MovieChat Forums > The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) Discussion > what do you think SPOILER

what do you think SPOILER

posted 11 years ago by momsabeach
5 replies | jump to latest

happened to Megan after Yen died?

"A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star..."

Excellent question!

I want to see what people have to say about this.

For myself, I wish for a different ending, and so I never consider that!

http://www.amazon.com/Save-Send-Delete-Danusha-Goska/dp/1846949866

[–] merryapril 10 years ago

momsabeach, I just saw this film tonight for the first time (thank you Robert Osborne and TCM!). I think General Yen accomplished his earlier-stated goal of converting a missionary, as Megan was a very changed woman by the end. Events, and Mah-Li's duplicity, forced her to face up to her self-righteousness and naivete. I simply cannot imagine she could resume her life as before, much less marry the man, Dr. Strike, who in a sense left her at the altar and then later failed to come to her rescue.

I can imagine she would've, with her newly-found perspective and appreciation of Chinese culture, learned more about the poetry and other arts of China that General Yen introduced her to. And perhaps she would've used that knowledge, coupled with her missionary proclivities, to educate Westerners about a country, its long history, and people, that they were so ignorant of.

[–] Godfrey2 10 years ago

I would have to agree with you. Nice summary/speculation about what happened after Yen died.

I also wonder what would become of Jones after they got to Shanghai. My guess is he would continue to be for "hire" to someone who needed his skills and temperament.

Great flick and once again, thank you TCM for showing all this wonderful old films.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

merryapril says > I think General Yen accomplished his earlier-stated goal of converting a missionary, as Megan was a very changed woman by the end.

I just watched the movie for the second time and I swear I understood it less than I thought I did the first time. How exactly did Yen change Megan?

I know this is what Yen told Jones he set out to do and people here seem to agree that he accomplished that task so please elaborate.

I agree Megan was a changed woman after her ordeal but who wouldn't be different after spending a week confined in a world she didn't understand or in a place she didn't want to be?

The things General Yen said, stood for, and did were not very positive things. He was part of the problem, not the solution yet Jones talked as if he was such a great guy who had great plans that Megan ruined. What did I miss? Why would Megan suddenly see him in a different light after knowing a lot of the things he had done?

Missionary or not, she would have known that people don't always live up to the expectations we have of them. One doesn't assume that people change over night. What if Mah Li betrayed her? That couldn't have wiped out all the beliefs she had going into this.

I didn't get the whole exchange at the end. She depended on her beauty and was so young; one couldn't do good works without wisdom; I'll never leave you. Was she suffering from Stockholm syndrome?

I think if Megan is smart she will get the heck out of the country and try helping people a little closer to home. Cultural differences run deep and I'd think she'd had enough of China for a while.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]