Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature Book report

Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature
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Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature
What the Book is about
“The Dancing Girl” is a story is about a man called Ota Toyataro. He tells this story when returning home in Japan after five years in Europe where he had been studying. He was raised in Japan by a single mother and attained high academic achievement in university in Tokyo at the faculty of law. He graduated at the age of nineteen and was the first student to achieve a greater honor since the university was founded. He had also achieved high eloquence in German and French languages and this gave him a chance to travel to Europe for further studies with the hope to make his name and raise his family's fortune. He enrolled to study politics at Berlin University whereby things flowed smoothly for the first three years. He explains how much of a conformist he had been his entire life enjoying praises from everyone which he regards as a time he lacked real awareness of himself.
During the time in Berlin, he was envied by an influential group among the students whereby one among them reported him to the department head as frequenting theatres and seeking the company of mistresses when he started his relationship with Elsie. Elsie was a dancer from a very poor family. She had recently lost her father. On being reported, he was said to be neglecting his studies and his post was abolished and employment terminated. It was during this time that he also learned of his mother's death. He had lost his financial support for his studies and was reluctant to go home. Through help from his friend Aizawa, he became a foreign correspondent in Berlin for a certain newspaper. He later became a German translator for Count Amkata’s suite. All through, his relationship with Elsie had blossomed and she later got pregnant, his friend Aizawa, however, convinced him to go back to Japan. This was a decision affected Elsie negatively to the point of being mentally ill.
The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese literature is a book that contains works of fiction, poetry, and essays covering from 1918 to 1992. Having been translated into English, it is the first comprehensive anthology representing works of modern Chinese literature. That is from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. I like the book because the overall quality is very high and thus making it easy to recommend to those who have an interest in modern China. The story is very interesting. After its translation, the author gave people from different parts of the world to read and explore Japanese Literature. Furthermore, the book provides the readers with a thorough introduction to Chinese ways of doing things. The anthology also covers the period from lu xun to the newest Chinese authors. The Dancing Girl (Maihime) by Richard Browing was the first Chinese short story that was written by Mori Ogai (Rimmer & Gessel, 2005). The story has appeared in 1990 and it is based on the experiences of Mori when he was a medical student in Germany. “The Dancing Girl’ is a story was revised into the episode of Animated Classics of Japanese Literature.
Writing Techniques Used
The book is quite engaging whereby the writer tries to bring the story to life. The author's writing technique is very descriptive by invoking the use of multiple senses. For instance, he vividly describes the European capitals in its captivating scenes and beauty by the use of simile and metaphor. He also uses them in describing the nature of women sitting in cafes who he lacked the courage to approach and the beauty of Elsie as well as the appearance of her home.
The author also uses the technique of creating an intriguing and complex character in which the reader wants to know more about his experiences. For instance, the protagonist in this story is very determined to establish himself and is currently in a foreign land. The reader, therefore, becomes invested in knowing what became of him. He achieves this by partly using foreshadowing whereby in the beginning he describes the character as being remorseful and being dissatisfied with life and concludes that life can be a sad affair.
The man versus self-realization and desires inside Toyotaro is a repercussion of Japanese ethics and culture. Before his departure to Germany, Toyotaro's folks talk about the historical prowess of their family and the prestige that their family has in their locale. They talk about Confucianism and respect, two of the most significant qualities in Japanese culture, and how Toyotaro should satisfy those accomplishments. In this way, it denies him freedom. Not long after this scene, he meets Elise and starts courting her after finding her sobbing in a church. Later the author alludes to Japanese norms and how it is incredibly strict (Rimmer & Gessel, 2005). Besides, Aizawa expresses that it is not rightful for Japanese men to get involved with foreign girls. Aizawa at long last figures out how to pressure Toyotaro to give up his adoration and seek after his learning. His choice is even accentuated when the storyteller says, "Obsessed by the thought that he had committed an unforgivable crime..." (Rimmer & Gessel, 2005). The statement shows that Toyotaro regarded his way of life to the degree that it influences his own choices.
This has an outrageous impeding impact on Elise, as she gets mental, however, it shows the significance of Confucianism (displaying propriety) and social oppression in Toyotaro's life, being the dedicated Japanese man he is. In the parting sentences of the piece, Toyotaro states, “Friends ...