Name Defined Fate Of Poor Chinese

Part A

Statement: Name defined fate of poor Chinese

Chou’s actions in the story reveal how his family name influenced his life negatively as society did not accept him as an honorable man. “your family name is Chou, it means hate” (167) is the quote that explains the role of names in China during the cultural revolution. The main character of the story is Chou Dexiao (Qin Weiqing), who changes his name many times to avoid getting into complex situations. You Meihua did not marry Chou due to his family name. Chou faced the consequences of his parent’s relationship. His father was a rightist and divorced his mother.

The people of China, including Chou, changed their family names after the Cultural Revolution to meet the changing political climate. Chou belonged to a low-income family background that influenced his future, and he encountered difficulty in finding a bride. He changed many names but still failed to find a wife, and his life ended in disappointment. The citizens developed hatred against the poor class and did not accept them in their groups: “A revolutionary cross the street on a red light! And capitalism is not served in this restaurant” (Peng 165).

The name Chinese often caused trouble, and after the revolution, people changed their names to avoid complications: “I adopted my mother’s family name, Qin, as my own” (Peng 165). People who belonged to the rich and capitalist class faced more complications in settling after the revolution compared to the people who belonged to poor backgrounds. The quote relates to the thesis statement as it explains the impact of names on the lives of the Chinese. Chou remained a victim of the Chinese Revolution due to his connections to a low-income family. Peng uses his own life experiences in China to explain the damages of the Cultural Revolution.

Statement: The sacrifice of Oganda reflects the strong role of culture

The role of Oganda in sacrificing her life for the people of Lou portrays the influence of myths and culture over the village. “Our cattle lie dying in the fields. Soon it will be our children, and then ourselves” (Ogot 143) explains the role of myths in the lives of Luo people. Ogot portrays the period of the 1800s when the role of myths remained visible in the lives of Kenyans. Oganda did not fight for her life and agreed to sacrifice her life. The people of Luo, under the influence of beliefs and customs, decide to sacrifice the chief’s daughter for the betterment of the people.

Beliefs of people led to the miserable life of an innocent girl. The society believed that only the death of the chief’s daughter could save the people of the town from a disastrous drought. The fake beliefs and customs separate the girl from her loving family, and she misses them for the entire period of her isolation. The author uses the main character to illustrate the consequences of man-made traditions. The girl committed no crime but faced the sacrificial tradition due to her connection with the privileged family. The connection of Oganda with the high ranked member of the society becomes her crime. The author uses literary techniques and creates a metaphor in the form of a young girl to express the repercussions of unintelligible customs and laws.

Her story represents the traditions and customs of the Luo tribe that resided in Kenya. Her formal writing is the depiction of what she learned from the folklore myths. “a young woman who has not known a man must die so that the country may have rain” (Ogot 150). The author tries to capture the role of traditions and customs in the lives of the people. Oganda was destined to face death to fulfill the myth.

Statement: Human intelligence leads to better settlements

The actions Tom reveals how he managed to survive his tragedies and sorrows, making him a brave boy. “But Tom’s energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied” (Twain 134). The character of Tom Sawyer appears to be adventurous. The beginning presents him as a mischievous and irresponsible character; however, as the reader reads further, the character becomes unpredictable. Tom never loses, irrespective of his encounter with the harsh realities of the world. He lost his parents at an early age and grew up with his aunt.

The character of Tom changes from being a mischievous boy to a brave one. Twain constructs the character of Tom to represent his life struggles as he moves to different cities. He uses his experiences of struggles to design the adventurous life of Tom. “The boy mused a while over a substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances” (Twain 136). The quote explains Tom adapted to his life and overcame his sorrows.

Helping Polly made Tom a better person than other boys of his age. Tom was always open to new ideas and learned the language. Primarily, Tom studies the local Missouri language and finds some difficulty due to his unfamiliarity with the speech. The speech was new for Tom, but he did not hesitate and put his full efforts into learning the language. The story of Tom includes the theme of language to address the uniqueness of life at the American frontier. During Tom’s learning of the speech, he also learned different methods of writing. He also learned about different internal variations in the speech. The author wants to convey to the reader the reality of the world. Tragedies are part of life, and people need to settle with their skills and intelligence.

Statement: Social constructs do not make men braver than women

The role of Jovita explains the ineffectiveness of the social beliefs and cultural norms. “We are here to ask in the name of all the women in this country. Who are against the invader, that your excellency allows this courageous young woman to follow her destiny and defend us from the men from this place haven’t shown themselves to be up to their role” (Queiroz 85). The character of Jovita in Dinah Silveria De Queiroz’s “Jovita” portrays a different side of the feminine world.

Jovita contradicts form social constructs of gender. Dinah develops the character of Jovita and portrays the role of Brazilian women in wartime. Dinah uses her feminine power to relate her life experience with Jovita and portrays her as a brave woman. The men in the land did not agree to stop the invaders from entering the town. Jovita played the role of an influential woman who speaks about responsibility and duty. Jovita explains that the men of the town failed to perform their duty, which brings the women into the war. The author builds the story to express the effectiveness and significance of Brazilian women in history. The male authors portray the roles of male heroes and ignore the part played by women.

Jovita, in the story, deviates from the traditional feminine role by displaying her strength and bravery. Jovita threatened the male bravery and supremacy.“I want to defend the honor of the Brazilian woman” (Queiroz 82). The males who refused to take part in the war faced humiliation when Jovita offered herself as a warrior. The author in the story builds the strong character of the Brazilian women and their involvement in the war period. The men on one side feared war, and they engaged themselves in activities that could turn to their advantage, while Jovita, as a female figure, took courage to stand for the protection of her country. The role of Brazilian women in history does not reflect weakness or ineffectiveness, and they possessed qualities equal to males.

Bibliography

Sisko, Yvonne Collioud. World of Short Stories: 20 Short Stories from Around the World, 3rd Edition. Yvonne Collioud Sisko, Middlesex County College, 2014.