Chinese Lit Mulan Monkeyking-paper

8/6/2019 Chinese Lit Mulan Monkeyking-paper

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Sager, Sharon C. 3-BSENG Afro-Asian Literature

1. OverviewOne of the earliest existing civilizations is that of China. Because of this, Chinese literature is great in

volume. It is diffused among a population almost half of the entire globe, expressed by an original

language different from others. Their history goes back 5 thousand years, record of events almost

unbroken. Chinese literature has many influences on the Philippines and it goes all the way back to thetimes of open trading. They influenced our sociological belief on patriarchy (which was also practiced a

great deal worldwide), they also believed in a Supreme God. Their customs have been instilled as part of

our mixed culture like the Feng Shui and teachings of Confucius. On the more serious note, their Keju

Education System is also the basis of our civil service examinations, pre-requisite to taking on a public

duty/office. China has extended itself all throughout the world, even to the West. In the area of Drama

Literature and Fiction, for example, The 100 plays of Yuen Dynasty, was translated to European languages.

Another example is The Orphan of China which was the basis of Voltaires advocacy on civil freedoms and

attack on the French institutions of his time. He compared this Chinese drama to that of the French and

praises it, calling it a masterpiece where man in his daily life is subject and virtue is inculcated by

action and dialogue. Note that, Classical Chinese Literature developed independently from the Western

influence. Some records even show that Chinese drama began even before Rome started to cultivate thisart. Same goes with their advancement in means of printing and publishing, China has done on their own.

The wheels have turned. The difference is that now, the sinology of China has become an integral part of

world literature (sure enough, it is worthy). China has embraced Western while Chinese Literature in the

West has only a few scholarly patrons and lay readers. Modern Chinese literature is derivative of its

Westernization. Traditional Chinese literary and cultural conventions make up Modern Chinese Literature.

Ancient Chinese Literature is independent of Western influence, Modern Chinese Literature drew heavily

on it.

2. Hua Mulan ( English Translation)Hua Mulan is a story of a girl who takes the place of his father by pretending to be a man to spare him

from the urgent need to serve in the Imperial Army and fight against nomadic invaders.Elements of the Poem:

a. Sense:The poem is historical, geographic and descriptive as this is the nature of Chinese literature.

Yellow River the Queen River (Huang He), found in Western China. It is the second-longest river in

China which flows through 9 provinces. It is the cradle of Chinas civilization. Also known as Chinas

Sorrow or Scourge of the Sons of Han because of frequent devastating flooding that covers the

surrounding fields.

- In Chinese idiom, when Yellow river flows clear it refers to an event that will never happen similarto when pigs fly meaning never

Black Mountain - found in Heishan, East of China. It is a usual battleground for war enemies.

MountYan major mountain range north of Northern China Plains in Hebei, Province

12 ranks usually 9 but this cannot be taken literally instead it gives a glimpse of the existence of harems

during that time. The number of recognized women members in the palace changes in every dynasty.


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Belonging to 12 ranks may mean belonging or being recognized as Chinese nobility through peerage or

appointment.

Son ofHan is the Emperor of China, who is recognized ruler of all heaven. Also called Khan

b. Sound:This translation has used various tone color. Repetition is widely used, usually in the beginning of

lines (anaphora). There is no fixed metrical pattern which is understandable because it is a direct

translation.

c. Structure:The poem is a singing ballad called yue fu. It is made up of 15 stanzas with 4-lines in each stanza.

The poems follows a word per word translation, that is made to flow with the actual context of the

legendary girl, Mulans story. Capitalization is used on nouns that depict/ suggests a character or

title (Khan, Older Sister, Son of Heaven), or specific geographic location (Yellow River).

d. Speaker:The poem has a narrator or story teller apart from the main character.

e. Sensory and Poetic ImagesThe Son of Heaven is the Emperor. Though called in a different name, it made sense that the warriors

see and report to the Emperor after they return victorious from war. It is also suggested by sits in

the ceremonial hall which is the throne.

I take off my wartime gown and put on my old-time clothes (War is over, I go back to being me)

3. Monkey King (short story)Elements:

a. Characters:Monkey - aka SUN-WUKONG, SUN-WU-KONG, SUN-WU-K'UNG, SUN-HOU-ZI, SUN-HOU-TZE, PI-MA-WEN

- high spirited, egotistical and full of pranks King of Apes who was afraid of Death. - Disciple Aware of Emptiness (Father Subodhi) - Keeper of heavenly Stables, Great sage, Equal of Heaven (Jade Emperor) - GuanYin gave him a head band made of gold which tightens on his head to control his

ego and punish him everytime he misbehaved.

Father Subodhi Daosit sage unimpressed with Monkey King and called him Disciple aware of EmptinessAo Kuang King of the Dragon-Kings, in-charge of the Eastern Ocean. Regarded as highest and mightiest of Four

Ocean Dragons complained of monkeys rudeness and theft

Yen-Lo-Wang Also known as BAO-YAN-LUO, YAN-LUO-WANG, YANLUO-WANG, YENG-WANG-YEH

- God of death. Ruler of 5th Court of feng-du, the Chinese hell.Jade Emperor - Supreme God of Chinese Folk Religion.

-Also known as YU-HUANG, YU-HUANG-SHANGDI, TIAN-GONG, TIEN-KUNG


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- gave Monkey a job, without pay, as Keeper of the Heavenly Stables and bestowed upon monkey the name :Great

Sage, Equal of Heaven

Lao-Zi -Also known as LAO-TZU, LAO-TSE, LI-ER, LI-ERH, LAO-DAN, LAO-TAN

-The famous Chinese philosopher who stumbled upon The Way and revealed DAO to mankind. Born in

henan Province, conceived by a shooting star carried in womb for 83 years and born an old man with

flowing white beard.

