East Asian Studies

by Tawna Fifer, April 2015

1200 words

4 pages

essay

Literature works are influential source of information about people’s lives and generational change. Writers provide information on various issues affecting their life and other individuals in a given society. Through the application of techniques such as character, traits and activities they are involved at, we obtain a lot of information on how life changes from one generation to the other. Some writers have been in a position to link the past with what happens at the time and at the same time provide a general overview of what is expected in the future. Therefore, it is noble to look into details what is presented in literature books and short stories rather than reading them for enjoyment. China is considered as one of those countries with a wide history while generational change has taken place at an alarming rate. Literature works by prominent writers has been used to describe people‘s way of live across generations. Hsiang Lin's wife, in "The New Year's Sacrifice”, "The Power of Weakness" and “When I was in Xia Village" are rich literature which can be applied in expressing ambivalence about the future. The analysis of these literature works can be used to support the statement (Gowman 57).

When I was in Xia Village is a short story written by Ding Ling with the aim of expressing people’s ways of life and the struggle of masses including peasants, laborers, and soldiers. The author describes what other people and her experienced during the time of Chinese war against Japan for aggression. A peasant girl Zhenzhen is the main character in the story. She was a spy for the communist in Japanese troops and lived a comfortable live as a woman. Her life changed to the worse when Japanese raped her and eventually turned into prostitution. A brutal reality that she slept with man was perceived as enemies to China. Zhenzhen however, viewed the whole issues as part of struggle for the new china. People particularly her relatives and close friends were concerned about her well-being and were not ready to forgive and forget about her. However, she was welcomed back in the village where she lived for a while before joining communist to fight against the aggression. It is clear that people in the village viewed her as a rape victim. She had to move away from the environment, as she knew that she was a different person and not just a raped girl. She gains political consciousness and play a great role in the revolution process of their country. Being a victim of what is referred, as the highest sexual aggression did not deter her to be part of the struggle to ring in a revolution for the sake of the future generation (Gowman 62).

The year of sacrifice is the other short story describing live and suffering for women. The story offers hope to the people but fails to offer the required help for suffering women. Sister Xiangline is the key character who suffers from oppression power of …

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