Re-Create the Past Assignment #3
Question
For Part 1, I was hoping to Create a Japanese character and show how life changed from 1945-1952 (covering the immediate post-war years and Japan under American Occupation)
13: Re-Create the Past Assignment #3 Instructions (20%)
Submission: Save all assignment parts as a single Word file and as ”FirstName(or your preferred name)_LastName_Section), such as Belinda_Huang_SYA. Upload by clicking on “Weekly Content,” “13: Re-Create the Past 3,” “Re-create the Past #3 Submission” and submit.
No extensions or submissions: This serves as your final take-home exam and there are no extensions. GOOJ cannot be used.
Formatting: Double space and use size 14 (The font keeps shrinking!)
Citation and Academic Integrity: CMS or MLA. (APA is NOT accepted.) At least one in-text citation is required per paragraph. Uncited paragraphs or paragraphs with falsified citations paragraphs will receive a grade of 0 for that paragraph.
Only in-text citations are required if only course material is used. In-text citations and a Works Cited page are required if external sources are used.
Any violation of Seneca’s Academic Integrity Policy will result in a grade of 0 and a formal academic integrity report.
Research: Show your mastery of a diverse range of the required course material, especially the lectures. Additional research is not required or desirable. Wikipedia is not accepted.
Mark Breakdown: 20%=writing issues. 80%=content and creativity.
Minimum Word Count: At least 1000 words for the entire assignment (at least 500 words each for each part). No maximum word count. Provide a word count under your name on the title page.
Instructions: These instructions are a little different from assignment 2.
In part 1, imagine how the events and changes after the Second Sino-Japanese War affected your ONE character who is either a Chinese person living in China OR a Japanese person living in Japan.
You get to decide many things about your character: age, sex, political affiliation, family background, education, socio-economic status, political views, and name. Your story can begin at any time after your chosen period. Your character needs to be your own creation.
In part 2, argue whether someone like your character would rather live in post-war China or Japan during your chosen period and why. Defend the decision by focusing on the country that you did NOT discuss in part 1. (See Part 2 template.)
Part 1: Create ONE character (Chinese OR Japanese) (50%)
Create a Chinese character and demonstrate how life changed from 1945-1957 (covering the immediate post-Second Sino-Japanese War years, the civil war years, and the early years of CCP rule) OR 1950-1962 (which covers the years of early CCP rule, the Great Leap Forward and the Great Famine)
(B here: I am so nice. I am spelling it out for you all!)
OR
Create a Japanese character and show how life changed from 1945-1952 (covering the immediate post-war years and Japan under American Occupation) OR 1952-1960s (covering the final year of the American Occupation and Japan post-occupation)
(I am Spelling B! Har, har, har? Wow, that’s a bad joke!)
(Belinda here: This means that you can have ONE of the following: a Chinese character discussing life from 1945-1957, a Chinese character discussing life from 1950-1962, a Japanese character discussing life from 1945-1952, OR a Japanese character discussing life from 1952-the 1960s.)
(NEW) Part 2: Analytical Reflections: Which Country Is Better? (50%)
Reflect and explain whether someone of your character’s age, background, interest, education, and sex would have a better life in China or Japan during your chosen period. Explain and defend your choice by examining why your character would be better or worse off in the country that you did not discuss in part 1. You must pick a side! (See Part 2 template below)
GENERAL TIPS:
1. Be Precise: Include the date whenever you mention an event or change to establishes a timeline and grounds your discussion in time, such as X happened in 1903.
2. Details matter: Instead of stating that a lot of people died and changes happened, state the number, and name and explain the changes. Name relevant events, policies, and people.
3. Be comprehensive: Cover the selected period from beginning to end.
4. Use key details from a wide range of relevant course material to create your character’s story in part 1 and defend your argument in part 2.
5. Include at least one in-text citation for each paragraph. Use course material.
6. Show your understanding for the course material. Avoid long quotations. Do not use paraphrasing software. Use your own words and show your own thoughts.
TIPS FOR PART 1
1. First person or third person? Feel free to write using “I” or in the third person, such as “X” felt this or “X”’s life was…
2. Format: You have a lot of freedom. You can write it as an essay using the third person, create a story, write it as memoirs, as a letter, as a diary entry, or poetry. It must be historically appropriate, so no texts, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, or Wikipedia!
