In both the Spring comes and Mona Lisa smile, there are girls who meet a dilemma choosing to pursue their dreams or to lead an ordinary life.
In the Spring Comes, the heroine, Wang Cailing, has always dreamt to be a part of the National Grand Theatre, ending up adopting a girl with disability and owning a mutton shop. I’d like to divide her life into 3 main parts. At the her first stage, she was fantastic. She dreamt to sing in a brilliant platform and boasted that she was moving to Beijing. After disappointing Huang Sibao, she stopped saying that she was leaving for Beijing, but she still had an opera dream. At last, she was deceived by a girl and finally got disappointed at this world and her impractical dream. Looking back on these stages, I was not surprised that she chose to compromise. Firstly, was she really talented? Her voice did move some people like Zhou Yu. However, if she was talented, then why was the person in the National Grand Theatre so indifferent? Thus, I assume that she might not be so prominent that she could have been hired with no condition. Secondly, her experiences are too hard to help her persist. The man she fell in love with left her, making her become silent about her great expectation. Her male friend, the artist, who had always been humiliated finally waive the resistance to the secular vision. Her elegant neighbor’s broken marriage scared her. A girl looking for her help turned out a liar. She was finally struck down and compromised.
In Mona Lisa smile, the two students, Betty and Joan in Wellesley College are also instructive. Betty had always regarded the marriage as the most important thing in life till she found that her husband had an affair. She also grew up through this unhappy marriage. She learnt that having a career and being independent are indispensable. It’s not only a woman’s growth. I think it’s also means a lot in today’s world. Women are not the accessories of men. Women are not born to bear children and take care of family. They should not rely on men too much. This is not to say that being a housewife is shameful. Another girl Joan demonstrates it well. She could have gotten the chance to study law in Yale while she refused due to the deep love to her boyfriend. She made a different choice between family and career from what her teacher Katherine thought at the beginning. The two character’s development show two typical girls’ inner growth in an unequal society. The way of realizing value is countless. What matters is not that women sacrifice for men and the whole family. What really matters is that women have the right to choose the way they like.
For some enterprising people, the choice of Wang Cailing and Joan may be unsatisfactory. Instead of persisting in their dreams, they end up leading a plain life. Actually, I would rather regard it as a growth rather than compromise. Facing the reality and continuing to live is more harder than living in a fantastic world. Also, giving up something that you devoted to is really tough and needs a lot of resolution. As time passes by and life goes on, we need to face the reality and realize our value in our own way.
15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
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Elizabeth H.
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:32 am
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Hi Xuan! I liked reading your piece. Immediately, your title grabbed my attention. I would have liked to see you expand on the introduction, and use your current introductory sentence as the final sentence in your opening paragraph. You did a really great job of summarizing both films, but I would have liked to read more about your analyzation of verbal and non-verbal strategies used to depict these scenarios. For example, how did each film uses verbal strategies, like dialogue, and nonverbal strategies, like lighting, to depict the situation these women are in, which is choosing between their dreams or reality? I think developing the answer to that question could really expand your essay. My favorite part of your essay was the conclusion. I liked your analyzation of the films together. I would have liked to see a bit more of that analyzation earlier, and I would like to see how you came to that analyzation as a whole. Overall, I enjoyed reading your piece! -- Liz H.
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Hi Xuan! I loved how instead of putting the spotlight strictly on the two main characters of the film, Wangcai Ling and Katherine Watson, you provided examples of other characters like Huang SIbao, ZhouYu, Betty and Joan. However, I would have to disagree with you on your perspective of WangCaiLing’s talent. There are so many talented people in the world but how do we really define talent? In the film, “Mona Lisa Smile”, there was a scene where Katherine Watson talked about Vincent Van Gogh and how during his lifetime, he was seen as a failure and a madman because no one understood him or his artwork. However, Katherine also pointed out that after Van Gogh passed, his artwork became famous and everyone would go crazy just to own one of his paintings. WangCaiLing’s unsuccessful attempts at achieving her dream of becoming an opera singer had nothing to do with her not having talent. It was mainly due to external factors such as the neighborhood that she lived in and the people that she surrounded herself with. In my opinion, you could be the most talented person in the world, but if the people around you don’t appreciate your talent, it’s basically pointless. I also really liked how you ended with “As time passes by and life goes on, we need to face reality and realize our value in our own way.” This statement really spoke to me because it's true that people might not always be able to see your value and what you can contribute to society, but it's important to realize our value in our own way. Overall, I had a great time reading your essay!
