Hi Wanyi! I think your essay will be great after you add those things!
I have unfortunately never seen Desperate Housewives so I unfortunately can't comment on that, but now I want to watch it so I can answer your question! I will let you know if I do!
I think that Iiked Mona Lisa Smile the best because it was easier for me to relate to and because I have actually had friends that went to schools similar to the one that Katherine Watson teaches at! Which one did you like? I am wondering if all American students would pick Mona Lisa Smile!
12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
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Mikaela A.
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:30 am
Re: 12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
Hi, Zixuan!
Thank you so much for your reply and comments which are really thoughtful and meaningful for me!
Also, I’m so excited about your opinion on Cailing’s professional skills. It’s true that the principal of National Opera Company said she had known about Cailing’s skills and now I agree on what you said that maybe it was a tactful way for the principal to refuse Cailing and in fact Cailing didn’t do that well, truly having trouble with her skills. Well, I admire that you are deep in operas and I hope there will be an opportunity for me to enjoy Pavarotti’s operas and at that time maybe we can discuss about the opera together. But I still feel a little confused about it, because I think the Cailing’s operas what we heard were dubbed by others and maybe the director just found a opera singers for it. Is there any possibility that the director didn’t know about opera well and couldn’t tell what kind of opera was more high-level? In my mind, what the director needed to do was to finish the photograph of this part and showcase what he wanted. However, what I have said just my boring guess and it’s more than likely that the great director was considerate and intended to show Cailing’s poor skills like what you said. Anyway, I really agree with you on the meaning of Cailing’s struggle.
Please let me know if you have any other question about my essay or any interests in the films which you want to discuss with me. Looking forward to your reply!
Thank you so much for your reply and comments which are really thoughtful and meaningful for me!
Also, I’m so excited about your opinion on Cailing’s professional skills. It’s true that the principal of National Opera Company said she had known about Cailing’s skills and now I agree on what you said that maybe it was a tactful way for the principal to refuse Cailing and in fact Cailing didn’t do that well, truly having trouble with her skills. Well, I admire that you are deep in operas and I hope there will be an opportunity for me to enjoy Pavarotti’s operas and at that time maybe we can discuss about the opera together. But I still feel a little confused about it, because I think the Cailing’s operas what we heard were dubbed by others and maybe the director just found a opera singers for it. Is there any possibility that the director didn’t know about opera well and couldn’t tell what kind of opera was more high-level? In my mind, what the director needed to do was to finish the photograph of this part and showcase what he wanted. However, what I have said just my boring guess and it’s more than likely that the great director was considerate and intended to show Cailing’s poor skills like what you said. Anyway, I really agree with you on the meaning of Cailing’s struggle.
Please let me know if you have any other question about my essay or any interests in the films which you want to discuss with me. Looking forward to your reply!
Re: 12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
Hi, Mikaela
Thank you for your reply. I’m glad to know that Mona Lisa Smile was the one you preferred and surprised that you had a connection with it in a way.
Well, it seems that I prefer And the Spring Comes. Because sometimes I’m reminiscent and I enjoy watching fancy films which showcase previous times and can arouse my feelings as well as echoes to think about the society, even though I haven’t been on that times. I think And the Spring Comes is the very film. However, actually, my favorite film on empowered women is neither Mona Lisa Smile nor And the Spring Comes. My favorite film on empowered women is Secret Superstar which showcases that an Indian girl named Insia breaks free and follows her dream of being a singer. (Storyline: Insia is very passionate about singing but she belongs to a very conservative family. Her father doesn't let her develop her talent but her mother secretly lets her follow her passion for singing. She begins anonymously posting her songs over the internet and gains nationwide fame including people from the music industry.) This movie made me shocked and moved. It made me both laugh and cry at the cinema. By the way, Aamir khan is one of my favorite actors and the songs in the Secret Superstar are really fancy so I enjoy it a lot.
Thank you for your reply. I’m glad to know that Mona Lisa Smile was the one you preferred and surprised that you had a connection with it in a way.
Well, it seems that I prefer And the Spring Comes. Because sometimes I’m reminiscent and I enjoy watching fancy films which showcase previous times and can arouse my feelings as well as echoes to think about the society, even though I haven’t been on that times. I think And the Spring Comes is the very film. However, actually, my favorite film on empowered women is neither Mona Lisa Smile nor And the Spring Comes. My favorite film on empowered women is Secret Superstar which showcases that an Indian girl named Insia breaks free and follows her dream of being a singer. (Storyline: Insia is very passionate about singing but she belongs to a very conservative family. Her father doesn't let her develop her talent but her mother secretly lets her follow her passion for singing. She begins anonymously posting her songs over the internet and gains nationwide fame including people from the music industry.) This movie made me shocked and moved. It made me both laugh and cry at the cinema. By the way, Aamir khan is one of my favorite actors and the songs in the Secret Superstar are really fancy so I enjoy it a lot.
