Analyzing Waiting by Ha Jin Essay

Throughout Li Cunxin’s memoir, Mao’s Last Dancer, Li immerses the readers into the complex, restrictive and challenging lifestyle he lived through various prose techniques, which engage the audience into the cultural values of his life. Some examples of this is when he was living in communist China, in a commune, going to a Beijing dance Academy, going to Houston and finally moving to Australia. Through these experiences, culture is portrayed as being both limiting and liberating. Culture could be limiting because it is was so restrictive because of Mao’s rules but it was also liberating because Chinese people are meant to be loyal to their country and since their country is communist, they believed that it was the most free nation in the world. This is shown in the story of the blind rabbit, where Li is taught that nothing comes easily, allegiance to country surpasses that to family and to keep pride in the family name.

While China culturally remained the same from the 600s to the late 1400s, the country hardly changed politically either. A monarchy completely dominated China’s government during these years. Under the Tang dynasty, the rulers constantly changed and new policies were thought of, but the overall government did not change. The Tang Code, the criminal or penal code, was established in 624. It synthesised Legalist and Confucian of law, and it has constantly been considered one of the greatest achievemnts of traditional Chinese law. This code became the basis of later codes in both China and other parts of Asia. During the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhanged began the draft of a new Confucian law code, the Daming Lu, which repeated various clauses that were found in the Tang Code years ago. Specific aspects in the Tang dynasty were revived during the Ming dynasty, resulting in a very slight amount of change for the lives of Chinese citizens for almost 800 years. Women’s status remained lower than that of

The method applied by Zedong focused on uniting China under one belief in order to implement communist ideas in the country, widely changing the country’s structure. (Doc 7). At his defense trial, Cuban revolution leader Fidel Castro appealed to those struggling in his country. He spoke to those who hoped for a brighter future and who have been betrayed by their country. By addressing their battle, Castro urged them to fight for a better Cuba. His relentless and undying commitment ultimately granted Castro his wish for a revolution. (Doc 8). An additional document consisting of a diary entry from a Chinese citizen during the communist revolution would create a clearer vision as to how convincing Mao Zedong truly was.

Even with her previous experiences at Beijing University and at Big Joy Farm, Wong still held some belief that the Chinese system wasn’t as bad as it was sometimes made out to be. This event proved to her that it was. “The enormity of the massacre hit home…Although it had been years since I was a Maoist, I still had harbored some small hope for China. Now even that was gone” (259). As a reporter Wong was able to view the progression of the protests in leading up to the massacre, and in viewing it understood that the Chinese people were much more independent than they had previously demonstrated over the past 50 years. She had continuously seen the Chinese people following what they were told between learning in school or with physical labor, yet this protest was one of the first large scale displays of the unacceptance of the regime by the people, and the government did not know what to do with it. But because of this, Wong was able to recognize that the people were not reliant on this way of life that they had previously been bound to, but truly could lead for themselves and take control. The massacre awakened Wong both to the reality that the government was not acting to benefit the people, and that the people were more than capable of acting for

One of the first effects, that was shown in the book brought by the revolution was shown through her fellow student’s attitudes in which they quickly embraced the idea of criticizing their teachers as well as other individuals in hopes to impress others or even get into higher positions such as a redguard this is evident where even Ji-Li has thoughts such as “We were proud of our precious red scarves, which, like the national flag, were dyed red with the blood of our revolutionary martyrs. We had often been sorry that we were too young to have fought with Chairman Mao against the Japanese invaders, who tried to conquer China.” (2.44). I believe due to thoughts such as these it leads to actions such as the da zi-bao. In relation to current events in our current timeline, I see many attributes from the revolution in our country currently, such attributes would parental influence as well as societal influence. When a parent influences their child they lead through example which is based on what they knew and what they believe, for example if the parents were to be more conservative it is likely for the child to conform to those beliefs. When societal influence happens the individual is witness to other people’s emotions, opinions, or behaviors. By following this the individual can be molded into someone of certain beliefs, for example when you go to university you are met with many worldviews and opinions which can take affect of how you view certain aspects of life, whether or not these turn to something of immoral is up to you. When influences are held wrongly the outcome can often become immoral which can lead to such events with high

Zhang Yimou’s To Live is a powerful indictment of communist authoritarian rule and blind patriotism. The film places the viewer in the position of an insider as the Communist Revolution alters the political and social landscape of China. By using dramatic irony, Zhang Yimou appraises communist collectivist culture, class structure and power in revolutionary China, and the Cultural Revolution. In addition, by using shadow puppetry as a symbol of indoctrination, Zhang Yimou examines the link between political change, personal tragedy, and bureaucratic incompetence.

