Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about China’s Cultural Revolution and rise of communism in the 1960-70s?

Teaching Suggestion: Look for answers referring to Mao Zedong reasserting his power, the Red Guard tormenting bourgeois citizens, and the new class system. Some may mention Mao’s Little Red Book, a Red Guard handbook on life. Communism seeks a society where all property is publicly owned, and everyone works and is paid based on their individual needs and abilities.

• This article published on The Guardian website summarizes the Cultural Revolution.

2. What is meant by the phrase “the female struggle”? Name three ways women encounter inequality.

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage answers pertaining to the belief that men are superior to women and the repercussions of this belief in everyday life, e.g., in the workplace, in relationships, in the home, in public, etc. Examples include lower pay for the same work, workplace sexual harassment, household expectations, etc.

• Connect the female struggle to China referencing this article on Asiasociety.org.