Month: December 2018

“Everybody called her Hsiang Lin’s Wife. They did not ask her her own name; but since she was introduced by someone from Wei Village who said she was a neighbour, presumably her name was also Wei. She was not very talkative, only answering when other people spoke to her, and her answers were brief.”

In Chinese culture, many of the choices we make in life are based on whether it will be helpful to us in our afterlife. My parents always taught me old Chinese sayings/lessons. For an example, they have always taught me when I was young that the amount of food I leave on my plate today is how much “garbage/trash” I’ll have to consume in my afterlife. This was said by people in the villages they grew up in. Chinese idelas and beliefs are important in our culture. I could relate to the wife in the story since I understand the reasons for the way she acts. Divorce is looked down upon in Chinese culture. Couples stay together even if they do not love each other for the sake of their children. Some even stay married for the money.

It is easy to feel like a outcast when your beliefs and values are different from society’s. It is  hard for her to reject her ideals and go against society’s norms, especially as a women. In her culture, men are dominant. Her name is never mentioned in the story and only referred to as Hsiang Lin’s wife. The women was known by the man’s wife and not her own person. Females were not important in society. It is common for Chinese households to have a working male and a stay at home mother. The male was the breadwinner that put dinner on the table. It is hard for the woman in the family to exert agency. Therefore, they stay quiet and go along with what society wants them to do. I believe that this cultural norm should be changed especially as the world is changing today. Women have more rights and just as many opportunities as men. Chinese beliefs should transition over to more western beliefs.

I think this story shows an important aspect in every culture. There are certain beliefs and values that are negative and demeaning of the people in it. I believe that the view that divorced and widowed women are “unclean” should be exterminated. They see it as bad luck but in today’s society, a divorce means that the two simply do not work out. A widowed woman could not prevent the death of her husband. I agree that some of these beliefs do not have a place in today’s modern society.

 

 

Video: 1:30-3:05

“He begged Trefry to give him something more befitting a slave, which he did, and took off his robes: nevertheless he shone through all, and his osenbrigs…could not conceal the graces of his looks and mein; he had no less admirers than when he had his dazzling habit on: the royal youth appeared in spite of the slave, the people could not help treating him in a different manner, without designing it. As soon as they approached him, they venerated and insinuated it into every soul. So that there was nothing talked of but this young and gallant slave, even by those who yet knew not that he was a prince. “(28)

If one is among a group of  people, wearing the same clothes and with similar features, they would blend in. There would not be any difference between them to call someone more “royal” or of a higher status. When Prince Oroonoko was among the slaves, he was wearing the same clothing as them. Even though he tried his best to be one of them, he gave off a sense of authority. Even those who didn’t know he was a prince, they treated him with veneration. Some people are born with a royal appearance and others give off the sense of power. Oroonoko was one of them. Even if someone is not dressed like a ruler, they are still given the power of authority. This goes against a democratic society. Through the character of Prince Oroonoko, the author shows that some people are meant to be in power and rule.

In the video, the commentator mentions how beauty is a big signifier of his royal designation. This is true in that a ruler needs to be put together well in order for people to think of him as a higher power. Even though Oroonoko was dressed like a slave, he still stood out. He had certain features that a ruler has. The man in the video describes Oroonoko as “beautiful, great, and roman looking”. He is referred to as a “manly man”. The lady who wrote Oroonoko defames the looks of the African Americans in the story so there was no social justice here. Oroonoko’s admirers did not decrease when he was dressed like a slave. The author says even without his “dazzling habit”, people still venerated him. This shows how appearances are important and beauty is one of the requirements for royalty.

“He struggled violently. ‘Let me go,’ he cried; ‘monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces. You are an ogre. Let me go, or I will tell my papa.’

“‘Boy, you will never see your father again; you must come with me.’

“‘Hideous monster! Let me go. My papa is a syndic–he is M. Frankenstein–he will punish you. You dare not keep me.’

“‘Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy–to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.’

“The child still struggled and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my heart; I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet.

“I gazed on my victim, and my heart swelled with exultation and hellish triumph; clapping my hands, I exclaimed, ‘I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him.’

2:45- 6:00

The Youtube video shows the scene where the monster kills William. The video is done in black and white to show the seriousness of the scene. The monsters voice is distorted and deepened to give him a more “monster” character. There is innocent music in the background when William is first introduced. This portrays him as a innocent child but automatically shifts when he starts to call the monster those names. It shows how family can have a influence on how you see and portray people. Children do not learn hateful words unless they are taught. Victor along with the rest of the family influenced William to see him as not a human but a “ogre”. I think the actors in this video did their best to portray this. We can see the height difference and how the monster towers over William.

The monster’s alienation from society caused him to do perform destructive acts such as murder. He was rejected by society because of his appearance and was fed up with the abandonment from all those around him. The contrast between him and Victor is that Victor creates life while he takes life. He decided to approach William, hoping a child will not see him as a monster but as a human being. He was wrong. William reacted the same way Victor did. He saw him for his ugly appearance and called him “monster” and “ugly wretch”. His first intention was not to hurt the child. He was feeling lonely and discontent with how people treated him. He wanted someone to see treat him normal. After William reacted the way Victor did, the monster wanted revenge so he killed him. This way, Victor would feel pain and sorrow.