Mao's Last Dancer Analysis
Mao’s Last Dancer
Term 3 | Maddy Taylor | Mrs Pugliese
Hello and welcome to Literature Links, a series of podcast lectures which observes and explores social, cultural and political issues as highlighted and presented in non-fiction texts. I am your host, Maddy Taylor, and today I will be exploring significant themes and issues presented in Australian Book of the Year award-winning novel Mao’s Last Dancer, by Li Cunxin. Within this literary spectacle, Li draws on his own experience growing up in extreme poverty in China during communist leader Mao Zedong’s reign as Chariman, as well as the political influences and extremes that lead him to becoming an international ballet dancer. The challenging experiences of growing up in the Cultural Revolution are clearly evident in the text as Li narrates his life within the times of Communism and subsequent attempted mass communist indoctrination. Frequently contrasting to the West, this text invites a dominant reading of what life was like in communist China.
Cultural heritage and traditions and the value of family play significant parts in constructing and conveying the attitudes, ideas and opinions of this text. From Li’s perspective, we …show more content…
Communism, which is linked with Chinese culture more generally, is frequently portrayed negatively throughout of the novel and is depicted to be subordinate to more dominant representations of capitalism and Western culture, especially in relation to the ballet as a central focus of the story. Li’s narration of cultural heritage and traditions and family values assists in conveying the dominant reading of life in communist China and its resulting
Term 3 | Maddy Taylor | Mrs Pugliese
Hello and welcome to Literature Links, a series of podcast lectures which observes and explores social, cultural and political issues as highlighted and presented in non-fiction texts. I am your host, Maddy Taylor, and today I will be exploring significant themes and issues presented in Australian Book of the Year award-winning novel Mao’s Last Dancer, by Li Cunxin. Within this literary spectacle, Li draws on his own experience growing up in extreme poverty in China during communist leader Mao Zedong’s reign as Chariman, as well as the political influences and extremes that lead him to becoming an international ballet dancer. The challenging experiences of growing up in the Cultural Revolution are clearly evident in the text as Li narrates his life within the times of Communism and subsequent attempted mass communist indoctrination. Frequently contrasting to the West, this text invites a dominant reading of what life was like in communist China.
Cultural heritage and traditions and the value of family play significant parts in constructing and conveying the attitudes, ideas and opinions of this text. From Li’s perspective, we …show more content…
Communism, which is linked with Chinese culture more generally, is frequently portrayed negatively throughout of the novel and is depicted to be subordinate to more dominant representations of capitalism and Western culture, especially in relation to the ballet as a central focus of the story. Li’s narration of cultural heritage and traditions and family values assists in conveying the dominant reading of life in communist China and its resulting