Family is a very important part of daily life in both books. Although both are set in a Communist era a common theme was that Communism did not help them the way they needed. This caused both families, in the books, to have to look out for themselves. Like selling blood or getting back the land the family once owned. Instead of hoping the Communist Party would provide for them. In Paradise of the Blind Hang’s family plays an important role in shaping her. Tan, her father, is French educated a product of French colonial education system,, but didn’t go to France. Since Tam is French education he is seen as the enemy to the revolution since the teaching contradicts with the Marxist philosophy. French teaching like democratic and capitalist economy …show more content…
Uncle Chinh takes her land away in order for it to be redistributed by the Marxist to non-land holding families. Land reform took and split up the land among peasants. This was done by taking away land form landholders or rich people and redistributing it to peasants that did not own land. However, family spirits were considered to be living in on the land families own. Without the land the family spirits don’t have a home. When Aunt Tam reconstitutes the land the spirits get their land back and their home. Reconstitute the land the spirits get their land back and it is also helping her Aunt Tam ends up leaving the land and other possession to Hang. During the Communist revolution families that owned their own property or had access to property, like landholders, were frowned upon. The Communist Party would want the land to be given up for the betterment of the community to be partitioned out. Hang’s family at one point did give up the land, but when the Communist Party continued to not be very helpful they took it back to help their own needs. Later landholders such as Aunt Tam got their land back and used it as profit again. She does it for Hang so, she can show her the importance of family. Aunt Tam also does it a bit for Hang’s …show more content…
There was also a push to get re-educated in rural areas by doing physical labor and learning rural ways of life. Which Sanguan’s sons later have to go through. The lack of proper precautions taken by the Communist cause his son, Yile, to get sick with hepatitis and almost die. Under the communist people are supposed to get money and have their necessities taken care of, like food and medical expenses, this does not relay happen though. There were lots of food shortages during this time. Many people had to eat gruel because of the lack of food and money. Sanguan’s had to sell his blood in order to feed his family. Work camps were young people were sent to work, were often unsafe places that were not well taken care of. When Yile gets sick he gives blood again in order to pay for the expenses to make him healthy. Reflection of communist rule and Chinese society that is critiqued is that these people are not being paid enough to live properly, and that they government is not providing health care. Cultural Revolution and its aftermath caused many young people to have lost out on an education. Many people died because
“The Death of Woman Wang”, written by Chinese historian Jonathan Spence, is a book recounting the harsh realities facing citizens of Tancheng country, Shandong Province, Qing controlled China in the late 17th century. Using various primary sources, Spence describes some of the hardships and sorrow that the people of Tancheng faced. From natural disasters, poor leadership, banditry, and invasions, the citizens of Tancheng struggled to survive in a devastated and changing world around them. On its own, “Woman Wang” is an insightful snapshot of one of the worst-off counties in imperial Qing China, however when taking a step back and weaving in an understanding of long held Chinese traditions, there is a greater understanding what happened in
"Son of the Revolution" showed how inhumane many of the aspects of Chinese life were during the Cultural Revolution. It followed the important movements during the Cultural Revolution, the effects that "the cult of Mao" had on society and Heng, and the way the period affected Heng's personal family life. But most of all "Son of the Revolution" showed us the horrible way China treated its people during this time period. "You're a human being, not an animal. You have the right to be loved" (262).
...d for you to sign and the land will be yours... no-one will bother you on your land” (pg.105). This incident leads to a long chain of corrupt acts. All community members signed, rather, finger printed the document and we’re assured “they could rely on this paper as it is the title to the land” (pg. 105). Two years passed and they returned with the document in hand, claiming the land was no longer theirs to live off of. The signed document was in truth an agreement to live on the land for a mere two years and a promise to uproot once the two years expired. In conjunction with the Labour Unions, Rigoberta’s father fights this upheaval, however the landowners bribe the judges lawyers and interpretors involved in the crooked legal battles, twisting the communities stance says the landowners offered a great deal of money to the judge through -machines/market/lawyers
Imagine living alone at 16, thousands of miles from your only family, no friends, and trying to gain land of your own. Hattie Brooks did just that, she was always known as Hattie Here-and-There because her parents died when she was young and she was shipped from relative to relative. She was bound to change that. She wanted something of her own, she wanted a home. So, in 1918 after receiving a letter leaving a homestead claim to her from a long lost uncle Chester she packed up all she owned and moved to Montana. She quickly found out how difficult and demanding farm life was. In order to own the land officially she had to prove up which included having to set 480 rods of fence, cultivate one eighth of land, and pay thirty-seven seventy-five
There is no better way to learn about China's communist revolution than to live it through the eyes of an innocent child whose experiences were based on the author's first-hand experience. Readers learn how every aspect of an individual's life was changed, mostly for the worst during this time. You will also learn why and how Chairman Mao launched the revolution initially, to maintain the communist system he worked hard to create in the 1950's. As the story of Ling unfolded, I realized how it boiled down to people's struggle for existence and survival during Mao's reign, and how lucky we are to have freedom and justice in the United States; values no one should ever take for
Chapter one, The Observers, in the Death of Woman Wang demonstrates the accuracy of the local historian; Feng K'o-ts'an, who compiled The Local History of T'an-ch'eng in 1673. The descriptive context of the Local History helps the reader to understand and literally penetrate into people's lives. The use of records of the earthquake of 1668, the White Lotus rising of 1622 and rebels rising vividly described by Feng the extent of suffering the people of T'an-ch'eng went through. Jonathan Spence stresses on how miserable the two-quarter of the seventeen-century were to the diminishing population of the county. The earthquake claimed the lives of nine thousand people, many others died in the White lotus rising, hunger, sickness and banditry. P'u Sung-ling's stories convey that after the loss of the wheat crops there were cases of cannibalism. On top of all of this came the slaughtering of the entire family lines by the bandits. The incredible records of women like Yao and Sun in the Local History present the reader the magnitude of savagery the bandits possessed. All of these factors led to the rise of suicides. The clarity of events Spence given to the reader is overwhelming.
