Act+Three.TH+Chat


 * a. Purpose of act (Lesedi)**
 * To establish changes and reform that have taken place since World War II, from both foreign and domestic influences
 * More conflict after World War II (between reformists and anti-reformists), more hostility towards one another


 * b. Notable characters (Lesedi)**
 * Reformists: Little Soothsayer Tang, Little Pockface Liu, Fourth Aunt Pang, Director Shen, Little Erdezi, Ding Bao, Wang LiFa (however, he is limited in his tolerance)
 * Anti-reformists: Kang Shunzi, Qing ZhongYi, Wang DaShuan, Fourth Elder Chang


 * c. Political issues of the time period (Lesedi)**
 * The Chinese Civil War and Mao Zedong's increasingly powerful communist rule began to place pressure on the KMT so KMT officials began to arrest more people who opposed their views in order to maintain power, as well as take away property of so-called "traitors" (49)
 * It is the aftermath of World War II and foreigners have begun to encroach on Chinese culture
 * Both the World War and the Civil War have contributed to new ideas and encouraged the idea of reform, so many old and traditional aspects of China are to be demolished or replaced with 'new ideas'
 * A great deal of censorship and restriction of freedom of speech has been implemented

The control that the KMT party had over the people.
 * d. Control and treatment of others (Crystal)**
 * "This place is under Director Shen's control. You know who Director Shen is, I expect. He's a member of the municipal KMT party committee and Director of the General headquarters of the Special Police. You want to collect his light bill, do you? Speak up!" "Don't be silly. Of course not. I'm sorry, I think I'm in the wrong place.
 * The lightbill collector doesn't collect the money once he finds out that the place is under Director Shen's control, because of fear of what can be done to home.
 * Shows the power and control that the government has over the people.

The people in power treated others any way they wanted and used them for their own pleasure
 * Fourth Aunt Pang
 * "Sing that little hawkers' jingle of yours. Damned if I don't get a kick out of it."
 * Orders Old Yang to sing the "jingle" so that she can be entertained.
 * "That's enough. Get lost!"
 * Once she's "done" with him she orders him to leave.
 * Can get rid of whoever she wants whenever she wants.
 * (//Shifting her anger to Wang Lifa):// "Proprietor Wang, come here! You go and talk to that old bag. Convince her, and I'll give you a sack of good flour. If you don't, I'll have this place smashed up."
 * Isn't used to not getting what she wants.
 * Once she's set her eyes on something, she will use anything in her power to achieve it.
 * Taking advantage of the control she has over people -> corrupted
 * Little Song Enzi and Little Wu Xiangzi
 * "So far we've thrown over a hundred in jail, and beaten the shit out of seventy of eighty more. That'll teach them to rebel!"
 * Turn to violence as a way to solve problems.
 * They think they're better than others because they side with the foreigners and believe that they can treat others poorly.


 * e. Negotiation (Pam)**
 * Always the involvement of more than two people in a negotiation
 * just a formality, always one party basically coercing/tricking others into the deal
 * Little Pockface Liu: "Director Shen's okayed remodelling of your teahouse." (without consulting Wang Lifa at all before that)
 * motives: money, power
 * Ding Bao
 * Fourth Aunt Pang "the two of us can handle the Emperor"(61)
 * An increase in insults, negotiations deteriorating into insults, rudeness, condescending words
 * Ding Bao: "Humph! I only wish I wasn't part of it" (62)
 * Little Pockface Liu: “Ding Bao, you're too bloody negative" (62)
 * Fourth Aunt Pang: "go and talk to that old bag" (62)
 * Light Bill Collector: "Don't be smart" (52)
 * End of play is a negotiation
 * Ding Bao: "Couldn't you give him a uniform and keep him on as a doorman?" (78)
 * Wang is tired of all the negotiations, exploitation of his resources
 * With all the "negotiations", Wang Lifa exploited for his last possession, the teahouse