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Mikaela A.
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:30 am
Re: 12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
Wow Wanyi! It has been so interesting to hear your opinions and I am so glad you shared with me your favorite movie on women's empowerment, maybe when I have time when this semester ends I will watch it!
I have really enjoyed getting to know more about women's empowerment from a Chinese perspective from you. Good luck on revising your final essay!
I have really enjoyed getting to know more about women's empowerment from a Chinese perspective from you. Good luck on revising your final essay!
Re: 12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
Hi Wanyi!
Sorry about the delay on replying you the comment, I am so glad that you could somehow agree with my opinion, and if that is possible, we could discuss the opera in person when next week in person when I arrive in Nanjing. I went to do some research about the singing part of the movie shots of that movie, not surprised, that an opera singer covered the voice, but that confused me. On the one hand, I don't think Changwei Gu, as one of the top directors in China, would make such an error on his movie, on the other hand, I still believe that is a way of making Cailing a talent on opera singing but limited to a relatively high one. So I did more research on it, and a speed given by the actress Wenli Jiang, the performer of Cailing made a better understanding. On March the 31st 2008, Wenli visited Fudan University and gave the speech, "We are all Cailing" in the speech, Wenli combined her own experience of being award during her College time and the opera singing of Cailing which provided me a better understanding of the movie arrangement of showing her opera singing. In her speech, Wenli used quite a few times of "心比天高" refer to herself back in the day she was still in college and Cailing in the movie, both of them got skills but they do not know that their levels cannot be called professional. So that answered my question of Changwei using an opera singer to cover the voice, it could show that she does have some talent with opera. Otherwise, Zhou Yu would not admire her so much, and she would not be able to have a teaching position in the local school. It is good to be " 心比天高" but does not be the person “命比纸薄."
looking forward to your reply.
Sorry about the delay on replying you the comment, I am so glad that you could somehow agree with my opinion, and if that is possible, we could discuss the opera in person when next week in person when I arrive in Nanjing. I went to do some research about the singing part of the movie shots of that movie, not surprised, that an opera singer covered the voice, but that confused me. On the one hand, I don't think Changwei Gu, as one of the top directors in China, would make such an error on his movie, on the other hand, I still believe that is a way of making Cailing a talent on opera singing but limited to a relatively high one. So I did more research on it, and a speed given by the actress Wenli Jiang, the performer of Cailing made a better understanding. On March the 31st 2008, Wenli visited Fudan University and gave the speech, "We are all Cailing" in the speech, Wenli combined her own experience of being award during her College time and the opera singing of Cailing which provided me a better understanding of the movie arrangement of showing her opera singing. In her speech, Wenli used quite a few times of "心比天高" refer to herself back in the day she was still in college and Cailing in the movie, both of them got skills but they do not know that their levels cannot be called professional. So that answered my question of Changwei using an opera singer to cover the voice, it could show that she does have some talent with opera. Otherwise, Zhou Yu would not admire her so much, and she would not be able to have a teaching position in the local school. It is good to be " 心比天高" but does not be the person “命比纸薄."
looking forward to your reply.
Re: 12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
Wow, Zixuan!
I’m looking forward to your arrival! In fact, I don’t know much about the opera but if you don’t mind it, I will be interested in listening to what you want to share with me. What’s more, after reading the research you found and the analysis you made, I had a better understanding of the film. Thanks a lot.
Best wishes
I’m looking forward to your arrival! In fact, I don’t know much about the opera but if you don’t mind it, I will be interested in listening to what you want to share with me. What’s more, after reading the research you found and the analysis you made, I had a better understanding of the film. Thanks a lot.
Best wishes
Re: 12 - Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
Revised essay:
Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
I admit that my first impression of Katherine Watson and Wang Tsai-ling (who are respective heroines of Mona Lisa Smile and And the Spring Comes) is that they have something in common.
