Hao.

The short story Hao was depressing, but I found it interesting. I never knew that there was a cultural revolution in China. Reading Hao gave me a bit more insight on it. But, Hao is a bit disturbing. IT is really dark, and I think it says a lot about censorship. Qingxin is assigned to write passages about the chairman Mao every single day. Something that stuck out to me in Hao was that part where Qingxin makes a mistake in her writing. Terrified, she tears out the paper that she was writing on and she eats it. However, this doesn't work for her and she is eventually beaten by the red guards for her actions. Additionally, she loses her apartment and her daughter is so terrified to see her beaten. It truly is horrible, and it reminds me of how fortunate we are to live in a government that doesn't punish us like that. Of course, America is far from being perfect, but I can at least compliment it for that.

Also, I wanted to note that Ming, Qingxin's daughter seems to be a grounding force for her. she loves her daughter dearly, and she tries to show that to her as best as she can. The world around Qingxin and Ming is horrible, yet Ming is unaware of it and Qingxin manages to find happiness in her daughter. I would say she is making the best out of a bad situation. I think this also makes the point that family bonds, or love in general is always a reason to keep pushing forwards.