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"I'd pretend to act like an honest woman, to work at submission and be a good wife; but I can't help being what I am, just a no-good dancehall girl."

She is worldly and she knows too much, but this curse of lost innocence turns out, in a corrupt world, to be Zhao Pan-er's virtue.

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Lures Zhou She into divorce through seduction. From Zhou She's perspection, Zhao Pan-er is a Youwu.

-(Lee Attar)

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"Dancehall girls keep men company, we chase after money all our lives for our 'retirement plan'- we can't waste time with winning ways just to show how much we care for some man that has our heart". I think this quote says a lot about how marriage is merely physical during this time. Its function is to make the gears turn in society. The use terms such as "retirement plan" makes marriage seem to be purely an institution. - Emre Ozmemili and Lee Attar

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The story ends with Song Yin-Zhang not being saved by Scholar An. Instead of being saved, it is revealed that Scholar An is actually conniving. Song Yin-Zhang falls back into the same pattern. She has fallen victim like the other courtesans. Scholar An subdues her to Confucianist standards of husband-wife relationship in marriage. It is very sad.

- Emre Ozmemili

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"Didn't she promise to marry you first? How can she want to marry someone else now? This marriage spells trouble for sure!"

She is able to judge peoples characters clearly, and is knows that this marriage will lead to trouble.

-Kevin, Demi, Aidan

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“I don't fleece clients with phony wares,

but they are out to gain

whatever little edge they can;

corrupt of morals, every one,

false in action, rash in deed.”

Her sense of moral justice is being stated and restated in this zaju. We see this courtesan female character as a moral standard in the story.

—Jimmy

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“Didn't she promise to marry you first? How can she want to marry
someone else now ? This marriage spells trouble for sure!”

These lines from the beginning of the play not only foreshadow some plots for the audiences, but also reveals Zhao Pan-er's intelligence.

-By Hazel & Yuting

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"Woman can hold up half of the sky." --Mao

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We believe that Zhao Pan-er represents a character of female who is both wise and brave.

David, Leon

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Zhao Paner breaks the stereotypes towards courtesan and female roles in feudal societies. She marks independence and female liberation.

Chad, Esther, Tommy, Wanji

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Zhao Pan'er is like Janis Ian from Mean Girls. She is comfortable in her status as an outcast. In the movie, her identity allows her to see social corruption (i.e. Regina George) just like how Zhao Pan'er embracing of her dancehall girl status is a virtue in this story.

Also, Janis heavily critiques Lindsey Lohan for falling into the mean crowd. However, she also helps her come into herself at the end of the movie. Zhao Pan'er does the same with Song Yin-zhang because she simultaneously berates her for her silly decisions yet also helps her redeem herself and get the divorce papers.

"I've explained each detail to Your Worship

to split greedy man from suffering girl." In this case, the greedy man is Regina George, and the suffering girl is Lindsey Lohan.

(Jack, Wilson)

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I'll make these powdered cheeks of mine rescue your daughter-cadaver, I'll risk myself, in spite of all, so let him curse me and curse some more.

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I'd pretend to act like an honest woman, to work at submission and be a good wife; but I can't help being what I am,

just a no-good dancehall girl, fickle in heart and always

meaning other than what I say.

If a guy has visited me a few times, and then I don't ask him for money, he'll think, "This girl's a golddigger."

I've explained each detail to Y our Worship to split greedy man from suffering girl. If Miss Noodlebrain stops making lifelong vows, in the quarter for lovers

our lovebirds will join once again,

man and wife.

Transactional in her dealings. Honest? Says things how they are so no one is deceived? - Bow

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Ladies who run a household

throw tantrums for nothing at all;

we are merchants of illusion, with an eye

to earn interest on our capital- but if one of us gets married,

soon she comes to feel

the jab behind the feint.

And that's a girl who cannot learn from another girl's blunder.

She just knows it!?

(Yuqi Liu)

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"Don't be scared. The papers he tore to pieces in his teeth were a fake writ of divorce. [Sings] I had the standard form copied on purpose and gave it to you, here's the original from before"

James, Casey, Anna, Kaylee

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Determination:

“I’ll make these powdered cheeks of mine rescue your daughter-cadaver, I’ll risk myself, in spite of all”

I think this line reflects Zhao’s strong dedication to save her friend Song. Such strong determination was not necessarily associated with prostitutes in traditional Chinese society.

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"I'll make these powdered cheeks of mine rescue your daughter-cadaver, " this is a point that shows the historical context of the time.

Xi Chen

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"You really want me to take an oath, Zhou She? All right, if you divorce your wife and I don't marry you ... may horses trample me to death in my own living room, may a candlewick crush my pelvic bone! There now, you've forced me to take a really serious oath."

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Zhao pan er's trickery to save Song Yinzhang reminds me of when Hercules tricked Atlas in holding up the world while running off with the golden apples. The analogy holds up because Zhao Pan er was portrayed as strong, brave, and heroic like Hercules is.

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Close seconds:

"Vigilante Shit" (but they didn't have it one here)

"Anti-hero"

"if he'll sign the divorce papers, that'll be it. But if he won't sign them, then I'll give him a few pinches here and a little fondling there and a few hugs and a few squeezes till his whole body melts like butter and goes completely numb."

I feel like this song goes along with what she's talking about in this scene. While she plans her manipulation, there's also an edgy vibe, and I feel like this song could played during the background of the scene.

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"I'd pretend to act like an honest woman, to work at submission and be a good wife; but I can't help being what I am" captures the struggle between societal expectations and personal identity. It also touches on the themes of honesty and pretense and a sense of conflict. Yolie

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Zhao Pan-er as a strong female character with her own aspirations and goals

-Emily

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Zhao Pan er is not afraid to break free of stereotypes for women and boldly rescues her friend when she needed her. Her independence distinguishes her from some of the other female characters featured in the work, making her more charismatic as a character. Some of the traits attributed to her were often only attributed to male characters in ancient Chinese literature or plays and the fact the she had them showed development and change of mindset regarding female’s roles and responsibilities.

------ Iris and Justin

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The plot would be compacted a lot more in the modern era, as constant repetition is unneeded to orient the audience (if someone is lost, they can always just rewind). I think the story would be more flashy too, with more exaggerated attacks, chase sequence, etc. Finally, I think the ending would likely not be a court delivering justice, but more so the death of Zhou She through an unfortunate accident (perhaps dying while chasing the girls). Maybe putting a spin on it with a different era?

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it's the old lady I'm sorry for first,

having no one to support her;

and second, being so used to the road,

I've a special pity for travelers;

and third-well, craving a drink myself,

I take pity on a drunkard.

It shows her good character of pitying the poor and the old.

It shows her bravery.

It shows her heroic spirit of compassion for her fellow man.

Marco