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TheculturalclashesbetweenChineseandAmericaninGuashatreatmentIntroduction•ThestoryintheChinesemovieGuashaTreatmenttookplaceintheU.S.A.ThemovieshowsusalegalconflictresultedfromGuasha,aChinesemedicaltreatmentofchildren.Itseemsthatthestoryisamisunderstandingoralegaldispute,butactually,itindicatessomeculturaldifferencesbetweenChinaandtheWest.•Teammembers:邵裕王孝波陈敏闫敏陈苏文黄舟朱琳Culturedifferences•Emotionandlaws•Friendshipandobligation•Children'seducation•ViewoffaceEmotionandlaws•AsaimmigrantwhohadlivedintheUnitedStatesforeightyears,DatongisessentiallydominatedbytheChinesetraditionalvalues,forexample,thinkinghighlyoffilialpiety.Asaresult,DatongliesthecourtthatitwashimselfwhoGuashatohisson,inordertoprotecthisfather.Whenhisgoodfriend,Mr.QuinlinknowsthatitwasnotDatongbuthisfatherGuashatoDennis,heisveryshocked.AccordingtoAmericanideas,eachpersonshouldnotperjury,evenifitistoprotecthisfather,HoweverasaAmerican,QuinlincannotunderstandChineseculturevaluesystem.IntheChineseculture,peoplewillconsciouslyorunconsciouslydealwiththeproblemaccordingtotraditionalChinesevalues.Thisisareflectionoftheculturalunconsciousness.Friendshipandobligation•Chinesepeoplethinkthatagoodfriendshould“throughfireandwaterwithoutanyhesitation”.InthefilmthisconceptalsoaffectsthebehaviorofDatong.HoweverinAmericansociety,peopleareunwillingtoassumemoreobligationsoffriends.Intheirmind,theorderisalegal,reasonandhumanfeelingwhentheydealwithaproblem.BecauseQuinlinwashisfriend,DatongthinkscertainlythatQuinlinshouldbeloyaltohimregardlessofanycircumstances.Soatthefirsthearing,DatongnaturallythinkshecantrustQuinlinashisownlawyereventhoughQuinlinisn’tmajorinthatsector.However,afterseenthebruiseonDennis’back,QuinlinbelievedthatDatonghad“long-termpunishmentandneglecttotheson“.HecouldnotlongerdefendforDatong,becausetheWestareoftenmorerationalthanemotional.Evenforfriendsandfamiliestheyhavetoactaccordingtolaw,whichisthemanifestationofAmericansculturalunconsciousness.Children'seducation•Inthebeginningofthestory,Datong‘ssonDennishittheboss’ssonPaul.DatongimmediatelycallsDennistoapologizetoPaul,butQuinlanthinkthatfightingisnormalandthereisnoquestionoftheapology.•Thus,intheviewsoftheChineseparents,someblameorbeatingonthechildrenisoneoflovefortheirchildren,whicharefulloftheexpectationoftheirchildrentobecomeuseful.Sowehavethousandsofyearsoldmaxim:“Thelackofchildren‘seducationisthefaultoffather”.•InWestern'seyes,thiskindofbehaviorisverystrange.Westcountriesemphasizedemocracyandfreedom,whicharenotonlyperformanceofnational,racial,butalsopresentinmanyfamilies.InaWestfamily,eachmemberincludingmaleandfemale,regardlessofage,isequalandeachmemberisentitledtofulldemocracyandfreedom.Viewofface•Quinlin(boss):“Ijusttoldthetruth!YoushouldnothitDennis!”•Datong:“WhyIhithim?Why?Myownson!Ihithimforshowingrespectforyou!Togiveyouface!Doyouknow?”•Quinlin:“WhatamessChina'slogic,howcanyouhitthechildtoshowfaceforme!”•Datong:“incomprehensible!”•The“mess”logicthatQuinlinsaidcanbequiteunderstandablebyChinesepeople.Sowhat’sthereasonofthatmistake?HerehastotalkabouttheconceptoftheChinesepeople'sface.OneChinesewriterLinYutangsaidinhisarticle《faceandtheruleoflaw》,“Chinesepeople'sface,notonlyforwash,italsocanbescratched,andcanbelose,andcanbetoured,andcanbefightingfor,andsometimesitseemstothebefirstmeaningtostruggleforfaceinlife.”Whetherapersonisrichorpoor,superiororinferiorpeople,facearewantedforeveryone.However,intheUnitedStates,thisisalogicthatjustcannotbeunderstood,asQuinlanstatedinthefilm.Conclusion•Thereisnodenyingthefactthatwewillconfrontmanycultureclashesduringthe,justlikethefilmperformed.Atthesametime,theyarenottheclashesthatwecannotavoid.Inthefilm,QuinlinhasmadeathroughthewayofcomingtoChinaandexperiencingwhat’sGuasha.Asaconsequence,successfulinterculturalcommunicationscanbetakenifpeoplehavethewillingtoknoweachother'sculture.