The Boxer Rebellion In The 1950's

The Boxer Rebellion in the 1900s was a group of northern Chinese peasants who aimed to drive out any foreign influences from Japan and the West. They killed Christians, destroyed property, and claimed to work with magic that would protect them. They were rebelling against the upper class, by whom they felt threatened. They used natural causes, like the lack of rainfall and fierce winds, to justify their mission and expand their influences and destruction. Attracting mainly young men to join them helped the Boxers' influence grow and ingrained their ideals in the youth's minds. The Boxers gained so much power that they could not be stopped by the authority figures in China; many innocent Chinese were murdered and people deserted their their belonging, leaving everything behind to run for their lives. Liu Mengyang was an anti-boxer who felt threatened by the violence and wrote detailed eye-witness accounts of the events. A careful analysis of Liu's written accounts in light of its historical context demonstrates that due to his well-educated and elitist culture, the events that occurred around him shaped his anti-boxer ideals. Liu's perspective is colored by his skepticism and background, causing the audience …show more content…
He says, “...and since the authorities didn't look very closely into what was going on, the bandits became increasingly intrepid...”10 By explaining how the authorities did not stop the Boxers, the source delivers a message of insecurity to the audience; even the most esteemed figures gave in and were no longer in control. In another source, Liu introduces different beliefs about the bloodstains on doorways. He shows a cynical attitude towards other Christians who believe the rumors of the bloodstains despite not know their origins. He says, “How detestable is the ignorance of these foolish people.”11 The reader's vision of the events is blurred by the skepticism and meaningful language he