LESSON 2:

Modern China:
Bridging Divergence
and Transformation
How does literature
reflect the changing
times in a country’s
history?
 BACKGROUND
Chinese literature has been preserved
to influence the present. Its
innovativeness, versatility and
productivity have been notable since
the first year of the twentieth century.
The construction of Great Wall, to keep
out invaders, isolated China from
others countries. However, the Chinese
exposure to foreign culture made
possible by the European missionaries
and traders bridged them to new
western knowledge and ideas.
 READING 1:

A Little Incident
Unveil What You Know
Have you ever seen or
experienced a vehicular
accident? Tell what the driver
of the involved vehicle did?
For Your Information
Proverbs or quotations from the sages
(men of profound wisdom, experience,
and foresight) give us pointers on how to
live virtuous lives, paving the way for a
peaceful, orderly, and harmonious world.
 Understanding Author’s Profile
Lu Hsun is the pseudonym of Chou
Shu-jen, writer of satiric short
stories of social criticisms. He was
the most important Chinese author
of the early 1900s.
Brought up during the period when
the old way of life was giving way
to a new one, Lu Hsun received a
traditional education before he
enrolled in new style schools in
Nanking.
 Understanding a
Motive for Reading
Why is the narrator filled with
shame each time he remembers
the incident?
Unlock the Meaning
of Words
 1. Tried to swerve
aside
* it suddenly changes
direction, often in order to
 2. Fluttering in the
wind
• dancing,
• To move with
CHARACTERS
 Narrator
• Rickshaw puller
• Old woman
 READING 1:

A Little Incident
 READING 1:
Sharing Insights
 1. What incident
happened to the
narrator on his way
to work?
 1. The narrator met a
little incident. An old
woman “got
entangled in the
 2. Whom would
you blame for the
incident?
 2. The furious
wind( bad weather).
The rickshaw puller
running quickly.
 3. What made the
incident
unforgettable to the
narrator?
3. The incident
marked an imprint
on the narrator’s
mind.
4. Why did the
narrator feel ashamed
of himself?
 4. Because of how he
behaved in that little
incident. He was
insentive to the need
4. of the old woman
 5. Between the
rickshaw- puller and
the passenger, whose
behavior would you
5. like to emulate?
Why?
 5. Rickshaw puller-
He knows how to
take accountability
for that little incident
6. Are incidents similar
to the one described in the
story common to your
community?
6. Experiences and
context come in.
7. What message
does the story
give?
 7. Be responsible for
all your actions.
Don’t be self-
centered. Be careful.