Both of them are leftover women(also called “leftover ladies”; it means “剩女”( Sheng nu / Shèng nǚ)in Chinese. If a girl has not got married or even not had a boyfriend now when she is in her late twenties or beyond, she will be called “leftover woman”, because the majority of Chinese think she is “left” and “lonely”.) Also, they have their own gifts. Katherine is good at Art and Wang has a beautiful voice. They all feel not right to the ordinary life and want to make a difference. So Katherine chooses to teach the history of Art in the most conservative college in the nation and Wang dreams to be the main soprano with the National Opera Company.
Nevertheless, it’s no doubt that Katherine and Wang are quite different. Their personal developments have diametrically opposed endings.
I think the differences mainly focus on their choices when faced with difficulties and their attitudes towards life. Katherine is more enthusiastic and positive. She challenges the tradition and encourages the equality between men and women in the college where students believe having a good marriage is the most important thing in their life. Apparently, Katherine has a great influence on her students. Because of Katherine’s spirit, Betty, one of her students, gets rid of an unhappy marriage and tries to be a free and independent woman. But Wang is not the same as Katherine. Wang tries a lot, while things don’t work out the way. She can’t get a residence permit. Of course, she will not be the main soprano, either. At last, she gives up and adopts an orphan. Wang names the orphan Wang Xiaofan which means ordinary. Wang finally has an ordinary life, reconciling to her fate. With a similar starting line, Katherine and Wang reach diverse terminals.
So, why Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments are so different?
I believe the culture is an important factor. Western culture tends to be more positive and more active, where new ideas can be accepted and spread out quickly. So, on the one hand, for Katherine, she grows into a open-minded woman. On the other hand, it’s more possible for Katherine’ new thoughts to be effectively taken in by others. By contrast, Chinese culture is relatively passive and introverted. Chinese are not keen on expressing their thoughts and ideas. At the same time, the speed of accepting new thoughts in China is slower than that of westerners. So, if something new shows up or something is different from the majority, people’s first reaction at that time is to comment on it and even to protest it. As a result, people may give in. I think this kind of Chinese culture forms a fence which makes Tsai-ling be hardly accepted and stops Wang from realizing her dream. It’s no wonder why Wang turns to live an ordinary life in the end.
Further more, social background has a great influence on them. What Katherine faces with is that the Second World War ends and the women empowerment is rising up. In the 1950s, though the American upper class are relatively conservative and insist on feudal thoughts including ‘A good marriage is the measure of a successful woman’, the social atmosphere turns to be free and open and the educated pay more attention to the women. Giselle, Connie, Joan, Betty and so on, the representative students of Katherine’s, are educated and open enough to follow Katherine. Nevertheless, Wang’s story happens in China in 1980s. Though the Culture Revolution ends at that time, the social mobility is still traditional and conservative, influenced. For example, now Chinese make indiscreet remarks and criticisms on Hu Jinquan who is a coryphée and consider him as a freak because he is a man and no man will dance a ballet. As a result, Hu goes into jail by ‘hurting’ a woman, desperate, and he thinks the jail is better than the world outside. How ridiculous the world is! Afterwards, Gao Beibei cheats Wang for fame. All these things make Wang feel sad and disappointed at the world so she quits her dream absolutely. (By the way, the situation is quite different in China nowadays. If you dance a ballet on the street, people will stop steps absolutely and give you a hot applause. Maybe Wang in this age will also have a chance to be the main soprano because China is more open and developing now.)
Last but not least, their attitudes and characters play an important role. Obviously, Katherine is energetic, enthusiastic and idealistic. In front of the challenges from students in the first class, Katherine feels embarrassed but she doesn't give up. She changes the way of teaching, encourages students to make their dreams come true and influences them by osmosis. Step by step, Katherine changes their traditional thoughts and they nicknamed her “Mona Lisa” respectfully. That is, Katherine achieves her goal. Nevertheless, Wang always pretends she is the main soprano. In fact, it shows that Wang is high-hearted and over self-respect. What's more, she is vulnerable and sensitive. When Huang Sibao rejects her, she chooses to commit suicide. When rejected by the National Opera Company, she cries sadly. Experiencing so many frustrations and nothing left, she finally loses the hope and her dream fades gradually.
Overall, I don’t think it is fair that these differences contributed to their personal development in different ways, because I believe what Katherine faces is more positive but Wang is less fortunate. Besides, I can’t say who is better, because I think the choices they make are under different pressure. But I am sure that, with the different cultures, societies and personalities, the opportunities for their personal developments are different.
Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments
I admit that my first impression of Katherine Watson and Wang Tsai-ling (who are respective heroines of Mona Lisa Smile and And the Spring Comes) is that they have something in common.
