Social mobility, as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica, is the movement of individuals, families, or groups through a system of social hierarchy or stratification. The movies And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile portray non-traditional attempts of social mobility. “With the ability to reproduce art, it is available to the masses. No one needs to own a Van Gogh original, they can paint their own.” Said Katherine Watson from the movie Mona Lisa
Smile. According to Watson, one has the power to control every aspect of her life, she is fully capable to change her position in the social ladder, her future. Like Van Gogh, one does not have to conform to the popular ideals set by society because every individual is special, and one works
hard enough to prove herself, people will eventually “understand”. Watson’s beliefs closely align with the classic American Dream ideals, in which the effects of the society is often less emphasized than individual achievements.
On the contrary, the movie And the Spring Comes shows otherwise. The movie opens with a cross-cut sequence between roaming bikes in China and the heavily industrialized village. This sequence is very comparable to the opening scene of Charlie Chaplin’s movie The Tramp, where a sequence of a herd of sheep is followed by a group of black collar men going to work in factories. Both sequences show blank expressions of people, just like sheep, they are herded into a conforming society where individuality is frowned upon. And the Spring Comes portrays a very low social mobility where one is unlikely to change the position they are born with. Despite the fact, it shows that happiness can still be achieved, by following the dao and li traditions. During the last quarter of the movie, Wang Tsailing adopted a daughter and paid frequent visits to her parents, by taking the energy she spends on trying to work in Beijing, she fulfills the li of filial piety.
Despite the major differences in the two films, they converge in several ways. For example, both films explore the barriers in becoming socially mobile. In And the Spring Comes, it is obvious that Wang Tsailing faces more than physical barriers such as proper documentations of achieving her dream of becoming a Soprano singer. She is blocked by invisible barriers such as having connections, proper education, and having a good appearance. Similarly, in Mona Lisa Smile, the girls face the silent social expectation that they have to follow their husbands’ paths after marriage, despite being fully capable to pursue a professional career.
The films And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile discuss the obstacles of social mobility. Despite the differences in Eastern and Western ideals and filming techniques, the two exhibit similar view points on several topics, exemplifying a cross-cultural overlap and hybridization.
8 - East Meets West: Film Analysis Through a Sociological Lens
Re: 8 - East Meets West: Film Analysis Through a Sociological Lens
Hi Ya-Lin:
I very much enjoyed reading your essay as it is clearly-structured with abundant background knowledge vital to the understanding of the characters’ motives and actions in the context of American and Chinese culture and society respectively.
You highlight the fact that because Katherine is well equipped with the necessary qualities for social mobility, she can move up and down the social ladder according to her own will. Her identity fits perfectly into the American society which calls for the will and well-being of the individual. You help us to understand that although Katherine rebels against the social conduct, she too is a product of the American society, and most likely a privileged one. You draw a parallel between Katherine and Van Gogh, which in my opinion greatly contextualizes the movie; as Van Gogh’s story is well known in both the east and the west, it gives the general audience an idea of the setting.
As for And the Spring Comes, your analysis of its opening sequence sets the foundation of Tsai-ling’s incongruity, as well as the unstated codes of social conduct in Chinese culture, which I think is worth a further comparison with the utopia, de-socialized college setting in Mona Lisa Smile. I also want to recommend Jia Zhangke’s debut film The Pickpocket (Xiao Wu) as it shares a similar opening in which the protagonist is cast out with the gaze of the common “normal” mass. I think the pressure from peers is very intense in the Chinese culture, and people generally have a mentality to follow the mainstream. In her comment Katie argues that the American people also have to conform under social pressure, so I’m looking forward to hearing about your thoughts on this issue.
My suggestions for your revision are 1) in terms of structure, you can consider develop the definition of social mobility with a separate paragraph after the one with your argument, so that the readers can continue into your movie analysis knowing the differences in the east and the west; 2)since you conclude that a comparative viewing of the two films renders cross-cultural hybrid over division, it will be appreciated if you can point how why their differences cannot outbalance the consensus. I think this will make your argument more solid and convincing to those who hold an opposite view.
Yangzi
I very much enjoyed reading your essay as it is clearly-structured with abundant background knowledge vital to the understanding of the characters’ motives and actions in the context of American and Chinese culture and society respectively.
