The Story Of Miss Li Jessica Honggo English Literature Essay

The immature adult male in narrative is presented as being overly intelligent and literary gifted. Similarly, he was from a baronial household as his male parent was the governor of Ch'ang-chou every bit good as the Lord of Jung-yang. The male parent is said to hold possessed huge wealth every bit good as high regard from all the people. The presentation of excellence by the boy was a great thing and cause immense joy to the male parent. In fact the male parent hoped on a bright hereafter of the household through the boy.

He frequently said, `` This is the 'thousand-league colt ' of our household '' ( 122 ) . The aristocracy of the household is revealed when the immature adult male was about to make his Provincial Examinations. During that clip, the male parent provided him with the best apparels every bit good as an expensive couch complete with Equus caballuss to ease his journey. Similarly, the immature adult male received a big sum of money that would take attention of his disbursals.

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When giving all the necessities to the boy, the male parent had great outlooks on the boy. In fact he said, `` I am certain that your endowment is such that you will win at the first effort ; but I am giving you two old ages ' supply, that you may prosecute your calling free from anxiousness '' ( 123 ) . Furthermore, the immature adult male had as much assurance on his ability to stand out merely as the male parent.

In malice of the marbless possessed by the immature adult male, he was a monster in the presence of a beautiful adult female.

Having received the money and allowances from the male parent, the immature adult male traveled extensively get downing from P'i-ling. After a few hebdomads ' journey, the immature adult male was in Ch'ang-an where he rented a house. While at the Pu-cheng one-fourth where he had rented a house, he made visits to different topographic points. It was during a return from a visit to a market in the Eastern part when the boy saw a immature lady whom he instantly got a clang on. The immature adult male was amazed by the arresting beauty possessed by the immature lady and could non assist but fell for her. In fact, he played fast ones by dropping his whip intentionally in order to acquire a opportunity to see the beautiful adult female more clearly. At the same clip, Miss Li, for that was the name of the beautiful miss noticed the elegance of the immature adult male and developed involvement on him. However, it is questionable on how easy Miss Li fell for the immature adult male. The issue leaves a batch to be desired about the morality of the miss.

The eruption of a love affair and eventual relationship between the immature adult male and Miss Li reveals insufficiency on the immature adult male 's wisdom. As a affair of fact, the exquisite and capturing beauty of Miss Li was plenty to drive the immature adult male insane. The intense esteem by the immature adult male towards the immature adult female was so terrible such that he swore to make anything within his power to win over the beautiful miss. For case, after reaching pleasance experts from Ch'ang-an on the whereabouts of the miss, he was told about the traffics of the miss 's female parent with baronial households, `` The adult female Li is possessed of considerable belongings, for her old traffics have been with affluent and blue households, from whom she has received tremendous amounts. Unless you are willing to pass many thousand lbs, the girl will hold nil to make with you. '' ( 124 ) . However, the immature adult male did non mind the warnings from the experts. Clearly, the female parent and girl were mercenary. Yet, the immature adult male was ready to overlook that fact and prosecute his desire of winning over the miss. In fact, his vow was, `` All I care approximately is to win her. I do non mind if she costs a million lbs. '' ( 125 ) .

The craving of the immature adult male for Miss Li gave her the chance to earnestly take advantage of him. Right from the first clip she saw the immature adult male, she knew that he was look up toing her. She sagely pretended to return the esteem by offering a honoring glimpse towards the immature adult male. This gave the immature adult male hopes that the miss was besides interested in him and hence he needed to return and seek his fortune. Having mustered adequate bravery, the immature adult male returned to Mrs. Li 's abode to seek winning her girl. However, the immature adult male went with the stalking-horse that he was looking for a land to purchase. Similarly, the immature adult male went accompanied by his retainers every bit good as cleverly dressed for the juncture. The aura of authorization created by the immature adult male 's cortege was intentionally meant to demo how powerful and baronial he was. Having heard studies of Mrs. Li 's past brush with rich households and powerful people, he did non wish to look hapless and little. The major focal point of the immature adult male was directed towards winning over the beautiful miss. Therefore, he was ready to perpetrate his whole ego if that would work in his favour.

There narrative is mature with moral lessons depicted through the behaviors of the assorted characters. Get downing with the immature adult male 's male parent, we learn that trust is good but requires some degree of uncertainty. Due to the exceeding public presentation by the boy, the male parent seemed to loosen up on other issues impacting the life of his boy. The male parent was highly excited by the presentation of excellence by the boy. Ignoring the fact that the boy could be lured off from the pursuit of his calling, he provided big amounts of money for disbursement. Besides, he made assorted beginnings of pleasance to the boy without offering good advocate. This can be seen as the first and most profound phase of the impairment of the immature adult male towards failure. It would be expected that a wise male parent would make anything within his range and capableness to convey the best hereafter for a boy. However, the male parent ignored the possibility of his boy acquiring spoilt by the big amount of money he gave him. It is questionable how the male parent let his boy be on his ain without any prudent advocate. While the state of affairs seems slightly confounding for a male parent made proud by his boies ' excellence and accomplishment, it would hold been expected that he needed to take some steps to forestall the worst from go oning to the boy.

