Assignment 3

1. Matsuo Basho’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North:

- How long was Basho’s trip to the Northeast? In what year did it take place? Who was
his companion during the trip?
- Basho’s trip to the Northeast lasted for 5 months
- It took place in 1689
- His companion during the trip is Kawai Sora
- Write down the places Basho stopped by during his trip (from the excerpts in the
textbook) and the activities he did in each place.
- Nikko Mountain: met Buddha Gozaemon, climbed a mountain and saw the
Back-View Falls, and prayed at Komyoji temple.
- Shirakawa Barrier: admire the beautiful scenery of Shirakawa Barrier, visit the
man named Tokyu, visit the shinobu mottling rock in Shinobu Village
- Matsushima: Reflected on the beautiful scenery of Matsushima Bay, the rocky
shore of Ojima.
- Hiraizumi: Reflected on the lost glory of Fujiwara, stopped at Iwade village.
- Obanazawa: stayed at a person’s home named Seifu, a wealthy and has the
spirit of a recluse person.
- Yamagata: visit the Ruyshaku-ji temple, and write about the scene and
tranquility of this place.
- Sakata: Climbed up Mount Gassan to enjoy the cool, sacred air, then went
down to Mount Yudono. Then arrived at Tsurugaoka town, went down to the
port of Sakata, and stayed at a doctor's house.
- Kisakata: explored all the landscape from west to east, and north and reflected
on its beauty.
- Ogaki: Gather with everyone at Joko's house, marking the end of the journey
before heading off to visit the grand shrine in Ise.
2. Luo Guanzhong’s Three Kingdoms
- Summarize the chapter selected in the textbook in a paragraph of about 50-70 words
which needs to include such important details as the situation of the wine party and
how the main characters think of and react to each other.
- The passage talks about a banquet held by Cao Cao to discuss heroes. The
atmosphere of the banquet was tense and during the conversation between the
two characters, Cao Cao tried to test Xuande's ambition through questions
about heroes, thereby revealing the truth about Xuande's personality. But
Xuande was wary of Cao Cao so she tried to hide it.
3. Cao Xueqin’s The Story of the Stone
- General:
- In what situation did Cao Xueqin write the novel The Story of the Stone?
- The novel was written toward the end of Cao Xueqin’s life, between
1740 and 1705. The first eighty chapters belonged to Cao Xueqin and
the novel itself had at least 5 drafts. But after Cao Xueqin died, the
 novel was finished by Gao E after a half-century from the beginning of
writing.
- What story about what characters is the core of the novel?
- The novel revolves around the daily life of the Jia family with many
noble activities, focusing mainly on the love between Baoyu and Daiju
and the lives, emotions, and interactions among 3 central characters.
- Core characters of the novel:
- Jia Baoyu: From the stone after enduring the pain of love, loss,
and disillusion, he was reborn as the only legitimate male heir
of the powerful Jia family. He is very sensitive, and has a
rarified intellectual pleasure, but often has conflict with the
family over the social expectations and traditions.
- Lin Daiyu: She is Baoyu’s cousin, but also is his love interest.
Daiju is a beautiful girl but she is frailty and histrionic
morbidity.
- Xue Baochai: another cousin of Baoyu, has plump good looks
and gentle common sense and is opposite of Daiyu.
- Chapter 96:
- In the excerpt from chapter 96, where is Jia Zheng about to do? How does his
mother response to that event? What does she want to discuss with Jia Zheng?
How old is she in the moment she talks to Jia Zheng?
- He is about to leave for an audience with the Emperor for the post of
Grain Intendant for the province of Kiangsi.
- She is very sad and responds with anxiety.
- She wants to discuss family problems with Jia Zheng. She talks about
Baoyu’s omen future, the family’s stability, and the marriage of
Baoyun.
- At that time, she is nearly 81 years old.
- What plan does Daiyu hear about from the maid named Simple? How does she
response to her when knowing about that story? What does she do after that?
- She hears that the marriage between Baoyu and BaoChai will be held
as soon as possible.
- She was so shocked and her heart felt like it had all the flavors of the
world. She felt disoriented like she was lost in her mind, even when
Nightingale asked her something she couldn't remember.
- She turned back towards Naiad's house, but she walked very slowly.
When she reached the Drenched Blossom Bridge, she turned back the
way she had come. When Nightingale arrived, she was absent-minded
and vaguely said that she wanted to go to Baoyu's place, and after
regaining consciousness, she went to ask Baoyu something.
- Chapter 120:
- In what situation does Jia Zheng meet up again with his son Baoyu? With
whom does Baoyu go with when the meeting takes place? How does Jia
Zheng understand and explain about this strange meeting?
 - When he moored in a quiet, lonely stretch of the canal in pilling
because of the snow and he was writing a letter. At first, he did not
recognize Baoyu because of his different appearance, but after looking
at him for a while he recognized his son.
- He goes with a Buddhist monk and a Taorist when he meet Jia Zheng.
- He understands that this meeting is Baoyu’s journey to experience the
trials of human life. He explains that by thinking about that Buddhist
monk and Taorist and 3 previous times of meeting them. By thinking
about these, Jia Zheng concludes that Baoyu may be in a higher realm
seeking spiritual awakening and accepts that Baoyu’s disappearance is
a part of that journey.
4. The Song of a Soldier’s Wife
- Summarize the biography of the author and the translator of The Song of a Soldier’s
Wife in two short paragraphs (about 50 words each)
- Dang Tran Con was born in the early 1700s and died at the age of 30. He was
a very studious person and could learn regardless of time and learning
environment. He passed the exams with high scores and was appointed to
many high positions. He was praised as a person with a free soul and was
proficient in many poetic forms.
- Phan Huy Ich was born around 1750 and died in 1822. Despite his difficult
life, he was considered very outstanding and gained the respect and trust from
the rulers. He had an unusual talent for writing, had a spirit of serving the
public, and had many compositions in classical Chinese and the vernacular
- In what situation is the Song composed? Who are the main characters of the story?
- The song was composed in the context of war, when separations occurred
continuously between couples, through the voice of a wife deploring the
absence of her man, who is away fighting on some far-off battlefield.
- The main characters in this story are the soldier and his wife.
- How are the main characters and the landscape around described when they have to
part?
- In the moment of separation, the farewell scene of the couples is endless. The
wife is described as sad and full of worry for her husband. That woman always
watches over her husband. That soldier also always watches over his wife.
Although he can also share that sadness, he still keeps his spirit strong, puts on
his armor and rides his horse towards the enemy. The two of them always look
at each other, looking at each other but not seeing each other. Their sad
emotions also make the surrounding scenery gloomy. Everything seems to
emphasize the harshness of the farewell: the flag fluttering in the wind, the
sound of the flute, ... In the end, that vast nature becomes the thing that
prevents them from seeing each other.

Writing:
- Take a quick look over the book They Say, I Say (in folder “ACADEMIC WRITING”
posted on Google Classroom) and briefly explain what “They Say” and “I say” mean
and what their significances are in writing an argumentative essay.
- They say:
- "they say" refers to the way other people present their arguments,
opinions, statements, or presentations on a particular topic.
- significances:
- Lay the groundwork for your argument by presenting other
people's arguments rather than just the headline so that the
reader gets a more comprehensive view of the issue at hand.

- I say:
- “I Say” gives the writer's own arguments, opinions, and statements
about the issues, and opinions in "They Say"
- Significance:
- demonstrate the writer's analytical and critical thinking skills,
allowing them to contribute their own opinions to the
discussion, increasing the persuasiveness of the writer's point of
view.