Act+Two.TH+Chat

= **Teahouse: Act Two** =

** Notable Characters: ** Wang LiFa, Soothsayer Tang, Pockface Liu, Kang Shunzi, Wang Shufen, Old Lin and Old Chen, Cui Jiufeng, Song Enzi, Wu Xiangzi, Fourth Elder Chang, Second Elder Song

** Time Period **
 * Early summer
 * Over ten years after end of first act
 * Yuan Shikai, the former emperor, is dead; country is in shambles
 * Country being divided into regimes; "civil war is endemic" (p. 23)

**Overall Purposes**
 * Superficial improvements (teahouse, wealth, appearance) but shows downward progression of society, changes
 * Increased intensity of the political situation, disintegration of society
 * Increased foreign presence and influence in Chinese society
 * Social hierarchy

This act shows the progression of society to even harsher times than existed earlier, during the Qing Dynasty: “maybe the great Qing Empire wasn’t so good, but I’ve gone hungry from the day this Republic of China began” (Second Elder Song, p. 33). This shift is also apparent in the behavior of many of the characters; for example, Wang Lifa, who offered tea to a poor peddler in act 1, turns beggars away in act 2, saying “You’re wasting your time” (p. 27), and “We can’t give you anything today” (p. 27). Also, while Fourth Elder Chang in the first act was only arrested for discussing state affairs (p. 19-21), Pockface Liu was dragged off stage and brutally executed (p. 45).

**Themes:** Ruthlessness, selfishness of characters who are driven by desperation to survive Power of money Unpredictability of life

**Control and treatment of others**
 * (25/26) Wang Lifa’s attitude towards Third-born Li
 * (26) Wang Lifa’s attitude towards his wife
 * (27) Wang Lifa’s attitude towards the refugees – refused to help them, “I don’t have enough to keep myself”
 * (27/28) Policemen’s control over Wang Lifa, treat him rudely
 * Hypocritical nature of the first policemen who took a bribe from Wang Lifa and tries to ‘save’ him by getting him to hand over more money to the other policemen
 * (29) Wang Lifa treats Soothsayer Tang rudely at first, but after seeing his appearance he softens up slightly, however he still distrusts him
 * (36-37) Song Enzi and Wu Xiangzi’s condescending attitude towards Pockface Liu, treat him with contempt/Wang Lifa also tells Pockface Liu to carry his business elsewhere, they call him a "scum" and refer to him as "your type of people"

** Change/adaption/modernization/ reform vs tradition ** Vast majority of change for the worse, with some superficial positive changes

**Characters** · **Third Born Li** - not welcoming towards ‘reform’, feels exhausted by taking care of the teahouse, apathetic attitude · **Kang Shunzi** - Eunuch Pang’s wife (now a widow) · **Old Lin/Old Chen** - sworn brothers, deserters of the army
 * **Wang Lifa** – still a sweet-talker
 * **Fourth Elder Chang** – worse off, sells vegetables for a living, doing what he can to get by
 * **Second Elder Song** - worse off, “shabbily dressed” (p. 31), still tries to maintain appearance of status by “holding a bird cage” (p. 31)
 * **Pockface Liu** – worse off, “living on the edge of starvation” (p. 36), used to be among aristocracy, palace eunuchs
 * **Song Enzi, Wu Xiangzi, policemen** –
 * much more threatening, corrupt (accept bribes, are willing to arrest people who have done nothing wrong, so long as they get paid "we're not too fussy about who we nab" p. 35)
 * (34) Song and Wu used to serve the Qing Emperor, then they switched allegiances to Yuan Shika, now they just serve “ whoever puts food in our bellies”. They adapt in order to survive, and serve whoever benefits them the most.
 * Wear grey gowns with black mandarin jackets on top, their clothes have new fashionable cuffs
 * **Soothsayer Tang** – better off (more people want their fortunes told), “dressed in silk” (p. 29), has switched from opium to heroin, now has foreign influence (uses “British Imperial Cigarettes and Japanese heroin” (p. 29)), still tries to take advantage of people (Wang Lifa and the paper boy

**__Confrontation between Kang Shunzi and Pockface Liu:__**

**Time of change:** The majority of the characters in the act have had setbacks in the lives. Their lives are harsher and “reformed”. Wang Lifa gets bullied by policeman and soldiers, thereby becoming more stingy and bad-tempered. Second elder Chang poor, hungry and miserable.
 * However he still carries his bird cage around which “perks him" up. Second elder Chang states that he “may be going hungry, but I’d never let my oriole starve” (32) illustrates how the reform might have been able to take his clothes, his money and his food but not his joy in his little bird! It is this adoring of his pet that keeps him going, brings him joy.

