Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party

I thought reading Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party was heart wrenching, but needed to be read. I was intrigued to read more about the Chinese Cultural Revolution after I researched it a little, so I was glad to have read this book. I was first confused why Comrade Li moved into Ling’s household. I am still a little confused about that, but I could tell that that was when the book was going to turn downhill. When he first moved in, I wondered if Ling’s parents knew what was going on – or what was going to start, and that’s why they were so accepting of him living there, because they felt like they didn’t have a choice.

The part that made me really feel for Ling, noticing her life was changing so much was when she wasn’t able to get new clothes for her birthday at first. Finally when her dad gave her his tickets, she was only able to get Mao outfits. It was very shocking to me stores even stopped selling their normal merchandise to only sell what Mao wanted. I had known about communism before reading this, but I do not think I knew the extent of it. I could not believe that Ling’s father was arrested and put in jail indefinitely all because he saved someone who believed different than the majority of China. To me, I feel like you would be considered a hero for saving someone trying to commit suicide. The fact that everyone conformed to these ways of thinking so quickly is what baffled me the most I think.

The next part that shocked me is how Niu, after having to lose both of his parents, had such a distinct plan to try to swim to Hong Kong to meet his uncle. He got caught, and then had to say that Ling’s family were anti revolutionists, and join the red guards. It was even worse when he became the leader of them. Niu, when he had to leave to the labor camp, was Ling’s only friend for numerous reasons. For him then to come back and learn to hate her family made me terribly sad for her and her family.

To touch a little on her life at school, I did not understand how Gao was able to take so much control in the classroom. I understand his dad was a Comrade, but how did that give Gao so much power with his classmates? He was completely able to take over the teachers position and read to the class himself. Along with that though, how even the students got so into all of this. Ling was between 10 and 12 years old in this book, and kids her age were so concerned about the antirevolutionists and the bourgeoisie. When I was between 10 and 12 years old, I was concerned about watching my favorite television show that night.

Overall, I am glad I read this book. I am still shocked I did not know more about this sooner in my education, but I do think it is a book that could be implemented in a curriculum now.