First of all, is it just me, or did the guy singing in Chunhyang sound like Rafiki from The Lion King? Anyway, one thing that makes me wonder about the differences between Asian cultures is the way the women treat the men. Chunhyang was not nearly as submissive as I was lead to believe that women from Asian cultures/that time period would be. Even when it came to Mongryong, she seemed to control him. She made him pursue her, which would be unheard of considering her status as a courtesan's daughter. Her mother was also unconventional, especially when she gave the choice to marrry to Chunhyang. According to this site , women were considered to be nothing more than property during the Chosun period. So for the mother and Chunhyang to be so outspoken and independent is not typical of the time.
Posted by leah at September 29, 2004 01:01 PM