Traditional Japan In Spirited Away

Traditional Japan In Spirited Away The protagonist of the film, Chihiro, has lived a pampered life in the city and is naive and unprepared for adulthood. Her parents are portrayed as greedy and irresponsible in the symbol of the credit card wielding father turning into an overindulgent hog. (Broderick, 2003) The spirit world that she unknowingly enters represents the Taisho period of Japanese history (around 1912 to 1926), a popular setting in Anime, but of particular personal significance to Miyazaki. (Yoshioka, 2008) Childhood memories have influenced his use of this time which does not simply create a feeling of nostalgia, but, as Yoshioka says, merges personal experience into a larger sense of past. (Yoshioka, 2008: p.257) The aspects of traditional Japan displayed in the film vary from the extravagant grandeur of the bathhouse to the simple, yet quaint wooden houses and shops in the spirit town. The bathhouse even includes sliding paper doors and massive ornate Satsuma-ware vases all representative of a prosperous location in Japan during the 1920s. It serves to act as an opposition to the modern character of Chihiro upon who the traditional aspects of Japanese society are lost. (Denison, 2007) Denison writes that the bathhouse holds valuable lessons for modern (Japanese) society, including, not allowing such a healthy eclectic heritage disappear in a culture obsessed with the furthering of technology as well as keeping the Japanese youth educated about their roots and heritage. Some of the major characters in the film also incorporate aspects of traditional Japanese folklore. Spirits have been featured as characters in many ancient Japanese folk tales, generally influenced by the two major religions Shinto and Buddhism. The ancient River Spirit which Chihiro helps to clean appears to have a face which resembles a Japanese Noh theatre mask. Another theatrical mask is also featured on the character of No-Face. The film also alludes to the practicing of religion in Japan and the ignorance of the youth towards it. In a scene at the beginning of the film Chihiro does not recognise some Shinto shrines and her mother explains their role yet it is evident that she does not consider them important saying some people think little spirits live there. (Spirited Away, 2001) It is evident from Miyazakis films as a whole that the spirituality is a common and often prominent theme, particularly, but not exclusively, among his films aimed at children. Certain themes recur in Miyazakis films. In Spirited Away many of these appear such as childhood, materialism and most notably environmentalism. The story of the spirit Haku links to the arguments mentioned so far about the portrayal of tradition. The disappearance of Hakus home the Kohaku River due to materialism has led to his forgetting of the past and even his name alluding to the real possibility of people in Japan being so focused on the future they forget elements of their past, in this case an ancient river paved over to build apartments. (Osmond, 2008) Other Miyazaki films have also included the relationship between the spirits or gods and humans, mainly about the difficulty of the two living in harmony. Princess Mononoke (1997), Ponyo (2008) and My Neighbour Totoro (1988) are examples of this with each also carrying the theme of environmentalism. All of the points mentioned so far have reinforced that the world featured within Spirited Away shows a traditional, typically Japanese culture which aims to critique modern Japanese society as well as educate the films young target audience about the importance of tradition. Thanks to Disneys worldwide distribution deal with Miyazakis production company Studio Ghibli, the market for anime has been expanded so hugely that theres a now global awareness of not only modern and pseudo-futuristic Japan but also heightened understanding of Japanese tradition; fans (are) engaged with the cultural origins of anime texts. (Cubbison, 2005: p.45) This market has been so developed that anime now seems to cater specifically for the international market within its films. The complex identities of Miyazakis characters, such as Haku or Yubaba in Spirited Away are, according to Denison, created to appeal to a Hollywood-saturated world market. These characters employ a number of traits not inherently Japanese. Also, some aspects of the architecture and artwork featured in the film are not typically Japanese but contain elements of Western styles. An example of this can be found in the small thatched cottage owned by Zeniba, the kind twin sister of the unpleasant witch Yubaba, the owner of the aforementioned bathhouse. The Anime film industry has varying takes on the issue of tradition, but Miyazaki has taken on the issue whole heartedly in his films. Miyazakis idea of the identity of the Japanese person, along with his concept of the loss of traditional culture in the technological Mecca of contemporary Japanese society, has proved significant in the visual appeal of his films as well as their artistic value. Not only does he reference parts of culture such as art, architecture and religion, but also references traditional theatre and behaviour (such as the removal of shoes before entering a house). Despite the fact that Miyazakis uses some hybridity with other cultures in his portrayal of tradition, the fundamental Japaneseness of Spirited Away is clear and irrefutable. 1030 words References Broderick, M. 2003. Spirited Away by Miyazakis Fantasy. Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific [online] 9 August. Available from: http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue9/broderick_review.html [Accessed March 4 2010]. Cubbison, L. 2005. Anime Fans, DVDs, and the Authentic Text. The Velvet Light Trap. 56 Autumn, pp.45-57. Denison, R. 2007. The Global Markets For Anime: Miyazaki Hayaos Spirited Away. In: Phillips, A. Stringer, J. 2007. Japanese cinema: texts and contexts. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, pp.308-320. Napier, S. J. 2001. Why Anime? In: Napier, S. J. 2001. Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke: experiencing contemporary Japanese animation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.3-14. Osmond, A. 2008. Being Spirited Away. In: Osmond, A. 2008. Spirited Away. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.7-15. Spirited Away. 2001. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. London: Optimum [DVD]. Yoshioka, S. 2008. Heart of Japaneseness, History and Nostalgia in Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away. In: MacWilliams, M. W. 2008. Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime. New York: M.E. Sharpe.

