Author: Lilly Thumm

“Mencius’ Mother” follows Mencius on his journey from boyhood to manhood. During this time, his mother plays a role in shaping the man he becomes. She determines where he grows up and what he does and the kinds of things he learns. Through this parenting, she is also praised alongside her brilliant son. However, I… Continue reading Reflecting on “Mencius’ Mother”

Ha Jin’s “Flame” told the story of a woman who receives a letter from a past love who she hasn’t seen or heard from in 17 years. She cannot understand why he’s reached out or told her about his life, but she writes back that her family will receive him. To prepare, she starts working… Continue reading Reflecting on “Flame”

The excerpt from Chuang Tzu that I liked most came from letter D in the final paragraph. Section D overall discusses the crown prince being given a tutor to help him become a man of virtue. The tutor, struggling to find a way to please the Duke who had given him his task, seeks out… Continue reading Reflecting on “Chuang Tzu”

Recently, I went to Side Wok Cafe located at 1087 Broad Ripple Ave. First and foremost, I always appreciate a good pun, so the name of the restaurant already had me hopeful. The reason I went was because I have my favorite Chinese place back home, but my friends and I decided we needed to… Continue reading Reviewing Side Wok Cafe

Our first session together was with Dr. Kwan Hui and he brought Chinese takeout. He talked to us about the organization and who is in charge. It was interesting to hear about the leadership and each person’s background; they have an incredibly diverse population which is something Kwan touched on multiple times. The IACA isn’t… Continue reading Reflecting on IACA Meeting 9/22

A Tiger Fighter is Hard to Find follows a episode production of a man who single-handedly fights and kills a tiger. When the government gets involved and sees the episode as a way to uplift the souls and strengthen hearts of the people, they ask the directors to reshoot with a more realistic tiger for… Continue reading Reflecting on “A Tiger Fighter is Hard to Find”

While The Biography of Yu Jang was short, I think it spoke a lot to the culture of respect and loyalty in China. Yu Jang was serving the earl of Chih who was killed by Lord Hsiang, and in response Yu Jang vowed to sacrifice his life to avenge him. Twice Yu Jang disguised himself to… Continue reading Reflecting on “The Biography of Yu Jang”

Much like An Entrepreneur’s Story, After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town (both by Ha Jin) is a long-winded and entertaining sort of satire on capitalism and wealth. For this story specifically, however, it looks at the “American way of doing business” within Chinese culture. I found it incredibly telling the way so many of the “Americanized business… Continue reading Reflecting on “After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town”

I found Ha Jin’s An Entrepreneur’s Story to be an interesting way of showing where wealth and culture overlap. I especially found it interesting when considering the narrator and the way they see themselves as a sort of “victim” to everything. Even after he becomes wealthy and gets the girl he wants, he still seems to… Continue reading Reflecting on “An Entrepreneur’s Story”