and learns of her faher going to battle. Se has decided to take his place and her parents tattoo her back "we are going to carve revenge on your back...we'll write out oaths and names. wherever you will go, whatever happens to you, people will know our sacrifice...she meant that evenif I got killed, people could use my dead body for a weapon(34)".  In this journey she seemed to immortalize herself. She was trained to be a warrior, which was unrealstic. She became a man (dressing in mens armor/taking her fathers place in war disguised by jst tieing her hair up), which is unrealistic. She gav herself such a presence and aora that the rabbit simply threw itself into the fire b/c it knew that's what she wanted it to do(demanding and powerful w/o saying a word), which is unrealstic. "The rabbit and i studied each other...it turned its face towards me and jumped into the fire...I ate it, knowing the rabbit had sacrificeditself for me. It had made me a gift of meat(26)". Kingston goes on to say that as she was about to leave for war a man joined her, then she mounted her horse and a rider from miles away came to join her, then entire village joined(and she was picky in who she chose), which again is unrealistic. "When I opened my mouth, the songs poured out and were loud enough for the whole encampment to hear; my army streched out for a mile(37)". She prides herself on being a fierce leader and wining battles and taking her revenge. Later in the chapter she finds herself losing her "manlyness" and becoming a woman again. This is where she gets captured in the woods and gets defeated. "It was during this lonely time. when any high cry made the milk spill from my breasts, that I got careless...springing off rom behind the branches came the enemy...they pinned me to the earth...(41)". If she was such a great warrior and trained for fifteen years then her sudden defeat is unrealistic. She says " I learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so there is no room for paradoxes(29)". Women were trained to be a wife or a slave. Here she is defying that and thinking outside the box, which is thinking like a man or a woman who does not want to be married.

Towards the end of Kingstons story, the narrative becomes cartoon-like:
"who are you? What do you want?"
"I want your life in payment.."
"I haven't done anything to you..."
"I am a female avenger. Regret what you have done before i kill you."
"I don't know what you're talking about"
Then she shows him her breasts and since he is amazed by it, this is when she gets a chance to kill him.
Question: Why does Kigston end the story this way and what does it mean? Is this the end of her story? Is she poking fun at herself?

Maggie: Woman Warrior, "No Name Woman"

1. Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.

The mother: is the one that that tells the daughter these family stories to scare her and make her aware of things that can happen but shouldn't.

The no name aunt: her "aunt" is the character in the first story she tells, the one not to be mentioned anymore because she was disowned for the reason that she brought disgrace and shame to the family and it's name

Family well: is a well that each household has that contains their water

Villagers: the ones that raided their home back in china when her "aunt" was pregnant

Family hall: it's a place sacred in the home where all the ancestorial posts are up and wit's where the family goes to pay respect to the ancestors or to pray when they want the past ancestors to do them a favor like watching over them or bringing luck when there are special events

Wings: headquarters are usually divided among each family (ex. parents in one wing, son and family in another, another son and his family in another, etc.)

Sojourners: people who visit temporarily, to live in one place for a short time 
 

2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading.  Be sure to include quotations that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.

      The No Name Woman is basically about her mother telling her about her father's sister that they don't mention anymore.  She isn't considered part of the family because she brought disgrace to the family and it's name.  Her mother tells her about the "sin" that her aunt had done which was get pregnant by a man which wasn't her husband.  Her mother tells her this horrible story because "Now that you have started to menstruate, what happened to her could happen to you.  Don't humiliate us.  You wouldn'y like to be forgotten as if you never have been born.  The villagers are watchful." she is on the verge of puberty and the mother is warning her that things like this might happen and she has to be aware not to let that happen to her other wise she will also be a "no name woman" that no one in her family will claim her as one of their own.(5)   
 

3. Formulate a question for discussion.  The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.

Do you think it was necessary for the whole village to raid their home just because her aunt was baring someone elses baby other than with her husband, to the extent that they destroyed everything that the family owned?                                       

"Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on.(5) By this quote her mother told her plenty of stories so what was her purpose in telling us this story of her aunt instead of another story that she was told?

