论文总字数：32275字

摘 要

这篇论文主要是探讨了电影《少女小渔》中体现出的中西方婚姻价值观差异，通过对比中西方婚姻观的差异体现出中西方文化的不同。文中主要分析了中西方择偶观的差异，结婚目的不同以及婚姻生活方式的不同反映出中西方婚姻观的差异。从背景到人物性格及其它综合性因素，阐述了中西方婚姻价值观差异的原因所在。

关键词：婚姻观; 差异; 少女小渔

Contents

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Brief introduction to the author 1

1.2 Brief introduction to the novel 1

1.3 Brief introduction to the thesis 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. Differences between Chinese and Westerners’ Marriage Values in the Movie 3

3.1 The difference on purpose of marriage 3

3.2 The difference on spouse preference 3

3.3 The difference on life of marriage 5

4. The Causes of Differences between Chinese and Westerners’ Marriage Values 9

4.1 Social background 9

4.2 Character 9

4.3 Comprehensive reasons 10

5. Conclusion 12

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction

The introduction is divided into three aspects: brief introduction to the author, Geling Yan is a well-known Chinese American writer. Brief introduction to the novel which is created by Geling Yan when she travels in America. Brief introduction to the thesis which mainly talks about the differences between Chinese and westerners’ marriage values.

1.1 Brief introduction to the author

Geling Yan, born on November 16, 1958, is a well-known Chinese American writer. Her short novel Little Fish, which mainly discusses the life of overseas immigrants, was created in 1983. In 1993, it was bought by Ang Lee and taken into a movie by Sylvia Chang.

1.2 Brief introduction to the novel

The Little Fish is created by Geling Yan when she travels in America. It reflects the life of ordinary people at the bottom of the society through the events of overseas immigrants. Meanwhile, the author uses the warm and introverted image of Eastern to write about how hard and lonely for the overseas immigrants to survive.（Yan 4）She also describes spiritual confusion of the new immigrants who have tragic and miserable endings. Jiang Wei, studying in the United States, is a typical example in the movie with his girl friend, Xiao Yu who comes from China to the United States to work illegally for him.

Jiang wei is eager to extricate themselves from a difficult position in America for the sake of a better life. He persuades Xiao Yu to have a fake marriage with an Italian citizen, which enable them to obtain a green card and become American citizens. Xiao Yu comes to America to seek for shelter from her lover, Jiang wei after leaving China. They love each other and want to get married. They live together without getting married. However, both of them expected for a legal marriage and green cards for they hope to stay in America to continue further study and live a better life.

1.3 Brief introduction to the thesis

This thesis mainly talks about the different attitudes towards marriage in Chinese and western culture through the film Little Fish. It is divided into five major parts: introduction, literature review, the statement of difference between Chinese and westerners’ marriage values in the movie, the reasons for differences between Chinese and the westerners’ attitudes towards marriage, conclusion. This thesis mainly tells us the difference between Chinese and westerners’ attitudes towards marriage. They have different views on love and marriage because of their different cultures. This thesis will focus on the comparison on several aspects: different spouse preference, different purpose of marriage and different marriage life. This thesis tells the reasons for the difference between Chinese and westerners’ attitudes towards marriage. This is the purpose and scope of the study.

1. Literature Review

Western scholars have analyzed the cross-cultural factor which has posed an influence on males’ marriage value. Adam, Jay E talk about Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible.（Adam 3）Marriage is sacred and remarriage is agreed by most of people. As a result, readers can learn Scripture more thoroughly and accept the truth more easily. Chu, G. C, Ju .The Great Wall in Ruins: Communication and Cultural Change in China, has attitudes with “nations”. It is the elites who oppose these rights, not the mass. (Chu 1-2) The rights of self determination of human asserted in the first articles of both of the international human rights and the rights relevant to China. There are some differences between China and West about human rights. We can sum it up as the difference of character. Chen Guoming and William J Starosta are fathers of Intercultural Communication. In their articles, they introduce basic knowledge of cultural perceptions and values; contextual matters of language and nonverbal communication. Besides, there is information about interaction, including development of intercultural relationship, and conflict management, adaption and listening in cultural relationship. Although this thesis talks about the difference between Chinese and westerners’ marriage values in the movie．There is still common thing shared by two cultures. Parrott Leslie raised Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask before and After You Marry. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, created by relationship experts Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, is a comprehensive marriage program designed specifically for today’s couples.（Parrott 6）

And now, in this updated edition, Parrotts’ award-winning approach has become a combination of over ten years’ feedback, research and professional experience. It is more than a book—it’s practically a self-guided premarital counseling course.

