Two weeks into our novel study and we are starting to get a bit deeper into the story of Alex. His adventures exploring the streets of Beijing and his adjustments to the culture allow us to experience a life so apart from our own.
The student demonstrations and the government reactions are a part of the history of China. Tian An Men square is an actual place and the events that occured there that smoggy day in June of 1989 are a real part of our human history. William Bell has worked had to bring the events to life through the eyes of this seventeen year old boy.
While you continue to read I hope that you are thinking about the events and reactions of the people. How would you feel if you were a student living in China at this time? What would it be like to live in a country where your opinion or voice is squashed if you go against the government?
Key question of the week: Why did William Bell choose to name the novel Forbidden City, even though the real Forbidden City does not play a major role in the book?
