"Up the Yangtze" is a film depicting the struggles put on individuals as a result of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. To me, the film really shed light to life and philosophy of the rural citizen in China. I thought it was interesting how much the Chinese people stressed determinism and luck. They still value hard work, but it is all in relation to who you are, where you were born, and your genes. This goes against traditional American thought where any individual can become whoever they want to be through hard work. I think this difference in thought has to do with the difference in social mobility in China and in America. In China, you can work hard and make the best for yourself, but your future is largely predetermined. Because there is little social mobility, I think some Chinese people tend to blame something they are out of control of, like their parents and their genes instead of the government or education like in typical American thought. I also thought it was interesting how much the Chinese tend to value the good of the whole. When the dam was being built and people had to evacuate, instead of cursing the government for driving them away from their land, their response was more hopeful. They recognized their inconvenience but could rationalize the building of the dam because it is for the 'greater good' of the Chinese people. This is also very different from the typical American philosophy where we are looking out for our own good, often at the expense of others. The problem with this Chinese thought is that there is no rebuttal against the authority which leads it's citizens to be inactive in politics and subservient to the government.