Chinese scholars like Xu Hui whose article the male images in Yan Geling’s novels. Men in Yan’s novels can be divided into these groups: vulnerable ones, western ones, those in special period and gay community. There is a common characteristic of these males in her novels: “no ideal”.(Yan 8)

Su Xinhua was the interpretation of Chinese and western traditional marriage in the movie. (Su 12) In this article, marriage is the basic system and form of the combination of the two sexes in the human society. Marriage life reflects the difference of traditional Chinese culture and western culture which caused by differences in wedding customs. Chinese traditional wedding customs include “the six ceremonies of betrothal and marriage”, while western traditional wedding customs reflect the Christian culture.

3. Differences between Chinese and Westerners’ Marriage Values in the Movie

This thesis mainly talks about Chinese and westerners’ marriage values in the movie. It analyzes the differences between Chinese and Westerners’ views on choosing a spouse, the purpose of marriage and life of marriage. The life before marriage, it discusses how the lovers get along with each other. The life after marriage, it discusses how the couples live together.

3.1 The difference on purpose of marriage

The mentioned marriage has been descried. To Chinese people, marriage is more like a commercial activity which is called marriage. To western people, marriage is more like a house and turn the word upside. Before reform and opening up, Chinese marriage is of low quality but high stability and 60% marriage is “patchy”. After sexual confusion of ideas and tide flood of divorce, marriage have become a fully open relationship (Adams 2). But when it comes to love, special hobby and multiple relationships are included. After investigation, Chinese standards appear: age and family condition. While respect, trust and interest are western standards. This article aims to discuss the different concepts of marriage in different aspects. First, the purpose of marriage is different.

The purpose of marriage is that both men and women want to achieve some expected results through the establishment of a marriage relationship. The purpose of Chinese traditional marriage is to establish a new family rather than get something from love. On the one hand, marriage expands the relatives of the alliance, the “affinity” through the combination of advantages of both men and women. On the other hand, in order to let men inherit the family lineage, procreation, namely “succession,” men and women get married. Of course, in today’s Chinese society, the traditional purpose of marriage has been a great impact. Young men and women tend to choose “love first” marriage. But in China, such a traditional society, it is still not a simple thing to make love as the main purpose of marriage. In the movie, we can see that Jiang wei is influenced by Chinese traditional culture. He thinks that the purpose of marriage is to maintain the integrity of the family. The integrity of the family is important for him and Xiao yu. And Xiao yu can’t betray him. He is worried about Xiao yu when she lives together with Mario who is not only a threat to him, but also a threat to their marriage. He is very angry when Xiao yu takes care of Mario instead of obeying to his command. We can see that a marriage which is lack of trust is not a perfect marriage.

In terms of the purpose of western marriage, the first thing is to fall in love with a lover who hopes to have a good result. Second, they prefer to look for heterosexual partner. Marriage is a combination of two individuals in western society and the basis of marriage is love and sex. In their opinions, the marriage without love is an immoral marriage with low quality. Thus, the pursuit of love is the most important purpose of marriage for most westerners. Therefore, we say that the western wedding is a personal right; Chinese marriage is more like a kind of family obligations. In the movie we can see that Mario and his wife don’t live together, but they still love each other. Mario is thrown into prison because of some mistakes. Rita still marries him because they love each other deeply. Mario thinks that marriage is based on simple love. The purpose of marriage is only that they love each other and there is no any mixture of corporeal benefit. He and his wife both don’t have a steady job. So the purpose of marriage about Chinese are different from westerners’, because of their faith and pursuit are different and they are influenced by different cultures.

3.2 The difference on spouse preference

There are significant differences between Chinese and western culture in the standard of choosing spouses because of the different purposes of marriage. From the traditional Chinese criteria, the most important thing is innocence and good match. Innocence is often the condition of the man’s requirements for the woman when parents choose a wife for their son, the first thing they want to know clearly is that whether the girl belongs to the sub family. Thus, to choose the wife, men must follow the advice of the family. Nowadays, the criteria of choosing spouse for Chinese young men and women are still affected by innocence and good match. Men are strict with women who have such a kind of friendly personality.

