The diary of Ma Yan: the life of a Chinese schoolgirl.For many people in rural China, life is a struggle. The excerpts here are from a diary written by a Chinese girl Chinese Girl is a 1950 painting by Vladimir Tretchikoff. It became one of the world's most popular paintings when made into print in the 1960s and 1970s, and is one of the world's best-selling art prints. , Ma Yan, when was 12. At the time, Ma Yan lived at a boarding school l5 miles from her home in Ningxia (see map). When her parents ran out of money, she had to leave school. A French journalist later discovered Ma Yan's diary, which led to its publication. Monday 30 July--A fair day This afternoon, when I want to start writing my diary, I can't find my pen.... I'm distraught dis·traught adj. 1. Deeply agitated, as from emotional conflict. 2. Mad; insane. [Middle English, alteration of distract, past participle of distracten, You're probably going to start laughing. "A pen. What a minor thing to get so distressed about!" If only you knew the trouble I had to [go through] to get that pen. I saved up my pocket money for two weeks. Some of my comrades My Comrade is a queer underground magazine published and edited by Linda/Les Simpson, a drag queen from New York City. It was published between 1987 and 1994, and came back recently in 2004. have two or three pens, but I had none, and I couldn't resist buying one. The difficulties I confronted in getting this pen mirror all my other problems. My mother had given me some money with which to buy bread. For days, I had only eaten yellow rice. I preferred going hungry and economizing so that I could buy the pen. How I suffered for that pen! My dear old pen gave me a sense of power. It made me understand the meaning of a difficult life or a happy life. Every time I see the pen, it's as if I were seeing my mother. It's as if she was encouraging me to work hard. Saturday 4 August--A fine day This morning, Mother and Father went off to work in the fields. No one had yet taken them any bread. My brother, Ma Yichao, said he would go and asked me to cut grass to feed the donkey donkey: see ass. donkey or burro Descendant of the African wild ass that has been used as a beast of burden since 4000 BC. The average donkey stands about 40 in. (100 cm) high at the shoulder, but breeds range from 24 to 66 in. . I took the basket and the scythe scythe carried by the personification of death, used to cut life short. [Art.: Hall, 276] See : Death and went out. I walked along to my fourth uncle's house and called my other brother, Ma Yiting, who was there, and we went off together. A few small children followed us. We all worked side by side. We each cut a bagful of grass, then went home laughing and chatting.... I must study hard. When I'm older I'll make sure that my children have happy days, that they're not always caught up in money problems, which is the case at home now. If they don't go to school, I'll ask them to grow grass and tend the ox and the sheep. Then, what they earn in a year will be enough to keep them. Sunday Sunday: see Sabbath; week. 5 August--A fine day This afternoon, when my parents got back from their work in the fields, they fell asleep on the bed. I went out to tether tether to tie an animal up by the head or neck so that it can graze but not move away. See also barton tether. [tie] the donkey and give him some grass to eat. When I came back inside, I saw that my parents were even more deeply asleep. I didn't wake them. [Instead,] I found a little wood for burning. I took yesterday's ashes out of the stove stove, device used for heating or for cooking food. The stove was long regarded as a cooking device supplementary to the fireplace, near which it stood; its stovepipe led into the fireplace chimney. It was not until about the middle of the 19th cent. and started to light the fire. But it wouldn't take. Nothing I did would make it light. At that moment, I understood how painstaking pains·tak·ing adj. Marked by or requiring great pains; very careful and diligent. See Synonyms at meticulous. n. Extremely careful and diligent work or effort. Mother has to be when she prepares our food. Just getting the fire going is a struggle. I've tried it just once, and it makes me want to die. How has Mother managed to keep the fire alight, let alone do all our cooking for so long? Finally, I manage, and I can start the cooking. When the food is ready, I wake my parents so they can eat. During the meal, Mother starts to tell stories from her childhood. It's so nice to listen to her. She laughs, and her eyes seem to laugh at the same time. I want her to laugh all the time and wish she had no more worries to confront and reasons to be sad. Monday 29 October--A fine day Good news today! On Wednesday, we're going to have our mid-term exam. I'm very happy about it. I fully intend to demonstrate my abilities. I'm no worse than anyone else, apart from the fact that I eat and dress less well than they do. Some girls change their school clothes often. But I've only got one outfit OUTFIT. An allowance made by the government of the United States to a minister plenipotentiary, or charge des affaires, on going from the United States to any foreign country. 