Chapter 3

1. Sum up the reading in your own words in 1 paragraph.

The chapter is about exactly what the title states: the Asian contribution to the development of writing. It covers the Chinese style of writing and printing and the different substrates they used (most notably the invention of paper).

2. Name the one thing (or person) you found most interesting from the reading.

I found it interesting that Ts'ai Lun was a Eunuch for some reason and diefied as the god of papermaking. I didn't even know the Chinese had gods for that kind of stuff.

3. State at least one question you have after the reading.

Why was Confucianism so hated by the Emperor Shih Huang Ti? The book says that this emperor unified China, gave it laws, order and standardizations. I thought Confucianism taught the value of family, loyalty and a way to live by laws of a somewhat moral construct. It just seems like the emperor would have liked this way of teaching people to live.

1. Name of graphic style (or topic) studied this session:

Chinese styles (ex. Calligraphy, shell and bone style, small seam style ect..)

2. Describe specific qualities of this style (or if it’s a topic-highlights of that topic) that will help you identify it in the future.

Basic progressions of calligraphy from bone and shell to small seal still show the same type of portrayal only in a different style. Chinese writing and Chinese language are two completely separate spheres of communication. Their writing is simply pictographic with no link to syllables or sounds from their spoken language.

3. What is the most useful or meaningful thing you learned today?


The most important part of the lesson was learning the different substrates attributed by the Asian culture and the fact that they took writing as a very spiritual practice.

4. State at least one question you have after the class.

Why was Chinese writing such a successful form of communication without an Alphabet? We talked about how alphabets helped progress culture so much in Africa and the middle east, but the Asians were able to get along well and have a humongous empire without it.