Student No.

: 1062003

MASTERS PROGRAMME Student number: 1062003 Module: The Role of Story in Drama & Theatre Education Dissertation/Assignment Title: Reflection on Lady White Snake Percentage: Agreed Grade:

Overall Comment

Subject Knowledge

Analysis and Critique

Presentation

Advice for Future Work

Signed (first marker): Moderator/ Second Markers Comments (where applicable):

Date:

Signed (Second Marker):

Date:

Student No.: 1062003 The following units from the online Study Skills Toolkit should help you to improve on weaker areas identified in this assignment: www.Go.warwick.ac.uk/wie-studyskills/toolkit In the Academic Writing section Understanding essay titles Structure in writing Improving your paragraphs with topic sentences Using examples to support written statements Expressing fact and opinion in writing Creating cohesion in your writing The role of the introduction to an essay or report Understanding conclusions Writing an effective conclusion Finding out about plagiarism Identifying plagiarism and avoiding poor practice Avoiding plagiarism Using quotations effectively Quoting from sources Using paraphrase in your writing A strategy for effective paraphrasing and summarising Revising your written work Introduction to redrafting and editing Editing paragraphs and final checking Proofreading a text Proofreading for common mistakes Compiling a reference list Organising bibliographic entries Presenting your written work In the reading and critical thinking section Evaluating sources Thinking critically about what you read Analysing the elements of an argument

In the Aspects of Academic Language section Introduction to academic register Being clear and concise Contrasting academic writing with other styles of writing Using appropriate levels of complexity and formality Choosing the right vocabulary when writing Expressing abstract ideas effectively Writing sentences containing complex noun phrases Using noun phrases for better writing Using basic punctuation marks effectively Using colons and semi-colons

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Grade A*/A (Mark of 80 or above = A*; 70 -79 = A) Subject Knowledge Demonstrates a highly developed understanding of relevant concepts, theories and/or research methodologies. A wide range of relevant sources, which are well understood, are deployed to support arguments. Analysis and Critique Recognises the demands of the question providing a well-focused, relevant answer. Sets sources and viewpoints in a wide context and makes a comprehensive assessment of issues involved. Displays awareness of methodological and theoretical considerations. High levels of ability to analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge and concepts. Detailed examination of issues with reasons for conclusions clearly indicated. Persuasively argued with main issues convincingly evaluated. Some originality of thought and creativity. Recognises the demands of the question providing a focused, relevant answer which brings out useful points and substantiates them. A good attempt at analysis, synthesis and application of knowledge and concepts. Appreciates main issues and able to make appropriate critical points. Perceptive commentary on evidence and materials used. Presentation Material is very well-organised and the structure complements the content. A high level of written communication with very few errors of spelling, grammar and syntax. Mastery of referencing conventions with very few errors or omissions. Appropriate length.

B (Mark of 60 - 69)

C (Mark of 50 - 59) Pass Mark 50 D

Sound and thorough grasp of relevant concepts, theories and/or research methodologies although lacking in depth at some points. The work is supported by references to a good range of relevant sources which are used in a relevant way. Understanding of main concepts, theories and/or research methodologies is fair but lacks depth and/or breadth. There may be some gaps or areas of confusion. An adequate range of relevant source materials is used. Some evidence of reading but understanding of the

Well-structured work displaying attention to the logic and development of the piece. A clear written style. Spelling, grammar and syntax are generally good. Most features of the referencing system are used correctly. Appropriate length.

Although the demands of the question have been recognised, only the basic requirements are covered and there may be some irrelevant material. The attempt at analysis, synthesis and application of knowledge and concepts is competent but lacks depth and breadth. Sensible commentary on evidence and materials used though some points may be unsubstantiated.

A generally satisfactory overall structure although it may lack balance in parts or fail to integrate some material. An adequate written style which is not impaired by the occasional errors of spelling, grammar and/or syntax. The recommended referencing system is used but with some errors and omissions. Control of length may be less secure. Introduction of basic concepts and effort made to relate Weak structure. Expression of ideas is them to the demands of the question which have been sometimes confused or unclear.

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(Mark of 40 49)

E (Mark below 40)

subject matter is limited. The work displays major gaps in knowledge, serious misconceptions and/or factual inaccuracies. Few relevant sources used. Serious gaps and/or errors in knowledge and understanding indicate that the student has failed to engage seriously with the subject matter.

only partially understood. Mainly descriptive with much irrelevance and unsubstantiated conclusions. No sustained analysis and an inability to apply knowledge and synthesise material. Uncritical exegesis.

