Analysis of Deferent Views on “Filial Piety” 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 aay, 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 cla.They tend to be friends, just pointed out the fault and regardle of other things such as against.
Scene two: taking old father in America to live together
In china, Datong is absolutely a dutiful son because it’s admirable to make parents live with their son and daughters.I gue no one in China would deny that.But in America, such behavior just can\'t be understood.Why the old father did not to live in his home, but in his son’s? Americans are puzzled, because in American, parents and children do not live together.Even when parents visit children, they have to make an appointment few weeks or even a few months before.This behavior in Chinese eyes seems incredible.They think that the relationship between American parents and children is too distant.In a word, both sides look at each other and feel nothing is right.Why? They have different ideas.Chinese like four generations under one roof, family happine; while the Americans pay attention to individual personality, advocate individualism and independence of thought.And why the concept is different? We start from the filial piety and piety as well.Earlier we said that both China and the US have \"filial piety\", while the object is different.Chinese is more willing to live with parents, to do filial piety.The US is not with their parents who pull them into this world, because in their eyes, the role of parents is actually more like China brothers and sisters and it’s God who give their lives and souls.In Chinese, even if one large ancient family which people live together, in fact, can be divided into several small courtyards, deal with family affairs separately except some important iues.These partitional rules are more clear the modern life.Have you ever seen brothers and sisters live together? Perhaps no.Therefore, the Americans and their parents (like brothers and sisters) living in different roof is not surprising.
Scene three: the understanding of “hitting you is for your own good”
When Xu Datong hit Denis, Quinlan appeared shocked and uneasy.Denis did not want to sit by the side of his father at table for his father beat him.Grandpa told him that his father hit him for his own good.People in China and America hold different positions to the same thing.In Chinese, to spare the rod was, traditionally, to spoil the child.The father to beat his son is good for son, son should not hold grudges, and they should obey the discipline, or it’s impiety; Americans think this behavior is abuse.It’s the appearance of not respecting the human rights.First, their laws don\'t allow this behavior.All are equal before the law.It’s illegal for the fathers to hit sons.It is a violation of human rights and a violation of the law.Second I think it is more important that Americans, from the bottom of their heart, think their parents and themselves are equal.Deep in their hearts, the one who give them souls and lives isn’t parents, but the God.Though China has the law that everyone is equal, but the parents’ hit on children is called they are educating the children, and no one would charge their parents.Because Chinese parents are as holy American’s God, play as the life and soul giver.So there are grades between parents and children in China.They never think that they themselves and their parents are equal.All of this is according to the different object of \"filial piety\".
Conclusion
In cro-cultural communication, collision and conflict of culture can be seen everywhere.What the movie \"Guasha\" shows is only the tip of the iceberg.All differences originate in the differences in history, conception, belief, value.But the \"filial piety\" differences in Guasha are root in the different philosophical thinking about the sources of human.China as an atheist state (at least most people do), both the body and soul are given by parents.So parents have the sacred place in the hearts of their children and the place is inviolable.So in these situations above, Chinese will have different attitudes and practices with foreigners.And USA, as a Christian country, affected by the Bible story of Adam and Eve, people in this country believe that man is created by God, they believe God gave the soul to the flesh, and God is their Lord who makes them able to survive and multiply.The loftine of his position is no le than Chinese parents.That is the reason why the relationships in Americans and their parents are not as tight as Chinese do.As for the “filial piety”, China and the US have something in common.Although their concepts are different, the meaning is the same.God is to American what parents are to Chinese.all have the same emotional ties and treatment.That is to say, both have \"filial piety\", but American \"filial piety\" is for God, as we know, the “piety”.It is because of the different objects that there are so many cultural conflicts about \"filial piety” in Guasha, and then the perplexing \"filial piety\" cultural conflict in the whole society.
