...Mao's Last Dancer Li Cunxin Dedication To the two special women in my life—my mother and my wife Mao’s Last Dancer A Wedding Qingdao, 1946 On the day of her marriage, a young girl sits alone in her village home. It is autumn, a beautiful October morning. The country air is cool but fresh. The young girl hears happy music approaching her house. She is only eighteen, and she is nervous, frightened. She knows that many marriage introducers simply take money and tell lies. Some women from her village marry men who don't have all their functional body parts. Those women have to spend the rest of their lives looking after their husbands. Wife beating is common. Divorce is out of the question. Divorced women are humiliated, despised, suffering worse than an animals fate. She knows some women hang themselves instead and she prays this is not going to be her fate. She prays to a kind and merciful god that her future husband will have two legs, two arms, two eyes and two ears. She prays that his body parts are normal and functional. She worries that he will not be kind-hearted and will not like her. But most of all she &+x worries about her unbound feet. Bound feet are still in fashion. Little girls as young as five or six have to tuck four toes under the big toe and squeeze them hard to stop the growth. It is extremely painful, and the girls have to change the cloth bandages and wash their feet daily to avoid infection. The tighter the feet are bound the smaller the feet will...
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...classmates. How can you understand about yourself or the world around you? Journeys can be inner, imaginative or physical. The journeys that we experience help us understand more about ourselves, others and the world around us. In the novel, “Mao’s Last Dancer”, the protagonist Li Cunxin takes an emotional journey as he discovers and learns more about the world around him. He experiences an inner journey and also gains new insights about himself and others. The related text, “The Road Not Taken”, also explores an inner and imaginative journey, and the emotional effect that this has on the persona through various techniques. As a young boy living in poverty, Li Cunxin was accepted to a ballet academy in Beijing, China. After attending for a while, one of his ballet...
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...http://www.livescience.com/22522-hurricane-katrina-facts.html Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States. An estimated 1,833 people died in the hurricane and the flooding that followed in late August 2005, and millions of others were left homeless along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. Katrina was the most destructive storm to strike the United States and the costliest storm in U.S. history, causing $108 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA). It ranks sixth overall in strength of recorded Atlantic hurricanes. It was also a very large storm; at its peak, maximum winds stretched 25 to 30 nautical miles (46 to 55 kilometers) and its extremely wide swath of hurricane force winds extended at least 75 nautical miles (138 km) to the east from the center. Katrina initially formed about 200 miles (322 km) southeast of the Bahamas on Aug. 23, 2005, as a tropical depression, according to the NOAA. A well-defined band of storm clouds began to wrap around the north side of the storm's circulation center in the early morning hours of Aug. 24. With winds of about 40 mph (65 kph), the storm was named Tropical Storm Katrina. Hurricane Katrina originally formed about 322km southeast of the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. A lot of storm clouds began to form around the north of the hurricanes centre point in the early hours of august 24th. The winds blew up to 65kmph. By the time it made its way to southern...
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...Resistance can be defined as opposing or fighting unjust, oppressive systems or power holders through action or argument (newtactics). In the film Mao's Last Dancer as well as Cabaret, resistance is displayed through characters actions, but also through dance performance. In both films , dance works as a means of escape, representing one's fundamental individual rights. The dance styles of ballet and burlesque performed in the films, combine art, passion and subject matters into a cultural resistance against autocracy. Mao's Last Dancer tells the story of ballet dancer Li Cunxin and his struggle against persecution as well as his fight for individual rights during the era of Mao's cultural revolution. The cultural revolution was a sociopolitical...
