Analysis of Lin Yutang's My Country and My People: Chinese Cultural Identity and National Character
Overview
This book review examines Lin Yutang's 1935 work 'My Country and My People,' which explores the moral, mental, and cultural constitution of the Chinese people. The review analyzes the author's framework dividing the work into sections on Life and Bases, and discusses five key characteristics of Chinese people including cultural unity, adaptation to social ecosystems, racial vigor, and the distinction between young race and old culture.
What this literature review covers
- Summary of the book's structure and author biography
- Analysis of five characteristics of Chinese people and cultural foundations
- Examination of Chinese character traits including patience, indifference, and nonviolence
- Discussion of contentment, cheerfulness, and humor in Chinese society across social classes
Preview
Book Review: My Country and My People by Lin Yutang
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Book Review: My Country and My People by Lin Yutang
Outline
Summary
- The first chapter (Characteristics of Chinese people)
- Second Chapter (Character traits of Chinese people)
- Third Chapter (what mostly concerns Chinese People)
- Fourth Chapter (The life ideal in China)
The relationship between North America and Chinese Culture and society
Reflection
Summary
Lin Yutang wrote the book, “My Country and My People.” The author was born in 1895 and was widely known as a philologist, essayist, lexicographer, philosopher, and novelist. He published the book, “My Country And My People” in 1935, whereby he explored the moral and mental constitution and principles of people, way of living, and literature in China. Yutang divided the book into two sections, such as Life and Bases. He further divided each section into various categories that presented distinct aspects. The first section, ‘Bases’ had four chapters, including life ideas, Chinese people, the mind of Chinese, and Chinese Characters.
The first chapter of the book mainly focused on outlining the five characteristics of people in the Chinese community. The attributes included the cultural unity of the Chinese people that bound together, although the Southern Chinese differ slightly from the northerners in term of their habits, physique, temperament, and emotions. According to Yutang, Chinese culture has always been based on provincialism and nationalism. The second aspect discussed in the chapter includes the fact that people in China have adapted themselves to cultural and social ecosystems that exhibit negative strength, resistance to power, and stamina.