Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Imagining Life During the Cultural Revolution

Date: July 1967





My name is Mei Ching, and I am a 21 year old woman living in an apartment in Mao's great city of Beijing. This morning I woke up to the smiling image of Mao's face. For my breakfast, I ate a modest of grains and fruit. While I ate, I listened to the radio. As the songs praising Mao filled my room, I felt joyous and blessed to be living in a country as great as China. My occupation is a teacher at a local school for young children. I strive everyday to instill my love of learning, reading and writing, and revolution in my students' hearts, while constantly commending the gifts that Mao has given us. Even though I am only one person, I believe that I am doing my part to preach Mao's goal of literacy and revolutionary ideas to children, the future of our great country. Whenever there is a problem in school, I whip out my trusted copy of the Little Red Book and use the wisdom inside these pages to settle any kind of issues that need resolving. When students are not interested in learning, I remind them from the book that Mao states, "Some people have read a few Marxist books and think themselves quite learned, but what they have read has not penetrated has not struck root in their minds, so that they do not know how to use it and their class feelings remain as old." This drives them to work and study harder, using the book as their guide. When students fight, I remind them of Mao's words, "Guard against arrogance." Being a peasant, I believe that Mao's cause particularly speaks to me. I also am happy to be educating students, the majority of whom are peasants as well. Every lesson that I teach is one step closer to freeing the peasants and uplifting them into the glory that Mao says we deserve.

Emma and Kira

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