You highlight the fact that because Katherine is well equipped with the necessary qualities for social mobility, she can move up and down the social ladder according to her own will. Her identity fits perfectly into the American society which calls for the will and well-being of the individual. You help us to understand that although Katherine rebels against the social conduct, she too is a product of the American society, and most likely a privileged one. You draw a parallel between Katherine and Van Gogh, which in my opinion greatly contextualizes the movie; as Van Gogh’s story is well known in both the east and the west, it gives the general audience an idea of the setting.
As for And the Spring Comes, your analysis of its opening sequence sets the foundation of Tsai-ling’s incongruity, as well as the unstated codes of social conduct in Chinese culture, which I think is worth a further comparison with the utopia, de-socialized college setting in Mona Lisa Smile. I also want to recommend Jia Zhangke’s debut film The Pickpocket (Xiao Wu) as it shares a similar opening in which the protagonist is cast out with the gaze of the common “normal” mass. I think the pressure from peers is very intense in the Chinese culture, and people generally have a mentality to follow the mainstream. In her comment Katie argues that the American people also have to conform under social pressure, so I’m looking forward to hearing about your thoughts on this issue.
My suggestions for your revision are 1) in terms of structure, you can consider develop the definition of social mobility with a separate paragraph after the one with your argument, so that the readers can continue into your movie analysis knowing the differences in the east and the west; 2)since you conclude that a comparative viewing of the two films renders cross-cultural hybrid over division, it will be appreciated if you can point how why their differences cannot outbalance the consensus. I think this will make your argument more solid and convincing to those who hold an opposite view.
Yangzi
Re: 8 - East Meets West: Film Analysis Through a Sociological Lens
Hi Yangzi,
Thank you for your thoughtful response, you gave me some insights about my essay that even I myself have not noticed before. For example, I paralleled Van Gogh and Katherine simply because I personally really enjoy the arts, and that “Van Gogh in a box” scene was very memorable to me. What I did not consider was that, like you mentioned, it does set the tone and prime the essay for the audience, I will probably look into enhancing the comparison between the two.
I will check out film you suggested, sounds like it would be a good complement to And the Spring Comes. In return, I will suggest to you the films The Graduate directed by Mike Nichols and The Tramp by Charlie Chaplin. They also heavily address the problem of social mainstream values and displacement felt by individuals.
About your inquiry of my thoughts on social conformity in the US. I would say yes, social pressure does exist, in a sense that everyone is trying to find a place that they “fit” in society, somewhere they know that they would not be frowned upon. For example, I have noticed that the faculty at Penn State really push us to “do something” that will enhance our resume for future careers. This includes going to career fairs, studying abroad, being a teaching assistants etc. Just going home to be with family in the summer is no longer the first priority, because watching my peers going to internships, I feel like I need to get a head start on my career too in order to have the technical skills to compete with them for full time jobs in the future. That being said, I think there is still a degree of freedom here, for example, outside of academia students do a variety of activities, like being involved in clubs and organizations or being a super fan at a football game to express their personalities and uniqueness. So yes I think social pressure exist to an extent in terms of being on the edge for your career (this is very prevalent in especially the middle class population), but outside of that, the “stream” is split into different branches that people have a freedom to choose which one to follow. Do you feel the social pressures in China too? What would you say is the trending mainstream value today?
Thank you for your thoughtful response, you gave me some insights about my essay that even I myself have not noticed before. For example, I paralleled Van Gogh and Katherine simply because I personally really enjoy the arts, and that “Van Gogh in a box” scene was very memorable to me. What I did not consider was that, like you mentioned, it does set the tone and prime the essay for the audience, I will probably look into enhancing the comparison between the two.
I will check out film you suggested, sounds like it would be a good complement to And the Spring Comes. In return, I will suggest to you the films The Graduate directed by Mike Nichols and The Tramp by Charlie Chaplin. They also heavily address the problem of social mainstream values and displacement felt by individuals.
About your inquiry of my thoughts on social conformity in the US. I would say yes, social pressure does exist, in a sense that everyone is trying to find a place that they “fit” in society, somewhere they know that they would not be frowned upon. For example, I have noticed that the faculty at Penn State really push us to “do something” that will enhance our resume for future careers. This includes going to career fairs, studying abroad, being a teaching assistants etc. Just going home to be with family in the summer is no longer the first priority, because watching my peers going to internships, I feel like I need to get a head start on my career too in order to have the technical skills to compete with them for full time jobs in the future. That being said, I think there is still a degree of freedom here, for example, outside of academia students do a variety of activities, like being involved in clubs and organizations or being a super fan at a football game to express their personalities and uniqueness. So yes I think social pressure exist to an extent in terms of being on the edge for your career (this is very prevalent in especially the middle class population), but outside of that, the “stream” is split into different branches that people have a freedom to choose which one to follow. Do you feel the social pressures in China too? What would you say is the trending mainstream value today?
