Wild Ginger: Yet another unmerited book

It is obvious to see that Wild Ginger is another cliche plotted, charactered, and put together book, similar to many other books we've read in whisl. With obvious plot lines like a classic Sherlock Holmes Mystery, a puppy love story, and anti-communist characters like Evergreen and Maple, this book has accomplished nothing specatularly new. While it tells a story of true effects of communism and Marxist ideals, its lack in literary merit, and originality do writing no justice. It is obvious to see the McCarthyesque style of anti-communist this and that. It is obvious to see that Communism ruins the rights and accomplishments of the individual, and the other unnecessary additions of love, mystery, and perversion all prove this point as well, but why need we point out whats sitting on your nose? When an economic system pools all possessions and materials, the motivation of the individual drops to a complete 0. When all one is working for is the better of one's country, and his only pay is a bunk in a dorm, and a plate of food it is clearly seen why Mao's ideas failed. Min uses Wild Ginger as a character to show the blatent failures of Maoist ideals. While she persists in the ways of the Red Guard, it is clear to the reader that she should chose another path. Then Evergreen and Maple are shown to the reader as the reason that Capitalism is fair to the individual, while Communism ruins originality and creativity. Perhaps Min should have read and studied Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Both extreme societies warrant different kinds of suffering. Its more of a pick your poison situation. Hopefully next year's WHISL class will atleast get to read books that have enough merit to make it on sparknotes, let alone the AP exam.

Communist China at its best!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nXT8lSnPQ

Wild Ginger- embrace Capitalism, this author did

As a student in WHISL, I believe it is right to be disgruntled. As an American citizen I have rights, both guaranteed by prose and those unspoken. Obviously so does Anchee Min, the author of Wild Ginger and Becoming Madame Mao; by being an American she has the rights to act in a free market economy. That right is being exploited to its full extent. This time New York Times, I have to disagree. Wild Ginger is pulp, a mere rape of Americas fear of Communism. Min takes advantage of America's attraction to repulsion (Poe), in this case the ingrained terror of "The Red Threat" passed down a generation from McCarthyism and LBJ's "Domino Theory". Even
superficial book reviews pin point the motive for Min: to publish and bank on a cult following, "which should mean strong sales" (Publisher's Weekly). Go Capitalism! Minn is quick to hint at the perversion of Marxist teaching by Mao, and then greater distortion by his people, but seems to do it out of a distaste for all things Communist, with her thinly hidden narrator drawn towards the old ways of China. What does her narrator represent? Well Min herself of course; Maple is a great character to mold after yourself, innocent, misguided, and a bastion of moral goodness. One of the underlying literary themes we could explore is Min's narcissism and lack of shame for selling a dramatic retyping of her memoir Red Azalea (Mariner Books). It is a simple equation, heaven sent for superficial success for under-educated housewives with disposable income.

One, a young female protagonist, just budding into a woman, feeling the pressures of sexual perversion (Sex sells, especially since every American woman feels those pressures in a sexist society such as ours)

Two, make it dark. Not really, actually, just dark enough for those same housewives to feel a taste of "reality", and throw in a sad ending so it can't easily be identified as pulp. If she wanted reality she should have thought of other minority writers who struggled before her, such as Richard Wright. "I swore to myself that if I wrote another book, no one would weep over it; that it would be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears." Wright went on to say that, he didn't want a book that banker's daughters could read, cry deeply, and then feel superficially catahartic because they feel the plight of minorities. That is exactly what Minn does in Wild Ginger, a novel that gives housewives the chance to emphasize with poor, children in Communist oppression. :(

Three, Write a novella, then have it printed in ridiculously huge font so it comes out to be 217 pages long. Give your readers that sense of accomplishment they didn't earn.

Four, add a love story. Of course, what pulp wouldn't be complete without a love story, especially forbidden by higher powers. Think a re-hashing of Romeo and Juliet

Five, Violence! Schoolyard battles with a bully, who doesn't vicariously love defeating a bully like Hot Pepper!

Six, Hint at deep literary themes, to fool an untrained reader to think they are in over their head. Actually, there is nothing of substance

Seven, WTF! Add a Nancy Drew style mystery story were a pre-teen girl defeats the criminal, that's low. Min must have really been pulling at straws here. Try and imagine this: Scooby Doo in Shanghai! Yay!

Eight, pretty cover. ohhh! Catches the light!

Finally, you get the product. Some pulp barely worth the paper its printed on but apparently addicting to housewives. Min has sold you a bill of goods. Reading this is analogous to going on a blind date and finding you are spending the night with a paper cut out of Jessica Alba.

Unfortunately, this will never be read. On the off chance you do read this Mrs. Bell, I would like to discuss Wild Ginger with you. However, I believe that this has all been for naught.

The little Seamstress 2

So Four Eyes caught my attention, he makes me think about Squid in Rocket Power. Him and his mom seem to be better of then most, ecspecially since he has the suitcase of treasured books. Also its sort of weird to think about how much these kids valued books and really wanted to learn something when today kids overlook the value of their education. I feel that Luo when he first met the little streamstress was just stereotyping her by thinking that she was unkoweledgble and wasn't for him. Of course she gets entangled as they introduce her to the captivating stories and gains her own wisdom. Also, the poverty during the chinese culture revolution is astounding and I've noticed the narrators growing confidence in his own stories while Luo was the more headstrong of the two

Wild Ginger 2

I cannot even imagine the pain Wild Ginger feels about her mom. The news of her death must have been horrifying. Her new life style waking up super early to go to the market just so she can buy her own food and pay for school sounds very rough. She has enough will power to make it through. I hope that Wild Ginger wins the Mao Quotation-Citing Contest. She has put in a significant amount of effort into preparing for it. I think Evergreen will become an important piece of Wild Ginger and Maple getting out of troube later on in the book. I am still enjoying the read, and am interested by the different life style they have; the ruler is everything.

Son Of the Revolution- thoughts about the beginning of the book

So far, this novel makes me have sympathy for the main character. Overall, he seems easily convinced by the communist party and society about how he should live his life, yet he still questions certain aspects of this such as why he should not be allowed to join certain groups because of his mother. I find it so hard to believe and so mind boggling really that his mother can be shunned from society based on her "crime". In reality, she was only doing what the party asked her to do, and yet her whole family is torn apart by it. Communism, in this light, seems to me like a cult of brainwashing of sorts. How can her husband honestly believe that she acted wrongly? Does he truly believe this, or is it more of a result of the pressures of society? It is scary to me that eventually even the children turn against their mother because of her "rightest actions". Through the beginning the novel and the family's experiences, I see communism as the ultimate way ato mold individuals into a specific ideal to be easily manipulated.

Callie_Wild Ginger

The ideas of Maoism completely form the kids, like Maple and Wild Ginger's, views of society and change their views of their parents. It changes the way they relate to their parents, the kids become the authority, they no longer respect their parents. These ideas that are put in their heads are totally anti-Confucius. Confucius also states the studying the past will define the future. Maoism goes against this idea of Confucius because rather than the children learning the past they are destroying the past in order to define the future.