 * f. Success and failure (Kate)**
 * Success usually pertains to those who have followed the reformation as well as adopted foreigner's influences
 * Little Pockface Liu and Little Soothsayer Tang have experienced success
 * Dressed in elegant foreign clothing, are now rich (esp. compared to other characters and their parents in Act 1)
 * Little Soothsayer has been named "Court Astrologer" (55), shown to be much more successful than his father, who was a drunk
 * Succeed in gaining approval for their new establishment, "United Double Blossom Corporation" (55)
 * Little Erdezi has had more success as he has gained an education as well as physical power
 * Studying KMT Institute of Law and Politics
 * Working for the KMT to crack down on rebels (students and teachers), has gained physical strength (i.e. biceps) which he is extremely proud of
 * Makes a relatively acceptable income and enjoys his job


 * Failure often finds those who are reluctant to accept the changing country and follow the reformation
 * Wang LiFa has experienced failure in his teahouse. Although he claims to welcome reformation, he only allows small amounts. The overall picture stays about the same
 * Less customers at the teahouse now
 * Failed housing quarters at the back of the teahouse and storytelling sessions
 * Lost the teahouse entirely to Little Pockface Liu and Little Soothsayer Tang's new establishment
 * Became poorer
 * Qing ZhongYi
 * Failure in creating his own factory as it was taken away by the government as "traitor property." As a result, all Qing ZhongYi's hard work went down the drain
 * Became poor
 * Fourth Elder Chang
 * Has not accomplished anything, "gotten nowhere" (74)
 * Became poor
 * Failed to give his friends, especially Second Elder Song, a decent funeral due to his poverty

Major changes: the fall of Yu Tai teahouse; continuing deviation from the tradition while reformation is still in progress; deteriorating lives of characters stay throughout the time are Wang LiFa, Qin ZhongYi, and Second Elder Chang
 * g. Change (So Yeon)**
 * Teahouse: the setting (the place itself) is there throughout the time, yet the appearance or service at the teahouse goes through reforms
 * "Yutai Teahouse is no longer the handsome place it was in the previous act. The wicker chairs are gone, having been replaced with stools and benches.”
 * "Everything… is dull and shabby”
 * Proliferation of “Don’t discuss state affairs” and introduction of “Pay in advance” signs
 * Teahouse, gathering place for all à  business change into prostitution (characters discuss the hiring of hostess for lucrative purposes)
 * Taking over: arranged and carried out by other characters, not the owner of the teahouse – Wang LiFa; reveals that he is no longer in control, underlining his powerlessness
 * Characters: numerous characters come and go; some characters that were present in the first act are no longer there in Act 3. Yet, some of the characters that
 * The characters that have stayed from the beginning to the end of the play reflect the changes (both ups and downs) that they experienced throughout the time:
 * One scene where the three characters reunite and discuss how their lives have changed à  all seems to be tired of their living (poverty, instability, etc.)
 * Change in Qin ZhongYi’s belief: industrious, hard-working character à  “spend [money] on wine and women” “hard work’s a waste of time” reflects hopelessness he feels after seeing all his hard work that he produced for his factory simply becoming futile by the government’s forced “demolition”
 * Wang LiFa: spent time satisfying his customers, conforming to changes in the society, followed the trend, believing the hard work will pay off à  “(laughs bitterly)," nothing gets better
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Costumes: shabby clothing (deteriorated quality of living, everything on downhill, i.e. the descent of business, aging, etc.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Physical appearances: “[Qin ZhongYi] has aged terribly…,” sign of aging, changes/elapsed time
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Language: More profane, overt language use à <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> difficult, harsh living
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Reform vs. Tradition
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Wang DaShuan: promotes the maintenance of tradition and conventionality
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">"...you seem to forget that Yutai Teahouse is a respected old name. Should a respected old business of more than sixty years’ standing be using a come-on hostess?"
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Wang LiFa: willing to conform to the changing trend (everything is done for the teahouse business)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">"I've always been for improving things – reform."
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Ding Bao: support changes; "the older something is the more worthless it is."
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">All characters promoting the change and taking over of the teahouse: believe in reformation


