^1. “ Creating Barriers Step by Step ” was originally printed in Wenhui bao, 26 April 1957; “ Dig Up the Old Roots of Factionalism “ in Wenyi yue bao. No. 6 (1957); “ A Partition Apart ” in Xinwen ribao (1957), 5, 7. “ Something Amiss ” was not intended for publication. It was based on a letter Mr Wang had sent to a friend in the Jiefang ribao in which he protested against the suppression of the free airing of views. A few days later it was discovered that the Municipal Propaganda Bureau was going to label Mr Wang a “ rightist.” Thereupon the person who had received the letter proceeded to operate on it - he chopped off the beginning and the end, added the title “ Something Amiss,” changed questions into affirmative statements, and made some other alterations. Mr Wang did not have a copy of his original letter so could not compare it with the revised version. When they used it to criticize him at a meeting he insisted on getting back his original letter but was not successful.

The article that first attacked Mr Wang in 1957 was written by Zhang Chunqiao under the pseudonym Xu Hui; it was printed in Renmin ribao, 30 July 1957.

2. The “ three don'ts ” (san bu) were aimed at protecting writers. They were:

(a) Don't use clubs to attack people.

(b) Don't place hats [labels] on people.

(c) Don't find [political] fault with people.

3. Ke Qingshi was then First Party Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee.

4. The title Qing qi dui was probably first taken from the reference by Lu Xun to the use of zawen as “ light cavalry ” used against the enemy.

5. Wang Ruowang's merciless 1956 critique of Xiao Jun's novel Mines in May (Wuyue de kuangshan) interestingly enough employs much the same irrational invective that Mr Wang objects to and now attributes to Left deviation dogmatism. See “ A reactionary novel which insults the Party and the working class ” (Yibu wumie dang wumie gongrenjieji defandong xiaoshuo) in Wenyi xuexi, No. 1, (1956).

6. The movements to criticize Yu Pingbo's study of Hong lou meng, wu xun zhuan, and Hu Feng had all been sponsored by Mao.

7. The “ six criteria ” were guidelines for distinguishing between “ fragrant flowers ” and “ poisonous weeds.” The third criterion stated that works “ should help to consolidate and not to undermine or weaken the people's democratic dictatorship.”

8. The “ four basic principles ” were:

(a) Uphold the principles of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

(b) Uphold socialism.

(c) Uphold the leadership of the Communist Party.

(d) Uphold the dictatorship of the proletariat.

9. The “ school of whatever ” refers to those who believe that “ whatever Chairman Mao had decided must be resolutely safeguarded and whatever directive he had issued must always be adhered to.” (See Beijing Review, No. 24,15 June 1981, p. 16.) In China now this term points to those with rigid and blind thinking.Google Scholar

10. “ General, you cannot do this ” appeared in Shi kan. No. 8, 1979; “ At Middleage ” was printed in Shouhuo, No. 1, 1980.Google Scholar