Chapter 28 and Epilogue Summary and Analysis

Jung notes that she's "euphoric" about Mao's passing but that others seem genuinely heartbroken. She says that people have been programmed so thoroughly that she wonders how much is real and whether people even know the difference. A short time later, Mao's wife and three others in high power—known as the Gang of Four—were removed. Jung notes that it was really a "Gang of Five" because they were powerless without Mao.

Jung is given a teaching position which she likes because she uses her English, but hates because she's under tight political control. She's even criticized because she is twenty-five with no plans to marry. University entrance requirements change from political associations to the ability to pass academic exams and Jung is sent to recruit new students. When she returns, she discovers that...