Deng Xiaoping

Confucianism is a great and successful philosophy, and is making a comeback in China. Examples of its comeback comes from an article from The Washington Post titled Confucius Making a Comeback In Money-Driven Modern China, written by Maureen Fan. It describes how Confucian Schools are teaching kids as young as 3 are reciting the works of Confucius, and are learning about its teachings like filial piety. Confucianism stresses a system of ethical teachings, which really impacts China’s culture…

The autobiography ‘Mao’s last dancer’ explores the boundaries Li was required to cross, transforming Li Cunxin’s view of the world. Throughout the book, Li slowly unravels he truth about communist China and Western countries, and, continue to do what he loves through handwork and determination with freedom in his hand. Challenges set by individuals can lead them to cross boundaries, allowing them to grow. Li Cunxin has overcome many challenges in ‘Mao’s Last Dancer”, that led him into great…

Fan Shen began as a good little revolutionary. Revolution was his birthright, a heritage passed down to him by his family. A legacy denoted in his name, “’Fan,’ my given name, means ‘ordinary—one of millions of working people,’” because only working people could be true revolutionaries.” The indoctrination of the Chinese Communist Party caused generations of Chinese to partake in unnecessary violence and hardship, and Fan Shen was no exception. However, he resisted the Communist Party. Fan Shen…

Chairman Mao’s Scheme to Success In Ji-Li Jiang’s Red Scarf Girl, Chairman Mao is the egregious dictator responsible for the destruction during the Cultural Revolution, achieved due to his manipulative nature. For example, near Ji-Li’s house stands a propaganda wall filled with quotes and pictures of Mao, one of which Ji-Li describes as, “… a beautiful copy of the popular painting Mao Ze-Dong on His Way to Anyuan… I could not look at the painting without feeling inspired. I was ready to follow…

The Great Leap Forward began in 1958. It was Mao Zedong’s plan to catch China up with the Western world’s economy. It was supposed to turn China into an industrial superpower, but it failed terribly. By examining the casualty count, effects on China, and the reasons people died, it is clear that Mao’s Great Leap Forward was one of the worst genocides in history. Even though Mao didn’t directly want to kill anyone, he is still responsible for the deaths that his poor policy led to. Since…

Li-Young Lee’s “A Hymn to Childhood” flashes back to the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China, which took place from 1966 to 1976. During this time, the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong was losing influence because of his failed policy, the Great Leap Forward, and so he wanted to reaffirm his power by starting a sociopolitical movement to eliminate his adversaries and other revisionists. Li-Young Lee infuses this past by including himself as the speaker who narrates…

To live is a fictional period drama, made in the 90's, focusing on the decades that led up to the era of Mao's, as well as during and after this period. To live follows the lives of one man and his family. In the 40's Xu Fugui is a rich man's son and an avid gambler who eventually loses his father's mansion. His wife, Jiazhen, first threatens to force him to stop because she has become pregnant with their second child, then leaves in order to teach him a lesson. She wants to make sure that if…

Story Summary The Red Scarf Girl is an Autobiography written by Ji-li Jiang herself. Throughout the book she displays her life before, during and after China’s cultural revolution. The story begins with Ji-li talking about her family, and her status in school. She’s a motivated, hardworking person who hopes for a bright future. She also mentions the fact that she gets perfect scores on many of her tests, and her dream to go to Shi-Yi, one of the most accredited schools around. Later on in the…

As Mao and his administration came through into politics and the public eye, Mao’s vision of a New China began. In this, it was officially named the Cultural Revolution—due to its goal to restore the “vitality” of communism in China. The reality of said revolution differed greatly from China’s new government’s claims about it, through the morality blindness that society faced throughout the 60s. China’s new communist-style government has marketed and made Mao Tse-tung one of China’s biggest…

The Communist Revolution had major impacts economically, socially, and politically. It had positive impacts that helped the country and it had negative aspects that affected the Chinese. Either way, Mao Tse-Tung impacted the Chinese in different ways. Mao forced a new society gradually as time progressed. He started off by having teenagers and people in their early 20’s join the Red Guard. Mao believed they were perfect for it since teenagers are fearless, eager, and were easy to manipulate…