Full Of Culture. "children Heroes"

As an important part of the Chinese heritage, the Manchurian culture has received much attention from scholars in various fields. There are different ways to approach this historically significant culture: some scholars study it in a systematic way or from a general perspective; some focus on a particular phenomenon in this culture, such as its shamanism; some scrutinize the historical or geographical variations of the culture; and some examine individual social groups (e.g. women) in the context of the Manchurian culture--- As an anthropological experiment, my study is aimed at the family life of the Manchurians. Apparently, family-related values, norms, customs and institutionalized behaviors constitute a fundamental part of culture. In this sense, a specific kind of family life tells a great deal about the cultural tradition it inhabits. Therefore, this thesis investigates the Manchurian culture as embodied in the Manchurian family life during the Qing dynasty. To be more specific, this thesis intends to provide an anthropological interpretation of the Manchurian culture via an in-depth reading of an important novel by a Manchurian author, titled The Heroic Sons and Daughters of a Manchurian Family.The novel, another key text in the history of the Manchurian literature after the famous A Dream of Red Mansions, pertains to a distinguished Manchurian family, the An family. Wen Kang, the author of the novel, obviously well versed in both the Han tradition and its Gusan counterpart, skillfully documents scores of meaningful details of the daily life of this family as well as its vicissitudes in the context of the coexistence and interactions of the Gusan and Han traditions. The novel is a sophisticated representation of the shifting duality of the Gusan and Han traditions in the Manchurian culture, with an emphasis on the distinction and richness of the former. This text, with its uniquely Manchurian temperament, is now recognized as nothing less than an invaluable and rare piece of work in Manchurian studies. Unfortunately, for some reason, this novel was officially banned for a long time and is still less-than-well researched among scholars in Manchurian studies. My study, based ona variety of theories in cultural anthropology and other related fields, will delve into the lines of the text to understand the roots and transformations of the Manchurian culture at large.This thesis consists of 10 chapters -The introductory chapter will 1) characterize the novel at a general level, 2) provide a literature review of existing studies of the novel, 3) point out the anthropological implications of this novel, and 4) explain the methods to be used in my study of the novel.Chapter 1 pertains to the Manchurianization of some /fe/7-Chinese in the Manchurian military force. It pays special attention to the situation of the women, the dependants, and family slaves in the converted /fe/r-Chinese families.Chapter 2 deals with the means of livelihood of the Manchurians. It provides an analysis of the disadvantages and evolutions of the feudal institution of the Manchurians settlers in Beijing.Chapter 3 describes the typical daily life of the Manchurian family in Beijing. It tires to shed light on how the Manchurians, originally a horse-ridding and animal-hunting ethnic group, retained some of their cultural traits in the context of the Han tradition.Chapter 4 explains the customs and rituals that govern various aspects of the Manchurian family life, such as marriage, funeral, and ancestor worship.Chapter 5 probes the changes of the language used in the Manchurian family life. It inspects the residual Manchurian elements in the Han-Chinese language.Chapter 6 reflects on some basic ideas in the Manchurian shamanism, such as the idea of the Heaven' s Mandate and that of the Eternality of the Soul.Chapter 7 analyzes the Manchurian personalities cultivated in the Manchurian culture, particularly their esteem for militarism, simplicity, honesty and quietness.Chapter 8 discusses the formation, the...