Allan's Writing Protfolio

My Portfolio Introduction

2000-12-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

October 21, 2006

Hello!

My name is Lee Yifei and you can call me Allan. I frequently use the name yeefeelee as my nickname on the Internet. Ever since my great-great grand father, my family has been living in Shanghai. I am presently majoring in Sociology in School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University. In all my broad interests, debating is my favorite. I debate for the school team in many nation-wide debate contests.

When in junior middle school, I enjoyed Chinese literature a lot. I also wrote a lot of essays in my spare time. At that time, I even had a dream of becoming a professional Chinese writer. When the time came that I entered senior high school, I spent almost all my time doing homework and preparing for academic tests. I would have barely written down a single word if my teacher had not ordered me to do so.

As I entered Fudan University, again I picked up my habit. Writing trifles down can sometimes be very entertaining. I write blogs and sometimes personal diaries both in Chinese and English.

I have written six reading logs so far. In Academic Writing Course, I have had more access to nice stories and class discussion always inspires me a lot. I do not know whether my writing ability has improved, but I can definitely say that I am writing more, reading more, and having more possibility to improve.

I hope I have posted and will post things that you find interesting, inspiring and innovative.

Cover Letter

2000-11-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

December 16, 2006

Dear Blaudience,

When you are looking at this page, you are about to experience a whole set of articles that demonstrates my writing skills in progress. Compared with listening and reading, writing has always been my weakest point. This is exactly the reason why I selected this “Academic Writing” class. Mr. Corio is a professor from Virginia Commonwealth University. The textbook and teaching methods for us are exactly the same as VCU. During class time, we form groups and discuss things like editing techniques, quotation skills and feelings after reading stories. Apart from that, teacher presentation also provides much useful information. After class, we write a lot of reading logs in response to the stories and have written three drafts of an essay to analyze and interpret one of the main characters in the stories. I do think that all these are factors contributing to my improvement.

There are altogether three parts that makes up this portfolio.
1. General Introduction. Two entries namely “My Portfolio Introduction” and this “Cover Letter” belong to this part.
2. Essay Drafts. Three drafts of my essay are presented here chronologically.
3. Selected Pieces. One reading log and one timed-writing are selected here.

The first part may give you a general idea of this portfolio and its owner. My Portfolio Introduction was written before the rest of the portfolio is finished. It focuses more on my personal information and feelings about writing. While this piece was written afterward, hence its focus mainly on helping you readers have quick access to the part of my portfolio that interests you most. Outlining and identifying each submission is the task.

The second part is, I think, the most demonstrative part as to how my writing skills have improved. Every time I finish a draft, I send it to Mr. Corio and my peers, Cheiny and Lorry. Mr. Corio gave me a lot of suggestions on language, which point out grammar errors that I had neglected. Cheiny and Lorry provide a great many ideas that help perfect my essay. Cheiny suggested adding some background information at the beginning while Lorry suggested a better structure. It is somehow difficult for me to edit my draft without the help of them. My peers pointed out what’s not clear to them, which I myself may never find. Mr. Corio kindly observed my drafts from a native reader’s point of view, which I myself is never able to. I sincerely appreciate all that you have done for me, and hope my essay doesn’t fail you.

If you want to find out what kind of stories we have read in class, turn to the last part. As I mentioned in My Portfolio Introduction, I have written six reading logs in response to the stories, and the selected piece is a typical one among them. Timed-writing is another thing we normally do in class. The selected piece is a twenty-minute timed assignment. Two entries in this part are based on different stories. I hope you can, by reading this part, get a fuller view of this course and my class performance.

Thank you indeed for taking the time and trouble reading my papers. Don’t hesitate to write your ideas down and click the “Publish Your Comment” button.

Regards,
Allan Lee

Essay, Trial Draft

2000-10-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

Allan Lee
Essay, Trial Draft
October 29, 2006

In “The Street-Sweeping Show”, Feng Jicai selected a few typical scenes in Secretary Zhao’s working environment. In the office or on the street, the author focused on a great many detailed actions and verbal delicacy that give a vivid picture of the character. The point here is that each of Secretary Zhao’s action is carefully conducted in order to better play his role in the society.

