Chinese Literature unit paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese Literature unit paper - Essay Example During this battle, Cao Cao gave up land along and South of the Yangtze River. This text is not completely accurate because it was written by Chen Shou, an officer for the Shu Han. Once again since the Shu Han was victorious, Shou had a warped view of the Battle of Red Cliff. Although biased, Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel is what John Woo used to make his movie Red Cliff. This historical account is the official record. No matter what biases Shou had, this is what the Shu Empire recorded at the time. This account makes more sense than The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so most Chinese accept this account. History cannot always be revealed without the help of historians. Shou created an account that is the most credible. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms can be considered more fiction than fact. In this book is the poem, â€Å"Cao Cao Short Story†. This poem shows Cao Cao in a bad light. The following sums up how the Shu Kingdom felt about Cao Cao. The poem is like Cao Cao is the narrator. The wine before me as I sing: how long can a man’s life last?... How can I banish melancholy?- by Du Kang’s gift of wine†¦ This shows that Cao Cao was not a good leader, but a drunken depressed individual. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms also minimizes the Eastern Wu’s generals. This fanciful account is solely a product of later fictional Shu beliefs. The numbers of the soldiers were increased on Cao Cao’s side and decreased on the Shu side. The Red Cliff Battle will remain elusive in the annals of history.