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Class of 2016
Prior to our departure for China I decided that I wanted to have something to read during the trip that would relate to our travels. After searching for a bit, I settled on Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang, which is a truly gripping book about the experiences of three generations of women from the beginning of the 20th century to the end. As I read it, I am struck by how arduous each of their hardships were, despite the diversity of their struggles. From foot-binding practices and arranged marriages to the binds of the Communist Party to the suffering during the Cultural Revolution, they each strove to make the best of their situations.
One point that the author of this book emphasizes is how universal her grandmother's, mother's, and her own story are for all citizens of China, in that their trials were by no means unique in the time period in which they happened. This being so, I can't help but wonder what each person we pass on the street has seen and experienced in this country. Especially since Chang's book is banned in China, I wonder about some of the stories that the citizens here hold in their hearts but don't, or unable to, share.
Since we are staying in three larger cities during our trip, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing, and we only have a few weeks here, we are unfortunately only scratching the surface of this huge, historically rich country. With limited time and locations, we can only learn a fraction of what life in China is really like. While speaking with our student guides has been very insightful, I'm sure that there is much that they don't tell us about life here.
This being so, I would recommend that everyone read a book relating to the place they're visiting when they travel. Reading this book about Chinese citizens has given me a fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation of the country, particularly the remarkable resilience of the people who live here. As American tourists, I think that it can be easy to forget to empathize with those of a culture that seems, at least at first, to be so different from our own. Only when you understand their stories do you begin to truly feel a sense of connection and unanimity.
Natalie Smith, of Elizabethtown, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar majoring in English and political science.