Maos last dancer is a memoir written by chineseaustralian author li cunxin and first published in 2003. Now i knew, with absolute certainty, that i had been manipulated by chairman mao s communist propaganda for many years. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of mao s last dancer by li cunxin. Mao s last dancer mao s last dancer is a fantastic book. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the houston ballet and as a principal artist with the australian ballet. See a complete list of the characters in the scarlet letter and indepth analyses of hester prynne, roger chillingworth, arthur dimmesdale, pearl, governor bellingham, and mistress hibbins. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. This clash of ideology between individualism and communism is symbolised as a clash of moral authority between the teachings of lis family culture through fable and the teachings of mao, expressed in his little red book. It recounts his journey from a young, impoverished. Li was born into utter poverty i maos communist china. Maos last dancer is the autobiography of li cunxin. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. At age eleven li cunxin was plucked from school by visiting officials to attend ballet school in beijing.
Anonymous in a village of china named quingdao in the book, the eleven yearold li cunxin is selected by the communist party to study ballet at the madame mao s dance academy in. The true story of how a small, terrified, lonely boy, plucked from his life in rural china, became one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. In a village of china named quingdao in the book, the eleven yearold li cunxin is selected by the communist party to study ballet at the madame maos dance. Find sample tests, essay help, and translations of shakespeare. Maos last dancer chapter summaries by jeremy deane on prezi. I was just one of over one billion people used as a political puppet and i felt deeply betrayed. It is about a young boy who lives in a family with 6 brothers, in poverty in china, and cunxin, his name, is chosen, when he is 11, to be part of the beijing dance academy.
Throughout the novel li finds himself in conflict between his sense of innate freedom and the restrictions placed upon him by his communist society. My personal contribution to communism had never been important. Bruce beresfords latest movie is based on a true story about a chineseborn ballet dancer who ends up as a principal dancer for the houston. Mao s last dancer is a memoir written by chineseaustralian author li cunxin and first published in 2003. It recounts his journey from a young, impoverished village boy destined to labor in the fields of china to a worldfamous professional dancer.
Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Sparknotes are the most helpful study guides around to literature, math, science, and more. It tells his gripping tale of growing up in a poor family of six boy s. Li cunxins memoir tells his incredible story of rising from extreme poverty.