The morality of the two immature people: Miss Li and the immature adult male is the bone of contention in the narrative. The mode in which the lives of the two immature people in the narrative advancements and ends is what leaves readers confused about the moral lesson in the narrative. As in many narratives, there are penalties to people who demonstrate frailties ; their fate is frequently unwanted and full of troubles attributed to the evil life they lived. However, this narrative deviates from the norm and brings out another attack wholly. The life of the two immature people in the narrative ends to be desirable. However, there are assorted grounds for the type of terminal that the two receive. The riddle on the battles between Miss Li and the immature adult male seems to resound throughout the narrative. It is apparent that the sort of stoping that a adult female who has been a cocotte and taking advantage of her victims seems desirable. Similarly, there are uncertainties about the genuineness of her success at the terminal of the narrative. However, we get a glance of the benefits of ego appraisal and transmutation.

The immature adult male goes through inauspicious conditions of life after passing wholly he had in Miss Li and her female parent. The hapless life lived by the immature adult male contrasts the aristocracy that he one time possessed. There are countless troubles that the immature adult male undergoes before stand outing. For case, he ab initio earns his life by working with an mortician every bit good as a professional griever. Similarly, he descends into professional beggary when beaten by the male parent and earnestly wounded. Finally, when Miss Li decides to reconstruct his lost glorification, he has to set utmost attempts in his books so as to emerge successful. However, the transitions of life undergone by the immature adult male give a moral lesson that transmutation to morality requires so much forfeit and doggedness to painful experiences.

There are several obstructions whenever one decides to turn from evil ways and embrace the right ways. This is apparent through the ambitious minutes that Miss Li goes through as she tries to convert her female parent to accept her act of assisting the immature adult male after falling into poorness through their making. In fact, she expresses compunction when she says, `` Not so! This is the boy of a baronial house. Once he sit in expansive managers and wore aureate furnishings on his coat. But when he came to our house, he shortly lost all he had ; and so we plotted together and left him destitute. '' ( 138 ) . Harmonizing to this conversation, we can see that Miss Li was considerate and merciful. Although she was an confederate in the catastrophe that struck in the life of the immature adult male, she seems sorry that he ended up so urgently. Miss Li 's character seems slightly contradictory with her nature of life. In fact, we are left inquiring why she decided to populate as a cocotte ; to some extent, we are tempted to fault it on her female parent. It seems that her female parent was the beginning of all the evil life that Miss Li lived.

Miss Li 's declaration to populate morally requires so much forfeit. After she made a determination to be with the immature adult male and assist him follow the baronial life he had lost through her, she had to buy her freedom ; which was non inexpensive. Having considered her options, she told her female parent that, `` I have lived as your girl for 20 old ages. Thinking what I have cost you in that clip, I find it must be near on a 1000 pieces of gold. You are now aged 60, so that by the monetary value of 20 more old ages ' nutrient and vesture, I can purchase my freedom. I intend to populate individually with this immature adult male. We will non travel far off ; I shall see to it that we are close plenty to pay our respects to you both forenoon and eventide. '' ( 138 ) . To many people, this was a dearly-won determination to do. However, the finding within Miss Li seems so intense and can non be stopped by whatever force. This bold measure shows that Miss Li has grown from a timid miss to a strong willed adult female free from bad influence from the female parent.

The portraiture of Miss Li as a fearful of justness, destiny and supernatural power is apparent in when she expresses it to her female parent `` Every 1 in the land knows that it is I who have reduced him to his present predicament. The Court is full of his kinsmen. Some twenty-four hours one of them will come into power. Then an enquiry will be set afoot, and catastrophe will catch us. And since we have flouted Heaven and defied the Torahs of humanity, neither liquors nor deities will be on our side. Let us non wantonly incur a farther requital! '' ( 139 ) . The transition shows that Miss Li non merely feared the justness system to penalize her and the female parent for their error but besides that supernatural power would non come to their deliverance. For a cocotte who lived a foolhardy life without caring about the life of her victims, this was a great transmutation. We obtain a glance of the struggles that go in her life as she struggled to set things in order. Furthermore, she is portrayed as being overly wise and knowing. She really good knows the relations to the immature adult male every bit good as the justness system. Similarly, we get the spiritual side of Miss Li.

Determination can alter a class of life. A strong will towards making the right thing can alter the chances of a individual irrespective of their past errors. Willingness to make something regardless of challenges can give huge success and unlock doors of credence despite the being of past denial. Transformation from waywardness to morality can move as the first measure into huge success.

Work cited

Birch, Cyril. Anthology of Chinese Literature: Volume I: From Early Times to the Fourteenth Century. Grove Press, 1994.