This study was a comparison of different classmates’ reactions to a series of questions that were asked. The first questions that were asked to students was: When and why has the practice of female infanticide started in China? Was this a practice everywhere in China or only in certain parts of the country? When was it stopped officially and in practice?
In referring to the first student’s response (Melissa T), I was very impressed by the knowledge that she retained from the articles that were read. Particularly, I was impressed with her relation to the Buddhist and Muslim faiths pertaining to female infanticide. What was surprising to me to learn from Melissa T.’s passage was that the Muslim traditions of the Chinese did not condone female infanticide as much as their Buddhist counterparts.
Melissa T. is right because within the most traditional faith in China, which was Buddhism, there was surely a lack of desire to have a female child. The reason historically that a family did not want to have a female child was the fact that she would cost a dowry, limit the male’s prospective inheritance, and earn less because of her sex, (Female Infanticide in India and China, 2016).
The second student who answered the first question was Jordan S. Jordan S.’s answer was good, but too factual. Jordan S. merely restated the article, which was not very effective writing. Jordan S. needs to work on the manner in which he writes to make more creative inferences from the article he read.
The second set of questions that were asked to students were: What do you think about the ideas of love, marriage, family, and adultery in Helan and Kamakura Women’s Writing? The only classmate who answered this question was Jason C. Jason C.’s writing leaves something to be desired surely because what he is describing is very vague. I have not personally read this text meaning that I am relying on Jason C.’s answer, which is a major issue since I have no idea what he was attempting to convey based on what he wrote. What I would advise Jason C. to think about as he was responding to a question like this is to paint a picture for a person who has not read the text. If Jason C. does this, he will be able to capture his reader and teach them something valuable based on his perception of the text that he both read and wrote about.
The third set of questions that were asked were: Who were the so-called comfort women and what was their nationality? When did the world learn about them? Were they “contract workers” as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe first called them? Was there any justice done in terms of post-colonial apology or moral responsibility? What do you think about the controversies around building a patriotic memorial for these women in Korea? The student who answered this series of questions was also Jason C.
In this set of questions, I really thought that Jason C. did a better job. This could have been for a variety of reasons; however, I suspect he had more of a connection to this specific text culturally speaking. Through his writing, the reader can establish a sense of Jason C.’s identity and his connection and viewpoints of the text. What particularly was different in this part of the text was that Jason C. did in fact paint a clear picture of what he read to demonstrate to a reader who had never read or heard of the concept previously. What Jason C. could work on is his last paragraph. He needs to focus on polishing his writing to leave his reader and/or audience with a lasting impression. If Jason C. does this, his writing will greatly improve and he will be able to teach his reader even more than he already did in this three paragraph answer question in which he depicted what Comfort Women historically did, who they were, and whether the Koreans should make a memorial about them.
References
Female Infanticide in India and China. (2016). Domestic Violence Services. Retrieved from: http://www.domesticviolenceservices.com/female-infanticide.html/