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...How far were Mao’s agricultural policies responsible for the scale of the great famine in China, 1958-65? Mao introduced collectivisation in 1956, two years before the beginning of the great famine. It lasted between the years of 1958 and 1961, where millions of peasants and industrial worker died due to a severe lack of food. Most historians argue that the scale of the famine was due to the agricultural reforms introduced by Mao in the Great Leap Forward, but Mao blamed other factors. Collectivisation involved the peasants joining together to farm collectively rather than individually. They then had to share the food produced with the rest of the community, as opposed to just their families, which had been the way the previous, traditional system worked. This, in theory, was a good idea; if the peasants worked together they could share knowledge and potentially grow more food. However, they didn’t like the policy as it meant, regardless of how much they grew individually, they would only get a set amount, and it was never enough to feed the whole family. Mao believed that many peasants were growing more food than necessary and keeping some for themselves, however this was proved not to be the case; production rate had fallen from 200million in 1958 to 143.5million in 1960, proving that they were innocent; Mao simply didn’t trust the peasants, believing they were ‘inherently capitalist’ and were against being a communist state. The policy of collectivisation contributed...
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...English A: Literature Part 1: Works in Translation Reflective Statement and Written Assignment How does the ‘journey’ in ‘Head for Winter’, reflect Bei Dao’s experience of transition and change in Mao’s China? Reflective Statement Bei Dao’s work was greatly influenced by the conditions in which he was living, as well as his experiences. He was only seventeen years of age during the Cultural Revolution. He later joined the Red Guard and he was required to remove all banned books in China from library shelves, as this was an order from the Communist leader at the time, Mao. The power of the government can be witnessed, as the public is controlled of the literature they are allowed to legally read. The Cultural Revolution aimed to destroy the Western influences in the country and enhance the Chinese traditional values. Bei Dao wrote with a group called the ‘misty poets’, which were a group of people whom wrote poetry with political undertones. In many of Dao’s poems, he reveals the strength of the political regime, for example in ‘Head for Winter’, the first stanza refers to Mao as the “sun”, or the leader, and the “wind”, the freedom of the society, is being blown towards it, suggesting that Mao is capturing their individuality. There are references to economic growth in poems such as ‘Don’t Ask Our Ages’, where Bei Dao describes the precipice as “concrete” and there is also mention of “electrical wires”, suggesting that there is availability of man-made resources...
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...subjectivity in it. Mao’s last dancer written by Li Cunxin demonstrates that nonfiction texts rely on memory, perspective, and purpose. Without these key factorsNonfiction texts strive to be factual but not all nonfiction texts can be. In autobiographies we deal with ones memory, there memory tends have subjectivity in it. Mao’s last dancer written by Li Cunxin demonstrates that nonfiction texts rely on memory, perspective, and purpose. Without theseNonfiction texts strive to be factual but not all nonfiction texts can be. In autobiographies we deal with ones memory, there memory tends have subjectivity in it. Mao’s last dancer written by Li Cunxin demonstrates that nonfiction texts rely on memory, perspective, and purpose. Without these key faNonfiction texts strive to be factual but not all nonfiction texts can be. In autobiographies we deal with ones memory, there memory tends have subjectivity in it. Mao’s last dancer written by Li Cunxin demonstrates that nonfiction texts rely on memory, perspectivNonfiction texts strive to be factual but not all nonfiction texts can be. In autobiographies we deal with ones memory, there memory tends have subjectivity in it. Mao’s last dancer written by Li Cunxin demonstrates that nonfiction texts rely on memory, perspective, and purpose. Without these key factorsNonfiction texts strive to be factual but not all nonfiction texts can be. In autobiographies we deal with ones memory, there memory tends have subjectivity in it. Mao’s last dancer written...
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...Mao’s approach to political leadership as a revolutionary was summed up in the phrase, “Correct leadership must come from the masses and go to the masses.” What was Mao’s philosophy of how to lead a revolution, before and after 1949? Initially a radical revolutionary then a committed Marxist, Mao’s philosophy on how to lead a revolution was bathed in Nationalism. It is Mao’s love for China’s independence coupled with agrarian reforms that put Mao on the road to power. After 1949, Nationalism would reappear in Mao’s cultural policies, his relationship with Moscow and underdeveloped countries. Mao feared nothing and no one. Using Marxism-Leninism as a framework, Mao proposed the use of peasants to create his revolutionary elite. His innovative thinking was unpopular among many of Mao’s Communist comrades; they believed the proletariat to be the key group (Cheek, 11). Mao also championed women’s liberation from masculine authority of husbands as well as clan, temple, and general religious oppression (Cheek, 11) also unacceptable position for a Communist to take. Mao’s breakdown of the rural classes into poor, middle and rich peasants demonstrated the Nationalist impulse rooted in his personality. His attachment to China led him to cooperate with the Guomindang, a nationalist group (Cheek, 10) and in the resistance war against Japan guided Mao to power (Cheek, 13). After standing up to his abusive father Mao said, “…I learned that when I defend my rights by open rebellion...
