For dedicated revolutionaries literature has one overriding purpose—to further the revolutionary cause. This certainly applies to the Chinese Communist author Cao Ming, whose many short stories and novels made heroes of Mao’s followers and villains of his opponents. Born in 1913 to a poor rural family, Cao Ming began her writing career with the publication of a short story in 1932. In the 1930s she wrote anti-Japanese propaganda after the invasion of Manchuria and became a member of the Communist Party in 1940. She spent the next eight years in Yan’an, here she worked with peasants and wrote stories that followed the party line. After the Communist victory in 1949 she held various government posts while continuing her writing.One of Cao Ming’s best-known short stories is “A Native of Yan’an,” written in 1947, two years before the Communist victory. Its main character is an old, illiterate peasant woman, Granny Wu, whose self-sacrifice is held up as a model of dedication to the party. The story presents an idealized picture of Mao Zedong and his program while reviling his Guomindang enemies.
The story begins in 1937, when Granny Wu has a conversation with a courteous Red Army soldier who urges her to use her hands and mind to support the Communist cause. Only after speaking with her daughter-in-law does she realize that the officer was Mao Zedong himself. You can read portions of the short story by clicking here.
After reading from the short story, I would like you to consider and discuss the following: What is the image of Mao portrayed in the short story? How is Granny Wu’s life transformed as a result of her conversation with Mao? What point is the author trying to make in this regard? What is the background of the individuals who gather to discuss Mao’s visit? What point is the author making here? What are the views of the townspeople about the ideals and achievements of the Communists? How do these views differ from those of the Guomindang? What is revealed about the Guomindang from the behavior of their troops? Your thoughts…
15 comments:
My first question is how would the granny not know what Mao looked like? It seems like pictures of him were carried in parades and everywhere.
He is described as kind, wise, and mighty. Before the granny thought her place was in the home(Confucian ideas) but after talking to Mao she realised she could be the center of attention and go to meetings and such(Commuist ideas). She says that everyone has food and is equal, while those under the Guomindang are being tortured. Landlords being killed and women having more rights are mentioned. Granny died honorably, helping her country, giving all that she possibly could to the good of everyone.
This story is depressing! SHe describes Mao as almost a savior of the chinese... he does everything in order to benefit the people (in her eyes he doesnt do anything selfish) Granny Wu changed with an increase in wisdom and conservatism after talking to Mao. The story tells how the nationalists in Taiwan have harsh treatment towards the children and that they are not free. What i found disturbing was the end... Granny Wu leads the nationalists who are going after the communists to a pathway in order for them to blow up... she cheated with deception... Its not giving the communists much credit with that ending but it does show their loyalty.
I noticed that the first time Mao appears we don't know who he is. Then it turns out he's their leader, and that's always how the hero is introduced. They say only good things about him, Granny Wu even described his appearance as intelligent. As far as her conversation with Mao, one thing that stuck out was the mention of women's roles. Granny Wu was convinced that "A woman's place was at home", and then when all the peasants are talking about Mao they mention how he ended oppression towards women. Spesifically making foot binding illegal. The ppl talking about Mao were the common peasants, and boy dod they hate Chang Kai Shek. So Mao must have had huge support from them, probably from redistributing the land and stuff. The Guomindang are displayed as naive, believing the old lady, and immoral, shooting the old lady. The overall message was basically "Become a communist, live and die happy", or in Granny Wu's case, die laughing.
Well, the people in the story certanly seem to love Mao. Granny Wu becomes inspired and newly enlightened after talking to Mao, not to mention the center of attention, which did it's part to heighten excitement more. Cao Ming, as the author, shows clearly her love and respect for Mao, and her intrepretation on all the people's love for him. I think, though, that the people in the story talk about propaganda, like Granny Wu taking cooly that of the Jap. prop., yet the people burst into stories of how amazing Mao is and all the kind and wonderful things he has done, yet they do not recognize that could be propaganda as well. OR maybe the writing of this book is propaganda in itself.
the story was very interesting. but it was sad when the granny died, but it showed a lot of patriotism for the communists.
