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Reflection on Border Crossing Activity Ryan Christopher Insley My expectation for the activity was, primarily, that the students in our partnering Chinese class would be approaching the films under a different political, cultural, and interpretative lens. Given that each of us were raised under a d...

The Patriarchal Definition of Success: A Response to  And the Spring Comes and  Mona Lisa Smile Final Draft “I am a big source of many people’s deep confusion about themselves…I find I am just like a fishbone caught in their throats.” This self-description – spoken by Mr. Hu Jinquan, a ballet instr...

Dear Xie, Yes, I'd be happy to offer my thoughts on the title. The phrase "Mona Lisa Smile" appears near the conclusion of the film in which Betty Warren is perusing a print in a textbook of da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" (at approx. the 1:44:41 mark in the film). Her mother arrives to a...

Dear Xie J., Thank you for taking the time to respond to my confusion over the symbolism of spring and winter in your analysis. Your consideration is intriguing that the Winter season and tones of Winter persist throughout the film, and symbolize the struggling economy and lack of artistic interest ...

Dear Jiancai, I appreciate you taking the time to read my essay and offer your comments. Please allow me to address your core question: Why Hu Jinquan, Wang Cailing, and Watson had different fates. I think one way of addressing this question is by noting the context in which each character resided. ...

Dear Xie, Thank you for taking the time to offer your comments and critiques of my essay. I appreciate the compliments. I agree with your response that I should deepen my analysis on some of the points. Please allow me to address some of the questions you raised. Why does the patriarchal definition ...

Dear Jiancai Xu, Thank you for responding back and explaining your analysis of the opera. I actually went back to the movie, listened to the opera, and read the lyrics. I better understand where you are coming from now. Cailing is definitely expressing woe and despair toward the abuse being dealt ag...

Dear Xie, I appreciate you spending the time to share your reflection and analysis on these two films. I enjoy how you have taken two major principles - namely, fate and freedom - and shown how they are interwoven throughout both films. You are careful, also, in drawing contrast between the two prot...

Dear Jiancai, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and analysis. Generally, I appreciate your attention to detail with both films, through which you cite specific character traits and key themes. Based on your comments, the core focus of your essay appears to be the conflict between ...

Ryan Christopher Insley The Patriarchal Definition of Success: A Response to And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile “I am a big source of many people’s deep confusion about themselves…I find I am just like a fishbone caught in their throats.” This self-description – spoken by Mr. Hu Jinquan, a bal...