The 2001 film Pearl Harber, starred by Ben Affleck, narrates the historic event on December 7^th,1941 during the Second World War, in which the Japanese Navy attacked American Naval Base in Hawaii secretly, causing severe casualty and damages to the United States. As a Hollywood-labeled film which received sharp criticism, the romantic plot was added to demonstrate its commercialization, totally different from the general historic documents. However, a sentiment of heroism was prominently unveiled, which could easily stimulate patriotism and the national unity.

 

In the first place, foundations have been laid at the scenes of Rafe and Danny’s playing with the plane in their childhood. To be pilots flying in the sky is their dream. The heroism rooted and was cultivated in their yellowish childhood and brotherhood. Rafe volunteered to join the air battles in Europe against the Nazi Germany. Even the desperate pilots took revenge against Japan, risking sacrificing their lives in the latter part of the film. These plots have shed the light of heroism onto the film and roles.

 

Additionally, the cast were allowed into the American Naval Base in Hawaii to film the climax of Pearl Harbor. A large quantity of money was thrown into the film-making to reproduce the historically magnificent scenes, which may provide the audience a sense of sincerity. Also, it pains tremendously for the Americans to see the bloody scenes or such massive ruins and deaths in Pearl Harbor. Referring to the large investment of money, it is the typical Hollywood-tradition.

 

Further more, the lines in the film is the most impressive and contributed the most to the US-labeled heroism. The episodic oration of then-President Roosevelt can be considered the most excitable, demonstrating the power of the words. The address from the President definitely represented the fearlessness of all the Americans.

 

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

 

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

 

On the other hand, the monologue lines of Evelyn reflected the voice responded within an ordinary witness who experienced the real Pearl Harbor Attack. It is not so powerful as the President’s, but the sense of national pride and sentiment of patriotism can be made out through the emotional lines.

 

When the action is over and we look back, we understand both more and less. This much is certain. Before the Doolittle raid. America knew nothing but defeat. After it, nothing but victory. Japan realized for the first time that they could lose and began to put it back.America realized that she would win and surged forward.

 

It was a war that changed America.That's for all the raiders.World War II for us began at Pearl Harbor and men still lie entombed.in the battleship Arizona. America suffered, but America grew stronger.It was not inevitable.The times tried our souls and through the trial, we overcame.

 

December 7^th, 2001 is the 60^th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack. To commemorate the historic event of the United States undoubtedly accounts for the film-making. The heroic plot, huge investment, powerful lines cooperate to establish American-style heroism. Especially the 9-11 terrorism attack happened only months after the showing of Pearl Harbor. Together with Pearl Harbor Event, 9-11 is the second time in history that America suffered such invasion. I believe that during the later part of the year 2001, American people were overwhelmed by national sadness and heroism and patriotism of Americans did undisputably escalate.

Gua Sha Treatment narrates a interlinking story happened in a emmigration family, aiming at demonstrating cultural crash which derives from different origions of traditions and poses great influence on the concepts and ideologies of the people.

 

Gua Sha, which has been a traditional treatment of China for thouands of years. In the movie, however, it gives rise to a collision of two totally different and parallel culture. The grandfater, who came from mainland of China, did the Gua Sha to his grandson, leaving the reddish stripes on Danial’s back., which caused a series of unfortune to the Chinese-American family. It is soothing that the familiy got reunion and cultural misunderstaning got elimilated in the end of the movie.

 

With the globalization, conflicts between cultures seems to be inevitable. Globalization is an experience full of bitterness, but it definitely tends to bring harmony eventually. Any different cultrue should be respected and understood because it rooted into the deepest of a nation and can not be altered or assimilated. Moreover, Human beings are reponsible for the protection of those tradions which are on the verge of extinction. For the part of some minority ethnics, disappearing of their own culture undoubtedly means disaster.

 

 

 No matter what happens to a person in their life, a person cannot change what they have preserved inside. At the time he met Estella and Miss Havisham, Pip tried to adapt himself to a new role that he thought they desired with a rising and expanding illusion inside. His thought and intention became impure gradually. As time went on, as his circumstances changed, Pip walked further and further away from where he originated. Consequently, this type of change brings him no joy but worsens his situation to the opposite of his imagination. 

 “We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me”. 

