Since the establishment of the Hollywood film industry system, character portrayal has always been a core issue in narrative creation. From the rebellious Scarlett in Gone with the Wind, to Andy who adheres to hope in The Shawshank Redemption, and then to Arthur who succumbs to madness and despair in Joker, American films have constructed emotional connections across cultural barriers through a series of vivid character images. Traditional character analysis mostly focuses on characters' behavioral performances and personality labels, but ignores the logic of character formation constructed by screenwriters behind the scenes. This paper proposes a three-dimensional analytical framework of "Concealment-Conflict-Value", aiming to uncover the methodological black box of character portrayal in American films: Concealment represents the dynamic growth trajectory of characters' personalities, highlighting the iterative realization of roles; Conflict, as a touchstone for personality traits, reveals the essence of characters through the analysis of three dimensions: self, others, and environment; Value is the soul of characters' personalities, determining the direction and realm of roles. The results indicate that applying this framework to analyze classic characters in American films can not only extract replicable creative experiences, but also offer a glimpse into the understanding of human nature and spiritual demands within the context of American culture.

As an important material carrier of ancient Chinese printing technology, woodblock printing cultural relics possess exceptionally high historical and cultural value. Jiangsu, as a major center of woodblock printing, preserves a large number of precious relics. However, due to material properties and environmental influences, these relics are widely threatened by deterioration such as cracking, mold infestation, and corrosion, making systematic research urgently needed. Supported by a Jiangsu Provincial science and technology project, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach to conduct a systematic investigation of the deterioration characteristics of woodblock printing cultural relics in Jiangsu and establishes a standardized database to fill a gap in this field. Field investigation, laboratory analysis, and information technology were integrated to conduct a comprehensive survey of 486 woodblock printing relics in Jiangsu. Techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy were employed to analyze deterioration mechanisms, nanocellulose-based restoration materials were developed, and an integrated database was established. The results indicate that deterioration is primarily biologically driven, with mold infestation and insect damage being the most prominent. The incidence of deterioration is significantly higher in southern Jiangsu than in northern Jiangsu, closely associated with the local hot and humid environment. Laboratory analysis reveals that deterioration results from the combined action of microbial, chemical, and physical factors. The developed nanocellulose materials exhibit excellent performance. The database contains more than 1,000 records and supports multidimensional retrieval and risk assessment. This study innovatively proposes a multifactor synergistic model, develops specialized restoration materials, and establishes the first dedicated database on woodblock deterioration in Jiangsu, providing a scientific framework for regional cultural heritage conservation. Future research may expand toward intelligent early warning systems and interdisciplinary integration to promote the sustainable preservation of cultural heritage.

The Western and Eastern Han dynasties marked a crucial transitional stage in the development of Chinese jade culture. Building upon the traditions of the pre-Qin period, jade art of the Han era gradually formed an aesthetic system and expressive language distinctive to its time. As an important component of jade ornamentation, animal motifs not only demonstrate the remarkable craftsmanship of Han jade artisans but also serve as material carriers of the spirit of the age and prevailing cultural concepts. From the perspective of design studies, this paper conducts a systematic comparison of animal motifs in jade artifacts of the Western and Eastern Han dynasties from three dimensions—modeling techniques, compositional principles, and aesthetic style—thereby providing an in-depth interpretation of the stylistic transition from the "representational design" of the Western Han to the "decorative design" of the Eastern Han.

This study employs Fairclough's three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore how news reports of a diplomatic incident construct competing ideological narratives and reflect underlying power relations. By analyzing articles from China Daily and The New York Times, we identify distinct framing strategies: China Daily frames the event as an unjustified provocation threatening bilateral relations, while The New York Times frames it as a necessary response to national security concerns. This article argues that these frames are not neutral representations but strategic discursive practices that serve to reinforce the respective national interests and ideological positions of these two countries in the global arena. The research findings underscore the role of news media as a site of ideological contestation and power negotiation in international relations.

