Jung Chang is now viewed by many literary critics as one of the most prominent Chinese writers. Her autobiographical book “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” several social, cultural, and psychological problems. It should be taken into account that this novel is officially banned in China mostly because it unmasks the shortcomings of the communist regime in this country. It will not be an exaggeration to compare this book with Solzhenitsyns “The Gulag Archipelago,” which also caused a wave of protest in the Soviet Union as Jung Changs work did in China.
Nevertheless, this novel should not be interpreted only from social perspectives because such an approach will not reflect all the complexity of “Wild Swans.” The author attaches places special emphasis on the connectedness of family members, particularly when social ties have significantly weakened. Apart from that, Jung Chang very eloquently describes the relationships between culture and society, and namely the notorious Cultural Revolution in China, which, in fact, was aimed against Chinese intellectuals.
In this regard, it is quite possible for us to draw parallels between Jung Chang and Solzhenitsyn because both writers show that all totalitarian regimes are most likely to strike against the most educated part of society. The author says, “In practically every school in China, teachers were abused and beaten sometimes fatally” (Jung Chang, 284). The main reason for it is that these people may influence people more strongly than any official can. Jung Chang clearly identifies the underlying causes of the Cultural Revolution.
The main peculiarity of this novel is that social relations cannot be separated from family ones. In particular, Jung Chang shows that social calamities can weaken the ties among family members. It is worth mentioning that at some point, the authors father was supporting the communist regime and even was firmly convinced of its rectitude. Although Jung Chang does not share his beliefs, she is still able to feel respect for his convictions, though later, her father also becomes disillusioned as well his daughter.
However, it should be borne in mind that the book is not a scholarly work; on the contrary, it is an autobiography. The author skillfully interweaves her personal experiences into the novel. It tells the story of three women belonging to different generations. All of them have to fight against insuperable orders, defend their happiness.
I would like to say that to a certain degree, many social and cultural phenomena, described by Jung Chang, once had a very strong influence on my family. I come from Taiwan, and for a very my country has been closely connected with China. Certainly, at this moment, I cannot give any first-hand evidence, but there are many people (or their relatives) in Taiwan who had to flee from China for fear of prosecution. In the majority of cases, they were highly educated people who could never agree with many principles of the communist regime.
In this regard, it is quite possible to say that even the name of the novel is symbolic. In many cultures, the swan is viewed as the symbol of grace, beauty, elegance, etc. Jung Chang shows that very often, especially under totalitarian regimes, grace, beauty, and elegance are banished or at least substituted by something else. Such phenomenon has been described by many writers, for instance by Solzhenitsyn, who also skillfully analyzed this social and cultural process though within the context of the Soviet Union.
The author shows how intellectuals were oppressed by the communist regime. Particularly, these people (doctors, teachers) were “reformed” by peasants who were illiterate and uneducated. (Jung Chang, 141). Jung Chang shows all the absurdity of the situation. The intellectuals were literally forced to reject their principles and values, which is certainly a personal tragedy. The novelist says that she began to write this book just to relieve this excruciating pain of loss, the loss of her own country. In addition to that, Jung Chang regrets that her fellow citizens are not allowed to read this book. Certainly, it is not explicitly stated in the novel, but it can be deduced the writer feels estrangement from her own country and even from her people. His work is aimed to dispel the myth about China.
Therefore, it is quite possible to arrive at the conclusion that Jung Chang “Wild Swans” is not only an autobiography but a thorough analysis of social and cultural processes in the country as well, though the author manages to merge all these aspects into a single entity, which makes the novel almost unprecedented. Jung Chang shows how important it is to maintain this connectedness between family members in spite of any disagreement existing among them. Although the writer does not do this particular task, her novel analyzes the behavior of any totalitarian government, especially the tendency to oppress those people, able to uphold their principles. This work has undoubtedly become one of the most prominent examples of Chinese and world literature.
Bibliography
Jung Chang. “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” Anchor Books, 1992.