Cultural Revoltion Essay, Research Paper
Name: Ke Qin
Assignment: Biography (Final Copy)
An Experience in the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution in China was a time, where the educated became farmers and the farmers were the ruling class. I was raised in China untill I was ten years old. Even after the Cultural Revolution, there was a strong emphasis on knowing where out grains and wheat came from. We had to value the farmers who provided the food we had on the table each day. I believe the idea is good for what it stands for, but Chairman Mao used this to take the capitalists thinkers away from their powers and Mao was protecting his absolute power. As for the students and teachers in China during that time, they were forced not to go to schools and educated people especially teachers were denounced of their incorrect ways of teaching. The only book that matters during that time was Mao s quotations. Red Guard were most middle-school students and some university students, who were encouraged by the Cultural Revolution group to become a shock force and to bombard the educated with criticisms. Growing in China during that time had two sides. One side is the Red Guards and the other side is the rebellion against the system. Wideman put it best when he said, Them streets could snatch you bald-headed and turn you around and wring you inside out. Streets was a bitch. Wake up some mornings and you think you in hell (745). When I talk to my father about the Cultural Revolution, he regretted a lot of what he pretended to be.
It was a cloudy gray morning. In the street, as usual, there were many people and bicycles hustling and busting. I walked to the school with a red book, Chairman Mao s Quotation, in my hand. There was an important meeting that day. I had not been to school for nearly two months. When the Cultural Revolution happened, it swepted over the whole nation overnight. Students stopped studying and teachers were driven to clean toilets and collect garbage in the school. Very soon our school established Red Guard in response to Chairman Mao s call. On the way to school, I was thinking what the meeting would be about. As I approach the school, I saw my classmate, Hu Ming, standing at the school gate. He used to be my best friend in class, but we gradually drifted apart from each other after he became a Red Guard.
Do you know today s meeting is the session of criticizing teacher Chen? She has become a ghost and demon. Ming exclaimed. Being called a ghost and demon is the most dangerous political title during the Cultural Revolution. Everybody knows Chen Hong like you best in the class. Red Guards want you to denounce her at this meeting. They also said it was the critical moment to examine your political standpoint. Since you are good friend, I will tell you this. I was quite shocked at this news. I entered the school. There were many big character posters on the walls of the school buildings, most of them directed to teacher Chen, denouncing her as a bourgeois teacher. What mostly surprised me was that two wide strips of cloth hung on the highest building in the school with slogans on them, Down with the imperialist running dog, — Chen Hong! One student told me teacher Chen had an older brother living in United States, and they even kept contact. During the Cultural Revolution, foreign influence and contact were strictly forbidden. Teacher Chen loved her job very much. As I remember many times she gave up her holidays to visit students homes and help students do homework. She was always patient and tender to her students. How could I think of her as a ghost and demon?
At ten o clock, I went into the auditorium. The first speaker showed up on the stage. I knew this guy. Last year he was in the same class with me. He was often absent from the class. Teacher Chen tried to help him and encourage him to study hard at various times. At last, when all the students went up a grade, he still remained in the same grade. He cleared his throat with his head high. Bourgeoisie teacher, Chen Hong, used her right as a teacher to suppress me. Last year only one student stayed in the same grade in her class. It was I. I was born from a pure worker s family. So her real purpose was to strike our glorious worker s classes. He paused for a moment then lifted up his voice. Down with Chen Hong! Never forget class and class s struggle! The auditorium broke out with a thundering sound. I saw teacher Chen s face turned as white as a papers, and her body was a little shivering.
The speakers followed one by one. They repeated the same content. Teacher Chen s main crimes were that she emphasized the importance of knowledge incorrectly and encourage her student to study hard. At last it was my turn. I felt quite nervous. My heart was beating fast. I walked slowly towards the stage. Chen Hong always encouraged me to study hard. She said that she hoped I could become a scientist and famous man in the future. She poisoned the new generated with the elitist ideas My voice came close to breaking. I did not know how to continue my speech. I looked at her at the same time she raised her head. I met her eyes, which were full of tears. At that moment, I felt as if I was dying inside with her.
I looked up from my notebook and noted that sunny fall leaves falling from the sky, I realized how lucky it was for me to be at a place where I feel good to be me. We now have cars with leather seats and cruise control to make us more comfortable in our lives. We must not forget the people in the past have suffered to give us what we have today. I close my notebook and ask my father if he ever thought about his teacher. He answered, She will always be a part of me.