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...Mao’s reinvention: the destruction of the Capitalist Roader The Great Proletarian Revolution was filled of bloodshed and terror in an attempt for a dictator to regain long lost power. This revolution was to undertake the cleansing of political capitalist roaders trying to undermine Communist China. To do so, Mao needed the support of the masses in which he employed millions of students to begin to find capitalist opposition to his ideas, and regain political stature amidst the removal of opposing ideas. This event was to make use of the members of the Communist Red Guard, which Mao created to occupy the strength of teenage masses in china. The Red Guard, although great in strength, had eventually become a major weakness for the revolution. Mao used the Cultural Revolution to regain political stature through the removal of capitalist opposing thought, and did so using the removal of four olds to cover over this. This was significantly effective, but created lasting effects that he struggled to control until his death. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution had begun in 1966. The revolution was based on a sixteen point decision made by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party relating to the removal of capitalists. This decision was to remove all “old ideas, culture, customs and habits” from the bourgeoisie (a social class based on capital) and replace them with the “new ideas, culture, customs and habits of the proletariat to change the mental outlook of the...
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...“Strategy was more important than ideology in Mao’s rise to power after 1927.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? I agree with this statement to a small extent as to me strategy was as equally as important as ideology was. An ideology is a set of conscious and unconscious ideas that constitute one's goals, expectations, and actions. Strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim. From 1927 to 1937 the first civil war began when the kmt, victorious over the warlords, turn against the ccp. From 1937 to 1946 second united front unite against the Japanese. Unlike the earlier forms of Marxism-Leninism in which the urban proletariat was seen as the main source of revolution, and the countryside was largely ignored, Mao focused on the peasantry as a revolutionary force which, he said, could be mobilized by a Communist Party with their knowledge and leadership. The model for this was of course the Chinese Communist rural insurgency of the 1920s and 1930s, which eventually brought the Communist Party of China to power. Furthermore, unlike other forms of Marxism-Leninism in which large-scale industrial development was seen as a positive force, Maoism made all-round rural development the priority. Mao felt that this strategy made sense during the early stages of socialism in a country in which most of the people were peasants. Unlike most other political ideologies, including other socialist and Marxist ones, Maoism contains an integral...
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...relations, in the years 1958-69, were undermined primarily by conflicting national interests.’ How far do you agree with this view? Introduction It is to a large extent that Sino-Soviet relations, in the years 1958-69, were primarily undermined by conflicting national interests. This is elucidated in factors or events such as Sino-Soviet rivalry over Mongolia, Sino-Soviet border disputes such as Damansky/Chenbao (1969), China’s reaction to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968) among many others. Nevertheless, other factors such as ideological conflict for example competing Soviet and Chinese claims for the leadership of international communism, China’s negative response to Soviet de-Stalinisation, Soviet ‘peaceful coexistence’ versus Mao’s commitment to ‘continuing revolution’ at a time when China was confronting the USA among many others undermined Sino-Soviet relations. 1. Sino-Soviet rivalry over Mongolia Sino-Soviet rivalry over Mongolia. The Chinese regarded Mongolia in their own sphere of influence, yet Stalin and Khrushchev refused to reduce their ties. Despite the Chinese signing the Treaty of Friendship with the Soviet Union in 1950, the Chinese failed to get an agreement off the Soviets, promising to limit their influence in Mongolia. Obviously, this would generate tension as the Chinese disliked how their power was limited. 2. Sino-Soviet border disputes such as Damansky/Chenbao (1969) Sino-Soviet border disputes such as Damansky/Chenbao (1969). The Sino-Soviet...
