"Wild Swans" Quotes
“The practice of binding feet was originally introduced about a thousand years ago, allegedly by a concubine of the emperor. Not only was the sight of women hobbling on tiny feet considered erotic, men would also get excited playing with bound feet … Men rarely saw naked bound feet which were usually covered in rotting flesh and stank when the bindings removed.” (Ch.1, p. 24-25)
“At the mention of the word ‘character,’ the eldest son gave a loud snort: ‘How can you mention the word ‘character’ about a concubine! No good women would have become a concubine in the first place!’ He then started to abuse my grandmother. At this, Dr. Xia could not control himself. He lifted his walking stick and began thrashing his son.”
(Ch. 2, p. 49)
“One of the first songs my mother learned was:
Red boys and green girls walk on the streets,
They all say what a happy place Manchukuo is.
You are happy and I am happy,
Everyone lives peacefully and works joyfully free of any worries.”
(Ch. 3, p. 63)
“She forced herself to look at the body of her friend, which by now was lying in a glistening red patch in the white snow. She heard someone try to suppress sobs. It was Miss. Tanaka, the Japanese woman teacher who she liked. In an instant “Donkey” was on Miss Tanaka, slapping and kicking her… She had betrayed the Japanese race, he bawled.”
(Ch. 3, p. 74)
“Many officials used the campaign to settle personal scores. Some found that one easy way to fill the quota was to offer up their enemies. Others acted out of sheer vindictiveness. In Yibin, the Tings purged many talented people with whom they did not get on or of whom they were jealous. Almost all of my father’s assistants were there, whom he had picked out and promoted, were condemned as rightists.”
(Ch. 11, p. 217)
“Mao obstinately stuck to his crazy economic policies. Although he was not unaware of all the disasters they had been causing, and was discreetly allowing some of the most impracticable ones to be revised, his
“At the mention of the word ‘character,’ the eldest son gave a loud snort: ‘How can you mention the word ‘character’ about a concubine! No good women would have become a concubine in the first place!’ He then started to abuse my grandmother. At this, Dr. Xia could not control himself. He lifted his walking stick and began thrashing his son.”
(Ch. 2, p. 49)
“One of the first songs my mother learned was:
Red boys and green girls walk on the streets,
They all say what a happy place Manchukuo is.
You are happy and I am happy,
Everyone lives peacefully and works joyfully free of any worries.”
(Ch. 3, p. 63)
“She forced herself to look at the body of her friend, which by now was lying in a glistening red patch in the white snow. She heard someone try to suppress sobs. It was Miss. Tanaka, the Japanese woman teacher who she liked. In an instant “Donkey” was on Miss Tanaka, slapping and kicking her… She had betrayed the Japanese race, he bawled.”
(Ch. 3, p. 74)
“Many officials used the campaign to settle personal scores. Some found that one easy way to fill the quota was to offer up their enemies. Others acted out of sheer vindictiveness. In Yibin, the Tings purged many talented people with whom they did not get on or of whom they were jealous. Almost all of my father’s assistants were there, whom he had picked out and promoted, were condemned as rightists.”
(Ch. 11, p. 217)
“Mao obstinately stuck to his crazy economic policies. Although he was not unaware of all the disasters they had been causing, and was discreetly allowing some of the most impracticable ones to be revised, his