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Anthony RodriguezAfter our visit, Xi'an met and exceeded my expectations. My initial look into it's history as an Islamic center was enriched by visiting the Muslim quarter and sampling the unique fusion of middle eastern and asian cuisine. Furthermore, the survival of an original sanskrit codex that was among the first Buddhist scriptures to be brought to China was invaluable to see as not only a religious artifact but a living example of how language evolves, migrates and disseminates ideas. In fact, that sanskrit codex seemed to be metaphorical for the entire city, it is a diaspora of cultures from India, the Middle East and asia, all contained within the best preserved/reconstructed city walls on Earth.
Anthony RodriguezHello all, please note that many VPN that have worked in China in the past most likley will not now, or see reduced effectivness. After doing some reading and speaking to a friends who traveled there in the last month on business, China instituted a foreign VPN Ban / Crackdown effective March 2018. Please read the article below from Radio Free Asia:
and its impact and possible subversions here
Anthony RodriguezI really enjoyed Infernal Affairs (2002) based in Hong Kong, it is the film from which Scorcese based ‘The Departed’ which was not half as good, ‘Infernal Affairs’ stands out on its own right as one of the finest crime thrillers of the 2000s. Following the paths of an undercover cop and a triad member who infiltrates the police force its a fantastic movie.
Anthony RodriguezLesson Objective:
Read excerpts from Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en and identify plot elements within the story which fit the definition of the hero, the anti hero, the “epic journey” and Joseph Campbell’s “hero cycle”. Compare and contrast the characters of Tripitaka and Wukong and what function each character serves in the story. Identify the Buddhist themes and ideals in each selection (context provided by pre reading activities).
Summary:
Monkey, the hero of Journey to the West, is a popular figure of East Asian literature, opera, children’s books and cartoons, and television. Monkey is beloved for his martial prowess and supernatural powers, but it’s his rebel spirit, his complete fearlessness, his wiliness, and his devotion as a friend that make him the quintessential sidekick. In Journey to the West, the monk Xuanzang (Tripitaka) needs Monkey and his other disciples (they all need each other) to reach the goal. The novel falls into two main parts. Chapters 1-12 include Monkey’s history; the conversion of Monkey, Friar Sand, Pig and the White Dragon Horse to Buddhism by Guanyin and their promises to wait for the monk and accompany him on the journey. This first part also contains background on the Tang Emperor Taizong and his selection of Xuanzang (Tripitaka) to undertake the pilgrimage. Chapters 13-100 present the journey to the Western Paradise and obtainment of the scriptures. Master and disciples undergo the necessary 81 trials, which include numerous encounters with wild beasts, supernatural monsters, and demons, as well as with various good and evil humans. They defeat the demons, often with supernatural help, and help to restore order in human societies. In the final three chapters, the pilgrims present the scriptures to Emperor Taizong and return to the Western Paradise for their rewards.
*The version being used for classroom selections is the Anthony Yu abridged version of this story all page numbers cited will correspond with that version*
Historical/Literary Context:
Authorship of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West has not been established 100% in any one person's credit, but most scholars accept attribution of the popular 100-chapter version to Wu Cheng’en (c.1500-c.1582), who wrote during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 C.E.). The novel was popularized in English through the abridged version published as Monkey in 1943. Anthony C. Yu took many many years to produce an unabridged, four-volume, 1,873-page English version of the monk’s mythological narrative titled “The Journey to the West.” The fruit of that endeavor was what Prof. David Lattimore of Brown University called “one of the great ventures of our time in humanistic translation and publication.” Professor Yu spent seven years on the first volume, which was published in 1977. He finished the other three volumes in 1984, completed an abridged version titled “The Monkey and the Monk” in 2006 and published an updated translation in 2012.The epic saga was first published in 1592. The novels quest lasted 16 years. The novel reworks and expands on folk tales and dramatic episodes that sprang up around the Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang (596-664 C.E.) to India to bring the original Buddhist scriptures back to China. Xuanzang’s sixteen-year trip (629-645 C.E.) and his subsequent life-long dedication to translating the scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese made him a legend in his own time. Unlike the fictional monk, the historical Xuanzang left China without the Emperor’s permission, but was honored on his return. In the fantastic and mystical stories developed about him, he collected a company of non-human immortal disciples, provided by the Bodhisattva Guanyin, to help on his journey. Monkey first appears as an escort during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 C.E.). Wu Cheng’en, in his masterful reworking of the folk materials, brings the disciple Monkey — the real hero of the novel — to the forefront, with the first seven chapters devoted to his biography.
