Mans Fate

To one who lives in a democratic society the word "Communism" means names such as "Marx," "Lenin," "Stalin," and even "Anastasia." But according to Rodney Guin, a high school history teacher, those within a Communistic system often worry about how they will feed their family tomorrow. The often heard, "Each according to his ability and each according to his need" is a slogan, not a reality (Communism 2). About Communism, Benjamin Cardozo wrote, "Again and again, the altruist has arisen in politics, has bidden us share with others the product of our toil, and has proclaimed the communistic dogma as the panacea for our social ills." Matt's Internet homepage states, "Under Communism, profits from the worker's labor would be shared out for the benefit of the workers themselves. This would, obviously, lead to a much better deal for the people of the world." Sounds good on paper, but numerous countries exist as proof that Communism in action is the opposite of any of those statements.

Having lived in China during the 1920's and witnessed the realities of struggle against Communism, Andre Malraux wrote Man's Fate, an example of how strong Communist strings can be. I found it interesting.?He achieves a balance between the setting of the story and exploring the psyche of a character. In the end, May redeemed herself when she goes to Kyo's father, Old Gisors, and offered to take him with her to Moscow. In 1926, Kai-Shek, then a Kuomintang general, launched the Northern Expedition. In this campaign, Kai-Shek and his Nationalist army were victorious in Hankou, Shanghai, and Nanjing. Though Old Gisors refused, May is forgiven for hurting Kyo before his death and one hopes---even though she will live in a Communist society---that her future will be an easy one.

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