Life & Death in Shanghai
by Nien Cheng
Who is Nien Cheng?
~Born on January 28, 1915
in Beijing
~daughter of a wealthy land owner
~Attend the London School of Economics in 1935
(Father was an Anglophile)
shortened her name Yao Nien Yuan to Nien
~Met husband, Kang-chi Chang & converted to
Christianity
~Return to China
the communists allowed husband to become the head of
Shell…he died in 1957… Nien joined Shell as an adviser.
Nien Cheng
January 28, 1915 – November 2, 2009
“Nien Cheng, 94, whose memoir "Life and Death in
Shanghai" was widely praised as one of the most
riveting accounts of the Cultural Revolution, died
Nov. 2 of cardiovascular and renal disease at her
home in Washington.”
~The book you are about to read, Life and Death
in Shanghai by Nien Cheng was first published in
1986.
Cheng’s story conveys her personal struggle
for survival during the communist take over of
Shanghai.
As you prepare to read this book, take a few
moments to think about what you know actually
know about communist beliefs and the
history of communism in China.
What is communism?
Communism:
a system of social organization based holding all
property in common ownership being ascribed to
the community as a whole or to the state.
Marxism is the theory
Communism is the practical implementation of Marxism
Marxism is a philosophy that supports the idea
that there should be no difference between the
rich and the poor
Communism is a political system with a class
less, egalitarian and stateless society based on
common ownership, which promotes equality
and fairness.
Communism In China
Pre-Communist China
~A dark period in China’s History:
After the fall of Qing Dynasty
without an authority to rule over
warlords took advantage of the situation
period lasted from 1916 to 1927
-warlords fought against each other regardless of
common ideas or purpose
~Boxer Rebellion1 of 1900:
starvation, extreme poverty, and grief resulting in the loss
of many innocent lives
Who was Mao Zedong??
~poorly educated as a child but highly
intelligent
~member of the Nationalist Army
~was introduced to & became
powerfully influenced by Marxism
Great Revolution (1914—1918)
--China saw several movements which strongly
fostered a path into Communism
~1949: Mao brings Communism to China
Proletariatian: working class of the 19th century
(demand for labor, not capital)
Communists vs. Western World
(Capitalism)
Quick write #1
• Think about a time when you had to stand up for
your beliefs even though others around you were
too afraid to? Were you able to actually do it?
What were the consequences of your choice?
• What helps give you strength when you need it?
When others are pushing you to cave in to peer
pressure and you know it’s the wrong thing to do,
what gives you the strength to do what’s right?
• What do you think life was like for a well-to-do
person living in Shanghai during the Proletarian
Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong?
Quick write #2
Read the one page “Author’s Note.”
• What might Cheng’s motives have been for
writing this book?
• How difficult would it be to write about this
experience?
• Why does Cheng claim to have some
reluctance? Explain.
• Who do you think is the intended audience for
this book?
Reading & ReReading
~Why take notes / annotate when you read?
Our first reading of a book gives us the story line, the
major conflicts, and a sense of what the author intends.
The second (or third) readings provide richer
analyses and a deeper understanding of the text.
**taking notes alleviates the need to completely
reread the text.