Re: 8 - East Meets West: Film Analysis Through a Sociological Lens
Ya-Lin,
Thank you for the movie recommendations. As a lover of intertextuallity studies in literature, I find the correlations between films equally exciting. I will surely check out these films later!
I would say that social pressure plays a key part in pushing the Chinese society forward. The young generation are encouraged to pursue the most popular career routes, such as law, banking, and CS, almost all of which are very profitable. This trend is reflected on the varying degrees of popularity between different majors in university. I come from a family of doctors, and my father really wished that I could be trained as a doctor. He was very disappointed when I chose to major in English, but later he found that English is where my passion lies, so now he is supporting me to continue my studies;) I consider my parents to be pretty enlightening and open-minded, so I 'll say that a extent of free choice is still available. But at the same time, since our majors are often decided before freshman year, many students have no idea what they love when they are asked to choose a major. Under such circumstances, some would opt for the aforesaid popular majors. If you have the chance to come to China and Nanjing University next month, you will have a better understanding of the situation here.
Lastly, please allow me to say one more word about the film essay. I find that the four of us somehow leave the titles of the films undiscussed despite their significance in setting the tone of the film. In many scenes of Mona Lisa Smile, the girls seem very happy, but does their smile disguise some anxiety and sadness? Similarly in And the Spring Comes, when exactly is the arrival of spring for Tsai-ling? They might be the questions worth further consideration, and I would encourage you to incorporate some of them into your essay.
In all it has been a thoroughly pleasant experience exchanging ideas with you and Katie! I have lived in Atlanta for a while when I was little, but before this month I had never have a in-depth discussion with peers from the states about film and culture between China and USA.
Wish you good luck on your finals!!
Yangzi
Thank you for the movie recommendations. As a lover of intertextuallity studies in literature, I find the correlations between films equally exciting. I will surely check out these films later!
I would say that social pressure plays a key part in pushing the Chinese society forward. The young generation are encouraged to pursue the most popular career routes, such as law, banking, and CS, almost all of which are very profitable. This trend is reflected on the varying degrees of popularity between different majors in university. I come from a family of doctors, and my father really wished that I could be trained as a doctor. He was very disappointed when I chose to major in English, but later he found that English is where my passion lies, so now he is supporting me to continue my studies;) I consider my parents to be pretty enlightening and open-minded, so I 'll say that a extent of free choice is still available. But at the same time, since our majors are often decided before freshman year, many students have no idea what they love when they are asked to choose a major. Under such circumstances, some would opt for the aforesaid popular majors. If you have the chance to come to China and Nanjing University next month, you will have a better understanding of the situation here.
Lastly, please allow me to say one more word about the film essay. I find that the four of us somehow leave the titles of the films undiscussed despite their significance in setting the tone of the film. In many scenes of Mona Lisa Smile, the girls seem very happy, but does their smile disguise some anxiety and sadness? Similarly in And the Spring Comes, when exactly is the arrival of spring for Tsai-ling? They might be the questions worth further consideration, and I would encourage you to incorporate some of them into your essay.
In all it has been a thoroughly pleasant experience exchanging ideas with you and Katie! I have lived in Atlanta for a while when I was little, but before this month I had never have a in-depth discussion with peers from the states about film and culture between China and USA.
Wish you good luck on your finals!!
Yangzi
Re: 8 - East Meets West: Film Analysis Through a Sociological Lens
REVISED ESSAY
Social mobility, as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica, is the movement of individuals, families, or groups through a system of social hierarchy or stratification. In the sociological perspective, Western ideologies of social mobility is positively oriented, suggesting that everyone has equal chance of achieving success. On the other hand, Asian countries believe otherwise, an example of this is the Indian caste system, in which one cannot change his social status in any circumstance. The movies And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile portray non- traditional attempts of social mobility in Eastern and Western perspectives, respectively.
“With the ability to reproduce art, it is available to the masses. No one needs to own a Van Gogh original, they can paint their own.” Said Katherine Watson from the movie Mona Lisa Smile. According to Watson, one has the power to control every aspect of her life, she is fully capable to change her position in the social ladder, her future. Like Van Gogh, one does not have to conform to the popular ideals set by society because every individual is special, and one works hard enough to prove herself, people will eventually “understand”. Watson’s beliefs closely align with the classic American Dream ideals, in which the effects of the society is often less emphasized than individual achievements.
