Family Essay Questions

How does Chueh-hsin's policy of "non-resistance" maintain peace in the family? How does this policy cause harm?

Chueh-hsin's policy of non-resistance destroys his happiness and hastens the deaths of Mei and Jui-chueh. Accepting his elders' orders without complaint or argument, he does not marry Mei, the woman he loves, and Mei consequently loses the will to live. Chueh-hsin also allows Jui-chueh to give birth under dangerous conditions. Chueh-hsin's perceived "weakness" also damages his relationships with his brothers.

However, Chueh-hsin's compliance builds up enough goodwill between himself and his elders that he can assist Chuh-hui and Chueh-min behind the scenes. For example, when Chueh-hui decides to escape to Shanghai, Chueh-hsin supports him by sending him money and denying that he knows where Chueh-hui is. Chueh-hsin's filial reputation helps provide sufficient deniability, as the older family members do not suspect Chueh-hsin could rebel by helping his younger brother.

What role does literature play in developing Chueh-hui's sense of morality?

Writings such as Ibsen's Resurrection and the articles in New Youth magazine shape Chueh-hsin's way of thinking. Inspired by these texts, he actively joins student protests and rebels against his family. He also encourages others, such as Chin, to read more and learn how to reject Confucian culture. Chueh-hui contributes to the New Culture Movement as a writer.

Chueh-hui also allows writings to dictate and validate his actions. For example, when Chueh-hui reads an article in New Youth magazine discouraging romance because it diverts one's attention from the social movement, Chueh-hui feels compelled to give up his affair with Ming-feng.

Confucian literature serves as a symbol of the older generation, just as revolutionary texts symbolize the younger generation. Allusions to texts like the Li Chi are used throughout the text to demonstrate Chueh-hui's vehement hatred of old ways of thinking.

In what ways are the female characters passive victims of their fate? In what ways are they active agents of their destiny?

Female liberation and oppression are prevalent themes throughout the text. Mei represents passive victimhood; she relies on Chueh-hsin to stand up to his family, and when he does not, Mei accepts that she is doomed to misery and loses the will to live. Paradoxically, Jui-chueh actively agrees with the family's orders as a way to help others. For example, she gives birth outside of the compound not because she fears confrontation but to protect Chueh-hsin's reputation. She dies as a result.

Ming-feng is given only two terrible options; become Feng's concubine or commit suicide. Ming-feng chooses to die; through her choice, Ming-feng is not passive, but she is still a victim of her circumstances.

Chin, by contrast, is privileged enough to play an active role in her fate. She writes for Dawn, convinces her mother to let her get an education, and eventually marries the man she loves.

Chueh-hui observes that his family members are “full of contradictions.” In what ways do both Chueh-hui and the Venerable Master Kao contradict themselves? In what ways do they uphold, or fail to uphold, the ideologies they profess?

Chueh-hui and his grandfather are foils for one another. Chueh-hui strongly believes in the values of equity and independence but does not uphold these values in his personal life. Chueh-hui argues with Confucian traditionalists, joins protests, refuses to ride in sedan chairs, and writes for Dawn. However, he fails to save Ming-feng due to his "bourgeois pride," refuses to question the morality of keeping servants, and does not extend sympathy to his family members, like Chueh-hsin, who the Confucian family structure victimizes.

The Venerable Master Kao, by contrast, considers himself a Confucian. He is an active member of the Confucian Morals Society and attempts to organize his family according to Confucian values. However, the Venerable Master Kao engages in lewd behavior, such as patronizing female impersonators and celebrating his birthday with erotic operas. Additionally, he is unable to control his family. For example, his sons, Ke-ting, Ke-an, and Ke-ming, accrue gambling debt, have extramarital affairs, and smoke opium. Even after the Venerable Master Kao punishes them, the Uncles do not obey.

How do Chueh-min and Chueh-hui resist the patriarchal family system, and how are they complicit in perpetuating it?

Chueh-min and Chueh-hui both pursue public education against their grandfather's wishes. Chueh-hui defies his grandfather's orders and continues participating in student protests and writing for Dawn even after the police shut down the publication. Chueh-min directly opposes the Venerable Master Kao by refusing the marriage the patriarch arranges. However, the brothers still perpetuate the patriarchal system by enjoying the privileges it provides without standing up for the people it oppresses. For example, Chueh-hui escapes to Shanghai while still relying on the money his family accrues through charging high rents and keeping bondservants. Chueh-hui also is unwilling to marry Ming-feng or save her. Chueh-hui's writings in Dawn, though revolutionary, only deal with issues that affect members of the gentry, not the serving class.

Though Chueh-min marries the woman he loves, he still finds his happiness through the patriarchal system. He marries Chin, his cousin and a member of the gentry. Chueh-min intends to pursue an advanced education with his family's money. Throughout the text, Chueh-min and Chueh-hui rely on the Kao family servants to care for their physical and emotional needs without reciprocation.