Despite the setbacks of the other characters, there has been a progression of change in one of the characters. predominant female character, Kang Shunzi, returns to the play in Act II with assertion, self-respect and more headstrong.
 * In act I, she’s “unable to speak” and faints (21) and “let them walk all over us” (39) but now she returns to the teahouse and immediately confronts Pockface Liu about his past. “Pockface Liu do you know who you are looking at?!” informs him that “he’s to blame for it all. And now he’s going to pay” (38) (makes as if to strike him but is still unable to bring herself to do it).
 * When the Republic was established, Eunuch Pang died and the nephews threw Kang Shunzi and her brother out with nothing, “not even a blanket” but instead of giving up, Kang shunzi has became a strong woman, putting others welfare before her own. “My life doesn't matter, but this helpless child mustn’t be allowed to starve to death” (39) asks Wang Lifa for a job, says she can do anything as long as she doesn't have to play wife again, “anything will seem sweet”(39)

__** Stage and props **__ Yutai Teahouse (one of the few establishments that still survive) ** Appearance has changed ** ** Services have changed **
 * Kitchen moved to the back, only serves food to lodgers
 * Small tables with pale green cloths, wicker chairs
 * Large painting of “Eight Drunken Immortals” and the shrine to the God of Wealth are gone, replaced by fashionable women in foreign cigarette advertisements (underlies increased foreign influence in China)
 * Signs that say “Don’t discuss state affairs” are still on the walls, in larger print (underlies the increased conflict in China)
 * In the beginning, the front of the teahouse is being repaired
 * More upscale than before, overall appearance much nicer
 * Front part of the teahouse sells tea, melon seeds, no longer sells dishes like “noodles with minced pork”
 * Back part has become a public lodging house

(24) Changing Yutai Teahouse is essential for survival, and the characters believe that the reason why Yutai Teahouse is still left standing while other Teahouses have closed down is because it has adapted to changing times.

__**Challenges to change:**__ Preference for tradition -
 * Yutai Teahouse has the appearance of being well-off, but Wang LiFa seems to be more concerned about his business/money than before **
 * Fourth Elder Chang to Wang Lifa “You’re the only one who has managed to turn all the reforms and changes to good account.” (p. 31)
 * Business is not good ("If business had improved, wouldn't you have got a raise?" p. 25)
 * Wang LiFa does not even want to own the teahouse anymore, feels trapped ("If I had the chance to get out of this business and didn't, I'd be a bloody fool." p. 26)
 * Wang Shufen tells Third-Born Li that “our teahouse has put on a new face; shouldn’t you cut off your old queue” (p. 24).
 * Third Born Li, however, believes that “everything’s taking on a new face, and the newer the face the more faceless it is” (p. 24).
 * Third Born Li is skeptical towards reform. He mentions Yuan Shikai, who had major plans for reform, but in the end still had selfish intentions to make himself emperor. "The country has been a mess" (24) since the death of Yuan Shikai and Third Born Li scoffs at Wang Shufen's thought that 'ousting the emperor was a great reform' (24).
 * Third Born Li also questions, "everything else has been "reformed", why not my wages as well?" He says that “if the reforms don’t include me, I won’t work.” (25), showing how he feels excluded by the reform, as he is not personally reaping any benefits.
 * When Song Enzi and Wu Xiangzi enter the teahouse, Second Elder Song and Wang Lifa drop down to their knees to pay respects.Although Song Enzi tells them that now there is a Republic and there is a new bow, Second Elder Song says that he drops to his knee without thinking, and Wang Lifa believes that "the old form of greeting suits me better than the new bow" showing their preference for the more traditional ways.

