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one of the most interesting and also extremely frustrating?? things about the mdzs fandom is that it has a lot of fans who aren't from or don't have a ton of experience with/knowledge of - like, not even specifically chinese culture, but collectivist cultures in general
and that leads to takes that really sort of miss the point or lack empathy & nuance
for instance, i just read a take that basically said that lxc didn't have to take care of lwj's reputation (which is never something that's never explicitly stated to have happened but we can
for instance, i just read a take that basically said that lxc didn't have to take care of lwj's reputation (which is never something that's never explicitly stated to have happened but we can
pretty safely infer that it did, imo) & that there's only so much beauty in "self-sacrifice"
and like... that's not technically an incorrect statement. no one is forcing lxc to protect lwj. except - the importance of family, which is sort of separate from yet also sort of an
and like... that's not technically an incorrect statement. no one is forcing lxc to protect lwj. except - the importance of family, which is sort of separate from yet also sort of an
extension of the culturally significant notion of filial piety, is so deeply engrained in society, that, in a sense, lxc DID have to do this.
i think for ppl who were socialized in an individualist culture, it's hard for them to understand the incredible - at times suffocating,
i think for ppl who were socialized in an individualist culture, it's hard for them to understand the incredible - at times suffocating,
at other times uplifting - strength of family ties in collectivist cultures.
i should specify - this has been MY experience, as a korean person, even one who immigrated to america p young and therefore has a more individualist mindset. even w that bg, i still feel the obligation
i should specify - this has been MY experience, as a korean person, even one who immigrated to america p young and therefore has a more individualist mindset. even w that bg, i still feel the obligation
to family v strongly, so i can only imagine how much stronger that must be for folks who didn't grow up in a sub-culture of collectivism within the larger culture of american individualism.
all this to say - yea, technically, lxc didn't HAVE to take care of lwj, at any point in the story. but in another sense, he did. it's his duty, as lwj's older brother. and like sure he could have justified - within the bounds of society - letting lwj suffer the consequences
of his actions by saying that lwj hadn't upheld his end of the social contract (being respectful to one's elder brother, which he arguably was not doing when he fucked off post-canon) but lxc is simply not that kind of person - which is another point i want to make eventually but
not here bc this thread is already getting long haha but basically, yes all these characters operate within a collectivist culture, but that doesn't mean they aren't still *individuals* - not every character would respond to this situation by cleaning up their sibling's mess;
that's not what i'm trying to say. just - agh. it's so hard to articulate, y'all 
but basically, to frame lxc protecting lwj's image as "self-sacrifice" is a v individualist take on an action that doesn't really come from a place of "self" but rather from a place of "family"
but basically, to frame lxc protecting lwj's image as "self-sacrifice" is a v individualist take on an action that doesn't really come from a place of "self" but rather from a place of "family"
more broadly, i wish folks would take a sec to step back & consider the cultural context in which these characters live - and! the cultural bg of the author herself
i think doing this could help ppl see & therefore appreciate some nuance in mdzs that they may have missed before
i think doing this could help ppl see & therefore appreciate some nuance in mdzs that they may have missed before
