Summary Of The Rape Of Nanking

Dating back to the 1400’s philosophers like Machiavelli emerged expressing their views of government and social interaction. Hundreds of years later John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau also emerged expressing their own viewpoints and their own theories as to why man act in certain ways. Along with their philosophies and theories, atrocities and destruction also emerged throughout humankind. One in specific took place in 1937 long after the passings of the philosopher's. The city of Nanking, China was the target of the Japanese army during their battle at expanding Japan’s territory. Not many acknowledge or have any knowledge of the horror that led to the death of more than 300,000 civilians and soldiers within a few weeks. Author Iris Chang goes into great depth in her book The Rape of Nanking to explain that tragic truth of the battle in Nanking. Machiavelli, Rousseau, and Locke differ in their interpretations of government and human relations yet they all have philosophical views that fits with Iris Chang’s description of the Japanese soldiers, the Chinese, and the

This idea could explain why many chinese men and women committed suicide prior to the Japanese finding them. Many Chinese Civilians were afraid of what would become of them once they were in the hands of the Japanese soldiers so instead of waiting they decided to just exit that world and avoid that agony. Others however revolted which was not common. One particular person in the book The Rape of Nanking was Li Xouying the bride of a military technician who was not going to let any Japanese man abuse her “she jumped from the cot, snatched his bayonet from his belt and flung her back against the wall ‘He panicked...he never realized a woman would fight back (Chang, 97)’” Acts such as these should have struck the people of Nanking to rebel but many felt to weak and let the tormenting