Little Chinese Seamstress 2 Andrew

at the beginning of this  book things were going very slow but now that im almost done things have really picked up. i find it interesting that the two main characters who are in the mountains for a re-education have taken a interest in western literature after a friend "four eyes" gave them a book in return for help when his glasses were lost. the reason i find it interesting that they have found a liking for these books is because they were banned because of the revolution taking place. these characters now have a suspicion that "four eyes" has a suitcase full of these kind of books hidden in his house. now "four eyes" mother has come up because he is done with his re-education. now because four eyes is leaving the two main characters have devised a plan to steal this suitcase full of books during the parting ceremony for "four eyes". i am curios to find out if they succeed in stealing all of these banned books or even if it really exists. this book is a good way to learn about the revolution because i can relate as the book is written through the eyes of two teenage boys trying to figure out life.

Wild Ginger- Tamed by society?

Hello there, all those hearing this in technicolor from cyberspace. Wild Ginger, the half breed, is not so wild. Truly, she is being tamed by society. Maple, the protagonist, stumbles through an absurd world, that of Mao's communist china. At the heart here we see the highest level of absurdity, that of gender roles and sexuality in communism. With the goal of equality in mind, Mao worked to make his people the same, and Wild Ginger is a criticism of this. The standard Mao set for equality was male, signified by all the indoctrinated youth wearing male clothes. Gender roles have been erased for equality, for example Hot Pepper as a leader of the red guard, but an unexpected consequence of this was the perversion of sexuality. Referenced throughout the beginning both subtly and blatantly are similes or details of female fertility, and the oppression therein. Hot Pepper wears her Mao pins like nipples. The school teacher lactates through her shirt. Maple believes her first menstrual cycle to be "fire" and evil in her body. These details, unnecessary to the plot, speak to the symbolic oppression of sexuality for equality in communism, especially communist China.

WildGingerHannah

Because Wild Ginger is half Oriental and half French, she reminds me of the main character in The Color of Water. I think that she has some psycological problems from feeling like she doesn't belong to either race. Also, the pain the she is feeling from not having a father figure around and seeing her mother's dead body must be unimaginable. I think that WG likes to stand up for Maple so much because she feels like no one ever stood up for her when she was younger. Although her mother probably tried her best to take care of her, it must have been extremely hard to raise a child with very little income all by herself. I also think that WG would make a great canidate for the Red Guards because she isn't super controlling but still knows how to keep collectiveness between people. She is very caring inside, but she just doesn't let anyone know. It's also tough for her to be taking care of herself at such a young age without any help from any type of guardian, eventhough Maple does help her out.

Stefan-Son of the Revolution

At the beginning of the book Mao seemed to be a positive character and most people gladly followed his philosophies. However, as Liang Heng got older Communism seemed to take a different course. The main character began to face more problems as different revolutions took place. At the start of the Cultural revolution, Liang Heng was excited at first because he wanted to participate and even founded his own propaganda club in school with which he accused all his teachers of being Intellectuals. However, soon his father also got accused for being an enemy, which Liang Heng did not understand because his father had great respect for Mao. Communism can also be noted for splitting up the main character's family. First it happened with his mother but then with his older sister Liang Fang, who thought that her father's accusation ruined her life. Liang Heng was constantly scared because guards would take him and try to make him confess of a "crime" so they could have a reason to arrest his father. Later on the father was beaten by young revolutionary guards because he hesitated to give up his older possessions (in the movement where people tried to distance China from its history). So far Liang Shan (the father) is the most significant character to me because I wonder how can a man who was so dedicated to Mao be accused so many times of not being loyal to the government?

Wild Swans #2 blog: Jenn S.

This book is a descriptive novel about the hardships of life during a cultural revolution. I have just reached the part in the book where the mother has just gone to the hospital because she was bleeding to death and needed to seek help. When she awoke she found that she had had a miscarriage which was most likely due to the long march that she had to endure on foot while her husband got to ride on a horse. This shows that even in health conditions people are still expected to act according to rank. Then she says that she will not go back to the revolution after that and her husband says that she must because otherwise it will show a sign of weakness. I couldn't believe that he would say something about that when she had just gone through that much pain. How could that be a thought or a major one at that after such an ordeal.

Through out this book one can see that women did play a major role and had many hardships that they had to face. Culturally they were looked down upon and thought of as the nurturers of the culture, the ones that could take care of it. I found it amazing how the mother went and stood strong and got things done and tried to get groups together to help other people. The part where she was taken to prison for several days was amazing in and of itself. She actually was able to listen to all of that pain and suffering around her and take from it to make her stronger and fight harder for a better way of living. When she was taken out into that court yard and blind folded she thought that she was going to die and still said that she wouldn't name names because she had done nothing wrong and she almost seemed to not be afraid of the death that she thought was coming. Then when the blind fold was removed and she saw the man that was shot she didn't flinch and still said that she wouldn't name names. This to me is amazing and shows the strength of not only a women but of having faith that eventually things can get better if one tries hard enough and believes in that change. The book is a telling book that has much history and a lot of insight through the eyes of a bystander. It helps to show the cultural revolution because it not only talks of how the civilians encountered problems as far as having food taken away, along with housing, and clothing becoming scarce, but it also goes from a little of the army point of view. It shows, not just tells that the civilians endured much and many had to struggle and lost their lifes for pointless reasons, like the one part where it talked about how some people were killed because they couldn't give back the food that they had been given when the communist were there (because they had eaten it because they were starving), they were killed because they couldn't give it back to the greedy. I thought that this was wrong and it seemed unjust that they were killed for such a reason basically as survival when they were given the food, they did exactly take it.

Over all this book seems to highlight most of the struggles that the Chinese culture endured during the revolution and does a great job at going through detail of a story to show these struggles. This book is very interesting and holds my attention rather well. I like how it is set up and it shows how things, I think were during this time in some parts and areas of China. It is a very descriptive and intense book. I am interested to see what is the next ordeal that they shall go through.

elizabeth g wild swans

ok didnt get very far this time. The book got a bit confusing, but you can definatly tell there is a power switch going on. I thinks its very interesting and a neat strategy for the mother of the narrator to pretend like she's going to visit a lover and then walk with him while he completes w/e mission he has. It's simple and creative. I've kind of forgotten the rest that ive read but i hope we get a chance to reveiw in class with our book groups so things get cleared up a bit.

