Write Up Difficulty Paper, 3 Paragraphs Long On The Given Article

HIS 40B

EXAMPLE DIFFICULTY PAPER Length: 2-3 Paragraphs Follows this guide: https://canvas.ucsc.edu/courses/32481/files/2193159/download?wrap=1 Uses this source: Accounts of the Shining Red Lanterns Reading the accounts of the “Shining Red Lanterns,” I had a few questions. The people quoted said that the girls had supernatural powers, like being able to fly and deflect bullets with fans, and that they “practiced spirit possession.” It is impossible for people to fly or deflect bullets, so why did people write that they saw magic? Did they believe it was happening or were they lying, and if they believed it, what were they really seeing? Also, what was meant by “practiced spirit possession”? Is this a religious practice? Or is this something I could understand more by looking at the original Chinese source? Since I did not have a copy of the original Chinese source handy, I reread the document in English a few more times instead. Then, I looked at who was quoted. None of the people quoted said that they were Red Lantern girls themselves or worked with them. All the people quoted were in the 70s or 80s when they were quoted, in the 1960s, so several decades after the events. They also said that the girls liked to practice at night and did not want people to watch. The girls are not often mentioned by name, so I do not think that the writers knew them personally. This makes me wonder how much they interacted with the Red Lantern girls, and if they were just repeating stories they heard from other people. Sometimes when you hear and then repeat a story, it becomes corrupted and embellished along the way. Therefore, I concluded that their memories may not be completely accurate. I then reread the introduction from the professor to see if there were more context clues or explanations for what the girls were doing. I do not know have all my answers, but I am satisfied believing that the girls were real, and that people at least thought they had magic. I think re-reading and focusing on each section, and comparing them, really helps, and I will do this in the future. I will also look up additional information and see if it can help inform what I am reading.