Asia Rising and Yellow Promise/Yellow Peril – Lesson 04
Visual Documents-Based Question
Perceptions of a Turning Point
Introduction
Beginning with the Sino-Japanese War in 1984-95 and the Russo-Japanese
War in 1904-05, the place of Japan in the world changed. Analyze the
documents on the following slides to understand how that change was
perceived at the time it occurred.
Question: How was this turning point and change perceived at the
time it occurred both within Japan and in other countries?
Part One: Analysis
The first thing to do in an analysis is to break things down for closer
inspection. Examine the following documents (slides two through 16).
Answer the questions that follow each document to help you analyze the
meaning.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2006 Visualizing Cultures
Images from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards
at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Document 01
European-produced
1. Who is portrayed here?
2. The two people are lined up side by side. What does that suggest about their status or relationship?
Document 02
Japanese-produced
1. What moment is portrayed in this picture?
2. What mood was the artist trying to evoke?
3. What is notable about the portrayal of the woman in
this Japanese-produced postcard?
Document 03
German-produced
1. How is Japan’s emperor portrayed here? Use
three adjectives to describe the artist’s portrayal.
2. How would the Japanese people have reacted
to this image?
Document 04
Japanese-produced
1. What is portrayed here?
2. What languages are used? Why?
Document 05
French-produced
1. What is being portrayed in this postcard?
2. What mood is established by this portrayal of events?
Document 06
Japanese-produced
1. What is being portrayed?
2. How is it portrayed? Use three adjectives.
Document 07
European-produced
1. How is this postcard connected with the
Russo-Japanese War?
2. What message is the artist trying to convey?
3. How is Japan personified here? What human
characteristics are assigned to Japan?
Document 08
German-produced
1. How is the Russo-Japanese War portrayed
in this postcard?
2. Who is controlling the action? Who would connect
with this postcard? Why? Who would not connect
with this postcard? Why not?
Document 09
Japanese-produced
1. What aspect of the Russo-Japanese War is portrayed in this postcard?
2. How are Japanese people portrayed here?
3. What adjectives would you use to describe the mood established by this artist?
Document 10
European-produced
1. The job of a soldier is to fight but the soldiers are doing something else here. What are they doing?
2. Why would the artist choose this scene to illustrate?
3. How are these Japanese soldiers portrayed here?
Document 11
French-produced
1. Identify the main symbols and characters in this two-part postcard series.
2. What event do you think is being portrayed here?
3. According to this artist, how should this event be perceived by the many countries in Europe?
Document 12
European-produced
1. Use three adjectives to describe the emperor of
Japan as he is portrayed in this postcard.
2. Name specific details the artist used to assist him
in this portrayal.
Document 13
Japanese-produced
1. What is being portrayed in this three-part series of postcards?
2. Examine the style the artist chose to use. What kinds of emotions would this rendering evoke in the viewer?
Document 14
European-produced
1. What is being portrayed?
2. Compare the personification of Russia here
to the personification of Japan.
Document 15
Japanese-produced
1. How does the artist here combine different
elements? Why?
2. How is the viewer supposed to view the
emperor here?
Part Two: Organization
The second step in a VBQ/DBQ is to put similar ideas together. Think about
the question posed at the beginning of this VBQ. How was this turning
point and change perceived at the time it occurred both within Japan
and in other countries? Look at your analysis of each of the visual texts
from the Russo-Japanese War. Can you now organize the answers so that
those with similar meanings are put together? Use the spaces below to
organize and identify your documents. Place the numbers of similar
documents together here. Don’t leave any documents out; every document
should fit together with at least one other. (Note: You do not have to use all
five groups.)
Group 1
Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______
Group 2
Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______
Group 3
Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______
Group 4
Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______
Group 5
Document Numbers ______, ______, ______, ______
Part Three: Synthesis
Synthesis is putting ideas together. What is the main idea that holds each of
your groups together? You had an idea when you grouped those visual texts
together and now you need to articulate that idea. In your own words write
the main idea here.
All of the postcards in Group 1 show that:
All of the postcards in Group 2 show that:
All of the postcards in Group 3 show that:
All of the postcards in Group 4 show that:
All of the postcards in Group 5 show that:
Part Four: Logical Ordering
Examine your main ideas. Do any of them overlap or fit together in some
way? You are looking for items in common that make sense in a logical way.
Do some main ideas address similar elements or similar points? Group
those main ideas consecutively so you are not jumping from main idea to
main idea. Remember the question:
Question: How was this turning point and change perceived at the
time it was occurring both within Japan and in other countries?
In answering this question:
This main idea should go first:
This main idea should go next:
This main idea should go next:
This main ideas should go next:
This main idea should go last:
Part Five: Generalizations
How to make a generalization and form a thesis statement
Read the following statements:
Statement 1: Many people use the Internet to shop.
Statement 2: Many students communicate through instant messaging.
Statement 3: People are able to complete distant education courses over the Internet.
Statement 4: More people are subscribing to newspapers online.
Statement 5: College students often use online reference services rather than hard
copy books.
Now think about what one general statement you can make that is true for each of these
specific points. Examples of possible answers:
The Internet has many uses.
The Internet has changed the way people conduct their daily business.
The Internet has many positive effects.
Final thesis statement
Make a further generalization from the very specific statements in part four that will
answer the VBQ question: How was this turning point and change perceived at the
time it occurred both within Japan and in other countries?
Look at your main ideas in part four. Ask yourself: what one general idea does each of
these specific ideas support? Write your generalization here:
This is your thesis statement for your VBQ essay.
Part Six: Generating an Outline
You already have the parts of the outline you need for your essay.
Your thesis statement is the generalization you made in part five.
To support your thesis statement, simply use your main ideas from part four
as your topic sentences and you are ready to write a well thought out, well
supported essay.
Part Seven: Writing the Essay
Beginning with the Sino-Japanese War in 1984-95 and the Russo-Japanese
War in 1904-05, the place of Japan in the world changed. Using the
documents from part one, answer the following:
How was this turning point and change perceived at the time it was
occurring both within Japan and in other countries?