Buddha Ruler of Heaven. The Wise One and Original Enlightened Buddhist Being.

GUAN-YIN -Also known as CHUAN-YIN, KUAN-YIN, KWAN-YIN

- Goddess of Compassion and Caring, and one of the Four Supreme BODHISATTVAs of ChineseBuddhism. Mission is Victim support. She supports the distressed and hungry, rescues the

unfortunate from peril, and gives comfort and aid wherever it is needed.

- Known as AVALOKITESVARA in India. She attained Enlightenment after much struggling with non-things. Cries of the poor unsaved souls stopped her from entering heaven. The magnitude of task

she swore on ( not to rest until all souls return to Buddha) made her head shatter into many pieces,

she was ok after taking Aspirin Sutras

- Known in india to be male, she takes form of any living thing.- Equivalent to the Goddess Kannon (Japan), she helps women bear offspring. Also the Goddess of

Rice, gives her own milk for nourishment

Sandy Monk - Also known as SHA-WUJING, SHA-WU-JING, SHA-WU-CHING, MONK-SAND

- A fish-Spirit, ex-Marshall of heaven and disciple of Tripitaka. He was punished for breaking Jadeemperors crystal dish and chucked out of heaven

Pigsy -Also known as ZHU-BAJIE, ZHU-BA-JIE, CHU-PA-CHIEH, PIG

- Ex-Marshall of hosts of heaven, one of Tripitakas disciples- Sensual spirit, misbehaved with Chango, goddess of the Moon, exiled to earth as a monstrous pig.

GuanYin offered redemption by having him become protectors of Tripitaka along with Monkey and

Sandy Monk

b. Setting: In the beginning of time. Mountain of fruit and Flowers.c. Plot: The story evolves on the mischievous and egotistic Monkey king who has been very

disrespectful to the Gods and kings, he is full of himself and is afraid of Death. After doing pranks in

different places, he was tricked by Buddha into changing his ways and eventually became humble

gaining the title Buddha Victorious Against Disaster and made peace with Heaven.

d. Theme: The central idea is that of being good and always humbling oneself to the higher beings.Every harm inflicted on others has a corresponding karma to it.

e. Conflict: There is always conflict involving Monkey and the other characters because of Monkeysegotistical nature.


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Monkey King Counterparts:

1. Loki (Norse Mythology) sometimes assists gods and sometimes causes problems for them. He isa shape-shifter (salmon, mare, seal, fly or an elderly woman). Loki's positive relations with the

gods ends with his role in engineering the death of the god Baldr. Loki is eventually bound by the

gods with the entrails of one of his sons. A serpent drips venom from above him that his wifeSigyn collects into a bowl. However, Sigyn must empty the bowl when it is full, and the venom

that drips in the mean time causes Loki to writhe in pain, thereby causing earthquakes. With the

onset of Ragnark, Loki is foretold to slip free from his bonds and to fight against the gods among

the forces of the jtnar, at which time he will encounter the god Heimdallr and the two will slay

each other. He is similar to the Monkey king for being a TRICKSTER and having relations with the

Gods.

2. Eris (Greek Mythology) Goddess of Strife and Discord. Daughter of Nyx, Zeus and Hera.Strife cruel and has no mercy for man, fosters evil war and battle. She served as the inspiration to

the character of the evil Sorcerer in Sleeping Beauty.

She was said to have initiated the Trojan war. The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite had been

invited along with the rest of Olympus to the forced wedding of Peleus and Thetis, who would

become the parents of Achilles, but Eris had been snubbed because of her troublemaking

inclinations.

She therefore tossed into the party the Apple of Discord, a golden apple inscribed Kallisti "For the

most beautiful one", or "To the Fairest One" provoking the goddesses to begin quarreling about the

appropriate recipient. The hapless Paris, Prince of Troy, was appointed to select the most

beautiful by Zeus. Each of the three goddesses immediately attempted to bribe Paris to choose

her. Hera offered political power; Athena promised skill in battle; and Aphrodite tempted him with

the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. While Greek culture

placed a greater emphasis on prowess and power, Paris chose to award the apple to Aphrodite,

thereby dooming his city, which was destroyed in the war that ensued.


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References:

1. Black Mountain. Gongzhutun Campaign. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongzhutun_Campaign

2. Black Mountain. Heshan bandits. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heishan_bandits

3. Chinese Nobility. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_nobility4. Eris. Greek Mythology. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_(mythology)#Sleeping_Beauty

5. Family Members in Chinese (Mandarin-English). Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://mandarin.about.com/od/vocabularylists/tp/family.htm

6. Frankel,Han. Ode of mulan. Yale University Press, 1976. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://www.chinapage.com/mulan-e.html

7. Hsin-yun Ou. Four Epistles Concerning The Orphans of China. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/1/65.extract

8. Loki. Norse Mythology. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loki9. Monkey King. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from: http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/chinese-

mythology.php?deity=MONKEY&ds=N

10. Mount Yan. Yan Mountains. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yan_Mountains

11. Mulan Translation. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://www.yellowbridge.com/onlinelit/mulan.php

12. Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranks_of_Imperial_Consorts_in_China#Qing

13. Sons of Heaven. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Son_of_Heaven_of_China&redirect=no

14. Voltaire. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire15. Yellow River. Retrieved: 070411. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_River

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Chinese Lit Mulan Monkeyking-paper