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for your comments! Yep, when I was writing this piece, I paid too much attention on the topic and ignored some details and strategies used in the two movies. And you really inspired me to add something about the situation depiction to correspond with my topic "make a choice". Thanks again for clarifying the ways of deepening my analyzation.
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Hi Anny! Thanks for your comments! Your opinion about Wang Cailing's talent does make sense. Sometimes, there may be little discerning people to find talents. Maybe what I wrote in my essay was too arbitrary. I think Wang Cailing's problem was not that she wasn't gifted. I think she was not so talented that everyone could be impressed by her voice. (The indifferent office clerk in the National Grand Theater is an example) And I don't think the ways of appreciating music and paintings are same. We can tell if a music is delicate directly while we may not know if a painting is inspiring for appreciating painting is more subjective. Yet I agree with you on your opinion that external factors stand in the way of some talented ones' success ,whose best example is Van Gogh. Thanks again for sharing your ideas with me! I enjoyed reading your comment!
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Xuan, thanks for taking my comments into consideration. I do understand where you are coming from. However, I still think it's honestly personal preference when it comes to music or art. For example, I like to listen to soft and mellow music, but you might like edm music or rap. However, just because I am not fond of EDM music or rap, that does not necessarily mean that EDM music and Rap are not "good music". I think the office clerk/director of the National Grand Theater had already formed a personal judgement against Wang CaiLing because of her looks. Therefore, she didn't care to take a step back and listen to Wang CaiLing's voice.
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Dear Anny, thanks for sharing your opinion with me. I also understand your thoughts. And it’s normal that everyone has their own perspective when analyzing something. Thanks again for interacting with me.^_^
Re: 15 - Make A Choice between Dream and Reality
Here is my revised essay. Sorry to post it so late .Thank you all for providing me with these valuable comments and broadening my mind.
In both the Spring comes and Mona Lisa smile, there are girls who meet a dilemma choosing to pursue their dreams or to lead an ordinary life.
In the Spring Comes, the heroine, Wang Cailing, has always dreamt to be a part of the National Grand Theatre, ending up adopting a girl with disability and owning a mutton shop. I’d like to divide her life into 3 main parts. At the her first stage, she was fantastic. She dreamt to sing in a brilliant platform and boasted that she was moving to Beijing. After disappointing Huang Sibao, she stopped saying that she was leaving for Beijing, but she still had an opera dream. At last, she was deceived by a girl and finally got disappointed at this world and her impractical dream. Looking back on these stages, I was not surprised that she chose to compromise. Firstly, was she really so talented that she could be hired with no condition? Her voice did move some people like Zhou Yu. However, if she was talented, then why was the person in the National Grand Theatre so indifferent? Thus, I assume that she might not be so prominent that she could have been hired with no condition. Secondly, her experiences are too hard to help her persist. The man she fell in love with left her, making her become silent about her great expectation. Her male friend, the artist, who had always been humiliated finally waive the resistance to the secular vision. Her elegant neighbor’s broken marriage scared her. A girl looking for her help turned out a liar. She was finally struck down and compromised.