Mao was portrayed as a wise and kind man who's helping the chinese.
Granny became the center of attention due to her conversation with mao. She had more courge to take on anything.
The individuals that gathered:
1) Wang Xianggui- a blacksmith who described Mao's enthusiasm and kindness to his sick troops.
2) School teacher- who tlks of suppression of landlords.
3)Granny's daughter-in-law- speaks of women's rights activated by the communists.
4) the man from south and the students were talking about chang kai-sheks oppression to the people and ridiculing him.
the authors point in these ideas were to show what mao did to make the people so crazy about him and the bad qualities of kai-shek.
I don't like this story. It is because Nationalists are depicted as evil idiots, and communists are saviors of the poor. This story is filled with so much propaganda that it makes me sick
these people really like mao. everything seemed to be in order, and Granny Wu's mindset completely changed because of him, she realized she doesnt have to be cooped up in a houe all day, she can go out and make something of herself (somewhat) and she became a hero. i liked it. :]
it seems like mao was the king of propaganda. this story makes him sound like the only hope for china as if he is Jesus pt2 or something. this propaganda definately helped his cause and gained him support since he seemed like such a great guy. unfortunately he was a bird killer.
The Granny views Mao as a mighty and respectable being who is greatly helping China. She has changed her views from the traditional confucian ideas to the communist thoughts. She feels that the nationalist party was torturing the people and not giving fair treatment to the people and under Mao all people had food and were given equal land.
This story is filled with so much propaganda it's crazy! I understand that the people loved Mao because of the way he helped out peasants and gave woman rights, but treating him like a savior is going a little far. I think that the Chinese people would have loved anyone after being oppresed for so long. The communists knew by books like these that they had total loyalty. I didn't like this story though because I thought that Granny was corrupted into believing everything that the communist said.
mao in the story is portrayed as a hero and a man who cares about the people. granny wu after meeting him begins to really support the communist party. granny wu liked him since he seemed to listen to the people, even just with little things like actually talking to them and showing them respect. mao also appealed to the peasants, as they were the people he was trying to help. the story also bashes the nationalists, as it portrays them as selfish (and really it also bashes capitalism a bit, as that was what the nationalists were.) the author of this definently supported communism, and in all likelihood was a peasant.
im kinda surprised that Granny Wu didn't know that is was Chairman Mao himself who she was speaking to. At least should could have gotten an idea or little hint from all the pictures and posters of him everywhere. In the beginning, they describe Mao very well. He seems to be the hero of China. He is also apparently very very kind to the peasants and does work himself as well rather then ordering only his people to do it for him. The people in that town don't seem so like Chiang Kai-shek one bit. I also think Granny Wu was pretty smart for what she did even though it was sad when the solider shot her 3 times in the end.
Mao is described as a great and magnificent leader. When Granny Wu met Mao her social life soared, she was the center of attention. She realized that under Mao women were getting more rights and she began to get more involved in meetings, etc. The author is saying that under Mao, granny wu's life changed for the better and in the Guomingdang everything was chaos. By reading this short story it shows that the peasants in China really admired and supported Mao.
After the granny talks to Mao she changes all her thinking, she strats doing more things and gettting out of the house becasue the talk motivated her to do so. I find it kind of odd that she wouldn't recognize Mao, talk to him, then after the fact, realize that who she just talked to was famous and all of the sudden get motivated to change your entire life just beacsue the person was famous. I think by this Ming was just trying to say that Mao is this all knowing person that can change your way of life for the better.
This story’s new look on communism was interesting. The way we, as Americans, view communism and the indoctrinated natives see it are about as far apart as you can get. The old woman’s change in behavior, for the better, was all because of a man that is considered repugnant to anti-communists. Mao was considered a savior, one who is worth lives protecting. The Guomindang are depicted as evil and heartless. Definitely a eye opener to how indoctrination can make a peoples more agreeable to unfairness (to our eyes) if their told it is the right/moral thing to be done.
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