Grounded in James W. Carey's "ritual view of communication", this study conceptualizes music festivals as modern cultural rituals. By integrating brand semiotics with interaction ritual chain theory, it constructs an analytical framework encompassing four dimensions—symbols, space, interaction, and culture—to conduct a systematic comparison between the American Coachella Music Festival and China's Strawberry Music Festival. The findings indicate that Coachella, through the use of classic symbols, a fixed sacred venue, and decentralized interaction, constructs a "utopia of belief" characterized by spiritual transcendence. In contrast, the Strawberry Music Festival employs fluid symbols, urban touring spaces, and gamified interactions to create a "youth identity box" that caters to the identity performance and social needs of Generation Z. From the perspective of ritualized construction, this study distills a framework of brand design strategies aimed at balancing cultural depth with market reach, offering both theoretical reference and practical insights for local cultural brands seeking to reconcile cultural depth with effective market communication.

This study investigates the multimodal construction of evaluative meaning in Cuban fiction film, focusing on Arturo Sotto's Pon tu pensamiento en mí (1995). Grounded in the theoretical integration of multimodal discourse analysis and Relevance Theory's echoic account of interpretive meaning, the research addresses a central question: how do linguistic, prosodic, kinesic, and cinematic modes coalesce to construct layered evaluative meanings that guide viewer interpretation without explicit linguistic marking? Employing ELAN annotation software for systematic multimodal transcription, the study analyzes six key scenes from the film, coding verbal content, prosodic features, facial expressions, gestures, gaze patterns, camera movements, and editing rhythms. The findings reveal that evaluative meaning in this film emerges through systematic multimodal configurations rather than through any single semiotic channel. Three primary configuration patterns are identified: (1) modal convergence, wherein all modes align to reinforce a consistent evaluative stance; (2) modal dissonance, wherein conflicting cues create interpretive tension that invites active viewer engagement; and (3) modal hierarchy, wherein certain modes serve as primary carriers of evaluative meaning while others function as reinforcing or modulating layers. The study further demonstrates that ELAN's layered annotation capabilities enable precise temporal mapping of modal co-occurrence, revealing the intricate choreography of meaning-making across semiotic resources. These findings contribute to the growing field of multimodal film analysis by offering both methodological innovations and theoretical insights into how cinematic texts construct complex evaluative meanings that transcend the limitations of verbal language alone. The study concludes by proposing the concept of "multimodal evaluative choreography" as a framework for understanding how filmic texts orchestrate semiotic resources to achieve particular interpretive effects.

This essay examines the extent to which the continuation of tradition by women is shaped by the cultural, social, and political environments in which they live. The analysis is structured around three case studies: women-led household ritual practices in Shengzhou, Zhejiang Province; the emergence of Nüxiaosheng in local Yue Opera and the opera's subsequent transformation into female troupes; and the creation and inheritance of Nüshu, a unique script used exclusively by women. The essay explores whether women's succession of these traditions arises from an inherent spiritual inheritance or from structural constraints within a patriarchal system. Shengzhou women's leadership in household rituals highlights their natural authority while simultaneously reflecting traditional expectations of women's domestic responsibilities. The rise of all-female Yue Opera troupes and the development of Nüxiaosheng were facilitated by commercial and social transformation, yet they also contributed to the unconscious creation of a feminist utopia. Nüshu, meanwhile, emerged as an expression of the deeply buried private sentiments of women under restrictive cultural conditions. Its transformation in contemporary culture reflects an empathetic resonance among women across time, as well as a renewed appreciation of women's intelligence under oppression. Through the analysis of historical texts and cultural norms, this essay argues that while women's roles as cultural agents may appear autonomous, the continuation of these traditions has often been influenced by divisions of labour, social expectations, and responses to socio-economic conditions. In the contemporary context, these traditions are increasingly sustained through the voluntary participation of individuals who are not natural inheritors of the culture, engaging through reenactment, reinterpretation, reconstruction, and digital circulation. As traditions continue to evolve, women today possess greater autonomy in determining how and whether these traditions will be carried forward.

The grotto art of the Central Plains during the Northern and Southern Dynasties represents a critical period in the development of Buddhist art. The animal imagery featured in these grottoes not only served as carriers of religious symbolism but also functioned as a significant medium for artistic aesthetics. This study focuses on the animal representations in the grottoes of the Central Plains during this period and examines their formal language, spatial arrangement, symbolic meaning, and emotional expression. By doing so, it explores the unique aesthetic qualities of these animal images and decodes the underlying cultural connotations and artistic value. The results indicate that the aesthetic characteristics of animal imagery in Northern and Southern Dynasties grottoes reflect both the ethnically localized evolution of religious art and the foundational experiences in constructing the Chinese classical aesthetic system.