6 - Ambition and Perception in And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile

[Douglas L.]

And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile take place in different environments with their characters holding different professions, but the challenges they face and the flaws that haunt them are the same. An outside phrase that connects them is “the grass is greener on the other side” and especially effective is the subtext of that phrase, which is that it only seems that way and that the grass where they currently stand is green too. The conflicts in the movies are character versus self, and that conflict manifests itself in perception. The perceptions, in turn, are a result of the cultures they live in, and those cultures are demonstrated through the directors’ different storytelling techniques.

Color schemes are tremendously important in film when considering tone, setting, and subject matter, and that is evident in these films. And the Spring Comes is a film full of grays and soft greens, reminiscent of late-90s and early-00s American movies, and it is representative both of the underserved industrial town in which the story takes place and it represents Cailing Wang’s dreary outlook in her day-to-day life. An exception to the bleak color scheme is in the last scene of the movie, when she imagines herself in front of an orchestra, with a warm, primarily wooden opera hall serving as her backdrop. Mona Lisa Smile has a wider spectrum of color, but those colors seem to serve the setting more than mood. Important and honest conversations still take place in dimly lit rooms or hallways, but brighter colors in backgrounds and outfits are used to establish the pace and energy of a university.

The resolution of the main characters’ struggles also sheds light on how they have perceived and how they are implied to continue perceiving their place in their communities. Cailing Wang fantasizes about her life had she achieved her goals, but before the scene plays out with her singing onstage, she spends time reflecting because of the circumstances that the other main characters of the movie have found themselves in. The dancer is in prison and the younger woman is abandoned and alone, which seemingly causes Cailing Wang to consider her spot in life and how ambition for something that has eluded her so far might end with her in a worse situation. Katherine’s plot in the other movie seems to end after the point Cailing Wang’s does; she realizes that she wants more than she has (both for herself and for her students), and she takes action as a result. She leaves her life behind and takes off for Europe, providing the opposite resolution that was reached in And the Spring Comes. Cailing Wang prevents herself from exerting herself into ruin, but Katherine pursues what she wants with an optimistic outlook in front of her. Through tone and resolution, these films explore what ambition can do in different settings, and how the settings affect the outcome of those ambitions.

[Wangshu H.]

I admire your essay very much! Your comments on the color schemes of the two movies inspired me, as I have hardly noticed this aspect (maybe in my subconscious, the dim color was only a result of undeveloped movie-making techniques), and your supporting ideas in the second paragraph convinced me totally.
Besides, could you explain more about why you referred to “the grass is greener on the other side” as a connective point, and what is the relationship between the subtext of it and the two characters?
The last sentence of your essay is, for me, a little difficult to understand, and I wonder if I have gotten your point after reading it for several times. What do you think Cailing Wang's ambition did in her setting? Did it do nothing?

[Jiaxin Y.]

You have a nice clear writing style and the text flows pretty well. I really like your interpretation of their state of mind by using the phrase “the grass is greener on the other side”. The second paragraph is very well written.
I agree with the above comment that the last paragraph is a bit confusing. Why is Katherine's choice an "opposite resolution"? Perhaps you may further explain your ideas. The conclusion is the one part that could be stronger and could do with a paragraph of its own.

[Spencer C.]

This is a solid essay and I agree with Jiaxin that if flows well. You did a good job of establishing the focus of the essay by mentioning the different types of conflicts in the first paragraph. It seems that you have a pretty good grasp on the plots of each movie and I liked how you pointed out the importance of color scheme and how it relates to tone, setting, and subject matter as there are crucial when interpreting each movie. I would have liked if you went into more detail regarding the conflicts (character vs. self). I think this is a topic worth exploring that will strengthen your essay. Additionally, the conclusion seems a bit rushed. When you revise, focus on restating your thesis. The concluding paragraph should match up with the introduction paragraph.

[Douglas L.]

Wangshu, Jiaxin, and Spencer: Thank you for your comments, especially regarding the confusion in the last paragraph. Here is a revised version of my essay, with your comments in consideration.