2. , a pair of trousers Trousers (or pants in Canada, South Africa and the United States, and sometimes called slacks or breeches — often pronounced /bɹɪtʃɪz/ and a white shirt, which I have to wash on Saturdays so that it's clean by Monday. But what matter! I only want to study and pay tribute to my parents' hands [a Chinese expression for gratitude Gratitude agrimony traditional symbol for gratitude. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 172] Androcles because he had once extracted a thorn from its paw, the lion refrained from attacking Androcles in the arena. [Rom. Lit. ]. Tuesday 30 October--A somber som·ber adj. 1. a. Dark; gloomy. b. Dull or dark in color. 2. a. Melancholy; dismal: a somber mood. b. Serious; grave. day It's freezing today. My brother and I have no more bread. At lunchtime, the comrades are all eating, and we have to stand by and grit our teeth. Seeing my tears, my brother says, as if his heart were light, "Wait, sister, I'm going to borrow some lunch tickets." But I know he feels no better than I do. He simply wants to console me and stop me worrying about him. I go back to my dorm and sit on my bed and wait for him to return. I'm dreaming of this bowl of yellow rice. He takes a very long time to come back. Then he says, "Sister, there's no more rice." He turns to leave. I watch my brother's receding back, and I can't help letting the tears flow. Thanks to the publication of her diary, Ma Yan is back at school. Now 16, she plans to study journalism in college so that she can "help poor children" by writing about their struggles. Your Turn THINK ABOUT IT 1. What surprises you most about Ma Yan's life? 2. If you could write a book, what would you write about? Why? * OBJECTIVE Students should understand * Ma Yan's diary reveals the daily challenges that she, her family, and others face in rural China. * TEACHING STRATEGY Ask students: "Do you or anyone you know keep a personal diary? What importance can a diary have for an individual? Have you ever read someone else's diary? What did you learn?" * BACKGROUND A French journalist visiting a remote village in the Ningxia region of northwest China discovered Ma Yan's diary. Touched by her story, he resolved to get it published. Today, The Diary of Ma Yan has been printed in 14 languages. Royalties from the book have secured Ma Yan's education and improved life for her family. The book's success also has led to the creation of a scholarship fund for the children in the Ningxia region. * CRITICAL THINKING MAKING INFERENCES: Why is Ma Yan so upset over the loss of her pen? (Ma Yan skipped a lot of meals to be able to afford the pen--and now must contemplate doing so again. Also, she sees the pen as a symbol of her potential and hopes for a better future.) COMPREHENSION comprehension Act of or capacity for grasping with the intellect. The term is most often used in connection with tests of reading skills and language abilities, though other abilities (e.g., mathematical reasoning) may also be examined. : Based on Ma Yan's diary entries, what do you think life is like in rural China? (Answers will vary. Students might answer that life is difficult, and that people are poor and must labor punishing pun·ish v. pun·ished, pun·ish·ing, pun·ish·es v.tr. 1. To subject to a penalty for an offense, sin, or fault. 2. To inflict a penalty for (an offense). 3. hours just to survive.) * ACTIVITY PERSONAL DIARY: Instruct in·struct v. in·struct·ed, in·struct·ing, in·structs v.tr. 1. To provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. See Synonyms at teach. 2. To give orders to; direct. v. students to create a fictional diary of a famous person or well-known fictional character. Students should create entries that reveal personal thoughts or feelings of their preferred subject--and maybe something startlingly star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. new. STANDARDS SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * Individual identity and development: How Ma Yan recorded her experiences and feelings in a diary as a way to cope with the challenges of living in poverty in rural China. * Decide whether each sentence is true, false, or an opinion. --6. For Ma Yan, a pen symbolizes her struggle against poverty and hunger. --7. Poor farmers in rural China should migrate to urban areas to pursue better work opportunities. --8. Ma Yan dropped out of school after her brother was killed in the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. . --9. After struggling to light the stove fire, Ma Yan came to admire her mother's dedication and work ethic work ethic n. A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. work ethic Noun a belief in the moral value of work . --10. Ma Yan's biggest goal in life is to become a nurse. 6. True 7. Opinion 8. False 9. True 10. False RESOURCES * Kalman, Bobbie, China: The People (Crabtree Pub., 2000). Grades 5-8. * Ma Yan, The Diary of Ma Yan: The Life of a Chinese Schoolgirl (Virago, 2004). Grades 7-8. WEB SITES * Ma Yan profile www.china.org.cn/english/2003/Oct/78156.htm * Ningxia, China www.china-kontor.com/ningxia.htm |
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