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Dear Guo, Liang,
Thank you for the comments.
"Different destinies," I think it is inappropriate in there, because it is irrelevant to the context. I have also noticed that the first paragraph need improvements. However, I do not work out a start so far. If you have some idea, just tell me. Besides, I like the idea of adding some plots in the fifth paragraph because it seems so empty without plots. Do you think it is suitable if I add the scene that Professor Watson choose to leave after being cheated? In addition, I will try to make modifications of sentence length.
Looking forward to your reply.
Cao Biqin
Li Boxin

Hi Cao and Li!

We think the opening paragraph of the essay is suitable. It is to the point that you draw out the theme you want to express through the two protagonists. Maybe you can delete the last sentence, because "on account of different factors, they have different destines." requires you to continue to explain why, which may conflict with the meaning you are expressing.

Secondly, I think the fifth paragraph can first add how the two protagonists are loyal to themselves in order to gain freedom, and then add how the protagonists face up to difficulties and do not escape. Adding a certain plot of the film together with your explanation will be more convincing and substitute.

Guo/Liang

Revised Essay:
Self-awareness & Collective Unconsciousness
Cao Biqin
Li Boxin
After watching the two movies, Mona Lisa Smile, And the Spring comes, we learn that Wang cailing and Waston are alienated from most people in the society. This article will focus on the relationship of self-awareness and collective unconsciousness to illustrate the two films.

Wang lives in a remote, small town, and she has the longing for her singing career and passion for love. However, it is quite tough for Wang to achieve her dream, because she is surrounded by stubborn people who have strong prejudice against art and the dreamers' attitude, behavior. Kathrine has a close affinity to Wang here, whose idea collides with the traditional view that "women will eventually return to their families." There, in the two films, exists collective unconscious in the society, which refers to structures of the unconscious mind and is shared among beings of the same species. Namely, sometimes human beings have a consistent attitude and recognition that are populated by instincts towards something, and they also accept something true unconsciously though they do not have a clear understanding. We can see collective unconscious in the two movies from many details. For example, in the movie And the Spring Comes, Hu Jinquan, a young man who loves ballet deeply, does ballet in the ground. However, residents around Hu do not understand him, even laugh at his action, and doubt how can a man dance. Similarly, when Professor Wang start singing, People leave quickly. The arts are strange to most people which Hu and Wang devote themselves to. These people look down upon arts, and they cannot figure out a rational reason they dislike arts, because this kind of thinking about art is buried in the soul of residents who do not really understand art. In the movie Mona Lisa Smile, Wesley College, its education does not teach student how to get knowledge and wisdom, but teaches that "women should serve men" and how to be a "qualified wife". All the efforts that female students make is to pave the way for marrying a good husband. The school even treat marriage as the standard of educational success. This is a kind of collective unconscious. People, no matter men or women, think that women have no place in politic or business, and should stay home. Though this idea is ridiculous in a contemporary’s mind, people in that times value it.

A few people can break the shackles of collective unconscious. However, the reason Wang and Watson can break loose from collective unconscious is that they are women with a heightened degree of self-awareness which means that they have the capacity for introspection and the ability to recognize themselves as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. In the two movies, both protagonists Kathrine and Wang Cailing, were confronted with great obstacles, but they all try to attain their goals. But differently, the strong self-awareness buried in Wang's mind urges her to fulfill her own dream at all costs. However, Kathrine, who has high education, regards the emancipation of women's minds, and help the independent and complete personality of students as her hope.

Nevertheless, most people are still susceptible by collective unconscious. Besides, those people who are out of collective control are hard to realize their dream, because they are not able to get people to understand them. This is a tragedy of times and is hard to change.

