28th Annual Student Research Conference
Remnants of the Revolution: the Effects of the Cultural Revolution in Stones of the Wall
Paul C. Moe
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Dai Houyings novel Stones of the wall centers on the period in Chinese history immediately after the end of the Cultural Revolution, and deals with characters trying to rebuild their lives in its wake. The Cultural Revolution had a profound effect on the author, who was involved both as a Red Guard and later an accused counterrevolutionary, and this translates into the characters as well. While there are over a dozen major characters in the book, the principle one is Sun Yue, a university department secretary who was formerly accused of being a "rightist" and now must work among many of her accusers. This paper will identify the ways in which the Cultural Revolution affected the various characters in the book, how it influences their decisions in the present, and different ways in which they work to overcome or outrun their pasts.
Keywords: Dai Houying, Stones of the Wall, Cultural Revolution
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 401-4
Location: MG 1000
Time: 3:15