Thus far Heavenlight’s journey has all been a matter of fate. Her family had once been a noble family with power and wealth. However, her father died and her mother and siblings were stripped of all they had and left to depend on their extended family; a family who did not care for them, who did not appreciate nor love them. Her mother’s way of adapting to this was to put her all into Buddhism. If her current life was a mess she hoped to have a better next life and so she prayed and prayed and made religion her life.
By another piece of fate Heavenlight met General Li, who, impressed by her intelligence, recommended her to the emperor. He told her, “Heavenlight, you are an exceptional girl. I shall take responsibility for your destiny!” (26) She was then brought to the Forbidden City to be one Emperor’s of the hundreds of women.” The Great Uncle told me the news: Great General Li Ji, Governor of our province, had spoken highly of me at the Imperial Court. I was to be called for by a decree from the sovereign to go into service in the Forbidden City.” (32) Named a Talented One, Heavenlight became the only hope her mother and sister had at a better life.
Showing posts with label Week 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 2. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Post #3 Form A
Cultural Legacy: Proceedings after Death
“We observed the ceremonial procedures: bathing him, calling upon his soul, filling his mouth, the smaller clothing ceremony, the great clothing ceremony, laying him in his coffin, and making daily offerings.” (16)
Some of the ceremonial procedures of ancient China are very different from our own while others are quite similar.
“Bathing him”: in general, nowadays the body of the deceased is cleaned up as well as back in ancient China.
“Calling upon his soul”: This depends on religion nowadays. As Buddhists calling upon the father’s soul was clearly an important part of the proceedings.
“Filling his mouth”: In ancient China the deceased’s mouth was filled with grain mixed with pieces of jade or shells depending on their social status.
“the smaller clothing ceremony”: Nowadays people the deceased are generally changed and gussied up a bit but in ancient China the smaller clothing ceremony consisted of the deceased being dressed in nineteen costumes after the clothes were displayed.
“The great clothing ceremony”: The great clothing ceremony took place the day after the smaller clothing ceremony. The number of clothes one was dressed in was ‘strictly related to hierarchy’. For the father, fifty costumes were used.
“laying him in his coffin”: Same as now, people were put into their coffins.
“making daily offerings”: Though nowadays people might bring flowers to a grave site occasionally and especially on the day of death back in ancient China it was custom to bring offerings daily.
“We observed the ceremonial procedures: bathing him, calling upon his soul, filling his mouth, the smaller clothing ceremony, the great clothing ceremony, laying him in his coffin, and making daily offerings.” (16)
Some of the ceremonial procedures of ancient China are very different from our own while others are quite similar.
“Bathing him”: in general, nowadays the body of the deceased is cleaned up as well as back in ancient China.
“Calling upon his soul”: This depends on religion nowadays. As Buddhists calling upon the father’s soul was clearly an important part of the proceedings.
“Filling his mouth”: In ancient China the deceased’s mouth was filled with grain mixed with pieces of jade or shells depending on their social status.
“the smaller clothing ceremony”: Nowadays people the deceased are generally changed and gussied up a bit but in ancient China the smaller clothing ceremony consisted of the deceased being dressed in nineteen costumes after the clothes were displayed.
“The great clothing ceremony”: The great clothing ceremony took place the day after the smaller clothing ceremony. The number of clothes one was dressed in was ‘strictly related to hierarchy’. For the father, fifty costumes were used.
“laying him in his coffin”: Same as now, people were put into their coffins.
“making daily offerings”: Though nowadays people might bring flowers to a grave site occasionally and especially on the day of death back in ancient China it was custom to bring offerings daily.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Post #4 Form B
“But when Dad pulled out a bottle of what Mom called “the hard stuff,” she got kind of frantic, because after working on the bottle for a while, Dad turned into an angry-eyed stranger who threw around furniture and threatened to beat up Mom or anyone else who got in his way. When he’d had his fill of cussing and hollering and smashing things up, he’d collapse. But Dad drank hard liquor only when we had money, which wasn’t often, so life was mostly good in those days.” (23)
It’s so astonishing to me that Jeannette’s ‘good days’ were the ones when her family didn’t have money and therefore her father couldn’t buy booze. It’s terrible to think that Jeannette and her siblings grew up in that kind of environment yet saw their father as a wonderful man and believed that time in their life to be good. I suppose this is also some foreshadowing to future days which aren’t nearly as good. It makes me wonder what could possibly be in store for Jeannette and her family. I suppose this quote also just goes to show that, if you grow up in it, anything can seem normal to someone. It’s amazing what people can get used to if they have no other options.
It’s so astonishing to me that Jeannette’s ‘good days’ were the ones when her family didn’t have money and therefore her father couldn’t buy booze. It’s terrible to think that Jeannette and her siblings grew up in that kind of environment yet saw their father as a wonderful man and believed that time in their life to be good. I suppose this is also some foreshadowing to future days which aren’t nearly as good. It makes me wonder what could possibly be in store for Jeannette and her family. I suppose this quote also just goes to show that, if you grow up in it, anything can seem normal to someone. It’s amazing what people can get used to if they have no other options.