3. Get Into Your Character’s Heads: Instead of “X and Y happened,” create an interesting story and explain how your character experienced these events and his/her feelings.
Sample Assignment:
Let’s say in this pretend assignment, my character is a young female Chinese in her 20s. She is educated and poor. The time period is 1945-1957.
Part 1 Template with In-text Citations (Please double space)
My name is ____. I was born in the year ____ and I am now x years old. I live in China. Introduce your character. You will cite even though the words are your own because you are imagining her using the information from our course material (“6: East Asia at War” 2-7).[1]
My life from 1945-1949 was ____ (adjective) for reasons A and B. When the civil war between ___ and ___ was declared in year ____, X and Y happened, which was ….. This changed my family in these ways. Things just kept getting worse for my family when A in year Y and B in year Z happened. As a result, my father and mother did ____ and I felt ___ as I watch them do ____ (“Name of Lecture” 3-5) and (“Name of Film” 35:25-39:25).[2]
Life became better from year ___ onwards until year ____ because of C and D. Go on to explain C and D, and how your character participated in them and how those events shaped her life (“Name of Link” 2-5). At age ___, my life is ______ (adjective) because of _______.
Part 2 Template with In-text Citations (Please double space)
(Belinda here: Since my part 1 character was a young poor woman from China and examined the period from 1945-1957, in part 2, I will argue whether someone like her is better or worse off in Japan (compared to China) from 1945 to about 1957. Let’s say I argue that someone like her is worse off in Japan at that time. All reasonable arguments are accepted!)
For someone like my character (insert a short description of the key characteristics), Japan would be the worse place to live compared to China.
Japan offers only a couple of minor benefits to someone like her. Examine and defend each minor benefit. Provide in-text citations after each point and evidence. If all the information came from the same source and is written in your own words, cite at the end of the paragraph.
However, the disadvantages for someone like her are overwhelming. Examine and defend each major disadvantage. Cite.
End with a 1-2 sentence conclusion.
Rubric:
A: Excellent understanding and use of diverse course material, writing, creativity, in-text citations, organization and coherence, fully-realized and historically accurate character, seeing through “the character’s eyes,” understanding of the countries, and thoughtful and analytical reflections.
B: Good understanding and use of diverse course material, writing, creativity, in-text citations, organization and coherence, fully-realized and historically accurate character, seeing through “the character’s eyes,” understanding of the countries, and thoughtful and analytical reflections.
C: Acceptable understanding and use of diverse course material, writing, creativity, in-text citations, organization and coherence, fully-realized and historically accurate character, seeing through “the character’s eyes,” understanding of the countries, and thoughtful and analytical reflections.
D: Unsatisfactory understanding and use of diverse course material, writing, creativity, in-text citations, organization and coherence, fully-realized and historically accurate character, seeing through “the character’s eyes,” understanding of the countries, and thoughtful and analytical reflections.
F: Writing, understanding and use of course material and required films, creation of characters and reflections, paragraph structure, and use of in-text citations did not meet assignment standards.
0: Any act that violates Seneca’s Academic Integrity Policy results in an automatic 0 and an academic integrity report being filed.
[1] Even though the words are your own, you need to cite the material that helped you build your character.
[2] Note when citing films, the format is “Film Name” followed by a time marker that indicates the start of the segment followed by a second time marker that indicates the end of the segment that you are using.
Solution
Post-War Japan: The Story of Hiroshi, a Japanese Teenage Boy
Hiroshi was eighteen years old when the war between Japan and the United States was at its peak in 1945. He grew up in a close-knit family in the city of Nagasaki, characterized by numerous industries and manufacturing plants. Hiroshi was the first-born son in a family of six. He had three siblings, one brother and two sisters. Indeed, Hiroshi was ambitious, and he had a passion for business and leadership. He served as a student representative at school, and many of his peers admired him and his well-mannered approach to life. In 1945, Hiroshi had just finished his last year of high school and was looking forward to attending one of the top universities in the nation’s capital, Tokyo. He had a loving girlfriend known as Tai, and he knew that his parents liked her; thus, he had plans to marry her. Hiroshi had a passionate desire to work in local politics in Nagasaki. During his free time, Hiroshi consulted widely with village elders, who guided him on the values of leadership and enlightened him on Japan’s history.
