Geography and culture were the first topics that my classmate He and I discussed. Since He had not yet studied geography in his school curriculum, we began by introducing basic geographical concepts like continents, polar regions, and major climate zones using a world map. We then went on to discuss some famous countries in each continent. He generally had more knowledge about Asian and American countries, particularly the United States, due to his interest in war history and military weapons, as well as from movies and cartoons he had seen. His knowledge of Japan, South Korea, and Singapore mainly came from patriotic education, childhood exposure to animations, and similarities with Chinese culture.
He was relatively young, and this developmental stage was reflected in his evolving self-values and thought patterns. I noticed some interesting phenomena. For countries He was familiar with, apart from Russia, he held a somewhat neutral but slightly negative attitude. Combining this with his way of acquiring knowledge about these countries, I observed a collision and neutralization of the negative image propagated by the media and education in his home country and the positive image conveyed through cultural influence from other countries. He was at a stage where he was forming his worldview but had not yet developed a subjective awareness of this process. This made me reflect on the clash between the negative image promoted by domestic ideology education and the positive image projected by foreign cultural influences during a child’s formative years.
When discussing Europe, I piqued He’s interest by mentioning art. However, his knowledge of art was limited to basic concepts like perspective and three-dimensional visualization, which were somewhat unrelated to the art of the Renaissance that I brought up. This left him somewhat perplexed, and I felt a bit disappointed.
As we talked about South America, Africa, and the Middle East, He’s limited awareness was evident because he did not follow sports. His understanding of these regions was primarily based on hearing about certain sports stars. This led me to contemplate whether contemporary patriotic education tends to emphasize the perspective of ‘the strong surpassing the weak’ excessively and excessively highlights the presence of certain countries, possibly at the expense of broader attention to the cultural and historical diversity of various regions in the world. This is a topic that deserves consideration
In the second theme, my classmate He and I explored the issue of objectivity to a certain extent in the process of acquiring knowledge. We first defined the terms ‘subjective’ and ‘objective’ and agreed that, at least in the case of scientific knowledge, it is derived through objective means. However, we questioned whether objectivity could be fully achieved in the process of acquiring knowledge and interpreting it.
I introduced He to different presentations of objective knowledge and information regarding the spread, infection rates, and medical risks of the COVID-19 virus in Chinese and American news sources and from the World Health Organization. We used this as an example to demonstrate that the same knowledge, when presented through different media, could lead to completely different interpretations and meanings. Therefore, we discussed how various factors such as different political systems, countries, religions, educational backgrounds, family influences, and historical contexts all impact the objectivity of acquiring knowledge.
Initially, due to the influence of China’s education system, He displayed a strong tendency toward dogmatism and certainty when discussing the COVID-19 example. However, as we compared the information from three different sources, he gradually discovered the complexity of knowledge dissemination. In subsequent discussions, he exhibited a great deal of inspiration when exploring the factors affecting knowledge dissemination and was able to find corresponding examples from recent news. Although his knowledge sources were still somewhat limited when citing examples, the discussions, combined with my additional information, nurtured his preliminary critical thinking skills. This indirectly demonstrated that, despite limitations in information sources, widespread access to the internet has indeed allowed individuals living in less developed areas to have a more comprehensive understanding of the world.”
In our third discussion following the political factors from the previous one, He and I explored the impact of patriotism and nationalism on society. First, I introduced He to the concepts of ideology, universal values, and their dissemination, using some events from the late Soviet Union as examples, which piqued his interest in military history. We then briefly discussed China’s universal values based on the Communist Party Manifesto, the Chinese Constitution, and resolutions from major conferences, as well as the universal values of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence and issues like Gun, God, Gender, and Abortion (3G1A).
In contrast to the earlier discussion on COVID-19 knowledge, He displayed less dogmatism and a more open attitude when discussing China’s universal values. There seemed to be greater tolerance for Western universal values. This change in attitude might be attributed to a growing skepticism toward rigid narratives. Therefore, we delved into the role of media in the dissemination of universal values. We discussed how different Chinese and American media outlets had varying attitudes toward the trade war and how these outlets emphasized different aspects. Since there was no clear reference point, He and I engaged in a dialectical comparison of both media perspectives and explored the political implications of these differing emphases.