The fiction seems to give readers a first impression that the mayor, instead of Secretary Zhao, is the main character. However, it’s quite weird that the mayor doesn’t have a name, while Secretary Zhao is clearly given a last name. This might be the author’s subconscious stress of Secretary Zhao’s position.

In the very beginning of the fiction, there is a whole paragraph describing Secretary Zhao’s “upper-echelon” exterior. This description is set in the mayor’s office, where the secretary usually reports, obeys and follows. “His complexion was pale”, which “concealed a shrewd, hard-driving personality.” Secretary Zhao’s appearance, being “typical”, is like a machine, while an even colder personality lies behind the cold outside. This is a standard secretary’s image. A secretary can be enthusiastic personally, but he is not supposed to reveal that part of his personality at work. A secretary should strictly follow orders from his superior and exactly report information he collects.

The mayor treats the secretary like an elementary school teacher treats a student. But Secretary Zhao is not a bit angry. He replies the mayor’s impolite action by saying “Yes, your honor, I’ll do it right away.” Again, his language fits well with a socially constructed sense of a secretary. He is humble, sometimes even low. But it’s exactly his humility that makes the mayors superiority possible. Thus, his role cannot be well played if he is not humble enough.

On their way to the “street-sweeping show”, Secretary Zhao “hurried out”, “hastily rolled up the window” and “sprang out of the limousine and opened the door for his boss”. It is somehow vague as to whether he is a secretary or a servant. Why is it? It’s on the street, facing the public. Secretary Zhao is being even more humble so as to make the mayor even more noble.

Later on page 165, Secretary Zhao is “swelling with unconscious pride” beside the mayor. Is it out of his privilege that comes his pride? No! It’s his long time of being an appendage of the mayor that made him unconsciously confuse the mayor’s glory as his own. Or, simply put, he is too deep into the drama, and too deep into his role.

All the evidences above reveal that everybody has his functions in the society. Secretary Zhao can be a nice father at home, but what we can tell is that he is a nice secretary at work. As it implies in the last few paragraphs, the mayor acts totally different in front of his grandson. He should not be arbitrarily treated as double-faced or hypocritical. He is simply playing different roles differently, which keeps our society moving.

Essay, Draft 2

2000-09-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

Allan Lee
Essay, Draft Two
November 14, 2006

The political changes after the 1949 Communist takeover resulted in sweeping social changes, particularly the labeling of much of the former ruling class and intelligentsia as rightist and "black elements". Such social changes created a vast pool of Chinese discontented by China's economic and political transformation.

With that background, the Cul tural Revolution, a comprehensive reform movement in China initiated by Mao Zedong, is inevitable. During the Cul tural Revolution, Mao closed schools and encouraged students to join Red Guard units, which persecuted Chinese teachers and intellectuals and enforced Mao's cult of personality.

Writers at that time focused a lot on the conflict between political power and intelligentsias. In “The Street-Sweeping Show”, Feng Jicai selected a few typical scenes in the mayor and Secretary Zhao’s working environment to imply such social reality. The fiction shows the mayor’s hypocrisy through contrast and conflict among his routine check of government affairs, his sweeping the street, and his casual talk at home. As the author satirize the mayor, Secretary Zhao, accompanying the mayor, appears in almost every scene to enrich the content and to form a shaper contrast.

In the office or on the street, the author focused on a great many detailed actions and delicate words that give a vivid picture of the character. The point here is that each of Secretary Zhao’s action is carefully conducted in order to better play his role in the society.

The fiction seems to give readers a first impression that the mayor, instead of Secretary Zhao, is the main character. However, it’s quite weird that the mayor doesn’t have a name, while Secretary Zhao is clearly given a last name. This might be the author’s subconscious stress of Secretary Zhao’s position.