 After his great expectations all disillusioned, he returned and retreated to what he was, basing his expectations on reality, turning to Joe whom he had relied on in his childhood and got ashamed of recognizing afterward. Fortunately, he never lost his self-consciousness. From the beginning to the end, Pip never stops inner straggle, though he once surrenders to the attractions of wealth and fame and eventually he came back. 

 “IT IS a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home. There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but, that is a miserable thing, I can testify”. 

 “AS I had grown accustomed to my expectations, I had insensibly begun to notice their effect upon myself and those around me. Their influence on my own character, I disguised from my recognition as much as possible, but I knew very well that it was not all good”. 

 “After I had turned the worst point of my illness, I began to notice that while all its other features changed, this one consistent feature did not change”. 

 “Truly it was impossible to dissociate her presence from all those wretched hankerings after money and gentility that had disturbed my boyhood—from all those ill-regulated aspirations that had first made me ashamed of home and Joe”.  

 In addition, Pip’s later change can definitely be derived from the bitterness he suffered in his childhood.. 

 “Mrs. Hubble shook her head, and contemplating me with a mournful presentiment”. 

 “I had known, from the time when I could speak, that my sister, in her capricious and violent coercion, was unjust to me. I had cherished a profound conviction that her bringing me up by hand, gave her no right to bring me up by jerks”. 

 “She gave me a triumphant glance in passing me, as if she rejoiced that my hands were so coarse and my boots were so thick. I was passing out without looking at herm when she touched me with a taunting hand ”. 

 To discuss over the writing devices, in this novel is repetition is used again and again: 

 “I was in mortal terror of the young man who wanted my heart and liver; I was in mortal terror of my interlocutor with the ironed leg; I was in mortal terror of myself, from whom an awful promise had been extracted ”. 

 “Not because I was squeezed in at an acute angle of the tablecloth, with the table in my chest, not because I was not allowed to speak, not because I was regaled with the scaly tips of the drumsticks of the fowls, and with those obscure corners of pork of which the pig, when living, had had the least reason to be vain”. 

 Moreover, When Pip experienced mockery from his sister Mrs. Joe, Mrs. Hubble etc, “Joe gave me some more gravy” was repeated four times with the purpose of strongly presenting Joe’s compassion and kindness. 

 These repetitions are aimed at deeply emphasize the bitterness of the poor Pip and going further to criticize the social reality of the poor low-class people.  

 In the end of the story, Pip took Estella’s hand, “went out of the ruined place, saw the shadow of no parting from her”. But Dickens stops here and never tells further. The novel emphasizes Pip’s eagerness for Estella’s love and what he is willing to do to gain it, never about the love. 

Before Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was three years old, both of his parents died and he was raised in the home of John Allan, a prosperous exporter. In university, he distinguished himself academically but was forced to leave after less than a year because of bad debts and inadequate financial support. His wife's death from tuberculosis in 1847 led Poe to involve in a number of romantic affairs, bringing him destructive strike. Poe died with what had happened during the last days of his life remaining a mystery. His stormy life span included a marriage to his cousin, fights with other writers, gains of reputation and drinking celebrations.

 

It is Poe’s bumpy and up-and-down life experience that gave his writing-style a sense of jumpy and sensitive, even horror and solitude, which are considered the outstanding elements of Gothic Traditional Literature.

 

A Tale of the Ragged Mountains refers to metempsychosis, which is believed in Buddhism. Mr. Augustus Bedloe, who suffered from psychological diseases, psychologist treated him with hypnotism periodically. Once during a treatment, Mr. Bedloe seemed as if he wandered into his pre-life vaguely, witnessedly experiencing his death. To one’s stun, the appearance, personality and death of Mr. Bedloe happened to come to the similarity with the dream.

 

A threatening feeling and a fear enhanced by the unknown pervades this short story. The plot itself is built around a mystery. An atmosphere of horror and mystery haunts between the lines.

 

“Upon a dim, warm, misty day, towards the close of November, and during the strange interregnum of the seasons which in America is termed the Indian Summer Mr. Bedloe departed, as usual, for the hills. The day passed, and still he did not return”.

 

“The scenery which presented itself on all sides, although scarcely entitled to be called grand had about it an indescribable and to me, a delicious aspect of dreary desolation. The solitude seemed absolutely virgin. I could not help believing that the green sods and the gray rocks upon which I trod had been trodden never before by the foot of a human being. So entirely secluded, and in fact inaccessible, except through a series of accidents, is the entrance of the ravine, that it is by no means impossible that I was indeed the first adventurer ---- the very first and sole adventurer who had ever penetrated its recesses”.

