The Unable Individual : The Actantial Analyses of Three Chinese Films and Discussion on Their Representations of the Individual’s Position in Contemporary Chinese Society

The thesis studies three contemporary Chinese films, Incense (Xianghuo 2003), Beijing Bicycle (Shiqi sui de danche, 2001), and South of the Clouds (Yun de nanfang, 2004). The aim of the thesis is to find out how these films represent the individual, his relationships with others, and his possibilities in society. The films all portray a male individual setting out to pursue a goal, facing one obstacle after the other in the process, and in the end failing to achieve his goal. The other characters in the films are also primarily either unable or unwilling to help the lead character. In the thesis these features of the films are analysed by applying A.J. Greimas’s structuralist semiotic theory about the actantial structure of discourses. The questions about the individual’s position are answered by defining which instances in the films actually represent the actantial positions of the sender, receiver, subject, object, helper and opponent. The results of the actantial analyses of the three films are further discussed in the light of theories regarding individualization. The focus is on the theories of Ulrich Beck, Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim and Zygmunt Bauman, who see a development towards individualization in societies following the disintegration of traditional social structures. For the most part, these theories do seem to be applicable to the films’ representations of the individual’s position, especially regarding the increased responsibility of the individual. For example, the position of the family is represented as either insignificant or negative in all of the films, which fits with the description of the individualized society, contradicting the idea of traditional Chinese society. On the other hand, the identities and goals of the characters in the films are not represented as fragmented in the way the theories would suggest.

Preparation and characterization of potato starch films plasticized with polyols

The present study investigated the potato starches and polyols which were used to prepare edible films. The amylose content and the gelatinization properties of various potato starches extracted from different potato cultivars were determined. The amylose content of potato starches varied between 11.9 and 20.1%. Onset temperatures of gelatinization of potato starches in excess water varied independently of the amylose content from 58 to 61°C determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystallinity of selected native starches with low, medium and high amylose content was determined by X-ray diffraction. The relative crystallinity was found to be around 10 13% in selected native potato starches containing 13 17% water. The glass transition temperature, crystallization melting behavior and relaxations of polyols, erythritol, sorbitol and xylitol, were determined using (DSC), dielectric analysis (DEA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The glass transition temperatures of xylitol and sorbitol decreased as a result of water plasticization. Anhydrous amorphous erythritol crystallized rapidly. Edible films were obtained from solutions containing gelatinized starch, plasticizer (polyol or binary polyol mixture) and water by casting and evaporating water at 35°C. The present study investigated effects of plasticizer type and content on physical and mechanical properties of edible films stored at various relative water vapor pressures (RVP). The crystallinity of edible films with low, medium and high amylose content was determined by X-ray diffraction and they were found to be practically amorphous. Water sorption and water vapor permeability (WVP) of films was affected by the type and content of plasticizer. Water vapor permeability of films increased with increasing plasticizer content and storage RVP. Generally, Young's modulus and tensile strength decreased with increasing plasticizer and water content with a concurrent increase in elongation at break of films. High contents of xylitol and sorbitol resulted in changes in physical and mechanical properties of films probably due to phase separation and crystallization of xylitol and sorbitol which was not observed when binary polyol mixtures were used as plasticizers. The mechanical properties and the water vapor permeability (WVP) of the films were found to be independent of the amylose content.