In the very beginning of the fiction, there is a whole paragraph describing Secretary Zhao’s “upper-echelon” exterior. This description is set in the mayor’s office, where the secretary usually reports, obeys and follows. “His complexion was pale”, which “concealed a shrewd, hard-driving personality.” Secretary Zhao’s appearance, being “typical”, is like a machine, while an even colder personality lies behind the cold outside. This is a standard secretary’s image. A secretary can be enthusiastic personally, but he is not supposed to reveal that part of his personality at work. A secretary should strictly follow orders from his superior and exactly report information he collects.

The mayor treats the secretary as if he were an elementary school teacher facing a student. But Secretary Zhao is not a bit angry. He replies the mayor’s impolite action by saying “Yes, your honor, I’ll do it right away.” Again, his language fits well with a socially constructed sense of a secretary. He is humble, sometimes even low. But it’s exactly his humility that makes the mayors superiority possible. Thus, his role cannot be well played if he is not humble enough.

On their way to the “street-sweeping show”, Secretary Zhao “hurried out”, “hastily rolled up the window” and “sprang out of the limousine and opened the door for his boss”. It is somehow vague as to whether he is a secretary or a servant. Why is it? It’s on the street, facing the public. Secretary Zhao is being even more humble so as to make the mayor even more noble.

Later on page 165, Secretary Zhao is “swelling with unconscious pride” beside the mayor. Is it out of his privilege that comes his pride? No! It’s his long time of being an appendage of the mayor that made him unconsciously confuse the mayor’s glory as his own. Or, simply put, he is too deep into the drama, and too deep into his role.

All the evidences above reveal that everybody has his functions in the society. Every function has a socially constructed meaning. A person has to live up to its role expectation so as to function properly in the organism. Secretary Zhao is simply playing his role, which keeps our society moving.

Essay, Final Draft

2000-08-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

Allan Lee
Essay, Final Draft
December 14, 2006

Red China Show
--From The Functional Perspective

China’s political changes after the 1949 Communist takeover resulted in sweeping social changes, particularly the labeling of much of the former ruling class and intelligentsia as rightist and "black elements". Such social changes created a vast pool of Chinese discontented by China's economic and political transformation. With that background, the Cultural Revolution, a comprehensive reform movement in China initiated by Mao Zedong, was inevitable. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao closed schools and encouraged students to join Red Guard units, which persecuted Chinese teachers and intellectuals and enforced Mao's cult of personality.

Writers at that time focused a lot on the conflict between political power and intelligentsias. In “The Street-Sweeping Show”, Feng Jicai selected a few typical scenes in the mayor and Secretary Zhao’s working environment to imply such social reality. The fiction shows the mayor’s hypocrisy through contrast and conflict among his routine check of government affairs, his sweeping the street, and his casual talk at home. As the author satirizes the mayor, Secretary Zhao, accompanying the mayor, appears in almost every scene to enrich the content and to form a sharper contrast. In the office or on the street, the author focused on a great many detailed actions and delicate words that give a vivid picture of the character. The point here is that each of Secretary Zhao’s actions is carefully conducted in order to better play his role in the society.

The fiction seems to give readers a first impression that the mayor, instead of Secretary Zhao, is the main character. However, it’s quite weird that the mayor doesn’t have a name, while Secretary Zhao is clearly given a last name. This might be the author’s subconscious stress of Secretary Zhao’s position.

In the very beginning of the fiction, there is a whole paragraph describing Secretary Zhao’s “upper-echelon”(163) exterior. This description is set in the mayor’s office, where the secretary usually reports, obeys and follows. “His complexion was pale”, which “concealed a shrewd, hard-driving personality.”(163) Secretary Zhao’s appearance, being “typical”, is like a machine, while an even colder personality lies behind the cold outside. This is a standard secretary’s image. A secretary can be enthusiastic personally, but he is not supposed to reveal that part of his personality at work. A secretary should strictly follow orders from his superior and exactly report information he collects.

