Red Azalea By Anchee Min

The Cultural Revolution in China and how it affected ordinary Chinese citizens

Hani Ahmed

History 1730

07/11/23

The memoir “Red Azalea” by Anchee Min highlights her life during the cultural revolution, providing an insight into what life was like for ordinary citizens during the tumultuous period. When Min was a child, she was committed to learning about Mao and communism. She states that she was already an adult at age five as she cared for her young sisters and brother. The cultural revolution policies hindered her parents from working jobs that corresponded with their education. Hence, they were struggling to earn enough for a living. Min leaves her family for work at Red Fire Farm, where she experiences

“Mao’s choice to start the regime change is currently perceived as a trial to tear down his enemies by releasing the citizens from the association and influencing them to clear its administrators. The uprising began in 1966 and ended in 1976 when Mao died.”1 Mao’s decision to begin the revolution was fueled by his argument that the party and the government no longer had a revolutionary zeal and were interested in protecting their authority. Therefore, Mao and his supporters believed an uninterrupted revolution would allow the Chinese to attain utopian communism. Mao also supported the concept of open criticism whereby the Chinese citizens would expose and punish the ruling class members. He stated that the revolution was a real socialist campaign involving the primal struggle between the working and capitalist classes. The cultural revolution foundation was in the Great Leap Foundation, which involved the transfer of ownership of private farms and factory output to the government, occasioning a famine that killed forty-five million

Humiliation and degradation were common during this period and especially for teachers. For instance, Min’s favorite teacher was beaten and humiliated before a massive crowd and faced exile. The relocation of one child or youth from each family affected Min’s family. Min was the eldest, and she cared for her young siblings when her parents were working in menial jobs. Therefore, they lost a caregiver when she was taken away, and they suffered from separation anxiety. “The relocation also affected the whole nation as it disrupted labor and production. The nation faced a labor shortage the group provided in the urban centers.”6 Therefore, production declined, resulting in an economic fall. Young women were expected to be loyal to the revolution, so sexual relationships were not accepted. The population was allowed to begin thinking about marriage in their late twenties as the culture promoted self-sacrifice for the good of the