The question may have been ignored or badly misunderstood. Few or none of the basic requirements of the study have been achieved. Superficial treatment of the topic much of which is descriptive, irrelevant and unsubstantiated. Lacks appropriate critical or theoretical framework .

Communication may also be impaired by errors of spelling, grammar and/or syntax. Referencing marred by frequent errors and omissions. May exceed or fail to meet length requirements. Unstructured presentation, lacking coherence. Expression of ideas is poor. Communication may also be impaired by frequent errors of spelling, grammar and/or syntax. The recommended referencing system has not been mastered. Length requirements not met.

80+ An outstanding piece of work, showing total mastery of the subject-matter, with a highly developed ability to analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge and concepts. All objectives of the set work are covered, and there is evidence of critical reflection, originality of thought and creativity. The work is free of errors with a very high level of technical competence. Ideas are expressed with fluency. 70-79 An excellent piece of work, showing a high degree of mastery of the subject-matter, with a very well-developed ability to analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge and concepts. All major objectives of the set work are covered, and there is evidence of critical reflection. The work is free of all but very minor errors, with a high level of technical competence. Ideas are expressed with fluency. 60-69 A good piece of work, showing a sound and thorough grasp of the subject-matter, though lacking in the breadth and depth required for a first-class mark. A good attempt at analysis, synthesis and application of knowledge and concepts, but more limited in scope than that required for a mark of 70+. Most objectives of the work set are covered and there is some evidence of critical reflection. Work is generally technically competent. Ideas are expressed with clarity, with minor exceptions. 50-59 A fair piece of work, showing a grasp of major elements of the subject-matter but possibly with some gaps or areas of confusion. Only the basic requirements of the work set are covered. The attempt at analysis, synthesis and application of knowledge and concepts is superficial, with a heavy reliance on course materials. Work may contain some errors, and technical competence is at a routine level only. Little critical reflection. Some confusion in expression of ideas. 40-49 Not of a passable level for a postgraduate programme. A poor piece of work, showing some familiarity with the subject-matter, but with major gaps and serious misconceptions. Only some of the basic requirements of the work set are achieved. There is little or no attempt at analysis, synthesis or application of knowledge, and a low level of technical competence, with many errors. Inability to reflect critically on an argument or viewpoint. Ideas are poorly expressed and structured. Below 40 Work not of passable standard, with serious gaps in knowledge of the subject-matter, and many areas of confusion. Few or none of the basic requirements of the work set are achieved, and there is an inability to apply knowledge. Technical competence is poor, with many serious errors. The level of expression and structure is very inadequate. The student has failed to engage seriously with any of the subject-matter involved.

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Student No.: 1062003 Course: The Role of Story in Drama and Theatre Education Course No.: IE924 Professor: Joe Winston

Reflection on Lady White Snake

Introduction: Why Lady White Snake People usually choose the story they love or desire to tell most, just as the Brenemans suggest that nothing is more important in choosing a story than your personal appreciation of it (1990, p.18). However, due to my own experience, it will be a lot more difficult to produce a hard project like this if you love the story so much. The excessive passion is an obstacle of being objective and it may easily turn into perfectionism which drags out the progress. For me, it is important to be rational when making decisions. While selecting stories with my group members, Lady White Snake immediately caught my eyes. The story is full of distinctive characters, vivid images, dramatic plotline and oriental magic. It contains subversions, plus, as a Chinese folktale, we can found Chinese tradition, custom and the social estate in ancient China from it. These characteristics of Lady White Snake differ from other stories I have ever read, and they became the main concerns in the project. There are a lot to present; therefore, it is challenging to accomplish every foregoing quality in a twenty-minute presentation.

The Subversions of Characters and Plot Generally, most fairy tales present similar elements: a beautiful heroine (who is usually innocent and lovely), magic, villains, an adventure or a dangerous situation, a handsome hero and a happy ending. Lady White Snake has most of the foregoing elements, but it also contains a lot of subversions which break the general cognition of fairy tales. The most significant example is the heroineLady White.