The mayor treats the secretary like an elementary school teacher treats a student. But Secretary Zhao is not a bit angry. He replies the mayor’s impolite action by saying “Yes, your honor, I’ll do it right away.”(164) Again, his language fits well with a socially constructed sense of a secretary. He is humble, sometimes even low. But it’s exactly his humility that makes the mayors superiority possible. Thus, his role cannot be well played if he is not humble enough.

On their way to the “street-sweeping show”, Secretary Zhao “hurried out”, “hastily rolled up the window” and “sprang out of the limousine and opened the door for his boss”(164). It is somehow vague as to whether he is a secretary or a servant. Why is it? It’s on the street, facing the public. Secretary Zhao is being even more humble so as to make the mayor even more noble.

Later on page 165, Secretary Zhao is “swelling with unconscious pride” beside the mayor. Is it out of his privilege that comes his pride? No! It’s his long time of being an appendage of the mayor that made him unconsciously confuse the mayor’s glory as his own. Or, simply put, he is too deep into the drama, and too deep into his role.

All the evidences above reveal that everybody has his roles in the society. A role is a set of connected behaviors, rights and obligations as conceptualized by actors in a social situation. In short, every role has a socially constructed function. A person has to live up to its role expectation so as to function properly in the organism. Secretary Zhao is simply playing his role and following his “expected” behavior code that keeps our social organism moving.

Selected Reading Log

2000-07-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

Allan Lee
October 3, 2006
Reading Log on A Women Like Me

A strong feeling of sadness and despair, carried by paragraphs of calm thoughts, is going through my head. Having read the story, I cannot think momentarily. Maybe it’s out of a sense of sympathy, but definitely not a bit fear. I feel that it’s a story about love more than a story of Fate (although the word “Fate” appears many times).

Aunt Yifen’s boyfriend abandons her when he knows her real job. A sentence goes like this: His courage failed him. I interpret the sentence into several sentences: His courage failed her, and his courage failed us readers, and his courage failed LOVE. The man couldn’t accept Aunt Yifen’s job simply because his fear outweighs his love. It’s not something Fate can decide, but something love can settle.

The young couple that has died in a love-inspired suicide pact can also explain the theme. They love each other so crazily that they would like to stay in that very state forever. Shocking, isn’t it? It’s just an extreme example of the fact that there is nothing love cannot do. Perhaps we can guess that the couple couldn’t get together because of outside pressure. So they decide to resist the forces of Fate with love.
Someone might argue that Fate decreed their death, but love-inspired is the point.

History is repeating itself when Xia finally gets to know the narrator’s job. Aunt Yifen’s words still echo in my head that “Maybe somewhere there is a man of true courage who is unafraid”. True courage is far from enough. True love brings along courage.

The story expands with the narrator’s thoughts, and those thoughts expand with the narrator’s uncertainty about Xia’s courage, and the lack of courage expands with his lack of love. Maybe I can conclude my reading log by a wild guess: The writer is telling us that we shall never submit to Fate, since Love will always do.

Selected Timed Writing

2000-06-01T01:00:00.000+08:00

Allan Lee 0534012
Timed Writing 1
October 26, 2006

Given Topic: Which story do you like best? Why?

I like “The Street-Sweeping Show” by Feng Jicai best for the following reasons.

First and foremost, the story was written by a famous Chinese writer. I have already read a lot of works by Feng, which makes it possible for me to get a fuller understanding of this very story. As far as my knowledge extends, Feng frequently wrote short stories to satirize the government and politics at that time. Although many authors did this, Feng is outstanding in that he always tried to depict in his story a particular and typical scene. This story is not an exception.

Second, the story is set in China. Like most Chinese students, I have read a lot of books on Chinese history and Chinese culture formation. The words in the story echo with the knowledge in my brain. Secretary Zhao goes beyond time and space. The story is indeed a cross section that reveals the true complexions of China at that time.

Last but not the least, it is short. Its shortness makes it easier for me to grasp its ideas and thesis. I can also concentrate on some paragraphs and analyze in depth. The story describes a few scenes clearly in its short content. It’s concise and complete, which are the virtues I like most.

For all the reasons mentioned above, I like this story best.