Cinder & Mulan English II: Asian Culture

Asian Culture Location: Eastern Asia Capital: Beijing Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north Population: 1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.) Ethnic Make-up: Han Chinese 91.9% Religions: Daoism (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4% Buddhism: to lead a moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, peaceful, and to develop wisdom and understanding. Change will happen, nothing is fixed in place. Government: Communist state

Eastern Asia

The Importance of "Face" The concept of 'face' roughly translates as 'honor', 'good reputation' or 'respect'. There are four types of 'face': 1) Diu-mian-zi: this is when one's actions or deeds have been exposed to people. 2) Gei-mian-zi: involves the giving of face to others through showing respect. 3) Liu-mian-zi: this is developed by avoiding mistakes and showing wisdom in action. 4) Jiang-mian-zi: this is when face is increased through others, i.e. someone complementing you to an associate. It is critical you avoid losing face or causing the loss of face at all times.

Collectivism vs. Individualism In general, the Chinese are a collective society with a need for group affiliation, whether to their family, school, work group, or country. In order to maintain a sense of harmony, they will act with decorum at all times and will not do anything to cause someone else public embarrassment. They are willing to subjugate their own feelings for the good of the group. This is often observed by the use of silence in very structured meetings. If someone disagrees with what another person says, rather than disagree publicly, the person will remain quiet. This gives face to the other person, while speaking up would make both parties lose face.

Non-Verbal Communication Chinese non-verbal communication speaks volumes. Since the Chinese strive for harmony and are group dependent, they rely on facial expression, tone of voice and posture to tell them what someone feels. Frowning while someone is speaking is interpreted as a sign of disagreement. Therefore, most Chinese maintain an impassive expression when speaking. It is considered disrespectful to stare into another person's eyes. In crowded situations the Chinese avoid eye contact to give themselves privacy.

Gender Roles in Asian Culture Males In the traditional Chinese family, the man is responsible for maintaining, providing for and protecting his family. At the same time, he is given all the decision-making power when it comes to his wife, family and other family members. He is also responsible for taking care of and paying for his children, including their education, until they are married. Females Traditional Chinese mothers usually stay in the home to take care of the home, the children, and the rest of the family. Many modern Chinese women have careers, but still rely on their husbands or fathers for financial support at some point in their lives.

Patrilineal Descent Traditional Chinese families honor the patrilineal descent system. This means that a child's lineage and descent is calculated from his father only. Men are the only ones that can inherit family membership and family land or other inheritance in this type of system.

Symbolism of Cherry Blossoms blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality

Chinese New Year The Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon — it's called a lunar calendar — and is not the same as the one used in the United States. New Year's is in late winter, and it involves an elaborate celebration of ushering out the old and bringing in the new, complete with special foods, symbols and traditions.

Importance of Honor This form of honor is showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules you live by. When you are honorable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing. This is the kind of personal honor or dignity that is of great value. If you lose this, you have lost yourself and perhaps the reputation of your family as well. While this is not directly the same thing as "face" or "saving face" in Asian culture, it is associated with the same concept in China.

The Real Mulan Many people have seen the Disney movie Mulan and do not realize that it is actually telling the story of an ancient Chinese poem titled the Ballad of Mulan. Because it is a legend, it is unknown when Mulan may have lived although she was believed to have lived during the Northern Wei dynasty which lasted from 386CE to 534CE In the poem, Hua Mulan takes her aged father's place in the army. She fought for twelve years and gained high merit, but she refused any reward and retired to her hometown instead.

Plot of Hua Mulan The poem starts with Mulan worried, as her father has been called to serve in the army. She decides to take his place and bids farewell to her parents. After ten years of fighting, the army returns and the warriors are rewarded. Mulan turns down an official post, and asks only for a swift camel to carry her home. She is greeted with joy by her family. Mulan dons her old clothes and meets her comrades, who are shocked that in their years travelling together, they did not realize that she was a woman.

A strong Heroine Character --What did the emperor mean when he said, " A single grain of rice can tip the scale"? Who was that grain of rice in this story? Have you ever filled that role? How could you? --Why did Mulan find herself in conflict with the traditions of her culture? What did she do about it? Do you think any of the other young women felt that way? Have you ever felt like that?

“Cinder” by Marissa Meyer Takes place 126 years after WWIV (World War 4) in New Beijing, China. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl… Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Science fiction Define: Science Fiction Young Adult Fiction Human Android Cyborg All four types of conflict Imagery