Topic Thirteen: The Making of a Cultural Super Star

Discussion Topic Thirteen (2009/12/28~2010/1/4):

Discussion Topic:
Do you think there is a need for our culture to make our own super stars whom we are proud of and can identify with?


Some reminders from Vinia:
There is a constant need to create a cultural super star in nearly every society.  As demonstrated in the class discussions, the architect and poetess Huei-yin Lin (1904-1955) is gaining more and more popularity  half a century after her death as a fore-runner in the fields of cultural legacy preservation, designing industry, and creative writing. 

In western Europe and  North America, the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci and the Dutch master Vincent van Gogh have secured their iconic positions in western civilization.  Through international exhibitions, their works are displayed in front of the eyes of global audiences and new films on their lives and works are made and screened worldwide, including Taiwan.

We see the need to create a Chinese cultural star in Ms. Lin's case, and we also experience the western cultural (over)flows that take our breaths (as well as our money) away.   Now, let's take a good look at the situation in Taiwan.  Have any efforts been take to promote this cultural identification?

The following figures are portrayed in the TV/DVD series entitled "Portraits Taiwan 台灣人物誌," produced in a joint venture between the Government Information Office, Republic of China, and Discovery Networks Asian (2005-2006).

Dr. Henry Lee is an internally recognized forensic scientist, who has made tremendous contributions to criminal investigation, law enforcement, forensic sciences and education worldwide.

Mr. Hwai Min Lin is a renowned Taiwanese choreographer, who founded Cloud Gate Dance Theatre.  He has developed a unique dancing style basing on the spirits of tradtional chinese arts, such as brush works and Tai-chi.  With his creative vigors, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre has toured the world many times and has long won international recognition. Mr. Lin was celebrated by the Time magazine as one of "Asia's Heroes" in 2005.

Mr. Wun Yu Chen is "Taiwan's watermelon king," for he leads the world's largest watermelon seed supplying company "Know-You" and cultivates the best breeds of fruits for farmers all around the world.

Mr. King Liu is the founder and CEO of Giant, the world's leading brand in bicycle making.  Mr. Liu has input tremendous research efforts into the exploration of new materials and new technology of producing the world's best bicycles.

Dharma Master Cheng Yen founded the Tzu Chi Foundation for disaster relief missions worldwide. For her unfailing huministic care for people worldwise, she was awarded Eisenhower Medallion and later was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.  In a magazine poll conducted island wide, Master Cheng Yen was ranked at the top as the most beautiful person in Taiwan. 

In addition to this series, there is another DVD collection entitled "A World for Chinese 華人縱橫天下, " which features 108  people with Chinese cultural heritage from various professional fields worldwide.

Do you have a particular person in your mind that can be acclaimed as our cultural super hero?

Do you have Mr. Jay Chou in mind?  

Topic Twelve: The Popularity of the Taiwanese-made Film "Cape #7"

Discussion Topic Twelve (2009/12/21~12/28):

Discussion Topic:

Made by Taiwanese and produced in Taiwan, the movie "Cape #7" has won tremendous popularity from people in Taiwan.  After winning domestic and international awards, this movie was on its way to win applauses from Japan and China.

(1) There have been many locally produced movies, what particular qualities or elements did this movie possess that had helped to win the hearts of many Taiwanese people?

(2) Which particular scene(s) in this movie has/had touched your heart most deeply?  And, why?

Cape #7 was released in 2008 and won an immediate hit in Taiwan.  It  was later released in Japan and China in 2009.  The theme songs in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese remain extremely popular in Taiwanese culture ever since its release.

The leading hero Van is a popular song singer  both in the film and in reality.  Two of his most popular songs from the film is "South of the Border" (國境之南) and "Making Merries: (無樂不做). 

In addition to his marked trait as a energetic and original rock singer and song writer, he himself is one of the  descendents  of the native Taiwanese -- the aboriginal inhabitants in southern Taiwan. His cultural heritage adds more vernacularity to the film.

