Mao Zedong Jonathan Spence Summary

Spence, Jonathan. Mao Zedong: A Life. Reprint Edition. New York: Penguin Books, 2006.

Jonathan Spence is the Sterling Professor of History at Yale University. In Spence’s Mao Zedong, he had brief biographies of significant historical figures. His major interest is modern China. When he was talking about the New Youth Movement he consults about how it was important. He stated the New Youth Movement argued for freedom, equality, feminism, individuality, and co-ed education. Spence said that Mao was either implicitly or overtly criticizing the ruling militarist in Hunan, who seemed to represent everything against which was now beginning to rebel. He alleged that Mao offered his reader four variant of acceptable Chinese renderings. His passages

His main purpose it to examine cultural and political history. His types of readings are soft and persuasive. Spence advocates democracy in China and presents contemporary views of its oppressive history. When Spence talked about the Great Leap, he mentioned that it had been a story about gains and losses. What he meant by that was that Mao was preaching backwardness in new technology. There should have been industrialization in the rural sense. In my opinion, it seems that Spence does not look at Mao to be viewed as a fascist. Spence considered that Mao believed in his ethics very strongly and tried to imbue his students with the desire to become useful in society. It seems to portray that Spence looked at Mao to be an ethical leader. Also, that Mao did not precisely orchestrate the coming of the Cultural Revolution. However, Mao established an environment that made it possible and helped many people. Spence mentioned that there were no logical way to date the ending of the Cultural Revolution.

He completed his Master and Doctorate Degrees at Essex. Professor Gao studies included rural China, contemporary Chinese politics, and Chinese culture. Gao had a different view from Spence, Gao questioned Mao Zedong motives and tested his intentions. Gao mentioned that the educated youth were too naïve and not mature enough to comprehend what was politically going on at that time. He mentioned that it was the rise of amateurs. Youth and many Chinese read many literary works that they were not intended for them. He talked about the narrative atrocity of the Cultural Revolution. It was not just a retelling of the past experiences, but also a speech act of political identity. He seemed to portray that the youth were suffering back then. From the perspective of the rural residents, the educated youth had a decent life. It seems to me that Gao focused a lot on the youth. When talking about the Great Leap, Gao supposed that the leap helped shape the Cultural Revolution. When he brought up the Cultural Revolution, he talked about how disastrous it was. Gao had the opposite reaction than Spence. Gao thought that Mao was a communist-inspired disaster. Gao also had distinct over the top vocabulary when labeling something or someone. While Spence was more moderate.

Dirlik, Arif. Mao Zedong in Contemporary Chinese Official Discourse and History. June