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Ming-ming’s Father
Liu Shao-qi was the right-hand-man and apparent successor of Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Ze-dong. In 1966, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, he was serving as the Chinese head of state. But, as part of a power struggle at the highest levels of government, Chairman Mao ousted Liu Shao-qi from power by declaring him insufficiently committed to the Communist cause. In this way, his fate mirrors that of Xiao-cheng’s father, Ming-ming’s father, and Sang Hong-zhen, all of whom found themselves purged and persecuted as part of smaller power struggles that erupted throughout society during the Cultural Revolution.
Liu Shao-qi Quotes in Red Scarf Girl
The Red Scarf Girl quotes below are all either spoken by Liu Shao-qi or refer to Liu Shao-qi. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8: A Search in Passing
Quotes
I sat on our usual bench […] staring at the fleecy white clouds. […]
In the three months since the Cultural Revolution had started, changes had been so constant that I often felt lost. One day the Conservative faction were revolutionaries that defended Chairman Mao’s ideas; the next day, the opposite Rebel faction became the heroes of the Cultural Revolution. I heard that even Chairman of the Nation Liu Shao-qi and General Secretary Deng Xiao-ping were having problems. […]
I wondered what I would be doing if I had been born into a red family […] I hated my grandfather [… but] I did know if I could hate Grandma if she was officially classed as a landlord’s wife. The harder I tried to figure things out, the more confused I felt. I wished I had been born into a red family so I could do my revolutionary duties without worrying.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14: The Class Education Exhibit
Quotes
“This is the blind old grandfather. Every day, in bitter cold or in scorching sun, his little granddaughter led him out to beg for their food. With the little food that he managed to receive, how could he repay his debt to the landlord? Each year the debt increased. Finally, Liu Wen-cai forced him to give up his granddaughter in payment. How could he do that? She was his eyes, his whole life. But what else could he do to escape from this brutal landlord? With tears in his lifeless eyes, he said to her, ‘My dearest, you must go with Mr. Liu. It is not because I do not love you, it is that black-hearted landlord who is tearing us apart.’” My voice trembled slightly, and I became more and more emotional as I spoke.
Get the entire Red Scarf Girl LitChart as a printable PDF.
Liu Shao-qi Quotes in Red Scarf Girl
The Red Scarf Girl quotes below are all either spoken by Liu Shao-qi or refer to Liu Shao-qi. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8: A Search in Passing
Quotes
I sat on our usual bench […] staring at the fleecy white clouds. […]
In the three months since the Cultural Revolution had started, changes had been so constant that I often felt lost. One day the Conservative faction were revolutionaries that defended Chairman Mao’s ideas; the next day, the opposite Rebel faction became the heroes of the Cultural Revolution. I heard that even Chairman of the Nation Liu Shao-qi and General Secretary Deng Xiao-ping were having problems. […]
I wondered what I would be doing if I had been born into a red family […] I hated my grandfather [… but] I did know if I could hate Grandma if she was officially classed as a landlord’s wife. The harder I tried to figure things out, the more confused I felt. I wished I had been born into a red family so I could do my revolutionary duties without worrying.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14: The Class Education Exhibit
Quotes
“This is the blind old grandfather. Every day, in bitter cold or in scorching sun, his little granddaughter led him out to beg for their food. With the little food that he managed to receive, how could he repay his debt to the landlord? Each year the debt increased. Finally, Liu Wen-cai forced him to give up his granddaughter in payment. How could he do that? She was his eyes, his whole life. But what else could he do to escape from this brutal landlord? With tears in his lifeless eyes, he said to her, ‘My dearest, you must go with Mr. Liu. It is not because I do not love you, it is that black-hearted landlord who is tearing us apart.’” My voice trembled slightly, and I became more and more emotional as I spoke.
