Family Structure and Communism Anonymous 12th Grade

Many Americans are distantly aware of the Cultural Revolution that happened during the second half of the 1900s in China. It is one thing to be aware of this historical period but another to read about it from someone who experienced it first hand. In Son of the Revolution, Liang Hang describes his personal journey through the hardships of this time in China, starting from when he was a young child. He discusses Chairman Mao, the ruler of China at the time, and his regime that evolved from authoritarian, run by a dictator or small group of elites in a way that citizens do not have much input in the government or its leaders, to totalitarian, which is authoritarian but more oppressive and controlling, on account of the Cultural Revolution. During this short time in China’s history, Mao was able to gain and maintain total control, but how? Through Son of the Revolution it is evident that three ways in which Mao gained and maintained this total control were breaking down the cultural norm of family, the shunnings and punishments given to those that were perceived as against the Communist Party, and the ways in which Communism was forced into the citizens’ lives.

One way that Mao gained and maintained total control in China was...