The film entitled "1895 in Formosa" recorded faithfully one historical event happening during the handover of Taiwan to Japan after the Ching Goverment lost the battle with the Japanese Empire in 1894.  The story described the brave spirit embodied in Hakka men and women in defense of their own home against the invasion of foreign forces.  Their efforts were fertile in the long run and the people engaged in the fierce battles all sacrificed their lives.  However, their decendants today are still proud of what their ancesters had tried to do in the old times, and the enduring spirit of the Hakka people--hard working and royalty to their own cultural heritage--is deeply appreciated and respected. 

In the 1990s, Ang Lee directed the film Triology on a Taiwanese Father:  "Pushing Hands" (1992), "The Wedding Banquet"  (1993), and "Eat, Drink, Men, and Women" (1994).

"Pushing Hands"  was Ang Lee's first film.  He so-wrote the script for this movie, modelling the hero of this film on his own father.

"The Weddding Banquet" touches upon the issue of homosexuality vis-a-vis Chinese/Taiwanese traditional compulsion to produce offsprings through legal (hetero-sexual) marriage..

"Eat, Drink. Men, and Women" explores the delicious world of Chinese crusine and the delicated world of human appetites for love and sex, especially in the context of modern Chinese culture on Taiwan. 

Lee examined Taiwanese people's longing for a sweet family and nice food across generation divides in a family, where the father was a famous chef who lost his wife as well as his appetite for life itself.  Lee then told a story of how all the characters in the family, including three daughters and the chef himself, succeeded (or failed ) in  finding his/her own home.

All the three films won international applauses and led Ang Lee toward the international ultimate recognition as an  Oscar Best Director Award winner.  Through Lee's depiction of  Taiwanese people's values and life styles in these films, international audiences got a glimpse into the complex fabrics of modern Taiwanese culture through the character of the father, who was trapped between the past and the present, and between the Chinese and the Western.

Topic Eleven: The Global Appeal of Japanese Animation Movies by Miyazaki

Discussion Topic Eleven (2009/12/14~12/21):

Discussion Topic: 

(1)What are the special attributes of Miyazaki's animation movies that have helped to appeal to global audiences and attract people in all ages and all walks of society?

(2) Please choose an animation movie produced by Miyazaki and then point out the reasons why (1)Taiwanese people and (2) people around the world love to see this film so much.

Some remarks by Vinia to help you organize your thoughts~

I.  Some of the best known animation films produced by Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli:

Ponyo (2009)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Spirited Away (2002)

Princess Mononoke
Porco Rosso
Kiki's Delivery Service
The Valley of the Wind
My Neighbor Totoro



II. Who is/are your favorite character(s) in Miyazaki's animation movies produced by Ghibli Studio?

I like May-chan from "My Neighbor Totoro" the best, but I admire
Nausicaa's courage in "The Valley of the Wind."  I think the Little Wtich Ki-ki is my role model as a career woman.  However, to search for happiness as someone who is true to him/herself, I think Sophia from "Howl's Moving Castle" wins my heart. As to the best male character, I prefer Howl, who is learning, transforming, and growing matured in the story, as what has happened to the little girl in "Spirited Away."  In short, I like them all!

III. Which animation film is your favorite production by Miyazaki and Studio Glibli?

"My Neighbor Totoro" remains one of the most popular films suitalbe for viewers of all ages in the family. The loving and caring relationship between people and natural creatures re-asserts a sense of security in human life that many people have found lacking in their childhood and even in their entire adult life.

Many people in my generation and yours grew up watching this film during family reunions, especially on Lunar Chinese New Year  in Taiwan.

The surprising encounters with  magical and powerful creatures, such as Totoro and the Cat Bus, who willingly offer their timely assistance to those who believe in them, have become a dream that many children and adults would hang on to in the time of crisis.