Class Period #1 Initial Read:
(“The Six Bandits Episode” reading will be assigned for homework the night before)
Re-Read homework assigned reading, Two Column Notes: Two-column notes can provide an excellent outline for use as a writing tool. The student can use the notes as an outline for a summary by turning main ideas into topic sentences and adding key details as supports. (It is important to note at this point the necessity of paraphrasing.) Also, the notes can later be used as a study sheet. For example, the students can fold their paper, turn the main ideas into questions, and then use the main ideas to recall the details as well as use the details to generate the main ideas. (30 min)
(individually answer discussion questions outlined above)
With discussion questions, Think Pair Share: A collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This technique requires students to think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and share ideas with classmates. Discussing an answer with a partner serves to maximize participation, focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading material. (20 min)
Save the Last Word: Pass out index cards or slips of paper to each student, one card for each quote they have found. On one side of the card, ask students to write down the statements from the text. On the other side, instruct them to write any comments or feelings about their statements. Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students. All students in the group are allowed to share one of their quote cards. The first student reads one of their quotes to the group and shows where to locate it in the text. However, the student isn’t allowed to make any comments about his or her quote until the other members of the group give their reactions. Therefore, the student gets the last word in the discussion of the statement. (25 min)
Framed Paragraph: Framed paragraphs are pre-writing tools that help students write well-developed paragraphs. They are skeleton formats containing information about the main ideas and transition words that guide the organization and the development of supportive details. Framed paragraphs offer a structure for students to use as they begin to write paragraphs and essays. (15 min)
Class Period #2 Initial Read:
(“The Golden Headband Episode” reading will be assigned for homework the night before)
Re-Read homework assigned reading, Two Column Notes: Two-column notes can provide an excellent outline for use as a writing tool. The student can use the notes as an outline for a summary by turning main ideas into topic sentences and adding key details as supports. (It is important to note at this point the necessity of paraphrasing.) Also, the notes can later be used as a study sheet. For example, the students can fold their paper, turn the main ideas into questions, and then use the main ideas to recall the details as well as use the details to generate the main ideas. (30 min)
(individually answer discussion questions outlined above)
With discussion questions, Think Pair Share: A collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This technique requires students to think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and share ideas with classmates. Discussing an answer with a partner serves to maximize participation, focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading material. (20 min)
Save the Last Word: Pass out index cards or slips of paper to each student, one card for each quote they have found. On one side of the card, ask students to write down the statements from the text. On the other side, instruct them to write any comments or feelings about their statements. Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students. All students in the group are allowed to share one of their quote cards. The first student reads one of their quotes to the group and shows where to locate it in the text. However, the student isn’t allowed to make any comments about his or her quote until the other members of the group give their reactions. Therefore, the student gets the last word in the discussion of the statement. (25 min)
Framed Paragraph: Framed paragraphs are pre-writing tools that help students write well-developed paragraphs. They are skeleton formats containing information about the main ideas and transition words that guide the organization and the development of supportive details. Framed paragraphs offer a structure for students to use as they begin to write paragraphs and essays. (15 min)
Writing Prompt (for homework, rough draft due next monday)
Read the assigned excerpts from Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en and identify plot elements within the story which fit the definition of the hero, the anti hero, the “epic journey” and Joseph Campbell’s “hero cycle”. Compare and contrast the characters of Tripitaka and Wukong and what function each character serves in the story. Three paragraphs minimum, must include strong thesis and conclusion.
Connections to other works
The Allegorical Journey in The Odyssey by Homer and The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
The journeys in The Odyssey contribute to both the plot, character development and the literary suspense experienced by the reader. The journeys of both Odysseus and Telemachus correspond with growth and changes in their character. During his journey, Odysseus acts in a bold and arrogant manner, which interferes with his homecoming. Odysseus’ growth is illustrated by contrasting his earlier impulsiveness with the cautious and humble manner in which he returns home disguised as a beggar, bullied by the suitors, standing “firm as a rock” Odysseus’ journey home is also a source of pleasurable literary suspense. Unlike The Odyssey, the major journey in The Canterbury Tales is used primarily as a literary device that brings together a disparate group of travellers with a common purpose, allowing Chaucer to engage in a broad social commentary. The General Prologue introduces the book as a whole, in addition to the array of diverse characters who narrate the subsequent tales, “some nine and twenty in a company / Of sundry folk happening then to fall / In fellowship”. These characters are representative of the three estates: military, clergy and peasantry and The General Prologue is a satire that is able to criticise the abuses that occur within these estates. The pilgrimage undertaken by these characters is not particularly significant to the book’s plot, but it is a useful technique for setting up the varied stories that make up The Canterbury Tales. The character development of Odysseus and the narrative fashion of the religious pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales relate to the themes and structure of The Monkey and the Monk. Both Tripitaka and Wukong can be impulsive and self defeating at times but rise to the occasion of survival and enlightenment much like Odysseus. The actual religious journey and the tongue in cheek observations made about social mechanics and the satire of the classes within them tie The Canterbury Tales and Journey to the West together thematically. Together, the two stories connect very strongly to Journey to the West's themes, premise, setting and character dynamic.
Anthony RodriguezSounds good man perhaps I will join you if there is time. See you soon friend!
Anthony RodriguezYes absolutley
Anthony RodriguezIs there a reason that laptops are strongly discouraged? I have a small netbook I was going to bring.
Anthony RodriguezShould we find a source to exchange American Dollar to Yuan before we leave? Would it be wise to enter the country alredy having cash on us?
Anthony RodriguezOh yeah lets do this. So excited to learn from the culture and just soak it all in as a gracious visitor.
Anthony RodriguezThe piece I really liked from this is: "Keep in mind that it’s appropriate to haggle for souvenirs, clothing, shoes, and accessories in markets, but food is typically a fixed price." which makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
Anthony RodriguezYes! I would be up for eitther/both of those things.
Anthony RodriguezYoshi is 11 and they typically live 25 to 30 years!
Anthony RodriguezI read allllll about the Stinky Tofu! I'm so IN for that. Lets do it.
Anthony RodriguezHello, it will be great to have a fellow CT teacher on board. I teach at Norwalk High School!
Anthony RodriguezHi Cynthia I was at IU last summer as well. I was hanging out with Jeff most of the time but I rememebr you! It will be great to do another one of these together! Talk soon!