Both of them are leftover women(also called “leftover ladies”; it means “剩女”( Sheng nu / Shèng nǚ)in Chinese. If a girl has not got married or even not had a boyfriend now when she is in her late twenties or beyond, she will be called “leftover woman”, because the majority of Chinese think she is “left” and “lonely”.) Also, they have their own gifts. Katherine is good at Art and Wang has a beautiful voice. They all feel not right to the ordinary life and want to make a difference. So Katherine chooses to teach the history of Art in the most conservative college in the nation and Wang dreams to be the main soprano with the National Opera Company.
Nevertheless, it’s no doubt that Katherine and Wang are quite different. Their personal developments have diametrically opposed endings.
I think the differences mainly focus on their choices when faced with difficulties and their attitudes towards life. Katherine is more enthusiastic and positive. She challenges the tradition and encourages the equality between men and women in the college where students believe having a good marriage is the most important thing in their life. Apparently, Katherine has a great influence on her students. Because of Katherine’s spirit, Betty, one of her students, gets rid of an unhappy marriage and tries to be a free and independent woman. But Wang is not the same as Katherine. Wang tries a lot, while things don’t work out the way. She can’t get a residence permit. Of course, she will not be the main soprano, either. At last, she gives up and adopts an orphan. Wang names the orphan Wang Xiaofan which means ordinary. Wang finally has an ordinary life, reconciling to her fate. With a similar starting line, Katherine and Wang reach diverse terminals.
So, why Katherine’s and Wang’s personal developments are so different?
I believe the culture is an important factor. Western culture tends to be more positive and more active, where new ideas can be accepted and spread out quickly. So, on the one hand, for Katherine, she grows into a open-minded woman. On the other hand, it’s more possible for Katherine’ new thoughts to be effectively taken in by others. By contrast, Chinese culture is relatively passive and introverted. Chinese are not keen on expressing their thoughts and ideas. At the same time, the speed of accepting new thoughts in China is slower than that of westerners. So, if something new shows up or something is different from the majority, people’s first reaction at that time is to comment on it and even to protest it. As a result, people may give in. I think this kind of Chinese culture forms a fence which makes Tsai-ling be hardly accepted and stops Wang from realizing her dream. It’s no wonder why Wang turns to live an ordinary life in the end.
Further more, social background has a great influence on them. What Katherine faces with is that the Second World War ends and the women empowerment is rising up. In the 1950s, though the American upper class are relatively conservative and insist on feudal thoughts including ‘A good marriage is the measure of a successful woman’, the social atmosphere turns to be free and open and the educated pay more attention to the women. Giselle, Connie, Joan, Betty and so on, the representative students of Katherine’s, are educated and open enough to follow Katherine. Nevertheless, Wang’s story happens in China in 1980s. Though the Culture Revolution ends at that time, the social mobility is still traditional and conservative, influenced. For example, now Chinese make indiscreet remarks and criticisms on Hu Jinquan who is a coryphée and consider him as a freak because he is a man and no man will dance a ballet. As a result, Hu goes into jail by ‘hurting’ a woman, desperate, and he thinks the jail is better than the world outside. How ridiculous the world is! Afterwards, Gao Beibei cheats Wang for fame. All these things make Wang feel sad and disappointed at the world so she quits her dream absolutely. (By the way, the situation is quite different in China nowadays. If you dance a ballet on the street, people will stop steps absolutely and give you a hot applause. Maybe Wang in this age will also have a chance to be the main soprano because China is more open and developing now.)
Last but not least, their attitudes and characters play an important role. Obviously, Katherine is energetic, enthusiastic and idealistic. In front of the challenges from students in the first class, Katherine feels embarrassed but she doesn't give up. She changes the way of teaching, encourages students to make their dreams come true and influences them by osmosis. Step by step, Katherine changes their traditional thoughts and they nicknamed her “Mona Lisa” respectfully. That is, Katherine achieves her goal. Nevertheless, Wang always pretends she is the main soprano. In fact, it shows that Wang is high-hearted and over self-respect. What's more, she is vulnerable and sensitive. When Huang Sibao rejects her, she chooses to commit suicide. When rejected by the National Opera Company, she cries sadly. Experiencing so many frustrations and nothing left, she finally loses the hope and her dream fades gradually.
Overall, I don’t think it is fair that these differences contributed to their personal development in different ways, because I believe what Katherine faces is more positive but Wang is less fortunate. Besides, I can’t say who is better, because I think the choices they make are under different pressure. But I am sure that, with the different cultures, societies and personalities, the opportunities for their personal developments are different.