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HIS 195,
INTRODUCTION TO EAST ASIAN HISTORY

UNDERSTANDING MODERN CHINA
THROUGH PERSONAL LIFE STORIES:
JUNG CHANG'S WILD SWANS


Contemporary Chinese life reflects both elements of continuity with the traditional past and elements drawn from contacts with the processes of westernization and modernization. Write an analytical essay (three to five pages in length) that considers how the lives of the three generations of women depicted in Wild Swans reflect these larger historical issues at work in late nineteenth and twentieth century Chinese civilization and culture.

As you begin your consideration of the issues raised below, take some time to think about each of the following as well:

• To what degree do Chang's observations support or undercut impressions of Chinese life contained in classroom presentations, readings and and films seen as part of our course of study? To what degree does her writing confirm or contradict observations and themes developed elsewhere?
  
• What underlying assumptions guide Jung Chang 's presentation? For whom is the book intended? What assumptions does the author make about her audience? Is the author positive or negative in her presentation of events in recent Chinese history? Is she writing from a Western or Chinese perspective? How successful is she at what she sets out to accomplish?
  
• What contributions to an increased understanding of contemporary China in historical perspective does Chang's book provide? How did Wild Swans add to your own personal appreciation of Chinese culture and civilization? In the context of this course, was the book worth reading? Why / why not?

You might find it useful to pick one of the following suggested approaches as a guide to the organization and structuring of your analysis of Wild Swans but feel free to consult with the instructor on other possibilities that accomplish the same end (and, perhaps, fall more in line with your own identified areas of interest).

• In what specific ways does Wild Swans demonstrate the continued influence of traditional Confucian values, principles and standards of social, political and economic behavior and human interaction even in the context of modern Chinese life and practice?
  
• As demonstrated and illustrated in the pages of Wild Swans, compare and contrast (a) the roles, duties and obligations demanded of the traditional Confucian scholar-official and the twentieth century Communist party official, (b) perceived linkages between Confucianism and Communism as undergirding state philosophies and (c) expectations and responsibilities incumbent upon the traditional government and the modern Communist party to fulfill.
  
• Considering the fact that Communist doctrines are themselves of European origin, discuss the perceived impact of westernization on the modernization process in China since the late nineteenth century as illustrated with specific reference to events, interpretations, personalities, institutions and systems described in Wild Swans.
  
• As demonstrated in the lives of the three women at the heart of Wild Swans, in what ways has the relationship of Chinese citizens to the state continued in traditional ways and in what ways has it changed since 1949? Are these changes and / or continutities representative of "improvement" or "deterioration" in Chinese life since the late nineteenth century? Why / why not?