In such position, to be honest, Kathrine is luckier than Wang, she grows and lives in a transition age where a group of women have broken the shackles of conventions and can manifest their capacity in the society, which let her be free and active. Meanwhile, with Kathrine's encouragement and support, some female students gradually realize their identity, and have the self- awareness to pursue emancipation. As the end of the film, Joan choose to step into marriage, which makes me wonder Katherine's challenge to those impartiality towards women is failed, but Joan's explanation let me realize that the core of the movie is not enable women to absolutely emancipate from the restrictions of family, or choose one between career success and academic mastery to manifest their independence, but to live the way they want and keep their thoughts free.

As for Wang Cailing, she lives in a small town where the minds of the residents have been solidified permanently. For those old fogies, Wang Cailing's dream is a negligible and impractical joke. Wang Cailing even make the residents look up to her by over beautifying her experience. However, what she got was endless ridicule. They, Miss Wang, and many residents in that small town, even scorn Wang's life style. Whether she walks in the street or she is hit by Huang Sibao，nobody talks to her or try to helped her. They also persuade her to marry. For example, Zhou Yu says:" Tsai-ling, come to live with me. I will take care of you...And you are not getting any younger, share life in earnest." Besides, when Hu jinquan could not bear people's comments, he asks Wang to marry him. When Wang go home, her mother asks her whether she can get married this year. What is more, Miss Zhang also go to Wang's home, and she says:" You really should find a husband." Even though Wang has a strong self-awareness, within question, she compromises to reality. After experienced the swindle of Gao Beibei, Wang went to Dating Agency trying to live like a “normal” girl. I think Wang’s act is a kind of compromise since she wanted to get rid of rumors. However, she failed.

From the two movies, we see a gap between self-awareness and collective unconscious. Someone wins in the battle, and someone fails. Regardless the results, we should show our appreciation to those who stand in the front line fighting against authority and old-fashioned customs, since their actions may affect or correct people's misbelief in a degree. Most importantly, what can we do when a collision between self-awareness and collective unconscious happened? Firstly, to acquire true liberation, people should be loyalty to themselves. Besides, remember that escapism will not solve any difficulties. The key is that people have the capacity, firmness, determination, and bravery to do their own decisions, to achieve ambition and to fight against those inequitable conventions. What's more, since the process is quite tough, those who attain their goal are always persevering, patient and diligent. So even if the reality has also been consistently disappointed, just take them in your stride. And remember in your mind, there is nothing insurmountable. With such determination, your dream and hope are sure to wait you at the end of tunnel.

However, sometimes we feel that it is impossible to cross thorough the collective unconscious. If so, you can learn to reconcile with reality and adversity by employing the forbearing and liberal nature that buried in your soul. For instance, Wang not attain her goal at last, so she adopts a girl and starts selling meats, which be a concession. However, we also notice that she does not marry a man that she dislikes. Meanwhile, she teaches her daughter sing and smiles a lot than before. We can assume that she wants to cultivate her daughter to be a singer. In this way, she finds the approach to satisfy the need of self-actualization. This is her uncompromising posture. In doing so, we are likely to find a way out of confusion and frustration.

Reflection
Li Boxin
Cao Biqin
We benefit a lot from this trans-oceanic interactive activity.Firstly, it is a great opportunity for us to communicate with native speakers. Through this activity, we learn the American students writing style and see that the words and expressions of their article is more natural and adequate than ours. So, we need to take a consideration about how to improve our grammar, Chinglish language, fluence of sentence etc. Secondly, the comments to our article from Chinese students and American students are two perspectives. It helps us to know the readers feeling which from America and China when they read our movie review.Thirdly, this activity help us know the difference of thinking mode of Chinese and American students. It is a true reflection of the different characteristics of communication between the two in English.Thirdly, after two weeks of cross-border communication, we also know our own problems. Through the communication with Megan, Heidi, Guo and Liang, we find that the ignorance of film plots in our writing is inadequate.
​It is important to use language when we learn it. If learners can learn more and write more, and have frequent interaction with native speakers in specific situations, students can learn language structure and vocabulary. This activity help us to think in Engligh when communicate with native speaker.
​Thank you again for Megan, Heidi, Guo and Liang's advice.