34 - Defects that cannot be ignored in Human civilization

[Yixiong X.]

Defects that cannot be ignored in Human civilization

Both movies -- “Mona Lisa smile” and “Spring Comes” has similar style—where hills bend, streams wind and the pathway seems to end, past dark willows and flowers in bloom lies in another village (山穷水尽疑无路，柳暗花明又一村). Since they both portray a social deviance under its typical environment, every scene of the movie is trying its best to be realistic and heavy. “Spring comes” tends to reveal this depression through its dim image and the story of ups and downs, however “Mona Lisa Smile” hides that social problem under its bright lovely image and several love stories. They both have happy endings and seem to cater to the taste of the audiences, but is the problem actually solved? How much bitterness does our protagonist has to swollen in order to get a moment of peace?

The whole Mona Lisa Smile movie is like a Renaissance court painting. Each frame is carefully selected and can be used for a computer background. The clothes were gorgeous just like the tone of pictures. The story happens in 1950, when women started to build their independent notions. They thought they had been released from the traditional restrictions and concepts and fully liberated themselves from the past. What they didn’t know is that they still got controlled by those pedantic rules – marriage, the traditional role of women, and the secular concepts. Very familiar, isn’t it? Something feminist still fight for today. I can feel the ethos in the movie rise by the rhythm. It was not men who should be responsible for this. But those girls themselves. They didn’t want to step out of that zone set for them. I saw those girls master their area of knowledge very well. They are confident, radical and smart and even dare to question the teacher in the class. However, their independency and pride seems disappear while facing their family. These students receive a high level of education and own fine family atmosphere, but under the so-called authority and social common sense, are suddenly transformed from the proud swan to the obedient little sheep. They lost all their shines. I didn’t like Betty since she was sarcastic and super traditional, but after the movie was half way through, I started understanding her better. Betty’s insistency toward marriage comes from social ecology and conduct norms. She has a very stubborn mother! At this moment, Katherine Ann Watson joined Wellesley College and stepped into these girls’ life. She had never been to the Europe but absorbed women liberal spirit from European culture at that period. Her encouragement of letting young ladies break traditional concepts of marriage, just like a deviant subculture crash people’s mind. Even as outstanding and strong a female as the president of Wellesley College can’t tolerate Katherine’s “weird” thoughts, especially the marriage part. Everyone in 1950s believed women were born for birthing and subordinating. Betty got her punishment – after a period of lovely scenery of being a wife, her husband started to ignore her. Women would own no statue and freedom if they still recognize themselves as accessories belonging to men. When I see students in Wellesley College had a party talking incessantly with cigarettes in their one hand and wine in another, I can’t stop laughing at them. No matter how modern or superior they think they are, they are still imitating guys. Men invented cigarettes, beer and even women’s pantyhose. If women don’t break the restrictions men set on them and find their own path, there won’t be many “Marie Curie” in the future. Among these “delinquencies”, Katherine Ann Watson is just like the pure water flow into the dry pond. I don’t like the way she talks and her easiness of finding love, but I guess it’s because I finally met a strong and proud female. Is female subordinating to male is a genetic matter or universal law? I don’t think so, since I have seen a lot of outstanding women, including my mother.

Movie “Spring comes” seems to belong to the same category but have a different style. The pictures are very dark. The characters’ looks are below average. The architecture and the clothes are very rustic. When these elements come together, the whole story pushes me to face the reality. They reality is painful and cold. How hard it is for a young unmarried , and ugly woman who comes from a poor and backward village wants to finish her dream of learning art at the early stage of reform and opening up in China? Different to the problem of gender discrimination in Mona Lisa Smile, this movie talks about social class problem -- destruction and struggle of small figures in the real world in China. In this movie, no matter men or women they both have their unspeakable pain. Because they come from the bottom of the society; they have no resources and no money and they choose a path that is differentiated from generals.

I believe audiences’ pathos get aroused during the movie, due to the fact that everything in the movie feels really close to us. Characters that speak with strong accent intend to close the distance to the audiences. The object of an iron cup, a flower quilt and a foot basin, these are what I saw and touched at my Grandma’s house when I was very young. Therefore, the images are so vivid that they immerse the senses of most audiences. But when I compare their face or furniture to the setback they had in their path of pursuing art, I feel the lack in material is nothing to them. It’s the unrecognized art they face makes them giving up. I believe the movie successfully make the audiences sad and desperately want to change.