The Death of Women Wang by Jonathen Spence Essay -- imperial china, chi

It is a common myth to people of Western world that women in imperial China were closeted, constantly subjugated and not allowed to make anything of themselves beyond a good daughter, wife, and mother. To the contrary, women, as mentioned in The Death of Women Wang by Jonathen Spence, had come options open to them, and while certainly they were not as numerous or desirable as those open to men, they did exist [Spence 124]. Six Records of a Floating Life bu Shen Fu portrays women in quite a different light that women of imperial China are generally perceived with; the author's wife is creative, intelligent, spirited and active. She was educated to some degree and would make up spontaneous poems with her husband [Fu 31, 34]. In Chinese literary tradition, women authors are often only briefly touched upon or ignored completely, while in fact there were many of them, some of whom made a living for themselves by writing or painting. There are, in fact, over a dozen examples of women who were published for their writing skills, from the Tang to the Qing, but here the focus in on the Qing, which began officially in 1644 and ended in the 1900's. These short examples are all of 17th-century China, drawn from Women Writers of Traditional China: An Anthology of Poetry and Criticism, edited by Kang-i Sun Chang and Haun Saussy and published by Stanford University Press in 1999. The earliest example comes from before the Qing: Xu Cun, a poet born in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, 1610. She married Chen Zhilin, who became a jinshi in 1637, and later held the titles of Grand Secretary, Junior Guardian, and Grand Guardian of the Hair Apparent. He died in 1666 and five years later Xu Cu petitioned the emperor to have his remains reburied in his h... ... for themselves despite the repressive society they lived in. Women of the Qing and beyond were not all idle or disengaged from the world around them; as has been seen, a respectable number of them were active, engaged individuals with minds of their own and a firm place in the annals literary history. Works Cited â€Å"Qing Dynasty: Seventeenth Century.† Women Writers of Traditional China: An Anthology of Poetry and Criticism. Chang, Kang-I and Haun Saussy. Stanford, CL: Stanford University Press, 1999. 337-429. Print. Fu, Shen. Six Records of a Floating Life. Trans. Leonard Pratt and Chiang Su-hui. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1983. Print. Mann, Susan. The Talented Women of The Zhang Family. Los Angeles, CL: University of California Press, 2007. Print. Spence, Jonathan. The Death of Woman Wang. 1978. New York: Penguin Books, 1979. Print.

Does the Pyrrhonist sceptic have a convincing answer to the challenge that it is impossible to live without opinions?