"Spirited Away" is the first foreign movie production to win the Oscar Best Animation Film Award.  In addition to the dazzling visual images and touching music, this film has a flawless story that appeals to and conforms to people's expectation of a heroic quest: the departure for adventure, the inner growth in conquering challenges, and a return to where the story has started.  I think Miyazaki and his colleagues did a great job in following this traditional theme in western literature, which has been well known in western civilization since the Greek epic "The Oddysey. "

"Howl's Moving Castlte" is an adaptation from an English children/teenagers' novel by Diana Wynne Jones (1986), but Miyazaki and his colleagues did largely modify the characters and the plot so that the movie version was really a creative re-invention of Jones' story.  Personally, I enjoy this film better than "Spirited Away" because the characterization of the heroine Sophie embodies a problem for all people living in a cultural context with high traditional restraints:  the quest for one's self-identity and the courage to be true to one's heart.  The same transformation also happens to Howl, the young irresponsible wizard who initially did not have the courage to face himself or the maturity of being an adult.  The maturing process presented in these two characters is really intriguing.  By so doing, I think Miyazaki and his colleagues point out the key to true happiness.  We have to be careful not to miss it!

Topic Ten: Coco Chanel as a Fashion Designer

Discussion Topic Ten (2009/12/7~12/14):

Discussion Topics:
What qualities in Coco Chanel do you think have helped to mark her out as an outstanding fashion designer for women's clothing and accessories in her times? 




A few remarks about Coco Chanel:

 As a female fashion designer in her time, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883~1971)presented her particular vision for how a woman should dress herself for her own comfort.

Simplicity is her trademark,  Under the comfortable garment, the beauty of a woman's body is naturally revealed.

Functionalism is stressed.

The strict differentiation between male and female sports wears was discarded for the sake of women's comfort as well as functional concern.

Chanel adopted inexpensive fabrics,  originally used in male workers' clothing, in her designs of women's casual wears as well as working clothes.

Chanel guided her fashion design company for 20 years and created a style that could be passed on from one generation to the next.

Born to a poor family and raised in an orphanage, Chanel made herself a cultural icon in the twentieth century.

Source for the Photos cited above:

Chanel and Her World: Friends, Fashion, and Fame myLifetime.com

For general information, please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_chanel

To view Coco's apartment in Paris, please link to:

http://www.coco-mademoiselle.com/amus

Topic Nine: The Michael Jackson Legacy

Discussion Topic Nine (2009/11/23~12/7):


Discussion Topics:

With Michael Jackson's sudden death in 2009, people started to look back what he had done for popular culture and began to look ahead for his possible influence on the generations to come.

In our class, we've explored various aspects of his life in the group presentation by our All Gentlemen's Team.  (Please refer to the presentation handouts uploaded in the "Group Discussions" section at this website.)

We also glimpsed his talented performance as the scarecrow in his ealy musical entitled "The Wiz," released by Universal Studio in 1978.  Michael's incredible body language and voice revealed the brightness of a future super star in popular music.

Michael went on to have great successes in his career but he also encountered numerous difficulties facing the world that he had tried his best to entertain.

What do you think is the marked trait of Michael Jackson's legacy?  What contribute(s) did he make to a whole generation of people through his music and his life?

Tribute to Michael Jackson!

Topic Eight: TV Reality Show THE CELEBRITY APPENTICE

Discussion Topic Eight (2009/11/9~11/22):


Discussion Topics:

(1) Celebrated as "The Ultimate Job Interview," the show discloses the criteria held by various enterprises in recuiting management staff.  The selection process is rigorous:  to win or to be eliminated, and the contestants have to fight their ways under great pressure to become the ultimate winner, the apprentice.  Do you think this competition process is an embodiment of enterprising spirit? Do you affirm the screening process, as portrayed in this show?
(2) This series has been criticized as a showcase for certain products that pay their way to the TV screen and as a promotion of Donald Trump himself  (and  the Trump Organization). The challenges supplied by certain enterprises usually turn out to be commercials and product placements for these companies.  By so doing, the whole show becomes a sale promotion, and the viewers are the potential buyers.  Are you aware of this practice?  Do you feel resistant to it?

