Xiwang often referred to Shuangshuang as “‘the person in my house’ or, ‘the woman who cooks for me’”. In the original book, A Brief Biography of Li Shuangshuang, Shuangshuang was often called “Xiwang’s wife” or “Xiwang’s woman”, and when she became a mother, “Little Chrysanthemum’s mother”. Whichever name that Shuangshunag was called, they were all attached to her husband or child. Thus, “Li Shuangshuang was still an appendage of a patriarchal society”. However, when Li Shuangshuang began to step out of her domestic sphere and participate in collective production, both her and Xiwang’s perception of her role changed. In A Brief Biography of Li Shuangshuang, Shuangshuang expressed a strong desire to take part in labor outside of the home. Shuangshuang thought, “The Great Leap Forward is turning the sky red outside… Can I let myself be tied down by this household for the rest of my life?”. The Communist society was ready for “the labor of housewives”, and “once they gain the right to work, they relish their feeling of connectedness” to the collective production. At the end of the film, Li Shuangshuang earned respect for her ability in the fields and in managing the work points system. She was known as an independent entity rather than a sub-identity known only as Xiwang’s wife or the child’s mother. References Further reading Tang, Xiaobing. "Rural Women and Social Change in New China Cinema: From Li Shuangshuang to Ermo." Positions 11, 3 (Winter 2003): 647–74. External links Li Shuangshuang Comic Li Shuangshuang at the Hong Kong Movie Database 1962 films Chinese comedy films