Willis- Son of The Revolution II

As of now I am around page one hundred and this government just keeps getting more and more strange to me. It seems as if instead of helping the citizens it is trying to advance the hierarchs in the ountry and treat the citizens like slaves. This government has been treating Liangs family based on the parents decisions. The problem is everyone in the family has their own decisions in the family and they can't compare the Liang to the rest of her family. For example Liang's sister joined the red gaurd to help oppress the rebellion while Liang created a gang of rebels. The story moved rediculously slow in the beginning but now things are changing at an alarmingly fast pace. It has given me a lot to think about. In our society we don't need to worry about groups of people being oppressed unless they actually broke the law. Not to mention the fact that hatred isn't past down from generation to generation like Liangs family in the book. I'm not sure what to think about this government though because i haven't heard from the side of the government, only the side of the rebels. I'm sure they have atleast a few reasons for their actions, and I'd like to know more about the governments plans

Wild Ginger- Andy Aranyosi

I'm about half way though the book and I'm starting to find it less and less appealing maybe because its getting closer and closer to the end of the year, are the sudden perspective change of the character Wild Ginger. After competing in the Mao quot contest and gains power against hot pepper and her gang. When wild ginger and maple stop a robbery from occurring wild ginger says that she learned this from Mao's teachings but when Maple says nothing that relates her to Mao Wild Ginger is then accepted by the red guard and there soldiers. leaving
maple to then fend for herself which is not the way Mao would have taught her, Mao wouldn't have left a friend alone to fend for herself wile he prospered.

stephen-wild ginger

I'm about half way through the book and i like it so far. it has a good story line, as well as gives good background information on how life was during that era for many children. i would hate having to memorize all of Mao's quotations. it was really unfair when Wild Ginger won the citing contest but didn't win due to her heritage. i think my favorite character is Evergreen because he is awarded the title of winning the contest, but is very modest, and tries to help Wild Ginger and Maple. he helps them fight off Hot Pepper and her "dragon" brothers. i am very interested to see how the book will end.

Kim WildGinger2

So when I was reading this book I was trying to put myself in the shoes of all the children during the revoultion. I don't think i would really like how my whole curriculum would be based on the teachings of Mao. I don't find it very productive for these kids to learn all the Mao quotations, but not simple math. I also think that the overall effect of the Mao movement was not a good one for the children becasue it added uneeded stress to their lives. I mean just look at the toll that it took on everyone, Wild Ginger, Maple, Evergreen, and even Hot Pepper. As the book goes on I am starting to not like Wild Ginger as much but I still feel sorry for her because I think that she was brain washed with all the Mao teachings and she was drunk with her power. Over all I think that this was a good book, it incorporated the revolution with human interaction and gives you a unique perspective on the Chinese Revolution.

Becoming Madame Mao #2--Morgan

As I read further in to Becoming Madame Mao, I have realized that a huge motif in the story is the depandance Lan Ping has on always disguising her true self with the personality traits of a character she made up, or remembers from a past production, to make herself look better to the public, and feel better about herself too. To me, I think that this motif can also be used as symbol that depicts the uprising of communism in China: on the outside, communism is portrayed as a great revolutionary change in society, but in reality, it is the cause of many deaths, puts many citizens into poverty, and forces people to do things that they don't want to do. This is just like how Lan Ping rarely reveals the dark secrets of her past, and if someone already knows about it, she punishes them with either exile or death. However, on the outside she appears to be a beautiful young woman who only wishes the best for her people and country.

Wild swans II Molly

Molly Wild Swans IIAs others have commented this novel reminds the readers yet again of the widespread lack of appreciation for women that seems to be prevelent thoughout the world. For my Middle East Choice book I read Infidel which although was brutally vivid about some violent Islamic practices, was a genuinely insightful novel. But much like in Wild Swans, women in the middle east are looked down upon and have a destined plan laid out for them without their consent. "True Love" is considered foriegn and selfish in these novels, and women are supposed to care for others but not necessarily be cared for themselves. However, I cannot condemn every man of the past,present, or future for being insensitive and barbaric. For example, Dr. Xia seems to be of a different breed being a kind doctor who is not caught in a trap of greed and selfish pride like many other characters. Pride, by the way, appears to be one of the major themes in this lengthly admittedly daunting novels. Every Fiber of chinese culture seems to scream in advocation for the presence of personal, familial, and cultural pride. Pride is valued above gold and above love and the decisions the character's make are widely based on what this might do to their reputation. Even Dr. Xia had to take a deep breth before committing to a relationship with the narrator's grndmother because this would be like taking two steps forward because she had previously been a concubine and therefore is onsidered "less valuable".... how you can pin a value to a human being is beyond me but anyway... As mentioned in earlier blogs there appears to be little resmblance to the confucious methodology and teachings in this novel because the chinese and communists alike seem to firmly stand behind Mao's ideas for leadership. I am always amazed by how easily people submit all they hold dear to them to an unauthorized, unjustified authority but this keeps repeating itself throughout history so maybe there's something to it. In wild swans this also occurs where some of the soldiers/communists/whatever-you-want to call-them constantly raid Dr. Xia's medicine cabinets and valueables with no permission or compensation. Anyway, so far i am enjoying this book but it has been a slow and detailed read...

Son of the revolution-MAKENS 2nd

I am only about 90 pages into the book at this point. In this book it talks alot about how the goverment trys so hard to controll and get rid of the rightists and intellecutalls like user winkman stated in an earlier post. And I just have to say that this is eventually what communism turns into. The goverment controlls EVERYTHING everyone must have the same beliefs and if you speak out against the goverment you quietly dissapear. I find it really interesting how the red guard trys to get rid of the old when the old are the ones who raised them and brought them into this world. I could never imagine doing somthing like that.

Son of the Revolution- Ian

This book has been like many of the past choice books i've read. The truth and brutal honesty of the story makes it a great story. Reading more and more about the harsh and unfair government is really interesting. The fact that people had to live off of almost nothing is shocking. I thought the whole point of a communism was to create equality for all and to make sure every member was taken care of but apparently not. Numerous amounts of people starved and lived in poor conditions. And for almost no reason, the fact that people were discriminated against because of their parents poor decisions is very unfair. Children are not their parents. They may share many of the same traits and ideas but we are not our parents. This is something i can relate to because at times i feel discriminated against for the actions and views of my parents, especially when that does not reflect my views and opinions. People need to understand that everyone is their own person capable of making their own decisions, just like Heng should not be discriminated against because of his mother. Another thing i am still amazed at is how hard it was to transfer from place to place. The whole complicated process of getting Heng's "auntie" into the city seems like a ridiculous outdated process. It seems like if they're having such issues with migration and lack of females in the cities, it would be easier to have women migrate into the cities. At this point it sure seems like communist China has a lot of flaws and issues and these flaws have made it a harsh environment for Heng to grow up in.

Wild Ginger-by Nick Parnell

Well, I'm over half down with the book and have really enjoyed the storyline despite its literal simplicity. One thing that I think is strange is the hypocrisy in the characters Maple and Wild Ginger, who at first despised the Maoist, Red Guard, Communist culture yet changed over to its practices after taking much punishment. Wild Ginger really strived to become one of the uniform culture despite her hate of them due to her foreign origin. She won the Maoist quote contest even though she was not credited with the win. Evergreen is disheartened by the robbery of Wild Ginger's victory even though he was given the title and decides to take action by defending Maple and Wild Ginger from Hot Peppers brothers, Little, Middle, and Big Dragon. This is really the turning point in the novel, where the main characters seem to have an advantage and a chance at victory. I think this really relates to the Great Leap era in China, where the povert people saw a future where jobs were promised and their lives would be restored. When Wild Ginger and Maple stop the market manager from robbing the market worker woman Jung and other, only Wild Ginger gets all the credit because she related her actions to Mao's teachings while Maple did not make any connection. Thus Wild Ginger finally received her wish at becoming a Maoist like everyone else. Maple is left behind, which is against the Mao teaching saying, "remember and respect your comrade." The real connection to the Maoist era is that although the ideals sound great on paper, a minority is discriminated due to the Communist society, however those such people can rise to the top or even be able to visit Mao himself, such as Wild Ginger did.

