Modern Society in Banned Literature

by Shane Galvin

Jin Ping Mei is a Chinese naturalistic novel from the Ming Dynasty. It was hand-written by Xiaoxiao Sheng, and was first printed in 1610. The main character is Ximen Qing, and the story follows him throughout the fall of the Ximen household. Ximen is a wealthy merchant who is able to marry many wives and concubines. The focus of the story gradually shifts away from Ximen himself and onto his family of wives and concubines as they struggle for power and attention.

While it is still considered by many to be pornographic, Jin Ping Mei dealt with the issues of the role of women in ancient Chinese society, sexual politics, manners, and human corruption. These issues were all explored during the Cultural Revolution as well. Women were underappreciated during the Revolution, sexual politics were intertwined with marriage and age limitations associated with marriage. A couple could not marry before the age of twenty-five, and could not have a child before they were married. Abortions and other methods of preventing a birth after conception were against the law. This often put couples in dangerous positions in which they struggled to find someone to perform an abortion, or lose their freedom. Manners were often forgotten, and an extreme example of this is the beatings given to teachers by Mao’s Red Guard during the revolution. Actions such as these are also a big part of human corruption, but that took place on a much larger scale during Mao’s revolution.

Even the concept of banned literature was very important during the revolution. Many found banned books to be the only medium of intellectual ideas during this time period, even if the books were centuries

Labor Authority

by Shane Galvin

Authority and power were large parts of the Cultural Revolution. Adults and Mao’s Red Army alike were taught to respect the authority of the government and never doubt Mao’s decisions. For some of the youths being re-educated however, a banishment of intellectualism was hard to agree with. Even in the most rural parts of China during re-education, authority was still a primary aspect of everyday life. The irony in banishing intellectualism is that other appointed authority figures will not have access to education, and will only be as smart as the uneducated people they have domain over. The Headman on the Mountain of the Phoenix is drives the villagers to work hard everyday, and that seems to be all he knows. He eventually expresses interest in a life filled with just labor, which is shown by embracing the art of story telling. The Headman on the mountain of the Phoenix represents a more localized and direct force on the villagers lives. However, it can be seen that he does not enforce rules as strictly as would be assumed by an outsider.

When two city youths arrive at the Headman’s mountain for re-education, they immediately have an encounter with the Headman involving a violin one of the boys had brought with him. The other villagers considered the violin a toy, and toys were not allowed on the mountain. Western music was also something banned during this time period. However, through some charismatic conversation and a few quick bending of truths, the boy to whom the violin belonged was able to serenade the villagers on the night of his arrival. The boy tells the Headman that the name of the song he is about to play is entitled “Mozart is thinking of Chairman Mao”. In believing the boy, the Headman shows ignorance and naivety of the outside world. It also shows he may be fearful to deny something that praises Mao.

Character Through Hardships

by Shane Galvin

As much as Mao’s cultural revolution tore families and friends apart, there are rare instances where relationships were strengthened though hardships imposed by Mao. The forced labor and re-education of Chinese youths often created a communal aspect in the mountains and villages where these people worked. A good example of this is between two friends, Ma and Luo. Their story shows the dedication of Ma to his friend Luo, and is a prime example of how not everything about re-education was awful, and how it could strengthen character.

Several months after being at the Mountain of the Phoenix, the re-education site of a few “intellectual youths”, Ma and Luo befriend a Little Chinese Seamstress. After spending time with her, Luo has strong feelings for the seamstress, and pursues a relationship with her. While he ventures back into the city to visit his dying father, he places his relationship with the seamstress in the hands of the Narrator. Mao, the Narrator, also has feelings for the seamstress, but this is a time when we see the true dedication and respect for his friend. Ma also has feelings for the seamstress, and wishes it was him who the seamstress loved. Despite his feelings, he carries out his task with the utmost seriousness, and never tries to take his friends place. He even puts what remains of his freedom on the line when he seeks out an abortion for his friend’s child. He does however sacrifice what means the most to him, his favorite novel. This is a prime example of how dedicated to narrator is to the people who mean the most to him. In the end, the seamstress leaves both boys abruptly, but they realize this is a part of life and they must accept it. They are however, left with a strengthened relationship because of the events that took place on the mountain, and Ma does not regret any of his decisions.

Dentist For Freedom

By Colin Mock

Jails like these awaited Ma if not for Luo

Luo and his best friend Ma had been friends even before their banishment to Phoenix Mountain for their re-education. They did virtually everything together and relied on each other heavily to get through the challenges they faced while on the mountains. For example there was one time where Luo had to put himself on the line in order to save Mao from punishment at the hands of the Headman.