An overall introduction to the U.S. TV seires THE APPRENTICE can be found at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice

Topic Seven: American TV Series GREY'S ANATOMY

Discussion Topic Seven (2009/10/26~11/8):

Discussion Topics:
(1) What are the marked traits in this TV series that have helped to attract you, a university student in Taipei, to this show?
(2) In addition to the description of interns struggling to become residents, this show is loaded with images of operation room, which are oftentimes bloody, and depictions of flirting and courting, which are sometimes explicit.  What do these two elements, i.e., blood and love, affect the audience?

An Overall Introduction of the TV series

A detailed introduction to this TV series can be found at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey's_Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is a popular Ameican medical drama television series.  The show has won two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.  It portrays the lives of five surginal interns, who later now became residents.  Their relationship with their mentors, which is very important in the field of medical studies, is also depicted. Since its premier on March 27, 2005 on ABC, this show has stayed the most watched prime time TV series and entered its sixth season, which starts on September 23, 2009.

The show's title derived from a medical textbook entitled Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body. The change from "Gray" to "Grey" echos the surname of the heroine of the show, i.e., Meridith Grey. This linkage highlights the show's focus: A  medical doctor's life as a professional and as an ordinary female.

What's so special about this show in relation to multi-media popular culture is that each episode is characterized with its association with a popular song, which is used mainly in the beginning and the ending of the episode to reinforce the theme or moral of the storyline. In many cases, the episode is named after a song, and this provides more chances for the viewers to immerse into the storyline.

The characters in the show include people of different ethinicities. A color-mixing technique is adopted to create a racially diverse cast that includes African Americans, white people, and Asian Americans.

The first season introduces  five main characters who serve as interns in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital in Washington State:

1. Meredith Grey
Her mother, Ellis Grey, was a famous surgeon and died as an Alzheimer patient. Her father left the family when she was five years old. He married another woman and had a daughter named Lexie, who becomes an intern later at the same hospital where Meredith serves as a resident. Meredith develps a sense of insecurity that deters her from a stable and steady relationship with her lovers, especially Derek, whose marriage proposal to her is turned down after he got a devorce  with his ex-wife Allison Shephard.)
2. Alex Karev
3. George O'Malley
He failed in the intern test and had to serve as an intern for the second year.In the beginning of the first season, he was attracted to Meredith.  Then he got married with another surgeon, and the marriage ended with  an affair with another of his colleagues, Izzie.
4. Izzie Stevens
She once posed for a magazine as a model to pay her way through medical school.
5. Christina Yang
She is a Korean American who devotes herself to her career. She was in a relationship with the residing surgeon, Dr. Burk, but got left alone at the alter.

Their mentors include:
1. Miranda Bailey ("Nazi") 
She is an African American. She is a general surgeon who serves as the Chief Resident.
2. Richard Webber
 He is an African American who serves as the Chief of Surgery of the surgical program. He once had a relationship with Meredith's mother when she was then working there.
3. Derek Shapherd ("Mr. McDreamy")
He is an attendng physician and develops love relationship with Meredith. After he divorced his wife, he would like to marry Meredith, but she was not ready.
4. Preston Burk
He is an African American.  He is the other attending physician and develops a relationship with Christina--only to desert her at the alter on their wedding day.  After the indcident, he resigned his job at the hospital and sent his mother to say good-bye to Christina.


Discussion Topics:

(1) What are the marked traits in this TV series that have helped to attract you, a university student in Taipei, to this show?

(2) In addition to the description of interns struggling to become residents, this show is loaded with images of operation room, which are oftentimes bloody, and depictions of flirting and courting, which are sometimes explicit. What do these two elements, i.e., blood and love, affect the audience?

