In Lu Wenfu's short story "the Man from a Peddler's Family," there was an ironic twist at the end. Throughout the story, the peddler have been criticized for being a capitalist. Capitalism was frowned upon because it promoted Western values of "self-interest" (aka greed/selfishness). The peddler defended his position saying that he was serving the people because the government was not doing their job. He was finally reformed at the end. He became a factory worker because it was so much easier. According to him, he was "still" serving the people. His rationalization that factory work was easier for "him" illustrated how he was more concern of his own welfare rather than the community's. The Communist government's (the "officials" that ran it) main concern of maintaining power showed a paradox in their way of diffirentiating capitalism from communism.
Posted by Michael Diezmos at September 26, 2005 8:37 PM