Liz K - Wild swans again

Well, this book is obviously larger than the others, so it goes much deeper into the cultural aspects of China. Because of this, I have discovered that men, in all cultures, can be pigs. As Gracie has pointed out, the mother in this story had to go through hardships that her husband got to bypass. Also, other men made her go out on food gathering missions, even when she was eight months pregnant. This book does not make me as angry as Princess; however, the male role in society is supposed to be the protector, not the dictator. I believe that men and women should switch places one day, just so the men can know what they put the women through on a daily basis. Of course, not every man is mean - Dr. Xia, for example, seems to be one of the better men in this book.
Also, this book seems to follow Mao's examples, rather than Confucius or Taoism. Mao expects his leaders to be and example, and for his people to follow obediently, which is, I guess, the point of Communism. This idea, though, probably wouldn't fly very well with people who were more educated, simply because people with new ideas will realize that they're being pushed down, and rebel, and lo and behold, a revolution happen. Who woulda thunk it?

Wild Ginger-LyndseyC

Wild Ginger is quite the character, she feels very strong about what she believes in. She wants to be a Maoist and not a revolutionary which is why she is a participant in the Mao Quotation-
Citing Contest . If Wild Ginger wins the contest she will officially be honored as a Maoist. Wild Ginger was in the top three, but unfortunately, she is a second-class citizen so instead of winning the contest she lost her place because of her background and got an honorable mention. Later, while working at the market, Wild Ginger discovered that the discount food seller, the cigarette seller, the liquor seller, and Accountant Choo were distributing money that they had stolen and she told Maple to hurry and get the police but by the time Maple returned with help Wild Ginger had been beaten up and was rushed to the hospital. She became a heroine and revolutionary model and was interviewed and printed in newspapers, Wild Ginger was able to have a conversation with Chairman Mao that was nationally distributed. I am excited to see where this story goes and see how Hot Pepper handles all of the attention that Wild Ginger is getting.

Son of The Revolution-Winkman II

I have read up to page 80 now. I find it really interesting how harsh the Government is about getting rid of the the counterrevolutionists, rightists, and intellectuals. I really began to worry when Liang Hengs group of rebels began to turn on him and his friend Little Li. After Liang read the poster I began to worry what was going to happen to his father. I thought it was really interesting how Liang's older sister joined the Red Guards. What really gave me the wow factor was that his sister was participating in the raids that were going on to get rid of all the old. It reminds me of the Salem Whitch tials where they burned and destroyed everything that could be realted to whitchcraft. In a way Liang's sister was almost like a warning. She told them that they were raiding homes and sure enough later in the book Liang's house got raided. I must say that this book is becoming more interesting as I keep reading. At first I had my doubts.

Grace Stockdale Wild Swans II

Well, as of now I'm infuriated. The Authors mother just discovered she was pregnant, AFTER WALKING SO MANY MILES ON FOOT and going through tremendous labor. Her husband rode the horse because he was of higher rank; however she was forced to walk. As a result of this she is now encountering problems. I predict that the baby will be a miscarriage. I think that is the hardest thing about being women during the revolution. Basic needs are not met, and respect for women is swindled. Luckily her husband seems like a good man; hopefully he will change to see her as equal.

This book is showing not telling about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The Communist Parys didn’t seem so bad at first, for the authors Mother was working her way up the ranks, starting off by marring her husband, a strong communist party official, and soon she will be a full blow part of the revolution. I guess you could say that the author’s grandmother did contribute to the revolution, by giving birth to the author’s mother. Maoism seems to be working...for now. I just know that the labor that the people are doing is insane, and that the fact that Mao is tearing apart families, just so it can hopefully strengthen the Communist party is selfish and inhumane.

I see this book as not only bursting with drama, heart break, and horror, but it is extraordinary in the way that it not just a story of the three women during the revolution, but more, a story of the people of China during this change. When the author’s mother is working as a barefoot doctor, for example, she is just one of the women who had to do that. She symbolizes the hundreds of thousands of people who had to succumb to the powers of Mao, and the Communist Party. It is through her life, her mother’s life, and through that of the author that history unfolds and is exposed.

This book was an essential read because it not only taught me about the revolution, but what it was like during those times for the innocent people of china. They had to pretend that they supported this type of government and that they stood behind all the barbaric things Mao enforced. They were living a lie, and the only way to survive was to keep on doing it. This is no text book. It doesn't feel like a lecture because these things are real and draw the reader into the story upon story of the people who are united in one way; they all have suffered the tolls of communism.

Becoming Madame Mao- Ally W

So far I have read to when Lan Ping (Yunhe) agrees to marry Mao. By marrying Mao she must not publicize her identity, take part in Mao's business or offer opinions to Mao. When she becomes Madame Mao she realizes she will be lower than the man she loves, yet she will rise abover her nation.

I am not too fond of Lan Ping's character. I feel like she morfs into what the men in her life want her to be. She doesn't stick with her original personality, which leads me to believe that she has no true personality whatsoever. Lan Ping is never satisifed, she believes that she can always do better or be better. She even changes her name to help structure her new identity after being arrested. She always changes her obsessions. One day she was obsessed with becoming a famous actress and performer, then she became obsessed with joining the communist party. Her current obsession is winning over Mao, I wonder what her next obsession will be?

This book confuses me when the author switches point of views between Lan Ping and the narrator, but for the most part I have enjoyed reading about Lan Ping's life and her views on communism. I am curious to see how long her obsession with Mao will last and how far that will take her.

Wild Ginger - Valerie

I have read to the point in the book where Wild Ginger and Maple become really good friends, and get beat up on a daily basis by Hot Pepper, Titi and Yaya together. I think Wild Ginger is a strong character, she stands for what she believes and she doesn't let people push her around. What surprised me about wild ginger is that she wants to show that she is a maoist, that she is not a revolutionary. Based on her dad being a foreigner people treat Wild Ginger as if she were a revolutionary whether it seemed like she was or not. Maple goes to tell Wild Ginger that her mothers name is on a suspicion list of spies. We then see the personal relationship between Wild Ginger and her mom, and it is a hard one. Wild Ginger lights a picture of her father and mother on fire in front of Maple showing the hatred she has towards her dad, and that he is the reason she is constantly getting beat up at every school she moves to. After we see the fight between Ginger and her mother about her dad Ginger and Maple go to see a boy named Evergreen who is the Red Guard leader in another school to seek for protection, and Evergreen tells Wild Ginger about the Maos Quotations competetion, and she decides she want to participate in it, I think this will be a large turning point, showing that she is not a revolutionary might win over the approval of hot pepper. I am looking forward to reading more, and finding out if Wild Ginger participates in the Mao quotation contest, and to see how many people she shocks.

Becoming Madame Mao-Kathleen

At about half way through the book, Lan Ping has experienced a lot as a character. She has played the role of many different figures and has learned to conform to fit her surroundings. Her position as Mao's lover is a role of deception and persuasion. She learns to contort her past in order to be accepted by Mao's followers. She has to deny her conscious in order to allow herself to push aside Mao's current wife. There is a common theme of deception in that Lan Ping is constantly changing who she is in order to be accepted. So far I have enjoyed the book; however, I am frustrated with the character of Lan Ping. Her constant desire to fit into her surroundings makes her a transparent character, and I have a difficult time connecting with her.