In the movie, Little Fish, Xiao yu is a good girl who is selected by Jiang wei’s parents. She is offspring of vulnerable groups in America and she has the heart of tolerance (Su 12). In the movie, she often says “sorry”, “I’m so sorry” because she is a traditional Chinese woman with Chinese humbleness. After the Middle Age, as the despotic feudalism further strengthened, the status of women is much lower than men. The system of the country is more restrictively limited for women. This is Chinese traditional culture that the women have low status in society while Jiang wei who is a traditional Chinese man, influenced by traditional Chinese culture, has totally high status. Jiang wei is influenced by this culture so that he thinks that Xiao yu must obey him. Especially he thinks that Xiao yu is his girl friend and someday she will be his wife, so Xiao yu must follow the traditional ethics of women. Xiao yu always cares about others and lives for other. But in the west, the women are totally different from her.

The standards of choosing spouse for western men are different from Chinese men and western women are different from Chinese women. The most important criterion of choosing spouse is the mutual agreement between men and women. And they must love each other. The rest of the conditions, such as family background, educational level and other factors won’t be considered. They hope that women have the rights to make independent choices. Men would like their spouse to have strong character. In the movie, They have divorced in accordance with the laws of the law. In fact, they also maintain the relationship between husband and wife. Rita is Mario’s wife who doesn’t live with Mario. So She thinks that she loves his husband, but she doesn’t need to live with him. They have their own life and career, if they want to meet each other they will live together. Rita loves freedom who works far away, sometimes she goes to Mario’s lodging. Unlike Xiao yu, Rita is an outgoing person who falls love with Mario when he is in prison. Although he does something wrong, Rita still marries him. This is the personality of western women who pursue their own feelings according to their ideas. In the movie, when Rita knows that Xiao yu is in his husband’s lodging she is angry because she thinks that she is still Mario’s wife. Mario also likes freedom which is different from Jian wei who is strict with his spouse. Mario and Rita have a common character and common interests, so that get married.

3.3 The difference on life of marriage

The difference on life of marriage is one point of differences between Chinese and westerners’ marriage values. The life before marriage, the thesis discusses how the lovers get along each other and how lovers express their feelings. The life after marriage, it discusses how the couples live together.

3.3.1 The life before marriage

Jiang wei thinks that Xiao yu is his girl friend who must obey to his advice. He is the only one she loves. So in the movie, when Xiao yu lives in Mario’s home and cooks for Mario, he is very angry and blames her. In his views, she will become his wife in the future so that they should respect each other. In China, once they become lovers, they have to respect each or else they violate moral principle. They should take care of each other, which is the most basic principle. Jiang wei and Xiao yu who live together, they all take care of each other. If they become couples legally they will pay more attention to private life of the others. The female has no freedom to contact with other men. First, they should live together excluding other special reasons. Second, they give mutual help and relief in time of distress. Third, once they become couples legally, their relationship is restricted by law. They want to fall in love with each other and marry with each other. The couples do everything for the family and they think that marriage should be based on love. Especially the female must obey the moral principle because the female has low status in ancient China while male is the head of the family because of the political system. In general, marriage cultures of China are influenced by Chinese traditional culture. But Since China reform and opening up to the outside world, people’s views on marriage have changed a lot. On the contrary, the rights of women are increasing significantly. In this movie, we can’t see the picture of the life before marriage about Mario and Rita but we just know that they get married. We can learn some details from the novel. Their relationship is different from Jiang wei and Xiao yu. This difference is caused by cultural difference. Jiang wei and Xiao yu fall in love with each other when they are young. Mario is sent into prison because of some mistakes. If Rita doesn’t love Mario she wouldn’t marry him when she knows that Mario is in the prison. Meanwhile Mario isn’t angry with Rita when she wants to make friends of the opposite sex. He thinks that Rita has freedom to do what she wants to do. He has no right to limit Rita’s freedom of life. They only earn their freedom and life so that they should trust each other. There are equal rights between men and women.

In the west, people advocate personal freedom. Love is simple (Li 12). They believe that marriage is a personal affair which is certainly based on love. When they get married they needn’t live together until they have babies. But this point doesn’t mean that they don’t pay attention to their own family. In general, the western males’ views of love are similar to Chinese males in some aspects. They all pay attention to their own family, just because they have different ways of life. Although Mario and his wife don’t live together, they still love each other. Their marriage is not restricted by moral principle. If they do not love each other they can divorce some day.

