WebJonathan Spences novel The Question of Hu covers mid-eighteenth century travels from China to the western world of a Jesuit missionary, Father Jean-Francois Foucquet, and a Chinese scribe, John Hu. He considers whether it was a good idea to distance himself from his Chinese culture in order to achieve success and respect in America. Not only will the would-be secretary not learn French, he wont even copy Chinese, as he was hired to do, but rather throws himself with willful abandon into seeing what there is to see. Through them, Huck gains a better view of the world. Fascinating story of a Chinese traveling to Europe in the early 18th century told through the writings of a French Jesuit priest. Print., Bibliography: Christian, David. Hu is the gate keeper of a church and has been converted to Christianity for about 20 years. 157) which he never did understand it himself. Before Fouquet left Port Louis, Hu quickly changes his mind and decided to go on coach (Spence 56). His room was filthy, his furniture was rearranged, and he treated Mrs. Baynes and her daughter very poorly, even threatening to hit her daughter on one occasion (Spence 82). However, the question remains if Spence's research fits within the strict confines of historical literature, or whether its narrative-driven style is more characteristic of a historical novel. WebThe Question of Hu SummeryThe novel was written by Jonathan Spencer in which he brings to light the life of Hu a Chinese who was taken to France by a priest, Jean-Francois. The historical novel portrays a story of two people, John Hu, and Jean-Franois Foucquet. Americans accepting a non-American into their society was unheard of at that time, however because Fong See became wealthy, he used that to his advantage. In The Man Awakened from Dreams, Henrietta Harrison describes the life of Liu Dapeng through his diary entries. They all have the problem of fitting into their new environments. Hus actions are judged on a reader-to-reader basis by the major theme of the novel, cultural differences versus insanity. His room was filthy, his furniture was rearranged, and he treated Mrs. Baynes and In reality, Foucquet is just a man that feels he is behind in life, and wants to return back home to continue his work in his own research office. Hucks situation, which exposes him to the heartless nature of society, is caused by the conniving actions of the Dauphin. This is a small book on a small story, the misadventures of man from China named Hu. This is a bit admirable to a more reserved person because it shows how outgoing she is when diving into a new culture. Harrison depicts Liu as a conservative scholar and argues that his education and Confucian beliefs provided him opportunities even among the modernization changes of China. When the noise of the gold rush flooded the world, immigrants started to see America more appetizing than ever. They all have the problem of fitting into their new environments. She recalls many past experiences where her mother suffered from bad service and treatment from restaurants, stockbrokers, and even hospitals. This kind of traditional Chinese culture has also affected her daughter profoundly. And what was the deal with Hu? Although Twain and Kingston both wrote about the immigrants in a positive light, Twain was sympathetic of the immigrants and Kingston focused more on their image and her ancestors. During his reign, he invaded the empire on several occasions. Both times he went, he was unable to conquer Constantinople, the largest and wealthiest European. Hu is dark-skinned, physically unappealing, and with a despairing look to him, but there is no time to look further: It was either this Chinese or none at all. Hu sails with Foucquet virtually on the morning tide. Hu refused to be around Renaults housekeeper, likely because she was a, Hu continued to ride it around town until the horses owner found him and scolded him. WebHus question, after spending almost three years in a lunatic asylum, why have I been locked up? raises the question whether Hu is insane or not. The historical novel portrays a story of two people, John Hu, and Jean-Franois Foucquet. In addition to fueling the distrust of the western healthcare system by an already marginalized community. Dr. Spence received a lot of positive critics by major newspapers and journals like Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, etc. John Hu is selected by Father Foucquet to travel to Western Europe with him. The excellence of The Question of Hu lies in its brevity and understatement. By saying this Chinese sentence in America, it taunted and made Jack embarrassed because Jack always thought he will not get accepted and his mother was one that is blocking his way to get recognized since, she made Jack different from peers. The Question of Hu, written beautifully by Jonathan Spence, should be considered an important contribution to the broad field of humanities. The third section deals with Lius college experience and how it played a part in his, In the Autobiography of a Chinese immigrant written in 1903 by Lee Chew, dialogues about his point of view, Before they even reached Europe, Foucquet began having concerns about Hus sanity. The protagonist in this story Jing-mei Woos mother is born and raised in China, and immigrates to the United States to escape from the Chinese Civil War. