The Mouse Does Not Know Life Until It Has Been free essay sample

The Mouse does not know life until it has been into the mouth of a cat. The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present day Northern Vietnam and Southern China. Although geographically and linguistically labeled as Southern Asians, long periods of Chinese domination and influence have placed the Vietnamese culturally closer to East Asians. The Vietnamese people culturally believe in myths and the supernatural. According to the Thai and Vietnamese Proverbs and common expressions, religion, specifically Buddhism and local beliefs, have a strong influence on their proverbs. The Vietnamese consider proverbs to be used mostly by the older family members, to teach their children about important matters of character. Scientific Implications: The claimant or author of this proverb is an ethnicity. This makes it scientifically difficult to infer a true meaning to the proverb, based on the intentions or motives of the author, or on scientifically tested evidence to measure its credibility. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mouse Does Not Know Life Until It Has Been or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page According to a study by the Mahidol University and the SIL International, (2006), the Vietnamese proverbs reflects that the four noble Truths especially some of the Eightfold path and other and other Buddhist precepts are implemented and absorbed to their spirit. Therefore, if this proverb is based on beliefs, or myths, which cannot be scientifically tested independently and there is no verifiable evidence to support its claimed meaning, but myths and beliefs, it is opened to the reader to infer whatever meaning his or her belief could suggest. Scientifically, the proverb could imply the natural relationship between the mouse and the cat; where the cat seemed to be the predator, and the mouse, the prey. The cat and mouse, often expressed as a cat-and –mouse game, is English –language idiom dating back to 1675 that means â€Å"a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes. Thus, the Proverb may imply that the contest is never-ending if the cat does not succeed to catch the mouse. Critical Analysis: To critically analyze this proverb, the reader would have to assume that some of the following assertions are true: That the cat is able to or has the ability to catch the mouse. That the cat caught the mouse. That the mouse has no means of escape. That the cat is more powerful than the mouse. If the reader`s response to the above assumptions is affirmative, then one could logically infer from the proverb to mean that , â€Å" the cat is superior in terms of strength and the mouse is inferior in terms of same, and whenever both encounter each other, the life of the mouse is at the mercy of the cat†. Personal Implications: From a personal point of view, after considering the beliefs of the Vietnamese, the meaning that I infer from the proverb is that â€Å"we don`t value life until we are about to lose it†.