Execution of Mayor Yin
Encyclopedia
The Execution of Mayor Yin is a 1978 collection of short stories
by the Taiwan
ese writer Chen Ruoxi
, based on experiences in Mainland China
during the 1960s and 1970s.
The collection was published in English
under the title "The Execution of Mayor Yin and Other Stories from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution". Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. Tr. by Nancy Ing and Howard Goldblatt. The English language translation attained wide recognition, as its publication occurred at a time when U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China
, the death of Mao Tse-tung, and the thaw in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China all generated widespread interest in China in the United States.
in China, approximately 1965-1975.
A leitmotif running through the stories is the United States. Chen Ruoxi lived in the United States for a period, and many of the characters in her stories remark on contrasts between their experiences in the United States and in China, as well as between their expectations of life in the "new" China and what they observe of the "real" China.
Brief synopses follow.
Some of the characters in the story conclude that there is simply no way to understand all of the political campaigns, or to see their consequences in any logical framework.
The alludes to one of Mao Tse-tung
's most famous speeches: Serve the People
. The speech is about finding meaning in life through sacrifice.
-- a variant on the Down to the Countryside Movement
-- he makes some discouraging observations. These include a former book lover who has given up on books, and members of the "red" (proletariat) class who steal from the community.
The story is highly symbolic, with pastoral scenes of children combing a hillside—in search of the escaped prisoner. The "escapee" turns out to have drowned herself - in a cesspool.
Mao Tse-tung
's speech, Serve the People
, is alluded to again in this story.
A theme of the story is women's liberation (or lack of it) in the "new" China.
The story takes place in Peking
. It tells about two relationships that the protagonist has had with women, and how both relationships were thwarted by class struggle
campaigns taking place throughout China at that time.
forms the backdrop of this story. The story describes how in one particular neighborhood in the southern Chinese city of Nanjing
, all residents are encouraged/required to take down their drying racks in order to make a favorable impression on visiting foreigners. In the story, the narrator resists pressure from the leaders of her community, and reflects on the extremes of control in the society.
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
by the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese writer Chen Ruoxi
Chen Ruoxi
Chen Ruoxi , born 1938, is a Taiwanese author. A graduate of National Taiwan University, she among others helped found the literary journal Xiandai wenxue .- Mayor Yin :...
, based on experiences in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
during the 1960s and 1970s.
The collection was published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
under the title "The Execution of Mayor Yin and Other Stories from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution". Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. Tr. by Nancy Ing and Howard Goldblatt. The English language translation attained wide recognition, as its publication occurred at a time when U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China
1972 Nixon visit to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one...
, the death of Mao Tse-tung, and the thaw in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China all generated widespread interest in China in the United States.
Context
"The Execution of Mayor Yin" contains stories set during the period of the Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
in China, approximately 1965-1975.
Themes
Major themes of the stories in the collection include freedom vs. conformity, disillusion, bewilderment, disgust, and being "out of place."Motifs
Major motifs include the steady stream of political campaigns and the Cult of Mao, as well as many quintessential features of life in China and of Chinese culture.A leitmotif running through the stories is the United States. Chen Ruoxi lived in the United States for a period, and many of the characters in her stories remark on contrasts between their experiences in the United States and in China, as well as between their expectations of life in the "new" China and what they observe of the "real" China.
Short Stories Synopses
"The Execution of Mayor Yin" consists of eight stories:- The Execution of Mayor Yin
- "Chairman Mao is a Rotten Egg"
- Night Duty
- Residency Check
- Jen Hsiu-lan
- The Big Fish
- Keng Erh in Peking
- Nixon's Press Corps
Brief synopses follow.
The Execution of Mayor Yin
During a visit to a rural area outside of Xian, the narrator sees how political violence during the Cultural Revolution finds proceeds ad seriatum through a series of victims.Some of the characters in the story conclude that there is simply no way to understand all of the political campaigns, or to see their consequences in any logical framework.
The alludes to one of Mao Tse-tung
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's most famous speeches: Serve the People
Serve the People
"Serve the People" or "Service for the People" is a political slogan which first appeared in Mao-era China. It originates from the title of a speech by Mao Zedong, delivered on September 8, 1944. The slogan was also widely used in the United States by students and youth during the Asian American...
. The speech is about finding meaning in life through sacrifice.
"Chairman Mao is a Rotten Egg"
In this story, adults discover the absurd ends that a child's indiscretion can lead in the context of the Cult of Mao.Night Duty
An idealistic teacher from Taiwan, who has also lived in the United States, now lives and works in China. In the course of service on a rural farm associated with his school in NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
-- a variant on the Down to the Countryside Movement
Down to the Countryside Movement
The Down to the Countryside Movement was a policy instituted in the People's Republic of China in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a result of the anti-bourgeois thinking prevalent during the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong declared certain privileged urban youth would be sent to mountainous...
-- he makes some discouraging observations. These include a former book lover who has given up on books, and members of the "red" (proletariat) class who steal from the community.
Residency Check
This story turns on accusations of infidelity made against the narrator's (female) neighbor.Jen Hsiu-lan
A (woman) political prisoner makes an "escape."The story is highly symbolic, with pastoral scenes of children combing a hillside—in search of the escaped prisoner. The "escapee" turns out to have drowned herself - in a cesspool.
Mao Tse-tung
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's speech, Serve the People
Serve the People
"Serve the People" or "Service for the People" is a political slogan which first appeared in Mao-era China. It originates from the title of a speech by Mao Zedong, delivered on September 8, 1944. The slogan was also widely used in the United States by students and youth during the Asian American...
, is alluded to again in this story.
A theme of the story is women's liberation (or lack of it) in the "new" China.
The Big Fish
A man enjoys the sensual thrill of hunting down, negotiating for, and purchasing a small luxury - a large fish of a kind seldom available—from his local market. His joy is short-lived when he is told that the fish must be returned, in order to preserve the appearance of abundance for visiting reporters.Keng Erh in Peking
This story describes the life of a Chinese man who, after living in the United States for twenty years, moves to China.The story takes place in Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. It tells about two relationships that the protagonist has had with women, and how both relationships were thwarted by class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
campaigns taking place throughout China at that time.
Nixon's Press Corps
U.S. President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China1972 Nixon visit to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one...
forms the backdrop of this story. The story describes how in one particular neighborhood in the southern Chinese city of Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, all residents are encouraged/required to take down their drying racks in order to make a favorable impression on visiting foreigners. In the story, the narrator resists pressure from the leaders of her community, and reflects on the extremes of control in the society.