Tuesday October 31, 2006

Wild Swans - Three daughters of China

This is an excellent book written by a Chinese woman about herself, mother and grandmothers life in China. For me the early part of ther story is the most interesting her Grandmother being one of the last in her generation to have the bound feet to make them small or like "three inch golden lilies". This was a very painful business and left her with walking difficulties for the rest of her life. Initially her father sent her off to be a concubine to a warlord a General Xue Zhi-heng. Her only daughter fathered by him was the authors daughter. Her grandmother was freed after his death and married and odd looking doctor a Dr Xia. The civil war is discusssed and how the Kuomintang were gradually routed with the communists taking over China bit by bit. The communists after the war soon restored order, food water and other essential things which clearly impressed the population. The communists were careful who they let into their party the authors mother who had had connections with the Kuomintang which tainted her initially - and later caused her problems in the Cultural revolution.

The book then traces Chinese history and how her parents gradually worked their way up the grade system - her father eventually having a very important position. The "Great leap forward" etc is the first of Chairman Mao's mad ideas "make steel". This meant people were prevented from producing food and famine soon resulted. Mao made sure he was not to blame for the suffering ; thirty million are said to have died. Children were killed and sold as meat. Mao dropped out of the limelight only to inflict worse suffering on China with the Cultural revolution later on.

This dark period in the countries history started with the Red Guards who were children and students who took to the streets and terrorised the population. Teachers were tortured and Mao's Little Red book was published. Many old guard officials were thrown out but kept under surveliance to inflict further shaming on them when convenient. Grass and flowers are removed, "Destroy the world so a new one could be born". Books, artifacts and treasures were all destroyed. This time the authors family are affected with both her parents under survilance and locked up at certain times. Hoards of students are encouraged to go to Peking to meet Mao. There was a feeble attrempt to stand up to Mao by his fellow Poliburo members - called the February adverse current.

People were categorized into reds blacks and greys. Many old scores were settled; in the author's parents case their old enemies the Ting family rose to power under the revolution. Her father was typical of many officials not wanting to blame the party for the events. Once her fathers head was attacked and one side of his head shaved in typical fashion. The family cut the other half off an he said I won't have to worry about my hair being pulled next time I am at a denunciation meeting.

Later on city dwellers were expelled to the countryside to be reformed or put into hard labour if they were class enemies. Fifteen million moved out. The author then found out what is was like in the countryside when the famine had occured. Her family had been well insulated from it being party officials and living in the city. At this point many families were separated and not allowed to see each other. Eventually though Mao then had to rehabilitate his old officials to keep his power base alive. Deng Xiaoping for instance. Meanwhile while things are getting back to normal Mme Mao and her chums are still trying to put a spanner in the works with slogans like To stop production is revolution itself and we would rather have socialist weeds than capitalist crops.

At this point the author then goes to university and learns English. She sees a copy of Newsweek and finally like many other Chinese challenge her feelings for Mao.

Her father dies and her mother then fights hard for an official pardon for him and finally gets him rehabilitated. Mao dies and the gang of four which included his wife are arrested and gradually the country recovers. The Author has opportunity to visit the UK. She was the first Chinese person to recieve a doctorate from a UK university.

I read most of this while working in Milan. I finished the book while waiting for my plane to take off. Opposite us was a China Airways plane. What sort of China are they going back to I wondered? One of the authors final comment was her unbelief at the events of Tiananmen square. Ordered by the man - Deng they all looked up as a liberator. A very good book. Since writing this she has written another book on Mao himself. She now lives in the UK most of her siblings also reside in the West.