[Yuanping L.]

Hi Yixiong!
Firstly I would like to say that you organize your essay very well. You show your opinion in the beginning and then you divide it into points. In the end, you show your idea again and express your feeling of the movies. In addition, it's really ingenious to quote the verse at the beginning of the essay. To some extent, you summarize the two movies in a poetical way, attracting readers to read the whole essay. And it's very unique to tell readers the atmosphere of the movies by images. And I think maybe you are good at art because you comment on the movie from an aesthetic perspective, for example, you mentioned Renaissance court painting, clothes and architecture. What surprised me most is that you liken the students in Mona Lisa Smile to proud swan and obedient little sheep, which is suitable and vivid. You also use metaphors in other places. The words in your essay is a little satirical, which makes your essay more unique and more incisive. In a way, I think you wrote an essay for a newspaper or an academic magazine, not just for the exchange. Good! Another highlight of your essay is that you combine audience, movie and your own feelings, instead of writing about one object.
However, I think there are some flaws in your essay. For example, the verse you mentioned at the very beginning should be “山重水复疑无路” rather than “山穷水尽疑无路”. So I think the translation should be "Mountains multiply, streams double back — I doubt there's even a road". What's more, you focus on the movie Mona Lisa Smile, writing less about And the Spring Come, so I think it would be better if you could balance the length of parts of two movies.
I guess you deeply understand the central ideas of the two movies. Therefore, I wonder whether there is any scene that impressed you most. Why? Could you tell me something about it?
Any disagreement is welcomed. Looking forward to hearing back from you.

[Yuping L.]

Hey Yixiong,

Your essay is rather clear and logical while that of mine is just like what you have mentioned as disordered haha. You have mentioned that both movies have the same style, that is, to show feminism in some similar or different ways. You have made your points very clear by exploring the movies in several aspects. You expressed your personal feelings of the movies and then to some other reflections in depth. I really appreciate your structure and expression that are easier to understand.

What I have seen mostly in your paper, however, are your personal feelings toward different characters rather than your comparison between the two cultures. I think maybe you can make more reflections in a more broad scale. Thank you for pointing out the disordered structure of my essay and my abrubt transition in the last part may cause the readers confusion.
Thank you for your advice and look forward to your reply.

Yuping Linghu

[Yixiong X.]

Thank you YuanPing L,
Thanks for your judgements. I really appreciate your criticism about my unbalanced arrangement of both movies. I totally agree with that. I also enjoy your encouragement -- I do like painting and shooting photos. However, if you notice, I also use some vocabulary from criminology since it's my favorite subject period~ I am doing economy though... But people should be free of selecting what to learn. Therefore, I think "山穷水复疑无路" really doesn't matter since it's very similar comparing to what you suggested. Well, here I am being sarcastic again.. Maybe it's WSJ I am reading everyday influences me -- those journalists have been working on how to make fun of trump and not let him know ahhaha. But I am far away from writing academic magazine. I do have an american roommate for 1 year to help my english but I still get a lot to improve. Well enough of digressions, I think the most striking image happens at the end of the Mona Lisa Smile movie. It's when Katherine sit in the car and the sunlight shines on her face. I can see the vigor and positivity in her eyes. Her scent is sweet -- She is the plum blossom in the storm.

[Yixiong X.]

Hi Yuping L,
Thanks for your appreciation and judgements. Well I just simply divide my essay into two parts. I did think talking about cultures, ethos, pathos and even connecting to history events that are worth mentioned, but I tried not to extend the topics too broad. I have to refine my language so I could bring my topic back. Maybe I will if we have another activity lol. Just kidding, thanks anyway hahahha. GLHF

[Yixiong X.]

Both movies -- “Mona Lisa smile” and “Spring Comes” has similar style—where hills bend, streams wind and the pathway seems to end, past dark willows and flowers in bloom lies in another village (山穷水尽疑无路，柳暗花明又一村). Since they both portray a social deviance under its typical environment, every scene of the movie is trying its best to be realistic and heavy. “Spring comes” tends to reveal this depression through its dim image and the story of ups and downs, however “Mona Lisa Smile” hides that social problem under its bright lovely image and several love stories. They both have happy endings and seem to cater to the taste of the audiences, but is the problem actually solved? How much bitterness does our protagonist has to swollen in order to get a moment of peace?

