Skip to main content

Northern Shan-tung Province, China 1898 (Chapter 2)

1. Character Development

Red Lantern is introduced in this chapter. Red Lantern comes to the village and is at first believed to be mocking the residents and the state that they are living under. Soon, he begins helping the villagers and asks for nothing in return. Red Lantern in a flat character, he is presented as a wanderer on a mission help those in need and gain anything for himself.

Little Bao is four years older now and still disregarded by his brothers. However, Red Lantern sees the potential in him and gives him nightly Kung Fu lessons. Little Bao takes his training seriously, but is still lacking in maturity. He still seeks glory and is disappointed when Red Lantern will not allow him to go with him to fight.

2. Historical/Cultural contexts

In the Chinese culture, respect is very important. Red Lantern came to the village and did not ask for anything, but helped everyone that asked him. The Village Headman gave him the last of his beans as a thank you for what Red Lantern had done for the village. As Red Lantern continued to help the village, the boys would continue their training in his absence. They accepted the food Red Lantern brought to them and never questioned or asked for more. They were merely for thankful for what he had done for them.

3. Symbols

In the first chapter, when a stranger came to town it brought about a change for the worse. In the second chapter, a stranger arrive and the village is weary and skeptical of this visitor. However, when he strikes Grandma Crooked, he fixes he face. This stranger, Red Lantern, has brought a sense of renewed hope to the village.

4. Language (visual and verbal)

The village is this second chapter is barren and there is nothing to go around. The trees are without leaves and there are no crops. Little Bao and his friend are playing his human teeth for their army game. Let me say it again, human teeth. <cring> When the rain comes, it is not noticed because there are no crops to tend. It seems to be a hopeless time for the village.

5. Theme

I'm going with a Star Wars reference and say the theme for this chapter is, a new hope. A new hope is what the Red Lantern brings to the village. He brings sight to Grandma Crooked and teaches the boys of the village Kung Fu. He sees the potential in Little Bao and does not shun him as his brothers have prior. While Red Lantern has shielded the village from the horrors he has seen, he has provided them with a renewed sense of ease and is providing them hope for what is next.

6. My Thoughts

Again... the human teeth part was gross. Once the algorithm for ads on Facebook and Etsy went array and pointed me to the add of a shop that sold a necklace of teeth. That's all I could think about when I saw that a page. However, I suppose you would have had to make due with what you had around you in those conditions.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Northern Shan-tung Provence, China 1894 (Chapter 1)

1. Character Development The first character of interest was Little Bao. He is excited and curious for the beginning of spring and the operas coming. Honestly, I had never heard of a small child wanting to listen to an opera. Little Bao can be characterized as a round character and at the beginning of a journey. I want to focus on using the archetypal and deconstruction lens for his character. Little Bao's idol is Tu Di Gong. He is the local Earth god of the village. Little Bao is fascinated by the opera singers, they stay with him as he works the fields with his family and as he sleeps. Little Bao also looks up to his father and even more so when his father stands up for Grandma Crooked. Little Bao had to grow up quickly, while his world rapidly changes around him. He is mostly disregarded by his brothers, Little Bao is impacted by the changes in his village and his father's near death. The world he knows is threatened and his father is forever changed. Lao Bao knows that ...

Northern Shan-tung Province Late Summer, 1899 (Chapter 3)

1. Character Development Little Bao is concerned about the village as they grow thin with hunger. Little Bao becomes increasingly impatient with Master Big Belly and his teachings. He believes him to be crazy and believes that the tending to the garden is a waste of time. Little Bao wants to be a hero. In this aspect, Little Bao is still childish and cannot see beyond. Little Bao wants to save his village and wants to be like Red Lantern. He wants to honor his father and Red Lantern, but he must learn to see past what is right there. Little Bao is still on the journey of an archetypal character, but he's has not yet reached his full potential. From the deconstruction lens point, Little Bao is watching his village starve and their beliefs condemned. Master Big Belly is mystic and talks to Little Bao. He attempts to talk to Little Bao about what is happening to their land. His character is flat and has a specific purpose to the story. Master Big Belly is there is teach Little Ba...

Peking, China - Summer, 1900 (Chapter 6)

1. Character Development Lee Bao has reached Peking and see what has become of the famed city. The foreign devil has taken control of the city and dictates where people can walk. Others have come to fight alongside Lee Bao and the others. Lee Bao has become a new god, one of fire and one of his own. However, he still questions his motives and has fallen for Mei Wen. As Red Lantern suggested, his yin may been clouded. Chin Shih-huang is constantly in his ear and calling him a coward for not acting as he would. Lee Bao has persevered through many obstacles and overcome death. He has embraced his fire element and become his own god, but he still questions his actions. His world has been invaded by these foreign devils and his own kind are not welcome to walk where they please. Looking at the deconstruction lens, the world Lee Bao knew is no longer there and he attempting to reclaim it. Lee Bao is at odds with himself. He is a hero and there are men there ready to...