And the Spring Comes and Mona Lisa Smile take place in different environments with their characters holding different professions, but the challenges they face and the flaws that haunt them are the same. An outside phrase that connects them is “the grass is greener on the other side” and especially effective is the subtext of that phrase, which is that it only seems that way and that the grass where they currently stand is green too. The conflicts in the movies are character versus self, and that conflict manifests itself in perception. The perceptions, in turn, are a result of the cultures they live in, and those cultures are demonstrated through the directors’ different storytelling techniques.

Color schemes are tremendously important in film when considering tone, setting, and subject matter, and that is evident in these films. And the Spring Comes is a film full of grays and soft greens, reminiscent of late-90s and early-00s American movies, and it is representative both of the underserved industrial town in which the story takes place and it represents Cailing Wang’s dreary outlook in her day-to-day life. An exception to the bleak color scheme is in the last scene of the movie, when she imagines herself in front of an orchestra, with a warm, primarily wooden opera hall serving as her backdrop. Mona Lisa Smile has a wider spectrum of color, but those colors seem to serve the setting more than mood. Important and honest conversations still take place in dimly lit rooms or hallways, but brighter colors in backgrounds and outfits are used to establish the pace and energy of a university.

The resolution of the main characters’ struggles also sheds light on how they have perceived and how they are implied to continue perceiving their place in their communities. Cailing Wang fantasizes about her life had she achieved her goals, but before the scene plays out with her singing onstage, she spends time reflecting because of the circumstances that the other main characters of the movie have found themselves in. The dancer is in prison and the younger woman is abandoned and alone, which seemingly causes Cailing Wang to consider her spot in life and how ambition for something that has eluded her so far might end with her in a worse situation. Katherine’s plot in the other movie seems to end after the point Cailing Wang’s does; she realizes that she wants more than she has (both for herself and for her students), and she takes action as a result. She leaves her life behind and takes off for Europe, providing the opposite resolution that was reached in And the Spring Comes. Cailing Wang prevents herself from exerting herself into ruin, but Katherine pursues what she wants with an optimistic outlook in front of her.

Through tone and resolution, these films explore what ambition can do in different settings, and how the settings affect the outcome of those ambitions. The vocal teacher in industrial China and the liberal college professor in the U.S. have the same problems and have a similar approach to addressing them; they have ambitions that cannot be recognized at where they stand at the beginning of their respective stories, but the differences in their settings allow for more (to borrow a term from Wangshu) mobility. Cailing submits to her circumstance and settles down, while Katherine takes advantage of the opportunities she has and moves onto pursue what she wants.

[Wangshu H.]

Hi! Douglas. I really appreciate your revised essay, which is quite logical and convincing, especially when you pointed out Katherine and Cailing's similar circumstances and different choices.

[Douglas L.]

Here is my reflection:

1) What were your expectations for the border-crossing activity? Are your expectations met? Why or why not?
The first aspect of this assignment that stood out to me the most was the quality of the writing by the other students. I did not really have any expectations heading into the exchange, but I was definitely impressed by the prose and the analysis by Wangshu H. and Jiaxin Y.

2) Please name three things that struck you most when you interacted with the Chinese peers and explain why. (You may comment on the differences and/or similarities in lexical choice, writing style, idea presentation, rhetorical preference, cultural convention etc.)
First was the clarity and respectfulness of their responses -- they very kindly and accurately suggested what I should change. Second was the depth in both of their essays when comparing the U.S. and China, and they made points that I had not considered. Another was their understanding of American culture; not that the university system is necessarily very different, but the social dynamics of Mona Lisa Smile were noted nicely in their writings.

3) Did you incorporate what had been discussed into the revised draft? If so, please elaborate on how the discussion had led to the revisions you made. If not, please explain why
I did -- my final paragraph was a little cluttered and actually introduced more points rather than resolving some arguments I had previously made. Both students noted that and I fixed it in the revised draft.

4) Could you provide three adjectives to describe the activity? Please explain your choice.
New -- I haven't done an activity like this and it was a cool opportunity.
Impressive -- the capabilities of the internet are awesome, as was the writing by the other students.
Engaging -- peer revision made me think and rethink my arguments and comparing them to other students' made me spend a lot of time on a relatively short essay.

5) Any additional comments, suggestions, and observations you would like to make to better help us assess your performance in this activity?
I wished there was a little more engagement (which is on me because I did not check in on this forum as often as I probably should have) but I felt that what was said was productive and interesting.