Friday, April 22, 2016

Chu Ju's House - Connector

Katherine Harrison

Mrs. Pasic

Language and Literature 7B

Thursday, April 21, 2016
Chu Ju’s House – Connector

My group and I started reading Chu Ju’s House, a novel written by Gloria Whelan. My job is to find connections between the book and the outside world.

The book depicts life in China, in the eighties. It is a true picture of the rural China, the society and the strict rules imposed by the authoritarian regime, the people, their ignorance and prejudices. The life of the main character Chu Ju and her family in the book, mirrors the life of the Chinese people in those days. The socioeconomic and political background of depicted in the book is the one of the real China.

Further, the story shows an outstanding character, a heroine Chu Ju. Even though she is only 14 years old, she is more mature and advanced in her thinking than adults she is surrounded with. The girl is a heroine, she can think with her mind and see injustice imposed by the one-child policy. She has understanding and does not judge her family when they make such a horrible decision to send the sister away to the orphanage, in order to make room for the boy. 

Although devastated she does not give up, but goes into voluntary exile to help her family and to show the effects of not following the rules imposed by the Chinese Government. As a result of her actions, her sister stays with the family and another baby sister is born.  This time, her parents accept the second girl and leave her with the family.  


She is a fighter, she brings about the change. She believes in and uses education to fight for a better life. She is not only the representative of a different China, but also a symbol of progressive way of thinking needed to combat illiteracy and authoritarian regimes in many other parts of the world. We can easily imagine Chan Ju in many African countries that do not have democracy and where females are considered as human beings of no value. 

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