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In ancient China, the typical perfect woman has to be obedient, self-sacrificing, hardworking and patient, and it is also the characteristic of female hero which Zipes (1983, p.70) indicates in most of Grimms stories. Lady White worked hard to help her husbands career (managing medicine shop and using magic to heal the poor), and she was willing to give everything for the sake of love, including her life and freedom. She has many traditional feminine virtues which may define her as a perfect woman. Zipes also mentions that woman must be passive until the right man comes along to recognize her virtues and marry her. She lives only through the male and for marriageShe must cloak her instinctual drives in polite speech, correct manners, and elegant clothes (1983, p.25) Lady White, however, was quite different from the image which is mentioned

above. Instead of waiting for rescue, she was active and not afraid of taking risks. While she was a white snake, she displayed great initiative in seeking humans love and thus transformed herself into human form. Unlike the innocent, naive ladies in most fairy tales, Lady White was cunning and capable of implementing her ideas. She created the opportunity to get closer to Xu Xian (she asked him to share the umbrella on the boat), and then planned to meet him again (she did magic to make it continuously rain). She even directed her maid to ask Xu Xian if he wanted to marry her, which was a bold behaviour at the time when females normally waited for arrangement of marriage. By contrast, Xu Xian, the hero in this story, was a poor intellectual who had neither wealth nor power. He was passive, cowardly, and betrayed Lady White due to the fear of her kind (snake). It subverts the general cognition of the male hero who supposed to be active, competitive, industrious and cunning (1983, p.70). Xu Xian was not the savior of Lady White; on the contrary, he was the one who caused her suffering by suspecting her, testing her and betraying her. On the other hand, Lady White was actually the one who rescued him. She fought with Fahai (the Monk) and in the end sacrificed herself for her husbands freedom. Unlike most fairy tales, which ends happily ever after, Lady White was locked under the pagoda at the end of the story. She was continuously suffering from being imprisoned and separated from her husband forever. On the other hand, Xu Xian also experienced the pain of regret when he eventually realized how much Lady White loved him.

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Lady White Snake creates an extraordinary female image, which some may think it displays feminism enlightenment in the society of ancient China. However, Lady White is not exactly a woman. She is a thousand-year-old snake monster which has magic power to transform itself into human form. Somehow she reminds me of Medea, a woman in Greek Mythology, who is also not an ordinary woman (she is a witch). They both are beautiful, powerful (magic power), cunning and initiative. Like Lady White, Meda is also not an ordinary woman but a capable witch. At that time, people seemed to consider that it was improbable for normal women to be active and powerfulif a female has strong personalities, she must be something else, such as an enchantress or monsters. On the other hand, as Lin Xian-Yuan ()argues: even though Lady White Snake presents a significant heroine who boldly breaks the uniformity, still it dares not to oppose the general moral rules of the society (1998, p.66). It is no doubt that a powerful, brave, independent beauty like Lady White is capable of experiencing a bright life without the company of men. Nevertheless, the hero and marriage are still her ultimate goal of happiness.

The Reflection of Culture and Reality Unlike the novel, Winston mentions that fairy tale has roots which lie in oral, pre-literate cultures and it contains cultural, historical and political links with myth and folklore. Thus, we may find its moral meaning or social ethic if we examine its historical and cultural roots (1998, p.28). Lady White Snake contains Chinese custom, such as the traditional wedding, drinking realgar wine on Dragon Boat Festival Day. It also shows the moral rule which man and woman cannot express their love directly nor have body-contact before marriage, and thats why Lady White could only use the umbrella as an excuse to sit close to Xu Xian. In Lady White Snake, the Monk disliked Lady White so much that he revealed her true form to Xu Xian, attempted to keep her away from him and even tried to eliminate her. It demonstrates the three traditional orders of estate in ancient China: god (or the Buddha), human and the animal (or the

