herself and all her emotions and her experiences. Gao makes a point of saying that she prefers her lovers to be foreigners. Major Themes The biggest theme in the novel is freedom and how freedom is defined. The whole reason why Gao begins the novel is as a way of expressing his freedom at the advice of Margarethe. The act of writing helps the main character feel the sense of freedom he desires. In the flashbacks to his life under Mao's regime, it is very clear the lack of freedom of expression that people have in daily life. People had to live according to all the rules and regulations put in place by the Communist Party. Actions that anybody had been involved in the past could come back and cause problems for individuals who had committed them. Any actions deemed reactionary or anti-communist could be used to imprison or interrogate an individual. Throughout the novel, Gao discusses the freedom of the human spirit and how writing and his sexual encounters help to feel free and uninhibited. Another general theme is Gao's aversion to thinking about the past or memories. He often says in the novel that memories are horrible to remember. He announces how he likes to live in the present and to that he is always alive. Memories and thinking about the past are all just means of holding him back. The women he is with are sometimes used as ways to make him feel like he is present in the moment at hand. The women he interacts with can sometimes force him to think about the past while other do not care to hear or discuss the past. Historical Context In the novel, Gao gives little attention to the background and cause of the events taking place around him in China because of the Cultural Revolution. He wholly focuses on his experiences during the time period. The Cultural Revolution began on May 16, 1966 and was an internal political struggle that continued for ten years. The revolution's goal was to revolt against all forms of capitalist thinking and principles. The most principal figure during this turbulent time was Mao Zedong. He was a very dominating personality and was able to promote many of his teachings, through compiling in the mandatory reading material, the Little Red Book. This time involved not only heavy oppression of freedom of expression but