Topic Six: Musical Adaptations of Romeo and Juliet

Discussion Topic Six (2009/10/8~10/26):

In the French musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (2001),  William Shakespeare's original story plot retained its overall structure but some of its specific features were stressed and emphasized, especially in the psychological exploration of each major character--through touching songs and acting-- and in the personification of the role Death, or Destiny, played in this tragedy--through silent body movements and facial expressions of a female dancer. 

Discussion topics:
(1) By so doing, what special effects did this French musical adaptation attain, in addition to its tremdous popularity worldwide? 
(2) What is your reception of this musical?

Here is the  link to the theme song "Aimer" ("To Love!")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuZ4-cdGgQE

Here displays the lyrics for you to sing along

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnPViMJqs0o


A Trip to Verona

On her trip to Italy, my sister Sophia Huang went to Verona to take a look at this legendary but fictional balcony of Juliette's.  Here is the postcard she bought me.  Romeo's family mansion is still standing in ruins but no many people go visit there inspite of its authenticity. It seems that a majority of people care about the love between Romeo and Juliette, instead of just Romeo or just Juliette.

My reception of the musical: Songs and dances help  the characters in the play articulate their thoughts and define their individual positions in the plot.

I. On the psychological exploration of each major character--through touching songs and acting

The actors and actresses recuited into this musical emdody both acting and signing talents, and the dancers' performace presents both modern and classical features.  In addition to these, the songs composed for each actor/actress to be delivered on special occasions serve as magnifiers or probs that disclose the secrets hidden in the depths of individual soul.

The songs that impress me most are

(1) the Nurse's song entitled "And Now She Is in Love," which reveals the Nurse's deep concern for Juliet's happliness and her jealousy toward Juliet's mother,

(2) Lord Capulet's song entitled "Having a Daughter" ("Avoir Une Fille"), which shows the deep and possessive love a father has for his beloved daughter and sbsequently the daughters of other people, and most of all

(3) "All for Love" ("Aimer"), delivered by Romeo, Juliet, and  Brother Laurent at the alter upon the couple's wedding ceremony.

Through the performance of the songs, which involves voices, lyrics, and body language, the inner world of each character was open to the audience. I felt so much touched, especially as a parent, by their abililty to love and to articulate this emotion.

Other songs in the musical also informed me about each character's mental state in relation to his/her family background, e.g., Tybalt and Mercutio, and this understanding helped to clear the path toward understanding the development of the drama.  Against the corrupted background of Verona, each individual still kept a devoted and loving heart to his/her beloved.  However, this very loving heart at the same time was capable of doing extreme harm to its rivals. The heart isa double sword:  It can kill and cure at the same time.  Can a killing heart be cured?  The answer is love, "aimer."

The melody and lyrics of "Aimer" are loaded with aspiration for love and beautiful prospect in love.  (I will transcribe the lyrics with Chinese translation as soon as I find time.  Please wait!)  It appears to me that young hearts would rather stop living for love than living without love, whereas aging hearts stop loving to endure a lifeless life.  This view is much celebrated in the context of  Romeo and Juliet, where hatred filled every cornor of the community and the  resort adopted by the couple to counter this omnipresent hatred was love.

In that context, the couple was channelled to face death and each of them was given the right to choose between "to be" or "not to be."  When Romeo saw Juliet's motionless body, he could just turn away and run for his life.  Likewise, after the wakening, Juliet could ask for understanding from her parents and go on with her life.  However, both of them chose to exchange love with their lives:  For them, that's the only way to fulfill their love in that situation. It's apparent that the value of love was placed higher than that of life. Their choice for life was the path of love.

 Do I personally agree with their choice?  Don't forget that they lived in a fictional world.  In reality, with a passionate heart that still feels and aspires, I would look for a solution--mostlikely, a compromise, and  as an adult with children I have more important concerns. The secrets to break through the mist is  "excahnge" and "choice."

Life is full of transactions of many kinds, and we have to strike a balance. There is a balance scale in life for us to measure exchanges, and the pivot point changes positions in different stages of life.  It depends on the weight you put on the value you are holding at that juncture. It is a choice, and we have to choose wisely, taking into consideration of the voices from the head and the heart. The prerequisite is self-understanding and an open heart.

