Postmodernism
Kingston Interview
Archetypes
Motifs
Symbol
100
Chaos with hysterical laughter
What is dark humor?
100
Have very strong imagination Understand that strong imagination of truth helps see the vision of truth Imagination doesn’t goes off wild; it goes to the truth Tells a lot about the traditions
Why did Kingston distort truth?
100
the old man in the mountain
Who fits the "wise old man" archetype?
100
Kingston is showing the reader that that story is worth the meaning it contains. The storytelling is used to convey to the readers the difference between her mother’s life and her own life. Thus, it shows what her mother have lost as she moved in to the new country.
What is the purpose of having storytelling?
100
-when Brave Orchid cut Maxine Kingston’s tongue, she cut her connection to the mother tongue, the tongue that allows her to speak Chinese. -she cut out her Chinese identity so that she can replace it with a new American identity
What does the tongue represent?
200
- Ironic: people who can comfort the dead can also hurt them - Ironic: people often need to be comforted if people around them die - Ironic: Remembering her ancestors, following tradition, doing what she has to do, brings in conflict;
Why is the quote “People who can comfort the dead can also chase after them to hurt them further- a reverse ancestor worship..” ironic?
200
Want to observe what happens in this community, sanctuary This coming together of Vietnamese, war veterans Want to bring peace veterans Putting lab experiment together to see what happens As a fiction writer, I write both nonfiction and fiction parts side by side
Why does she want to conduct the experiment on Vietnam Veterans?
200
Kingston fits into the archetype of the underdog because despite the societal and cultural restraints placed on her, she prevails and succeeds to assert herself as an individual. Even writing a novel about her life and establishing herself as a Chinese-American in the American society is an act of bravery.
Who fits the "underdog" archetype and why?
200
storytelling
What motif does “What I am about to tell you. In China your father had a sister who killed herself. She jumped into the family well. WE say that your father has all brothers because it is as if she had never been born” (3) represent?
200
The unselfish rabbit helps Fa Mu Lan shapes her identity: the kind of person who does what is beneficial for everyone even though she may have a little disadvantage.
What is the purpose of having a rabbit in the story?
300
device that addresses the elements of fiction
What is metafiction?
300
As a feminist, she wanted to leave out high heel shoes, makeup She wanted to show women are as powerful as men
What did she leave some parts out in the story?
300
Fa Mu Lan
Who fits the "hero" archetype?
300
ghosts
What motif does “My aunt haunts me-her ghost drawn to me because now, after fifty years of neglect, I alone devote pages of paper to her, though not origamied into houses and clothes” (16) have?
300
The rabbit teaches a lesson to Fa Mu Lan by sacrificing itself for the good of Fa Mu Lan. The rabbit demonstrates the roles of both woman and man Fa Mu Lan needs to be: a woman who is willing to sacrifice her body to give birth to babies and a man who is willing to sacrifice his life for the good of his community/country.
What does rabbit teach?
400
combination of subjects and genres not previously deemed fit for literature
What is pastiche?
400
Rewrite? New form should include coming back and finishing the story as a beautiful communal woman
What would she change if she can rewrite the story?
400
he imparts to Fa Mu Lan wisdom and skills necessary to battle her enemies and to lead her people to victory. While she is in the mountain, he helps her cultivate her soul and provides guidance.
How does he fit the "wise old man" archetype?
400
Voice is used in the story to establish character developments throughout the story. In the story, the author includes not only her voice but also her mother’s voice, telling the story in different perspectives. The voice sometimes comes in a form of silence.
What is the purpose of having "voice" in the story?
400
Bound feet represent the restrictions that all Chinese women have. Having bound feet demonstrates that women have physical and symbolic limits to what they can do and what they can think.
What does bound feet represent?
500
the relationship between one text (novel for example) and another or one text within the interwoven fabric of literary history disadvantage: lacks originality and reliance on clichés
What is intertextuality and its disadvantage?
500
“Exotic” – at some point would not think that it is exotic; they would see that I am talking about this country, I am talking about America Teach people how to find meanings Put most chaotic, tragic events; these events are sometimes so horrible Hoping that readers would find how to get meaning (beauty and order) from those bloody events
How does she argue "Exotic"?
500
succeeds in defeating her enemy after receiving training in the mountain from the old man. She leads her people to victory, inspires hope in them, and sets an example for everyone.
How does she fit the "hero" archetype?
500
warrior
What motif does “Instantly I remembered that as a child I had followed my mother about the house, the two of us singing about how Fa Mu Lan fought gloriously and returned alive from war to settle in the village” (20) represent?
500
the kind of person who does what is beneficial for everyone even though she may have a little disadvantage.
What kind of an identity does Fa Mu Lan form by meeting the rabbit?
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