The whole Mona Lisa Smile movie is like a Renaissance court painting. Each frame is carefully selected and can be used for a computer background. The clothes were gorgeous just like the tone of pictures. The story happens in 1950, when women started to build their independent notions. They thought they had been released from the traditional restrictions and concepts and fully liberated themselves from the past. What they didn’t know is that they still got controlled by those pedantic rules – marriage, the traditional role of women, and the secular concepts. Very familiar, isn’t it? Something feminist still fight for today. I can feel the ethos in the movie rise by the rhythm. It was not men who should be responsible for this. But those girls themselves. They didn’t want to step out of that zone set for them. I saw those girls master their area of knowledge very well. They are confident, radical and smart and even dare to question the teacher in the class. However, their independency and pride seems disappear while facing their family. These students receive a high level of education and own fine family atmosphere, but under the so-called authority and social common sense, are suddenly transformed from the proud swan to the obedient little sheep. They lost all their shines. I didn’t like Betty since she was sarcastic and super traditional, but after the movie was half way through, I started understanding her better. Betty’s insistency toward marriage comes from social ecology and conduct norms. She has a very stubborn mother! At this moment, Katherine Ann Watson joined Wellesley College and stepped into these girls’ life. She had never been to the Europe but absorbed women liberal spirit from European culture at that period. Her encouragement of letting young ladies break traditional concepts of marriage, just like a deviant subculture crash people’s mind. Even as outstanding and strong a female as the president of Wellesley College can’t tolerate Katherine’s “weird” thoughts, especially the marriage part. Everyone in 1950s believed women were born for birthing and subordinating. Betty got her punishment – after a period of lovely scenery of being a wife, her husband started to ignore her. Women would own no statue and freedom if they still recognize themselves as accessories belonging to men. When I see students in Wellesley College had a party talking incessantly with cigarettes in their one hand and wine in another, I can’t stop laughing at them. No matter how modern or superior they think they are, they are still imitating guys. Men invented cigarettes, beer and even women’s pantyhose. If women don’t break the restrictions men set on them and find their own path, there won’t be many “Marie Curie” in the future. Among these “delinquencies”, Katherine Ann Watson is just like the pure water flow into the dry pond. I don’t like the way she talks and her easiness of finding love, but I guess it’s because I finally met a strong and proud female. Is female subordinating to male is a genetic matter or universal law? I don’t think so, since I have seen a lot of outstanding women, including my mother.

Movie “Spring comes” seems to belong to the same category but have a different style. The pictures are very dark. The characters’ looks are below average. The architecture and the clothes are very rustic. When these elements come together, the whole story pushes me to face the reality. They reality is painful and cold. How hard it is for a young unmarried , and ugly woman who comes from a poor and backward village wants to finish her dream of learning art at the early stage of reform and opening up in China? Different to the problem of gender discrimination in Mona Lisa Smile, this movie talks about social class problem -- destruction and struggle of small figures in the real world in China. In this movie, no matter men or women they both have their unspeakable pain. Because they come from the bottom of the society; they have no resources and no money and they choose a path that is differentiated from generals.

I believe audiences’ pathos get aroused during the movie, due to the fact that everything in the movie feels really close to us. Characters that speak with strong accent intend to close the distance to the audiences. The object of an iron cup, a flower quilt and a foot basin, these are what I saw and touched at my Grandma’s house when I was very young. Therefore, the images are so vivid that they immerse the senses of most audiences. But when I compare their face or furniture to the setback they had in their path of pursuing art, I feel the lack in material is nothing to them. It’s the unrecognized art they face makes them giving up. I believe the movie successfully make the audiences sad and desperately want to change.

Both movies represent two countries' most needed solved problems at that time. The cultural differences make the different presentation techniques and solutions toward problems. "Spring comes" is more implicit and depress but "Mona Lisa Smile" is more bold and shock. Nevertheless, they both represent similar topic that many people have been work on solving it.

[Yixiong X.]

Reflection: I really enjoy this broad across activity. Knowing students from one of the best college in China and discussing classic movies through english are just hilarious. Thanks professor You's website! Thanks to technology! Before the activity, I couldn't stop worrying what those Chinese students will feel after they meet another Chinese in this activity when they supposed to talk with some Americans. But the result turns very well. Everyone makes kind criticism or comments under others' essay. Everyone contributes on improving others' english skill without hesitating or making fun of it. The atmosphere is awesome! So I listened to people's judgements from my group and made a small change to my essay. I compared the cultural difference in both movies since it's a excellent idea.