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monster). People believe that if you have a kind heart and do a lot of merciful deeds, you become god after you died; but if you have an inferior spirit and do a lot of contemptible deeds, you will fall and become an animal in your next life. In the story, the white snake, which belongs to the lowest estate in the society, transformed itself into Lady White, a gorgeous woman. Her beauty, as Tatar mentions, is like a mask for death in most fairy tales the seductively beautiful woman is often exposed as deadly temptress (2009, p.81). Even more, snake has the image of danger and seduction in Chinese legends. It also has the meaning of sex, which can be explained by Freuds dream symbolism: male sex-symbols belong certain reptiles and fish, notably the famous symbol of the snake. (1920, p. 128) Therefore, it is not to be surprised that the Monk, who represents the highest estate in the society, regards Lady White as a temptation of lust, which is able to cause misery or even death to human being. Bettelheim states that the figures in most fairy tales are not ambivalent, and a person is either good or bad, nothing in between.(1991, p.9) However, in Lady White Snake, the characters are rather complicated, as we all are in the reality. No one is wholly good or bad in this story. The Monk seems to be the villain since he was the one who caused Lady Whites tragedy. However, his intension was rather goodhe believed that it was his duty to protect irresolute human away from deadly seductions. Xu Xian was not a bad guy either, though he betrayed Lady White and turned to the Monk; he did it because he was weak and became suspicious of his wife. Lady White, a kind female with strong personalities, was unswervingly faithful to Xu Xian; nevertheless, she attacked the Monk (for saving her husband) by using her magic to control the water, which caused the flood and put people who lived beside the lake in danger. As Bettelheim points out that the dominant culture wishes to pretend, particularly where children are concerned, that the dark side of man does not exist. It refuses to let children know that things go wrong in life is because of our very own naturesthe propensity of all men for acting aggressively, asocially, selfishly, out of anger and anxiety (1991, p.7). Fairy tales, however, reflect the reality instead of creating a safe wonderlandin fairy tales, good and evil are omnipresent in life. (1991, p.9) Lady White Snake displays the complicated characteristic of human

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being. Everyone contains both good and evil qualities; everyone is possible to make mistakes. Even a noble guy may do something wrong unintentionally, it is hard to judge the characters by labeling them as a good person or a villain. In addition, Bettelheim states that safe stories mention neither death nor aging, the limits to our existence, nor the wish for eternal life. The fairy tale, by contrast, confronts the child squarely with the basic human predicaments (1991, p.8). Life is not always full of happiness, the severe difficulties in life are unavoidable. Lady White Snake reflects the struggles and problems we may encounter in our real life: conflicts between different social estates, the loss of trust, being separated from the lover. From fairy tales, children can learn about the inner problems of human being, and of the right solutions to their predicaments in any society, Bettelheim (1991, p.5). In Lady White Snake, we can tell that our heroines life was not easy, but she did not shy away. Benjamin says that fairy tale has taught us that the wisest thing is to meet the forces of the mythical world with cunning and with high spirits (1999, p.101). We can see that on Lady White, who never gave up and faced the difficulties with courage and great determination.

From Reading to Storytelling When was the last time I told a story? It was quite difficult to recall. As Benjamin mentions, the ability to exchange experiences were taken away from us due to the prevalence of immediate information, thus the art of storytelling is coming to an end. (1999, p.83) We then regarded ourselves as beginners, and tried our best to visualize the story from the black prints on white pages. Lady White Snake is a famous Chinese folk tale, which is not easy to present its meanings in English; and the more we worked on it, the more difficulties we encountered. Wilson refers to the storytellers are a thoughtful set of practitioners, constantly questioning their own practice and reformulating their ideas and opinions about it. (2006, p.45) And that is exactly how we worked, trying and retrying our ideas for long hours until we were exhausted with satisfaction.

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One of the difficulties we faced is characterization. We had to create diverse characters visually and audibly. As I mentioned before, the figures in Lady White Snake are complicated; thus we spent much time discussing the social identities, purpose, traits and interrelationships of them. Plus, we attempted to construct an olden Chinese atmosphere throughout the story. Yet the storytelling is not like a two-hour play, there is no such time for us to elaborate every details of each role. Therefore, we decided to use the idea of Gestus from Brechtian term. We recreated fixed gesture of Traditional Chinese Opera to visualize the characters. The Chinese gesture is unique, which distinguishes each role to the audience immediately with its diversity. On the other hand, the inner conflict of the characters, which can show another side of their complicated personalities, is also important in the story. We decided to emphasize the emotional moments between the characters, especially Lady White and Xu Xian, by showing their feelings and emotions. For instance, we show Xu Xians suspicion and irresolute after the Monk revealed the true form of his wife, which helps the audience to understand their predicaments and identify with them. The transformation is one of the most important parts of the story, and its also the one we spent most time working on. Alfreds indicates that the actor can transform himself by his sheer strength of belief alone, and the less the actor does to create these changes, the more exciting it is. (1979, p.10) We bodily and vocally created significant poses and Chinese Operas sound-effects to unfold the magic transformations (for example, the transformation from the snake to the lady). On the other hand, the big fight is the highpoint of the final scene. We did some martial art movements to present entertainment in Chinese atmosphere. As Birch mentions, storytelling is an oral medium (1996, is quoted in Wilsons Storytelling and Theatre, 2006, p.47), therefore, the narrator plays a key role in this task. Each actor could be both narrator and character, Alfreds says, this served the exploration of the actors transformation and the duality of the experience (1979, p.7). He also offers three modes of narration which depends on how the story you wish to be told. We selected the mode of multiple narrators, which each actor can be both his own narrator and character. This mode combines Stanislavskian identification