Paula-Madame Mao 2

I just finished the book, and I thought that the ending was very interesting. I was somewhat disappointed to learn that Jiang Ching's reign completely ended after the death of Mao, her husband. Although she worked very hard to gain the power that she eventually got, she ended up trying to destroy people that had once done wrong unto her, which I thought was unethical. One thing I really enjoyed about the progression of her story was the way Anchee Min told the story as if it was a play. I enjoy performing in front of audiences, and the format of the story made it seem that much more realistic and relatable to my every day life.

Another thing I liked about this novel was the changing point of view. I think it gave a more well-rounded story and a more diverse opinion of Madame Mao. She would tell her story during some points, and then a third-person omniscient narrator would continue the story without her bias in focus. I think that this helped me better understand her life story and the events that she overcame. The point of view was an integral part of the story, bringing in different perspectives about Jiang Ching.

Finally, I feel like I learned a lot about the Chinese cultural revolution through this book. As I stated before, I think that Mao is a symbol of change for the people. However, after reading more, I have realized that although many people were very supportive and even dedicated to him, he was not necessarily always right or ethical or kind to others. This can be seen perhaps most easily through his relationship with his wife. Near the end of his life, he treated her terribly and did not respect her at all, even though she tried everything she could to help him succeed by creating Communist plays and trying to destroy different government leaders to make his position easier and less burdensome. Mao Tse-tung was never willing to change his ways to make her happy and inspire her to do even more for the cultural revolution. I think that in a way, her time spent in jail symbolizes an overthrowing of old and bringing in new. These changes affected her profoundly, and she realized that she was no longer the true leader to bring about change in China. Overall, I enjoyed Becoming Madame Mao a lot and I learned many new things about the cultural revolution in China.

Wild Ginger 2....Brianna

As I said last time Maple and Wild Ginger do become the kind of outcast friends but their friendship is a weird one. Wild Ginger is sooo rude and disrespectful to her mom and her french father. I think she comes off like a brat. But i guess, who wouldn't when all the parents "crimes" are blamed on the child. While Wild Ginger is trying to do anything she can to distance herself from her parents Maple (not even knowing Gingers father) defends them because she can see past some of the blame and see peoples loyalty and virtue. I think she can also understand the situation better then Ginger b/c her dad saw the chinese revolution differently then most Maoists. Their friendship kind of struggles to survive the tension with the whole Evergreen thing. They both come to like the boy but Evergreen goes for Wild ginger first. Wild Ginger is respected for "outing criminals", even ppl like her own mom. At this point in the book all the children are taken out of school to march the country and train so theyll be able to defend themselves and fight if needed. Thats where i am so far and even tho its an easy read its definatly an interesting book

Son Of The Revolution

This book started off little slow but more in to the book it started to get mornteresting. then it gave a good perspective of how life was like for people who live under Mao's control. So for the most part the book is very good.

Balzac and the little chinese seamstress_alisha

The beginning of this book is pretty boring. But once you keep on reading it gets more interesting. Its about two boys who move in the mountains in a small little village. They are moved there for re-education. They soon meet a little chinese seamstress from a near by village. I think one of the boys starts liking her. Both the boys smoke, but the other boy is pretty much addicted to cigs. During rainy days he gathers the remains of past cigs and creats one cig. Im excited to read more of this book, its pretty good so far.

ty son of the revolution

This book started a little slow and in the beginning it was ver factual and gave a good perspective of what life was like for people of all ages to live under Mao's control. I am not very far into the book yet but it is starting to pick up and i think that it'll be a ver enjoyable book to read.

Little Chinese Seamstress Andrew

this book started off a little slow but got better. i like this book so far because it follows two teenagers caught up in the revolution. these two characters are in a small village located in the mountains and are there for a re-education. there is a seamstress in the next village and one of these characters is begining to fall in love with her. im not very far in the book but it is good so far.

Brittany-Balzac and the little chinese seamstress

well so far this book is pretty good. I am on page 35 and so far there are these two boys that have to move to "the country side" for re-education and they movve to this mountain called phoenix of the sky and this place is pretty "uncivilized" by the standards of these boys. most of the people dont wear shoes. well these kids live in this house that kinda sucks because they have to share it with a pig but they seem to manage. they certinly dont really like their living situations, they are not allowed to see their families or anything so all they have is eachother. the boy that is telling the story plays the violin and is apparently really good. and the other boy (Luo) is currentlly ill with malaria which sucks because he just got a letter from the little seamstress princess that they get to take a couple days off and go perform over where she lives so hopefully he gets better soon! i believe that the narator is infactuated and kinda has a crush on the little seamstrees so we'll see how that turns out, cuz by the way he talks about her is pretty intence

Stefan-Son of the Revolution

I wrote the unlabeled comment below (sorry).

Jack Spady- the wild ginger

I think the book, The Wild Ginger, is going to be a good read as it has so far in the beginning. So far it has told how the narrator, Maple, is a girl in elementary school in China and how everything is so strict. She is beaten for the reason that she looks a little different which means that "she is the enemy." The girl Hot Pepper is a bully to Maple and is part of the Red Guard so she can behave how she wants because Mao "says she can do what it takes to control." Then there is a new student called, Wild Ginger. She also is different looking like Maple with yellow, green eyes. But when Hot Pepper confronts her, Wild Ginger doesn't back down. She ends up punching Hot Pepper, but in result is beat up by Hot Pepper and her gang. Maple and Wild Ginger start a friendly relationship because they can relate to one another.

Son of the Revolution is a far more interesting book than I expected. It is important to see that Communism was a political system with some positives instead of all negatives. However, Liang Heng still seems to have a hard life in Mao's China. One of the things that I found to be most unbelievable is the arrest of the narrator's mother. At first she was simply asked to give suggestions to the Communist party but later she got accused for being a Rightist, becoming a peasant for three years which had a strong effect on her family. Liang Heng got constantly bullied because of his mother's position within the society. Also I think it is interesting how loyalty to Communism is strictly enforced in the country. Some people even dedicate their lives wanting to belong in the Communist party. Overall, I don't know if Liang Heng's life was good or bad. Mao was an unfair ruler in many ways, but he also enforced equality among the people. At least his leadership was better than Chiang Kai-Shek's.

Wild Ginger- Andy Aranyosi

so far in Wild Ginger I find it to be a very interesting book with Maple being the main character and Wild Ginger, who becomes her best friend. Hot pepper is the local red guard soldier that rules over the school resiting Mao's Scriptures and quizzing the kids on how well they respect Mao being determined by how many pages of Mao's book can be read aloud. when wild Ginger moves in to Maples class she has the look of a foreigner this causes Hot pepper and her gang to go after Wild Ginger when Maple stands up for her hot pepper turns on both of them, this brings Maple and Wild Ginger together to begin a new friendship unlike either has ever experienced before. so far I like this book and find it very easy and interesting to sit down and read without getting bored. I'm interested to find out what happens next i the novel.

