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