China
- Submitted by: Biricik
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- Category: Politics
- Date Submitted: 04/06/2010 01:09 PM
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A Life Full of Mao and It’s Consequences
Reading the book Son of the Revolution by Liang Heng and Judith Shapiro gives one a better understanding of China’s socialist background. Growing up in Mao Zedong’s China, Liang Heng tells his experiences to the reader in great detail. Having an access to an insider’s experiences, readers can grasp the conditions in which Liang Heng lived in which was constant disruption from Mao Zedong’s campaigns for socialist enthusiasm.
Essentially it was necessary to disrupt people’s daily and family lives during the Cultural Revolution since Mao wanted to change the socioeconomic inequality in China. As he said once:
A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be refined so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous restrained. A revolution is an insurrection an act of violence by which one class overthrows another. (People’s China p.187)
Growing up as a peasant’s son, he has been exposed to poverty and he had a better image for the majority of the population so he turned to the peasants to back him up on this matter. He took land from landowners and distributed them among peasants. Mao’s image of China was very appealing to farmers and peasants which made up about 60% of the population. Having the majority of the population behind him, he was confident that
the change was necessary in China. Before his time, intellectuals and officials had more freedom in their life styles, careers, family lives, education choices and hobbies. Being the educated part of population they were able to think and see things for what they’re unlike the peasants. Having educated people in the population was dangerous for him to stay in power so he started the Cultural Revolution to disrupt the lives of educated people in the cities. Left without check they could pose a danger for his future plans as a leader. If the Chinese people had the opportunity to...
Reading the book Son of the Revolution by Liang Heng and Judith Shapiro gives one a better understanding of China’s socialist background. Growing up in Mao Zedong’s China, Liang Heng tells his experiences to the reader in great detail. Having an access to an insider’s experiences, readers can grasp the conditions in which Liang Heng lived in which was constant disruption from Mao Zedong’s campaigns for socialist enthusiasm.
Essentially it was necessary to disrupt people’s daily and family lives during the Cultural Revolution since Mao wanted to change the socioeconomic inequality in China. As he said once:
A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be refined so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous restrained. A revolution is an insurrection an act of violence by which one class overthrows another. (People’s China p.187)
Growing up as a peasant’s son, he has been exposed to poverty and he had a better image for the majority of the population so he turned to the peasants to back him up on this matter. He took land from landowners and distributed them among peasants. Mao’s image of China was very appealing to farmers and peasants which made up about 60% of the population. Having the majority of the population behind him, he was confident that
the change was necessary in China. Before his time, intellectuals and officials had more freedom in their life styles, careers, family lives, education choices and hobbies. Being the educated part of population they were able to think and see things for what they’re unlike the peasants. Having educated people in the population was dangerous for him to stay in power so he started the Cultural Revolution to disrupt the lives of educated people in the cities. Left without check they could pose a danger for his future plans as a leader. If the Chinese people had the opportunity to...