Throughout the discussion, He appeared to be forming a preliminary ability to compare information sources critically and to develop a relatively neutral perspective. Linking this to our knowledge of patriotism and nationalism, we observed that the boundaries between them became significantly blurred in this context. Nevertheless, it was evident that some self-media outlets held a relatively strong stance on nationalism. I expressed the view to He that self-media might leverage the provocativeness and virality of the internet, even if the creators did not necessarily intend to do so. The influence of such content is substantial. I also encouraged He to share his views with me at any time and welcomed discussions on new perspectives.
In our fourth discussion, we began reading ‘The Catcher in the Rye.’ During this discussion, we mainly focused on understanding the book’s background and the historical context of the United States and the world during the same period. After reading a part of the book, I expressed my apology to He for my somewhat superficial introduction when recommending the book. I acknowledged that the book’s themes, emotions, and ideas were far removed from our activities, and many of the characters’ behaviors and discussion topics might be considered ‘ahead of their time.’
However, He did find a glimmer of interest in the initial sense of rebellion expressed in the book. We extended our discussion to the state of the United States in 1951 after the end of World War II, a period marked by economic hardship, apathy, and intellectual exhaustion. We also discussed He’s interest in military topics, delving into local wars around the end of World War II, such as the Korean War and their impact on the global landscape. I also introduced He to the geography, landscapes, and elements such as boarding schools in New York, as depicted in the book.
After these introductions, He and I both felt the depth of the protagonist Holden’s madness, playfulness, and realized that it was a form of satire and tragedy. This perspective allowed us to approach the book with a sense of awe, enabling us to uncover deeper meanings in the story.
In our fifth discussion, we conducted a detailed analysis of the protagonist Holden’s character in the book, focusing on the recurring language, intentions, and actions. Through a structured discussion format, where He primarily led the discussion with me providing supplementary information, we explored Holden’s character as a person with inner emptiness, a cynical outlook, sharp language, but inner vulnerability, honesty, and a desire for meaning. He is highly rebellious and rule-breaking but also suffers from a lack of a sense of belonging and someone to confide in. The simplicity of his goals, on one hand, is a reflection of his poor communication skills, while, on the other hand, reveals his extreme internal ambiguity, resulting in a tragic situation for him.
Since He would soon be entering middle school and experiencing the challenges of adolescence, although it might not be entirely suitable, I used the content of the book and my own experiences to offer him some insights and explanations. He showed some interest in issues related to his relationship with his parents, physical development, and changes in thinking, and we discussed these topics. However, his enthusiasm waned when we delved into certain issues and explored advice more deeply. This might reflect some of He’s personality traits and the short-sightedness typical of his age when it comes to future concerns.
In our final discussion, I talked with He about the cultural differences between China and the United States that appear in the book, as well as some topics that are considered to be discussed too early. I used the protagonist Holden’s smoking, drinking, and even hiring a prostitute as examples to convey the attitudes of contemporary American students towards these behaviors, to the extent of my knowledge. I expressed strong disapproval based on future consequences, economic impact, societal environment, and potential harm to the individual’s health.
Regarding the theme of love discussed in the book, combined with the unique context mentioned in our previous discussion, I conveyed my personal viewpoint that the protagonist’s approach to love is somewhat pathological. Since I lack personal experience in romantic relationships, I introduced He to different mainstream perspectives on the current values of love from both Chinese and Western cultures. He also showed a relatively indifferent attitude towards this theme. I interpreted this as He being either too young to understand romantic love or influenced by local gender roles, which led to some disagreement with my perspective. So, I presented my views in the form of advice and engaged in a discussion with him.
As for the sexual elements in the text, I took the opportunity to explain male and female reproductive organs and fertilization methods using my knowledge of biology. I also expressed my aversion to the portrayal of prostitution and some of the sexist viewpoints in the book. Although I approached the subject with relatively mild language, He initially showed resistance when discussing the biology diagrams. However, as I continued to explain, he gradually developed some interest and even asked questions about embryonic development details. He expressed agreement with my viewpoint, but due to limited knowledge, he couldn’t grasp a complete understanding, so I recommended a few books on the topic for him to reference when he’s willing to further explore the subject
