Reflections on Cultural Norms in China and J apan from 1850 -1950 Zhang Her Life Ailing Her Life Zhang Ailing (Zhang Ailing) was a popular novelist and short story writer with well-known works such as ?Love in a Fallen City? and ?Red Rose, White Rose?. She was largely apolitical in her life and works with many of them being bitter love stories. She was and still is a beloved figure who has a devoted following around the world and her works have been hailed as literary classics by critics. EARLY LIFE Zhang Ailing was born on September 9, 1920, in Shanghai, China. Her grandfather was linked through marriage to an important Qing dynasty official by the name of Li Hongzhang. Her mother left when she was a girl to study in England and when she returned separated from Ailing?s father in 1930 when Zhang Ailing was 10. At age nine, Zhang Ailing?s mother had a Western-style education prepared for her daughter. Her father was a Chinese traditionalist and was known to be an opium addict. He would later take a concubine after the divorce with Ailing?s mother. After a disagreement with her stepmother and her father, Ailing?s father confined her to his house which she would escape from. Ailing never returns to her father's home again. LOVE W RITING CAREER Zhang Ailing's first She enrolled at the University of Hong Kong in 1939 as an marriage was to Hu Lan English literature student; however, her education was Cheng, who had stopped by the Japanese invasion in 1941. So Zhang returned collaborated with the to Shanghai and started writing. She gained popularity with Japanese and participated her novella ?Jinsuoji? (?The Golden Cangue?). After the war, in the puppet government Zhang Ailing moved to Hong Kong in 1952 and then to the after the Japanese invasion United States three years later. During this period, her two in 1941. Later, he would best works, Naked Earth and The Rice Sprout Song, were betray her with another published. Both of these works critiqued the communist woman. Due to her society. Both of these works are said to have been husband?s involvement commissioned by the United States Information Services for with the Japanese, her propaganda purposes. Zhang Ailing became increasingly reputation would get reclusive as time went on, and near the end of her life, her damaged after World War editor in Taiwan had to communicate with her via fax. Zhang II. Her second marriage Ailing died on September 8, 1995, at the age of 74 in LA. was to American writer Ferdinand Reyher, a friend of Bertold Brecht's, whom she met at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire. After Reyher's death in 1967, she will never remarry. Her Stories and Cultural Connection by saying he can divorce of Nanjing in 1842. The war Al oesw ood was fought due to the illicit her once she stops making In cen se: The opium trade by mainly enough money to pay the Fi r st Br azi er British merchants. The bills. George and Weilong Imperial Commissioner to Plot Summary: marry. Weilong works hard Canton, Lin Zexu, was sent In the beginning, Ge to get connections for in 1839 to stop these Weilong visits her Madame Liang and money merchants from selling the estranged aunt, Madame for George with a drugs that had been badly affecting the populace. In Liang, in order to get fluctuating happiness. The the end, Commissioner Lin money to continue her story ends with Weilong had 20,183 chests of education in Hong Kong, as and George going to opium owned by the it?s become too expensive Wanchai for Chinese New foreign merchants was for her family to live there. Year?s Eve where they see a destroyed. This was used Her aunt agrees, and Ge group of young girls, as the reason for the declaration of war by Weilong is introduced to supposedly prostitutes, as Britain on China. The the upper crust of society it is remarked that the Treaty of Nanjing included as her aunt uses her to pride of the place they?re in a stipulation that ?gave? the attract people to help her is the ?human goods." island of Hong Kong to for her own purposes. One Weilong remarks that the Britain for its ships and day, Ge Weilong meets only difference between cargo. The British George Qiao, a pleasure her and those girls is that transformed Hong Kong from a barren island into a seeking bachelor, during she does it willingly. prosperous town as it one of her aunt's tea invested copious amounts parties. Ge Weilong quickly of money into its Cultural Connections: falls in love with George. development. The British However, George is not at Perhaps one of the most control of Hong Kong all interested in marriage notable things in this lasted until 1997. The story piece by Zhang Ailing is and says he can only mentions British military the cultural differences officers living in Hong Kong promise Weilong between mainland China numerous times displaying ?happiness." Eventually, and Hong Kong. To explain Britain's tight control over Madame Liang convinces this difference, one must the island. This heavy George to marry Weilong look back at the outcome Western control affected of the first Opium War the culture of Hong Kong, that ended with the Treaty which can be seen in Zhang?s piece. Zhang forced to marry the her own children hate her mentions how Hong Kong Second Master of the and that she has chopped society copies English Chiang family for wealth. many people down. Ts?ao custom in every respect, The Second Master is Ch?i-ch?iao wonders what but adds to it until the crippled, which is why he would have happened if original concept in lost. doesn?t marry someone she had married someone For example, Madame with a higher background. else and thinks she would Liang throws a garden As a wife, Ts?ao Ch?i-ch?iao have found happiness party with touches of must serve her husband and love eventually with Western culture like beach faithfully. The rest of the someone else. umbrellas stuck Chiang family looks down Cultural Connections: everywhere. At the garden on Ts?ao Ch?i-ch?iao due to party, Catholic nuns her low-born background, One of the things attend as the party is for and she lives an unhappy mentioned in this section the choir Ge Weilong is a life. The story starts at the is foot binding. Ts?ao part of, showing another beginning of Ts?ao Ch?i-ch?iao had her foot Western feature of Hong Ch?i-ch?iao's marriage with bound and she binds her Kong society. In the her lacking the freedom daughter?s feet for a year beginning, Ge Weilong and happiness she craves. before she finally wears a uniform in the However, this changes convinced to let them be Qing style, with Zhang once her mother-in-law unbound. Foot binding is remarking that it was to and husband die. Ts?ao a tradition that has please American and Ch?i-ch?iao had been spanned centuries in European tourists of Hong falling in love with Chi-tse, Chinese histories and had Kong. Ge Weilong?s her brother in law, but he been interwoven with education, from the brief stays away from her to Chinese culture. It glimpses the reader gets, not ruin her image as she involved bending the girl?s seems Western-style, as was married to his toes underneath the sole it?s mentioned that she is brother. Ts?ao Ch?i-ch?iao of her foot and using large learning French-and that slowly allows a desire for ribbons to wrap their feet would have been wealth overtake her life all the way up to their commonplace during the which destroys her life as ankles. Girls begin this time, especially among well as others. Her son process between the ages the middle and upper becomes an opium of 4 to 6 which was class of society. smoker and brothel visitor considered ideal due to due to her and Ts?ao the girls being able to take The Gol den Ch?i-ch?iao destroys her the pain better, but still Can gu e daughter?s chances of not having their feet too ever finding someone to large. As the foot Plot Summary: love as Ts?ao Ch?i-ch?iao continues to grow, the The main protagonist crushes her daughters foot is rebroken and of the story is Ts?ao chances with her first and rewrapped into Ch?i-ch?iao, who is the last love. In the end, Ts?ao adolescence. The first daughter of a sesame oil Ch?i-ch?iao acknowledges appearance of foot shopkeeper that is that many people even binding comes around the 10th where the emperor?s concubine bound her feet Translation and danced on a gilded The translation that I in a way that modern lotus shaped stage and read for ?Aloeswood audiences would have had become the emperor?s Incense: The First Brazier found easy to read and favorite concubine. Other was done by Karen S. want to read for the concubines tried to imitate Kingsbury while ?The purpose of her translation her to gain favor and the Golden Cangue? was was ultimately to sell practice spread from the translated by Zhang Ailing copies if she has shown royal court to the rest of herself. Kingsbury?s that she has great respect China.