The document summarizes Chen Duxiu's views on the need for literary revolution in China. It discusses several genres of classical Chinese literature that Chen criticized as stale and obsolete, such as poetry, parallel prose, and linked verse. Chen believed Chinese literature needed to adopt a fresh, realistic style that drew from social phenomena and was comprehensible to the masses.
The document summarizes Chen Duxiu's views on the need for literary revolution in China. It discusses several genres of classical Chinese literature that Chen criticized as stale and obsolete, such as poetry, parallel prose, and linked verse. Chen believed Chinese literature needed to adopt a fresh, realistic style that drew from social phenomena and was comprehensible to the masses.
The document summarizes Chen Duxiu's views on the need for literary revolution in China. It discusses several genres of classical Chinese literature that Chen criticized as stale and obsolete, such as poetry, parallel prose, and linked verse. Chen believed Chinese literature needed to adopt a fresh, realistic style that drew from social phenomena and was comprehensible to the masses.
The document summarizes Chen Duxiu's views on the need for literary revolution in China. It discusses several genres of classical Chinese literature that Chen criticized as stale and obsolete, such as poetry, parallel prose, and linked verse. Chen believed Chinese literature needed to adopt a fresh, realistic style that drew from social phenomena and was comprehensible to the masses.
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Name: Duong Hong Anh
ID: 1605670 – ENG 2206 IHAA
Assignment for Session 9 (ENG-2206 Summer 2022)
Chen Duxiu’s “On Literary Revolution”
1. What is Chen Duxiu’s observations on Europe, modernization, and revolution? What is his implication in discussing these matters? - In European languages, “revolution” means the elimination of the old and the changeover to the new not at all the same as the so-called dynastic cycles of China. Literary art has not been without revolution: there is no literary art that does not renew itself and advance itself with revolution. The history of contemporary European modernization can simply be called the history of revolution. Author say that the awesome and brilliant Europe of today is the lagecy of revolution. - He implied that three political revolutions did not bring about any change in society because people’s spirit had beed occupied by darkness and shameful filth. Moreover, overall cause is the ill-will of people bear toward revolution without knowing it is the cutting edge of modernization. 2. What are the main contents of literary revolution the Chinese needed to carry out, according to Chen Duxiu? (1)Down with the ornate, sycophantic literature of the aristocracy; up with the plain, expressive literature of the people! (2)Down with stale, pompous classical literature; up with fresh, sincere realist literature! (3)Down with obscure, abstruse eremitic literature; up with comprehensible popularized social literature! 3. What are the adjectives Chen Duxiu attributes to the (Chinese) classical literature? The adjectives Chan Duxiu attributes to the Chinese classical literature are sparse, artless 4. What are the genres of Chinese classical literature through the past dynasties Chen Duxiu enumerates and criticizes? The first genre of Chinese classical literature is poetry. The poets in the Former and Later Han Dynasty raised their eulogistic voices and produce ornate and sycophantic writing, dense with words bur sparse in meaning. The five-syllable poetry since the Wei and Jin was expressive and descriptive, a change from the pedantic and allusive style of the preceding period. For its time, it could have been called a great literary revolution, it was a great literary advance. Still, it relied on high antiquity and was artless in its diction and obscure in its meaning. It did not draw from social phenomena for its source material. Since the Eastern Jin, parallel prose was used for minor report and notices, in the Tang, it became the antithetical form. These genres developed further into linked verse and into “four-six” prose. Its value is hardly higher than that of “eight-legged” examination essays. It can be considered a literary dead end. The abrupt rise of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuang wiped away the effect and redundant style of their predecessors. The drift of the times was a transition between the aristocratic classical literature of the Six Dynasties and the popularized literature, became the central figures of the new literary movement. The Han Yu’s idea is literature should follow ancient authority. His literature does not depart form the aristocratic mold. It is far less rich than that found in the various fictional works of the Tang. Han Yu’s view of “literature to convey the Way” is erroneous. Han Yu’s reversal of ancient traditional was brought about by his times. Brilliantly remarkable in the literature of more recent history are the plays of the Yuan and Ming dynasties and the fiction of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The development of these genres was blocked by fiendish forces and were aborted before they could emerge. The result that China’s literature today is lifeless and stale. Unable to stand next to that of Europe. 5. According to Chen Duxiu, what did the present (Chinese) literature need to look for? He want to seek reform of literature since Chinese literature has followed old precedents.