The Oxford English dictionary definition of a sceptic is â€Å"a person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions†. Scepticism is a doctrine that was followed seriously first by Pyrrho, who believed that the true way to find peace was to avoid dogmatising and to live life with no set beliefs. Nussbaum sums this up in The Therapy of Desire as the belief that ‘to every argument another argument of equal strength is opposed'. Therefore it is impossible to decide on one argument, and true inner peace is found by accepting this and allowing yourself to simply exist, acting only on your instincts and senses. A Sceptic would not assert â€Å"the sky is blue† but rather would say â€Å"the sky appears to be blue†. However, even Pyrhho struggled to stick to scepticism, saying that we would have to â€Å"altogether divest ourselves of the human being† to live completely as a Sceptic. So the question must be asked: is it impossible to live without opinions? From the outset it seems that society, particularly modern society, is built on the assumption that we all have beliefs, even if only fundamental ethical beliefs, for example the assumption that murder is wrong. We are brought up with set ethical beliefs before we are old enough to philosophise for ourselves, and it is this social conditioning that allows us as humans to live without the constant threat of being murdered hanging over our heads. Indeed, those that choose not to live by these fundamental social rules are often institutionalised, either in mental facilities or in prisons. Although these beliefs change and vary over time and in different world cultures (for example, it was common for promiscuous girls to be mentally institutionalised in the 1960s, whereas now that practice would be shocking to most) most societies define themselves by their beliefs, either religious or cultural. The most strong and consistent belief system that has spanned over time and continents is the belief that without strong ethical principles, the world would turn to chaos. Moreover, it is impossible to ignore that life often depends on making decisions. We must almost every day decide on what would be the best course of action. When we wake up we decide whether to stay in bed for the rest of the day or to wake up and carry out whichever activities we had planned. After breakfast we decide whether to do the washing up immediately or to leave it for later. Sceptics argue that we must be led by our senses and instincts, as well as by necessity and the laws and customs of our land. This addresses concerns about the possibility of the world collapsing into anarchy without any set ethical beliefs, but then if the whole world practiced scepticism, there would be no laws and customs of the land to adhere to. If someone in this sort of society felt a natural instinct to murder every day, there would be nobody who would decide that this was wrong and so find a way to stop this person from killing. After the fall of Baghdad to coalition troops in the Iraq war widespread looting took place. This sort of natural, instinctive reaction to the absence of strict laws and belief systems shows all too clearly the impossibility of a universal imposition of pyrrhonian principles. Another important factor to remember when discussing Scepticism is the thought that, by asserting that scepticism is the best way to live, sceptics themselves are dogmatising. â€Å"Sextus cannot have a single definite procedure without having some values†-, â€Å"How can Skeptism be anything, one might ask, if the Skeptic has no beliefs? â€Å"- Nussbaum) Sceptics counter this with the idea that Scepticism isn't a fixed doctrine, but a natural inclination, an instinct. They are flexible in their beliefs, allowing them to be questioned too. Therefore they escape the accusation that Scepticism in itself is a belief system. However, it is still difficult to apply this theory to the average human being. We would have to un-learn our tendency to be dependent on our beliefs and re-condition ourselves in the ways of Pyrrhonism. This would take time and demand motivation and rigid training of the mind- far from a natural instinct. However, it is also possible to argue that, regardless of the difficulty, it is impossible in this world to find peace without having sceptical beliefs. Take the example of a fictional dogmatic. He is confused about how best to find happiness, and so takes up philosophy in the hope of discovering the truth and therefore live a happy life. After many months of enquiry, he comes to a conclusion and so sets out a guideline for himself, to help him work out on a daily basis what to do to keep himself happy. He happily carries on his life under these new guidelines, until he comes across someone who argues with him about the way he lives his life. A seed of doubt is placed in his mind and he is confused and angry. He is now no longer happy. Scepticism would mean that our man would never have had to go through this cycle. He would have inquired into happiness but kept an open mind. Now imagine that the guidelines that he had decided on in the first place had been wrong and after many months of living by them he was not happy at all, though he thought he was because he had never experienced true happiness. By not dogmatising he could have avoided becoming arrogant for no reason. Another argument for scepticism is that of human suffering. It cannot be denied that humans, dogmatists and sceptics alike, will experience suffering in their lives. However it is their reaction to it and the significance they place on it that determines how much the pain affects them. Pyrrho believed that, by theorising about pain and suffering, and imagining it as some kind of evil, people increased the level to which they felt their pain. Sceptics accept that they feel pain and that this is natural, but do not have any particular theories about it, and therefore achieve peace. However, although the benefits of scepticism seem ideal, this does not remove the difficulties of applying it to every day life. As an ideology, a level of scepticism applied to every day life would perhaps make people happier and better adjusted. People would be less prepared to accept false theories dogmatically, always remembering that an apposing argument could be just as valid. They would not be fixated on their suffering and try to create reasons for it, but instead would â€Å"relax and let life happen to [them]†, and by relaxing would live happier, more fulfilled lives. But scepticism applied fully would be impractical, as we could have no assurances of safety, and the effort it would take to re-condition our entire way of life would be too great.

A Good Leader Lao Tzu - 1731 Words

A good modern day leader should be able to be honest, well-rounded, confident in his work, well committed, and be able to protect his country and responsibilities throughout any trials thrown his way. In modern day society a good leader would be Lao-Tzu. He uses beliefs and tactics that are civil for today’s society. As for comparing two great leaders from a time so far back, I would have to pick Machiavelli as a great leader. The way the writers present them in the book is almost opposite in every aspect. Lao-Tzu has a laissez-faire approach on things, while Machiavelli is the opposite and is ready for war. First of all, when Lao-Tzu says, â€Å"If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them† (213). That whole statement would throw society off now. It would make society decide that overall Machiavelli was the better leader, because of how weak that statement makes Lao-Tzu as a leader. When Lao-Tzu was a leader and he put himself below the people that he leaded, some people probably second guessed him. A leader should never place himself below anyone. Society will see this and run over their leader the first chance they get. Machiavelli is all about war and being fit with the mind and with the body. Machiavelli was an aristocrat with unbalanced luck that eventually planned to support himself over his writing career. His best work, â€Å"The Prince†, is a simple study on the makings of a prince or a leader, on what he must have in order to retain his power andShow MoreRelatedA Good Leader : Lao Tzu919 Words   |  4 PagesA good modern day leader should be able to be honest, well-rounded, confident in his work, well committed, and be able to protect his country and responsibilities throughout any trials thrown his way. In modern day society a good leader would be Lao-Tzu. He uses beliefs and tactics that are civil for today’s society. 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Lao-tzu informs his readers that one can only help people by allowing them to help themselves. One powerful statement from the Tao-te-Ching is, When they think that they know the answers, / people are difficult toRead MoreLife Is No Easy Task1091 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst the grain of modern civilization,† (Huzzey). This is more of a Northern point of view. This also coincides with Lao-Tzu’s views as well; the people are supposed to be watched, not owned. Lao-Tzu also believes that the people will be able to take care of themselves if they are let alone. While reading from Douglass’ â€Å"The Narrative†, it was simple to connect the writing to Lao-Tzu’s political standpoints; there are points for both the sides of the slaves and the slaveholders, for example: how