Ma Bo's Spiritual Revolution in Blood Red Sunset: A Summary

Blood Red Sunset by Ma Bo is a wonderful source for an outline of the awesome power that stood behind the Cultural Revolution in China. The trek of this young adult with his friends on their journey to spread the Cultural Revolution portrays the brutal reality of revolutionary China. The truth behind the betrayal of politics over the loyalty of friends and families is terrifyingly scary. Ma Bo's helplessness on the waves of the revolution is a far cry from what was presented in Yanchi's Mao Zedong: Man, Not God.

Ma Bo, firstly, was a great and loyal friend. He admired his friend's loyalty to him and also returned such favors. When needed, Ma Bo was strong and clever. He was in complete support of the revolution. He was strong willed and never gave up, but when it was time to give in a little in order to obtain a higher goal he gave in, but reluctantly. He was cocky and self-centered, starting fights knowing and believing that he would always be the victor. When he lost fights, and only a few, he was shamed and angry at himself. Although he often did not show emotion he made it perfectly clear what he felt. In the text, Ma Boo speaks of his love of Wei Xiaoli. Even in the face of her rejection, he did not give up his love for her. He was often grateful to the point of nearly tearing up, but would stay the emotion to keep face. Ma Bo worked hard to impress those who he needed favor of to rid himself of the counterrevolutionary label. Ma Bo was a strong-spirited man.

Ma Bo came from an upper level family. His mother wrote a book, The Song of Youth, which was viewed as "poisonous." She was often ridiculed and shunned by the public. Ma Bo's father was a vice minister, which was an equivalent of a colonel in the army. His father was denounced for treason. These problems followed him and resurfaced when Ma Bo was charged as a counterrevolutionary. Although it was not his fault, the reigning political theories placed the burden on Ma Bo's shoulders.

Ma Bo set out for Inner Mongolia with his friends, forged papers and all, to join the other youths that had already made their way to the frontiers. There purpose was clear: to spread the cultural revolution. Ma Bo and his friends believed that they were brave and that they were doing the right thing by leaving for Inner Mongolia. But what he and his friends did not foresee was how their excursion would affect the relationship between them. They vowed to each other to be completely loyal, to let not even a woman come between them. But it was not a woman that came between them, but their loyalty to the revolution. In the new China, there was no room for friends, only comrades. Close friends led to counterrevolutionary ideas. When upper level political figures did not like someone, they used that person's friendship to destroy them. They would fool each person into a complete confession, from birth to their present moment, and make them admit all mistakes that were made in their life. These confession would then be used to control the individual. Therefore animosity was created between the friends, and the loyalty turned to distrust.

There was a bit of fanaticism in all this. Cases were carried to an extreme. Mao Zedong's words were brought to a divine height. Anyone speaking against Chairman Mao or his contemporaries were labeled a counterrevolutionary. It seems that everyone was a possible counterrevolutionary. Anyone could denounce someone as a traitor, granted they could provide some small bit of evidence in their favor. Simple things as fighting and talking could be construed as traitorous. After being condemned by someone and convicted it was time for denunciation. During this the masses would humiliate and shame the accused. Ma Bo recounted his with shame. He feared these denunciations. They led to brainwashing: the accused feared them, the masses loved them. These denunciations forced an indoctrination of the masses to obey and to be loyal to Mao and China only.

Ma Bo was taught a very harsh lesson about the Cultural Revolution: everyone was a victim. With a movement so large it was impossible to leave anyone unaffected. Ma Bo changed from a strong, indestructible human being to a mature man. His battle was difficult, viewing different walks of life, from hard work to severe punishment. Ma Bo's recollections of the Cultural Revolution make a very valid and important history.