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The book “Born Red” tells the story of a personal character in relation to family and changes that take place after the Cultural Revolution. The book illustrates the connection between family members and the relationship that changes according to the country and the political matters that take place. Often, the connection between the country and its citizens is unnoticeable but “Born Red” clearly outlines how this relationship is interdependent and influential in the public and private lives of people.
The Gao family goes through some rough times during the Revolution. The years have shown to be very hard and strenuous. The violence and brutality of the Revolution have had a great toll on people, the conditions they lived in and the country in general. Gao’s family had very close relationship before the war. As Gao tells the story, it is easy to see how it influenced his personal understanding of life and the world. It is shown that the effects of the common beliefs and the movements that were going on in the country have engulfed the understanding and beliefs of Gao. Such a close encounter shows how deep the personal suffering was and what were the undeniable changes on the structure and system of the family. The reader is reminded of the strong support and ability to find decisions a family has and that people must not forget who they are and where they come from (Gao 23). Gao’s family is similar to other families because the analysis depicts that nature of the struggle and conflict families had to face in relation to the young generation. The political movement has become a dividing force for the people. Many teenagers were affected by the promises and changes offered by the government. Gao has seen much violence that the young generation has caused one another. He also describes the violence and the brutalities that were committed in the name of idealistic ideas and the ability of both sides to sacrifice. Very often, such actions expect to have a large number of people “lost” to the cause. It is a planned and deliberate course of action and it is known that the government always has a goal laid out, which will allow for most beneficial and painless transition. But also, the value and closeness of family ties is shown. This represents that goodness in the society is based on close interrelationship, outside and within the family. Sometimes, whole families are friends together and this creates an even more established network of friendship and support for all.
Gao’s loyalty is tested throughout the events that we become witness to. His understanding and patriotic nature are tested in relation to the country, the policies and regulations that it stands for. On the other hand, his relationship with his family experiences a lot of pressure and the closeness and love of people are put on the line. The first glance at the effects of the Revolution on the family might seem negative. As everyone is very emotional, the agitation with the stability of the country and family’s safety come into play. No one has full understanding of the matters that have engulfed the country. This could be very dangerous because each family member starts to wonder about how much they really mean to the other siblings. The young generation and present state of the world have often placed an individual further apart from the rest of the family. The same can be seen in Gao’s family. The harshness and difficulty of the Revolution put a major dent in the family. The relationship is marred by the painful conditions in the country. The country’s affairs have greatly modified the relationship of people in a family. The fact that people become more irritable and less patient shows how people can become frustrated with life. The unfairness and righteous anger consume people and they want to fight back against the degrading “regime.” But at the same time, the relationship between family members is shown to get stronger. In the time of crisis, everyone relies on one another and so, the trust and well established relationships are the key. A family that is united and has a shared goal will be able to endure any hardships and suffering (Petras 450). First, the impact of Revolution on Gao’s family is shown as negative. The family is torn apart by the emotions and personal understanding of what is going on. Everyone focuses of their own perspective, forgetting how important it is to share and be open with each other. But through the hard times, the family members understand that only together they will be able to get through the crisis. The Cultural Revolution is somewhat aligned with the changes that go on within the family. A line is drawn between the Revolution within a country and this, in a way, represents the Revolution in the family and in each member of that family. Every person and family has demons that they have to face and work out between each other. “Born Red” describes how the Communist Party was originally to serve people and later, it became a governing body based on bureaucracy and the need to rule the people. The corruption of society and false ideological beliefs of people have changed the norms of the nation. The young generation was changing in a negative way. Their naive nature and lack of knowledge have led to their inability to understand and realize the true matters that were taking place in their world. The problem developed into people wanting to dramatically change things. Communists wanted to revise the majority of the system and the way things ran in the country. Their focus was the political domination that was based on the preservation of the politician’s special status and the benefits that they and their families have received. The effects of all these changes can be clearly observed in Gao’s family. The father who was the veteran Communist, Gao Shangui, got himself into trouble with the country. At the start of the Cultural Revolution he came under attack that he was giving too much attention to the economic matters, focusing all his views on the needs that the country and the majority had. He was blamed for basing all his cares on the national issues and completely ignoring the struggles and the revolution oriented plans (Gao 59).
The Cultural Revolution had a great impact on the social fabric and the communities. The fight targeted the beliefs and traditions that were in place for a long period of time. The Revolution itself had an important purpose of including the society in the participation of its matters, as well as promoting mass political struggles based on ideological principles. The proletariat democracy had to be placed in the front while bourgeois bureaucracy would be out behind. The promotion for self-interest and self-sacrifice were very commonplace, adding to the changes being made in cultural elitism and populism in the art. The major part of the society benefited, as the way the power was distributed was changed, which would lead to better adjustments and resources allocated to group income inequalities, the disparities in the regional economic set up and the difference and noticeable distance that existed between the city and the countryside. Cultural Revolution gained a lot of support and believers through the promises that the families will be helped and the inner structure of the society will be supported. While the new political order was being put into place, the control in the country’s matters had to be established. The ideologists of the Cultural Revolution were strongly represented in the ranks of leaders. The central and regional military commanders were given the order to maintain the civil peace. This was a control of the society that was strict and military-like. Even though the Revolution was much anticipated by the people, the way it was turning out was not as beneficial as originally imagined. The worst time for both the society and individuals was when the Revolution was taking another turn and the intellectuals began to be suspected in believing the ideological nonsense of the bourgeoisie (Tan’s 79). Cases where young children would be judged according to their political beliefs were not rare. The admissions into schools were based on the beliefs and support that the person provided to the country. This was outrages because the young children are unable to comprehend the difficulty and all the details of politics and everything that comes with them (Gao 70). This created much unneeded stress within the families and society. It is much easier to plan out a course of action, the changes to people’s lives, the Revolution but later, it can become something quite different from what was originally planned. For example, in August 1973 there was the Tenth Party Congress and it was the final stage of the Cultural Revolution. It set the difference and borders between those who were on the side of the radicals and wanted to change things, go through with the Cultural Revolution and those, who wanted to abolish the differences, put down the political issues and start with modernization of energy and the world in general. Politically wise, the country was somewhat torn apart. There was a great change in the governing bodies, there was a struggle for positions and tensions got heated up. Some would be promoting China’s economic development with a better treatment of the scientist community and more development in regards to the foreign involvement in China’s economy. The others were involved in propaganda campaigns that focused their effort on modernization and revisionism.
It has been evident that the Cultural Revolution in China has changed many things. The changes took place on both political and personal levels. The families were affected and the ties within the unit were tested. Those who had good relations became even closer and so, family proved to be of very strong support in the hard times. Politically, the country became somewhat separated and brought about changes that led to the way China I today.
Works Cited
Gao, Yuan. Born Red: A Chronicle of the Cultural Revolution. New York, United States: Stanford University Press, 1987. Print.
Petras, James. “The Chinese Cultural Revolution in Historical Perspective.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 27.4 (1997): 445-59. Print.
Tan’s, Fengxia. “Depictions of the Cultural Revolution in Chinese Juvenile Fiction.” Bookbird 50.1 (2012): 78-81. Print.
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