How does Nien Cheng use imagery in Life and Death in Shanghai?

The imagery reflects the setting and context of the book. The novel is an autobiography of Nien Cheng, depicting her life during the Cultural Revolution in China. Cheng begins her story from the time right before the Cultural Revolution begins and ends with her relocation to the United States many decades later, including her compelling account of the six and a half years she spent in a detention house under false imprisonment.