In Mona Lisa smile, the two students, Betty and Joan in Wellesley College are also instructive. Betty had always regarded the marriage as the most important thing in life till she found that her husband had an affair. She also grew up through this unhappy marriage. She learnt that having a career and being independent are indispensable. It’s not only a woman’s growth. I think it’s also means a lot in today’s world. Women are not the accessories of men. Women are not born to bear children and take care of family. They should not rely on men too much. This is not to say that being a housewife is shameful. Another girl Joan demonstrates it well. She could have gotten the chance to study law in Yale while she refused due to the deep love to her boyfriend. She made a different choice between family and career from what her teacher Katherine thought at the beginning. The two character’s development show two typical girls’ inner growth in an unequal society. The way of realizing value is countless. What matters is not that women sacrifice for men and the whole family. What really matters is that women have the right to choose the way they like.
As for the verbal strategies in two movies, I think the voice-over in And the Spring Comes is a highlight. In the first act, Wang Cailing was delivering an aside: “The spring comes. There is no real sign of Spring, but the wind changes suddenly. Overnight, it becomes warm and moist. When this wind blows, it makes me cry. And I know it is only me causing this emotion.”, which revealed the topic and the end of this story——There is no real sign of Spring even if the Spring comes. And, most people in this story ended up giving up their own dreams. From a vast perspective, their lives have nothing to do with this advancing society. They are the reasons causing their “cry” emotion. Besides, the dialogues in this film are noticeable. The conversation between Wang Cailing and Huang Sibao when they were in train and regarded each other as soulmate pointed out a women’s deep love and fatasy about a man. And the monologue of that male dancer in the prison shows the huge pressure deriving from the discrimination of the people around. Thus, some deep feelings could be felt in such a natural way. And in the Mona Lisa Smile, the quarrel between Katherine and Betty shows their free and equal station between teachers and students. And the news edited by Betty also helps to motivate the process of the story a lot.
It’s easy to find out the differences between two heroines. It’s always dark in And the Spring Comes while it’s brighter in Mona Lisa Smile, which relates to their own inner worlds——one is dissatisfied with present situation and struck down step by step, another is always appealing to other women to be stronger firmly. And Wang Cailing’s dark clothes implies her inferiority and Katherine’s clothes reflects her beauty and confidence. Some scenes are displayed very well. There is one scene that Zhou Yu came to Wang’s house and wanted her to help Huang Sibao. When Zhou Yu was boasting, Wang stared at Huang who was playing a paper loop outside through a window. Through that window and in Wang’s mind, Huang Sibao was attractive. Thus, a heartrending story began. In Mona Lisa Smile, it began from the printer and the moving fingers on the keyboard, with the aside “All that she wants is to teach at Wellesley College, so when a position opened in art history department...”, then here shows Betty’s face. It is a very brilliant opening scene which both introduces the simple background and corresponds with the plot of the story. Also, there are pretty much single shots of Katherine, representing her mood directly.
Back to my topic: make a choice between dream and reality, for some enterprising people, the choice of Wang Cailing and Joan may be dissatisfied. Instead of persisting in their dreams, they end up leading a plain life. Actually, I would rather regard it as a growth rather than compromise. Facing the reality and continuing to live is more harder than living in a fantastic world. Also, giving up something that you devoted to is really tough and needs a lot of resolution. As time passes by and life goes on, we need to face the reality and realize our value in our own way.
In both the Spring comes and Mona Lisa smile, there are girls who meet a dilemma choosing to pursue their dreams or to lead an ordinary life.
In the Spring Comes, the heroine, Wang Cailing, has always dreamt to be a part of the National Grand Theatre, ending up adopting a girl with disability and owning a mutton shop. I’d like to divide her life into 3 main parts. At the her first stage, she was fantastic. She dreamt to sing in a brilliant platform and boasted that she was moving to Beijing. After disappointing Huang Sibao, she stopped saying that she was leaving for Beijing, but she still had an opera dream. At last, she was deceived by a girl and finally got disappointed at this world and her impractical dream. Looking back on these stages, I was not surprised that she chose to compromise. Firstly, was she really so talented that she could be hired with no condition? Her voice did move some people like Zhou Yu. However, if she was talented, then why was the person in the National Grand Theatre so indifferent? Thus, I assume that she might not be so prominent that she could have been hired with no condition. Secondly, her experiences are too hard to help her persist. The man she fell in love with left her, making her become silent about her great expectation. Her male friend, the artist, who had always been humiliated finally waive the resistance to the secular vision. Her elegant neighbor’s broken marriage scared her. A girl looking for her help turned out a liar. She was finally struck down and compromised.
