Troubling Times in China By Kyle Atkison Mrs. Schwartzman Per. 5/6
Fēngfú Yézhû Ji Li. You have a grandfather who was a rich landlord. That occupation is one of the five black categories. It is unfair that you are not equal to us. You don't have to work like the rest of us because of your family’s wealth. We are sure that you and your family are hiding four olds in your home right now! We will request a search of your house. Your family’s class status is holding you back from being a member of the Red Successors. If you ever want to be one of us, you must LEAVE your family and join the revolution!
JOIN
Join right now and become a child of Chairman Mao!
Peace or Revolt I am wealthy and intelligent. I wonder why everyone is being detained I hear the drums and gongs. I see humiliated people. I want peace. I am wealthy and intelligent. I pretend to fight back. I feel violated. I touch my stamp book. I worry my classmates are jealous of me. I cry because my house is ransacked. I am wealthy and intelligent. I understand that I must break family ties in order to have a future. I say I hate my landlord grandfather. I dream that everything went back to normal. I try to keep my family together. I hope my father will come home. I am wealthy and intelligent.
Down with Revolution
Diary of Grandma Cao April 4, 1966 ThursdayI am waiting for Ji- Li to come home from school. I look out the window, waiting for her almost everyday when I'm not cooking. My arthritis is hurting so much that I can barely get out of bed. My grandchildren are so nice. They offered to drive me to the clinic to help my arthritis from hurting. How could I say no, right. Well the ride was not enjoyable because Ji-Yong was driving way too fast. On our way home, I felt much better and was relieved of pain. October 23, 1967 SundayThe searching of homes and the sound of drums and gongs make me worry so much now. Everytime I hear the drums and gongs I know someone's possessions are being confiscated and lives are being ruined. My granddaughter Ji-Li is always so curious, but I tell her not to watch the ransacking. We had to fire Song Po-Po because having a housekeeper is exploiting the working class. January 3, 1968 TuesdayThe Red Guards came into our house today to search for a letter we hid. They took everything. One of them hit me and called me a “damn landlord’s wife.” Since I am 70 years old and so weak, I collapsed into my daughters arms. They were hurting me in order to manipulate my grandchildren to tell them where the letter was. Then, the Red Guards forced me to sweep the alley twice a week. Now my arthritis hurts way more and my knees are wobbly. Please help me.
About the Author I was born on October 23, 2001, in Miami, Florida. I currently go to Gulliver Academy and attend 7th grade. This book changed my point of view on how people can be equal. At the beginning of the story, I believed that nobody's equal and that everyone has a unique talent. After reading the book, I learned that Chairman Mao made everyone equal. He would take from the rich and give to the poor just like Robin Hood. Everyone has a special talent, they just need to find it.