On the contrary, the movie And the Spring Comes shows otherwise. The movie opens with a cross-cut sequence between roaming bikes in China and the heavily industrialized village. This sequence is very comparable to the opening scene of Charlie Chaplin’s movie The Tramp, where a sequence of a herd of sheep is followed by a group of black collar men going to work in factories. Both sequences show blank expressions of people, just like sheep, they are herded into a conforming society where individuality is frowned upon. And the Spring Comes portrays a very low social mobility where one is unlikely to change the position they are born with. Despite the fact, it shows that happiness can still be achieved, by following the dao and li traditions. During the last quarter of the movie, Wang Tsailing adopted a daughter and paid frequent visits to her parents, by taking the energy she spends on trying to work in Beijing, she fulfills the li of filial piety.
Despite the major differences in the two films, they converge in several ways. For example, both films explore the barriers in becoming socially mobile. In And the Spring Comes, it is obvious that Wang Tsailing faces more than physical barriers such as proper documentations
of achieving her dream of becoming a Soprano singer. She is blocked by invisible barriers such as having connections, proper education, and having a good appearance. Similarly, in Mona Lisa Smile, the girls face the silent social expectation that they have to follow their husbands’ paths after marriage, despite being fully capable to pursue a professional career.
The films And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile discuss the obstacles of social mobility. Despite the differences in Eastern and Western ideals and filming techniques, the two exhibit similar view points on several topics, exemplifying a cross-cultural overlap and hybridization.
Social mobility, as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica, is the movement of individuals, families, or groups through a system of social hierarchy or stratification. In the sociological perspective, Western ideologies of social mobility is positively oriented, suggesting that everyone has equal chance of achieving success. On the other hand, Asian countries believe otherwise, an example of this is the Indian caste system, in which one cannot change his social status in any circumstance. The movies And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile portray non- traditional attempts of social mobility in Eastern and Western perspectives, respectively.
“With the ability to reproduce art, it is available to the masses. No one needs to own a Van Gogh original, they can paint their own.” Said Katherine Watson from the movie Mona Lisa Smile. According to Watson, one has the power to control every aspect of her life, she is fully capable to change her position in the social ladder, her future. Like Van Gogh, one does not have to conform to the popular ideals set by society because every individual is special, and one works hard enough to prove herself, people will eventually “understand”. Watson’s beliefs closely align with the classic American Dream ideals, in which the effects of the society is often less emphasized than individual achievements.
On the contrary, the movie And the Spring Comes shows otherwise. The movie opens with a cross-cut sequence between roaming bikes in China and the heavily industrialized village. This sequence is very comparable to the opening scene of Charlie Chaplin’s movie The Tramp, where a sequence of a herd of sheep is followed by a group of black collar men going to work in factories. Both sequences show blank expressions of people, just like sheep, they are herded into a conforming society where individuality is frowned upon. And the Spring Comes portrays a very low social mobility where one is unlikely to change the position they are born with. Despite the fact, it shows that happiness can still be achieved, by following the dao and li traditions. During the last quarter of the movie, Wang Tsailing adopted a daughter and paid frequent visits to her parents, by taking the energy she spends on trying to work in Beijing, she fulfills the li of filial piety.
Despite the major differences in the two films, they converge in several ways. For example, both films explore the barriers in becoming socially mobile. In And the Spring Comes, it is obvious that Wang Tsailing faces more than physical barriers such as proper documentations
of achieving her dream of becoming a Soprano singer. She is blocked by invisible barriers such as having connections, proper education, and having a good appearance. Similarly, in Mona Lisa Smile, the girls face the silent social expectation that they have to follow their husbands’ paths after marriage, despite being fully capable to pursue a professional career.
The films And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile discuss the obstacles of social mobility. Despite the differences in Eastern and Western ideals and filming techniques, the two exhibit similar view points on several topics, exemplifying a cross-cultural overlap and hybridization.
Re: 8 - East Meets West: Film Analysis Through a Sociological Lens
REFLECTION
1) What were your expectations for the border-crossing activity? Are your expectations met? Why or why not?
I was expecting good exchange and feedback for the essays between the Chinese students and I. The experience actually exceeded my expectations, because besides the essays, we went above and beyond to discuss about social issues in China and the US. The fact that we shared with each other how we felt about social pressure was a really unique experience for me, and I think that’s what made this a great cross-cultural exchange.