Angelique: No-No Boy

Ichiro- He is a No-No Boy. He is constantly regretting the fact that he didn’t go to war and that he lets others influence and get to him. He also constantly speaks of his mother negatively. She is a burden to him and with her in the way he is not able to decide for things on his own.

No-No Boy- anyone who answered no twice when being questioned to go to WWII.

Mrs. Yamada- a very stubborn and controlling woman. She meant no harm to anyone, and always wanted what was best for them. She became a burden for both her husband and her son and there was no remedy to it.

Mr. Yamada- a weak man, both physically and emotionally. He was easily swayed by his wife and just went where the wind blew him. He didn’t agree with Mrs. Yamada when she believed Japan had won the war but never said a word and never said much to Ichiro either. He was also someone Ichiro resented very much.

In chapter seven Mrs. Yamada commits suicide. Ever since Ichiro came home she’s been trying to convince him that it was a good thing he didn’t go to war and that everyone back in Japan is ok and that they really did win the war. Nothing nor anyone can seem to convince her otherwise and Ichiro constantly gets frustrated with her. When she first receives the letter from her sister she refuses to read it and so Mr. Yamada does it for her. After he reads a portion of it all she says is, “ “Not true. I won’t listen.” She did not, however, move. Nervously, she rubbed her palms against her lap.”(p.109) This makes her feel uneasy and nervous. Deep down inside she truly believes that Japan is the best place in the world and more powerful than anything else. She believes that her son made the right decision in not going, and that Japan won the war. This is her first big wake up call and after this her beliefs are still strong but the downfall begins.

“ “Oh, they are so clever,” she suddenly said very clearly in a voice slightly nasal, “even to the secret which I had long forgotten. How they must have tortured her to maker her reveal it. Poor, poor sister.” ” Both quotations show her great disbelief in the letter from her sister and it shows the intensity of the denial that she is in. If anyone were to change anyone’s mind you would believe it to be a close relative, especially since she was told a secret only the two of them knew. But Mrs. Yamada’s case is a severe one, which in the end takes her to her death. She can’t take any longer all that has been going on. She sees no improvement and she is the only one who still believes strongly in something that no longer is true. The scene where she drowns herself in the tub is a significant one. At this point Mr. Yamada has lost hope and has turned to drinking to soothe him and Mrs. Yamada has entered a depressive state where she has no desire to do anything for herself. Mr. Yamada doesn’t react much when he doesn’t hear the water from the faucet turn off quickly and when he heard gurgling coming from the bathroom. When Ichiro gets home is nervous at first that the bathroom has overflowed and the door is locked but once he realizes she is dead, he insults her as he speaks to himself. He is relieved that she is dead, and even mentioned that to him she has been dead a long time.

This is the breaking point where both Ichiro and Mr. Yamada, are free. They no longer have someone overbearing them and controlling what they do and what they believe in. This is the point where both begin to live more freely and happily. The changes in both are pretty abrupt but they are for the better.

If you were in Ichiro’s shoes would you have reacted the same way? If so why, and how was it that the fact it was your mother died didn’t change your feelings one bit?

Ruzanna: "Rice Husband"

In the reading “The Rice Husband”, by Amy Tan there are a few important characters that have a great impact on the story.  One of those characters is the mother who lives in San Francisco. The mother has a strange ability to foretell bad events that will occur to or within her family. This is called Cunwang chikan, which means that one thing, will lead to another. When Lena was a child the mother saw that Lena’s future husband will not be a good one. This thought had convinced Lena that her marriage may not be as great as she thought it would be.  The mother also has a tendency to always complain about everything. An example of her complaining was when she was criticizing Lena’s home. She seems very unsatisfied with the decorating decisions that were made in the house.

      Another important character is Harold who is Lena’s husband.  Harold is a very educated man and has a prestigious occupation. He actually made his own firm with some convincing from his wife.  He makes a higher income then Lena. Therefore his decisions and opinions are considered more than Lenas.  He doesn’t like cats especially their cat Mirugal. His favorite desert is Lena’s worst favored desert, ice cream.