“There is danger0from all men.0The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man0living with power to endanger the0public liberty.” says Ayn Rand. The novel Forbidden City by William Bell tells us a real story about students and civilians democracy in0Beijing, China in 1989. The government no0longer works for people when the movement0becomes violent and a power struggle between the government and people appears. In a word, power0can take over0freedom when a certain0group of people controls it all, but it can’t control people’s0thoughts forever. Firstly, the setting shows the background0which is thousands of students were doing hunger strike in Tian An0Men Square because of freedom. The Character Lao Xu is one of the leaders in the activity of hunger strike Lao Xu sacrificed because saving students. Finally the conflict between China0and citizen shows that government cannot ignore any citizens and controls their thoughts.

In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, O’Brien drills the idea into Winston’s mind that reality is only truly present in the human mind. The Chinese government tries to establish this within the media, the internet, and the people of China. William Lutz’s essay, “No One Died in Tiananmen Square” reflects Orwell’s 1984 and the thoughts of the Party, such as re-education, and reality control.

Today, throughout most of China, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution is realized as one of the most chaotic and deadly times in chinese history; often referred to as the “ten lost years.” However, during the revolution, many hopeful individuals sought after change and looked toward Mao as

This memoir of Ma Bo’s sent shock waves throughout China when it was published and was even first banned by the Communist Government. This passionate story paints a clear picture for what the Great Chinese Cultural Revolution was really like. Many Chinese living today can attest to similar if not identical ordeals as expressed in Ma Bo’s story. The toils of being a young Red Guard in inner China were experienced by many if not millions. The horrors and atrocities were wide spread throughout the country, not just in Inner Mongolia. The experiences illustrated in Blood Red Sunset uniquely belong to Ma Bo’s entire generation of mislead Chinese. As expressed in the books dedication the Cultural Revolution

In Jan Wong’s entrancing expose Red China Blues, she details her plight to take part in a system of “harmony and perfection” (12) that was Maoist China. Wong discloses her trials and tribulations over a course of three decades that sees her searching for her roots and her transformation of ideologies that span over two distinctive forms of Communist governments. This tale is so enticing in due part to the events the author encountered that radically changed her very existence and more importantly, her personal quest for self-discovery.

The Sun of the Revolution by Liang Heng, is intriguing and vivid, and gives us a complex and compelling perspective on Chines culture during a confusing time period. We get the opportunity to learn the story of a young man with a promising future, but an unpleasant childhood. Liang Heng was exposed to every aspect of the Cultural Revolution in China, and shares his experiences with us, since the book is written from Liang perspective, we do not have a biased opinion from an elite member in the Chinese society nor the poor we get an honest opinion from the People’s Republic of China. Liang only had the fortunate opportunity of expressing these events due his relationship with his wife, An American woman whom helps him write the book. When

From the start the author portrays the strength and power of the communist ideology in a “concrete statue of Chairman Mao, at whose feet peasants were napping,” (Jin 5); the statues represent the ever lasting effect that Mao has on China’s ideology, incremented into the way of life and

The Chinese just like the Russian revolution both became communist governments in the end. In the positions that

As in many preset-day governments, and the governments depicted in the books, China considerably restricts its citizen’s rights to speech and the press. In Legend, the people must be careful of what they say, as it could bring them serious consequences. For example, after Day is executed according the government, talk of him living spreads extremely quickly but only in the shadows, as it was dangerous if the government overheard; the person could be locked up or even worse. Earlier, when June spread news about the Arcadia bank, she sent out scouts, one per sector, to talk about giving Day plague medicine if he comes to the ten-second place. The spreading of this news shows how easy it is for the government to purposefully spread news, not simply restricting speech but surreptitiously and indirectly forcing it taking advantage of the people 's interest