3.3.2 The married life

In the movie, Xiao yu is a typical Chinese female who is of such a gentle nature and takes the bad with the good. He and her boy friend live in a shabby room, when she comes back home, the only thing is to clean the room and cooks for Jiang wei. She spends most of her time with him, she has no entertainment and she learns English in her spare time. Jiang wei is a student who does some part-time jobs after school. He studies very hard as soon as he comes back home . He read his book so that he can get a scholarship. Although they are faced with the hard life and they are far away from their home town, they can maintain a positive attitude towards life. He and xiao yu work hard to earn their living so that they can stay in the United state. This is the reason why xiao yu also comes to the US because they want to marry each other so that they must struggle together. They do nothing but work and study, they spend most of their time together.

They come back home, they cook and have dinner together. They have a very good time at the beginning. The cruel reality is totally different from what they have expected, because they don’t have a green card. They have to get a green card, but they don’t have enough money to get a green card. Someday they get news from their friends that Xiao yu have to live with an old and poor man who is a partner in the fake marriage. In this point, Xiao yu is a victim who loves her lover and she is willing to sacrifice herself for the green card.

There is another couple, Mario and Rita. Rita is Mario’s wife who does not live with Mario. She thinks that she loves his husband, but she doesn’t need to live with him. They have their life and career, if they want to meet each other they just live together. Rita loves freedom who works in far place, sometimes she goes to Mario’s lodging. Mario is a writer who also loves freedom so that they don’t live together. But they love each other, if they want to meet each other Rita goes to Mario’s lodging. He understands her wife even if his wife has an unpredictable job. He and his wife don’t live together but they still love each other. This is different from Chinese couples. Unlike Xiao yu, Rita is an outgoing person in the movie, when Rita knows that Xiao yu is in his husband’s lodging she is angry because she thinks that she is still Mario’s wife. Rita falls love with Mario when he is in prison. This is the personality of western women who pursue their own feelings according to their ideas. Although they are couple, they can live their own life, they are still in their life somehow. This is different from Chinese couples when they marry, they should live together except they have special work. The only purpose is to get married for a family. But western couples aren’t like this, the reasons for marry because they love each other (Zheng 11). They don’t think a lot, the only thing they should think their own felling. But this doesn’t mean that Chinese couples don’t love each other.

4. The Causes of Differences between Chinese and Westerners’ Marriage Values

This thesis mainly tells us the differences between Chinese and westerners’ marriage values. It also analyzes the causes of differences between Chinese and westerners’ marriage values, such as social background, character and some comprehensive reasons. It mainly shows us some different causes so that we can learn some details.

4.1 Social background

The difference between eastern and western culture is a very big topic. But Little Fish still upholds the style of Ang Lee’s early films. The comparison between eastern and western cultural differences in the film is a universal phenomenon. Love, marriage, family, work and so on, but all kinds of differences, it probably points to a deeper difference. Since modern western especially enlightenment, it gives each individual a real fair, people look at the world from self or individual. On the contrary, Chinese traditional culture pays more attention to “home”, which is the premise for individual to realize the nature of human nature. In the film, we can see that Chinese man is different from Western man. There is an important reason that is a different culture.

Little Fish is a short novel which is created by Geling Yan when she travels in America. It reflects the life of ordinary people at the bottom of the society through the events of overseas immigrants. Meanwhile, Author uses the warm and introverted image of Eastern to write about how hard and lonely for the overseas immigrants to survive. She also describes spiritual confusion of the new immigrants who have tragic and miserable endings. In that age, most of Chinese people come back American from their home to look for better living environment and to escape the grinding poverty and get more wealth. But they don’t know the United State is an economic power whose superior condition only supplies local people. So in the movie, we can know that Xiao yu comes to America from her hometown, but she can’t live well with her boy friend. She works hard, but she gets very little money. But she isn’t dismayed for no compliment on her hard work.

In that age, the United States is not only the country of immigrants, but also a country with frequent flows. It is the product of the high development of American commodity economy and the continuous influx of foreign immigrants. It is also an important reason for the economic development of the United States. The local people are hostile to immigrants because they think that the immigrants from outside who take away their jobs. It is just that Chinese economic system is not perfect and less developed economy. Most Chinese think that Chinese economy is unlikely to overtake that of the US in that age. So that they cross over the Pacific to the United State in order to find the way to get rich. Some of them study in the United States. Others only want to get a good job. Jiang wei is a student overseas from China who studies in US, meanwhile he also wants to become the citizen of America. So his girl friend Xiao yu also comes to America from China so that they can settle in the United States later. But the fact is not as simple as they think. They must get a green card before they become a citizen of the United States. The Little Fish mainly talks about the life style of immigrant and shows us the difference between China and west. In that age, the economy of the United States is far more than Chinese economy. But only people have a legitimate right to live in their own state who are proud of their country and their origin.