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book. Hu gets this idea that he is going to meet the Pope. WebThe question of Hu, by Jonathan D. Spence, is a book on the Chinese and European connection during the early 1700s. Before his experience on land, Huck remained conscious of, but not fully aware of heartless actions. The Essential World History. THESIS - When evaluating Arnold Junior Spirit from Sherman Alexies The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jin Wang from Gene Luen Yangs American Born Chinese, similarities radiate in both characters as their disparity in race deem the two of them as outcasts in the entirety of society. His slight hesitation escaping with Jim makes him question the authenticity of his morality. When the father was in China, he made a good amount of manuscripts which needed a Chinese man to translate them for him. He is adopted widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. The big question of Spence's story - the titular Question of Hu - is whether Hu was rightfully institutionalized or if he was simply mistreated and horribly misunderstood amidst a wash of cultural differences. This book didn't quite deliver for me. When French, German, Italian, and English are more common, he was only able to speak Chinese, which almost nobody knew how to. We should eat American food (69). This feeling of sympathy is the reason The Question of Hu was written in the first place, given that we know about Hu because there were rumors that Foucquet had mistreated Hu so Foucquet wrote letters to nobility and senior members in the Jesuit church. Spence provides both supporting and contradicting evidences for Hus insanity leaving us to evaluate and come up with a conclusion on our own. The Question of Hu reverses the standard travelers tale. John Hu is a Chinese man that is literate but not educated. Who? 2nd ed. In China, being a guest of someones home means being appreciative and good mannered, making Hus behavior completely. No scholar or bibliophile would fail to squirm at Spences descriptions of Foucquets possessiveness for his books, his ideas and, above all, his tranquillity. It is the story of John Hu, a lowly but devout Chinese Catholic, who in 1722 accompanied a Jesuit missionary on a journey to France--a journey that ended with Hu's confinement in a lunatic asylum. Although he says he wishes to go home, he has to be forced aboard the boat carriage, and boat, to return to China. The interactions that occur consist of the cultural differences between Chinese and European customs. Financial Statement Analysis Workbook - Aug 17 2021 All too often, nancial statements conceal more than they reveal. The sanity of Hu can be question; he would rather act as a homeless man than get to his destination on coach. I am just a businessman, not a poet. Despite she has a Chinese mother; she is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with Chinese. Duiker, William .and Spielvogel, Jackson. From start to last, the story of Hu in France is a nightmare for Foucquet. Tan conceals that the language in which her mother used with her was the language that helped shape the way [she] saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world (1208) and in the process it made her who she is today as an author. John Hu is a Chinese man that is literate but not educated. Although Jin Wang takes the form of Danny to reject his Chinese roots, the embarrassment of Chin-Knee shows he cannot hide behind a false American identity, thereby delineating that race is the source of his problem. WebThe Question of Hu SummeryThe novel was written by Jonathan Spencer in which he brings to light the life of Hu a Chinese who was taken to France by a priest, Jean-Francois. He obviously didnt like the civilized life, as he kept running off to have adventures with his best friend Tom Sawyer, and even escaping from civilization while travelling with Jim. Jonathan Spence has a wonderful aptitude for placing you, the reader, in the front row of historical events. Danny has to deal with embarrassment of his cousin. The excellence of The Question of Hu lies in its brevity and understatement. In the beginning of the book, Hucks lack of morals and uncultured personality is a product of living with his abusive, demoralized father. Foucquet declares [Hu] to be a fool (Standeart 137) which can be reasonable given how Hu acts but it shows how Foucquet has little respect for him. Eventually, another Chinese-speaking Jesuit shows more patience with him and does not think Hu mad. The question of Hu, indeed! When Huck steps away from his cocoon on the raft, he witnesses the Duke and the Dauphin's attempt to sell Jim, Hucks loyal runawayformer-slave friend, back into slavery. In short, one gradually discovers that The Question of Hu amounts to, among other things, a kind of moral and spiritual palimpsest on which the reader is invited to do what the author has all but refrained from doing--render judgment, not just on Hu or on Foucquet but on himself. He decides not to challenge them, if they wanted to be kings and dukes, let them. (United States 2011), 346, Solomon, R.C. A rather odd story oddly told in simplified present tense of a simple Chinese man effectively employed by a Jesuit priest who takes him from Canton to France. This tiny ADU in L.A. delivers, His family saved a girl from Nazis. 826 Words; 4 Pages; The Question Of Hu Summary. The interactions that occur consist of the cultural differences between Chinese and European customs. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. When he hears of the news that Foucquet is going to France and needs a copyist he quickly agrees. Hus travels are no more historically important than those three that were jailed for eleven years. Religions look up to people who are dead and that did great things in the past. The reader is left to make the justification on John Hus actions given that Spence does not come out and talk about his views of Hu. This is an analysis of the main character, Huck in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck only changes in regards to his opinions of the duke and king. 1. If you are interested in 18th century France, you may not mind. With devastating use of litotes, Spence limns the disrupting effect of a Hu on the busy, buttoned-down life of a Jean-Francois Foucquet SJ, a life no less self-centered, for being work-centered. Englund, an American writer living in Paris, teaches French history at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, An IRA bomber almost killed Margaret Thatcher. Even with immigration laws preventing Chinese laborers and citizens to enter unless maintaining merchant status, Yitang and Sam Chang managed to sponsor approximately 40 relatives to the states with their businesses in herbalist. J.M. Danny has to deal with embarrassment of his cousin. The Dauphins actions disgust Huck, who was previously blissfully unaware of societys harsh and cruel nature. In addition to their lack of social interactions, their uniformity in their impulsive decisions cost them each a dear friend. However, over time, these characters have to come together to fit in. Last thing that one can infer from the quote is his mothers language barrier. Not since Carl Becker have I come across a sparer or more even-tempered historical ironist than Jonathan Spence. Simon and Schuster MacMillan, 1996., Walsh, B. That's how Hu's disaster in Europe begins. WebThe question of Hu, by Jonathan D. Spence, is a book on the Chinese and European connection during the early 1700s. facing the man who brought him. He was the keeper of the gate in the Catholic Church of Canton. Hu was to help the priest in translating a Chinese document. John Hu is a Chinese man that is literate but not educated. Jin Wang has to deal with Asian stereotypes. Focusing on an outsider in the West, Spence is able to highlight paradoxes and inconsistencies in Western behavior. The historical novel portrays a story of two people, John Hu, and Jean-Franois Foucquet. Correspondingly, Huck gains a consideration for Jim and his personal feelings, which he expresses nonchalantly through motley aspects of their journey. Financial Statement Analysis Workbook - Aug 17 2021 All too often, nancial statements conceal more than they reveal. The story talks of survival, rediscovery, and the restoration of pride and dignity. Lias parents were immigrants to a Western nation. During his mission, Fouquet is called back to France and he is eager to return. The end result was that Hu returned to China feeling ill used while the priest had to defend himself against charges of maltreatment. What Kingston actually meant by Ah Goong being an American ancestor was that he had many accomplishments, but those achievements werent communicated to Kingstons family. Attila the Hun was the one responsible for bringing the Huns to their greatest strength and who posed the greatest threat to the Roman Empire. Roberts, History of the World. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy Volume 7 & 8. In spite of that, Hucks treatment of them does not change, therefore his character does not grow. WebJonathan Spences novel The Question of Hu covers mid-eighteenth century travels from China to the western world of a Jesuit missionary, Father Jean-Francois Foucquet, and a Chinese scribe, John Hu. In his business life, Fong See was very successful and he dressed like a business man in his three pieces tailored suits like most successful American business men did. Genres History China Nonfiction School Biography College Microhistory more 208 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 2011 Liu examines the cause and effect of his acts in college, like how he chose not to be pigeonholed by the race-specific clubs. We never really learn what Hu thinks. WebJonathan Spences novel The Question of Hu covers mid-eighteenth century travels from China to the western world of a Jesuit missionary, Father Jean-Francois Foucquet, and a Chinese scribe, John Hu. 2. John Hu is a Chinese man that is literate but not educated. Foucquet, the French Jesuit missionary thinks that he is doing Hu (a Christian convert)a favor taking him from China to France and then to Rome, and that Hu can help him by acting as his clerk and translator. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Another Spence gem that recreates the world he evokes with minute detail and sharp, vivid prose. WebThe Hu Pdf Recognizing the habit ways to get this books A Brief History Of Everyone Who web summary some 107 billion modern humans have lived on earth over the past web a brief history of everyone who ever lived the hu pdf eventually you will no question discover a additional experience and triumph by spending more cash I forgot the title but not the absurd problem of Hu. Focusing on an outsider in the West, Spence is able to highlight paradoxes and inconsistencies in Western behavior. He was the keeper of the gate in the Catholic Church of Canton. Because Huck chooses not to say anything about the suspicious behavior of the duke and the king or present the issue, Hucks dismissive nature is, 'Sha Jiao chink?. English', I said. Interesting read, reads like fiction even though it is non-fiction, very well written. 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