Post #3 Form A
Vocab
shiftless (20): lacking in resourcefulness; inefficient; lazy.
sluice (24): an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate.
Figurative Language
'thowck' (21) is onomatopoeia because it is a word which sounds like the sound it represents.
"the way the sky at sunset looked like a sheet of fire" (21) is a simile because it is comparing the sky at sunset to a sheet of fire using the word 'like'.
"Sometimes they hit without warning, and other times you knew one was coming when you saw batches of dust devils swirling and dancing their way across the desert." (21) When this sentence says the dust devils were dancing their way across the desert it is personification because dust devils can't really dance. The author is instead applying a human quality to an inanimate thing.
Quote
“Dad always fought harder, flew faster, and gambled smarter than everyone else in his stories. Along the way, he rescued women and children and even men who weren’t as strong and clever.” (24)
This quote shows how, as a child, Jeannette was easily convinced of her dad’s heroics. However, now that she is an adult and is looking back on her father’s stories she sees the clear embellishment on her father’s part.
Theme
You can get used to anything if you have to.
shiftless (20): lacking in resourcefulness; inefficient; lazy.
sluice (24): an artificial channel for conducting water, often fitted with a gate.
Figurative Language
'thowck' (21) is onomatopoeia because it is a word which sounds like the sound it represents.
"the way the sky at sunset looked like a sheet of fire" (21) is a simile because it is comparing the sky at sunset to a sheet of fire using the word 'like'.
"Sometimes they hit without warning, and other times you knew one was coming when you saw batches of dust devils swirling and dancing their way across the desert." (21) When this sentence says the dust devils were dancing their way across the desert it is personification because dust devils can't really dance. The author is instead applying a human quality to an inanimate thing.
Quote
“Dad always fought harder, flew faster, and gambled smarter than everyone else in his stories. Along the way, he rescued women and children and even men who weren’t as strong and clever.” (24)
This quote shows how, as a child, Jeannette was easily convinced of her dad’s heroics. However, now that she is an adult and is looking back on her father’s stories she sees the clear embellishment on her father’s part.
Theme
You can get used to anything if you have to.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Post #4 Form B
This… is a weird book. The genre is definitely not one I am used to. The bloody gory is kind of bearable but the overall attitude of the characters is hard to connect to. So far the book has introduced three of the four main characters. The first was Logen. He is hard to connect with because he is constantly fighting to survive and I must admit I have never really had the experience of fighting (literally) for life. Though so far only two chapters have been about Logen, in both of these chapters, pages 7-15 and 32-38, he is killing human/lizard like creatures in order to survive. The second character introduced is named Glokta. Glokta is a torturer. He tortures people. Not someone who you just immediately connect with. Besides being a torturer he is old and, because of an injury when he was younger, crippled. Again, not something I have experienced or could really have a full understanding of. The most recent character is named Jazel. He is introduced as a man who drinks and gambles to pass the time (pages 39-42). He is also apparently a rich captain who is fairly pathetic when it comes to physical prowess. Despite not bonding with any of the characters the book is fairly decent and it has been interesting seeing the various walks of life people, is this fantasy land, have. Also, I must say that I find myself feeling the same way as I did with my quarter 1 book, I’m glad I don’t live in this book. ^^
Post #3 Form A
Vocab (all definitions found at dictionary.com)
Eminence (31): high station, rank, or repute
Magus (37): a magician, sorcerer, or astrologer
Figurative Language
On page 39 the author uses the word 'clacked' which is an onomatopoeia word representing the sound it is used to signify.
"darting like a snake!" (43) is an example of a simile. It uses like or as to connect two unlike things.
The author uses the word 'yow' on page 43 which is a onomatopoeia word.
Quote
"'Until then, clean living is what we need. Do you understand me, Captain Luthar?' He leaned down further, pronouncing every word with great care. 'Clean. Living. Captain.' 'Yes, Marshal Varuz,' mumbled Jezal. Six hours later he was drunker than shit." (48)
This quote is important because it gives valuable insight to what the wealthy and powerful chose to do in the setting of this book. It is a fair example of the corruptness and money-driven attitudes of every high ranking official this book has introduced thus far.
Theme
I shall stick to my previous theme: life is hard; deal with it.
Eminence (31): high station, rank, or repute
Magus (37): a magician, sorcerer, or astrologer
Figurative Language
On page 39 the author uses the word 'clacked' which is an onomatopoeia word representing the sound it is used to signify.
"darting like a snake!" (43) is an example of a simile. It uses like or as to connect two unlike things.
The author uses the word 'yow' on page 43 which is a onomatopoeia word.
Quote
"'Until then, clean living is what we need. Do you understand me, Captain Luthar?' He leaned down further, pronouncing every word with great care. 'Clean. Living. Captain.' 'Yes, Marshal Varuz,' mumbled Jezal. Six hours later he was drunker than shit." (48)
This quote is important because it gives valuable insight to what the wealthy and powerful chose to do in the setting of this book. It is a fair example of the corruptness and money-driven attitudes of every high ranking official this book has introduced thus far.