4.2 Character

In Chinese feudal society, the emperor is the greatest ruler at court at that time and fathers have privilege in the family. Minister must obey the orders of emperors’ . Meanwhile wife and son must obey the father’s orders in the family. Chinese males have privilege. In the movie, Jiang wei’s character is similar to males of feudal society. Jiang wei is the leading role in the movie whose role has been more patriarchal. He is a typical image of Chinese immigrants who is a dogmatic, arrogant, selfish and narrow-minded person requiring Xiao yu to obey him without other choices. He also does not allow Xiao yu to have the slightest emotion for others. Even when she wants to take care of a poor Italian old man, who is ill. Jiang wei does not agree. But for green card he cannot help but agree with the faking marriage between Xiao yu and the Italian old man. He can’t admit the fact that his girl friend is getting away from him in his heart. Although he is a dignified man who has to accept the facts in the foreign country because of the navy life force. At the wedding, Jiang wei is very angry with Xiao yu, especially when Mario and Xiao yu take wedding photos. Mario and Xiao yu who have to live together in Mario’s home while Jiang wei does not agree with this, eventually Mario and Xiao yu live together because of the check-up of immigration office.

In Mario’ home, Xiao yu sometimes cooks Chinese food for Mario, knowing that Jiang wei blames Xiao yu for no reasons. From the character of Jiang wei in the movie, we can see that his personality is related to Chinese traditional culture. In the movie, there is another man, Mario, an Italian old man who lives in America. He is an American citizen who is a writer of left-wing and he is the anti-war progressive. Although he has been very poor, he relies on such faking marriages to make a living to pay for gambling debts. But he is prepossessed with the notion of his own superiority of the intellectual and an American citizen. He is dissatisfied with their living situation, and even gives himself up as hopeless. But he still holds the existing way of life and he never thinks of making any changes until the emergence of Xiao yu.

But the result is counterproductive because of different cultures. Mario becomes furious when he finds the room clean and tidy. He thinks that his life has been interfered by Xiao yu. From this phenomenon we can see that typical way of thought of Americans: Emphasis on individual life, respect his decision, rather than decide their own behavior according to the will of others. Americans have a self-centered concept and pay attention to individual rights and freedom. They believe that everyone is responsible for themselves, not responsible for others. As Mario has been married his wife, but they don’t live together, they have their own life. Mario is a writer who pays more attention to his own creative space so that he lives alone. When Mario and Xiao yu live together, Mario does not like Jiang wei who is strict with Xiao yu and requires Xiao yu must follow his requirement. However, Mario tells Xiao yu that she has her own personality instead of following others requirement. First, Americans have a self-centered concept, but Chinese always pay attention to ethics and pay attention to the interdependent relationship (Wang 15).

4.3 Comprehensive reasons

There are a lot of reasons causing the difference between China and the West. First, geographical environment, it is the first factor to form the system of different culture. It caused the discrepancy of economic form, system and notion of policy. Ancient Chinese civilization originated in large river basins and western civilization originated in the Mediterranean. Second, the difference in economic structure, the economic base on a superstructure, it is playing a key role in the process of development of society. Third, the difference in state system, it is the development of an international state system in Europe in the seventeenth century and its spread and adoption by nations on every continent. Chinese political system refers to the political structure, fundamental laws, rules, regulations and practices which are implemented in Chinese mainland and regulate the state power, government, and the relationships between the state and society in the People’s Republic of China since its founding in October 1949. These reasons are a part of different cultures between China and the west so that we see that character of Chinese people and western people is different in the movie.

5. Conclusion

This thesis mainly discusses different cultures presented in the movie and different attitudes towards marriage. We can see different views on marriage through Chinese and western culture. The different national conditions, different culture, different social background and some other reasons explain why there are different views on love and marriage.

With the rapid development of globalization, countries over the world are communicating with each other. There is a mutual effect between different cultures. Besides the different Chinese and western culture, this thesis shows us several aspects of harmony and symbiosis between Chinese and western culture in the movie. This thesis takes a review of the evolution of culture in ancient Chinese and ancient westerners’ attitudes towards marriage.

Works Cited

Adams, Jay E. Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Bible. 2012.

Chu, G.C, Ju,Y. The Great Wall in Ruins: Communication and Cultural Change in China. 1993.

李信：《中西文化比较概论》. 北京：航空工业出版社,2003.

[Li xin. “An Introduction to the Comparison between Chinese and Western Culture”. Beijing: Aviation Industry Press, 2003.]

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