      The most significant character is Lena. Lena is a very insecure individual.  She is easily convinced not only by her mother and her husband but also by her friends. For example Rose. Rose goes to therapy because of her failed marriage. When Lena had doubts about her marriage, she talked to Rose about her feelings.  Rose explains that her feeling are common for women, that her relationship in her marriage is fine and that she should not dwell into her thoughts, which will make matters worse. Lena is then comforted by their conversation and thinks that her marriage is fine when in reality it is not.  She often tends to keep her feelings inside. Like the situation with the ice cream. She’s hates ice cream ever since a child, yet she didn’t have the courage to tell her husband about it for years. Yes she loves and cares for her husband but she is not open with her feelings and that is where problems occur.  She expects him to understand everything that goes on in her head and when he doesn’t she get s upset.  This is what makes her a very emotional character.

      The reading has a few important key points.  One that constantly gets mentioned in the reading is Lena’s insecurity with herself.  This insecurity greatly affects her marriage with Harold. Lena quotes “All I can remember is how awfully lucky I felt, and consequently how worried I was that all this undeserved good fortune would someday slip away.  When I fantasized about moving in with him, I also dredged up my deepest fears: that he would tell me I smelled bad: that I had terrible bathroom habits………….I worried that Harold would someday get a new prescription for his glasses and he’d put them on one morning, look me up and down, and say, “Why, gosh, you aren’t the girl I thought you were, are you?””

      Due to her insecurity with herself, Lena doubts her marriage.  She is never satisfied with how things are going.  She quotes, “And he looked in the rearview mirror, backing up the car, and said, “I love you too.  Did you lock the door?” And just like that, I started to think, it’s just not enough.”  She believes that her marriage is based all on equality. They divided the bill when they got married, or whenever they go out to dinner the bill gets split in half, regardless of how much or what each person ate.  They also try to split the grocery as well as appliances expenses. Afterwards, they show their bills by labeling everything they bought.  Furthermore, when one spends more than the other, the other one owes them.  “Harolds already spent over a hundred dollars more, so I’ll owe him around fifty from my checking account”

      Now is this a healthy marriage? Yes the concept may seem promising but in truth this marriage is not based on equality. Harold quotes on this thought of equality, “So we can eliminate false dependencies….be equals….love without obligation…” On the other hand Lena’s contradictory quote states: “Since Harold pays more, he had the deciding vote on how much the house should be.” This is a contradiction to her mentality that the relationship is equal between both of them.  If they were truly equals then the income should not matter. Plus, important decisions such as those to deal with the house should be discussed between the both of them not by only the one who has the higher salary.  However, since Harold makes more money he is automatically the superior one in the relationship. Thus this concept of equality between the both of them is false.

      It is not doubted the love and care that Lena and Harold both have for each other, but how well do they know about one another. Plus how honest are they with themselves and the other.  For example, Lena does not address her doubts or concerns about the marriage to Harold, she just keeps it bottled in. Are these concerns considered normal as Rose claims?  Or are these concerns unhealthy for the marriage and to what extent is it unhealthy?

Kathy: "Rice Husband"

 In the story “Rice Husband,” (from the book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan), the main character is a woman named Lena St. Clair; her mother was Chinese and her father was English-Irish American.  Her mother had a Chinese saying, “Chunwang Chihan,” which meant, “if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,” (which means that one thing is the result of another). 

      Lena’s mother had the ability to foresee unfortunate events before they occurred.  One time she looked at their new apartment and said that it “sat too steeply on the hill,” and that her baby would fall dead from her womb and it did.  When Lena’s mother came to stay with her and her husband, Harold, she was able to find flaws in their new home.  One of the symbolic flaws she found was a table made of unevenly cut marble with a vase on the top.  When Lena’s mother puts her bag on top, the vase almost falls off because the table is not sturdy enough. 

      Before Lena knows it, she starts a fight with Harold that is bigger than the cat’s fleas or about the ice cream; it is an argument that has been building up inside her for many years.  At that point the table falls over and the vase shatters into pieces. Lena’s mother simply says it fell down, and when Lena responds, “I knew it would happen,” her mother asks “then why didn’t you stop it?”  It was a simple question and at the same time Lena could not answer because it did not know the answer.

      What do you think the question was referring to and why do you think Lena did not stop “it”?  What do you think Lena’s marriage was really based on?