In Mona Lisa smile, the two students, Betty and Joan in Wellesley College are also instructive. Betty had always regarded the marriage as the most important thing in life till she found that her husband had an affair. She also grew up through this unhappy marriage. She learnt that having a career and being independent are indispensable. It’s not only a woman’s growth. I think it’s also means a lot in today’s world. Women are not the accessories of men. Women are not born to bear children and take care of family. They should not rely on men too much. This is not to say that being a housewife is shameful. Another girl Joan demonstrates it well. She could have gotten the chance to study law in Yale while she refused due to the deep love to her boyfriend. She made a different choice between family and career from what her teacher Katherine thought at the beginning. The two character’s development show two typical girls’ inner growth in an unequal society. The way of realizing value is countless. What matters is not that women sacrifice for men and the whole family. What really matters is that women have the right to choose the way they like.
As for the verbal strategies in two movies, I think the voice-over in And the Spring Comes is a highlight. In the first act, Wang Cailing was delivering an aside: “The spring comes. There is no real sign of Spring, but the wind changes suddenly. Overnight, it becomes warm and moist. When this wind blows, it makes me cry. And I know it is only me causing this emotion.”, which revealed the topic and the end of this story——There is no real sign of Spring even if the Spring comes. And, most people in this story ended up giving up their own dreams. From a vast perspective, their lives have nothing to do with this advancing society. They are the reasons causing their “cry” emotion. Besides, the dialogues in this film are noticeable. The conversation between Wang Cailing and Huang Sibao when they were in train and regarded each other as soulmate pointed out a women’s deep love and fatasy about a man. And the monologue of that male dancer in the prison shows the huge pressure deriving from the discrimination of the people around. Thus, some deep feelings could be felt in such a natural way. And in the Mona Lisa Smile, the quarrel between Katherine and Betty shows their free and equal station between teachers and students. And the news edited by Betty also helps to motivate the process of the story a lot.
It’s easy to find out the differences between two heroines. It’s always dark in And the Spring Comes while it’s brighter in Mona Lisa Smile, which relates to their own inner worlds——one is dissatisfied with present situation and struck down step by step, another is always appealing to other women to be stronger firmly. And Wang Cailing’s dark clothes implies her inferiority and Katherine’s clothes reflects her beauty and confidence. Some scenes are displayed very well. There is one scene that Zhou Yu came to Wang’s house and wanted her to help Huang Sibao. When Zhou Yu was boasting, Wang stared at Huang who was playing a paper loop outside through a window. Through that window and in Wang’s mind, Huang Sibao was attractive. Thus, a heartrending story began. In Mona Lisa Smile, it began from the printer and the moving fingers on the keyboard, with the aside “All that she wants is to teach at Wellesley College, so when a position opened in art history department...”, then here shows Betty’s face. It is a very brilliant opening scene which both introduces the simple background and corresponds with the plot of the story. Also, there are pretty much single shots of Katherine, representing her mood directly.
Back to my topic: make a choice between dream and reality, for some enterprising people, the choice of Wang Cailing and Joan may be dissatisfied. Instead of persisting in their dreams, they end up leading a plain life. Actually, I would rather regard it as a growth rather than compromise. Facing the reality and continuing to live is more harder than living in a fantastic world. Also, giving up something that you devoted to is really tough and needs a lot of resolution. As time passes by and life goes on, we need to face the reality and realize our value in our own way.