Little chinese seamstress- Parker Mortensen

im about forty pages in and so far it is a book about two kids who are in the chinese reeducation program where they got to the mountains and are toughtbut the people who live there. they meet a lil girl that they call the seamstress and they are kinda friends. one of the kids is sick with malaria and it is not looking good from his position so far. good book though.

Wild Ginger-Bryce Mayo

yo,
i am reading wild ginger and it is pretty dang good. there are a few main characters such as wild ginger, the person talkin in the book, and hot pepper. it seems to me like school is a joke where all they do is resite Mao quotes and if you didnt resite them right then you would be beaten or humiliated. also wild ginger and narirator dont really get along. the narirator wants to join the Red Guard but cant because of her familys past. wild ginger doesnt want to because she doesnt like there ways. also the teachers look down on outsiders and such and have harsher punishment on them. the school system seems like all they want to do is teach them the Mao way and i dont think that is right for the children. this book is the bomb digity.

Bryce Mayo

Willis- page number

PS I am on page forty at this point in time

1st post

Wild Ginger is definitely a pager turner! Maple, the narrator, has made friends with the new girl in the class, Wild Ginger. The bully of the class, Hot Pepper, criticized WG because she had light eyes and different shaped eyes because both of her parents were not oriental. Hot Pepper bullied Maple so much (saying that she was just followin what Mao would want her to do) that WG stepped in and wasnt afraid of her at all and HP finally backed off. Soon I found that WG dislikes her mother very much and criticized her deceased father who was French. Because her mother was so much in love with him, she is sort of discusted by what WG is saying. WG doesn't quite show her anger that she is obviously building up inside. Her mother is strugging to deal with her and commits suicide. WG is very distrought by this and when Maple tries to help her she refuses it and hurts herself by stabbing her hand with a pencil and threated to hurt Maple too. Being an orphan, she now has to fend for herself. So, she goes to the market in the earliest hours of the day selling fish, snails, scrappings for little to nothing. Maple is very empathetic towards her and tries to help her out.

Son of The Revolution- Willis

I have to say this book started off slow, but it gave me a lot if factual information on China. I found a lot of good information on the lifestyle of families in China, and the story of his mother really dragged me into the story. Also I can see how strong the people felt about politics which really got me to compare their culture to ours. The way they treat women there is hard to even compare to many countries in the modern day, but I suppose in that era many countries treated women with less dignity. As I said before their political stress such as the families feelings towards the Liang family really opens my eyes to their cultures feelings when it comes to high class families. This book should be read by American citizens to let them appreciate their right to vote for whoever they please.

Littel

Wild Ginger--Nick Parnell

I'm through the first three chapters of the Wild Ginger, and really enjoy the storyline so far. Hot Pepper(a very suiting name) is the local Red Guard leader for the school our main characters Maple and the Wild Ginger go. Basically Hot Pepper and her Red Guard gang members beat foreigners like Maple and Wild Ginger, with umbrellas as they chant out Mao quotes. Maple at first takes this treatment as a lone foreigner, until Wild Ginger enters the school and defends herself as well as Maple and inspires her to also fight back. Wild Ginger's mother is on bedrest as she continues to mourn the loss of her French husband, a man who Wild Ginger hates because he gave her the foreign blood and burdened her with the mistreatment, yet her mother scorns her for hating her father. Wild Ginger hates the Red Guard and Maoist but still wants to join them in order to be treated fairly. I predict that Maple and Wild Ginger are going to get into many more fights and a lot more trouble as they defend their right to live in their homeland.

kaelen-Little Chinese Seamstress

I am about forty-five pages into the book and as of right now, the book is about two teenage boys that were shipped off to China's re-education program at the Phoenix of the Sky Mountain. As every kid can relate, the two teenagers hate the work they have to do, and being away from home. They are allowed to watch videos every month, and one day they meet a tailor's daughter and call her the little seamstress. Also, one of the teenagers becomes sick with malaria. that is about as far as i have gotten so far but so far i do feel like this is going to be an enjoyable book. I am interested in the story because these programs must have been tough.

Son of the Revoluiont-Brett

I haven't read all that far into the book so far, but it is already proving to be quite interesting. The sheer influence of the Communist party is really amazing. It was very surprising to hear that one of Liang's first words was Mao. At the learning center kids were taught how to write Mao before there own name, and then moved on to, "Chairman Mao is our Great Saving Star," "We are Chairman Mao's good little children," "The Communist party is like the sun," and so on. It is also quite interesting to hear the perfection the party demanded and the egotistical way the party viewed itself. Liang's mom was punished for stating three criticisms even after being asked if she had any. So far this book has been quite interesting and I am anxioius to read further into the book and learn more about the view of a citizen under a communist government.

son of the revolution-MAKENS

So far this book seems to be pretty good. I think this book really shows how hard and difficult it can be to live in a communit society. It gives an interesting view on what it would be like to grow up in a communistic society. I havent gotten very far in this book but I think it seems like a book I will enjoy.

Little Chinese Seamstress

I am forty pages into the book and so far the story's about two teenage boys, that were sent on china's re-education program,  to the Phoenix of the Sky Mnt. The teenagers seem to hate the backbreaking work, and being cut off from civilization. Their only refuge is watching films each month, in distant villages. They meet a tailor's daughter and call her the little seamstress, ( one boy grows found of her). One of the teens becomes sick with Malaria, and is scared that he will die at the Phoenix of the Sky. 

Wild Ginger-Stephen

I can already tell i will like this book. It was inspirational when Wild Ginger stepped in and helped out Maple when she was getting beat up by umbrellas. Even though Wild Ginger and Maple lost the fight, they at least let Red Pepper know they will stand their ground. I feel bad for Wild Ginger's mom when they get in an argument. Wild Ginger will always hate her mom just because of what people say to her at school and in society. Wild Ginger tries extremely hard to fit in so she studies the teaching of Maoism and can recite much of the book. i feel that Maoism is taking over their lives because it is turning them into robots as Kim said. I'm interested in what happens with Evergreen and the two girls if they end up getting a group together and fighting Hot Pepper or not.

Son of the Revolution-Ian

Son of the Revolution is kind of a boring book so far. It has started to pick up a little bit but the beginning was a bit boring. Just like a Thousand Splendid Suns, the story is a bit boring but the amount of facts and brutal honest is making up for the lackadaisical story. The fact that people were treated so harshly and labeled rightist over such trivial and simple things is ridiculous. Especially since the Party asked for feedback and essentially labeled anyone who responded as rightist. This label was so harsh and it pretty much branded and scarred a person and their family for life. It was a really corrupt and terrible system. Also, the drought and famine the people suffered showed their reliance on the peasants the city memvers always looked down upon. If one area gets screwed up the whole system gets screwed up and is ruined. Another thing that was shocking was the marriage for financial reasons. It just seems so odd that marriage would used to strengthen a ranking or be done strictly to get by with money. In our culture marriage is something two people who truly love each other do. Overall this book is full of facts and history which is a plus, but the slow story is a downside but it is starting to finally pick up!

