China in Ten Words

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World-renowned for his works Chronicle of a Blood Merchant and To Live, Chinese author Yu Hua published his most recent novel, China in Ten Words, in 2011. China in Ten Words serves as a deep insight into the vast sprawling world of Modern China. In his novel, Yu Hua seeks to define modernity in China, and he accomplishes this goal by focusing upon ten aspects and characteristics of Chinese culture: People, Leader, Reading, Writing, Lu Xun, Revolution, Disparity, Grassroots, Copycat, and Bamboozle. Rather than form his analysis from a purely academic perspective, Yu Hua directs his effort towards understanding daily life through these ten vantage points—he contends that politics, history, society, culture, memories, and emotions reverberate most strongly through daily life. This paper examines a selection of these ten terms, as Yu Hua navigates the social complexities and paradoxes that characterize contemporary China. With regards to People, Yu Hua draws upon experience from his own childhood growing up during the Cultural Revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese government ruled the people solely through political fervor: “Chairman Mao lives in our hearts. The people are Chairman Mao and Chairman Mao is the people.” The era of reform embarked by Deng Xiaoping in 1978 marked a transition from political stranglehold to a China ruled solely by money. Deng Xiaoping’s Open-Door Policy allowed for a dramatic increase in both economic growth and standard of living. The economic boom of the 1990’s and passion for wealth sharply juxtaposed the political passions of The Great Leap Forward. However, in both historical periods, the massive Chinese population remained characteristically similar in the ability of the people to enact huge change when united. In defining Leader, Yu Hua compares and contrasts the Communist Revolution to the modern day Chinese

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