HC5010 Assignment: Animals in Chinese Culture

Module / Subject / School:

HC5010: Animals in Chinese Culture

Nanyang Technological University

What we score:

79%

Requirements: 

Please read the guidelines carefully and attempt ONE of the following questions. The essay should be below 1200 words (not including footnotes
and bibliography). 

Question 1

Select a classical Chinese story with an animal character (e.g. a folk tale, a novel, an idiom), and choose a specific modern/contemporary literary or filmic adaptation of it for discussion.

Question 2

“In the last two centuries, animals have gradually disappeared. Today we live without them.” John Berger, “Why Look at Animals?” (1977)

What does British author John Berger mean by the above statement in his original contexts? Using relevant examples from Chinese culture, literature, film, and/or media texts, critically discuss the statement and whether you think his views are still valid in contemporary Chinese culture and society?

Question 3

Discuss in relation to your major field of study, how animals have been understood, used, and treated (or maltreated). Using examples from Chinese culture and societies, discuss some of the major ethical problems of the use and treatment of animals in your field of study.

Our Writer’s Comment 

This final critique essay assesses your ability to engage critically with cultural texts, theory, and ethical reflection, rather than simply retelling stories or summarising readings. High-scoring essays clearly identify the chosen question, demonstrate close reading, and situate their discussion within historical, cultural, and contemporary contexts of Chinese societies.

A common weakness we see is overly descriptive writing—summarising a classical story, Berger’s argument, or examples from Chinese culture without sufficient critical analysis. Strong essays instead make a clear argument, supported by well-chosen examples, and consistently link these examples back to the essay question. For Question 1, this means showing how an animal figure is reinterpreted in a specific adaptation; for Question 2, engaging directly with Berger’s thesis; and for Question 3, applying ethical thinking to the student’s own field of study.

General Tips to Improve Your Score

• Choose your question carefully
  Pick the option that best fits your strengths in textual analysis, theory, or applied ethics.

• Avoid pure description
  Every paragraph should contribute to an argument, not just explain background information.

• Use examples strategically
  Select a small number of relevant cultural, literary, or media examples and analyse them in depth.

• Engage with theory explicitly
  Whether discussing adaptation, Berger’s ideas, or ethics, show how theory informs your interpretation.

• Stay focused on Chinese contexts
  Make sure examples are clearly situated within Chinese culture or Chinese-speaking societies.

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