WHISL choice book

Wild Ginger is an easy to read book that has an intriguing tale. My favorite part of the book so far was when Wild Ginger helped Maple stand her own ground against Hot Pepper. Wild Ginger, a new, unfamiliar student swept into the scene where Maple was being beaten up, and takes many of the punches and beatings for her. After this, they become a team and a friendship forms. They both learn about who they are and the fact that they both are agains non-Moaists. I think this friendship will take the main characters on many journeys throughout the book. I am very sorry that Maple's father won't return shortly, I feel horrible that she is in an uncomfortable living situation: crammed garage.

Wild Ginger-LyndseyC

What I have read so far in Wild Ginger is very interesting. The narrator discusses how she is not a participant in the red guard therefore people like Hot Pepper that are part of the red guard have the right to beat and do terrible things to her. According to Hot Pepper, Chairman Mao teaches them to be ruthless. Its interesting to learn how people in the red guard were treated by people not in the red guard because for their generation they think being a Maoist is something they need to do; like on page 27 it says, "To become a Maoist for our generation was like attaining the state of Nirvana for a Buddhist. We might not yet understand the literature of Maoism, but since kindergarten we were taught the process, the conversion--to enslave our body and soul, to sacrifice what was requested in order to 'get there'--was itself the meaning of our lives". This book so far is really good and im interested in seeing how the relationship between Maple and Wild Ginger will end up.

elizabeth g wild swan

I like this book a lot. It's not the most exciting thing, but the small interesting events keep me going. The foot binding sounds painful, and the fact that a wife has to raise her husband is an odd concept. Idk, i mean the man is suppose to be the dominant one in the realationship, but until he gets older hes not so, it's weird. One thing that was interesting though was that the story teller's mother was allowed to have a say in who she was going to marry. The one bad thing is all the men asking for her hand. It's terrible that the soilders will try and marry local women just cause it's encouraged, and just for their pleasure no doubt. Im kind of rambling, but the book just has so many odd or intersing concepts they just keep poping into my mind. One thing that really bugs me about this book is the fact that i cant keep straight whos who sometimes. I'm sure things will clear up soon though. The next chapter called, "Daughter for Sale for 10 Kilos of Rice" sounds interesting and i cant wait to read it.

Gracie Stockdale-Wild Swans

This is such a compelling novel. Although it starts off rather slow, it really picks up and starts to get really interesting. OK some major topics that must be discussed: footbinding? AHHH, that sounds so horrible. At one point in the book it said she could barely walk much less stand up without severe pain. Especially the way they do it, by breaking their feet with a large stone etc. How tragic it is that women are still treated like livestock in this book. The concubines are sex slaves for their husbands and are simple there for them when ever they need a women. That treatment in itself is horrible. The life the author's Grandmother lived was not a pleasant one. When Xiu's son killed himself because he didn't want him to marry her, that was so ridiculous. How could it be so miserable to see someone else taken care of. Xiu is a nice enough man, being a doctor and finally leaving his disapproving family. He must really care about the grandmother (his wife, not concubine) enough to move away with her. I just feel so horrible for all the women of china, they go through so much just to be ridiculed for their happiness. This book is great so far.

Balzac&theLittleChineseSeamstress

I am 60 pages into this book and so far the story has been of two teenage (17 and 16) Chinese boys who are sent into the mountain villages of China to be "re-educated." The idea of "re-education" comes from Mao who dispises intellectuals, and sends them from the cities into remote villages to be essentially dumbed down. The effects of such a relocation are rather tramatic as the boys discover the poor, dismal state of their village on top of Phonix Mountain. Here they are ordered to do various tasks, learning the essential parts of a mountain village life. Like all other villagers, they take part in essential duties to keep the village working and fed. I like this book so far because it provide the perspective of two teenage boys in China who struggle to survive an ordered relocation. Its a very interesting topic and I think the rest of the book is going to be interesting and excting as well.

Garret Son of the Revolution

So far the Son of The Revolution has been a very enjoyable and thought provoking book. After reading a solid thirty pages, i have learned much about not only the family, but also myself. As i probe deaper into this novel, it enlightens me on how politics and social classes affect not only the daily lives, but also the basic foundations on which faimilies rely. It unveils the deeper grooves carved into Chinese culture and their politics. Honor to your political party is in direct corolation with ones social status and public rankings. When the mother was forced to give reason against her parties ranking, she was depleated to a lower status and forced into a Reformation Camp. The father, who was deeply instilled with these cultural grooves and was forced at political gun point to divorce and dismember his wife for the future of his and his childrens lives did regretably.

Mia Quick- Son of the Revolution

Son of the Revolution is a moving story based on the life of Liang Heng. In reading Son of the Revolution, I have gained great insight into the cultural revolution in China. The historic movements of the period, the influence of "Mao Thought", and the personal effects of the period on the Liang family are related in stirring detail. I'm only through about 100 pages of the book, but so far the central issues are: The role of family, influence of relationships, and the power of Mao Thought. Regarding the role of the family, Son of the Revolution begins with one of the most destructive occurrences of Heng's life; the re-education of his mother and his parent's subsequent divorce following her banishment. Following the divorce of Heng's parents, the Liang family becomes the object of scorn. They are ostracized on the social level as well as the political level. Both of Heng's sisters are denied entry into the prestigious Red Guard due to the intense political scorn imposed on the family. The "questionable" political allegiance of the Liang family continues to plague the family members as the novel goes on. As you can see the influence of relationships is huge. Being associated with the wrong people can easily be the political and social downfall of any given person on any given day. As aforementioned, the power of Mao Thought is another recurring theme throughout the book. One of the first words out of young Heng's mouth is his sworn allegiance to Chairman Mao Zedong, which is a bit scary if you ask me. I can't believe the power Mao has over the people of China, it's appalling. I'm looking forward to finishing this book and learning more about Heng and the influence of Mao!

I'm not very far in this book at the moment. So far this book has proven to be an interesting read and tells a lot about the older Chinese culture. This book at first made me really think about families and how they are set up. The names seemed to be the most confusing part. But once i got it straight that this was written from the point of view of a young woman about her mother, grandmother, and great- grandmother, mostly past generations, it became a bit easier. It was interesting to read about how her great-grandmother had to bind her feet, and the pain that she had to go through, to be acceptable to her husband who didn't even appreciate her. It was also interesting how the narrator's grandmother was a concubine and that she really seemed to like her "master", but in the end had to leave and ran away with the narrator's mother to safety, and eventually met the doctor, who took the grandmother as his wife, even though his son killed himself to make a point, so that he wouldn't marry her. What was hard i guess about this book was that, I had trouble keeping it straight in my mind that the narrator is of a younger generation and keeping the characters straight as far as generation goes. But over all i believe that this book will only get more interesting as the pages are turned and more of the story unfolds.

Callie- Wild Ginger

So far I really like this book. I find it to be a easy read, I can really get into it. It's kind of insane that these kids, like Maple ( the main character), and Wild Ginger are actually against the non- Mao believers. Like Wild Ginger, is completely against her mother and her father, because her father was French therefore he was a non-Mao believer. I just can't imagine going against what my parents have to say. It's kind of sad really.

