Week 3: Theme Explored in Contemporary Eastern Literature: Moving Away from Tradition

Theme Explored in Contemporary Eastern Literature: Moving Away from Tradition 




Through literature works like Diary of a Madman, Sealed Off, and Man of La Mancha, we notice a marked unifying theme in the literature, which depicts a frustration with old customs and a new school of thought moving away from traditional ways of thinking and social customs. 


The Diary of a Madman is a short story in which the narrator journals how his entire community is secretly practicing cannibalism. The narrator believes this because there is literature and traditions that support cannibalism. When he asks his brother and doctor about it, his suspicions are confirmed as they defend the practice. In the end, the narrator states that it's too late for him, but maybe the children can be saved from succumbing to the ancient practice and tradition of cannibalism. 


Sealed Off is a short love story of two strangers who meet on a tram when the city is on lockdown due to an air raid. Lu Zongzhen and Wu Cuyian both feel frustrated and stifled by the traditional roles in their lives. For a moment, while the tram is stopped, they feel suspended in time and space and strike up a flirtatious conversation in which they both consider walking away from their traditional lives and rebel against it. 

In Man of La Mancha, we read about a man who has a near-death experience and becomes obsessed with making preparations for his death. From the narrator's contemplations of death, we read how he considers Chinese traditions compared to new modern ideas and literature. We can see how China has been exposed to outside literature and ideologies moving away from Confucious philosophy. 

Teaching 


Discussion Questions

Open class discussion with your class with the following:
In the last decade, we have seen so many technological changes; ask students how these changes have changed how we traditionally communicated with one another?
Have these changes improved our way of life? Make a pros and cons list on the board.  
Ask students in what ways have observed how media and technology have influenced our society and changing tradition, have these changes been for the better or worse? 

Pop Culture Connection 


In 2001 Dreamworks released their modern fairytale, Shrek. The movie charmed audiences because it broke out of tradition and took what would have been a traditional fairytale and turned it upside down into a comical and heartwarming story. Shrek was a good example that moving away from tradition can work out well. 

Connecting Activity

Watch Shrek with your class, and discuss the updates Dreamworks provided to classic fairytales. Ask students if they agreed with the updates? Why or Why not?
Did anyone struggle with wanting to see the traditional "happy endings"? 
Explain how stepping away from tradition can cause conflicting emotions as some people think it is good and others don't. 
Ask students to write a 300-word paper on a time when they felt stifled by a tradition or a time change even when it seemed good made them anxious. 







References:

(2021). Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Madman-other-stories-Xun/dp/0824813170.

Chang, E., & Kingsbury, K. (2021). Sealed Off. Goodreads.com. Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50485667-sealed-off.

Moore, L., & Moore, R. (2017). Lu Xun’s Diary of a Madman. Chinese Literature Podcast. Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.chineseliteraturepodcast.com/?p=374.

Moore, L., & Moore, R. (2018). Zhang Ailing’s Sealed Off – Sealed Off from What???. Chinese Literature Podcast. Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.chineseliteraturepodcast.com/?p=476.

Shrek | Official Site | DreamWorks. DreamWorks. (2021). Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.dreamworks.com/movies/shrek.

Singh, R. (2013). Man of La Mancha. Great Works Fall 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/english2850h/?p=378.




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