2) Please name three things that struck you most when you interacted with the Chinese peers, and explain why. (You may comment on the differences and/or similarities in lexical choice, writing style, idea presentation, rhetorical preference, cultural convention etc.)
1. My exchange partners gave really diligent feedbacks to my essay, touching on almost every
one of my arguments. This really struck me because I think this is going to be really helpful
when I revise my essay.
2. It turns out that on of my exchange partners is really interested in the sociological
perspective as well. It feels great to have someone to resonate my ideas with.
3. Our ideas overlapped many times in our essays, though growing up from different cultures.
3) Did you incorporate what had been discussed into the revised draft? If so, please elaborate on how the discussion had led to the revisions you made. If not, please explain why.
I revised by draft heavily based on the discussion with my exchange partners. Originally I started my essay by defining social mobility and they stating that the movies portray attempts of social mobility. One of my exchange partners pointed out that adding a paragraph in between would make it easier for readers to associate the two ideas. I agreed with him so I added sentences in between explaining eastern and western ideas regarding social mobility and then introduced the films as representatives of East and West.
4) Do you think the activity is beneficial to you in terms of knowledge gains or skill enhancement? If so, please elaborate. If not, please explain why?
I think this activity was beneficial to me because it gave me insight into what stance my exchange partners take when talking about philosophical questions. It also taught me how to clearly present my ideas to others so they don’t get confused
7) Could you provide three adjectives to describe your feelings about the activity? Please explain your choice.
New- This was the first time I did peer review with someone from another country online. Engaging- The exchange process really made me critically think about why I constructed my arguments and what my exchange partners are trying to convey in their essays.
Inspirational- I think this activity promotes cross-cultural understanding between students from US and China, which is a very important lesson for us as global citizens.
8) Any additional comments, suggestions, and observations you would like to make to better help us assess your performance in this activity?
I really liked that we can see everyone’s comments and essays, because in the beginning I did not know where to begin to construct my response, and so I checked responses from the other groups to get a better understanding of what was expected.
1) What were your expectations for the border-crossing activity? Are your expectations met? Why or why not?
I was expecting good exchange and feedback for the essays between the Chinese students and I. The experience actually exceeded my expectations, because besides the essays, we went above and beyond to discuss about social issues in China and the US. The fact that we shared with each other how we felt about social pressure was a really unique experience for me, and I think that’s what made this a great cross-cultural exchange.
2) Please name three things that struck you most when you interacted with the Chinese peers, and explain why. (You may comment on the differences and/or similarities in lexical choice, writing style, idea presentation, rhetorical preference, cultural convention etc.)
1. My exchange partners gave really diligent feedbacks to my essay, touching on almost every
one of my arguments. This really struck me because I think this is going to be really helpful
when I revise my essay.
2. It turns out that on of my exchange partners is really interested in the sociological
perspective as well. It feels great to have someone to resonate my ideas with.
3. Our ideas overlapped many times in our essays, though growing up from different cultures.
3) Did you incorporate what had been discussed into the revised draft? If so, please elaborate on how the discussion had led to the revisions you made. If not, please explain why.
I revised by draft heavily based on the discussion with my exchange partners. Originally I started my essay by defining social mobility and they stating that the movies portray attempts of social mobility. One of my exchange partners pointed out that adding a paragraph in between would make it easier for readers to associate the two ideas. I agreed with him so I added sentences in between explaining eastern and western ideas regarding social mobility and then introduced the films as representatives of East and West.
4) Do you think the activity is beneficial to you in terms of knowledge gains or skill enhancement? If so, please elaborate. If not, please explain why?
I think this activity was beneficial to me because it gave me insight into what stance my exchange partners take when talking about philosophical questions. It also taught me how to clearly present my ideas to others so they don’t get confused
7) Could you provide three adjectives to describe your feelings about the activity? Please explain your choice.
New- This was the first time I did peer review with someone from another country online. Engaging- The exchange process really made me critically think about why I constructed my arguments and what my exchange partners are trying to convey in their essays.
Inspirational- I think this activity promotes cross-cultural understanding between students from US and China, which is a very important lesson for us as global citizens.
8) Any additional comments, suggestions, and observations you would like to make to better help us assess your performance in this activity?
I really liked that we can see everyone’s comments and essays, because in the beginning I did not know where to begin to construct my response, and so I checked responses from the other groups to get a better understanding of what was expected.