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InterculturalCommunicationinPushingHandsPushingHandsisamaidenworkofAngLee,oneofthegreatestChinesedirectors.Itisafilmaboutcultureshockandadaption.Tosomeextent,theculturaldifferencesbetweenChinaandAmericaarepresentedfromdifferentanglesinthemovie.It’sthemovieIhavewatchedbychancethatimpressedmeandinspiredmyinterestininterculturalcommunication.SoIwillshowwhatIgainedfrommyownperspective.Themainplotofthefilmwillbeintroducedasfollow:Mr.Zhu,aretiredChineseTaichiprofessorwenttoAmericatolivewithhisson,acomputerdoctor.ConflictsbetweentheChinesefatherandhisAmericandaughter-in-law,Marsha,anovelist,appearedandaroseintheirdailylife.Finally,thetwosidesgraduallyunderstoodeachother’scultureafterapainfulprocess.Manycommentsandopinionsaboutthefilmfocusoncultureshockandadaptionthatbringsaboutthemaincontradictioninthemovie.Nevertheless,IwanttoshowthecontrastsinfamilyvaluesbetweenChineseandAmericansandanewanalogyforinterculturalcommunication.IfitwasamoviethatdescribesaChinesestudentstudyingabroad,thecontradictioncouldn’tbethesame.WhatmattersisjusttheidentityofMr.Zhu.HeisanoldmanrootedintheChinesetraditionalcultureandtheheadofthefamily.InChina,acollectivecountry,theoldareasocialgrouprespectedandprotectedbythewholesociety.Thispracticereliesonthetraditionalcultureeducationandmoralrestraint.Therespectswegivetotheoldwhoarenotrelatedwithusarecultivatedatthebasisoftherespectandloveforourelder.InAmericanculture,theyemphasizedonindividualequality,thesymbolofindividualism.Sopeoplewon’tofferextracareandattentiontotheelder.Relatively,theelderalsoprefertochoosefinancialindependenceandusuallyliveinseparateplacesfromtheirchildren.Sotherearesomescenesinthefilmshowingthedifferences.Inthemovie,MarshashoutedatMr.Zhuwhenheputsilverpaperintomicrowaveovenwithinaninchofcausingfire.Atthispoint,Mr.Zhuisalittlescared,forthereasonthathisauthorityasthetopofthefamily,ischallenged.However,Xiaosheng,hisson,stillrememberhisfather’sdemandeventhoughheisstillangrywithhisfatherwhenMarshaissenttohospital.WhenMr.ZhugetslostbecauseofMarsha’scarelessness,thetalkbetweenXiaoshengandMarshacanexplainthedifferencetosomeextent.Marsha:Iwastryingtowrite.Ihadafeelingthathewasgonnagethimselflost,justlikeakidtryingtogetsomeattention.Xiaosheng:Igrewupbelievingyoushouldcareforyourparentsthewaytheycareforyou.Myfatherisapartofme.Whycan’tyouacceptthat?Inthisdialogue,itisobviousthatMarshaconcentratesonherselfandexplainsthisaccidentfromherposition.Onthecontrary,Xiaosheng’swordsstandformanyChinese’sperspective.Thatis,ourparentsgivetheirlovetous,andwerepaytheirlove.Webehavethiswaytosetanexampletoourchildren,andthentherelationshipswilllastgenerationbygeneration.However,thispracticehaschangedinChina,becausemoreandmoreoldmanaresenttonursinghomesorforcedtolivealone,whichbecomessimilartothesituationsinAmerica.Attheend,Mr.ZhualsocompromisesAmericancultureandchoosetolivealone.Themaincontradictionofthemovieisbasedonthedifferentattitudestowardssupportingtheoldpeopleineachother’sfamilyvalues.Anotherpartofthefamilyvaluesistheeducationgiventochildren.ThemoviealsoinvolvestheconceptionandreflectsinJerry’seducation.Inthemovie,whenJerryreturnsbackhome,heshowshispaintingstoMarsha,andMarshaiscontentwithJerry’sworkwhichtellsastorywithstrongcolorsofviolence.While,Mr.Zhuhastheoppositeviewpoint,thatis,theviolenceincartoonsdoesharmtothechildren.ThedifferentopinionsaboutChineseeducationandAmericaneducationarebecomingtit-for-tatatmoderntime.Inonehand,someChinesebegintofollowAmericanteachingmethods,andintheotherhand,thesuccessfulexamplesliketheTigerMothermakemoreandmoreAmericansinterestedinChineseeducationsystems.AsastudentinChina,Icanclearlyknowaboutwhattheexam-orientededucationbringstous.While,itdon’tmeanthatAmericaneducationistotallycorrectorappropriateforus.Justlikewhatisdisplayedinthefilm,Americanchildrenhavemorefreedomandrights,butatthesametime,itismorelikelyforthemtocontactsuchthingslikeviolenceanddrugsthatdoharmtothem.Facedwithdifferentvaluesoropinions,weshouldviewthemmorerational.Onlywithreasonablecriticizingandabsorbing,canwegainthebeneficialpart.PushinghandsislikeTaichifortwopersons,whichaimsatkeepingyourbalanceandunbalancingyouropponent.TheendingoffilmhasstrongChinesenarrativestyleandthewholecommunicationisjustlikepushinghandsandembodiesthecharacteristicofthecommunicationsinhigh-contextculture.EspeciallythetwosamesentencessaidbyMr.Zhu,”没事”,havedifferentmeanings,leavingenoughspaceforustoimagine.Insomeaspects,interculturalcommunicationisjustlikepushinghands.Onlywhenthetwopersonshavethesamestrengthatthesamedirection,canthewholebalancebekept.Onceoneexertsmorestrength,orthestrengthisinthewrongdirection,thesystemcan’tkeepitsbalance.Thatis,interculturalcommunicationneedsboththetwosides’effortsintherightdirection.Ifonestickstohisowncultureandexpandhiscultureinthecommunication,thecommunicationwillleadmisunderstandingandevenconflict.Inthemovie,bothMr.ZhuandMarshamakeaconcessiontoeachotherandtrytounderstandtheculturethatisdifferentfromtheirown’s,whichformsahappyending.References:[1]贾勤，张倩倩.基于跨文化适应理论的电影《推手》赏析.湖北工业大学