Keenan Son of a Revolution

I have not gotten very far into the book but as i turn the pages it is getting much better. The book shows just how hard it would be to live in a country with a communist leaders. Just being affiliated with a party like Liang's mother was is enough to destroy a marrage and ruin lives of the family. It would be extreemly hard on the kids if their parents got devorced for the reason of party affiliation. The book also goes into the amount of chage a family would have to go through in these times. Evacuating a city would sure make a few people want to be close to people around the country. If they didn't then it would make them adapt and meet more people.

Son of The Revolution-Winkman

So far I am thirty pages into the book. I found the first ten to fifteen to be a little on the boring side of things. However, as the book has progresses it seems to become more and more interesting. So far the book has given me an idea about how harsh the Comminist party is in China. It was really brutal how Liang's father divorced his mother just because she was affiliated with the rightist party. I thought the coolest part of the book so far has been when the city was evacuated due to a proposed attack from Chiang Kai-shek. I liked this section because it forced Liang Heng and his family into a different enviornment where they had to get along with different people.

Wild Swans - Jung Chang

As of page 160, this book has been slightly confusing in the way it is laid out. This story is told from the point of view from a woman. She recounts the stories of her great grandmother, her grandmother, her mother, and I'm assuming herself. She switches back and forth between logistics of what is going on at the points in the story, and the personal details of her family. From her mother being a Communist, to her grand mother having to bind her feet, no part of the girl's lives are left out. Like the book Princess, which I read for the middle east section, China is male dominated, although it is not as bad. It makes me sad, still, to hear about her grandmother was forced to bind her feet, because feet that were over four inches were considered ugly, and the men in society would not look to her for marriage. There is not a lot of information other than that so far in the book that is worth saying in this blog, so I guess I'll say more when I'm farther along (since this book has about 500 pages)

KimWildGinger

So, so far in this book i can't decide if i really like the whole Mao movement or how it is affecting wild ginger. I think that she is turning into a robot with all her obsessions over the sayings and her hatred for her father and mother, it's weird. I think that Maple is the less aggresive of the two. She seems to be more timid when it comes to Hot Pepper and all the other kids. Evergreen also seems to be a lot more calm than Wild Ginger and seems to almost be along for the ride concerning the Mao movement whereas Wild Ginger is very much into it and seems to let it take over her whole life style. All in all i like this book so far, but I'm really curious to see how the relationship between Wild Ginger and Maple will turn out. Will Wild Ginger let her devotion to Mao override her freindship with Maple or will she stay true to the friendship?

Becoming Madame Mao

Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min is the story of one of the key hands in the Chinese Revolution. She began as a rejected daughter of a concubine and eventually moved in with her grandparents. After her grandfather introduced her to opera she became enthralled with the stage. She went on to change her name to Lan Ping and worked as an actress beginning in smaller roles and working her way up. I feel like Lan Ping is uncomfortable with herself and has to resort to playing a part to make up for what she feels she lacks. She turns to men and relationships to feel like she matters, and she denies anything that makes her look bad. Several themes that have arisen so far are the importance of respect within a relationship and the benefit of perserverance. Although Lan Ping may not go about situations in the appropriate manner, she works at it until she completes her goal. So far I like the book; however, it is getting a little slow.

Wild Ginger - Valerie

I am not that far into the book, Wild Ginger, by Anchee Min, but so far it is interesting. We have met three main character in this book so far, the narrator, Hot Pepper, and Wild Ginger. The narrator talks about how her parents and grandparents were teachers instead of participants in the Red Guard, so she wasn't always welcome around Hot Pepper. Hot Pepper is the leader of the Red Guard, and was a firm believer in violence, hitting was apart of her treatment. I am assuming this book took place during some kind of war or revolution because the Red Guard is all they talk about. The narrator considered Hot Pepper the bully girl. These people had to bring "three piece treasure everywhere they went to show loyalty toward Chairman Mao, we have not yet met Mao. The three pieces were: a mao button, a little red book -which contained Mao quotations- and if you were a Red Guard, an armband. The other character we met is named Wild Ginger, when she first enters the classroom Hot Pepper questioned her about the Red Guard and her name, trying to make Wild Ginger look like a reactionary. At this part after Wild Ginger gets badgered by Hot Pepper she stands up for herself. The narrator seems to really look up to her after this part, because no one has ever stood up for themselves to her, everyone is to scared of Hot Pepper. I think the narrator and Wild Ginger will become good friends/allies.

Becoming Madame Mao--Morgan

Below: Lotus Feet

So far, the book has summarized Madame Mao's life from her traumatic childhood up to her career as a actress in adulthood. As a child, the author portray's Mao as not having a real name besides "girl". She was born into an abusive family: her father is hardly ever there and when he is, he beats both her and her mother. Her mother was forced

into the marriage and has no idea of how to raise a child. When Mao was four, her mother attempted to bind her feet so that she could have "lotus feet." This results in extremely disfigured and small feet that are swolen and pointed like rice cakes, as described in the book. After three weeks with bound feet, Mao rips off the bandages because she can no longer deal with the pain: this is the first of many acts of defiance and independance in Mao's life. Soon after, she is put into the custody of her grandparents who giver her a proper name of Yunhe. Her grandpa introduced her to theater and the opera, which consequently becomes her passion in life. She runs away from her grandparents to begin her acting career but is majorly unsuccessful, save for the debut appearance she made as a replacement for the lead part in an opera. Yunhe then becomes a Chinese teacher but word gets out that she's a communist so she is put in jail for a time and is luck to get out alive. After many failures, she rechanges her name to Lan Ping (meaning blue apple) to start a new life. In this "new life," Lan Ping tries her hand at acting again in Shanghai and gets a leading role in a popular play.

Wild Ginger....Brianna

During China's cultural revolution in the 60's and 70's it was a scary place to be. Chairman Mao and his devoted people demanded self-sacrifices from people for their "great cause". Maple, the narrator of my book, loses her father to a labor camp. And whats so unfiar is that crimes of parents are blamed on the kids! his teeny criminal record, if any leaves Maple vulnerable at her school to beatings by Maoist, (and bully girl of the school) Hot Pepper and her gang. No one really speaks out either because they're afraid of being accused a reactionary or anti-mao which would get them in deep trouble. The new girl, named Wild Ginger, and Maple become friends because theyre the two outcast and targets at school. Thats all i've read so far but i plan to read a lot more for next time and so far its a good book

Blogging Instructions from Mrs. Bell

Hello students!

This blog is for both WHISL classes and for all choice books on the Chinese Cultural Revolution: Wild Swans, Becoming Madame Mao, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Wild Ginger, and Son of the Revolution.

When you post, make sure the title of the post starts with the title of your book (that is how the posts will be sorted). I am giving you carte blanche (absolute freedom) in what you may discuss about your novel. Feel free to comment on other people's posts (even other choice books), ask questions, post pictures or links or songs or videos. I just want to know that you are deeply understanding the book, making connections, and analyzing the characters, symbols, themes, events.

You are required to post two times (Tues 5/19, 5/26)- if they are smaller or less detailed, you may want to post more than that. If you are reading through the book quickly, post quickly...but don't spoil surprises for anyone.

These posts will be worth one check off point each. But really, it is about the authentic conversations that you will have about the book; our thoughts on justice, rebellion, revolution; and the relevance to our lives as Americans in a globalized era.

Enjoy!
Mrs. Bell