Chapter+8

Chapter 8 starts with Da explaining how Ping-Pong became very popular in China and how he had become pretty good at it. One day, he invited Sen and Mo Gong to play Ping-Pong with him on the school's table once school was over. At first they are reluctant, but Da convinces them to come. When they are there, Da realizes that Han is playing Ping-Pong and talks to his friends about it. "I don't think we should take over this game,' I said, sensing Quei's gaze. 'Why?' Sen asked. 'Because my enemies are there,' I replied. 'Let's go.' 'What?' Sen asked. 'Han and his guys.' I pointed my chin in their direction. 'I'm not going anywhere. I'd like to know these guys better,' Mo Gong said." (78) This quote shows how Sen, Mo Gong, and his other friends all stick up for him. After this scene, Mo Gong proceeds to try and kick Han off the table. However, Han insults Mo Gong and Da, and Mo Gong gets angry and pushes Han on the ground and starts kicking him. When the principle came, he asked what happened. Sen told Mo Gong to let him do all the talking, and Sen told the principle that Han was lying. The principle threatens Da's friends with jail time, which caused them to decide to leave. That night Da and his friends crushed Han's farm. The second half of the book happens over the weekend. Da and his friends hear about a movie being shown in the city. After hearing the young tractor driver talk about how the main character is very attractive, they decide to go see the movie. They all pile on to Sen's bike, which turns into quite a stunt, because one person had to pedal, two sat on the back seat, one sat on the handle bars, and one ran behind and pushed. They all rotated their positions, until they finally get to the city and decide to push, so that they do not get in trouble. When they get to the theater, they see many people who where clothing that is much more attractive than the clothes they wear at the commune. After some joking around about the meaning of "free sex," the boys finally get to the box office, and they find out that the tickets are sold out for the next three days. Siang explains that 80 percent of the tickets go to people who support the theater, such as electric companies, meat stores, fruit stores, and department stores. This is an example of the corruption in China. Siang decides to take them to Three Foot Six, a vendor who has everything. When they get to his shop, Three Foot Six starts blabbing about his son, but Siang tells them that they are in a hurry. After they tell him that they want tickets to the movie, Three Foot Six offers them a price that is a huge amount more than what they would normally cost. They talk Three Foot Six into selling them the tickets for only fifteen fen, and finally go to the movie. When they see the movie, Da discovers that "The plot of the movie was run-of-the-mill Cultural Revolution stuff." (87) This a great example of the propaganda in China, because so many people piled into see this movie that was blatantly endorsing communism. After the movie, Da and his friends talk about the girl in the movie, and finally ride their bike home. Da sees Han on his bike, but he doesn't think that Han saw them. When they get back to their house, Da's mother gives them some food that she made. They go over to Yi's workshop and have fun eating the food. The chapter ends with the boys celebrating "the good time with loud and long burps, laughing until our stomachs hurt. Though we sat in a humble mud hut with a flickering kerosene light, it felt as if we had the world within our hearts." (89) I thought that this was a great way to end the chapter, because it leaves the reader with a sense of happiness for Da, and shows how strong Da's friendship is with Mo Gong, Sen, Siang and Yi. Important themes in this chapter are Da's friendship and communist propaganda and corruption.



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