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and Brechtian distancing at one and the same time (1979, p.12), which suits our purpose to display the reflection of reality, the emotional moments of the characters and the enchanting plot of magic transformation.

The Ending In general, fairy tales end happily ever after. As Bettelheim argues, only hope for the future can sustain us in the adversities we unavoidably encounter (1991, p.4). The happy endings encourage children to think positively when facing difficulties. Lady White Snake, however, has a sad ending, which leads us to think deeply, to ask questions and to find its meanings, just as Winston says, drama is essentially about problem finding, not problem solving (1998, p.118). Moreover, Bettelheim mentions, the fairy tale's deepest meaning will be different for each person, and different for the same person at various moments in his life (1991, p.12). When I was little, I thought the Monk was such a bad guy and had sympathy on Lady White. However, after working on this task, I began to think if Lady White had had less persistence of love and let it be, neither she nor Xu Xian would have suffered that much. Lady White Snake contains the complicated personality of human and ends up with a rather depressing scene, which people might questions if it is suitable for young kids. According to Tatar, stories for children would lose their power very quickly if there were nothing but sparkle and shine (2009, p.80). Although Lady White Snake presents violent and frightening images, such as Lady White lost control and turned into snake form, Tatar claims, horror has the power to frighten as well as to fascinate, and it rightly elicits deep concern in entertainments for children (2009, p.85) Though we may not be sure that if the allure of horror helps us master our fears through repeated readings or merely intensifies them (2009, p.83), it still arouses the desire to explore more. Even more, she points out that the dark side of fairy tales bewilders children in ways that drive them to know more,

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to launch intellectual campaigns that will broaden their understanding of the human condition and help them navigate and manage what lies ahead (2009, p.89). After working on this task, I realized how hard and exhausting it was to be a storyteller. The experience is very different from being an actor, just as Wilson cites, what ultimately separates storytelling from acting in the eyes of many storytellers is that they fundamentally feel that what they are doing is different from what actors do and, moreover, what they do is more akin to the job of writer (2006, p.44). And Tatar says, as we read, we engage, interpret, and improvise, creating new narratives with the same catalytic power and transformative energy of words on a page (2009, p.89). What they say are true to me. These are what I felt during the process of producing Lady White Snake. It is amazing to be fascinated by the charm of storytelling and it is also a precious experience to present this wonderful folk tale to others as a storyteller.

Reference Alfreds, M. (1979) A Shared Experience: the Actor as Storyteller, Dartington College of the Arts Benjamin, W. (1999) The Storyteller from Illuminations, Pimlico; New edition Bettelheim, B. (1991) The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, Penguin Birch Carol L. (1996) was quoted in Storytelling and Theatre: Contemporary Storytellers and Their Art (2006), p.47, New York, Palgrave Macmillan Breneman, L. & Breneman, B. (1990) Once Upon a Time: A Storytelling Handbook, Chicago, Nelson-Hall Freud, S. (1920) General Introduction to Psychoanalysis, Simon & Schuster; Revised edition

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Lin Xian-Yuan (1998) The Legend of the White Snake in Traditional Chinese Opera: Changes of the Image of the White Snake and the Meanings of the Content from The Revival of Drama and Art Journal, No. 23 ( 23 ) Tatar, M. (2009) Enchanted hunters: the power of stories in childhood, W.W. Norton Wilson, M. (2006) Storytelling and Theatre: Contemporary Storytellers and Their Art, New York, Palgrave Macmillan Winston, J. (1998) Drama, Narrative and Moral Education, London, RoutledgeFalmer Zipes, J (1983) Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion, New York, Rouledge

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