Group 8

TV Drama Analysis-- Taiwan A-Chen

YE4A

Amy 1094100043

Annie 1094100023

Francis 1094100018

Michelle 1094100042

Zoe 1094100040

January 11, 2007

Introduction

Taiwan A-chen is a 200-episode-long TV drama; in which documents Taiwan’s background of economic and social development from 1970 to 2000, telling a story that how a despised man becomes a successful entrepreneur. This TV drama was adapted from a real story. An unhappy marriage triggers the conflict of the story. Wang Rui-Long is an adopted son of a silk store’s owner who has no son. Because of Wang Rui-Long’s diligence, the store owner asks Wang to marry his only daughter Jin-Zhu and inherit his business. However, Wang Rui-Long is in love with Mei-Feng, but the stress come from the silk owner, the benefactor of him, is too enormous that he finally accepts to marry Jin-Zhu. But Jin-Zhu does not love Rui-Long at all. She looks down on his low education and is a proud, imperious woman. As for Mei-Feng, Rui-Long buys a house for her in a concubine lane. People living there are despised. The main character, A-chen, was born in this tough condition, with a father who is not legally admitted. In A-chen’s whole life, he first suffers the contempt from the neighborhood and the torture from Jin-Zhu, and then struggles for his career the half of his life span.

There is one special characteristic in Taiwan TV drama. That is to say, most of Taiwan TV drama has more than 200 episodes not only Taiwan A-Chen, but also Taiwan Tornado (name of Taiwan TV drama), Taiwan Pili Fire (name of Taiwan TV drama), and so forth. The TV drama always starts from parents to children, even grandsons and granddaughters, crossing generations. For that reason, the drama will includes a lot of traditional concepts in Taiwan. Take Taiwan A-Chen for an example, we may find out that the position of women changes. Another is obedience. No matter what the parents say, those children should listen to their parents’ orders including their marriages.

Main impersonators

• Su-Ho(蘇合): She is Mother of GinHoYi’s boss. She represents the authority in the house, and every one should obey her orders.

• Wang Rui-Long(王瑞龍): An employee of GinHoYi marries the daughter of boss for repaying an obligation. Although, he becomes the boss of GinHoYi, he has no right to decide anything of GinHoYi by himself.

• Guo Gin-Ziu(郭金珠): She is Rui-Long’s wife. In fact, she is unwilling to marry Rui-Long because Rui-Long is only a small employee. She is the typical case of a girl growing up in a rich family in Taiwan, so her personality is snobbishness, and overbearing.

• Lin Mei-Feng(林美鳳): Originally, she works in a theater of traditional drama(歌仔戲) and wine shop. After being redeemed by Rui-Long, she becomes his concubine. She had a hard time in her childhood, so she becomes hardy, and will not be stricken down easily.

• Huang Yueh-Erh(黃月娥): She is Mei-Feng’s good friend whose job is hairdresser. She is warm and sincere, and loves to help others.

• A-Ron(鄭春榮): He is also one of the employees of GinHoYi. He is an optimistic person, even though he is an orphan and brought home by Rui-Long.

• Guo Gen-Huo(郭根火): He is Gin-Ziu’s uncle. His personality is sinister, and tricky.

• A-Sha(阿霞): She is Gen-Hun’s wife.

• Wang Shiu-Chuan(王秀娟): She is the first daughter of Gin-Ziu. Her personality is stubborn, arrogant, but kindhearted.

• Wang Ching-Ping(王錦平): He is Gin-Ziu’s son.

• Wang Ching-Chang(王錦昌): He is the third son of Gin-Ziu, and has the same age as A-Chen. His personality is immature, and profligate.

• Wang Tsai-Chu(王彩菊): She is the adopted daughter of Gin-Ziu, and also wife of A-Chen. She is a hard-working person.

• Chen Ai-Chiao(甄愛嬌): She is Ching-Chang’s girlfriend.

• A-Chen(王志誠): He is Mei-Feng’s son. His personality is wise, piety, and honest.

• Bai Mu-Sheng(白木生): He is one of the employees of GinHoYi, but after having an affair with Gin-Ziu, he is expelled from GinHoYi.

• Bai Cheng-Tung(白正東): He is Bai Mu-Sheng’s father.

Analysis—the parental betrothal

In the past time, for the well-meaning purpose to consolidate a close and sociable friendship between each other, people appointed the bilateral kids to get married when they grow up in the future on condition that both sides of the kids are opposite sex. Sometimes, the parents even made the commitment before both kids were born. People at that time believed that the friendship could be more solid and durable by the affinity. Therefore, the situation of the assigned children got married with someone he or she didn’t even meet before or didn’t love was frequently happened since people at that time valued and thought highly of promise. Also, it was a curse given by the traditional value that children had no choice but to obey everything parents dominated, no matter they like it or not. So children in the past did not have much control and dignity to decide for themselves, if they revolted against what parents asked them to do would be seen and criticized as failing in filial piety. For these reasons, this kind of “governed marriage” seldom benefited the children with a happy marriage, because the children could not get married with someone he or she really loved so that it easily resulted in having extramarital relations since the marriage was forced and not united upon the base of “true love”. So husbands always drank and hung out all day for fun, because they didn’t feel any love and feeling toward their wives and wanted to escape from the failing marriage; thus, there was even a street called “xi yi jie” (Street of Concubines) where husbands looked for consolation and had affairs with girls they really love while the wives were pathetically ignored and left alone at home. We can tell that “commitment “and “filial piety” were the two prevailing structures of traditional power in the old Taiwanese society compared to the young generation nowadays having much freedom and liberty to choose their own marriage.

Analysis— the change of women’s role from the past to nowadays

In the past, men’s role was more important than women’s and always took the leadership of family. Wives always had to obey their husbands and were responsible for the housework. Not only that, women were unfairly expected to give birth to sons. If they gave birth to daughters, they would be treated badly. Even daughters would be treated as the “money-losing proposition.” Today, women can divorce from their husbands if there’s a serious problem such as the domestic violence in the marriage. They may hire a baby-sister to take care for their little babies. Women can go to work and be promoted to leader status, not to mention they are allowed a maternity leave. Being liberated from men’s domination, women nowadays are more justified in caring for their outlook appearance—not just for pleasing their husbands or loves but also for showing their own confidence.

Conclusion

Young people in the past rarely got their rights to choose their Mr. or Miss Right. The parental betrothal forced them to marry people they had even not seen before and most of the time; they were suffering from getting along with their spouses whose values or personalities were totally different, and a bad communication. This could always cause a miserable marriage and a dull family. Further, in this parental betrothal society women were more misfortunate than men because men were regarded as superior to women. Not only did not have right to choose the one they loved, women but also could not choose the life they wanted. They were forced to follow their husbands, stay home and take care of children. Although hading contributing a lot, women were still dominated by men and treated unfairly.

Along with the social advancement, people now get less stress from the parents and much freedom to marry the one they do love. We date before getting married. We marry the one chosen by our free will. And we build a family with mutual understanding. As to women, they both get the right of marrying a guy they love and the equalities in jobs and families. They can choose to be a responsible mother or an outstanding manager, or both, if they want and work hard. Working outside is no more a privilege for men. A new-born daughter is treated as the pearl in the palm. Women now are never losers!