The Situation at Nagasaki
On August 9, 1945, Hiroshi had left for the city to do some errands for his mother while his siblings remained at home. A big thunderclap followed by a loud bang was heard a few miles from the store where Hiroshi was shopping. He could not believe what he found: a thick cloud of dust, followed by violent screams coming from the main artery of Nagasaki. “That must be a thunderous bomb attack on the city,” he thought to himself. The atmosphere around the city changed completely, and people could be seen running in all directions in their attempts to seek safety. Hiroshi was in an intense web of confusion, and he could not fathom his next move. He wondered about the safety of his parents and siblings. The entire city was rubble, and security personnel and firefighters could be seen speeding in their trucks and special gear toward the scene of the attack. Hiroshi could not believe the devastation expressed on the faces of the Japanese people. The infrastructure had been destroyed, buildings brought down, and homes completely destroyed.
Communication lines had also been destroyed, and Hiroshi had made weak attempts at accessing a telephone booth, but his actions failed to bear fruit. Hiroshi knew something terrible had happened to their nation, and it was clear that it would take several years to restore Nagasaki. He thought about his immediate family, and a wave of sadness engulfed his heart. “Could my siblings and parents have perished in the bomb attack?” Hiroshi thought to himself. Rescue efforts took place in the following weeks, and a sense of normalcy returned in spite of the devastation. Many families were displaced, and several weeks passed, and Hiroshi had not seen any of his siblings or his parents. It was a sad time for him; as Hiroshi wandered the streets of Nagasaki, he could not fathom the damage and disaster that had befallen their beautiful city.
Hiroshi’s Encounter with Allied Forces and American Troops
A few days after the bombs had hit the crucial cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan, the streets of Nagasaki were under the control of the American troops. The government of Japan had declared that it would focus on protecting its people, but the devastating effects of the bomb attacks had taken a toll on the emperor. As such, the emperor surrendered to the American forces, in a move that shocked many Japanese people. Hiroshi sank into deep thought as he reflected on the next course of his life without his family and lover. He could determine their whereabouts since the bomb attack had killed so many people and displaced thousands of families. The American troops and the Allied forces required that the Japanese focus on the journey of restoration while undergoing intense changes in their lifestyle and culture. For instance, the American forces introduced new regulations on the power balance in the family unit and the execution of gender roles. Hiroshi felt that the sovereignty of the Japanese people had been greatly weakened under American control. Indeed, walking in the streets of Nagasaki and gathering in groups without a concrete reason seemed to upset the American forces.
Hiroshi’s Interest in Politics
The transition government that took over in post-war Japan encouraged the young people to develop an interest in the affairs of the state and in the political space. Hiroshi knew that this would be a perfect moment to venture into national politics and pursue justice for the Japanese people and his family that had perished in the bombing at Nagasaki. He ran for the local representative position on the Democratic Party ticket, and in his campaign activities, he shared the vision he had for the nation of Japan. It was 1949, and the Prime Minister of Japan at the time, Shigeru Yoshida, was the political figure Hiroshi really admired. One of the notable elements of Yoshida’s leadership was his reverence for the emperor of Japan. He would often consult him on key national matters that were crucial to the progressive development of Japan. Hiroshi was greatly impressed by Yoshida during one of the country’s national festivals, when he made a powerful speech about the need for peace and cohesion among the Japanese people.
Transition to a New Life
Many Japanese citizens were happy about the progressive, albeit slow-paced, changes in the nation’s framework. Many young persons ventured into education advancement, career development, and entrepreneurship; it was a new moment of awakening in Japan. Hiroshi was upbeat about the future of the nation, Japan, and he endeavored to pursue his life goals. The process of rebuilding Japan had begun, and those tasked with the leadership of the nation had taken on the responsibility with soberness and a spirit of hard work. The Asian giant had started to roar fiercely, and numerous infrastructural projects had been initiated across all the states affected by the bombing. Indeed, Hiroshi succeeded in his leadership quest and became the youngest representative from his locality. The members of the community were happy about the exploits of the young man, Hiroshi. The major interests that informed Hiroshi’s mandate in politics involved the pursuit of fairness and justice among the community members. Often, Hiroshi advocated for proper treatment of laborers in the industries within his locality; as such, he became a champion for economic and socio-political equality in the nation of Japan. The loss of his family would continue to torment him, but upon facing the brightness of his future, he had reason to hope.
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