 * h. Threats and promises (Adrian)**
 * Threats are usually empty or weak
 * Little Pockface Liu gives the Lightbill collector an empty threat, that Director Shen controls the teahouse and will not approve if the Lighbill collector insists on collecting money today
 * Director Shen, a character so high up in status would likely not care too much about such trivial matters
 * Director Shen is not the owner of the teahouse
 * Fourth Aunt Pang threatens (and insults) others when they do not take her promise (or bribe). However, her threats are empty.
 * Fourth Aunt Pang gives Wang LiFa an ultimatum: either do as she says and persuade Kang Shunzi to return with Aunt Pang and receive flour, or have his teahouse smashed up.
 * Wang LiFa chooses not to persuade Kang Shunzi but Aunt Pang does not smash up his teahouse
 * Little Erdezi threatens teacher Xie Yongren and provokes a fight but Erdezi ultimately loses the fight to Xie Yongren
 * The threat was not very intimidating as Xie Yongren easily defeated Little Erdezi


 * Promises given during this act are often conditional or are not followed through.
 * Kang Shunzi promises Wang XiaoHua that if she "is a good little girl" Kang Shunzi will come back to visit her
 * An empty promise since Kang Shunzi knows that she will likely be unable to return once she joins her son Dali
 * Fourth Aunt Pang promises Old Yang that he will be paid by Che Dangdang
 * The promise does not follow through as Che Dangdang is reluctant to pay
 * Fourth Aunt Pang tells Old Yang him to "get out" before the transaction occurs (59), as his "jingle," while entertaining before has caused Aunt Pang to become annoyed
 * Fourth Aunt Pang promises Old Yang that he will be paid by Che Dangdang
 * Fourth Aunt Pang's promises are implied to be false as she becomes angry when her target does not take her bribe
 * Fourth Aunt Pang promises Kang Shunzi a position as Empress Dowager if Kang Shunzi returns to the royal family
 * When Kang Shunzi refuses, Fourth Aunt Pang becomes infuriated and hostile and directs her anger elsewhere (toward Little Soothsayer Tang and Wang Lifa)
 * Fourth Aunt Pang promises to give Wang LiFa some flour if he persuades Kang Shunzi to return home with her
 * Wang LiFa implies that he will not try to convince Kang Shunzi and Fourth Aunt Pang scolds him by saying that he "does not deserve to live" (62)
 * Little Pockface Liu promises Little Soothsayer Tang a position as "Head Consultant," but only if he can think of an elegant name for their new establishment.


 * i. Foreigner presence and influence (Emily)**
 * Japanese Influence
 * Idea of hostesses and hostess bars is most common in Japan so Japanese occupation may have brought idea to China
 * Little Pockface Liu's encouragement towards Wang LiFa to hire Ding Bao as a hostess
 * Little Soothsayer Tang and Little Pockface Liu's idea to set up a "tlust" (54) in place of the Yu Tai teahouse
 * American Influence
 * In the 1940's the United States supported the KMT party so Americans were present in China
 * Characters idolize Americans
 * Western clothes are prominent in Act 3 and many characters express approval for such apparel (e.g. LIttle Soothsayer Tang praises Little Pockface Liu "Decked out in Western duds, [...] you look more like a foreigner than a foreigner" (53).
 * Minifies worth of Chinese money by calling it "worthless" (54) while expressing great excitement at prospect of earning "American dollars" every month (54).
 * Want to set up a "tlust," which Little Pockface Liu states is an "American term" (54). Shows desire to replace past Chinese traditions and culture with new foreign ideas.
 * Little Erdezi praises and flaunts his own muscular build by comparing it with "American cement" (63)
 * Characters mock Americans
 * Zhou XiuHua warns Wang XiaoHua of those "drunken American jeep drivers," which suggests a stereotype towards Americans and shows that some characters see Americans and foreigners as having ridiculous and disapproving habits
 * Old Yang sings a "jingle" that ridicules Americans: "Yankee needles, Yankee notions, Yankee toothpaste [...], name it chum I'll sell you one unless you want an atom bomb." (59)
 * Also suggests Old Yang is selling foreign trinkets and shows characters' absorbance with foreign objects (Fourth Aunt Pang purchases stockings)
 * Director Shen (member of KMT) overly-exaggerates the appearance of an American by dressing with "high boots and spurs, carr[ying] a quirt in his hand" (76) and employs an American accent, repeatedly saying "Yesseriee!"
 * Some members of the KMT did not trust or like the support of the Americans