There is a minor character observing all the events in this musical, i.e., the poet (Juliet's friend), who presumably wrote down the whole story, and there is Romeo's friend Benvolio, who stayed alive through all these ordeals.  They had a big picture of the whole story and they had the chance to experience more of life.  Although these two roles were not on the center stage, they presented an alternative stand in life.   They were there on the background for us to spot.  Do you see them?

There are times when these minor characters would loom into big figures. Before then, get prepared and live a meaningful life. (In other words, let's study hard and learn to think independently with creativity!)

II. On the personification of the role Death, or Destiny, played in this tragedy--through silent body movements and facial expressions of a female dancer.

In this musical full of touching songs, Death (or, Destiny) was the only one character that remained silent yet powerful  all way through.  Personified as a female dancer with minimum draperies, this character "spoke" through her body language and her moves were terrifying and uncountable: to snare Tybalt and Mercucio in her arms to endow them with death, to blow a death breath into Romeo's mouth to end his life,  and to hand Romeo's daggar into Juliet's hand to initiate her suicide.

The omnipresent power of death was embodied in these movements, and the psychological effects were powerful.  I think all living creatures possess this instinct of death approaching.  It's a common experience for all to stand vis-a-vis Death, and none of us can outwit him/her for long.

So, let's cherish every living and loving moment in life! 


Discussion topics:

(1) With its emphasis on the exploration of the inner world of major characters through songs and dances, what special effects did this French musical adaptation attain, in addition to its tremdous popularity worldwide?
(2) What is your reception of this musical?  What appeals to you especially in this performance?

Topic Five: Focus shift in Shakespeare in Love

Discussion Topic Five (2009/10/12~10/18):

In the movie Shakepeare in Love, the main focus was not on Romeo and Juliet but on Shakespeare and his lover.  What is the purpose for the director to make this focus shift?  Are there any chances for Shakespeare and Viola to be together?

The 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet is very faithful to the original play by Shakespeare, except that the background is set in our time. By so doing, the story is carried across the time barriers to approach the modern viewers: The viewers experience the old story in the terms of modern days.

In contrast, the 1999 movie adaptation attempts to bring the viewers back to the sixteenth century and observe the cultural/social context which yielded the story. In other words, the movie is an account of how the story of Romeo and Juliet was produced by simulating the cultural background of Shakespeare's time.

By staging Shakespeare's original story in modern days, the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet highlights (1) teenagers' perception of love vis-a-vis the sophisticated and corrupted world of the adults, (2) the different ways in which justice is carried out by clan/gangs and by society/country, and (3) the lack of communication and affections in child-parent relationship during teenagehood.

Different from the original Romeo and Juliet, which focuses itself on the issue of youthful love against hatred, the 1999 movie adaptation concerns adults' love vis-a-vis cultural/social barrriers.

Through the representiion of sixteenth-century London, the movie foregronds several cultural/social issues specific to Queen Elizabethis time.

The first one is gender issue: Women were banned from the stage and marriages are arranged by parents at that time.

The second one is class divisions, such as the rich vs the poor and the nobleman vs the commoner.

The third one is the exploration and exploitation of the New world, i.e., North America, by setting up plantations in the new colonies.

The fourth one concerns the struggling of playwright/artists from dependents on entertaining show business to independent artists in drama/theatre.

These cultural/social issues are foregrounded in the movie Shakespeare in Love. Finally comes the central question: Could  Shakespeare and Viola go beyond the restraints of all these cultural/social barriers and then stay together?  If not, how was their story going to end?

Discussion Topics:
(1)What is the purpose for the director to make the focus shift from the love between Romeo and Juliet to the marriage choice between Shakespeare and Viola? (2) Does the movie present  any chances for Shakespeare and Viola to be together?

Topic Four: Romeo and Juliet together forever?