In her short story Everyday Use, Alice Walker talks about a Mother Mama, and her two daughters Dee and Maggie, their personalities and reactions to preservation of their family heirlooms. She shows that while Dee has been sent to school for further education, Maggie is left at home and brought up in the old ways. Mama often dreams and longs for the day she can be reunited with Dee, like in the TV shows. She knows this may not be possible because Dee would read and shower them with a lot of knowledge that was unnecessary, only to push them away at the right moment, “like dimwits” (313); Mama and Dee have different conceptions of their family heritage. Family heirlooms to Mama means the people created, used
Both stories show the characters inequality with their lives as women bound to a society that discriminates women. The two stories were composed in different time frames of the women’s rights movement; it reveals to the readers, that society was not quite there in the fair treatment towards the mothers, daughters, and wives of United States in either era. Inequality is the antagonist that both authors created for the characters. Those experiences might have helped that change in mankind to carve a path for true equality among men and women.
By comparing The God of Small Things and Paradise of the Blind, explore the concept of classism and how it affects our place in the world and contributes to our development as moral and ethical beings.
...cause she had been “savin ‘em for long enough with nobody using ‘em” (12). After Dee gets the picture she walks out of the house and tells her mother “You just don’t understand. . .Your heritage. . .” (13). Dee is in fact the one who does not understand. Dee thinks of heritage to be as tangible as hanging the quilt on her wall or using the churn as a decoration for her table. Her mother, on the other hand, knows about traditions and heritage. Using the quilts would put the memories of their ancestors to everyday use.
In a village left behind as the rest of the China is progressing, the fate of women remains in the hands of men. Old customs and traditions reign supreme, not because it is believed such ways of life are best, but rather because they have worked for many years despite harsh conditions. In response to Brother Gu’s suggestion of joining communist South China’s progress, Cuiqiao’s widower father put it best: “Farmer’s have their own rules.”
Quilts symbolize a family’s heritage. Maggie adheres the tradition by learning how to quilt from her grandmother and by sewing her own quilts. Maggie also puts her grandmother’s quilts into everyday use. Therefore, when Dee covets the family’s heirloom, wanting to take her grandmother’s hand-stitched quilts away for decoration, Mama gives the quilts to Maggie. Mama believes that Maggie will continually engage with and build upon the family’s history by using the quilts daily rather than distance herself from
"Mama," Wangro said sweet as a bird. "Can I have these old quilts?" Mama replied, "Why don 't you take one or two of the others?” "These old things was just done by me and Big Dee from some tops your grandma pieced before she died." Dee still would ask for it again. Mama remembers the promise that she had made to Maggie. "The truth is," I said, "I promised to give them quilts to Maggie, for when she marrys John Thomas." This proves that Mama is always fair and keeps her promises. Mama understands what family heritage is important so she would be give the quilts to
The early part of the novel shows women’s place in Chinese culture. Women had no say or position in society. They were viewed as objects, and were used as concubines and treated with disparagement in society. The status of women’s social rank in the 20th century in China is a definite positive change. As the development of Communism continued, women were allowed to be involved in not only protests, but attended universities and more opportunities outside “house” work. Communism established gender equality and legimated free marriage, instead of concunbinage. Mao’s slogan, “Women hold half of the sky”, became extremely popular. Women did almost any job a man performed. Women were victims by being compared to objects and treated as sex slaves. This was compared to the human acts right, because it was an issue of inhumane treatment.
Brett Nelson Professor Jeffrey Morgan LIT221 November 16, 2014 This Side of Paradise: Literary Elements and the Path to Self-discovery F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1920 novel “This Side of Paradise,” was supremely controversial for its time. The Modernism ideals presented throughout the piece, such as those of socialism and feminism, demonstrated a great deal about the time period and the rapid societal changes. Amidst the novels modernistic values however, lies the true message of the book, self-discovery. Self-discovery is a very American quality, as American’s have been trying to discovery themselves since first landing on the shores. The melting pot that is the United States has always struggled with self-identity to some extent, in part, because