Theme
I shall stick to my previous theme: life is hard; deal with it.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Post #4 Form B
I want to take this post as an opportunity to express how glad I am that I did not grow up in China during this era. So far nothing about their lives, especially the lives of women, has made me want to live through that time. I hope you don’t mind but I am just going to list some of the examples which strengthen my resolve to not want to live during that era.
“The first coffin contained the body of one of his concubines, who had swallowed opium to accompany him in death. This was considered the height of conjugal loyalty.” (41)
Basically this woman killed herself in order to show her loyalty and subservience to her ‘husband’. I’m sorry but that is so not on my list of goals in life.
“In those days, a woman whose husband had died was superstitiously held responsible for his death. My great-grandfather saw his daughter as bad luck, a threat to his good fortune, and he wanted her out of the house.” (44)
The poor woman’s husband died and because of it her father doesn’t want her around. That’s really unfair to her. She suffers loss and then is hated by her family.
“A Japanese guard had spotted rice in his vomit and he had been arrested as an “economic criminal” and hauled off to a camp. In hi weakened state, he survived only a few days.” (65)
This man was arrested and allowed to die just because he had eaten rice. (The Japanese, who were controlling Manchukuo, had banned the consumption of rice.)
These were just a few examples of why I find this era to be unfair and why I wouldn’t want to live there.
“The first coffin contained the body of one of his concubines, who had swallowed opium to accompany him in death. This was considered the height of conjugal loyalty.” (41)
Basically this woman killed herself in order to show her loyalty and subservience to her ‘husband’. I’m sorry but that is so not on my list of goals in life.
“In those days, a woman whose husband had died was superstitiously held responsible for his death. My great-grandfather saw his daughter as bad luck, a threat to his good fortune, and he wanted her out of the house.” (44)
The poor woman’s husband died and because of it her father doesn’t want her around. That’s really unfair to her. She suffers loss and then is hated by her family.
“A Japanese guard had spotted rice in his vomit and he had been arrested as an “economic criminal” and hauled off to a camp. In hi weakened state, he survived only a few days.” (65)
This man was arrested and allowed to die just because he had eaten rice. (The Japanese, who were controlling Manchukuo, had banned the consumption of rice.)
These were just a few examples of why I find this era to be unfair and why I wouldn’t want to live there.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Post #3 Form A
Vocab (All definitions are from http://www.dictionary.com/)
toadying (44): an obsequious flatterer; sycophant
askance (71): with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval
Appeals
"The tomb site had been chosen by General Xue himself according to the principles of geomancy. It was in a beautiful, tranquil spot [....] This location expressed the desire to have solid things behind on which to lean-mountains-and the reflection of the glorious sun, symbolizing rising prosperity, in front." (42) I find this to be a logical appeal because it is fairly detached and explains how it was without any sense of connecting to emotionally.
On page 59 Jung uses an emotional appeal. She describes the joy her mother felt in her new life in Manchukuo. She talks about various things that her mother saw that would excite a child such as festivals and holidays.
On page 68 Jung explains how Dr. Xia and Dong saved many innocent lives from being taken in prison. She uses heartstring pulling examples and detailed descriptions to appeal emotionally to the reader.
Quote
"When the Japanese began their attack on Manchuria in September 1931, the Young Marshal, Chang Hsueh-liang, was forced to abandon his capital, Mukden, to the Japanese." (55)
During this time peroid Manchukuo was under Japanese control and this dictated alot of how difficult the people's lives were and what they had to endure.
Theme
The theme so far seems to mostly revolve around the hardships of living in China during the early to mid 1900s. It's kind of a 'struggle and try to overcome the difficulties' theme.
toadying (44): an obsequious flatterer; sycophant
askance (71): with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval
Appeals
"The tomb site had been chosen by General Xue himself according to the principles of geomancy. It was in a beautiful, tranquil spot [....] This location expressed the desire to have solid things behind on which to lean-mountains-and the reflection of the glorious sun, symbolizing rising prosperity, in front." (42) I find this to be a logical appeal because it is fairly detached and explains how it was without any sense of connecting to emotionally.
On page 59 Jung uses an emotional appeal. She describes the joy her mother felt in her new life in Manchukuo. She talks about various things that her mother saw that would excite a child such as festivals and holidays.
On page 68 Jung explains how Dr. Xia and Dong saved many innocent lives from being taken in prison. She uses heartstring pulling examples and detailed descriptions to appeal emotionally to the reader.
Quote
"When the Japanese began their attack on Manchuria in September 1931, the Young Marshal, Chang Hsueh-liang, was forced to abandon his capital, Mukden, to the Japanese." (55)
During this time peroid Manchukuo was under Japanese control and this dictated alot of how difficult the people's lives were and what they had to endure.
Theme
The theme so far seems to mostly revolve around the hardships of living in China during the early to mid 1900s. It's kind of a 'struggle and try to overcome the difficulties' theme.
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