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...6 regions played a huge role in Mao’s consolidation of power but I don’t think it was the main reason. I believe that along with it, other factors were equally as important, such as training people who weren’t members of the CCP to join the government, terror with mass killings, imposed starvation and letting the national capitalists keep their job until he needed them to, so that the system was stable enough for him to control. He also made land reforms and introduced a registration system, which also helped consolidate his power. Mao also extended his political control with the “anti-movements” and the Politburo. The Anti-Movements was a movement against waste, bribery, and inefficiency. It was used as an excuse to getting rid of anybody standing in Mao’s was of ruling. He used to get rid of the people whom he had given jobs to in the beginning, those who weren’t past of the CCP, accusing them of inefficiency. He called these people “the bureaucratic capitalist class”. The Politburo was a circle of twenty leading members of the Communist Party, and the carried the government under the authority of Mao of course. So it was the party that ruled, and not the people. This helped Mao have a better control on the decisions taken for the country and therefore created a controllable system, which helped consolidation of power. In 1952 other political parties were banned. The CCP was structured into 6 regions, which eased the consolidation of Mao’s power. This is because he allocated...
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...Emperor Mao Zedong's beliefs changed the way that China exists to this day. His ideas revolutionized Chinese culture and lifestyle for decades. His changes resulted in the deaths of millions of people, wasted time and brainwashed the people of China to follow his often misguided lead. A part of Mao's rise to power involved millions of people dying. Regularly land was taken from the landlords and given to the peasants who worked the land. This was a positive change in that it improved the lives of many Chinese people. Unfortunately, Mao also encouraged the public humiliation and murder of these landlords. Thousands of these men were put on stages, harassed and killed. Although the landlords made life miserable for the Chinese farmers and peasants,...
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...China during the Cultural Revolution was a place where you were told what to do, and what to say. Today I will be speaking to you about Mao’s Last Dancer, the film adaption of the autobiography of Li Cunxin. To begin with, I will speak about the Cultural Revolution in China, where the story is set. Li’s story took place during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of China, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution. This revolution took place from 1966 to 1976, lead by Mao Zedong, who was the leader of the Communist Party of China at the time. The Cultural Revolution led to millions of people being persecuted and thousands more being killed. Because of the Cultural Revolution, people no longer had freedom of speech and actions. If anyone was found criticising the Government or taking part in anti-communist operations, they would be arrested immediately. Generally, the people of China took to the idea of communism because they had been convinced and continually told that communism would bring great wealth to China. This was great news to the people of China because they had suffered a famine, which lead to the death of millions of people. The Cultural Revolution officially ended in 1976, after Chairman Mao died. Those found to be part of The Gang of Four, a group of Chinese Communist Officials, were arrested for treasonous crimes. In Mao’s Last Dancer, it is shown how Li was taught at school in Shandong that Chairman Mao would end poverty in China. After he arrived at the...
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...in the bitter sea. This is where he had published the account of Lihua and her Family. This could not have happened without Richard Nixon’s trip to China in 1972 that ended more than two decades of Cold war hostility. This trip allowed journalist’s access to china for the first time in two decades, and created an appetite for China. This appetite was insatiable after many of American top journalists describe it as like “going to the moon.”, and therefore when US – Chinese relations were reopened in 1979. Many top Journalists jumped on this, including Fox Butterfield. This was historically important because it gave firsthand knowledge of the struggles that occurred within Chinese society especially with the destruction of intellectuals in Mao’s Cultural Revolution, and allowed for the first time in 30 years the ability for Americans to understand what was occurring overseas in China. Relevant Events background The Chinese revolution of 1949 was based on the majority of the Chinese against imperialism, feudalism, and capitalism. This was displayed quite well in the previous presenters by Mao in “the foolish old man“, speech in which Mao explains that the Chinese people hold two large mountains on their shoulders and one being imperialism, and “the other is feudalism.” However, afterwards much of the economic surplus was placed in the hands of the state for industrialization and in turn allowed elites the power to control. These elite found power and...
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