Borges’ “Garden of Forking Paths”
1. What task does Dr. Yu Tsun do for Germany? Why does he say that he does not really care for Germany but still works for his German boss? He is a spy. He took this action because, in his opinion, the Chief despised people of his race because of the diverse ancestries that mingle inside him 2. Why does Dr. Yu Tsun have to flee away? What does he have in his pockets to bring in when he decides to flee away? What is the secret about the English army Dr. Yu Tsun possesses? The reason that Dr. Yu Tsun has to flee away is because his partner Viktor Runeberge has been capture, or maybe killed. He did not want to be captured by Richard Madden, so he run away. Dr. Yu Tun also prossesses the secret – The name of exact location of the new British artillery park on the River Ancre. In the doctor’s pocket, he has An American Watch, the nickel chain and the square coin, they key ring with the key to Runeberg’s apartment, the notebook, a crown, two shillings and a few pen, the red and blue pencil, the handkerchief, and the revolver with one bullet. 3. How does Dr. Yu Tsun do to escape from Captain Richard Madden’s arrest? At what station does he get off the train? What address does he go to after getting off the train? What image does he compare with the paths to this address? - Dr. Yu Tsun takes a train to the suburb of Ashgrove Village, where he arrives at Dr. Albert's home. Via fleeing the area by train, he avoids being arrested. - Ashgrove Dr. Yu Tsun exits the train at the stop. This area is rural. He takes Albert's name from the phone book and goes to his home in Ashgrove. - Forks are used to compare the pathways of the address 4. Who opens the door to get Dr. Yu Tsun in to the house in which he is introduced to see the garden related to the story of Ts’ui Pên? Captain Madden opens the door to get Dr. Yu Tsun in to the house in which he is introduced to see the garden related to the story of Ts’ui Pên 5. What does Ts’ui Pên decide to do during his time of being a governor? Where does he stay to create his works after his renouncement? What is the prominent feature of his works? What is the theme of Ts’ui Pên’s novel discovered by Stephen Albert? What is the characteristic of that theme according to Albert? - Ts'ui Pen moved to the countryside of Argentina and began writing books after leaving the state. He constructed his works and rose to fame while serving as a governor. - In this book, a character named Peter interacts with the outside world. The existence of God and human life is the fundamental topic of this book. In which demonstrates how everything in the world is connected. Albert found it was a book full of intriguing concepts, but the plot was so complex. 6. How does Stephen Albert help in restoring Ts’ui Pên’s works to their original form? He had compared many documents and reinstated the original arrangement. 7. Why does Dr. Yu Tsun kill Stephen Albert? He killed Stephen to send the signal to the Germans.
Lu Xun’s “Diary of a Madman”
1. Enumerate the obsessions the protagonist in “Diary of a Madman” has. What is his most terrible and constant obsession among those? Protagonist obsession: - He always thinks people’s looks, as though they are judging about him. - He can only think of is that he has trampled the account book kept by Mr. Antiquity. - He believes that the people in his village hold a grudge against him and are cannibals - He started incredulous about his elder brother beccause the expression in his eyes was just the same as people that protagonist saw on the street. - As the "madness" grew, he thought the villagers were trying to force him to commit suicide, and that his brother ate his sister and he may have done the same. 2. What does the protagonist associate when he sees the fish in the plate - Protagonist associate the wide open mouth of the fish just like the mouths of those people who wanted to eat human flesh, the meat is smooth and slippery like human flesh.