** Foreigner presence and influence ** ** Negotiation ** Hypocrisy has become the norm; for example, the police officer talks about how well he protected Wang Lifa from the soldiers, and how grateful Wang Lifa should be (p. 28), despite the fact that in fact the soldiers took all of Wang Lifa’s money and stole tablecloths. Surprisingly, Wang Lifa plays along: “I’ll never forget you for this kindness” (p. 28) emphasizing the stark contrast between different ranks of the social hierarchy. Wang Lifa pretends to deeply respect the police officer just as the police officer acts submissive towards the soldiers; instead of protecting Wang Lifa he panics: “Quick! More money!” (p. 28)
 * Foreign cigarette advertisements replaced painting of “The Eight Drunken Immortals”, and the shrine of the God of Wealth (Foreign goods have replaced Chinese tradition)
 * (29) British Imperial cigarettes, Japanese heroin
 * (33) New bow (for greeting)
 * (34) Foreigners contribute to the fighting: “whoever we work for – they all depend on foreign backing. Without foreign rifles and foreign cannons how could there be any fighthing?”
 * Fourth Elder Chang one of the "Boxers" that fight foreigners, destroy foreign paraphernalia (p. 33)

** More threats/negotiations in the second act **
 * Throughout the act, threat of war/conflict hangs over teahouse, establishing tension as sound of cannons is present in the background: "Did you hear that -- son-of-a-bitchin' guns again! All your bloody racket. It'll be a miracle if this place opens tomorrow." (Wang Lifa, p. 26)
 * Old Lin and Old Chen are threatened by Wu XiangZi and Soung EnZi ("What's your preference - your life, or your silver dollars?" (p. 44), pay them off in order to get out of a charge of desertion from the army; Wu XiangZi then claims Pockface Liu to be a deserter, resulting in his execution
 * Wu XiangZi and Song EnZi ask Wang LiFa for a "little expression of gratitude" (p. 35) (a.k.a. money) in exchange for not inspecting and possibly arresting his tenant; Shows the corruption and greed in the police force and government at the time
 * On the other hand, when negotiating with Fourth Elder Chang about what Wang LiFa should pay him for vegetables, Chang says to him that "it's up to you" (p.31) and when Wang returns with money Chang just stuffs it "in his jacket without counting it"; shows that times are hard, the poor will take whatever they can get

**Entrances and Exits** Characters hide their emotions from others, waiting until others have exited the scene to express their feelings (usually anger) More vulgar than first act- see soldier scene (28), [probably shouldn't quote] Confrontations of scene create ruder, coarser toned dialogue: Characterizes the tough times beset on some characters as time has progressed and foreign influence has increased. Yuan Shikai had brought stability to China by reinstalling the monarchy, himself the Emperor. Following his death, an attempt to form a Republic failed and ultimately a power struggle began that would not fully resolved until the CCP's defeat of the KMT. Lao She pointedly refers to Yuan Shikai's death as it marked China's descent into one of its most chaotic time periods.
 * When the policeman enters the teahouse, Wang LiFa puts on a front and is very kind to the policeman, paying him money and telling him to "take care" (p. 28), but when the policemen exits, Wang LiFa screams "Son-of-a-bitch!", and "stamps his foot angrily" (p.28); this demonstrates the fear among the people, how they have to watch what they say in front of authority figures
 * After Wang LiFa agrees to house and employ Kang Shunzi and Kang Dali, the two of them exit and Wang LiFa says, exasperated, "Well! Two more mouths to feed – just like that!” (p. 40); seems to show that Wang LiFa does not have much control over the teahouse and what goes on in it
 * When Song Enzi and Wu XiangZi enter the teahouse, though the mood is tense, they act civil toward Second Elder Song and Fourth Elder Chang, but When Song and Chang leave, Song EnZi says "That bastard!", referring to Fourth Elder Chang
 * Dialogue and Language**
 * Third-Born Li: "Everything else has been 'refromed', why not my wages as well?" (25)
 * 4th Eld. Chang: "I...spent more than a year in prison for saying that "the Great Qing Empire is about done for"" (33)
 * Kang Shunzi "What kind of man would turn ot your rotten, stinking business to fill his belly? Bastard!" (38)
 * Time Period**