MINE!

Hope im doing this right. -_-

Library Thinkquest. August 2005. China Style. 23 May 2008. <http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01780/folk-custom/chinese-marriage-custom.htm>.

The website China Style offers much information on the tradition of Chinese cultures including the old traditional marriage method. They provide in-dept details on the basic rules and principles of marriage done in the old days. Ranging from the basic principles of the three letters to the six etiquettes that are suppose to include in the process of a wedding. China Style offers the reader a glimpse of the traditional wedding style, one which is fully, but not similar to the marriages that are perform today. Compare to the wedding ceremony and process that has been performed before, the weddings today are much more simpler, they do not have to go through so much process. However, some traditions still remain, thought not much. This differs from the article called “Second Wives Club” because while this site talks about the long process of a marriage, the other article centers on the simple ness of taking a second wife. There are no processes or steps that man need to go thought in order to get a mistress.

Liu Melinda. “Second Wives Club.” Newsweek International, Student Edition, Gale.30 July 2001. 22, May 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=STOM>.

In this article called the “Second Wives Club”, it centers mainly on how the lifestyles of a mistress or concubines. A mistress or concubines, during feudal China often serve as a symbol on a men wealth, the more money or power he had the more mistresses he could have. Usually, the mistress would be kept off somewhere and every month or so the man will give the woman allowances, usually in a very large sum. It goes in detail about how sometimes desperate times for young women often leads them to prostitute themselves to earn a little extra cash. Often they want to earn a little money for clothes or for food, they will randomly go up to a man and ask if they need any company that night. This article differs than the one in China Style because instead of focusing on the dedication of a true marriage, it talks about the ways that a perfect marriage can be destroyed.

YAY Bibliography!

here is mine

Gu, Xiao Jia. “China's love market: traditions of arranged marriage and the old faith in communism are merging with consumer choice. This has brought romantic freedom--which comes with its own problems.” New Statesman 12 June 2006: 36.

The article talks about the arranged marriages at Yat-Sen Park in China where parents come with photos of the child to find their mate. The author is letting everyone see that arranged marriages are still going on, but done with a different method. This topic differs from an article on Travel China Guide website. The article talks about how the Chinese customs of marriage still did not change since the Qing dynasty. It also talks about the rituals Chinese people do before they get married.

Travel China Guide. TravelChinaGuide.com 23 May 2008. Travel China Guide. 26 May 2008 < http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/marriage/>

In the article, it talks about the traditional Chinese marriages and how it came about. It describes all the rituals that are done during the matrimony. This is helpful for people who want to know how Chinese marriages are done, since they are different from other traditional weddings in other countries. The information given is different than other website, China Bridal, where it talks about what the bride does before the wedding and all the way to the end of the wedding. The website also has an addition to what happens after the wedding day.

Weeds Running Wild

"And below the heimongmong, all along the ground, were weeds already spilling out over the edges, running wild in every direction." page 220

I was really confused by the ending section to Rose Hsu Jordan's story. In the chapter, Without Wood, it talks about how her marriage is failing and her mother trying to get her to talk to her. She always avoid telling her mother the truth and goes to a psychiatrist instead. Anyway, what I'm confused about is, what does weeds have to do with her story? I didn't quite get it.

Importance of Storytelling

Throughout the book, I have noticed that many of the chapters are done through storytelling. The mothers often use storytelling to tell their daughters about something important that have happened in their life. Why do you think that they choose this method to communicate with their daughter instead of just having a one to one conversation? Is there a deeper meaning to storytelling?

To Brag Or Not To Brag... That Is The Question

In Waverly Jong's story, Rules of the Game, she complains that her mother brags about her great talent of chess. Why do you think Lindo brags about Waverly's talent so much?
Also, in the first story, The Joy Luck Club, the people at the square, mah jong table were also said to have been bragging about their children and their success. These women never once said anything about their children's faults or bad decisions, but only focused on their good points and accompliments as if they were trying to "beat" the other child's accomplishments. Why do you think they bragged? Is it the same reason why Lindo brags about Waverly? What do you think?

Tale of the Moon Goddess

What do you guys think about the Tale of the Moon Goddess? I have heard about the tale, but my version of it is kind of different from how the version in the book goes. I've always heard that it was about a goddess who fell in love with a mortal, but their love was forbidden. So when the heavenly king found about it, he sent her to the moon, so every year at August 15, it was the only day that they could met. The goddess made cakes in the moon, with the rabbits that lived there. That's how the mooncake got its name. I think it goes something like this, but have you guys ever heard about a different version of the tale? And don't you guys think it was wierd how the moon goddess was a male dressed up as a woman? It mad me think about Shakespeare plays, how young boys would often dressed up as woman.

matchmaker's job

Why does the matchmaker have such a big role in Chinese marriages? When Lindo Jong blew out one of the candles, the matchmaker clearly lied about how the candle turned into ashes. Also, the matchmaker said a lot of false things on her wedding day, so why does the Huang family continue to have her as the matchmaker?"The next morning the matchmaker made her proud declaration in front of Tyan-yu, his parents, and myself. "My job is done," she announced, pouring the remaining black ash onto the red cloth. I saw her servant's shame-faced, mournful look. " (page 56)