Response: Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party

This book adds an emotional experience of an isolated nation. I have studied China's history and found that Mao's rule, while incredibly oppressive, was not the most violent part of Chinese history. I thought in terms of numbers. More Chinese had lost their lives in the second World War. History records the facts and events but it is literature that preserves the stories. What I found most interesting about the book was the way the revolution slowly crept into Ling's life. Comrade Li moves into their home. Then he eats all of their food. Then the apartment is raided. How much should a person compromise? There is a chapter that addresses this question, but it is too brief. Granted, the people had little choice in resisting the regime. Is it better to compromise personal freedoms to live, or risk imprisonment and death to stand against tyranny? I doubt the characters, with the exception of the father, seriously contemplated these questions. The family factor complicates the situation further. Being responsible for a loved one's health and well being can quickly become a sole motivation. I noticed a great transformation between Ling and her mother after her father was imprisoned. Ling's mother began to show more emotion towards her daughter. The two of them seemed like they had a distant relationship in the beginning. I thought the mother was more materialistic than maternalistic. Now they were taking care of each other because the father was gone. The lives they had lived were transformed by the revolution. Another aspect of the book that caught my interest, was the Red Guards. Besides punishing people for the use of Western products/ideas, the guards attacked anyone that was different. They really were school bullies that were now in a position of power. This country practically destroyed itself by following the ravings of a mad man. Education became propaganda memorization. Industry was fueled by backyard furnaces of farmers. It's hard to believe this backwards nation is now one of the most powerful economies in the world. History tends to forget the everyday people like Ling. And after reading this story I feel humbled and grateful to live in a relatively free nation.