Analysis of Deferent V iews on “Filial P iety” Between China
and American from Movie Guasha
Abstract:“While one’s parents are alive, one should not travel to distant places.”“The gentleman works hard on the basic principles, thereafter comes morality; filial piety is the basic principle of a human being.”These are our Chinese traditional filial piety. But are these standards or rules suitable for every nation? The movie Guasha shows us many about the differences of filial piety between China and American. There are many misunderstanding and coincidence in this movie and those are the cause of the circuitous of the characters’fate. All of these are rooted in the cultural differences between China and American. In this assay, I made the differences of filial piety as the point of entry to analyze the reason why the differences come and their similarity.
Key words: Guasha, the culture in china and America, piety, filial piety, object
The movie Guasha tells a story that a Chinese couple who lived in American for 8 years took the hero’s father in American after they think they had realized their American dream. But a few days later, their son got ill; the old father used Guasha to treat the little boy for he didn’t know how to read English. The bruises were noticed by the child welfare bureau, and all the rough broke out after that. Finally, they had a universal satisfactory ending. The end of the story is to the satisfaction of all, but a variety of cultural conflict is the apparent. What we see is the initial irreconcilable to accept, understand. Many people will think that Chinese and Western have cultural differences, I think so, but I also think that behind these differences, there are many similarities. The following, I will be on the film to talk something about filial piety plot makes concrete analysis, and explore how cultural differences reflected in the filial piety? Why is it? What are the similarities?
But before that, we will first do a general understanding of filial piety.
In the ancient clan and tribal society, meaning of "filial piety" is very wide. It refers to the family of the elder respect, love, support and sacrifice. With the family as the basic unit of society and social development in a long time, "filial piety" changes from the family elder respect to parental care, and become an important ethical rule to do with family relations. Today, "filial piety" to living gets more attention. We often say that the parents contribute to our
upbringing, so we will repay the parents. While in the west, has no concept of "filial piety". The Western belief in God, that God has given human life. So in the western culture, the concept of "filial piety" is corresponding to “piety”.”Filial piety “ is also derived from “piety”. Piety in the ancient Greek dictionary definition is: 1, sacred, permitted by the laws of God, to God; 2, non God prohibited by law, human beings can enjoy. In the two concepts, actually we can see, in the West or in China, for the one who supposed to give us life, raising us people have a kind of "filial piety", just for different objects.
Situation one: acquiesce and even publicly agree the old father smoking in the house
There are two such scenes: 1, at the table, the old father smoking, Denis sat next to Grandpa. Janine saw father smoking, showed her disgust on her face, and then to open the window. Xu Datong saw this scene, said: "Janine, why?" Full of condemnation, for fear that his father felt reject by his families. 2, the house was dark. The old father who was smoking at home saw the couple suddenly returned home looked panic, hiding the cigarette behind. He knew the daughter-in-law doesn't like him smoking in the house. In order to avoid his son and the daughter-in-law’s quarrel, he decided to put out the cigarette. At this time, Janine became clever. In order to make obedient husband don’t feel disgusted, she said: "Dad, go ahead, I don't mind.”In the two acts, both husband and wife knew smoking is harmful to health, but they did not prevent him from it. The reason is the filial piety. Since ancient times, Chinese are taught to obey. We cannot be a disobedient child. Even if the parents are wrong, we are not allowed to contradict them. That case in America, however, children will stop their parents since smoking is harmful to health. this is "filial piety" in the eyes of Americans. What lead the United States look the same thing quite different from Chinese? Personally I think that we should go back to the objects both sides to do "filial piety". As we said earlier, Chinese parents act as life giver and caregivers, while Americans believe God give them life whereas their parents are just pull them out. Therefore, Chinese parents and children are hierarchical, that is the so-called "respect for seniority". And in America, almost people are Christian. Parents and children are in the same class. They tend to be friends, just pointed out the fault and regardless of other things such as against.
Scene two: taking old father in America to live together
