Sky Burial And Stick Out Your Tongue: A Comparative Analysis

Nitchelle Predvil

April 17, 2014

English 64-005

Comparison Paper

Through Different Lenses

In the society that we live in today we are surrounded by an abundance of different cultures, politics and physical features. In the two books, Sky Burial and Stick Out Your Tongue it gives us different aspects on the people and culture of Tibet. Sky Burial written by Xinran is a story about a Chinese women going to Tibet in order to find her husband. During that journey we are able to get a sense of what Tibet and the people are like and see the political conflicts between China and Tibet as well. However in Stick Out Your Tongue written by Ma Jian, is a straightforward book that depicts Tibet in more details and in a harsh perspective. This book unlike Sky Burial, is way more descriptive and does not involve the concept of love. Despite the differences in the two books there are still similarities and concepts that tie in together. Reading these two books allows readers to see Tibet in different lenses and get a better understanding about the culture, religion, and the people of Tibet.

In order to understand the political factors that influence both of these book; you need to get a background information on why China and Tibet have such animosity against each other. Tibet considers itself a free nation without any ties to China. It states that “Tibet declared itself an independent republic in 1912.Although its status did not receive widespread recognition, Tibet functioned as an independent government until China sent troops to Tibet in 1950” (BBC News). The Tibetans feel as though their freedom is being retained and they are being dictated by China which they did not approve of. China claims that Tibet proposers better with them leadin...

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...an. Ma Jian magnifies taboo, incest, and guilt in this family story. The only religious aspect was the old man praying to Buddha to wash away his sins. Ma Jian family interpretation did not include love, amity, or hope but is instead manifested with sins and a twisted family.

Both books presented similarities and differences that tied in with the Tibetan culture. Xinran and Ma Jian wrote their book from different perspectives on how they felt towards to Tibet. Xinran looked at Tibet through a lenses of sanctity and love. While Ma Jian took his experiences and his imagination to form five short stories dealing with different topics. Both authors use the title of their book to give readers a hint of what the book is about and see how the title intertwines with the text. Each book gives you a different perspective and helps you form your own lenses on Tibetan culture.