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.