Discussion Topic Four (2009.10.5~10.11):

Did Romeo and Juliet have a chance to live a happy life together?

In the fair town of Verona, there were two rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues They tried their best to use every method to destroy each other.

Romeo was the only son of the Montague family and Juliet, the only daughter of the Capulet family. The two met and fell in love with each other. Against the background of hatred and violence, they made the arrangement with the priest and got married secretly in the church.


Unfortunately, Romeo killed Juliet's cousin against his own will to avenge his best friend's death and was banished by the city authority as a result.


During Romeo's absence, Juliet worked out a plan with the priest to avoid the arranged marriage with another man. She drank the potion given by the priest and faked death. It was the plan that when Juliet awoke from her sleep, Romeo would return to the city and took her away secretly.

Unfortunately, the message from the priest never reached Romeo. Instead. Romeo was informed by one of his friends of Juliet's death. Romeo returned to Verona and saw Juliet's body lying motionless. With deep sorrows, he drank the poison he had brought with him and committed suicide.


Shortly, Juliet awoke from her fake death and saw her Romeo losing breath with her own eyes.


With great shock and grief, Juliet killed herself with Romeo's dagger and died next to her love.


Their determination to die together rather than being alive apart awoke their parents from their deep hatred against one another. A hope for reconciliation emerged at the cost of the lives of this young couple.


For several hundreds of years, their determination to keep the sacred promise in love and in marrige have touched upon the hearts of many lovers, young and old.


It is said that this is one of the best tragedies William Shakespeare has ever written.

Discussion topic: 
Was there any possibility for Romeo and Juliet to beat the odds and live a life together?

Topic Three: Beyong the human/non-human divide

Discussion Topic Three (2009/9/28~10/4):

Beyond the divide between human and non-human

Bella Swan has long desired to become a vampire to stay forever young and beautiful  so that she would be compatible to Edward Cullen.  Her goal is the fulfillment of love in both physical and psychological unity, as symbolized in the love story between Cupid and Psyche.

However, Edward has long determined to stop this "crossing-over" from happening and has tried his best efforts  to prevent and to postpone Bella's  transformation. Edward would consider  this possibility only when  Bella's life is in japerdy.  In other words,  he would inject his venom into Bella's body as the last resort to keep her alive. He wants Bella to lead a normal human life, the one he was forced to surrender in order to stay alive.

Does Edward want Bella to grasp what he has considered to be invaluable, i.e., a human life?  By so doing, does Edward impose upon Bella what he likes instead of considering what she wants? Does Edward really understand and turely feel the urgency of Bella's needs to be transformed into a vampire and to become one of the Cullens?

Let's examine Edward's motivation from another perspective. By denying Bella's request to be transformed into a non-human creature, does Edward try to urge Bella to stay what she really is and to cherish what she has in hand, her status quo as a human?

In her aspiration for becoming a vampire in order to be compatible with her love, does Bella actually let go of something that is truely essential for her existence, e.g., life with her parents and the integrity of her personality? 

Can Bella re-define the word "compatibity" in love relationship?

Maybe, she does not have to go beyond the human/non-human devide in order to fulfill her love.  Maybe, Edward would love her the way she really is, i.e., to be human. To be human involves changes and vulnerability: growing up, aging, giving birth, falling ill, and eventually death.  Maybe Edward would love Bella even more deelpy simply because the very nature of her human life:  Nothing would last forever, so hold every minute dearly.

However, it is only too natural for a human female to hold "youth" and "beauty" to be the deciding factors for a love relationship to stand. Are they really the criteria for a successful love relationship?  Is this the way how love and marriage are constructed in human society?  Or, is this simply human nature?  In this sense, it is perfectly sensible for Bella to want to become an immortal and beautiful vampire.

Discussion topics:
Do you think it is resonable for Edward to stop Bella from becoming a vampire? 
Do you think it is the right thing for Bella to do to become a vampire in order to fulfill her love?
What would you do if you were Edward and/or Bella?