 

“In the quivering of a leaf -- in the hue of a blade of grass – in the shape of a trefoil – in the humming of a bee – in the gleaming of a dew-drop – in the breathing of the wind – in the faint odors that came from the forest – there came a whole universe of suggestion – a gay and motley train of rhapsodical and immethodical thought”.

 

“A thousand vague fancies oppressed and disconcerted me – fancies the more distressing because vague. Very suddenly my attention was arrested by the loud beating of a drum.”

 

The paragraphs of description above contribute a lot to the mysterious atmosphere of the story and provide with a strange and horrible sense.

 

In addition, Omens, portents and visions also serve as a typical Gothic character. A disturbing dream vision, or the phenomenon may be seen as a portent of coming events. The dreamy and vague self-statement of Mr. Bedloe occupies a large layout of A Tale of the Ragged Mountains. Most of his description comes from the perspective and vision of Mr. Bedloe. The death in his dream serves as the sign or potent of his own later, in the similar way.

 

Besides, highly overwrought emotion functions as another character. The narration of Mr. Bedloe was typically highly sentimental and was often overcome by anger, sorrow and surprise. He suffered from fragile nerves and a feeling of being doomed.

 

“His complexion was absolutely bloodless, his mouth was large and flexible, and his teeth were more wildly uneven, although sound, than I had ever before seen teeth in a human head. The expression of his smile, however, was by no means unpleasing, as might be supposed; but it had no variation whatever. It was one of profound melancholy – of a phase less and unceasing gloom”.

 

“The pupils, too, upon any accession or diminution of light, underwent contraction of dilation, just such as is observed in the feline tribe. In moments of excitement the orbs grew bright to a degree almost inconceivable; seeming to emit luminous rays, not of a reflected, but of an intrinsic luster, as does a candle or the sun; yet their ordinary condition was so totally vapid, filmy and dull, as to convey the idea of the eyes of the long-interred copse”.

 

These two paragraphs of description above dedicate to the health condition of Mr. Bedloe, which was serious to some extent. A sense of gloom haunted him desperately.  As a matter of fact, at the moment when he entered into the hypnotism, he was fated to death.

 

The later part of the tale operates as the very climax. The names, Bedloe and Oldeb, are tremendously enough to stun the readers. Also, they leave behind a series of imaginations to the readers. A Tale of the Ragged Mountains is not yet considered the very representative of Allan Poe, but it still fulfilled the effect of Gothic genus.

In Chinese mythology, it is Pangu who created the universe. He had stayed in the dark egg over 18,000 years. At that time, the whole universe was a chaotic mass. He split it two with a tremendous ax, dividing the mixed mass into the firmament and the earth with his head against the firmament and his feet on the earth. Pangu died of exhaustion eventually. Before his death, he dedicated his body and organs to the world. His last breath turned into wind, cloud and mist; his voice thunder; his hair and moustache stars; his left eye the sun; his right eye the moon; his body the mountains; his blood rivers and so on.

 

Further more, Nuwa, the goddess in Chinese legend, created the first human beings according to her own image because she couldn't bear the loneliness. She and Fuxi, regarded the first couple in Chinese traditional culture, are our ancestors.

 

In the Genesis of the Holy Bible, which could be considered as the cradle of Western Civilization, God spent six days to create the universe, the Day and the Night, the Sky, the Earth and the Sea, the living creatures in the sky, the earth and the sea, and the first human beings, Adam and Eve, according to the God's own image included.

 

We can safely find the similarities between the cultures. We can also discover that in both of the cultures a Creator exists, Pangu in Chinese mythology and the God in the Bible. And Fuxi and Nuwa, as the first couple in Chinese legend, also have Adam and Eve in correspondence in the Bible.

 

In addition, the times of Great Yu battling the floods perhaps equals to the periods of Noah's Ark, which was recorded in Bible. However, there's some minor difference lying in the spirits conveyed by the cultures. Great Yu battling the floods represents the power of human beings while Noah's Ark reflects the irresistence of God's will. The former weakens the factors of 'God' while strengthens the hardworking and perseverance of 'human beings'. But the latter attaches great importance to supreme power of God. Even Noah's survival was attributed to God's mercy.