Luo and Ma both were known as incredible story tellers and with the addition of a couple of new books they had new and better stories to tell then what they had from the Chinese cinema. Unfortunately for them however the stories they were telling were forbidden. On one night while Luo and Ma hosted the tailor the tailor asked Ma to tell him a story because he had heard of his natural talents. Ma obliged and dove right in to his favorite story the Count of Monte Cristo. The tailor was enamored with the story however the headman who had been outside listening was not in the least bit happy with what he was hearing. The headman immediately threatened to have Ma taken to prison unless Luo would repair one his faulty tooth. Luo had never preformed anything like this but since his father was a famous and distinguished dentist he tried based on the knowledge of what he had seen from his father at work. Luo did the operation and saved both the headman’s tooth and Ma’s life.

The book that brought so much joy to Ma was also the book that could have cost him his life

This event shows Luo’s true character because even though he could have gotten in trouble for failing to repair the headman’s tooth he did it anyway in order to save his friend. Luo is a very selfless person as this event indicates but there are many other examples. Take for example the countless amounts of times he risked his life to not only cross a dangerous path to the Little Seamstress’ house but also to bring forbidden books with him. Luo shows that even in a time of great oppression and cruelty some people will stand up for what is right and just even if they are putting themselves one the line to do so.

Red Guards and village headman would have have certainly locked up Luo if they found his books on his journeys

Rocks, Salt and Communists

By Colin Mock

Luo and Ma dressed like this to deceive the Miller

The Miller is an old lonely man who lives on the Thousands-Meter-Cliff. He isn’t a prominent member of the community but everyone serves their purpose and he is no different. The Miller knew many old folk songs from the mountains. This is how the Miller becomes part of Luo and Ma’s quest for books.

Four Eyes has a leather suitcase full of books which Luo and Ma both desire. Four Eyes cuts a deal with Lou in Ma where the two boys would go to the Millers house learn folk songs from him which they would then tell Four Eyes so that he could publish them in a paper and finish his re-education and in return the boys would receive a couple new books. Luo and Ma have to try and figure out how they would get the songs out of the Miller and they decide on dressing up as powerful young communists from the city who have been sent there by Mao Zedong to learn about the mountains culture. The plan is a success and the Miller sings them the songs of the mountains even though he has his doubts of whether or not it would be acceptable to do so.

The Miller is important to this event even though he isn’t the main focus of the boys task. The Miller shows us how afraid they are of the Chinese government. The only reason that he would sing the songs that had been banned was because the two boys had cleverly disguised themselves as communists from the city sent by the government. Even with these disguises the Miller was unsure about singing the songs for them but ultimately he buckled and sang them the songs because of fear of what might happen had he not sung the songs for them. The Miller is also vital because he shows how poor the mountain people really are. His delicacy that he serves for so called high ranking communists is rocks with salt on them. It was a great honor to have communists visit your house and the fact that he can only muster up rocks with salt on them for his visitors show how poor and unfortunate he really is and he isn’t the only one in the community that isn’t wealthy, his misfortune would actually be common for people of the mountains.

Pebbles like these were dipped in salt to create the Millers delicacy

Little Red Books and Guards

By Colin Mock

Red Guards where at the height of propaganda for Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution

The Red Guards were an extremely powerful and influential group during the Cultural Revolution. The Red Guards were founded by a group of middle schoolers from Tsinghua University Middle School on June 2, 1966. Mao started to officially show support for the Red Guards on August 18, 1966 when he met more then one million members at Tiananmen Square. During this rally Mao wore a Red Guard armb and to show his full support for the group and it foreshadowed their involvement in the Cultural Revolution. The Red Gaurds lost their support from the Chinese government in February 1967 but in less then a year they wreaked complete and utter havoc on China.

A young red guard proudly shows off his little red book

Little Red Guards show their support for Mao Zedong with their little red books

The Red Guards were a staple of the Chinese Revolution because they stood up for everything that Mao did. If Mao Zedong wanted someone killed or something abolished you can bet that the Red Guards would be on it. Most of the most ruthless members of the guards were just middle school students. Mao almost unfairly and inhumanly took advantage of these adolescent children and toyed with their emotions so that he could make them do what he wanted. At the age of middle school children are very fickle in their beliefs and will believe most anything that you are to tell them. Knowing this Mao Zedong forced his belifs upon these children and got the results he greatly desired

The little red books were also a very important part of what the Red Guards stood for. The book was 33 chapters long containing just Mao Zedong’s ideologies and quotations from speeches. The book had 5.5-6 million copies during Zedong’s re-education attempt and was a near requirement in schools. This little red book was one of the few books that was no banned and it is easy to see why as it is all just propaganda produced by Mao Zedong.

Little Red Books like these were prized possessions of any red guard