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One passage I particularly
liked is in Feng Menglong’s “Du Tenth Sinks The Jewel Box in Anger,” when the
master says, “My aged father is in the height of rage. If he learns that I’ve
returned home along with a prostitute as my wife, he is sure to make trouble,
and I may end up more trouble than help to you. I’ve thought over this again
and again, and I still have no perfect plan.” (Pg. 507)
I
liked this passage because it’s simply written yet explains so much. It even
somewhat foreshadows what is going to happy at the end of the story. I find it
somewhat entertaining that in quite a few stories that we’ve read, that the
characters in each story are so worried about things like “If he learns that I’ve
returned home along with a prostitute as my wife, he is sure to make trouble.” It’s
like the Master is stuck in the middle of a woman that he loves, but who is
also a prostitute, and his father, who he probably wants to make proud and
probably wants his approval for this woman. I thought it ironic that maybe,
without really, fully thinking about it, maybe the Master was second guessing
himself with being with her. Maybe he wanted so much for his father’s approval,
that if there is no sign of approval that the Master wouldn’t want to be with
her.
I
think everyone (including myself) want to make my parents proud, I want to do
good in their eyes, and of course, I would always love it if they liked the
person that I’m dating. So it definitely makes sense that the Master would be
concerned about what his father would think of bringing a woman to meet him,
much less a prostitute. And if the father is already angry, meeting a
prostitute and finding out that they want to get married is an obvious no
brainer to not bring her to him. But just because she is a prostitute, maybe that
was/is the only thing she could do to earn money (or food, water, shelter,
etc.); times could have been different during the time this story was written,
and maybe women weren’t allowed to have a job of any kind, except to have their
bodies ready and willing for men’s sexual desires.
I
was also thinking, in relation to the Master wanting to not anger his father or
cause any more trouble because she is a prostitute, that the Master relies too
much on what other’s think of him and his life choices. Personally speaking, if
I relied on what other’s thought of me ALL the time, then I wouldn’t be happy
with my life because I’d make all my decisions based on my parent’s
expectations, and that’s no way to live your life. If someone makes you happy,
and they love you, and they treat you with respect, then so be it. If the
person you’re with is disrespectful to you and your family, gets in trouble
with the law/superiors/etc. often, is physically/verbally/mentally/emotionally
to you, then yes – that relationship is very toxic and you shouldn’t be together.
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