Assignment:
"Reflection"
Please respond to the following question.
Identify three (3) ideas that you learned in the course that surprised, confused, or intrigued you, and explain the reasons why.
My 3 ideas are:
a) The philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke disagreed on the understanding of political authority, with Locke taking what is commonly called the "liberal" view.
b) Describe the key motives involved in the increased presence of Westerners in India, China, and Japan in the 1700s and 1800s. Identify the key factors that led to Britain's successful imposition of its presence and trade policies on China, despite communications like those from Emperor Ch'ien-lung (i.e., Qianlong) and Commissioner Lin Zexu (i.e., Lin Tse-hsu).
c) One of the great female artists during this period was Kate Chopin. She wrote some really interesting stories about the struggles of being a woman in the late nineteenth century. The clip below is a reading of one of her works, "The Story Of an Hour". Students should listen to the recording and answer the questions below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C7Q8N_IXo8
What relationship can you see between this writing and the work of the female painters of the period like Mary Cassatt (watch video on Cassatt in the Instructor's Insights)? From the visual and literary works what can you determine about the lives of middle class and wealthy women living during the nineteenth century?