Year Of Red Dust Analysis

With regard to Chinese culture and beliefs, rapid fundamental change was not anticipated by the people of Shanghai after the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by Mao Zedong, defeated the Chinese Nationalist Party, also referred to as the Kuomintang (KMT), on October 1, 1949. However, significant adjustments were made to once the CPC took power. The book, Year of Red Dust: Stories of Shanghai, by Qiu Xiaolong, is a collection of fictional stories that illustrate the daily lives of the Chinese people previous and post the 1949 divide. Two stories in particular, “(Tofu) Worker Poet Bao I” and “Return of POW I,” give insight into how Shanghai was affected once CPC became the ruling party, and the culture of the city before October 1949, respectively . The prior story highlights how radically different Shanghai became under the CPC, such as the change in infrastructure and the development of communes. On the other hand, the latter story demonstrates how particular elements of the city remained the same, such as the Chinese’s unfavorable attitude towards foreigners. With further analysis of these two tales, the audience can visualize the circumstances that Shanghai experienced prior to and during the control of the CPC. With reference to the story “(Tofu) Worker Poet Bao I,” there are several instances that reveal how social infrastructures were …show more content…
The city was once heavily occupied by foreigners and forced to adapt to western culture. Yet this change in population did not falter the Chinese’s reluctance in welcoming these invaders. However, after the CPC became China’s ruling party in 1949, the city underwent fundamental changes with social infrastructures. Commune were established end a new expectation of roles and class structures were established. It is evident that despite the hardships that the city endured, Shanghai has conclusively proved its resilience and progress towards